A loud crash sounds from upstairs and we all stop.
"What was that?" Aaron demands.
"It sounded like someone kicked through the door..." Lucinda replies.
"EEEE! It's the murderer coming to get us!" Kim screams, hugging herself. I run over and hug her as well, needing the support as much as she does.
"Shush, Kim, calm down!" Garroth orders.
"I'm gonna go check it out." Aaron says firmly.
"Right behind you!" Garroth crows quietly.
"Same." Lucinda chimes in.
"I'm in!" I say, though my squeak at the end doesn't help my case.
"Are you guys crazy? It's what he wants!" Kim cries. We all run up anyway, leaving her behind. We wait for her a few seconds, until we hear a "ohhhh, wait for me!" and we start moving again. We cautiously creep up the stairs, and once we reach the main floor again, we crouch behind boxes and peer through.
"Oh my Irene!" Lucinda breathes. Oh my Irene is right. There are two wolves, complete with bright red eyes and long white fangs, prowling the floor. And a woman robed in red, her green eyes glinting, is watching them.
"Those are wolves!" Lucinda hisses.
"Shh!" I say. "They'll hear you!"
"Should we shoo them away?" Garroth suggests.
"Oh, yeah, just let me grab a fly swatter!" I whisper-scream.
"Not a good idea." Aaron interrupts.
"Those look like they could tear us apart." Lucinda breathes.
"We're dead!" Kim mourns.
"Shhhh! Calm down, keep quiet!" Aaron orders.
"We're dead!" I squeal, and one of the wolves looks our way. I cover my mouth when the wolf growls.
"Shh!" Aaron repeats. "Let's hope they don't pick up on our scent."
We watch them for a minute more, and my heart drops in my chest when one of them starts sniffing our bags, and then the air around it. But my heart stops beating entirely when my oaf of a brother screams,
"AAH-CHOO!"
Growling starts instantly as the wolves hone in on our position. I smack my brother's shoulder. "Garroth, you boob!" I hiss.
"We're so dead, we're so dead, we're so dead, we're so dead, we're so dead!" Kim says sadly.
But as the wolves get closer, they suddenly stop and turn towards the red-dressed girl. She doesn't say anything, but she waves and they follow her to the door and out of the lodge. She stops once to look back at our cluster of boxes, then turns and walks out.
"Whew!" We all breathe a sigh of relief.
"You boob!" I repeat, smacking him again.
"I'm sorry!" he wails.
"That was way too close." Lucinda says as we all come out.
"Tell me about it." Aaron says.
"I'm so sorry." Garroth says sadly. "I almost turned us into dog food!" He shakes his head and turns to Kim. "Uh...Kim?" She looks up, her eyes wide and fearful. "Kim!?" Garroth rushes towards her.
"We could've died..." Kim says weakly. Then she faints dead away.
"Kim? Kim!!" Garroth yells.
"I think... we all need a moment to recollect ourselves after that." Aaron admits. I look up in surprise when even his voice sounds shaky. I never thought Aaron was scared of anything.
"Right..." I say slowly, not ready to admit how much that scares me. "Let's...close the door."
Aaron nods and crosses over to it as Garroth starts poking Kim. "Kim? Kim!!"
"Oh, big brother, stop poking her!" I chide angrily, picking her up like she's a feather. "All you're going to do is give her bruises!" I carry her over to the couch and set her down. Garroth follows me worriedly.
"How's Kim doing?" Lucinda asks, coming over with Aaron as Garroth resumes his poking.
"She would be doing better if Garroth would stop poking her!" I say savagely, shoving him away from her. "I think she's fine."
"I've been poking her to see if she wakes up." Garroth points out helpfully.
"What's that going to do?" Lucinda asks.
"SEE?" I yell.
"Wake her up." Garroth says blankly. "I dunno! Why are you yelling at me?"
"I'm just---" Lucinda sighs. "Sorry, I'm just... Kinda shaken up after the whole wolf thing." She turns to Aaron. "Aaron, are you sure the doors are locked?"
"Uh...I'll check again." Aaron says, then runs off.
"Kim, wake up!" Garroth cries. "Kim! Kim! Kim-Kim Kimmie Kim!" He keeps poking her until I hold both his wrists down. Honestly, you'd think I was older sometimes!
"The doors are locked tight." Aaron amends.
"Well...That's good." Lucinda says.
"Guys! I think she's coming to!" Garroth cheers. I look down and, sure enough, Kim's eyelids are fluttering madly as she groans and sits up. Aaron and Lucinda run over.
"Uhh...What happened?" Kim asks.
"Wolves." Lucinda says bluntly.
"GAH!" Kim cries. "I FORGOT!"
"Kim! It's all right! It's perfectly fine!" Garroth promises. "The doors are shut sound and we're safe."
"I-is that true, Lucinda?" Kim turns to Lucinda.
"Hey!" Garroth complains as I giggle.
"I'm sorry, Garroth, but Lucinda seems to know what she's dealing with." Kim explains.
"Eh-hem!" Aaron coughs.
"Oh! You too, Aaron!" Kim promises. "It's just, well... Lucinda, you seem to know a lot about weird, other-worldly stuff."
"True dat." I grin at Lucinda.
"Well, you're not wrong." Lucinda says. "I do know a lot." She crosses around the couch. "And from what I know we're perfectly fine!" She laughs, and I think I hear a bit of nervousness. Chills crawl up my stomach. Lucinda AND Aaron afraid?
"Really?!" Kim cries happily, not noticing.
"Really!" Lucinda promises. "I'm sure one of us just left the door open."
"Boob brain!" I call out, hugging my brother from the side.
"Aww..." He practically coos, hugging me back. "Wait. That's not a good thing!"
"Whew!" Kim sighs. "That's a relief to hear."
"Yeah. Ooh, I was going to say!" Garroth untangles himself from my bear hug and climbs over to the fireplace. "This is a huuuge fireplace! Maybe we should try to turn it on?"
"I can help!" Kim and I say together. We look at each other and break into laughter.
"Let's look for a switch." Kim hiccups when she's finally stopped laughing. I follow her around the room, while Garroth, Aaron and Lucinda look around as well. I hear Aaron and Lucinda talking, but don't think much of it because Garroth hits the side of the fireplace and it sparks alight in golden flames.
"Ohh, fire has never felt so good." I practically melt. I'm careful to stay a ways away, though. I don't like fire.
"I did it!" Garroth crows.
"Yay!" Kim cheers. I follow her over to Aaron and Lucinda. "All right guys, I think we should clean up this place!" Kim says happily.
"Wow, talk about a mood change." Garroth sidles in between me and Kim.
"Hehehe!" Kim giggles. "Well, this place isn't spooky anymore with the lights on. Plus, Lucinda just cleared my mind."
Lucinda laughs. "I'm glad. But...Let's at least make sure broken windows are boarded, and this place is locked tight. I wanna make sure we're a hundred percent safe."
"I'm down for that." I say nervously, glancing at the securely locked door. Lucinda wouldn't lie about this, right?
"I agree!" Kim chimes in. "How about the first night here, we have a sleepover right here in front of the fireplace! That way, no one is lonely and scared of the dark."
"Ooh, I like that!" I squeal, linking my arm through hers.
"I'm in too!" Garroth says, coming over from the fire. "I love sleepovers!
"Sounds like a plan." Lucinda says. "Let's get to work."
"Avengers disband!" I squeak. Everyone gives me a weird look before laughing (real laughs, not forced ones, thankfully) and breaking apart, going to spots in the lodge. I grab a big hammer and nails, and start fixing some slats on the floor that are sticking up. Over the next few hours, I get most of the slats fixed down, and we get this place de-cobwebbed and de-dustified. At least on the bottom floor. Then Lucinda finally calls it a night and we change into our PJ's. I'm delighted to see that I'm not the only one who brought bunny slippers to match my gold unicorn shirt and flannel pants. I set my sleeping bag down on the ground next to Kim and Lucinda and seat myself next to them as well.
"EEE! This is going to be so cool!" Kim cries, pushing her glasses up. I think she only has to wear them at night.
"You enjoy sleepovers?" Lucinda asks.
"No! This is my first one!" She doesn't sound at all mad about it.
"Really?" I ask. "Wow, well...maybe we'll have a more proper one when we actually get internet."
"Internet! I almost forgot about that!" Garroth cries.
"Yeah, we need to get that on soon." Aaron says. Garroth nods so hard I'm surprised his brain doesn't fall out.
I start laughing, but it dies when I hear a long, loud wolf's howl out in the distance.
"Eep! Those wolves kinda scare me!" Kim says.
"Don't worry about it, Kim." Lucinda says gently.
"Uh...H-hey! Maybe we should have cuddle buddies?" Kim suggests.
"Cuddle buddies?" I repeat.
"So we aren't lonely." Kim explains. "And the wolves can't eat us both...." She adds quietly.
Lucinda laughs. "Kim, it's fine! Wolves won't get you."
"Aww, I'll be your cuddle buddy, Kim!" Garroth says in his adorable voice, holding his arms out and inching towards her. She backs away slowly.
"Uh... I was thinking more like Lucinda would be my cuddle buddy." She whispers.
"Aww..." Garroth says sadly, dropping his arms as Lucinda and Kim poof out their sleeping bags next to each other. Garroth turns to Aaron. "Aaron, be my cuddle buddy!"
"Wha---No!" Aaron says, backing away as Garroth tries to hug him. "Why can't Vi be yours?"
"Uh, I'm going to sleep next to Kim and Lucy!" I protest. "You boys can figure this one out for yourselves."
"Welcome to our cuddle buddy clan!" Kim says happily, scooting over to make room for me. Lucinda laughs and we all settle down. Aaron and Garroth set theirs up as well, although not nearly as close. Kim falls asleep quickly, as does Lucinda, but I lie awake listening to the wolves in the distance. I'm just nodding off when---
"Aaron, come on, be my cuddle buddy!" Garroth pleads, his voice doing the adorable cracking.
"No." Aaron says with finality.
"Aw, but Lucinder, Kim and Vi are!"
"No!"
"But---"
"No!"
"Is this because I snore when I sleep?"
I hear a rustle of cloth and peek over to see Aaron's look of horror. "Gah, I forgot about that!" Aaron cries.
"Aw, come on, it's not that bad. I only do it when it's cold outside now." Garroth says.
"That's it. I'm moving further away!" Aaron stands up and scooches his sleeping bag as close to us as he can, and then lays down to sleep again. Things fall silent but for the rustling outside, and I let myself lull to sleep. The last thing I remember is hearing Garroth start to snore, and Aaron's groan of extreme agony as he stuffs his pillow over his head.
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I freaking love this series and this season. CUDDLE-BUDDY!!!!!