As for today, today was just like any other day - filled with rumour, heresay and fear mixed in with the occasional grain of truth that made everything all the more harrowing.

Harold: I'm telling you, I saw The Beast! It was only for a moment, but I could smell it's musk on the breeze, and I swear it turned and peered right through my soul. Clever eyes, it had. I tell you, my blood ran cold, and I knew in a moment just what must of taken that poor girl-"

I sighed, my hands tightening around the empty basket handle until my knuckles were white. Another set of dissapearances happened over winter passed - the time of year where everyone just accepted there'd be casualties and tried to live through the cold weather. Now the world was warming up into spring, and there was talk of finding the "lost ones".

But that was it. It would only be talk, muddled among a few half-hearted rescue attempts here and there, eventually being set to bed with the self-gratifying knowledge of "at least we tried." Mark them down as lost and be suspicious should they return... that was the way of Mistweave.

A warm hand tapped my shoulder, and just like that a familliar figure fell into pace beside me. It was the kind of welcome presence that made you think of home. I relaxed.

"Well hello, stranger." WF cheered, his tone quieting as he recognised my gloomy state of mind. He tilted his head thoughtfully, a wave of realisation washing over his face as Harold's tale wafted passed us. "Ah," WF murmured, giving me a knowing look. "it's one of those days..."

"It was a horrid thing, all moss and woodwork, blending right in between the trees. Gave me such a fright, but I knew just what to look for of course, and I steeled myself and stared right back into the blighter's eyes. And just like that, it turned tail and fled from my presence."

But I've worked it out. It's a stalker, see. Doesn't like it's prey to know it's there. Likes to get the drop on you." In the distance Harold curled his hands up into stubby claws that looked more daft then frightening. 

WF grinned his infamous grin. "I reckon if his tales get any taller, we'll be able to climb them into the clouds and catch falling stars with fishing nets." he cooed, distracting me long enough with the sheer strangeness of his turn of phrase to scoop my basket right up out of my hands.

"Hey, I need that!" I called after him with mock indignance, watching the bukly gent dance away with an elaborate flourish that he really couldn't pull off. I almost smiled at how ludicrous he looked.

Almost.

"You know," he continued, "You should look on the bright side. We get all this free entertainment here in Mistweave. Those poor folk from the city don't know what they're missing." He presented the basket to me, teetering it on the end of his fingertips as I reclaimed it.

"Pff."

I let the basket sway lazily by my side as we fell back into step. A pause in our conversation yawned between the sound of our footsteps. It mingled with the quiet chirping of birds from some nearby tree, and died as I realised soon we'd be at the market and there'd be less time for conversation with my childhood friend. 

"You're cheerful, as always. I have no idea how you manage it." 

"It's the high fibre in my diet." I cast him a dark look, but felt my resolve dissolving. WF always put me at ease.

He weighed my words carefully for a moment. "I think you have to be, to keep up with the weirdness in this town. It's all too doom and gloom otherwise. So come on now, where's that smile? I swear I almost caught sight of it a moment ago. I was about to toll the bells and mark the day down on my calender as a new holiday. Think I'd make a good Prophet of Pip?" He threw a lopsided glance at me.

I gripped my basket. Plod, plod, plod.

He continued, unperturbed. "You know, I'm convinced this whole gloomy-doom thing you do is a giant conspiracy you created when we were kids." really? now [i]that [/i]piqued my interest.

Oh come on now, that's rediculous WF! Do you [i]really[/i] think I'd waste a decade of my life in tortured self-isolation on purpose?" I retorted.

"Maybe you knew I was shy and needed an excuse to talk to you." he breezed by me to the edge of the square, the hubbub of conversation bubbling around us. 

"Pah! Since when are you [i]shy[/i]?" I laughed.

"There's that smile." He said simply, and I didn't know what to say.

WF melted into the crowd, his affectionate smile lingering in my mind's eye as my fears - for a little while, at least - melted away with him.


• Don't you ever get scared? •