Chapter Text
It has been an hour.
Hattie and Bow had been searching for these "mysterious strings" for an HOUR, yet there was no trace of any red strings or chilling strings- whatever chilling strings were. The child with a bow had eventually gotten tired of looking for a string that couldn't be found and sat down on a nearby tree trunk, watching as her sister searched the area one more time. She sighed, resting her cheek with her hand before she spoke up to get her sister's attention.
"Hattie."
"Hold on Bow! Maybe it's hiding in the grass-"
"Hat Kid!"
Hattie finally stopped and looked over at Bow.
"What?"
Bow kid sighed and gestured around at the area they were in. She didn't exactly know where they were, Hattie knew the forest better than her. However, it wasn't near the Subcon Village or any of the places she was introduced to as they were searching. It was empty besides the bushes nearby. She was getting bored trying to look for these strings.
"We've been searching in this area for a while and haven't found anything. Maybe we should move on or...I don't know- head back to the ship and take a break?? I'm a little hungry...and you wanted to show me this metro place-"
Bow had begun before cutting herself off as she took notice of a red string nearby in the grass. Hattie raised a brow as she noticed Bow stop talking and just staring. She looked over as well, gasping in surprise before she looked over at Bow with a smug look.
"Haven't found anything, huh?"
Bow gave a look before she got up from the tree stump. She fixed her jacket and began following Hattie since she rushed over to the string. The hatted girl let out a hum, before she casually lifted up the string. Bow moved in closer to look at the string as well. It wasn't anything too special, it was just an ordinary, red string...that seemed to go on for a long, long while. It led deeper into the forest, and both girls glanced at each other before Hattie let go of the string and followed its path deeper into the forest. Despite Hattie being sure she knew every place in the forest, she would soon be mistaken the further in they went. The trees seem to crowd in on them, and the grass seemed to be completely dead. There were no dwellers, no glowing mushrooms, nothing...it was nerve-wracking. The only light they had was from the red string they were following. Bow moved a little closer to Hattie as they walked, feeling chills run down her spine the further in they went...it seemed to get colder, not as cold as the manor, but just enough to make you hug yourself for warmth. But, by The Snatcher's orders, they needed to follow that string and find the thief.
"Hattie?"
"Yeah, Bow?"
"...My feet hurt from walking...and I'm hungry. Can we have a snack break?"
Hattie thought for a second. The string didn't seem to be GOING anywhere...and they have been walking through these crowded woods for a while. Nothing seemed to even BE here. So, Hattie nodded and sat down on the forest floor.
"You know what? I am kinda hungry as well...I think I brought sandwiches for us!"
Bow happily sat down beside her sister, watching Hattie take off her hat and reach in, pulling out two baggies with sandwiches in them. She set her hat down by her side and gave Bow a baggie. She opened her own and took it out, now taking a bite. Hattie had made herself a simple peanut butter and dragon fruit jam sandwich. Bow had a tuna fish sandwich with the bread toasted enough to make it crunchy. As they ate their lunch, distracted from their surroundings...a pair of eyes could be seen in the distance. Yellow eyes. Glowing, yellow eyes. Almost similar to The Snatcher's. It watched the two from the distance, before it's gaze drifted to the hat next to one of them. Immediately, a smile formed on its face, and it vanished from sight.
"What?? Hattie, no that wouldn't work. That would just be plain stupid."
"No, it would work! You're not getting the full vision of this Bow-"
Whatever discussion the two were having was cut short, as Hattie's shadow would suddenly spring to life. The shadow went to snatch the hat, causing Bow to completely stop talking and just stare at the sight.
"...What? Do I have something on my face?"
"N-no...Hattie...your...your shadow..."
"Huh? What about it??"
Hattie asked, now turning around- only to scream at the sight of her own shadow being- alive!? It had those yellow eyes- is- is that Snatcher??
"Snatcher?? What are you DOING you PECK-"
"Snatcher??? SNATCHER?? What a silly, SILLY name!"
"Hat Kid's" shadow exclaimed with a laugh. The shadow then grew larger, it's form no longer being Hat Kid shaped. It was almost similar to Snatcher's, except with a...mane? hair? that was messy yet went downwards, longer, noodlier arms with no claws, and was completely 2D, like an actual shadow. It had similar yellow eyes...but the smile had no fangs. The shadow gave what seemed to be a bow before snatching up Hat Kid's hat from the ground.
"Oh no, no, no! Snatcher is not the name for me! I prefer the name...Finders-Keepers! I find something I like...I keep! I must say...I do like this hat, oh yes indeed! You don't mind if I keep this, yes? It would go perfect for my collection, so perfect!"
Hattie immediately got up after quickly finishing the rest of her sandwich, pointing angrily.
"No!! That's MY HAT!! You can't HAVE IT!"
Finders-Keepers stared for a moment, tilting its head.
"Yours? But it was not on your head! No no, it was on the forest floor. Whatever is on the forest floor is free to take, after all."
"Wh- that's not how it works at ALL! I wasn't wearing it but it's still mine- give it BACK!"
Hattie jumped up to try and snatch the hat out of the shadow's hands, only for it to yelp and raise the hat higher. It stared, before laughing and immediately vanishing through the woods with the hat. Hattie's eyes widened and she immediately ran after the shadow.
"HEY!! COME BACK HERE YOU THIEF!"
Bow stood there anxiously, glancing back at the string then at her sister who was getting farther away. She ran after Hattie after a quick contemplating. She's sure they can find the string again...after getting Hattie's hat back, of course.
The shadow, Finders-Keepers, has been leading them farther than where they originally were. It hid behind the trees, jumped over the two children whenever they were close to catching it. It laughed and laughed as Hattie tripped and fell onto the dirt below, causing Bow to quickly try and help Hattie up.
"Haha! I can keep this up ALL NIGHT, you know!"
It declared, before it noticed Hattie wasn't getting up. It stared, it's smile fading as he heard the girl sniffle before she spoke as Bow helped her up from the ground.
"Please...I- I need that hat back. It was given to me by special people- please..."
Finders-Keepers blinked...and for a minute, it seemed like it would continue its game. But instead, the shadow plopped Hat Kid's hat back on her head, causing the girl to let out a huh and look up at the shadow. Finders-Keepers gave a small smile.
"I suppose I don't need this hat. There are plenty more hats to come around, just like with other things.... you remind me of a friend of mine. I do not take from people who are friends, no I do not. That is wrong, wrong, wrong."
Hat Kid let out a sigh of relief, quickly wiping her eyes and fixing the hat on her head. Bow looked up at the shadow, seeming to make a connection and asking a question.
"Er- Finders-Keepers was it?"
"Yesssssss?"
"Um...You...take things, right? Are you the one using strings to steal stuff from the...other part of the forest?"
Finders-Keepers stared, before it snickered and brushed the question off.
"That's rude, you know. To assume that just because I take things on the forest floor that I take EVERYTHING. No no, the strings are not mine. In fact, the strings belong to that old friend of mine I mentioned.... which, he doesn't just steal things from people. He takes things that used to be his- or well, that he remembers were his."
Hat Kid and Bow seemed confused, Hat Kid now speaking up.
"Wait- what do you mean? Take things that he "remembers" is his. How do you forget what's yours?"
"I wonder too. I think it has to do with his death. Poor guy can't even remember most of his life...or the woman he was to be with. But me and him are still friends, I try to tell him things he forgot, but it's hard for me to remember too. It's been years after all..."
Finders-Keepers explained, now putting its hands on its hips.
"But...if you're looking for him, I can help bring you to him! He loves meeting new people."
Hattie and Bow looked at each other before they smiled and nodded, Hattie thanking it.
"Yes! That'd be perfect!! Show the way!"