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To say Will is confused would be an understatement. He'd heard Momma talking to someone on the phone last night even though he knew he should have been asleep and now they're going to the airport. Will’s never been to the airport before but Momma has. Armed with nothing but his little Star Wars suitcase and a backpack, Will followed his mom dutifully through the busy place. It’s a lot of noise for his sensitive ears as they wait in line but Will doesn't say anything to his mom, he can sense her heart racing from where he holds her hand.
He ends up falling asleep on the airplane, almost throughout the entire flight. Momma hasn't explained much of anything except that he's going to see his dad's family while she tours. Will can't help but feel like it has something to do with the creepy birds with the metal beaks he told her about stalking the house. Despite it all, Momma wakes Will up before they land so he can see the pretty sun over New York. It's warm and serene as he admires it all. Will waves to the sun before sitting back down for landing. Momma smiles despite the stress evident on her features making Will smile brighter.
“I love you, my little sunbeam,” she says as she rubs her thumb against his cheek
“I know, I love you too!” Will answers back as he leans into her hand
“Never forget that, baby, never,” Momma continues as she kisses his forehead “no matter what,”
“I won't,” Will replies with complete trust and determination
Soon after leaving the plane, Will realizes it's a lot noisier in the city. Constant beeping cars and honking horns. Bus brakes squeal as people talk and walk around. It almost gets him lost before Momma takes his hand and leads him to the car rentals. Will swears he sees someone with one eye looking at them before Momma starts driving the car away. Outside the city is calmer, more trees and less honking as Will taps his fingers on his knees in the back seat. He hums along to the radio and imagines a cowboy racing them on the side of the road and giggles. Momma eyes him from the rearview mirror with a smile before a cawing snaps her back into focus.
“Will, baby?” Momma calls out
“Yeah?”
“Things might be a little scary now but it's gonna be okay, alright?” Momma says as she glanced around nervously into the trees
“Momma?” Will’s face pinches as he starts to get scared, the cawing getting louder on the empty road “Momma?”
“I love you, sunshine,” Momma confesses
Before Will can say much, a creepy bird with a glistening metal beak dives at them “Momma!”
“Shit!” She cussed and slams on the brakes
Will screams as the creature slams into the car throwing Momma off course before she can straighten out the wheel and charge down the road. Another bird slams into the car causing it to swerve as Will screams and curls up in the seat. There's a popping noise as the bird slams into the car again. Momma is screaming with Will as the car veers off the road and into a tree from the busted tire.
“Oh no! No no no! Will, baby, are you okay?” Momma calls out as the birds peck at the window breaking it
“I'm scared! Momma, help!” Will shouts as the bird tries to bite him from the shattered window
“Get away from my son!” Momma screams
She slams open her door, grabs a heavy branch and begins swatting at the bird until it flies off. Momma wastes no time picking Will up and out of the car before running down the road. It's hard to breath as she shields Will from the diving birds and dashes through the woods. The blonde cries louder as he feels the metal beaks rip at any exposed skin. Unable to see what Momma is running to from his place tucked firmly under her chin, Will doesn't know what's going on until she trips and he goes flying onto the ground.
“Will!” Momma screams
“Momma!” Is all Will can get out as he reaches out
The birds are circling above them while Momma tries to crawl towards him only for one of the birds to dive down, barely missing Will. Momma is screaming for Will to run when one of the horrible creatures cuts up her back. There's blood on the pavement, there's blood on his arms and he hurts! He hurts so bad, worse than anything he's ever felt before! Watching the birds swoop down again as Momma struggles against them, Will feels something build up in his throat, itching to be released. And so he lets it go and out comes the loudest and most painful scream Will has ever made. He screams and screams this sonic scream until his lungs give out and it turns back into crying. The birds have retreated for the most part back up into the sky but Will doesn't care as he continues to wail and try to crawl towards his Momma until strong arms pick him up and away from her right as the birds begin to dive back down. In confusion, Will fights weakly as he's tucked into the chest of this stranger who's running off with him before hearing them soothe him.
“Shhh, kid. You're alright- shit! I'm getting you to safety, don't worry. It'll be okay. You'll be okay, little one,” the stranger coos as he runs
“Momma!” Will cries as his voices breaks “they hurt Momma!”
“I know, I know kiddo,” the boy empathizes as he rubs Will's head and keeps him tucked into his chest unable to see “Medic! I need a medic!”
The next few moments are a blur to Will as he's passed off to someone else and watches the stranger run back into the woods towards the birds. A new person is holding Will, trying to tell him to calm down and breathe but he just can't! He's hurting and covered in blood and Momma's hurt! Will is crying and kicking as he's taken into a building that smells like cleaner and looks like a hospital. He's not listening to a word being said when black spots start taking over his vision and a glowing hand grabs his telling him to calm down. Soon enough, Will is out like a light.
Tired and uncomfortable. That's how Will feels as he wakes up again. There's whispering around him that he can't quite seem to catch yet. He must have made a groan or something because soon enough the whispering stops and a hand is on his shoulder. Whining, Will tries to curl up into the warmth of the blanket only to hiss as the wounds on him pull.
“Be careful, little dude. You got pretty hurt,” a boy says from above Will
“H-hurts,” Will echoes as his small fists clench and unclench
“Yeah, I bet,” the boy responds with a sad tone
Will blinks open his eyes to early evening sunlight streaming through the window. You can almost see each ray and Will really wants to reach out and grab it but instead he sits up and rubs at his eyes. He sees the boy that saved him yesterday giving him a small smile from beside the bed. There's also a girl in the bed next to him fending off a worrying person trying to fix their bandages. Will is confused. Is this an infirmary? Where's Momma? What's going on.
“I said I'm fine, Mish!” The girl in the bed snaps
“You are not! You took down the stymphalian birds on your own before Lee could go back to help you!” ‘Mish’ yells back
“Yeah, so I'm fine!” The girl replies but Will gets the vague sense something is wrong
“Guys, chill it in front of the little dude,” the boy that saved him says making Will turn back to him
The boy smiles that tight smile and something fearful curls in Will’s gut. The boy has dark hair and sun kissed skin with very warm eyes. He gently grabs Will's hand causing the six year old to blink confused at them and then the other boy.
“Hello, what's your name?”
“Will… where's my momma?” Will asks back, hearing a moment of silence and pity fill the mostly empty infirmary
“It's good to meet you, Will. My name is Lee. I'm 12. How old are you?”
“Six. Where's Momma?” Will replies and asks again
He casts his gaze around, trying to find her in one of the beds or even just walking over to hug him, tell him everything is okay, that this was a bad dream and she's sorry for not being right here right now. Instead Will sees pity glances and sorrowful looks as people refuse to look at his face. What's happening? Where is she?
“Will. Will, Will look at me,” Lee calls as he's still holding the six year olds hands “You're mom did something really brave-,”
“No, nuh uh,” Will denies. “She's just playing hide and seek right now. She'll be back and it'll be okay. I gotta find Momma,” Will moves to slide off the bed even though it hurts
Lee stops him and puts him back up in the bed, ignoring the sad whispers about Will “She's not here anymore, Will-,”
“So tell her to come back!” Will shouts as he starts to tear up “She can't leave me! She's my momma!”
“I'm so sorry. She's dead, Will,”
“No, no you're wrong. Momma can't die, I still need her!” Will exclaims as the tears fall down his cheek “I still need her! Momma! Momma!”
Lee tries to reach for Will again but he slips under Lee and dashes out the door, crying for his mom. He doesn't give any time to take in the forest or the sunlight or even the other campers looking at him as he runs with his tiny legs and bandaged body. He's calling out for Mom as the other kids avoid him until an older kid picks Will up, walking towards the infirmary.
“No! No, let me go!” Will screams and kicks “I need to find Momma! She's not dead!”
“I'm sorry, kiddo,” the blonde older boy sighs
“Momma! Momma, come back!” Will cries before slumping against the boy that picked him up “come back…,”