Chapter Text
"NO!!" Amity wailed, opening and closing the door frantically. Each time she saw nothing but the inside of a run-down shack. "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!"
Willow looked to her with pity, then to Gus, who was sobbing on his hands and knees. Then she locked eyes with Hunter, whose face reflected much of the fear and uncertainty she felt, but also determination. It's up to us, she realized.
She jerked her head towards Gus. Hunter nodded in understanding, crouched down next to Gus, and began speaking softly to him. Willow couldn't hear him over the sound of the cold human rain pouring down on them, but she assumed he was saying something comforting, or at least trying to.
Willow turned her attention back to Amity, who was still screaming. "LUZ!! OPEN THIS PORTAL BACK UP RIGHT THIS SECOND!! I MEAN IT!! LET US BACK IN RIGHT NOW, OR I'LL- I'LL- AAUGH!!" She kicked the old wooden building they'd come out of.
Willow wrapped two strong arms around Amity's skinny middle and began pulling her away from the door gently but firmly. "That's not going to work, Amity."
"Why?!" Amity cried, her voice full of despair. "Why would she do that?!"
Willow sighed. "I don't know. But she did, and now we're stuck here in her world for the time being. We need to find someplace safe to get patched up and regroup."
"Where?" Hunter asked. He'd gotten a still-sniffling Gus to his feet and was allowing the smaller boy to lean on him. "We don't know the lay of the land in this world, and neither of the two humans I've known are with us. Where can we go?"
"Luz's mom," Willow replied. "That's the one connection we have here. We know Luz, and Luz has a mother who lives nearby. We'll start by finding her and asking her for help. Gus, do you remember her name?"
Gus sniffed again. "Noceda," he answered. "Her last name is Noceda. I don't remember any more than that."
"Doctor Camila Noceda," Amity recited. "The 'doctor' part is a title. Her first name is Camila." She still sounded rough and teary, but at least her head had cleared enough to contribute. Willow let go of her.
"Will she help us?" Hunter asked. "She doesn't know anything about us, and Luz isn't here to vouch for our characters. She'll have no reason to trust us."
"If she's anything like Luz, she'll trust us anyway, and help us however she can," Willow responded. "If not- well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Come on."
"Which way?" Hunter asked.
Willow shrugged. "No idea. Do you have a preference?"
Hunter nodded. "I see some lights in that direction." He pointed, and Willow squinted, shielding her eyes with her hand to peer through the pouring rain. "They look like Will-O-the-Wisps, so I vote we head in the opposite direction."
Just then, there was a loud booming sound that made all four jump. They looked around wildly, but saw nothing except trees.
"Opposite direction sounds good," Willow said. "Amity, Gus, any objections?" Amity and Gus shook their heads. "Let's go."