The Loveliest Lies of All | Over The Garden Wall Reader Insert

Chapter Two: Hard Times at the Huskin' Bee

Warnings: none that I'm aware of

Word Count: 3599

     The chirping of crickets, gobbling of turkeys and the honking of the soaring geese above indicated the morning creeping up on the trio (or quartet?). The sound that accompanied the early morning chat of the nearby animals was Greg blowing raspberries to feed his short attention span. Scout was mildly surprised that Wirt hadn't yet snapped at him, but then again, the teen boy was skilled at blocking out his younger brother.

     For the fourth time in the last hour, Scout's leg had given out on her slightly, causing her to stumble a bit. What she would give to have a chair, a couch, a bed to rest her wounded leg for maybe half an hour. A full one, perhaps? Maybe even two?

     "You know what? I think we're gonna find a town soon," She chirped. "I can feel it."

     "Well, we need to," Wirt sighed, staring up at the sky that rained rays of sunshine upon them. "It's almost morning. We should've found one by now. This is the way the Woodsman told us to go, right?"

     "Yes, Wirt."

     Greg blew another raspberry before glancing up at his brother with big eyes. "Have you listened to anything I've been saying? For the last couple hours, I've been saying... Pbbt! Pbbt! Pbbt-"

     "Well, that settles it," He finally snapped. "I'm gonna walk up ten feet ahead of you." He frowned and walked past the two. Scout sighed and shook her head at her friend in amusement. She failed to notice the boy stop his walking when he heard a voice call out to him.

     "I hear something!"

     Scout turned to Greg and started towards him. "Wirt, Greg heard something!"

     "It's probably nothing. Hey, look," Wirt crouched down in front of a sign nailed to a nearby tree. "'Pottsfield, one mile'. A town! Let's go this way."

     "Okay. After this, though." She turned away from him and joined Greg's side. The boy had been digging into a bush and talking into it. Behind her, she heard Wirt's footsteps before he was by her side.

     "Greg, stop talking to a bush."

     "Okay." The boy shrugged before reaching into the bush again. Seconds later, the same bluebird from the previous night flew out of the bush and flapped her wings above them.

     Scout widened her eyes at the bird. "You!"

     "Thanks! I owe you a favor. So, um, you guys are lost kids with no purpose in life, right?"

     "Uh-huh!"

     "Um-"

     "How about I bring you to Adelaide of the Pasture, the Good Woman of the Woods? She could help you get home!"

     As the two boys stared at the bird in awe, Scout narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. She didn't trust this bird for one second. "Adelaide, huh? How's she gonna help us?"

     The bluebird scrunched what would've been her brows. "She has powers."

     "What kind of powers?"

     "Powers that'll get you home."

     "Why can't she just show us the trail that leads us out of here? And why does no one else seem to know the way?"

     Wirt exhaled and waved his hands about. "We don't need magic talking birds leading us to fairy godmothers in the mysterious- I'm going to Pottsfield."