Wonderer's Wish World: An Empty Land

Wish This was a Dream

Wirt and Norman hadn't talked in a while. The last time they said anything to each other was two hours ago, when Norman asked Wirt how he was doing, and Wirt responded in strained moaning. Norman kind of got the idea with that, and he hadn't asked again.

It seemed like they were waiting forever when something finally happened, but when it did, it wasn't Dipper, Adam and Ash coming back, it was the rain. Norman shifted worriedly, but at first, it wasn't a problem.

"Uh... Wirt?" Norman asked, but Wirt didn't respond. Norman gulped, and then louder: "Wirt?!"

Wirt let out a grunt in response.

"It's raining now..." Norman told him. "We should probably get out of the cave."

"What?"

Norman sighed, and then repeated himself louder. "I said we should probably get out of the cave before it floods!"

Wirt opened his mouth to answer, and then froze, wincing as a wave of pain hit him. Eventually, Wirt gave him a strained: "Y-Yeah, let's go."

Norman wondered if he should help him, but Wirt had already forced himself up, and was moving up to the entrance. Norman followed him.

Even though it was a short walk, it was almost a little difficult; their feet slipped from underneath them on the now slippery rocks under their feet, and Norman had to grab onto the jutting rocks in order to stay upright. The rain had already picked up, and it was creating a small raging river under their feet, walking the walk all the harder.

Norman gripped onto the side of the wall tightly, and then looked guiltily over to Wirt, who looked like he was struggling. Norman almost had an advantage on him; Wirt couldn't grab onto anything.

"Here, Wirt!" Norman called, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of the rain. "WIRT!!"

Wirt jumped, as if surprised, and finally turned to Norman. Norman reached out, and grabbed the sleeve of Wirt's white shirt, tugging on it.

"Here, I'll help you!" Norman practically screamed him his face, but it was effective, because Wirt finally seemed to hear him for the first time.

Using the wall with one hand, and hanging on to Wirt with the other, Norman struggled up the slight slope of the cave: something that seemed so easy before, but now looked neigh impossible. Wirt nearly slipped a couple times, but Norman kept him upright, until they finally got to the entrance of the cave, and forced both himself and Wirt through it, both of them collapsing onto the long grass outside. The rain hurt against his skin, but Norman supposed it was better than drowning.

"Wirt..." Norman asked. "Are you alright?"

Wirt didn't respond. He must have not said it loud enough.

"Hey, Wirt!" Norman called, louder. They were both laying on their stomachs, Norman propped up by his elbows, while Wirt was still lying down, his face turned away. Norman reached over to nudge him, shaking his friend lightly. "Wirt!"

Again, no respond, and Norman was starting to worry. Painfully, Norman got up, moving closer to Wirt. Why wasn't Wirt responding? Why wasn't Wirt moving...?

"Wirt, hey!" Norman called to him, shaking him. "Wirt, come on, get up!"

Finally, Norman just rolled Wirt over, and he gasped when he saw that Wirt's eyes were closed. The small ball of worry in his stomach exploded into a full-blown panic now.

"Wirt? Wirt?!" Norman cried. "Wirt, get up! What's going on!?"

Finally, after shaking him didn't work, Norman leaned down, quieting himself enough to listen, and then breathed a sigh of relief as he heard breathing. Wirt was asleep, not... not dead.