Weeping Willow (Lumity Fanfic)

★ Chapter 4 ★

       Luz woke up feeling rested. It made up for yesterday's morning. She took the stretchy headband off of her head and tossed it on one of her shelves. She desperately hoped that she would remember where she had put it.

After getting ready, Luz decided to pick wild winterberries and make winterberry pudding. She called it this because she smashed the berries up and ate them from a bowl. Baking was a hard thing for her.

She set off, wearing her berry-picking hat. She knew just where the winterberry patch was. She walked, admiring every sight as she swung her empty basket with each step. There were many large trees in sight, as well as some flower patches beginning to turn dull. It was autumn, the winterberry season. The same season that was filled with crumbling leaves and flowers. But at least she wouldn't have to worry about mosquitoes for a while.

As she arrived, she took in the beautiful view. There the winterberry patch was, surrounded by evergreens and vines. The sky was still a bit orange, as it was early in the morning. The air smelled sweet and felt cool.

She tightened her trench coat, which had been paired with a collared white shirt under a brown knit sweater-vest. Along with a pair of straight leg beige jeans.

She picked off the brightest of winterberries. She remembered to wear her gardening gloves, as to protect herself from the branches on the shrub. Those were sometimes sharp. The quarter-full basket of berries looked delicious, though some of the berries had popped, leaving more stains on the already crimson, splotchy lining of the basket. Luz shrugged and continued picking berries. She heard rustling from the evergreen forest. Being her usual Luz self, she decided to investigate.

"Little angel?" She asked quietly, holding a small handful of berries out.

She gasped.

"Ghost!"

The small cat was stuck in the hole of a hollowed tree. Luz couldn't help but laugh.

What was there to do? She may need Amity's help, but she did not want to leave the helpless cat alone. She wondered how Ghost had even gotten here.

"Amity?" Luz called out. It was worth a shot, maybe Amity was looking for Ghost.

When it didn't work a couple of calls later, Luz decided to try something else. She held both of the cat's hands and pulled softly. Ghost did not budge, but did not seem to be in pain. She pulled a bit harder.

"Mew." Ghost complained.

"Well I'm sorry, but what am I supposed to do?" Luz asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Ghost glared at her.

"I need Amity's help..." She thought out loud. "Because you are not being cooperative."

She could have sworn Ghost rolled her eyes. But then she heard a very faint noise somewhere behind her. She spun around.

Amity was walking down the path, calling for Ghost.

"Ghost?" She called. She appeared very worried.

"Amity!" Luz exclaimed. Amity glanced over and ran toward her.

When she arrived beside Luz and saw Ghost, she laughed, but not a lighthearted laugh. More so an out-of-breath laugh mixed with a very fearful laugh.

"Yeah, what should we do?" Luz asked.

Amity stared at Ghost for a moment, lost in thought. Then, her eyes widened. She pulled a small bottle of yellow oil out of her coat pocket.

"Why do you have that?" Luz immediately asked.

"Well, this has happened before. So when I couldn't find her, I made sure to grab it."

Luz nodded, predicting what Amity would do. As she expected, Amity poured the oil around the spot where Ghost was stuck.

"Ghost is mostly just fluffy, not that big. We just have to wait for it to seep through her fur."

"Ah, I see." Luz said.

Ghost made a small but deep "meow" as the oil dripped from her fur. Luz felt sorry for the small, now partly soggy cat.

A few minutes later, Ghost leaped out of the hole. Amity cringed and picked her up behind the oil ring around her chest.

"Thank you for finding her. I wouldn't have been able to." Amity said.

"Of course, I couldn't just leave her here to be attacked by wild angels." Luz gushed. "I was just here to collect winterberries." She gestured to the half-full basket on the ground.

"Ah, it is the season." Amity said. "Perhaps I should pick some once Ghost has had her bath."

Ghost looked up with an angry look. But maybe that was just a normal face for cats.

"Well, I'd best go home." Luz admitted. "Wouldn't want the berries to rot."

"And Ghost needs to be cleaned up." Amity agreed, glancing at the now partially slimy cat.

"Well, I will see you soon." Luz said.

"Yes, maybe I will stop by sometime." Amity agreed.

"Do you wanna go sledding?" Luz asked. "It's nearly December and the snow usually comes early."

"I would love that!" Amity exclaimed.

"Alright! See you when the snow falls." Luz smiled.

Amity waved and walked away, holding the dripping cat away from her dress.

Luz grinned and walked back to her cottage.