The Phantom Beast of the Forest

2

Trapped. Locked up. Imprisoned. All of the above.

Danny Phantom, hero of the Earth, was trapped in the Ghost Zone. Locked up in a cell. Imprisoned in a home belonging to a ghost. All of the above was thanks to Clockwork, ghost of Time.

Danny's vapor tail swished back and forth like a metronome. He stared out into the green murky miasma of the Ghost Zone, wishing he was anywhere but there. He sighed and slumped against the phase-proof walls of his cell. "Hey Clockwork? Can you let me outta here? I have a date with Sam at 6 tonight at the movies." He called. 

Clockwork, in his young adult form, floated up to the bars of Danny's prison. "Sorry Phantom, no can do. Your destiny states you need to be here until it happens."

Danny's head felt light. "What does that mean?" 

Clockwork shifted into his old human form. "The passage of time. You needed to be somewhere you weren't going to be without my assistance. Wait for about 3 more seconds."

Danny counted in his head. "Now what?"

Clockwork shifted into the baby form. "This. Good luck, Danny Phantom." He opened the cage and created a portal in which Danny was sucked into. The last thing Danny saw before the green light of the portal blinded him was Clockwork shoving a medallion into Danny's body. With a sick turn of his stomach, he realized that would make it impossible to leave the time era he was being sent to without Clockwork's assistance. In short, he was prisoner to the ghost's whims.

And then, it all became green.

-oOo-

When Danny awoke, he was lying face first in soft damp soil. His hair was speckled with the rich black earth and his face smudged with dirt. His white t-shirt was almost completely discolored, and worst of all, he had dirt in his mouth. He spat it out in disgust. 

"Bleh. That's gross." He coughed, dirt specks flying everywhere. Danny cleared his throat and spit out the rest of the soil. He watched as his spit flew through the air and hit a pine tree. It slid down and went back into the ground. 

Danny stood and tried to brush the dirt off best he could, looking at his surroundings while doing so to try and get a sense of where and when Clockwork had sent him. It was almost completely useless, for all the trees were pine and the forest was average, with nothing super special about it. At least Danny knew he wasn't in an apocalyptic world. 

He squinted and looked for the sun. It was a bit to his left and Danny tried to think of what time it could be. Morning or afternoon? His gut told him morning, so he turned 180 degrees and walked in what he hoped was North. 

A few hours later, the sun reached its apex and glared down on Danny. He was tired of walking, but it was too risky to go ghost. He kept walking, hoping to somehow find civilization at some point. He started counting the number of trees that weren't pine while he walked, but it wasn't very fun. He grew bored of his game quickly and went back to walking in silence. He walked through streams and plains, even around a lake. It was exhausting, and Danny felt like he was doing something wrong. The sun had lowered to his right, nearing the horizon. Danny knew nighttime was upon him, so he ventured into the nearby forest, looking for a possible cave or shelter to sleep in. 

While looking, Danny stumbled upon an old mill, crumbling. The wood was rotted and the building in shambles, but it still had a roof and fireplace. Danny snuck inside and lit a fire in the hearth, sitting on an old red couch to feel the heat. The warmth of the fire made Danny feel much less exhausted, but also at the same time extremely tired. Danny laid on his side, facing the fire, and soon fell asleep, listening to the crackle and popping of the dancing flames. 

-oOo-

A creature walked through the forest, the only things visible to it illuminated by the yellow light of the lantern in its claws. It stomped on the leaves below its feet and broke the branches of the trees in its way. Its multicolored eyes were focused ahead of it, seeking only the familiar sight of a certain Edelwood tree. 

But, before it could even go near its desired destination, a source of light caught its eye. A orange yellow light coming from within the old Grist Mill. The creature made its way to the mill, curious to see what could've possibly lit a fire inside the dilapidated building. It pushed open the door of the mill to find a boy with black hair and clothes beyond the time era sleeping on the ragged red couch by the hearth. 

The creature stood and observed the boy, watching as his chest rose and fell in a steady pace. It analyzed the clothing, noticing the white t-shirt with a printed logo on it, the blue jeans, and the red converse shoes. Clothes the creature had seen a long time ago, before it had become the creature.

The creature slowly walked into the light of the fire, and its face was illuminated. The face of another young boy, no older than 15, with messy brown hair and a pale face with sunken cheeks. It wore a red pointed hat covered with the roots and branches of an Edelwood tree, and a dark blue wool cloak wrapped in gnarled dying vines. The shoes it wore were mismatched, one brown and the other black. This creature used to be human. 

The creature walked up to the boy and studied him. The boy looked so peaceful, so young. Tragic that he had ended up in the Unknown at his age.

The creature turned and left, all without making a single noise.

It would come for the boy later, if he chose to stay.

Stay like the creature chose to almost two centuries ago.