Chapter Text
Hands clutching the candy bag a little too tightly, "Jiang Cheng, you knock," Wei Wuxian beckoned, a faint tremble in his voice as he bumped shoulders into his younger brother, Jiang Cheng.
It was close to midnight, and when the chilled air blew by, it stung against Wei Wuxian's back, all the while giving an eerie feeling as though there's something evil lurking within the darkness of the forest floors. Despite the potential danger, Wei Wuxian was too arrogant to admit his fright.
Jiang Cheng gulped, also afraid, "No, you do it," he said.
"Why?" Wei Wuxian questioned.
"Because you're the older brother," Jiang Cheng replied, his breathing wobbling.
Under the silver moonlight, Wei Wuxian bit at his lower lip, and with a barely quivering hand, he gently knocked on the candy-covered cottage.
It's that time of the year again, Halloween. Like most, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng went candy hunting. Though being a little too old for such childish nonsense, Wei Wuxian figured no one would bat an eye on them. He made sure no one would when he gave Jiang Cheng a grey kitten costume that covered his brother's entire body except for the face. Wei Wuxian, too, wore a similar one, but a white rabbit instead. Apart from the weird stares they got from unimpressed adults, Wei Wuxian figured his costume selection did well.
However, unlike most, this Halloween Wei Wuxian intended for it to be memorable. Having an unhealthy obsession with ghost stories and mysteries of the unknown, he convinced Jiang Cheng to journey out of town and into the woods where he read a tale from an old grimoire about a candy cottage sitting in an open field deep within the outskirts of Yumeng's forest
The stories from the grimoire stated that once a year, on Halloween night, a candy cottage stood, covered in white and blue icing confection, an attraction toward the naked eye. Two witches were said to have lived inside, and none should enter, for if they do, there was no getting back out. The witches who lived in the cottage were said to have eaten whoever dared to enter.
Throughout the years, they were a few lucky souls who witnessed these events and managed to escape the harsh reality of coming face-to-face with the two man-eating witches who wore white Hanfu attire. However, by the stroke of midnight, if left trapped inside, the cottage would vanish from the forest, taking the remaining souls who were kept alive to feast on later. Where the candy cottage went after it disappeared was still a mystery, for none had lived to tell the tale.
Wei Wuxian didn't believe the tale to be true. All he wanted was a good old Halloween scare. Wei Wuxian thought it was a story made up to scare children, and he was no child. But seeing that the cottage did, in fact, exist, something in his inside stirred. The rational part of Wei Wuxian's mind knew it had to be someone - a die-hard Halloween fan perhaps, who might've set up the cot to frighten little children.
Now that they're here, deep in his heart, Wei Wuxian regretted his decision to drag Jiang Cheng along. For if something were to happen to his little brother, he would never be able to forgive himself. "Maybe, we should just go," Wei Wuxian muttered, turning his attention to Jiang Cheng.
It didn't take a second later before Jiang Cheng faintly nodded, shrinking into fear and deciding it was time to go back home. With their backs turned, the door to the cottage creaked open. And Wei Wuxian found himself spinning back around. He gulped once again. "We know you're in there. You can't frighten us," he barked in his attempt to be brave. But his quivering lips proved otherwise.
"Yeah, that's right!" Jiang Cheng, too, shouted. Though his voice shivered a bit, he ignored it, looking toward his brother with anxious eyes.
After some time, "Then come in," a voice replied, catching both brothers by surprise. It was dark and stiff, cold, and soulless. Almost lacking in emotion.
Wei Wuxian tried to pretend he was fearless. Puffing out his chest, he peeped through the entrance. But dare not step past the front door. There was no light inside, absolute darkness. "What do you see?" Jiang Cheng poked his sides.
"There's nothing," Wei Wuxian whispered in reply. Then he turned his attention back inside and said, "Just some asshole playing a stupid Halloween prank!"
A laugher sounded from inside. A burst of childish laughter. Much different from the voice who previously spoke. It sounded disturbingly uncanny. It made the hairs on Wei Wuxian's back rise to attention, and Jiang Cheng squeaked from sudden fright. Then that same happy voice spoke from inside, "Then, why don't you come in?"
"Yeah, maybe I should and knock your teeth out!" Wei Wuxian snapped from the front door, still not daring to step foot inside.
"They're a too afraid brother, leave them be." That cold, emotionless voice spoke again, almost mockingly.
Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth. Whoever was inside the cottage was obviously making a mockery out of him and Jiang Cheng. Fuming in rage, Wei Wuxian stomped his feet against the ground, "We're not afraid." Then Wei Wuxian forgot all about the horrifying tales of the cottage and stepped in, pulling Jiang Cheng's hand along with him.
Within an instant, the front door slammed shut, sealing them both inside. Like being in a freak show trapped with monsters, Wei Wuxian saw a sight that almost made his heart dropped. He wanted to scream, but terror took the sound before they could make it. Both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng froze as horror looked right through their eyes. Wei Wuxian was sure he and Jiang Cheng were both paralyzed, for neither of them could move.
The witches must have put a spell on them, grounding them to the floor, and now there's no one here to save them from the creatures that are about to strike.
There before them stood two ghastly looking creatures. Just like the grimoire said, they wore white Hanfu robes and a forehead ribbon adorning patterns of the clouds from up above. Wei Wuxian wanted to believe the men wore makeup to make their faces appeared unnatural. It was the only logical explanation. But when the men opened their mouths, and their smiles stretched wide across their porcelain faces, nearly reaching the far corner of their eyes. Teeth razor-sharp, resembling that of sharks. Eyes hallowed and black. Wei Wuxian realized that they were indeed real, and they were the witches the book mentioned. The ones who live inside the candy cottage on Halloween nights. The ones who eat people.
Knowing the severity of their situation, Wei Wuxian eventually found his voice from observing Jiang Cheng's neverending shudder. "Pl-Please, don't eat us," Wei Wuxian stuttered out, shoving a scared Jiang Cheng behind him.
Two white-clad men, however, ignored his pleas as they began walking up to Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng. "Which one do you want, Wangji?" The taller one with the joyful voice asked.
The one with the cold voice - Wangji, said nothing. Instead, they nodded together and continued marching toward a shivering Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng.
Before Wei Wuxian could protest, Jiang Cheng was yanked from his hands by a laughing witch. Jiang Cheng let out a terrifying scream, and Wei Wuxian screamed along with him. When Wei Wuxian sought to go after his crying brother, Wangji moved in, quick and fleeting, grabbing hold of his neck and hoisting him in the air.
Wei Wuxian struggled, "Jiang Cheng!"
For a few passing seconds, Wei Wuxian withered and watched on as his little brother was lifted in the air by the older looking witch. He placed Jiang Cheng over his shoulder and made his way far back within the cottage that seemed to go on forever into a black pit of nothingness.
It didn't take long before Jiang Cheng's cries died out, leaving Wei Wuxian sobbing and struggling helplessly while trying to pry Wangji's gripping hand off him.