Things didn't always go according to plan.

That was just the cruel lesson that Mother Nature taught to the living beings -whether plant, human or animal- on Earth. No matter what the original plan was, there could be a chance that everything could take a turn for the worst, or even for the better if the situation was rough. For example, traffic jams, a hurricane drill after a sunny day, or even a storm on what previously was a clear scene.

Nature was absolutely unpredictable, and so was human nature.

This philosophy was clearly understood, and not to mention experienced, by the students and staff at Here School one summer's day.

Initially, the students and teachers had been prepared to go to the forest several miles away from the cosy little academy; challenges, exploration in the vast forest, and starry nights around a roaring campfire with friends all around awaited the excitable pupils there.

For days, it was all they would talk about in their little friendship groups and classes, Baldi and Principal Of The Thing as well as numerous other staff members planning carefully for any incidents that may occur, being careful to plan and prepare down to the last detail.

However, the conditions of the roads was one of the events that was of the random chance variety.

Roadworks, traffic lights, even diversions on the busy highway caused the two busloads of students to separate, the vehicles ending up having to go in two different directions.

By chance, the driver of the yellow bus had managed to find the location of the campsite first.

Baldi and Player exited the bus to the sounds of swishing leaves, birdcalls and distant cars speeding past the woods. The two of them shouldered large backpacks and rolled up sleeping bags on top of the packs, both standing aside as the bus tore away towards the road with a rumble of tyres upon rocks, leaves and sticks that were littered across the forest floor.

Player watched the bus depart, looking for any kind of sign of the others coming, yet there was neither hide nor hair of any of the other campers. No sign of the tall silver coach that had been driven away from the yellow bus.

This both disheartened and scared the player, sending an involuntary shiver skittering down their spine.

"Come on, Player! What are you waiting for? We need to find the campsite before it gets dark!" Baldi called from afar, the volume -at which Player flinched- causing the daydreaming and nervous child to snap out of their thoughts. Turning tail, Player headed to the teacher and helped carry some equipment as they walked alongside Baldi.

He lead Player towards a clearing in search of a good place to camp; it was crisp and looked like it hadn't been recently used, only hearing the calls of animals and birdsong around the pair.

Perfect.

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"Alright, all set! Now, I have to go set up the bear traps, just in case!" Baldi declared as he stood by the roaring fire. Player perched on one of the logs near the fire and watched the maths teacher, though they were a little on edge.

"Now, I want you to keep the fire going while I go set up the traps. Just collect sticks and bring them back to fuel the fire-" mid-instruction, Baldi was suddenly cut off by Player, who sounded worried.

"B-But, Mr Baldi! What about the wolves and bears and stuff? What if they get me? or you?!" Player squeaked.

"That's why I have to set up the traps, Player, so it doesn't have a big chance of happening. Don't worry, as long as the fire's going, we're perfectly safe and can see better than in total darkness" Baldi replied confidently to reassure the student.

"Alright! Go for it!"

And with that, the maths teacher disappeared into the forest to set up the traps, though it was as if he'd vanished into thin air.

Player gulped, getting up uneasily from the log they were sitting on. Despite the warmth of the fire, they still felt their palms were cold and clammy.

With a shaky sigh, they looked to where Baldi had been standing as well as all the scenery the orange glow of the fire could touch.

They shrugged their jacket on a little more, holding it closed while they considered their options.

Looking towards the fire, Player noticed it was already beginning to die down, their expression looking more alarmed.

What would Baldi do if he found out they let it die down?

Good Lord! The Player would be in so much trouble! They didn't want to think of the consequences; the mere prospect of it filled them with dread, not to mention a blast of adrenaline.

Leaves and grass crackled under their boots as they ran into the trees, bending down at intervals to pick up sticks as they went. All they could hope for at that moment is that they had enough sticks to keep the campfire going.

After bringing back the first collection of sticks, Player darted back into the ominous-looking forest.

Baldi finally set up the very last bear trap, looking up at the surroundings and staying alert, just the case something snuck up on him or the player.

He hoped that the others would come soon, or at the very least by morning; it wouldn't be safe for Player just to be on their own, even though he was with them. Not to mention the poor kid would miss the other students.

Speaking of Player, where were they?

They'd been in the forest for quite some time now, the teacher thought to himself. What in the world was taking them so long?

They had to get back to the fire as soon as they could. The forest was dangerous at night, and Player wasn't entirely wrong about the potential predators.

Striding back to the campsite as quickly as he could, Baldi approached the fire only to find a thin veil of smoke rising from the charred wood pile.

A scowl made Baldi's red lip curl, his eyes fixed in an angry frown. That kid probably left it deliberately, didn't they?!

Baldi's hands curled around his long wooden yardstick tightly, scowl not leaving his face.

Towards the forest, the angered maths teacher did stride, until a sound made him immediately stop in his tracks.

It was a scream.

Loud, piercing, and utterly terrified.

The very sound sent a shiver rushing through Baldi's body and down his spine like an electric shock.

Without thinking, Baldi sprinted into the forest, wooden yardstick in hand, towards the sounds of screams which were now coupled with ferocious growls.

The closer he got, the louder the growls and screams became.

Baldi watched in horror as a dark shape dashed past him and scrambled into a tree. At least three large wolves followed behind what had been running, growling and snarling with sharp teeth that glistened in the moonlight.

They barked and snapped at their prey, the teacher on their bushy tails. The sound of choked crying further fuelled Baldi's drive of rescue, his yardstick almost breaking into wooden splinters he was gripping it so tight. "Mr Baldi! Please help me!!" Player sobbed hysterically, wildly kicking their legs and trying to stay on the branch as the wolves jumped up and tried to bite the hanging meat and bone on the towering branched tree, much like a hungry stray dog or cat would grab for a hunk of meat on a butcher's hook in the stockroom.

"HEY! LEAVE PLAYER ALONE!!" Baldi yelled ferociously at the furred beasts, at least one of the wolves turning and growling at the teacher who scowled right back.

He wasn't afraid, no siree! Not when he had his student to protect.

The wolf growled and leapt at him, then yelped as Baldi hit it firmly on the nose, generating a loud "SLAP!" noise that made Player flinch. At this point, the wolf huffed and bowed its head, ready to attack again, Baldi swishing the ruler in front of him protectively like a sword.

It leapt. He swung, connecting with its nose and head this time. He could hear the yelp and the scuffle of the wolf's paws on the ground. A few drops of blood managed to splatter onto the wood.

By now, the two other wolves shifted their focus from player to the angry teacher, baring their fangs at him to try and intimidate him.

Baldi took a step back, still on his guard, Player watching from afar. They felt drops of blood fall from the cuts on their face and arms, and dribble down their skin.

"Everything's going to be alright, Player! just hang in there!" Baldi told them, to which there was a frightened reply of "ok!"

The wolves glared and ran towards Baldi, who took off with alarming speed, swerving through the endless maze of trees and bear traps, narrowly missing being bitten and stepping into bear traps. Fortunately, he managed to dodge the sharp traps, the wolves not being so lucky.

One of the wolves landed a crushing bite on the teacher's leg, making him yell out in pain, violently swinging his ruler against the head and nose of the wolf again and again in hope to loosen the predator's jaws. He didn't stop until the wolf had let go, the animal whimpering and stumbling straight into a bear trap that clamped shut.

It let out a loud howl before falling still.

Baldi panted hard, using his bloodied ruler to get up, before limping over towards the tree where Player was hiding. The poor child was crying and trembling very noticeably, only peeking through their fingers when they heard Baldi approach the tree. He winced and looked up at them.

His sweater was torn and dirty, his dark blue jeans bloodstained and caked in mud, and his hands and face scratched and filthy with dirt and blood. The teeth marks on his left leg oozed metallic-scented crimson fluid.

"Player, it's ok. They're gone now" Baldi panted, extending an open hand to the child.

"Come on down for me, alright? it's all over now."

Player shuffled along the branch and clambered down the tree, edging towards Baldi with a blood-and-tearstained face, Baldi looking surprisingly guilty. Why didn't they prepare better? why did the buses have to separate?

Why couldn't he have come with them?

Two small arms wrapping around Baldi's waist snapped him out of his thoughts, unable to stop himself from rubbing the student's back in an attempt to comfort them as they wept into his torn sweater. Apology after apology left the teacher's mouth, his heart sinking and guts wrenching most uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't know.." Baldi said shakily, Player hugging him even tighter.

"I-it's ok, Mr B. T-thanks for....s-saving me..." they whimpered, their eyes blotchy with tears. Their lower lip quivered.

This only made Baldi's heart sink further, his insides in knots.

The two of them made their way back to the campsite, Player collecting a few stray sticks -finding a few they dropped on the way- and the two of them rebuilt the fire before Baldi carefully patched both Player and himself up. The wound on his leg was tightly bandaged to help stem the bleeding, Player's cuts and bruises treated with disinfectant from the first aid kit by the light of the flickering orange campfire flames.

Both of them were exhausted by the time they were treated with the first aid kit, so much so all they could do was sit by the tall and warm fire. The sounds of crickets and an occasional owl hooting was a far cry from the terror they had experienced just moments ago, they had to agree.

Baldi stared into the flames as the silver moon rose further into the night sky, thinking about what had happened, when he felt dead weight on his shoulder. Gentle snoring was heard faintly beside him.

Player was fast asleep, curled up comfortably with their hands in the pockets of their coat.

Baldi smiled softly; he didn't at all blame them for this. In fact, he wouldn't be too far behind.

He reached into his backpack beside him and pulled out a blanket, unfolding it and wrapping it around the two of them, trying to ignore his aching muscles and throbbing injuries. Sure, the two could go into the tents for the night, but it looked as if Baldi wasn't going anywhere.

"You're gonna be ok, kiddo. Nothing's gonna get us while I'm here" he whispered reassuringly, Player shifting a little in their sleep with a tiny yawn.

Back into the fire, Baldi's gaze was drawn, the flames swaying in a hypnotic and calming fashion. Red, orange, yellow and even blue flared in the heated light source, illuminating a safe circle around the pair and their momentarily small campsite, and Baldi could feel his breathing beginning to slow. His heartbeat was also calming down to a slow-paced thumping. The warmth against his skin was relaxing. Healing. Like warm hands on the wounds the pair bore.

He didn't even remember when he closed his eyes, sleep washing over him in gentle waves like the ocean against the stones.

Everything was going to be alright.

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The sound of the early-morning birds roused Baldi from sleep the next morning, shadows of trees long on the grassy ground in the golden sunlight above them. From the direction of the shadows, it had to be at least seven am, if not earlier. He gave a small hiss at the light hitting his eyes, and eased himself upright with a hand on the log to support himself. Player was turned away, huddled up in a ball.

What had been the campfire was now reduced to a pile of cinders and grey ashes among charred wood. A thin line of smoke rose up from the centre and permeated the air with its scent.

Baldi looked around blearily, stretching his arms and blinking in the daylight, releasing a tired sigh.

Everything around them this morning seemed so serene, the sound of the cuckoos and finches in the treetops above him and Player adding to the atmosphere. He could hear the faint sound of rushing water a distance away from their campsite. The rustling of the trees seemed like hushed whispers of reassurance.

He smiled to himself, then turned to see Player waking up as well as...the sounds of someone running?

Who'd be coming towards them this early in the morning?

Was it another camper? a ranger? nah, they'd possibly be too far away, from what the teacher could calculate.

"Baldi! there you are!!"

It was The Principal.

"Principal?" Baldi exclaimed in surprise. "How in the world did you find us so quickly? I thought the buses were separated."

"Long story. Let's say after the coach got us here from the motel, I found some of the tyre tracks from yesterday and from there...I just followed instinct and the kids followed" he said with a shrug, Player getting up slowly. They had the soft blanket wrapped around them for comfort and warmth, seeing not only Principal, but Playtime and Bully -not to mention a whole gaggle of teachers and students following behind them with their own backpacks and gear-, looking shocked yet relieved..

In an instant, Player ran to the other kids, talking excitedly to them and just glad to see others in their age group. A few asked about the scratches on their face, though they brushed it off abruptly with an "I don't wanna talk about it" before changing the subject..

The sound of happy chatter radiated through the campsite, the staff giving the kids instructions to follow them to a different part of the campsite to properly set up of the tents.

Once the kids were out of earshot, Principal turned to Baldi, concerned. He looked at the blood on the other's jeans and frowned.

"How in the heck did you get that?" Principal asked, Baldi letting out a sheepish laugh and rubbing the back of his head, avoiding the brunette's eye contact for a few seconds.

"Long story.."

~THE END~