Hi everyone. I know these updates are getting slower but like I've said before I do just write these for fun and I have school to deal with. Also like I said before I would love to see how you guys take some of the scenes that I've painted more physical. So don't be shy of your drawing talent. Show me what you got! I'm trying my best with spelling but bare with me it takes a while.. ( for me at least) ::edits have been made::
When we left off Arnold and Helga had been separated from the group, left to wait for the others alone in the hot thick jungle. False hope was quickly pulled out from under their feet when a boy they thought would save them has help lead to their capture by an unknown source. It is at this point I would like to remind you they are both 13, an age I do consider to be a teenager. So please keep that in mind or i feel you might see these soon to pass events as impossible. ( or highly unlikely ) and now for the disclaimer because i keep forgetting
Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters aside from Hazel and Zack. If for any reason my ability to weave beautiful stories blinded you from that fact my apologies. But on this humble stage I am but a fan.
Chapter 7: The Darkness Can Sometimes Bare More Hope than the Light.
Arnold opened his eyes to find himself awake in his room. Light of a new day pouring in from the skylight. He felt his quick heartbeat that was pounding on his rib cage slow, till it was no longer ringing in his ears. He looked across the bed to see Abner curled up by his feet.
Had it all been a dream. It all felt so real. The jungle, the heat... a knock at the door brought him out of his thoughts.
" Come in."
Arnold's grandfather entered, yet his normal sunny demeanor was lost, and darkened like the black suit he was wearing.
" It's time to wake up Arnold. We don't want to be late for the service."
" Service?"
" Oh Arnold I know its sad, it seems like we have to go through this every day though. You must have had the jungle dream again."
" Yeah! I did, wait again?"
" Yes Arnold, you keep reliving that memory, the doctor says its trauma, I suppose I'll have to explain again."
" Wait grandpa what's going on, how long have I been home.. did I even go to the jungle?"
" Oh you did shortman. Over a month ago. Something happened in that jungle. You were captured, Miss Thatcher managed to save you but..."
" But? "
" We lost her and Helga... and your parents were found dead."
" WHAT!? NO THAT'S... IMPOSSIBLE IT CAN'T BE!" Arnold felt his heart quake, his mind went blank. He looked across the room to see it was torn apart.
" Arnold! Calm down. We can't have you going into one of your episodes again."
" Episodes?! Grampa! You just told me that Helga and Hazel and my parents all died in the jungle. How... I... I can't just..."
" Arnold like I said, I've told you plenty of times. Please not today, they would want you to be there."
" Where?!" Arnold said, spitting out rage.
" At the memorial service."
Arnold felt as though his heart was struck by lightning. He had failed.. he had failed everyone.
Arnold felt nearly emotionless once he calmed his rage. He was sad, sad couldn't even describe it, but more than that.. he felt hollow.
The day was bright and sunny. And the service went fast. He met with gerald, who had not gone untouched by the horrors of the jungle. He had injured his leg, and according to the doctor it was an injury that would never fully heal. Gerald held a smile in front of him, said he didn't blame Arnold for what happened. But it didn't help. Arnold was still responsible. He had burdened Gerald for the rest of his life. He had never met his parents, he had lost... HELGA!
His head began to throb, he found himself sitting alone at her grave. Helga G. Pataki. Next to her grave he noticed Hazel's grave, and standing in front of it was Zack with a defeated face.
Arnold stared at the grave marker he refused to admit existed. His heart felt as though it had been shot, only leaving a hole in which the cold wind swept through like a ghost. He tore his eyes away to focus on the flowers set by his grave. His vision caught a glimmer of gold and like a flash he grabbed the flowers finding a gold chain with a heart pendent, displaying his photograph.
It was his grandfathers locket, or the one that his grandfather found. But why was it at Helga's grave. He ran his finger over the cold smooth surface, along the side, he stared back at himself. His finger found the clasp, and without even trying, the locket opened, revealing words he could only dream of.
Arnold my soul, you are always in my heart. Love, Helga G. Pataki
That was it, thats all he needed, he gripped the locket in his hand and buried his face into his knees, beginning to sob. He screamed, and cried out, he cried her name. All seemed lost. Clouds began to form over head, darkening the sky. He felt the world had grown dark as he clung to the gold heart. His eyes clenched tight he looked at the grave again, just as the sky opened up and began to poor.
Arnold awoke in shock, his eyes felt like they were open but there was no light to be seen. He felt soaked, and his cheeks a little soar. But it was nothing compared to the throbbing at the back of his head. He also felt a warmth and softness under his head, surrounding a familiar smell.
" Helga I think that was a bit ruff." Said a strange voice he couldn't quite recall.
Helga?! Arnold blinked trying his hardest to get his eyes to adjust.
" Yeah well.. it was getting annoying."
That voice.. it was Helga's! She was alive! A warmth poured through his chest, repairing the heart ache and damage from a tormenting dream. A blurred shadow started to appear before his eyes, her pigtails, a dead give away.
"HELGA!" Arnold shouted jumping up and embracing her. " Your alive!"
" Yes! I'm alive! Now let me go football head."
Arnold looked at her as her face became a bit clearer, her eyes were turned away, and despite the lack of light he was close enough to feel warmth radiating off her cheeks. He slowly let her go.
" Sounds like you had a bad dream, son." Arnold turned his head around fast at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. His eyes adjusted to see two figures. But it.. couldn't be...
" We were so worried sweetie." said the voice from before. His eyes betrayed him, still adjusting to the darkness, but in his gut he knew.
"Mom? DAD?!"
" Hi Arnold." said his mother. In a heartbeat he fell to his knees and was quickly embraced by his two lost parents. He couldn't see their faces, but he knew it was them, there sent long forgotten filled his mind with memories and nostalgic warmth. A smell and presents he had forgotten running through his senses. He felt whole again, he had finally put the fears to bed, his parents were alive. And he had finally found them.
The group talked for hours, Arnold and Helga regaling tales of Hill Wood. Arnold thought Helga was acting rather out of character in her stories were all quite positive, or humours. But never negative, aside from her near famous Helga sarcasm. They continued talking until Helga grew tired and fell asleep on Arnold causing him to blush, but he dared not move her, he was too happy that she was alive.
"So.. Dad.." Arnold felt a lightness in his heart with that title. " Where are we?"
" Ah yes.. I was wondering when you would ask that, didn't want to damper our meeting though.. we're kinda captured."
"Captured!?" Oh no. This was just how his dream started.
" Yes by LaSombra, we've been playing cat and mouse for years with him, every time we try to leave the jungle, he manages to capture us. He wants us to lead him to the green eyes. He will wait till we're weak enough, and then drop us off close to our campsite, so we couldn't leave immediately. He always left us with the option of exposing the green eyes, hoping to drive us into madness till we gave in. If he had wanted us dead he would have killed us years ago." said Miles, with sorrow and rage in his voice.
" Also" started stella " the sleeping sickness has gotten slightly stronger, it seemed for a while that we couldn't try to leave even if we wanted too."
" We've been trying to come home for 10 years. We are so sorry Arnold." the two embraced there son. Arnold felt an overwhelming feeling of understanding towards them, of forgiveness. They didn't leave him behind, and now he had them.
Arnold had felt oddly rested after he awoke from being knocked out, despite the fact it wasn't intentional sleep, it seemed to refresh him nonetheless, and the excitement of finally meeting his parents he could hardly sleep. His father stayed awake with him, but his mother soon fell asleep on miles shoulder. Apparently while Arnold was passed out, both Helga and Stella were quite worried.
" But you know us Arnold, the men in our family are stubborn when it comes to dying."
Miles said with a chuckle. Yet Arnold felt his dream flash before him. It may have only been a dream, but he was sure of there mortality. Reality came crashing down on him, they were in fact captured, and by the way Miles spoke, it seemed like they might be there for some time. Sure he was overjoyed at finding his parents, but the circumstances couldn't be worse. Miles must have taken notice to Arnold's change of mood, because he made no motion to speak again. Arnold began to worry more and more, like a dark cloud circling in on his thoughts.
"A.."
Arnold froze at the warm breath he felt against his neck, he turned his head slightly to Helga still asleep on his shoulder. He watched, with his heart pounding in his ears, as her arm coiled around his; allowing her to snuggle even closer.
"Arnold..." she sighed. That did it. A blush hit Arnold's cheeks faster than he could blink, faster than he could even think about looking away.
" Huh.. I thought so." said Miles suddenly, the shock nearly killing Arnold.
" T-thought what?" Arnold said turning his head down, to hide any sign of his stained cheeks.
" You too have a thing for each other."
" WHAT?!" Arnold shouted in surprise, but as soon as he felt Helga stirring he slapped his hand over his mouth and repeated in a harsh whisper " what!?".
" When you too dropped in Helga was the first to wake up, and she managed to explain everything to us. As your mom and Helga tended to you I inquired about her relationship with you."
Arnold felt like his head exploded, why would his dad ask such a question, he had always wanted a parent there, and said he wouldn't mind the embarrassment... but this was too much. He thought it would be at least a few years till his dad would get nosey or pick up on this kinda stuff. He was even worse then Grandpa.
" Poor thing was quite flustered. She said that you too were friends but not long after you started calling out her name in your sleep.. 'Helga..' 'Helga!'. Gave her quite a fright, she was so embarrassed that she was doing her best to wake you up. Finally got you up with the water." Miles started laughing. While Arnold on the other hand felt as though he was going to die. His face felt like it was burning, almost like it was pulsing. Man, why oh why did he have to have that stupid dream.
" Well looks like it might be more mutual then you think." Miles said nudging Arnold. He then glanced down at his wife. " The men in our family are also attracted to strong women. Yet another reason why we live so long." Arnold still embarrassed took time to smile at his dad's words, before glancing at Helga again. He felt his heart beat, still faster than normal, ease to a slow, slightly more comfortable light pace, and it was hard to fight the smile creeping up on his face.
Hours past and the two quietly regaled more stories. Arnold couldn't possibly explain the joy he was feeling. It was even better than he imagined, just sitting, and talking to his father as if he had always been there. He told stories of Gerald's field, and mighty pete. And in return Miles spoke of his days he remembered of hill wood, of sunset arms and its borders. To Arnold's surprise he discovered that his skylight room at the boarding house belonged to none other than his father. That his father had actually helped to build the skylight. It was so incredibly cool, being that close to his dad all this time, Arnold wondered why his grandfather never told him these stories.
Time passed quickly through the stories, and soon Miles began to speak of there years spent in the jungle away from him. How much it broke their hearts to feel so helpless. The pain they went through while captured by La Sombra only to be let go feeling so weak they could hardly move. And of course finally meeting the green eyed people face to face. It had happened not too long ago, after being let go by La Sombra, they were too weak to walk to their campsite and wound up collapsing in the jungle. When they woke up they were in the village of the green eyed people. Truly a sight to behold, he said. What they lacked in technology, they made up for in philosophy. A civilization almost completely untouched by the outside world yet they knew what a danger it was to there way of life.
" So Dad, where exactly do the Green Eyed People live?"
"Well.." Miles started, but was soon cut off by a door slamming open in the distance. Sunlight poured through blinding him. But he hardly had time to look before the door slammed again and the light faded in an instant, leaving the room a black pit again. Helga stirred oh his shoulder, jumping away in an instant barring a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks. Stella also awaking on Miles shoulder to all the commotion.
" Yes Miles... where do the Green Eyed People live?" the voice was cold and deep. Arnold's head spun around to find the sours but he was only met with a small red dot burning in the distance and a deep chuckle. He watched as the sound of a deep inhale commanded the red embers to burn brighter, illuminating a shadowed face.
" La Sombra..." Miles growled through his teeth. And Arnold could feel a protective arm wrap around him. Arnold's heart felt as if it was bound with wire in his chest. Here before him stood the man that had kept him and his parents apart for nearly 13 years. This one man had caused Arnold so much pain, and he had never even seen his face. Arnold felt his head spin, thought full of hatred for this shadow in the distance.
He felt a soft hand over his, drawing his attention to the fact it was clenched so tight that when he released he could feel his nails impressions on his palms. He glanced over at Helga, who offered no smile, but a sad face of understanding, as she held his hand tighter.
" Hello Miles, Stella. Welcome home!" he greeted with a laugh in his voice. One that made Arnold feel as though he was going to vomit. " Ahh and its seems as though you have multiplied since we last met... no... Perhaps."
La Sombra's face was quickly lit by an eerie red flair, it was dark and twisted, his eyes black and crazed. He held the flair in Arnold's direction.
" That shape... THE PRODIGAL SON RETURNS!" La Sombra began a long madding laugh. " After all these years.. Little Arnold!"
Arnold said nothing, he sat and watched as this man paced in front of the cell.
" And here I thought you had gone back to America, When they have been hiding you all this time... Which means."
In a flash La Sombra reached through the cell grabbing Arnold by the shirt with his wicked claws, holding the flair so close to his face he felt it burning at his skin. Arnold looked at La Sombra and saw in every definition 'a mad man'. His eyes were wild, yet tired. His face aged by years of obsession.
La Sombra's voice seemed to crawl like a dying snake, in a low whisper, his eyes burning stronger than the flair.
" Where... Is... My... Cortisone!"
" Try amsterdam." Helga proclaimed before throwing a rock right at la Sombra's face, causing him to drop Arnold. Helga quickly grabbed Arnold before he had time to think and dragged him to the back of the cell, far from La Sombra's grasp, who had grabbed the bars in anger shaking them furiously.
" FINE, ENJOY YOUR STAY IN HELL!"
A chill fell through the air.
" O..kay.. anyone wanna tell me who that angry guy with the cuban was?" Helga asked carefully. Arnold's eyes started to re adjust and he began to see the worried faces of his parents. They had been in this situation before, they had gone through the pain and suffering, but this time was different. Because this time, Arnold was here.
Yay big chapter update done! So much happening. **side note i had Helga making a sort of pun, Courtezan are sort of like prostitutes, which is something Amsterdam happens to have. The Cortizon kinda sounds similar.. sorry i couldn't resist. I love puns and felt as though I hadn't made a joke in a while.
Sorry again for the slow update it was going to be longer but I decided to break it up to get this out. Im sorry again about spelling and grammar! its kinda hard with finals and i really just want to get this out there.. but in working on items to sell at cons for the first time i'm thinking of making this into a little booklet with illustrations... would that be interesting?
leave comments cause i love to hear them and expect more soon... cause.. finals are almost over. ^^
:i edited some stuff not all though. i did my best:
