Chapter 7
Chapter 6 Recap: Chris took Amelia to Morgan's farm to try to get a job. It was later revealed that Mr. Morgan was her uncle, his brother being her father. After learning about them being related, he was happy to give her a job. After leaving the farm and stopping at the library, Chris learned that the answer to sending Aden home may have been in the book he received when he first arrived. In the background, Aden and Caroline talk about their feelings for each other, and ultimately decide to get together, giving a relationship a try.
Chris's POV
I laid in bed, wrapped firmly in the blanket that me and Amy shared, deeply engrossed in the book of Minecraftia's history and legends. Intrigued by the information I was reading, I took in every word, slowly turning the pages. Eventually, Amy began to stir, letting out little, unintelligible mumbles as she slowly opened her eyes. Stretching, she gently rubbed her eyes, before looking at me. Seeing that I was awake, she gave me a weird look.
"Chris? What are you doing awake already? Don't tell me you've been awake all night!" She said, and I looked up from the book, looking at her in confusion.
"Oh, hey Amy. What do you mean, all night? The sun hasn't even..." I started to say, cutting myself off as I looked out the window, noticing for the first time that the sun had already risen. "Huh, I guess I lost track of time." I said, frowning slightly.
"Chris! You shouldn't stay up like that, you need to sleep!" She said, chastising me like I was just a child. I sighed, rolling my eyes.
"I may have found a way to send Aden back home though!" I said, gesturing to the book in my hand. "The book tells-" I started to say, but she silenced me.
"It doesn't matter right now. Just look at you! You look exhausted!" She said, and I tried to deny it, but I couldn't hold back a yawn. "You won't be able to do anything for him if you're too tired to even stay awake anyways. Just go to sleep." She said, giving me a worried look.
"I can't go to sleep right now anyways. What would you, Aden, and Caroline do for breakfast?" I asked and she shook her head.
"Don't worry about that. I have work this morning. I can always just ask Uncle Morgan if he has any carrots I could eat or something, and I'm sure Aden knows how to cook, he can make something for him and Caroline." She said, placing her hand on my chest, pushing down slightly, until I was once again laying back.
"But..." I said, trailing off as she gave me a look that suggested I shouldn't argue. I knew I couldn't win, so with a sigh, I just nodded. "Fine, I'll get some sleep." I said, placing the book on the nightstand, and she gave me a relieved smile.
"Good, thank you for at least seeing reason!" She said, leaning over me and laying a kiss on my cheek, before reaching over and grabbing the book, leaving me to look at her in mock disappointment.
"Wow! You don't even trust me to keep my word?" I asked, faking a hurt expression, as she got out of bed and brought the book to the other side of the room, setting it on a shelf.
"Oh, I trust you, I'm just removing any temptations." She said, turning to look at me, sticking her tongue out playfully, a smile on her face. "In all seriousness though, please do get some rest. I would really hate to see you get sick due to a lack of sleep." She said, as she brushed her hair and put on the boots, getting ready for her new job at the farm in the village.
"Don't worry, I will, but if you need anything, please make sure to wake me." I said, as she finally finished getting ready. With a final check in the mirror, she turned and nodded, giving me a smile, before walking out the door. With nothing left to do, I turned on to my side, closing my eyes and preparing to go to sleep.
Amy's POV
I looked once more into the room. Happy to see Chris was really trying to sleep, I quietly closed the door, before walking across the hall to Aden and Caroline's room. I knocked on the door, waiting for one of them to answer, and a few seconds later, movement was heard as the door opened, revealing Caroline. She stood in the doorframe, leaning against the wall. She had bags under her eyes, and she looked extremely tired.
"Oh, good morning Amy. Did you need anything?" She asked, her eyes drooping slightly. I looked at her in shock for a few seconds.
"I-I just wanted to ask you something, but are you ok?" I asked, reaching out and laying my hand on her forehead, checking to see if she was getting a fever. She took a step back, waving off my concern.
"I'm fine, you know as well as I do that Creepers have extremely high immune systems and can't get sick easily. That was one of the things I inherited. I'm not sick, I just didn't get any sleep last night..." She said, and I gave her a worried look.
"What? Why not? What is up with everyone torturing themselves like that?!" I asked, feeling exasperated. She blushed, looking behind her. Looking over her shoulder, I could see Aden, still sleeping on the bed. "What, you didn't get any sleep because of him?" I asked, and she looked at me in surprise for a few seconds, before grabbing my arm and pulling on it, leading me downstairs.
"Ok, so as you may or may not already know... Aden and I got together. Last night was the first time he agreed to share the bed with me." She said, blushing furiously. I nodded, before my eyes widened.
"Y-you two didn't..." I asked, gulping and trailing off. Caroline froze, quickly shaking her head.
"What?! No! Oh, Notch no! That's not something you do that quickly!" She said, giving me a look of shock. "No, it's just... Having him that close, all I wanted to do was cuddle up and enjoy his warmth. After he fell asleep, all I could do was just lay there, enjoying finally having someone..." She said, a goofy little smile on her face. For the next couple minutes, we sat there, not saying anything, before she sighed, snapping out of her little trance. "So, you didn't come to our room just to see how I was doing, what did you want?" She asked, and I sighed.
"I just wanted to let you and Aden know that Chris is going to be in bed trying to sleep. He was up all night reading, and he may have found a way to help Aden return home, or at least he may be one step closer. Anyways, I'll be at work and he'll be asleep, so you and Aden may have to fix breakfast if you get hungry." I said, and she nodded.
"Ok, I'll let him know to let Chris sleep. By the way, I don't think I congratulated you on getting the job!" She said, hugging me and congratulating me. I smiled, gently separating a few seconds later.
"Thank you, Caroline. Honestly, I doubt I would have gotten the job if it wasn't for Mr. Morgan being my uncle." I said, and she gave me a look of surprise.
"Wait, back up a second. What do you mean, 'uncle'?" She asked, and I realized that I hadn't mentioned it to anyone else. I nodded.
"I know, it was a shock for me too. Mr. Morgan was apparently my dad's brother. When I found that out, I was worried he would be mad at me. After all, my mom and dad gave their life to save me." I said, sighing. Caroline frowned slightly. "Anyways, I should get going. Thanks again for the congratulations, and please make sure Chris gets sleep." I said, getting a nod from her as I walked to the door. Waving one more time, I walked outside, closing the door behind me. It was beautiful today. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight, and a cool breeze was blowing. Leaving the house, I headed into town, my hands in my pockets. Sighing to myself, I walked threw the gravel paths, getting a few dirty looks, I kept walking, keeping my head down, before reaching the farm. Uncle Morgan was working in the fields, harvesting the wheat that had begun to grow, but when he saw me, he waved, calling me over.
"Ah, good morning Amelia, you're here pretty early. Where's Chris?" He asked, looking behind me, as if he was expecting him to come walking over.
"Chris is in bed right now, he didn't get any sleep last night. As for being here early, if I'm here too early, I could always come back later." I said, but he shook his head.
"No, you're fine, but why didn't Chris get any sleep?" He asked. I sighed, telling him about Chris's nocturnal studies the night before, and he nodded. "You know, he sounds like a good friend if he's willing to sacrifice his health to help others." He said, but I shook my head.
"Maybe, but I think that was stupid. He shouldn't do that kind of stuff and put his health at risk. I know that's a selfish thing to say, but I don't want him to end up repeating what-" I started to say, before trailing off, sighing. Uncle Morgan just gave me a sad, knowing look.
"You know he loved you, and he did the only thing he could think of to keep you safe." He said, wrapping an arm around me. I sighed again, leaning against him.
"I know, but... I just miss him. He and my mom gave up their lives to make sure I lived. I just wish they were still here." I said, a tear streaming down my face.
"I know. Listen, I want to show you something." He said, gently leading me towards an area at the far left side of the farm, overlooking some hills. "After you and Chris left the farm yesterday, I got to work on making something you may want to see." He said, continuing to lead me. Eventually, we came to an oak tree, and what was under it made me freeze. Under the tree, stood two makeshift wooden crosses. I slowly walked up to them, leaning down. Running my fingers over the first one, I began to read the writing that was scratched onto it.
'In memory of Nicholas Kyles, brother, and loving father'
I then looked to the next cross, only to see it blank. Seeing this, I became confused. As if seeing my confusion, he sighed, moving to my side. "After hearing about your parents, I thought it only appropriate to create a sort of memorial for them. I couldn't make one for your mom however. Nick never even told me her name." He said, and I nodded.
"Mary" I said quietly, staring at the blank cross. "Her name was Mary." I repeated, and Uncle Morgan nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small carving knife.
"Well then, would you like to have the honors?" He asked, holding out the knife. I slowly, and hesitantly, reached out my hand, before carefully grabbing it, turning towards the blank, wooden cross. Shakily, I began to carve the words that tore me up inside, and I felt several tears fall.
'In Memory of Mary Kyles, wife of Nicholas Kyles, and loving mother of Amelia Kyles'
As I finished scratching the saddening words into the oak wood, I felt Uncle Morgan place his hand comfortingly on my shoulder. Dropping the knife on the ground, I turned and wrapped my arms around him, crying freely. He softly patted my back, trying to calm me down. "Shhh, it's ok. I know you miss them, and that's ok. I want you to know, this area will always be here. If you ever want to be alone to think about your parents, or you ever want to get something off your chest, feel free to come here. In fact, how about you stay here for a little bit, while I go back to the house. When you get back, I'll have some tea and food ready, ok?" He asked, and I looked at him in confusion.
"W-what about my job? I came here to do work." I said, though truthfully, the want to stay near my parents' memorial was strong. He just shook his head.
"Think of this as your day off. You'll still be paid for showing up of course, but this is something I think you need to do, and deep down, you know that. Take as long as you need." He said, and I nodded.
"T-thank you, but are you sure? If you still need help around the farm, I could-" I started to say, but he shook his head at me, giving me a smile.
"Yes, I'm sure. Just return to my house when you're ready. I would still like to talk to you." He said, before picking up the carving knife and walking back towards his house. When he was almost out of sight, I slowly turned back to the makeshift crosses and kneeled down. Closing my eyes, I let my hand slide across the writing.
"Um... Hey mom, dad. I don't know if you can hear me or not, but... I miss you. I understand that you gave your lives to give me a chance to live, but I don't understand why you HAD to die." I said, sniffling slightly. "I mean, why couldn't you have lived? Why couldn't we have all just run away?" I continued, pausing and wiping my eyes, before taking a deep breath. "O-on a happier note, I-I met someone. Someone I really like, and I'm sure if you could see him, you would like him too. He says he comes from a different place, somewhere outside of Minecraftia. H-he took me in when I was alone. I wish you could see how happy he makes me." I finished, sitting there, tears leaking down my face. I sat there in silence, thinking about my parents. At one point, I could have sworn I felt a hand rub my back, like the way my mom used to do to calm me down when I was sad, but when I opened my eyes, nothing was there. Sighing to myself, I decided it was time to head back to the farm. With a final goodbye, I made my way back to my uncle's house. When I arrived, he invited me in.
"How did it go? Would you like some tea and cookies?" He asked, and I silently nodded, keeping my gaze down. He went into the kitchen, before returning, a plate full of cookies, and a cup of tea, which he placed in front of me. I thanked him, picking up a cookie and taking a bite. "So, I understand if this is a difficult subject to talk about, but... I know how Nick was as my brother, but what was he like as your father?" He asked, and I coughed, choking on a cookie from the suddenness of the question. Taking this as not being comfortable with the question, he backpedaled slightly. "I-I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, I was just curious." He said, and I shook my head.
"No no, i-it's ok. I guess you could say my dad was a great father. He's the one who taught me all I needed to know about humans. He taught me to read, write, and speak in English, and also, that no matter w1hat happened, I shouldn't grow to hate humans." I said, fondly thinking back to our lessons. "Though, even if I learned English, I still apparently need to work on my phrasing." I said, telling him about how I had nearly given Chris a heart attack before, and he burst out laughing, nearly choking on his tea. "Yeah, needless to say, things were a little awkward after that." I said, chuckling slightly.
"I'll bet, so what about your mom? What was she like?" He asked, and my smile began to fade.
"My mom... My mom took having to go on the run pretty hard. After all, she had to leave her family behind. However, even though she missed them, she never held it against me or dad. She took the task of teaching me the things he couldn't, like how to teleport, and how to sense when other Endermen were near. Being half Enderman, those abilities came naturally to me." I said, sighing. "She always knew how to cheer me up when I was sad, and I really miss her." I said quietly. "C-can we talk about something else?" I asked and he was quick to nod.
"Sure! Um, what about your clothes? I can't help but notice that you were wearing the same thing yesterday as well. Do you have any other clothes?" He asked, and I looked down at them
"My clothes? Ms. Joyce gave Chris some emeralds to buy some clothes for me, but there was only enough for one set. I mean, I still have my Enderman hoodie and sweatpants, but besides that, these are my only clothes." I said, and he frowned.
"Only two sets of clothes?" He asked, and I nodded. "How about this then. How about I take you into the village to pick out some more?" He asked, and I shook my head, my eyes widening.
"N-no, that's ok. Clothes are expensive, I couldn't ask you to do that for me." I said, thanking him for the offer anyways. Uncle Morgan shook his head.
"I insist. No one can only have two pairs of clothes. Trust me, it's fine. I have a tab at the tailory anyways, so I can always pay it off at another time. Come on." He said, getting up and gesturing for me to follow. With a sigh, I reluctantly followed. As we walked through the village, we gained a few stares, but since my uncle was with me, we were generally ignored. Looking around and noticing the looks, I frowned.
"R-really, you don't have to be doing this. Aren't you worried about the other villagers looking down on you for hanging around someone like me?" I asked, looking down at the ground. He looked at me in shock for a few seconds, before giving me a comforting smile.
"I don't care one bit about what people think, and neither should you." He said, and I looked at him in confusion. "There is no one in the world who is liked by everyone. As soon as you realize that, the better. Instead of worrying about being liked by everyone, you should just be yourself, and eventually, people will come around." He said, and I nodded, smiling at him. The rest of the walk was made in silence, both of us enjoying the weather. Eventually, the tailory came into view, and we went in, the bell above the door ringing, alerting Gloria to our arrival.
"Welcome to my tailory, what can I-" She started, before looking up from her magazine, her eyes widened when she saw us. "Oh! Good morning Morgan, Amelia, what can I do for you?" She asked, flashing us a smile. Uncle Morgan smiled back.
"Good morning, Gloria. I'm just bringing Amelia here for some more clothes." He said, and she nodded and smiled, walking out from behind her desk.
"Sure, sure, if you would just follow me please, I could get you some new clothes." She said, giving me a smile, while Uncle Morgan stayed behind. "So Amelia, how do you know Morgan?" She asked, leading me to the clothes racks. I stayed silent for a few seconds, before sighing.
"Chris took me to the farm yesterday so that I may be able to get a job. I actually found out that he's my uncle." I said, and she paused for a few seconds.
"Really?" She asked, looking at me in surprise. I nodded, looking away slightly.
"Yes. It turns out that my father was his brother. It was as much of a surprise for him as it was for me." I said, going quiet. She looked at me for a few more seconds.
"Was?" She asked, but I stayed quiet, looking through the clothes. Seeming to pick up on my mood, she quickly changed the subject. "So, where's your boyfriend? Shouldn't he be the one taking you out to get new clothes?" She asked, as I picked out two shirts and two pairs of pants. I blushed slightly at her calling him that.
"No, Chris needed sleep. I decided to go to work and let him get some." I said, still blushing. She nodded, looking curious.
"Right, you mentioned that you went to the farm to get a job. What kind of stuff do you do there?" She asked, and I gave her a smile.
"I take care of the horses. I feed them and give them water, as well as groom them. But the best part about the job, is that I get to ride them!" I said.
"You like riding horses?" She asked, and I nodded.
"Of course! I love to go horseback riding, it's one of my favorite activities that I used to do growing up!" I said, a bright smile on my face, as I began to warm up to her.
"Well, I'm glad you got a job doing something you love!" She said, and I nodded, thanking her. She only gave me a smile back, helping me put the clothes in a bag, before we made our way back to the front of the store, where Uncle Morgan was waiting. As she rung up the clothes, she casually smiled at him. "So, you're an uncle?" She said, causing him to smile.
"Yeah, I remember the time I first discovered that my brother had a daughter. I never thought I'd get a chance to meet her." He said, looking fondly at me. Gloria only nodded, finished ringing up the clothes.
"Well, these will come out to eighteen emeralds, do you want me to add it to your bill?" She asked, and he nodded, signing his name on a paper he was handed. When he finished, we began to head out, when Gloria called Uncle Morgan back. "Oh, by the way, Morgan. Are we still up for tea tomorrow?" She asked, a flash of an emotion that I recognized on her face. Being completely oblivious to it, he nodded.
"Sure, if you stop by the farm, I'll have some fresh tea brewing." He said, smiling and waving, before we both walked out, leaving her alone in the shop. As we left, I couldn't help but grin. Seeing this, Uncle Morgan raised an eyebrow, looking at me strangely. "What? What's got you making that face?" He asked, and I continued to smirk.
"She likes you~" I said, teasingly poking him, causing him to freeze, looking back at the tailory in shock.
"Who? Gloria?! No, I don't think so. How do you know anyways?" He asked, looking skeptical. I gave him a deadpan look.
"I'm a girl! It's easy for us to sense the subtle hints other girls send out when they like someone!" I said, unable to believe his naivety. He just shook his head, still not convinced.
"I'm afraid your senses are off this time. Gloria and I have been friends since I moved to this village five years ago. She's shown me nothing but friendship, nothing more." He said, and I sighed, shaking my head.
"Whatever you think." I said, sighing and rolling my eyes, before looking at the sky, noticing the sun, centered in the sky. "Anyways, if you're sure it's ok for me to use this day as a day off, I should return home. Thanks for buying me clothes. If you want, I could work it off and pay you back." I said, but he shook his head.
"Don't worry about it, you don't need to pay me back. And about it being a day off for you, I'm sure. Just take the rest of the day to relax." He said, giving me a smile. "Oh, and before I forget, as I promised, this is for showing up this morning." He said, handing me the six emeralds for today. Thanking him, I pocketed the gems, before waving goodbye and heading for home. Taking one last look back at Uncle Morgan, I saw him looking thoughtfully towards the tailory, before heading in his own direction.
Caroline's POV
I watched as Amy left, closing the door behind her. Sighing to myself, I sat on the couch. Why did Chris have to find a way to send Aden home so soon. When I told Aden how I felt about him, and that maybe I could go with him when he had to go, I was well aware of how unlikely that was, but I just wanted him to give me a chance to be with him. That may have been selfish, but in the end, I guess that's what I am. I just sat there for a few minutes, deep in thought.
"Is she gone?" Someone asked, and I looked behind me in surprise, only to see Chris, looking at me curiously. When I saw him, my eyes widened.
"Chris? What are you doing up? Amy said you should be sleeping!" I said, and he sighed, rolling his eyes.
"I appreciate her concern, I really do, but I'm fine, this isn't the first time I have stayed up all night before. You on the other hand, look exhausted. Is something on your mind?" He asked, and I looked away.
"I-is it really that obvious?" I asked, before sighing quietly. "Can I ask you a question or two?" I asked, and he nodded, a smile on his face.
"Well, you just did, but sure, what's wrong?" He asked, sitting down next to me. I smiled at his little joke, but it faded when I began.
"Is it true that you found a way to possibly send Aden back to where you both came from?" I asked, swallowing back my hesitation. He looked at me in surprise, before frowning slightly.
"So Amy told you? I was kind of hoping she wouldn't say anything yet, but to answer your question, yes, I may have found a way, but I won't say anything else until dinner, when everyone is here. Why do you ask, anyways?" He asked, but instead of answering, I asked another question.
"D-do you think I'm selfish? " I asked, and his widened.
"What?! Why would I think that? Where is all this coming from?" He asked, looking at me with a concerned look on his face.
"Well, Aden didn't want to start a relationship with me, in fear that if he ever had to leave, he would have to leave me, but I convinced him that that was fine, and that I may be able to go with him, even though I know that probably isn't true, and he believed me..." I said, feeling a tear welling up. Chris shook his head, laying a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him, and he gave me a calming smile.
"Caroline! You are not selfish. First of all, let me just say I'm happy that you and Aden are together, I could tell that you really like him, and I know he likes you. Sometimes, Aden just needs a push in the right direction to make the right choice. You might not even be wrong. So far, we know that things from where we came from have come with us, maybe it will work with other people." He said, and I nodded, wiping my eyes. "Now, are you hungry? If you wake up Aden, I'll fix some breakfast, ok?" He asked, and I once again nodded, before going back upstairs, going to wake Aden. When I made it back to our room, I saw him still wrapped firmly in the blanket.
"Aden, wake up, Chris is making breakfast." I said, only to be met with silence. Walking closer, I gently shook his shoulder. "Come on, Aden. Wakey, wakey." I repeated, but he only mumbled a bit. Smiling to myself, I leaned in over him. "Fine, but you leave me no choice!" I said, before reaching down and beginning to tickle him. A few seconds later, his arms suddenly wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me into bed too. I giggled, as he held me close to him, tickling me back. "Stop! I give up, I give up!" I gasped out, between giggles. He slowly stopped, opening his eyes, before looking at me in surprise.
"Caroline? Why do you look so tired? You have bags under your eyes!" He said, and as I caught my breath, I blushed, not meeting his eyes.
"I-I c-can't tell you... It's too embarrassing." I said, feeling my cheeks heat up even more as Aden continued looking at me in concern.
"Why are you so tired?" He asked again. "Are you uncomfortable with me being so close? Because if you are, I could just go back to sleeping on the floor." He said, and I quickly shook my head, wrapping him in a hug.
"No! I-I mean, no, you don't have to do that, I'm not uncomfortable sleeping next to you. I'm tired because I... I Watched you sleep..." I said, muffling my words into his chest. Everything was quiet for a few seconds, before he took a deep breath.
"You...You watched me sleep? Why?" He asked, sounding slightly hesitant. I sighed, looking into his eyes.
"I couldn't help it, ok?!" I snapped, afraid of what he would think of me. "I was so happy when you told me you wanted to be with me. When we went to bed, and you laid next to me, all I wanted to do was enjoy it, to be as close to you as I could. I didn't want to go to sleep, only for that feeling to go away." I said, laying against him, waiting for his reaction. Expecting him to be upset with me, to call me creepy for watching him, I was startled when he instead wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer. I looked up at him in shock.
"While I am a little weirded out by you watching me while I sleep, I do find your reasoning cute. Though I would prefer it if you actually went sleep. I really wouldn't like to see you get sick." He said, still hugging me.
"Fine, I will, but you should know, you don't need to worry about me getting sick, Creepers don't get sick." I said, but he shook his head.
"You can say that all you want, but don't forget, you're still half human, and humans CAN get sick. So just be careful." He said, and I smiled, nodding.
"Alright, now come on already! Chris is making breakfast!" I said, jumping out of bed, already halfway out the door by the time Aden stretched and got up. He quickly caught up, and we started to head down. When we got to the dining room, the delicious smell of eggs, bacon, and sausage filled the air, making my mouth water. As we sat down, Chris came in carrying a few plates.
"Good morning. I was wondering when you two would get down here!" He said playfully, placing the plates on the table. As Aden and I began digging into the food as if we hadn't eaten in years, Chris slowly ate his, shaking his head in amusement. "So, I was thinking." He said, and Aden smirked.
"Uh oh, careful not to hurt yourself!" He said, and I snickered. Chris rolled his eyes, though I could tell he wasn't upset.
"Ha, ha, very funny. Anyways, after breakfast, do you two want to go for a walk? I checked, and it's nice outside!" He said, and Aden nodded.
"I'm not opposed to it, after all, there's not much to do here, besides sleeping. What about you, Caroline?" He asked, looking at me curiously. I smiled and nodded.
"Sure, I can do with some fresh air. Plus, you can't get away from me that easily, Aden!" I said, smiling at him. Chris nodded, taking another bite of his food. By the time he was finished, we had already been long done, having taken our plates to the sink and washing them. After doing the same, Chris met us at the front door.
"You all ready to go?" He asked, looking at us curiously, opening the door and walking out when we nodded. Following him out, I saw that he was right in his previous statement, it truly was a beautiful day.
"So, where are we going? Are we heading for town, or are we just walking in a random direction?" I asked, and Chris just shrugged.
"Honestly, I was just planning on going in a random direction. A hike if you will. In fact Aden and I used to hike after school when... times were hard at my house." He said. Noticing this was a sore subject for him, I decided to try and skew the conversation.
"What's... School?" I asked, actually interested. Aden scoffed, shuddering slightly.
"School is torture!" He said, giving a fake scared look. I laughed, while Chris rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly.
Oh, come on Aden. Don't listen to him, Caroline, school honestly isn't that bad." Chris said, keeping his eyes ahead while we walked.
"Maybe for you! You always got good grades, and were well liked by the teachers. Half of the time, I just sat in class, not even understanding what the hell they were talking about!" Aden replied, his voice raising slightly. Deciding to tune out the rest of the bickering, I looked behind us. While we were distracted by our conversation, we had walked a fair distance, our house already being blocked from sight due to a hill, and yet, we still continued on. We walked for another five minutes, when Chris's sudden exclamation made me tune back into what they were saying.
"Wait, Aden! We got completely sidetracked from what I was going to try to tell you." He said, and Aden looked at him in curiosity. "I wanted to give you a fair warning of what is going to be discussed during dinner. The short of it is, I may have found a way to send you home." He said, causing Aden's eyes to widen.
"Wait, Really?!" Aden blurted out, before looking at me and seeing my slight frown. "I-I mean, really? How?" He said, calming down a bit.
"Like I said, this will have to wait till dinner. I want to wait until everyone is together." Chris said, frowning when Aden seemed to deflate a little. Aden only nodded, before we all went quiet. The rest of the hike went by silently, nobody having anything else to say, so instead of saying anything, we just enjoyed the weather, before heading back home. By the time we arrived home, the sun was high in the sky.
Chris's POV
"Well, thanks for agreeing to go on the walk with me, but I guess I'm going to head upstairs before Amy gets back. I should at least make it seem like I was asleep." I said, before going up. Reaching the door, I opened it, only to jump a few seconds later, seeing Amy already sitting on the bed. "O-oh, hey Amy, what are you doing back so soon?" I nervously asked, looking her in the eye. She just smiled.
"What was it that you accused me of this morning? Something along the lines of not trusting your word?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. I flinched.
"Ok, let me at least say something in my defense." I said, and she nodded. Sitting down next to her, I sighed. "I appreciate your concern, I really do, but in this case, it wasn't necessary. I've told you about how my parents faught. Well, this isn't the first time I stayed up all night. I've spent many a night, listening to them argue. Missing one night of sleep won't hurt me, ok?" I asked, and she sighed, bringing me into a hug.
"I understand, I just wish you would take better care of yourself!" She said, and I nodded, rubbing her back.
"Alright, enough talking about me, and how I'm sorry for lying to you this morning. I'm curious, how was your day?" I asked, and she smiled.
"W-well, this was definitely one of the weirdest days for me, as I didn't have to do any work around the farm today." She said, and I gave her a look of confusion.
"Oh? Well what did you do then, if not go to work?" I asked, and she held up a bag that she hid behind her. I looked, in the bag, only to see a few pairs of new clothes. "New clothes? When did you get these?" I asked, wondering how much these must have cost her. She then went on to tell me about her and Morgan's day. I listened, looking shocked.
"So, he just took you shopping?" I asked, and she nodded.
"Yes, I offered to pay him back, but he said it was ok. He even made a little memorial for my parents underneath an oak tree near the farm." She said. "But other than that, he told me I could have the day off. What about you? What did you do while I thought you were sleeping?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged, telling her about the day. She listened intently. When I finished, we just stayed quiet for a few seconds. "So, what do you want to do now?" She asked, and I thought for a few seconds. Seeing my indecisiveness, she sighed. "I-if you have nothing else to do, do you want to go back into town with me? There's something I want to do, and I would really like some company." She said, and I nodded.
"Sure, I don't mind. If you want to go back to the village, I'll go with you." I said, and she smiled, giving me an appreciative look.
"Thank you, Chris. I really do appreciate it. D-do you mind waiting outside for a minute? I've been wearing these same clothes for the last two days, and I could do with changing them." She said, blushing slightly. Realizing what she meant, my eyes widened, and I quickly nodded.
"Oh! Uh, sure, no problem. In fact, I'll be downstairs. When you're ready, we can head out, ok?" I asked, and she nodded, pulling her new clothes out of the bag. Leaving her to get changed in private, I walked down the stairs and into the living room, where Caroline and Aden were sitting on the couch. Upon entering the room, Aden looked up.
"Amy isn't back yet." He said, and Caroline nodded, looking at me with a curious look.
"Yeah, do you know what time she's going to get back?" She asked.
"Actually, Amy's already home. She apparently came back while we were out walking, but listen. Amy and I are going out into the village. When we get back, I'll start making dinner, ok?" I asked, and they nodded. About ten minutes later, the sound of our bedroom door opening alerted me that she had finished. When she came down stairs, I saw that she had on a purple, short sleeved shirt, and a pair of black shorts. Smiling and complimenting her on her looks, we were soon out the door, the house behind us. Walking in silence, I finally turned to her. "So, what did you want to do in town?" I asked, and she sighed.
"You'll see, but do you know if there is a florist?" She asked, and I thought for a few seconds. Smiling, I nodded.
"I believe I saw something like that. I believe it was next to the library. Why, are you planning on buying some flowers? Is this for the memorial you were telling me about?" I asked, and for a few seconds, she was silent, before sighing.
"Yes, that's right. When Uncle Morgan showed it to me, I didn't have anything to place down. I wanted to lay down some flowers. I could have just gone alone, but..."
"You wanted the company while you went back to your parents memorial?" I finished for her. She nodded, leaning against my shoulder.
"I'm sorry for dragging you along for something that has nothing to do with you." She said, and I shook my head, my eyes widening.
"Are you kidding me right now? This is something very important to you. Even if I had something I needed to do, I would drop everything in a heartbeat, if it meant being here for you in your time of need and making you happy!" I said, wrapping my arm around her as we walked through town. Amy blushed, smiling slightly.
"It might be stupid, but when I first visited the memorial, I talked as if they were really listening, even though they're gone, and I'm sure they couldn't hear me." She said, and I looked at her for a few seconds.
"Did it help?" I asked, and a few seconds later, she nodded. "Well then you shouldn't think it was stupid. I'm sure they were listening, and I bet they were proud of who you grew up to be." I said, and she hugged me. After walking for a couple more minutes, we eventually came to a small little building, a sign in the front marking it as the florist shop. In all honesty, it looked more like a small cottage house than a shop, but nonetheless, we still went inside, Amy buying two small bouquets of yellow daisies, each of us carrying one. Leaving the store, we continued on towards the farm. As we were about to enter the farm, we suddenly took a left, down a small dirt path. Having never been this way, I followed Amy, and we eventually stopped near a small tree, two small crosses underneath.
"Well... Here we are. This is the memorial that Uncle set up." She said, before kneeling down in front of her father's cross, laying the daisies next to it. Setting the ones I was carrying in front of her mother's cross, I went over and sat next to Amy, wrapping an arm around her. Looking at me for a few seconds, she laid her head on my shoulder, sighing. "You know, it'll be six years tomorrow that my parents died. It's still hard to believe that they're gone." She said, and I just stayed by her side, patting her back. For the next hour, we sat near the crosses, looking up at the sky, as the sun began to sink behind the distant mountains, setting the sky ablaze with a vast swath of reds and pinks. Sighing to herself, she slowly began to stand. "I-I'm ready to go back home now..." She said, her voice quiet. I looked at her for a few seconds.
"A-are you sure? We could stay longer if you want, I certainly don't mind." I said, standing up when she shook her head, giving me an appreciative look.
"I-I appreciate it, but that's ok. I came and placed some flowers like I wanted. I could always come back another time. Plus, it's getting dark, and we shouldn't keep Aden and Caroline waiting." She said, and I reluctantly nodded.
"Ok, but if you ever want me to come back with you, just let me know." I said, and she nodded, smiling. Heading back, we left the memorial area. When we arrived back at the house, I went straight to the kitchen and started on dinner, fixing a batch of mushroom and beef stew, before bringing it out and setting it on the table. As everyone sat around the table, a bowl of stew in front of them, we all began to eat. Halfway through the meal, Aden looked up at me, a curious and excited look on his face.
"Chris, so you said you may have found a way you might be able to send me home?" He asked. Setting down my spoon, I nodded.
"Yes, but just keep in mind, I found this in a book of History and Legends, so I'm not sure how accurate any of this is." I said, and he nodded, though he frowned slightly. "Anyways, the first settlers supposedly discovered something when they first went to the Nether. The portal they built deep in the mountains brought them to some ruins. Legend has it that there is a treasure; An item said to have the ability to help grant a wish. Normally, I would be skeptical about something as ridiculous sounding as that, but with everything that has happened so far, I'm willing to bet there is at least SOME truth to it." I said, picking up my spoon and taking another sip of soup. Aden looked thoughtful for a few seconds, before nodding.
"Well, I guess it's worth a try. So, when are we going?" He asked, and I gave him an incredulous look, which was mirrored by Caroline.
"We're not going, I am. Do you have any idea what the Nether even is?! There are creatures that shoot fireballs at you when they see you, there are huge oceans of lava! I'm sorry, but your heart wouldn't even hold out for a second. You're not coming with me." I said firmly, staring him down. He looked to be about to argue, but Caroline jumped in, getting his attention.
"Come on, Aden, don't be stupid! Chris is right, the Nether is no place for someone with a weak heart. Why don't you just stay here with me? I'm sure we find something to do around here." She said, but he still didn't look convinced.
"Well you can't go somewhere like that alone! That would be suicide! At least with me along, you would have help!" He said. I shook my head, but Amy jumped in as well.
"You know what? Easy solution. I'll go with you!" She said, and I looked at her in shock, immediately shaking my head.
"No! You are not going with me either!" I said, and she glared at me.
"It's not up to you, Chris. If you decide to go on some fools quest halfway across the land, you have two options! Either you willingly let me go with you, or I come along anyways. Either way, I'm coming with you whether you like it or not, because I'm not letting you go alone. I already lost my parents, I'm not losing you too!" She said, her voice raising as she spoke. We all fell silent, watching her in shock as she panted slightly, and I raised a hand in defeat.
"F-fine." I said, putting my hand on her shoulder. "I-I just didn't want you to get hurt, that's all, but if you really want to come with me, you can..." I said. She just sighed.
"I'm sorry for overreacting, I just don't want to stay here while you go out, and then never hear from you again. S-so when are we setting out." She asked. I stayed silent for a few seconds, before quietly speaking up.
"I was planning on going in a week. That way, I could have gotten the supplies I would have needed." I said, and she nodded. Dinner went by quietly after that, nobody seeming to be able to break the silence. Sighing to myself, I began to make a mental checklist of everything we would need for the upcoming journey as Amy and I got ready for bed. As I laid in bed, only one thought came to mind.
This was going to be a long week...
Not one of my best chapters, but here is Chapter 7 of 'Crafting a New World'.
