Here we go, guys! The sequel to AHiT: Amnesiac's Journey is a go! I'm still not sure I want it to be called Julia's Return but I still trying to think, if I don't forget it. The cover picture is also a work in progress so that might change later too!
Thank you guys for all your wonderful comments in the previous book and I hope you enjoy this one as well!
Help keep an eye out for any errors as I'll be checking through this as well!
(Chapter one: mundane cycle)
Out a spacious window, that was only slightly covered by an old styled curtain, the sun rose. Birds chirping and busy people talking, walking and riding. The occasional annoyed driver honking their horn at the slow passerby. A pillow covered a person's face, bundled up in a warm blank; it stirred as their phone rung a blaring tune.
A groan escaped them and huddled more into their slightly comfortable bed. Sadly, the alarm had already woken them up. Rising, with massive bed head, the person got to work; their daily routine. Get up, take a shower, brush teeth, comb hair and tie up.
Get dressed, and wipe the small mirror to see themselves. Familiar orange hair all tightly pulled together and an emerald eye staring back. Julia sighed; reaching for an eye patch to cover her left eye.
She was ready, her job awaits her. Grabbing her apartment key, she locked the door behind her. Walked down the large hallways to many other residents she shared this building with; waved to the mother and their child who lived right next to her.
The day was bright as she walked out the main entrance of her building and located her motorbike; once her helmet was on, she drove to work without trouble.
The 'Quicksilver and Go' was a mechanic and fuel stop with a quick convenient store to make the place complete; Julia opened the door to alternative rock playing and two of her co-workers goofing off as they restock the shelves. One stayed ever so vigilant at the cashier station, book in hand and studying.
"Juli!" Two of the Co-works yelled in unison, making the third look up with a smile.
"Hey, guys" Julia smiled, she quite liked working here; not to mention-
This was her Aunt and Uncle's business.
"Little cousin, always fashionably late!" One of her three older cousins replied, a smile on his face.
"Travis, didn't Uncle Eddy say not to throw goods around the shop?" Julia put her hands on her hips making the man who was literally thirty years old nervously chuckle and back away to disarm the conversation. "You too, Tucker."
The second, Tucker, who stayed behind the shelve they were stacking, slowly dipped down like they were walking downstairs. The girl giggled, watcher, her older cousins act like complete dorks; her favorite triplets. The only triplets she knew actually.
"Honestly, Tanner is the only sensible one out of you two," Julia adjusted her tucked in uniform shirt and joined Tanner behind the counter; taking a quick look at the book he was reading- apparently he was studying arithmetic. Smart boy. Yet chooses to act like an idiot.
Julia can get behind that.
These boys she's spent four years with now have, honestly? Made her life a little better. No longer in contact with her father; Mother started a new family, the right way, and turns out Julia even got a new little stepbrother she hasn't even seen yet.
Life was good here; it made her feel guilty that she wanted to leave. After the events with Melody and the other? Julia wanted nothing but to go back. It was her chosen home after all.
She sighed, assisting a customer who had stepped in to buy a few things; when they left, her two cousins who've finished restocking decided to rough house with those styrofoam swords; you know? The ones for kids. The really badly made ones-
Snap
"Oh, crackers."
Tanner, Travis, and Julia laughed at Tucker; all the while their Father, Julia's uncle, walked in. Mid pause as he was wiping his hands with an oily rag, eye twitching. "Son. That is the third sword you've broken this week."
Tucker scratched his head, he knew it was coming out of his pay; not a lot, but it was still hilarious.
That was the everyday work cycle Julia went through, made enough money to pay for her apartment and what she only needed, she watched her cousins blissfully go through life. Every day, she smiled, enjoying their company.
But when the day was up, and she returned to her home, she ate dinner, brushed her teeth and removed her day clothes to wear her comfy overly sized ones. She sat on her bed; you probably wonder what she'd really been doing over the four years of her return?
Well, she looked for a way back.
Not actively, oh no; this town of her's was way too big. Searching every nook and cranny was possibly dangerous. Most likely dangerous! No- she spent almost every night on her bed; concentrating. Legs crossed, slowly breathing, Julia held her hands slightly together, leaving a gap.
Every night she used her ability; it turns out, they never left her. Her hair tie glowed bright, an indicator that she was using what she had. She searched and searched, trying to feel any form of crack- a weak link, anything!
She would do this every night until her head stung, and arms hurt; she strained herself every night for four years just to find her way home.
And after four years, after four long years-
Something finally pinged back.
The girl gasped, raising her eye patch to look out the window; her left eye glowing and broken.
Yet, she could see that this was real.
Keeping this feeling in mind, she finally went to sleep.
The next day, the same routine; wake up, get ready, go to work. Watch cousins goof around, but today seemed off.
Julia sat there, at the counter; her cousins actually working for once as they were trusted to watch the shop on their own; Mechanic section closed for today as the two adults in their sixty, yeah, sixty. Julia's Aunt and Uncle were in surprisingly good shape; this shop had been in their family for generations- you'd have to be fit in order to work on hefty parts every day.
"You would not believe what happened yesterday!" Travis started a conversation, moping the floors; the three in the shop had full attention, Travis smiled like a child given candy "My boyfriend asked me to marry him!"
"Holy, shit!" Julia slammed her hands down on the table; her mouth looked like it was going to rip apart from her smile as Travis's two siblings came running up to him, lifting him up like a sack of flour.
They cheered, breaking the silence as some people who were shopping in the back clapped their hands overhearing them. This was news, wonderful news!
"Congratulations, man!" Tanner patting his brother back as Tucker roughed up Travis's red-dyed hair.
The three were off in their own little bubble as Julia smiled grew softer. She was really happy for him! He and his boyfriend, now fiancé, had been together for almost ten years.
Time passed and the store slowed; not many costumers came in between past noon and the evening. Travis left early to go plan their wedding for the incoming months. It was just her, Tanner and Tucker now.
The lights from outside turned on, it was almost time for Julia to leave; Tanner was counting the shelves and Tucker watched TV. The bell rung informing that the door opened, a late shopper it seemed.
"Good evening, please take-" Julia looked up from the random pamphlets she was reading; She never expected to see him again.
"Ah! Julia, my dear!" Gabriele stood tall, almost prideful that he was here "been awhile... How have you been?"
Julia was at loss for words; she stuttered and gaped- she couldn't find her words! He was here! Gabriele was here!
..-Oh no, Gabriele was here!
"Tucker, get the beatin stick!" Tanner yelled out in a panic, as Tucker quickly tossed a, rather large, stick that they had found outside a long while back. It had served as a repellent for raccoons, shoplifters and the occasional creep that tried to talk to their baby cousin.
Normally they'd worn a person before using self-defense; however, they didn't know what the hell Gabriele was. He looked like a man, that much was obvious, but they could also see the stitches engraved on him, holding himself together.
Also, if that wasn't the case, who walked around in a plague doctor suit in the twenty-first century?
They managed to hit him once, Gabriele flinched back, but then grabbed the stick firmly- giving a look at Tanner, who was visibly shaken. "Hello, yes; is this how you greet all your people?" Gabriele asked sarcastically "or am I the lucky one?"
He turned to Julia who was still trying to form words "these friends of yours?"
"..Cousins.. actually-" Julia finally came too, even if it was slow.
"Juli- you know this.. thing..?" Tucker was holding a can of pringles, ready to throw at the doctor.
"Yeah- I.. yeah." Julia confirmed, still not sure how to make of the situation, "he's my-"
"Friend." Gabriele finished off.
"Your... Friend." Tanner yanked the stick out of Gabriele's hand, backing off and getting next to Julia behind the counter. "You uh... you have interesting taste."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Julia mildly glared at him, but shook her head "he's helped me out a couple of times.. he's.. he's good."
"You're being awfully vague about this, cousin.," Tucker stated
"Can I- can I have a word with you?" Julia said, strained her smiled and looked at Gabriele "Outside."
"Oh! Of cour-" Gabriele was about to finish but was tugged on a little bit too hard, Leaving the two older cousins to watch the windows like hawks. Making sure this man wasn't about to abduct their little Julia. Their conversation was muffled by the glass.
"Gabriele, I'm happy to see you!" She smiled sweetly, then yelled as her emotions took a one-eighty "but what the hell were you thinking?!" She pushed his chest, making him look down at her, head tilted.
"What do you mean?" He asked
"I mean! Why would you come walking in while those two were still with me!" She huffed "you could have waited for me or something!"
"...I'm guessing you haven't told them yet-"
"I haven't told anyone yet! Never planned too!" She held her hands up. "People would throw me in the loony house if I started spouting nonsense about time manipulation and real magic!"
The two inside watched their little Julia tell off the large man; watching him visibly duck his head down. She was actually scary when she was angry nowadays. Maybe they don't have to.. worry. The two boys looked at each other and shrugged, that guy was suffering her wrath now. It was almost comical with it being all muffled, and how short she was compared to him.
"You planned on leaving without a word, didn't you-" Gabriele assumed, and he was right as the girl stopped waving her hands around like a mad person; it was quiet.
"No, not yet; I would have told them I'd be moving to another country or something." Julia quietly said.
"What if they tried to contact you?"
Julia was at a loss now; what was she going to do? She never actually thought that far. She was so used to people not caring- now they care too much.
She was asked if she could make it to her cousin's wedding after all.
"...We'll save this for.. another time, it seems like you still need to think." Gabriele said; lifting her chin, he continued "but know this- I've come to bring you home."
Julia's breath hitched in her throat; what was this feeling? She stepped away, a reassuring smile on her face.
"Thank you."
Julia entered the shop again, her two cousins looked at her as she gathered her stuff to return to her apartment; Tanner elbowed Tucker for him to say something, and the first thing he asked was-
"Was he your boyfriend?"
Julia stopped midway, her brain tried clicking together what he had just said...
All she could say was "wha-?"
End of the first chapter. guys! but more will come shortly! I have been stalking up since the ending of the first book, and I have at least three more chapters to post before I take a break for a while. If I hadn't stated this at the top, this book will be more based around my characters a little more and their interactions with the DLCs later on.
So you might see why more of my characters here than in the first one. At the end of every chapter, I'll list who is most active and maybe some guests along the way as well.
Current active Characters of mine:
Julia/Fedora
Travis (Cousin)
Tucker (Cousin)
Tanner (Cousin)
Gabriele/Leader of Hearts (Friend?)
