Chapter 13: Wrong Time
Boscha's voice has always been very passionate. The inflections, emphasizing the most trivial stuff in a way that was almost endearing… Though now, as each day passes, the afternoon sky grows colder, and Boscha fumbles. The cold breeze pushes past them, and yet beads of sweat stain her forehead.
Willow attempts to focus on the task given to her, and yet she couldn't help but worry. As Boscha stammers over the next few lines of English literature, her eyes flicker from blue to gray, and the tips of her ears fade to a paler tone…
That can't be normal…
Willow pulls the top of Boscha's textbook down. "I think we should take a break."
That look…
Boscha forces a curt smile. "I'm fine."
Willow sighs. Why is Boscha so intent on doing this? Why would she rather disregard her own health just to help her? "You shouldn't have to overwork yourself."
Boscha grips the edges of her book, the pages crumple towards her fingers. What would Willow know about that? Normal witches would never understand… They only care about power, and only care about people with power. "I swear I'm okay."
As Willow argues with Boscha about going to the Healer's, the wind picks up. Rocks and leaves swerve and tumble near the ground. Where light hits, the ground crumbles, and a wisp-like creature pops up from the cracks. It flows with the gusts of wind, screeching as it pops against a nearby tree. Another emerges, and another, and soon multiple.
From inside the school, the windows slam shut. A brown glow emanates on their wooden framing. The speakers screech as Principal Bump grabs the mic. "Classes have been suspended due to an unforeseen wail storm. Please stay inside your classrooms and wait for your guardians to pick you up."
Willow picks up her things, "We should go inside!"
"I said I'm fine!"
"No there's—"
Willow cover's her ears as a staggered scream cracks across the sky. Light flashes. More souls emerge and form a thick fog of light gray. Each soul sending shivers up their spine. Rocks fling at their feet. They stumble and struggle to see where they come from. The wind strikes them off balance, and the blasts of wind carry a hundred more souls their way, along with a–
Willow summons a large tree. Bits of broken wood fly everywhere as another tree crashes onto it before being blown away. Willow crouches. She tangles a vine around Boscha and pulls her closer. She summons a large hollow tree around them. It muffles the distraught wailing, and the rocks and other debris knock against the hardened wood.
Willow huffs. Great… Just have to keep this up for… Possibly a lot of hours…
Boscha struggles and squirms against Willow's vines before Willow let's her go. Boscha snaps her fingers. Sparks fly out of her palm and illuminate their dark cage.
Willow sighs, "If only you listened to me…"
Boscha grunts. Her palms sweat. She sure as hell isn't letting herself be protected by Willow. After Willow keeps telling her to go to the Healers? What? So she can laugh at her weakness? Not again. She's never showing weakness ever again.
She places her palm near the wood. "I don't need your help."
"Huh?! Wait!—"
The tree sizzles and burns into embers. She draws a small circle and pops the wood off. She won't let herself be belittled by someone like Willow. She can handle herself…
Souls scream as they pop against her shoes. She shivers, and the tips of her ears go numb. She drives her foot into the brittle ground, and the wind screams against her face. Her cowl flies behind her and hooks onto her neck.
Boscha's shadow disappears into the fog, and Willow holds her breath, Should she…?
Boscha fumbles with the single button. She crouches and more souls climb onto her. Her cowl shoots backwards. It disappears behind the school. She doesn't need help. She can manage by herself…
Willow's hand shakes as a vine emerges from the ground. The faint sound of Boscha's grunts echoes back to her, and the vines seek her out. They wrap around Boscha's torso and stagger back into the tree. The vines release her. She catches Boscha as more vines cover the burnt hole and and harden into bark.
Boscha yells in frustration. She punches the hard wood, and the sound of knuckles cracking was only heard before a large FLASH! And an ear deafening yell cracks from the sky. Boscha curls down and sulks, pulling her knees to her chest. Why couldn't she just be enough? Why did she have to be born so weak?
Souls seep through the small cracks in their hollow tree, and with a gentle pop lost souls would let out their distraught wail. As she listens to the muffled screaming outside, the tips of Willow's fingers grow numb. She pulls her cowl over her head and glances at Boscha. Through the small flecks of light she sees her. She shivers, and she covers her ears with her hands.
If Boscha hadn't helped her then… Willow would've just let Boscha fend for herself… But now…
Willow unbuttons her cowl. She inches closer to Boscha and places it gently over Boscha's head. It would be selfish not to help her now.
Boscha stiffens under her touch. She pushes Willow away and rejects the 'dumb fabric'.
Willow ponders… Boscha's always been so stubborn… Yet it never occurred to her how Boscha wasn't exactly selfish… What is there to gain from not accepting someone's help? Surely Boscha would've grabbed the cowl believing that she deserved it more… And yet… Why? Shouldn't she want this?
"Boscha, please." Willow looks at her.
"I'm not… taking your dumb cowl… Okay?"
"You're sick. You need this more than me." Willow says. She forces the cowl on Boscha's shoulders. Boscha's head sways. Her eyes struggle to keep open as more and more color drains from her eyes. Oh no…
A warm feeling overtakes Boscha's chest. The cool air around her face dissipates. And as she processes Willow's words for a hot minute she realizes… Those words seemed familiar…
Was it… That was…
Amity's face flashes before her, the warm smile she had… Those kind words she said before…
'You deserve this more than me.'
Willow faces her.
'Boscha…' The words struggle to form coherent sentences in Boscha's head. 'You're…'
She remembers… Them…
"Boscha… Boscha!" Willow holds Boscha's ice-cold ears. She struggles to let out a single word, and her breathing only grows weaker and weaker. 'Oh no… Oh fuck oh fuck.'
Willow covers Boscha's ears with a cowl. She places her hands on Boscha's shoulders, easing her way to her arms, and eventually to her knees. It garners no reaction from Boscha. 'Ahh! I just have to do this'
The sense of Willow's chest against Boscha's floods her with an immediate sense of relief so strong she doesn't protest. She lets Willow wrap her arms around her, and with each touch she grows weaker. She leans forward, the crook of her neck warming against Willow's shoulder. She sighs. The warmth spreads to her arms, and the feeling of her cold fingertips bother her. Boscha places her hands on Willow's neck. She shivers, but the gradual return of heat, and the general response sates Willow's worries.
Willow leans back, careful not to bump Boscha's head. Boscha's chest warms up, and her breathing stabilizes. Willow sighs, a small smile forces its way to her face… 'She's okay…'
She buries her face into Boscha's shoulder, basking in her warmth. It's hard to believe the person who's teased her for months helped her… And is now asleep in her arms…
The muffled wails outside calm her, and Willow fights herself to stay awake. Her eyes wander in the dark. Through the cracks, the dark sky only grows darker and darker, and the fog only seeps in one soul at at time. Her hands move respectfully across Boscha's back to check her temperature. How long has it been? Was it already night time? Her parents are going to kill her for losing her textbooks.
How long is this going to last…
Someone knocks on the tree. Finally... Willow opens a small gap to see the dark figure of her father, Orchard, with his beard tinted by gray ghouls. She stifles her giggles at the sight. Orchard attempts to speak, but is drowned out by the sound of wails.
It was then a pale redheaded woman walked up behind them. In her hand, her staff emanates a purple barrier from the mouth of her palisman. She sees Boscha's bright pink hair as it peeks out of the hollow tree.
She approaches them, the barrier molds around them, vaporizing lost souls that come into contact. "I'm Amyl, Boscha's mother." Her purple eyes lock onto Willow, and a small smirk forms on her face. "I see you've taken good care of her."
Willow nods, her face brushes up against Boscha's. A blush paints across her face as she realizes… "I can explain—"
"There's no need for that." She casts another barrier around Willow and her father and removes Boscha from Willow's arms. She cradles her daughter in her arms. "What are your names?"
"I'm Orchard Park, and this is my daughter, Willow Park." He pats Willow's head playfully as he helps her up.
"Park…" Amyl tuts and shakes her head. "A friend of mine told me that if I ever encountered anyone named Willow Park, I should tell her… However, she's a b–"
Orchard shoots her a look.
"A twat…" She glances at Boscha sleeping in her arms. "But as a mother, I'm thankful. And it seems Boscha's fond of you… So I'll see to it that she won't know."
"Wait. Why would she want to know about Willow?"
"I'm not sure, though she is a member of the Emperor's Coven. Whether or not it was the Emperor's orders is beyond my knowledge…" She sits on her staff. "Now I would love to stay and chat, however I'd rather not hear anymore screaming."
She pats her staff, her snake palisman spins like that of a helicopter's rotor before flying off.
"Hey Willow." Orchard pinches Willow's ear lightly. "Where's your cowl?"
"Uhm… Well it's not on me. That's for sure…" Willow smiles a guilty smile at him.
"We might need to have a longer talk on the way home…"
Author's Note:
I hope you all enjoyed the light fluff and meeting their parents ❤️