Broken Silence
Luz sits on the floor in silence, unaware of her surroundings. In this dark moment, she feels nothing and everything all at once, it's confusing and terrifying. So much so that her mind has blocked out reality to cope with the trauma. She's dissociating.
Camila tries to take the bottle of pills out of Luz's hands, but she grips it tighter. Although she was not able to go through with it, she's not going to let go of her one chance to escape reality.
Amity comes into the room and sits next to Luz, trying to help.
"Luz, are you okay?" Amity asked.
No answer.
Amity starts to cry, but tries her best to be strong for Luz.
"Please, Luz we're all here for you. We care about you and we just want to help. Please…" Amity said.
No answer.
Camila knows Luz isn't going to speak or move, she's lost in her own world. So she carries her downstairs while everyone else follows behind her.
Once everyone's gathered in the living room, Camila puts Luz on the couch sitting in the middle of herself and Amity. They're never giving up on her, but it's hard when she's giving up on herself.
Hunter steps in. Having experience with trauma and zoning out like this, he knows what to do.
"Hey Luz, can you hear me? If you can, I need you to try something for me. Focus on something in this room, a color or sound, then try to describe it." Hunter said.
Willow, Gus, and Vee look at one another, realizing Hunter's probably been through similar experiences with this. It's sad but a relief to know he can help Luz.
Camila and Amity watch and wait to see if Luz will respond. Then, to their surprise and immense relief, Luz finally speaks up.
"Okay, I'll try." Luz said.
Luz looks around the room, trying desperately to find something in the hazy blur of colors and shapes. Then she sees it, her red beanie hanging on the coat rack near the door.
Hunter spots what Luz is looking at and walks over to get it for her. Then he offers it to her. Luz looks down at the pill bottle she's holding one last time, then gives it to her Mom. She takes the red beanie and holds it close with tears in her eyes. Everything around her slowly becomes clear as she comes back to reality.
Camila puts her arm around Luz, knowing exactly why she finds comfort in that hat. Everyone else is a bit confused, but wait patiently for Luz to explain.
"This was my Dad's. Before he…passed away, he wore it to try and hide how sick he was when he started losing his hair from all of the cancer treatments, but I knew. Before he died, he gave it to me, just like he gave me The Good Witch Azura books. I just miss him so much…" Luz said.
Camila hugs Luz, wishing she could make her pain go away, but knowing she can't bring Manny back. Then she looks into Luz's tired eyes with a hopeful smile.
"Luz, I know you miss your Dad, I miss him too, so much. But I want you to know I see so much of him in you. His love for fantasy, his creativity and imagination, and his compassion for others. He would be so proud of you. I know it." Camila said.
Luz smiles, tears falling down face as she puts her beanie on, allowing herself to grieve and feel close to her Dad while accepting the reality that he's gone.
"Thanks Mom. I know he loved me. He's the reason why I love The Good Witch Azura books. I know he'd want me to stay strong, so I need to start being honest." Luz said.
Luz looks to Hunter to make sure it's okay for her to tell everyone their secret.
Hunter nods, letting her know she has his support.
"Okay everyone, there's something I need to tell you about Belos. If it weren't for me, The Day of Unity would have never happened. There was this time pool, and I met him. I met him when he was still just Phillip and I taught him the light spell. I introduced him to The Collector. I set everything into motion. I'm sorry, everyone." Luz explained.
Luz looks around, expecting a hateful reaction but everyone just looks surprised and mostly sad. They know Luz has to have a good explanation for why she kept this hidden for so long.
Amity takes Luz's hand, wanting to understand.
"Why did you keep all that a secret?" Amity asked.
"I was scared. I thought you'd all hate me for it. Which is why I've been feeling so guilty and ashamed. I hate myself for what I've done and how my mistakes led to all of the people I love getting hurt and suffering. This is all my fault. So I thought it would be better if I never existed." Luz said.
Hearing this, everyone just feels incredibly sad for Luz. They've always seen her as a brave, creative, and compassionate person who always sets out to help others. So to see this side of Luz, her self loathing and how much blame she puts on herself hurts.
"Luz, we could never hate you. You've been through so much, and the fact that you still stand up for the people you care about is enough." Amity replied.
Hunter speaks up, adding his own truth.
"You were tricked. That's what Belos does, he tricks people. When we were in his mind, I found out I'm a Grimwalker, a clone of his brother who was a witch hunter. My whole life was a lie that Belos created to control me. I never should have asked you to keep that secret for me, but you did because you care about people. Plus, if it weren't you it would have been someone else that Belos manipulated. Then there would be no one left to fight back. The way I see it, you're a survivor." Hunter replied.
Luz nods, she knows Hunter's right. She is a survivor and will work towards changing her perspective.
Hunter looks around, shocked everyone didn't react badly to his news about being a Grimwalker. They're accepting of who he is and with his new found family by his side, he's starting to like who he is even more.
"Well, now that we've got all of those truths out. Let's fight back, together." Willow said.
"Yeah! Belos is evil, but good always wins in the end so I think the odds are in our favor. At least according to the Cosmic Frontier and The Good Witch Azura books!" Gus said.
"You've always had a good heart, Luz. And we're all here to support you." Vee replied.
Luz smiles, tears fall down her face as she realizes the overwhelming amount of love and support she has. Although she still has a lot of work to do towards healing, it's a good first step.
"Thank you so much everyone. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can finally breathe. I needed this." Luz said.
Amity gives Luz a hug and she hugs her back, tears fall as she finally lets out all of the emotions she's kept buried for so long.
Camila's glad Luz is being honest and open about her truth, but she's worried. If they hadn't found her in time, Luz might not be here and the thought terrifies her.
Luz can tell something's wrong, so she takes her Mom's hand and tries to reassure her.
"Mama, it's okay. I'm okay now, I promise." Luz said.
"I know you are. I just worry. You're so much like I was when I was around your age and that scares me sometimes. But it also means you're strong and brave, and I can see how much your friends and girlfriend have helped you grow. I'm proud of you." Camila replied.
Luz smiles, a genuine smile with a slight sense of hopeful optimism coming back to her. She's still emotionally exhausted and has a long journey towards healing, but knowing her loved ones trust and support her is enough to keep her strong.
"Thank you all for believing in me. I promise, I'll do my best to keep moving forward. No more hiding. It's time we fight back." Luz said.