BREAKING THE FANTASY
Written by: Gwendolyn Frost. Special thanks to meowloudly15.
Faust is a creation of Daisuke Ishiwatari and copyright of Arc System Works.
CHAPTER 3: Hunters.
The next day, Amity focused on finishing up something on her laptop while eating some 'pan dulce' that Camila brought home that morning, while occasionally sipping at her mug full of coffee next to it. The sounds of her keyboard was all the noise that filled Luz's ears as she came back to her room from showering.
"Morning.~ " Luz said she dropped down on the chair next to Amity as she fixed her glasses up her nose to see what kept her so busy. "Otabin? You're writing the book word by word?" She grinned. "This is the big thing you've been doing?"
"Yup. I really want to share this story at the Orb. It's not perfect… I mean, I remember most of it. But I wouldn't say I've memorized the whole thing word for word." Amity said before she asked. "You… slept at all? I have to say, I was too tired last night to check on you."
"No! I mean; no, don't worry. I did sleep last night. I was just as exhausted as you." Luz said as she wrapped her arm around the brown haired girl. "Some day, huh."
"Some day, indeed." Amity said as she clicked on her keyboard for the last time before the printer materialized her work on paper. She was about to grab those pages before gasping when Ghost came out of nowhere and meowed at her, which made Luz to giggle behind her back. "Geez, you sometimes live up to your name, Ghost." She said with a soft laugh while giving her palisman some pets. "I can hear you back there." She said to Luz who began to laugh out loud now.
"I'm sorry, but it was a little funny. You've got to admit it." Luz said as she wrapped her arms around Amity, giving her a small kiss on her cheek from behind. "I'm going to get myself some breakfast, you coming?"
Amity smiled at the kiss and the hug and replied while bringing Ghost onto her lap. "In a moment. I gotta give my story one last check.~ "
"Ok then.~ Mwah!" Luz said as she gave Amity one last kiss on her cheek, which made Amity to chuckle softly. She finally stood up and walked out to the hallway and down to the kitchen, where spotted Camila, Gus and Willow talking there, knowing that they were heading to the Police Precinct later that day.
"Got the paperwork right here.~ " Gus said, handing Willow a binder.
"You sure… this will work?" Willow asked, giving a stressed look on her face.
"It's flawless. I went to see one of my sources today. He… well, let's just say that the guy used to do some… illegal stuff. But he doesn't anymore, he just gives me information. It took me some convincing, but he agreed to do me this favor. Y'know, he kinda reminds me of Mattholomew. I bet you if he was human, I can see Matt doing this kind of thing on this Realm." Gus said with a grin.
Willow just stared at the binder while Camila began to address the two. "Normally, I wouldn't approve of this. I really don't want any of you to involve yourselves in illegal stuff. But… I see no other way. Thank you, Gus. This makes one less issue to worry about." She looked at Willow who seemed to be just as terrified as she was moments before. "Everything will be ok, Willow. I promise you."
"Thanks, Mrs Noceda. I just… want this to be over." Willow said, making the adult gently rub her back in reassurance while smiling at her.
"You've got nothing to worry about, Willow. I'll be there, I'll be using illusion magic for your ears. Just reply to their questions, deny you've seen anything. It'll be over soon." Gus said. "Besides, they're not going to suspect you. You've got an alibi that we can all corroborate."
"I'd rather not involve any of you…" Willow said before Luz spoke up as she munched on a toast she made for herself.
"I can do it! We share the same bedroom. If they call me to show up; I got my own legal documentation that mom can hand to the police. I won't say anything else other than corroborate your alibi." Luz said, making Willow sigh.
"Ok." Willow didn't even tease Luz this time like she did the day before, which tells how bothered she is by the whole situation.
"It's settled then." Gus said. "Everything's figured out, we go in, and we go out. Easy."
"Yeah." Willow said while letting herself be led by Camila to have some breakfast at the dining table.
Soon enough, the rest of the group joined them. They had a quiet morning until it was time to leave the house. Luz agreed to drive Caleb to the hospital and Vee to school for her art class, since Camila couldn't do it because she was heading to the Precinct with Gus and Willow. Of course, Amity was still a part of her morning routine. So, when they were all ready, she began to head towards Amity's workplace first. Making Amity raise an eyebrow at her.
"Why are you dropping me, first? You often drop me last."
"The Orb is closer. I think you might run a little late if you tag along with me to drop Caleb and Vee. Is that ok… or?" Luz asked, making Amity think about it and nod.
"Yeah, you're right. I promised Miss Craig to help her with a presentation for the lectures she gives… y'know, the T-word ones." Amity said, reminding Luz of the talk they had the day before.
"Oh, right! I guess you'll be asking her about… y'know?" Luz said, making Amity nod.
"I should be." Amity said, unaware that in the backseats, Caleb was asking Vee about their secret conversation.
"What do you know about this? Why so secretive?" Caleb asked, with Vee replying with a grin.
"They are seeking therapy."
"Therapy?" Caleb exclaimed, making the two girls on the front seats react. "Are you getting a divorce?" Caleb said, obviously teasing them.
"Shut up." Amity said with a roll of her eyes, but she wasn't bothered by the teasing.
"We're not married, genius." Luz said with a laugh. "Yet…" She said, looking at Amity which in turn made the brown haired girl blush with a soft laugh. While Amity was known for her excessive blushing in the past, it has become a lot harder for her to do so through the passing years. So, seeing those blood vessels making her face all red again, caused Luz to blush herself. "My goodness, you look so freaking adorable!" She exclaimed.
"Is this a confirmation that you will be married?" Caleb said as he tried to stop laughing.
"I don't know… time will tell." Amity said. "But for your information. That is none of your business." Amity said as she looked back at the two grinning people in the back seats. "But… about the therapy, we're trying to talk things out, the same way you did." She reminded Caleb of his own therapy sessions that he went through the last few years.
"Oh, that's great. It worked for me, although, word of advice. Try keeping things vague, I had a hard time figuring it out how to even tell my therapist about the sociopathic Witch Hunter that turned into a giant mud monster. I came up with the idea of saying it was a recurrent dream." Caleb said as he leaned on his seat.
"Ok. I mean, I got no mud monsters in my past. Just a sociopathic mother that controlled me and my siblings for most of our life, and the fact that my father did nothing to stop it until I confronted him about it. I think that I can handle it on my end. But thanks for the advice." Amity said, making Caleb nod.
"Sure thing."
They soon arrived at the Orb. Amity leaned in to kiss Luz and said. "Message me if you hear anything about Willow. Have a nice day at work. Love ya!" She said and waved at Caleb and Vee before walking down the street and into the building. Luz began to get back on the road. Dropping Caleb at the hospital where he was going to be checking on his history teacher and finally, Vee. She parked outside Gravesfield High and smiled at Vee as she got out of the car.
"Thanks, sis! See you later!" The Young Basilisk said as she began to hurry up to catch up with her friends.
"No hables con extraños!" Luz exclaimed, grinning at Vee once she turned around to blow a raspberry at her.
In theory… Luz was supposed to be driving back to the Café. But instead she turned off the car and jumped out. Her eyes staring at the library while walking up to it.
Inside, Lilian -the librarian- was piling up some books when she saw the girl with the red beanie making her way up to her. Luz gave the most innocent smile ever as she waved at her. Making the librarian sigh. "There's no way you're gonna leave me alone, isn't it?"
"Nope." Luz said with a grin before turning her playful face into a serious one. "I don't want to bother you or insert myself in your life. I just want some answers."
The dark haired woman looked down at one of the books in the pile, grabbed it and then gestured to follow her. Luz immediately began to walk behind her. Taking notice of how short the woman was, she was definitely shorter than Amity, but she wasn't sure if she was either an inch or two taller or shorter than Willow.
Soon enough, she watched as the Witch summoned her staff out of nowhere and placed the book she was holding on an empty space in one of the shelves. Instantly, the shelf split in two to reveal a secret entrance. Making Luz grow a little excited to see someone performing magic after so long. Her eyes looked at the staff, it didn't seem to have a palisman, it was a plain old wooden stick like the one she has seen depicted in fantasy books before. She assumed that palismen were not available for the witches in her world… given the fact that the wood required to make them was non-existent here.
The Witch led her inside the secret passage before closing it with her staff. The room is illuminated with bright spheres like the ones that she used to make with glyphs in the Boiling Isles. The room had a secret library there, full of shelves with old books that came from different sources. Some from the Boiling Isles. Some from places that she never heard before. She was in awe as she looked around, which made the Witch a little bit frustrated. "I thought you wanted to talk?" She asked, making Luz close the book she was eye-balling with a blush on her face.
"Yeah! I… I'm sorry. It's just… this is so COOL!" She said with a happy tone in her voice as she read the cover of the book she held. "The Book of Death…"
Swiftly, Lilian took the book from her and placed it back where she grabbed it. "I think that book is only going to make your head spin. I'm going to be honest, I was really worried about you when you discovered my secret." She said as she removed her headphones to show those pointy ears of hers. "You don't look… like a threat. But, if you really want me to answer your questions… I should know first I can trust you. Who are you and how did you open a portal into the Boiling Isles?"
Luz looked at her and looked at the nearest table. "It's a long story." She said as she walked up to sit down and began to tell the Librarian how she met Eda the Owl Lady.
Meanwhile, Willow was handing out her papers at the Precinct's front desk, with Gus and Camila standing behind her. The officer behind the desk began to look at the file and began to ask her some questions. "Ok, so… Willow Park, is that right? Age 18, two fathers, from Brooklyn, New York. Correct?" The man asked as he examined her papers.
"Correct, s-sir!" Willow stuttered a little bit, her hands were sweating.
"Ok, everything seems to be in order. Says here that you're in Camila Noceda's care, right?" The man asked as he raised his eyes up to look at her, Willow felt silent for a moment, which made Camila reply on her behalf.
"That's correct, sir. I'm Camila Noceda, I'm a close friend of her dads. I'm responsible for Willow, for the time being. She is a good kid. I assure you."
The man closed the file and nodded. "We're going to keep these, you can pick them up tomorrow at this time of the day. We'll just do a background check on them and that's it. It's protocol, you have nothing to worry about. Please, take a seat, Detective Nichols is busy at the moment but he's going to see you shortly. Thanks for your cooperation, have a good day." The man said as he turned around to place the binder on a pile lying on his desk.
As soon as Willow turned around, she began to follow the lead of Gus and Camila who held her by her hands.
"That was great, Willow. You did great. You have nothing to worry about. Like I said, those papers are flawless. Plus, my source knows a guy, that knows a guy, that knows a guy… that knows a gal that made sure they find your files on their system. The only thing left is the interrogatory. Just like we practiced in the morning. You saw nothing and you heard nothing." Gus said.
"Your guy better not make us end up in a test tube somewhere in Nevada!" Willow whispered at Gus in a rather stressed tone.
"Willow, c'mon. C'mon! It's me. Gus. The master… nay, The Lord of Deception!" Gus said very proudly.
"Nobody is going to call you that way, if you're trying to make it a thing." Willow said, making Gus frown.
"Aww…"
"Maybe we should find a seat and relax." Camila suggested before leading Willow towards some chairs in the corner.
"Oh, excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom. Be right back in a yiffy!" Gus said as he navigated down the place, this wasn't the first time he had been in the Precinct. He walked into the bathroom and made sure no one was using the stalls before he summoned his staff. "Ok, Emmeline. Let's do this." He said as his chameleon-like palisman replied at him with a noise and then her eyes glowed as she used her magic to cover Gus in an invisibility spell.
Now, fully invisible, Gus opened the door and quickly got out of the bathroom. He walked carefully to avoid running into anyone in his path until he found the office that he was looking for. There, a couple of detectives were looking at some footage on one of the screens.
"Ok, let's see…" One of them said as he rewinded the video that it most likely belonged to Mrs. Greene. The angle seemed to indicate that the video was taken by a hidden camera in her office, probably something she installed herself. "She hears a noise and looks at the door. A box is thrown into the room… see?"
"I see it. So, what?" His partner replied.
"There was somebody in there with her, already. She was talking to somebody when she came in." The guy says as he rewinds the video once more, but the angle didn't allow them to see who she was talking to. "Then she hears the noise, stops what she's doing… the box drops and that thing…"
It was then that Gus saw a very large dark blur rushes into the room, and stabs Mrs. Greene with what appears to be a reddish spear before the lights go out. The detective rewinds the video to show the exact same moment when this happens and continues narrating. "One, two, three, four… she shot four times, two of them hit the target, two of them didn't. Then she shoots a fifth time that breaks the light in the room and… we can only hear the audio now." Gus stares at the dark screen as the screams of Mrs. Greene pleading for her life pierced through his ears, making him cover his mouth.
"Ok, let's go frame by frame." The other guy takes control of the mouse and begins rewinding himself. "There…" He says as he stops at the only available frame where they can see the blur in a non-motion state. All three lean into the screen, barely even making out what they can see. The blob… was a person, covered in black clothing, with only their mask contrasting with the rest. It was white, with round dark holes for eyes that oozed what they interpret as ink, underneath those eye-holes was a large smile, oozing ink as well. "What kind of sicko is this?"
"I don't know, he's tall and with a slender complexity, that's for sure."
"Tall and slender? Y'know, we should pay the doctor a visit. I've heard tales of that scary looking cook."
"I already checked them last night. He didn't do it."
"What? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Don't blame me, you said it yourself, I heard the tales too. I wanted to make sure if the biggest weirdo in town had anything to do with our case. You won't believe it… he had the entire effing day booked. When does he ever have the time to sleep!? At the time of Mrs. Greene's murder, he was doing a cancer removal surgery. He didn't do it. And trust me… I used my badge to force him to show me his face."
"You saw what's under the paper bag? Did you take a picture…?"
"He wouldn't let me. But you're not missing anything. He doesn't look particularly freaky or anything. He's just… bald."
The detective's partner whistled and laughed softly. "Doctor Baldhead. I still can't understand why they let him operate while concealing their face. What is he hiding?"
"I don't know, buddy. But he has connections in Washington. We cannot take his clinic down. Besides… I don't want to say it, but despite his appearance, he is helping people."
"Whatever. So, now what?" They were soon interrupted by a female officer that poked her head into the room.
"Detective Nichols, the interrogation room is ready, Willow Park is here and waiting in the lobby. Shall I bring her in?"
"Oh, of course. Thanks. I'll be there in a minute." He said and then faced his partner. "Do me a solid. Go see if you can find any other footage within the area that can help us do a timeline of the events, maybe even spot the guy before and after the murder. We got to do this, asap. They're sending someone from Quantico in the next few days…"
"What?! It's not a federal case! They can't do that! This isn't connected to Red Schawrz, the guy is dead!"
"I know. But y'know how they are. They say they're here to assist us and the next thing they do is take over…" Nichols said and continued ranting to the guy as both of them paced out from the door and left Gus alone. With nobody in sight, Gus tapped his staff on the floor and the spell broke apart, making the invisibility veil vanish. Swiftly, he took a USB drive out of his pocket and connected it to the PC in front of him.
"Let's make this fast." Gus said to Emmeline who was posed on his left shoulder now replying to him with a small chirp. While he was copying the video and any information of the case on his drive, he dashed up to take some pictures from the board on the front wall with all the leads the detectives had.
It took about a couple of minutes before he finally pulled out the drive and brought Emmeline into his staff to do the invisibility spell again, just in time as someone walked inside. He moved aside and let the officer pass by him and sneaked his way out back to the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Nichols was already at the interrogation room with Willow. Who was trying her best to stay calm, holding each hand on her knees, squeezing them every now and then out of stress. "Ok, Willow Park. Is that right? You work at the Greene House from 10 am to 4 pm, correct?"
"Yes, sir! It's a part time job. I used to work from 4 pm to 8 pm before summer break, but since I got more free time on my hands, I was allowed to work that shift." Willow explained.
"Great. Ok, this is just part of the procedure. But I got ask anyway, where were you the night of the murder? Between 11 and midnight?" The detective said, pulling out a notebook.
"I was at home, with Mrs. Noceda, my caretaker. After dinner, her daughter -Luz Noceda- and me binge a series online, with her girlfriend." She bit her lower lip when she realized what came out from her mouth, she wasn't planning to involve Amity too. "We had a sleepover and… we went to sleep." Suddenly, Willow began to scream inside her head.
'Why did I say that?! Ugh! I'm so sorry, Amity…'
"Ok. While you worked there, did you see anything suspicious? Something out of the ordinary or… strange people at the site." Detective Nichols asked, which made Willow think on her answer.
'He freaking knows, dude… I hope you catch these guys, Detective, but…'
"No, sir. I just did my job there. I go in, take care of the plants and I'm gone." Willow said, looking at the Detective as he began to take notes.
"What about the plants, you know one or two things about them, right? Have you ever seen or even handled plants such as these?" Detective Nichols began to show her some pictures of some plants, used to do stuff like weed, cocaine, opium, etc. Clearly, she could notice these were taken at the scene, as she recognized where they took those pictures.
"Hm, no sir. I've never seen those before. I cut the grass on the front side of the Greene House, snip the plants inside and water them. Why, sir? What are those?" Willow asked a question to sell the idea that she knew nothing about them.
"Eh, don't worry about them. Ok, I think that's it. Thanks for your cooperation. We'll call you if there's any more questions. Don't leave town, take care." The detective smiled as he leaned in to shake hands with her, making Willow give the biggest smile back to him.
"Thanks, sir. I won't. See ya!" Willow began to be led out of the room and walked up to Camila and Gus who were outside waiting for her.
"Hey, Willow, how…?" Camila spoke to her before she came to a stop when Willow walked past her. Making both Camila and Gus follow her outside. Willow was kneeling on the floor when they went out. Gus began to pat her on her back. Camila pulled out a tissue from her purse and handed it to her when she finally stood up. "Are you ok?" She asked.
"Fine…" Willow said, panting softly, still stressed as she wiped her mouth and coughed a little bit into it. "I was just eager to get out of there."
"See, I told you that it would be over fairly quickly." Gus said.
Camila smiled and took her car keys out from her pocket. "Well, how about we go pick up some food before I drop you off at home? Maybe even some ice cream to help you with the bad taste in your mouth?" Camila said with a soft chuckle, making Willow look at her with a small blush on her cheeks.
"You don't have to do this for me, Mrs. Noceda. I'm fine with you dropping me off at home… I'm sorry for being like this all day. I just… don't want people to find out…" Willow waited for some strangers to pass by them before resuming her speech. "We're not human…" She whispered. "I wouldn't forgive myself if something were to happen to any of you!"
"It's ok, Willow. You don't have to worry for me. I'm supposed to be the one responsible for you. I want to help you. Now, I won't take no for an answer. What was that place you said you liked the other day…?" Camila said as she led the way to the car, with Willow trying to talk her out of it. Gus stopped to tell Camila something.
"Mrs. Noceda. Don't worry about me, I'm thinking of heading to the Center right now. It's a few blocks away, so I can walk. Why don't you take Willow with you and I go this way? Sounds good?"
"You sure Gus? Ok, have a nice day." Camila said, making Gus nod and wave at them as they go their separate ways.
"Bye Mrs. Noceda, see ya at home, Willow!" Gus began to walk down the street before sprinting when they were out of sight. "Ok, time to do some research." He whispered to himself.
While Gus was busy building his own case, Luz finished telling her story to Lilian -the librarian- about her journey in the Boiling Isles. "The Collector killed Belos… turned him into mush and splattered him all over the ceiling. We went through the portal… and we've been here in the Human Realm ever since."
Lilian was looking at her intently, at least that's what Luz thought, the woman had her eyes closed at all times. "Didn't you bring some Titan blood with you?" She asked.
"No… Belos used what was left of it to open the portal we used. There's nothing left. And there's no way there's Titan blood on this side of the world, right?" Luz asked, begging in her mind for a good answer.
"No. Titans never existed in the Human Realm. As far as I know." Lilian said as she looked at Luz when she went to check her phone. Showing a panicked look on her face.
"Shoot… I'm so late for work…" Luz whispered and raised her head to look at the librarian. "Do you have any information that could lead me to a way to open a portal? Or find some… tear in space and time, something, anything… please?"
The dark haired Witch sighed and replied honestly. "I cannot make you promises… but I can look into this side of the library, in the books that were trusted to me by witches from the isles and other realms across existence. But… before you get all excited about it. I must remind you that doesn't guarantee an answer to your plea…" The woman wasn't even done speaking when she felt Luz rushing up to her and squeezed her body into a hug.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"What did I just say?" The frail Witch said as she groaned a little bit from the tight squeeze.
"Good or bad… it doesn't matter, as long as you're willing to help, I will appreciate it in my own unique way! Which is… this way! I'm a hugger, get used to it.~ " Luz said while the Witch just sighed in defeat.
"Fine…"
Luz broke the hug and was about to make a run for it. "I'm sorry, but I gotta go now. Thank you so much! I'll let you work and I'll come back tomorrow for… OW!" But she ran into the wall. "Oh yeah… you were there…" Luz groaned in pain on the floor before asking. "Could you please do the thing…?"
Lilian couldn't help but chuckle softly. "You're definitely NOT a threat." She said, making Luz laugh softly.
"You're slowly growing up to my charm."
Later that day, Amity was finishing up telling a story back at the Orb, while the kids gathered around her, listening intently at the story of Otabin the Bookmaker.
'What do you think you're doing…? We're your friends and we wanna help! Said the tinboy with a yelp. Otabin smiled and paced the floor. I've never had any friends before. Then we will be your first. The chicken witch clucked. Otabin couldn't believe his luck. So, Bookmaker Otabin, surrounded by friends, bound the book of friendship and that's the end.'
Amity closed the book and was met with several questions from every single little head in the room, asking her about Otabin and other characters in the book. She replied to every single question, a large smile on her face which never faded away, only occasionally to let out a soft laugh here and there.
Shortly after, Amity was about to head out to wait for Luz before she poked her head into Miss Craig's office to see her laying on her carpet. "Miss Craig? I was about to leave? Are you ok?" She asked with concern.
The pale woman looked at her from the ground with a smile as she replied. "Yup. Don't worry about me. This is the way I clear my thoughts. I think better this way, you see?"
"Oh, alright." Amity said while giving a soft chuckle, before remaining silent for a brief moment, which clearly made the red haired woman catch on to the notion that Amity had something else to say. "What about you? What got you all concerned?"
Amity bit on her lower lip before letting out a soft sigh. "I was gonna ask about the talks you gave earlier today. I normally don't stay so often, but…"
"Lay down with me." Barbara said as she patted a spot on the floor next to her which made Amity a little stressed. "Don't think about it, live a little. Besides, I vacuum this floor every morning before you and the others arrive." The woman said as she watched the pink haired girl place her bag on the couch next to Barbara and layed down next to her. "You don't have to look at me. If that helps, you can stare at the ceiling. I'm listening."
Amity looked at the pale woman before looking up. It took her a bit to find the words of what she wanted to say. "Luz and I, we're… interested in working out some things. I was wondering if you would help us find some… help?"
"My door is always open for you, Amity. Y'know that. Is this about Mrs. Greene?" The question made Amity trace her eyes upwards before looking at the bookshelf on the wall in front of her.
"If you're wondering… the reason why I'm so bothered about her… death. It's because she reminds me of my own mother." Amity rolled her eyes back up at the ceiling as she heard the next question.
"In what way?"
"In many… but more importantly. The way she controlled her daughter, it's an uncanny situation that also happened to me. I was controlled during my whole life. Well… most of it, at least. It's been four years since the last time I've seen her or my family."
"You escaped from home?"
"No!" Amity exclaimed and immediately justified herself for raising her voice. "I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to do that, I've been under a lot of stress and…"
"Hey, hey…" Barbara said as she rolled her head to the side to look at Amity as she continued to ramble incoherently. "I'm not judging you, Amity. Nor does it bother me how you express what you're feeling right now. You don't have to answer me, I'm giving you the platform to vent. This is a no judging zone. Nothing you tell me is leaving this room.
Amity stared at her boss and confidant for a brief moment before both of them went back to look upwards. "I didn't run from home… let's just say that I was kicked out."
"Ok. When did the controlling begin?"
"When I was young… can I try something?" Amity asked, rolling her head to the side, making the woman look at her with a smile.
"Try something?" She asked.
"I got a friend that told me some tips when I find myself in this kind of situation. It helped him a lot, but I got… an idea of how I want to approach things, myself."
"Sure. Go ahead."
"Ok, it all started before witch school." Amity said with a smile quickly drawing on her face as she heard her boss letting out a soft snort followed by her soft laugh.
"I see. This isn't the first time I've heard someone embellishing their story like you're doing right now. I'm not surprised, given your talents as a storyteller."
Amity laughed softly. "Thanks… I think. Is it ok if I continue this way?"
"Of course, I'm curious to hear where this is going."
"It all began before witch school. I had a best friend back then; her name is Willow. We were inseparable. But Willow didn't develop her powers in time. Which made my parents very upset. They confronted me about it and demanded that I break ties with Willow, but I refused. Which made them escalate things, they told me if I didn't they would do anything they can to prevent Willow from ever setting foot in witch school."
"Wow…" Barbara said.
"Yeah, I was heartbroken. But I did cut ties with Willow. So she could have a chance of reaching her full potential without me. However… having Willow out of my life. Changed me. I lost my way… and I became so frustrated. That I lashed out on others…" Amity said as she rolled her eyes around the room trying to find the words before hearing Barbara figuring it out.
"You were a bully? You; Amity Blight?" Barbara asked, making Amity's heart sink. "It's hard for me to imagine you as a bully. You're the sweetest person I know… I'm sorry, it sounds like I'm judging. Ignore me."
"No, you're right. I was a bully… and I made Willow's life miserable." Amity said as she teared up a bit. "She was my best friend and the only person I cared about in the world… but instead of leaving her alone, I picked on her because I was so mad at myself for letting them get in between us!" She sobbed a little bit, a tear rolling down her eye and cheek. "Then Luz came out of nowhere… and befriended her."
"You bullied Luz, as well?" Barbara asked.
"I… was mean to her. Yes, but bully? No. I said things I regret. Hurtful things." Amity said while cleaning her face with her hand.
'Humans can't do magic!' The phrase she said many years ago echoed through her mind.
"You didn't get along with her?"
"Not at first. I wasn't sure what her whole deal was. Like, one day she was challenging me and the next one… she was trying to befriend me. I wanted her out of my life, because every time she showed up, things didn't work out for me. It wasn't until… she did something. She befriended my siblings. Helping them to sneak into my secret place and read my diary." Amity said while intertwining her fingers, resting her hands against her chest, afterwards.
"How did that make you feel?"
"I was upset, of course. But… somewhat betrayed. Although, I didn't consider her a friend. But it felt like betrayal because she seemed genuine when she said she was trying to befriend me only to do this… but more than betrayed, I was… sad. Maybe somewhere deep in my heart… I hoped that maybe she was telling the truth. And she was… it was a misunderstanding. Luz made it up to me by lending me a book that I was missing from my collection. So, I didn't see her for a whole week after that. But when I did, things changed. I felt different. I felt like… I wanted to see her. I needed to see her. She started attending my school and I thought things shouldn't change between us. She is a girl I know. No, a friend. No…" Amity almost enacted the confusion she felt at the time.
"You liked her."
"Yes." Amity said with a smile. "I couldn't get her out of my head. Things just kept escalating. From me, wanting to invite her to a dance. Help her stay out of trouble. Until we confessed. She felt the same way. And we've been together ever since. I mean… of course, we had moments. Not every relationship is perfect. But… we've figured things out. Today… she made a joke about marriage." Amity laughed softly, her face becoming reddish just like before. "But, I don't know if we'll ever get there? I mean… it's a big step. Right?"
"You really want my honest opinion about it?" Barbara asked, rolling her head to look at her.
Amity nodded. "Sure… I mean, we're 18. It's not like we're getting married now. I just feel… like it's not a decision to be taken lightly."
"Welp…" Barbara said. "I don't believe in the concept of marriage, myself. I've never felt particularly excited about the idea of being married. I believe that if your relationship is strong, no legal paper gives it any validation. People take marriage for granted, until it falls apart. Sure, a divorce is an option. But what does a divorce entail? Getting back at your partner for the tears, the fights… and in some cases, the abuse? I know I'm probably saying more than I should. If you ever get married to Luz. Props to you. But if you're seeking the next big step. The question you should be asking yourself is: Does Luz make you happy?"
Amity thought about it for a brief moment. "Yes, she does."
"Cool." Barbara said with a grin. "I may not believe in marriage, but I hope I'm not be left out in the case of any of you two popping the question."
Amity laughed at the comment before looking at her boss. "I assure you, you might be one of the first to get an invitation."
"Swell."
"Would it be ok if I ask you a personal question?" Amity said as she moved to sit down on the floor while looking at the red haired woman laying on the floor.
"Shoot."
"Have you ever felt the way I have, with Luz? Your opinions come from experience?"
"I'm not sure if I ever felt the same way you have. It's hard for me to feel… well, it's complicated. I did have a long term relationship, once. But it felt apart. We were young and we have opposing ideas of what our relationship should be. I had my work… and she blamed herself for a lot of things."
"What's her name?" Amity blurted out. "Sorry… I…"
"Frankie." Barbara said.
"Do you miss her?" Amity blurted out again. "I keep doing it…" She laughed softly.
Barbara looked at Amity with a smile. "No. I'm tempted to say yes, for the sake of romance. But life goes on, and so do I. Lingering on my past only slows me down. I got my memories, and I'm happy with how things are now."
"Wow. I mean, you're a very honest person." Amity said with a chuckle.
"Oh, Amity. I ran into Luz as I walked in, she's parked outside. Oh… you're making one of those?" Leni said as she popped her head into the office.
"One of those?" Amity asked while Barbara laughed softly.
"You know, venting sessions." Leni laughed as well.
"Oh, well, I guess we did." Amity said before Leni excused herself.
"I gotta go now. I'll tell Luz you're coming. Have a good day, Miss Craig! See you tomorrow!" The blonde girl left with both of them waving goodbye.
Amity turned around while she grabbed her bag lying on the couch. "Hm… is there any chance, you'll help me with Luz? We talked about it, and she said she would try therapy as well. I mean… if you could recommend us to some… colleague of yours or a support group?"
"Tell her I can see her on the weekend." Barbara said, staying on the floor.
"Oh… would it be ok?"
"Yeah. I don't mind. I got a psychology degree that's just gathering dust. I might as well use it." She laughed. "Have a nice day. Take care, Amity."
"You too, Miss Craig. Thank you!" Amity said as she began to walk out of the building and meeting up with Luz outside. She didn't say anything for now. They both went to pick up Caleb and Vee before going to buy something to eat and bring back for dinner back home. It wasn't until late at night, when she tried to have some alone time with Luz.
At the time, Camila, Caleb, Willow and Vee have all gone to bed. It has been an exhausting day for all of them. Gus locked himself down in the basement where he had his own… improvised office. A place where he reviews evidence he gathered. He watched a lot of tv shows about cops, so he learned a thing or two.
Luz turned the tv off in the living room when she was tackled into the couch by Amity, making her gasp. "Oww…" Luz looked at Amity, recognizing the look she had on her face when she was upset. "Are you ok?" She asked, feeling Amity's hands over her shoulders as the pink haired girl leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips.
"I'm sorry…"
Luz raised an eyebrow. "I mean… It was a great tackle. For your size, I think you'll do great in the football team." Luz said with a soft chuckle.
"Not that… remember when I said humans can't do magic? I'm sorry." Amity said, looking her girlfriend in the eyes, making Luz look at her in disbelief.
"Amity… that was like… a gazillion years ago. I think we're both past that." Luz chuckled.
"No, Luz." Amity said as she tightened her grip a little bit on her shoulders. "I never said sorry for it. I want you to know that what I said back then… was wrong. I may be a witch, but I didn't see real magic until you showed up.
"Oh…" Luz looked at Amity, she was still rather confused. But she smiled. "Thanks. You didn't need to tell me that. But, thank you, nonetheless."
"I love you." Amity said as she stared into her eyes, making Luz blush a little bit.
"I love you too, Amity." They both laughed it off.
"What happened? Why did you bring this up after so long?" Luz asked with a curious tone in her voice, as Amity leaned and placed a small kiss on her lips.
"Shh… not now." Amity chuckled softly as she leaned into the taller girl, making her laugh as well.
"Ok…" Luz whispered as she replied to her kissing, embracing her as they laid on the couch. They enjoyed some peaceful time alone before going back to sleep at Luz's bedroom.
Somewhere in town. A meeting took place. The very same group that visited the cabin during the previous night, were conducting a ceremony of sorts. About twenty something people covered in hoods, wearing masks like the one Belos wore before his death. The glove they found there was used to mark a member with the sigil that resembles the Emperor's Coven.
The deep voice of the man conducting the ceremony echoed through the halls of their chambers, holding the glove and marking the man on his left wrist while he kneeled before him. "Brothers, sisters. We've gathered ourselves to unite our groups into one. From Gravesfield to Gravity Falls. Let there be no more boundaries between us; for we share the same objective. To cleanse these lands from the depravity of witchcraft! I hereby make you an honorary member of the Gravesfield Witch Hunting Clan, my brother. You and your subordinates are now… part of us."
The group began to cheer on. "Yeah! Witch Hunters 4 life!" One of them literally ripped their hoody off to reveal the expression tattooed on their chest.
"Speech, speech, speech!" The group screamed.
"Thank you! Thank you! Brothers, sisters." The man from the Gravity Falls clan said, as he raised his hand with the sigil now marked on it. "I'm honored that our clans have finally let bygones be bygones. My mind is somehow foggy, but you were right. There was never a witch in Gravity Falls… only some weird old hag with a bunch of severed hands, but! Nevertheless, you can count on me to bring those wretched witches to the very hot flames where they would meet their end! Now… would someone fetch me the white scroll of meditation… I got a CALLING to attend!"
The Calling… was from the toilet. As the man walked out of the bathroom followed by the sound of the flush to meet his Gravity Falls Clan subordinate on his way out holding a towel for him. "Your towel, sir." The large man said.
"Hoo-boy! Those were so mean tamales, Hector! So spicy! Don't go in for the next hour or so…"
"My eyes are already burning, sir."
"Waylon!" The man conducting the ceremony screamed from across the hall as he walked up to him. "Welcome, once again. Our leader will be glad to meet with you in our next meeting. Happy hunting. May we one day liberate Gravesfield from the tainted influence of Witches."
"Bro, we're no longer in the ceremony. I think it's safe for you to speak like a human being now." Waylon said as he took his mask off. Showing a normal human face.
"Oh, yes, yes! Sorry… I get carried away during these meetings."
"Ok, I'm going to go call it a night, now. I might even go visit the doctor or something. I'm not feeling too good, right now." Waylon said. "Until next time!" He said and whistled his way out, walking out into the dark streets. Sweat running down his forehead. Down the street, a light caught his attention. It was a sign of a clinic. Featuring the logo of a paper bag. The man touched his face, it was burning hot with fever.
Waylon made his way inside, he met up with a strange man about his height, wearing a white coat and a paper bag over his head. "Hello, sir! Welcome to Doctor Faust's free-for-all clinic! Is there something I can do for you?!" The strange man leaned over the desk, violating the personal space of the Witch Hunter.
"Uh… yeah. I think I got a fever. You said… this is a free-for-all clinic?"
"Eeyup! Completely free! This way, good sir. A doctor shall be attending you shortly." The man led Waylon into a room and took a seat on the only chair in there. The room was well lit. White walls, white floor. The buzzing sounds of the lights piercing through his skull as the fever continued to boil his brain.
Soon enough, the door opened. To reveal what Waylon thought to be the same man with a paper bag for a head coming back into the room. "Good evening, good sir! I'll be your doctor tonight! What seems to be the problem?!" The man said in the most enthusiastic voice he has ever heard, making Waylon to flinch as the headache he felt from the fever began to make his ears hurt.
"Uh… I think I got a fever. Like I told you before… maybe it's an infection? Do you have something for that? I sometimes can't handle my spice."
"I see… now let's check your blood pressure first… oh." The man said as he peeled the sleeve up to reveal the Witch Hunter's mark on his wrist. "You got the mark…"
"Oh! That's… that's from my youth! Y'know, I did a lot of stupid things when I was younger." Waylon began to try and make less of a deal from the mark.
"You don't have to lie to me, sir. Doctor Faust will be happy to attend you now that we know you're one of them." The doctor said as he left the man's arm and proceeded to pack his stuff back up.
"Wait, wait, wait! Are you saying you know what I am? And that because of it, I'll be getting VIP treatment?" Waylon asked with a confused look on his face.
"Yes, sir! The best treatment!"
"Whooo! Witch Hunter Cult privileges, YO!" Waylon exclaimed and leaned back on the chair. "So, do I get especial treatment everywhere or just here?"
"You won't have to worry about anything else, sir. Doctor Faust will be attending you when he's back from meeting a patient!" The man said as he walked out and left Waylon waiting on the chair.
The man in the paper bag walked down the hallway until he reached Room 8. Where the raspy voice of Doctor Faust could be heard. It had an exhausted tone, as if the man had pushed his body to the absolute limits. The paper bag doctor stood next to the door and just waited.
"Surgery was a success… cancer tissue, non-existent. I've prescribed some pills for the remaining pain of the surgery. Wound swollen… but that's normal. You can leave this room now. If you so desire."
The sheer happiness of the women inside was deafening to the ears. "Thank you! Thank you so much! We have gone all over the country looking for an answer… while every doctor we went to gave us nothing but bad news… you gave us hope. You have us a chance. How… how is it possible?"
"I only did what I'm capable of… there's no other explanation. My colleagues may be right, the chances were… scarce. However, the one chance was all I needed."
"How can you do this for free? I'm writing a check for you right now! Consider it a donation, your clinic must certainly need it."
"No money, please. I don't need monetary validation for my work. You go out, live, be together… make the world a better place. That's my reward."
"At least… allow me to give you this."
There was a brief pause.
"A flower… thank you."
"No, thank you! Doctor Faust! Thank you so much!" The women took some time to get out of the room, now embracing and supporting each other happily as they left the clinic once and for all.
The man with the paper bag outside knocked on the door and opened it to notify Doctor Faust. "Doctor, we've got a mark."
Shortly after, a bunch of doctors made their way inside to Waylon's room. Making the guy give a soft chuckle. "Oh wow, all this noise for me, huh? So, who of you is the doctor that I'm hearing about?"
As he finished that sentence, the man watched as some large figure walked up to the open door, the only thing he could see were thin legs and large sneakers. The next thing he saw was a large hand grabbing the upper frame of the door as that large figure began to pull themselves in. Doctor Faust stood inside, barely even fitting in the room. The ten foot tall doctor hunched over as if his back had issues keeping the upper body straight. He towered over Waylon, looking at him through the eyehole in his paper bag that showed a reddish glow. The large man was dressed in blue scrubs, the top side looking extra large as if it belonged to a more overweight or borderline morbidly obese human being. But Doctor Faust's slender complexity only allowed the shirt to hang down, exposing the left shoulder and show off the large markings of a scar going across his chest. Finally, the shirt had a red stain going upwards with the word 'good' written on it, with a smiley face just under the 'o' letters.
"Wow…" Waylon exclaimed. "You must be the literal big honcho of this place." The Doctor bowed in response.
"Doctor Faust, at your service, sir."
"So… what benefits do I get from this?" Waylon asked, as the Doctor began to move around the room, dragging his large feet across the floor as he placed the flower given to him as a gift on a small vessel on a desk.
"Patience. First… what seems to be the problem?" The large man kneeled before Waylon and grabbed his arm just like the other doctor did before. Taking his blood pressure, then listening to his heart with the stethoscope around his neck.
"Oh, like I said. I think I got an infection of sorts. I have a fever now…"
"I see. I'll take a blood sample…" The large doctor did the thing, wrapped his arm to cut his blood circulation, then used a needle to extract some blood from his arm. Instead of giving it away to one of his workers to be analyzed, instead he began to shake the container a couple of times until the blood literally turned into a yellow color. "Oh… hepatitis… your blood is contaminated. No donor potential."
"That's what my driver's license says." Waylon chuckled softly.
"That's ok. There's other ways your body can be useful." Faust said as he shook the container a couple of times more, turning the blood red again. "No other ailments. Healthy, otherwise, you'll live long."
"Hey… how did you make that trick? You better be careful… people might think you're a… WITCH!" Waylon said in the most ominous tone ever before laughing out loud. "I'm just pulling your hair, witches can't be men!"
"That's a wrong misconception, sir." Faust said as he began to circle around the chair and dropped the container on the desk while grabbing some tools in it while explaining the ignorant man about witches. "Just like human beings, witches can be men, women, non-binary, agender. Witches come in many different forms."
"Oh, I see. Well, I guess I can take a look at the Witch Hunting manual, I don't want to come off as ignorant."
"Ignorance is bliss, sir. A blank mind is a source of infinite potential."
"Ha! Where did you get that from? A fortune cookie!" Waylon joked as he heard the large doctor walking up to him from behind. "What're you doing back there, you gonna give me a haircut?"
"No haircut." Faust said as he was holding large knives attached to his large slender fingers. "Lobotomy…"
"Wa-wait NO!" Waylon screamed in agony as his skull was split open, only for the door to finally close and the screams to be… silenced.
End of Chapter 3.