BREAKING THE FANTASY
Written by: Gwendolyn Frost. Special thanks to meowloudly15.
CHAPTER 4: Whispers.
That following morning, Amity walked up to Willow before breakfast. There was a little bit of hesitance on her part, as she almost walked away before forcing herself to get her attention by gently poking her on the shoulder. "Hey, Willow… would it be alright if we… talk?"
When Willow turned around to face the pink haired girl, Amity gasped in surprise at the exhausted looking expression on her friend's face. Her hair was all over the place, her eyes looked swollen behind her large round glasses and she probably didn't even remove her eye liner the night before. "Huh? Yeah… sure, what's up?" She asked before yawning heavily.
"Are you ok…? What happened, I thought you went to sleep last night?" Amity asked.
"Nah… I was playing video games all night under the covers…" Willow confessed as she chugged a large portion of coffee into her mouth.
"Wait… what? How did you even…? I sleep right next to you!" Amity asked in confusion.
"I'm resourceful." Willow said with a shrug. "So what is it…? What do you want to talk about."
Amity bit her lower lip, trying to find the words before asking Willow something instead. "Can we talk outside? I think this is a private matter."
Willow raised her eyebrow and sighed. "I'm not really in the mood to give you advice about Luz."
"No. It's not that, I promise. It doesn't involve Luz at all. It's something that only concerns you and me." Amity said before Willow sighed once again in defeat.
"Fine…"
They both walked outside to the Noceda's backyard area. They sit down next to the tree next to the sandbox where Luz used to play when she was young. Amity went silent for a brief moment before she finally addressed the situation. "Yesterday, I went to ask my boss if she'd help me and Luz find therapy. My goal was for her to let me know of any support group to go to… or some colleague of hers. But instead, she kinda… allowed me to vent with her. And I talked about personal things that I still hold up to this day and I wanted to say… Willow. I'm really sorry for the bullying. For the betrayal."
Willow was sipping at her mug of coffee the whole time when Amity was opening her heart to her. And half way through her explanation, Willow became… confused. She held her mug close to her face, but she didn't dare to drink again until she could comprehend what Amity was trying to say. And when she dropped the apology… a genuine look of surprise drew itself on her face.
"You have the right to hate me." Amity continued. "You have the right to not forgive me at all." By now, Amity began to build some tears in her eyes that she quickly wiped away. "I never apologized to you. I just bursted myself into your home and started to pretend as if nothing happened. And that was wrong of me to do… because you deserve an apology. I'm not even going to shield behind the excuse that it was my parents doing like I did inside your mind. Because I had the common sense to stop bullying you and I didn't… I was a terrible friend and you do NOT deserve that. Not then, not now, not ever…"
Willow was stunned, she stared into Amity's eyes like before. The silence that reigned for the next minute made the pink haired girl grow a little concerned about how Willow was taking all of this.
Amity was having trouble looking at Willow in the eyes after that moment, she would occasionally slip her eyes away and back at her friend, until she found the courage to speak again. "If you wish for us to not be friends again when we return… I…"
"Stop." Willow sighed. "You said what you had to say and now it's my turn." Willow said as she pushed her glasses up her nose and gave herself a moment to gather her thoughts before she looked at Amity straight in the eyes once again. "I'm surprised. I never thought we would ever talk about this again. It's about time, right? Better late than never. Yeah, it was kinda weird you just walked into my room… I felt kind of forced to make up things with you because you were… I mean ARE dating a common friend."
Amity rubbed her hands down on her dress, the stress that this conversation was giving her was making her hands sweat. Shake even. She was really scared that Willow was indeed displeased with the way she handled things in the past. The next brief pause that Willow gave, made Amity try and apologize again. "I'm so-"
"I forgive you." Willow said, not allowing her to say the thing again. "You already apologized, you don't have to say it again, ok? I appreciate that you acknowledge what you did." Willow said, noticing how Amity's face wasn't showing any sign of feeling better. "But unfortunately, that regret that you're feeling right now. It's not going to magically disappear overnight. Nor does that uncomfortable feeling we get when you and I are left alone. This is something that might still linger for the foreseeable future. But at least, we now have closure." Willow smiled.
"Yeah…" Amity quickly wiped a tear that was running down her cheek. "I'm so stupid, I shouldn't have…" She was about to go on a rant once more while tears began to roll down and make the pink haired witch sob in between words. But Willow quickly interrupted her with a soft laugh.
"Stop, Amity! Stop crying, ok? Or you'll make me cry too. And you don't fucking want that, because I've been holding onto so much shit this week!" Willow shouted, which made Amity laugh out loud, quickly wiping her face with both hands.
"I'm sorry, I can't help it!"
"I know, but we cried enough, Amity!" Willow laughed. "No more pain, ok? No more angst. Let's just laugh it off."
"Ok." Amity laughed some more.
"Like I said, things are still going to be awkward sometimes. You'll just have to get used to it. Now, I do warn you. This is the last time I want this to be brought up. We bury this here in the Human Realm, ok?" Willow said, a smile remaining on her face, which made Amity smile back.
"Ok, I understand. I won't bring it up again, I promise." Amity said before her smile slightly faded away. "Are we still friends?"
"Yeah." Willow said. "Nah…" Willow grinned. "Sisters. You're a part of my messed up family now." She said with a wink, which caused Amity to laugh out loud again.
"I like that…"
"Awkward sibling hug?" Willow asked as she opened her arms, making Amity to look back at her with a confused look.
"What?"
"It's a thing that came to my mind, I made it up, or maybe some unknown force put the thought in my head. Who knows? Since we always feel awkward around each other, we should be awkward together. C'mon. Hug me and say 'pat pat' like this!" Willow said as she brought her friend into a hug. "Pat pat."
"Ha-ha! For real…?" Amity said as she wrapped her arms around Willow.
"You have to say the thing or else I won't let you go." Willow grinned.
"Ok. Pat pat, there there." Amity said before bursting into laughter.
"Perfect. Now, let's get back inside to get some breakfast." Willow said as she helped Amity up and both walked inside to see Luz standing in the hallway waiting for them.
"Hey, what were you guys talking about?" Luz asked as Willow walked past her.
"Girl stuff."
Luz frowned. "Oh no. You're not giving me the 'girl stuff'. That's what we say to Gus and Hunter! You're not excluding me from our…"
"FINE!" Willow exclaimed. "We were talking about you! You snore too loud, are you happy now?!" Willow sipped her mug and went back to the kitchen, leaving Luz to rant to Amity.
"What?! I do not snore! Do I…?"
"She is messing with you, Luz." Amity laughed softly. "We were talking about the past. Just like I did with you last night."
"Oh… I'm hoping everything is alright?" Luz asked as she led the way to the dining room.
"Yeah. We're ok now." Amity said. "So, guess you're owed an explanation. It has to do… with therapy. I talked to my boss yesterday and… she worked her brain magic on me… so I kinda spilled the beans."
Luz snorted at the way Amity expressed the idea. "Brain magic… and how does it feel?" Luz asked out of curiosity.
"A little invasive… but… I mean… it has to be. At least, I think that's how things are supposed to go. She asks questions, listens to me, I vent… I think it's working, because digging into my past has made me want to reach you and Willow about these things we left unresolved." Amity said as she took a seat on a chair as Luz brought a plate with some cake in it.
"I see. Strawberry shortcake?"
"Oh. Yum. Where is it from?" Amity asked as she used a fork to dig into the cake.
"From Robin's. Really good, huh?" Luz chuckled as she ate some more.
"Yup. Also, she told me she'll see you on the weekend." Amity said as she quickly brought a piece of cake into her mouth before Luz was able to react to what she just said.
"Ok… wait, what?" Luz exclaimed, while Amity chewed on her cake.
"Sheegh shaid dat sheegh sheeshs shoo gon da weeken…" Amity said before gulping the cake down. "Therapy, remember?" She laughed.
"Aw man… I didn't think we'd begin this soon!" Luz said while she fiddled with a piece of cake on the plate.
"You promised. Remember?" Amity said.
"Ok." Luz sighed in defeat, leaning in to kiss Amity. "Now open up.~ " Luz said as she leaned in with her fork to feed Amity a piece of cake.
"Ah." Amity ate the piece and smiled as she chewed on it. They both soon heard a commotion going on in the living room, where the rest of the group was gathered watching the news. The police were finally making an official statement live on TV. While Luz and Amity joined them on the couch, Gus was increasing the volume as the detective that interviewed Willow the day before answered some questions.
"What happened this Monday, was a tragedy. The case of Dahlia Greene is now officially an ungoing murder investigation. She died approximately at midnight. A stab to the heart left her bleeding profusely. The killer… indeed poured bleach while she succumbed to her injury. Somehow, they cleaned the blood. There wasn't any of it around the body. Whether she was killed there or not, it's yet to be determined. Just like in the case of Professor John Jekyll the month before. Yes, the FBI are sending an agent to assist us to catch this killer… but the open investigation on Dahlia Greene's drug lab is a matter of the Gravesfield Police Department. We have no evidence to believe that John Jekyll had any involvement in this, as far as we know. The only connection to their deaths is their killer. We're looking in the meantime for one man named: Pete Meza." Detective Nichols said as he showed the cameras the picture of the man they're looking for. Some guy with glasses, short black hair and with a large nose.
"This man was Mrs. Greene's campaign manager and we have a reason to believe that he was in Mrs. Greene's office the night she died. His whereabouts are unknown. We encourage you to please contact the authorities to help us find this man. Whether he is our suspect or not… that is yet to be determined until further notice. There is another thing to mention. We believe that during the murder, Mrs. Greene was able to land two shots on her killer. This psychopath is injured, and we've looked through Gravesfield's General Hospital records and even… asked the owner of the Free-for-all-clinic and none of them had anyone come in with a gunshot. Stay alert. Thank you, that'd be all. No more questions…" Detective Nichols made his way out only to be surrounded by reporters as Gus flipped the channels once it was over.
"Wow…" Caleb exclaimed. "She truly does look like Amity's mom… I mean…" Caleb had few interactions with Odahlia Blight but those clearly left an impression on him.
"No, it's ok." Amity said with a sigh. "I was shocked the first time I saw her too." Luz wrapped her arm around her to comfort her.
"So…" Luz spoke up. "The FBI is getting involved now, huh?"
"Not technically…" Gus replied. "From what I heard, the FBI are only assisting in the case by building a profile of the most likely suspect that commited the murders. This isn't a federal case, unless they can make the connection to these murders and the Ink Man's killings."
"The Ink Man killings…" Luz said with a nervous chuckle. "That really sounds unnerving. You mentioned the guy died, right?"
"Yeah. Took his own life in prison. His name: Red Schawrz." Gus said as he joined Caleb on the couch. With Willow asking him shortly.
"How do you even have the stomach to look into this…?"
"I don't know." Gus laughed nervously. "To be honest… I think I've seen quite enough. But… I guess there's no way to escape it. This is happening in our community right now."
"Yeah…" Willow said, her expression was a little pale, she was clearly bothered by what's been happening and that she knew one of the victims.
"Ok… you guys. Enough death… how about I treat you all to some cake?" Luz said as she tried to make a switch in tone. Everybody was happy to leave the sorrow behind and enjoy some sweet dessert. But it didn't mean that the gloom was gone, for some of them it remained, such was the case of Willow.
She wrote her resignation letter early in the morning. And even if the Greene House would continue to operate after the investigation, she wasn't planning to stay under the employment of the Greene Foundation. Willow was officially unemployed. With the support of her friends, they understand that she wanted to take the weekend off before she would seek a new job.
The plan was for Camila to accompany Willow to deliver her letter to the Greene Foundation headquarters, go back to the Police Department to pick Willow's fake papers, take Gus to the Newscast Center and then drop Willow back home for her to rest. While Luz would bring Amity to work, Caleb to the hospital to meet up with his teacher and drop Vee at High School for her art class like the day before.
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me. Ok? There's some cake left on the bridge if you want a snack and…" Luz rambled before Willow cut her off as she got into Camila's car.
"I'm fine, Luz. Thank you. Really. I don't want to bother you at work. I'll see you guys when you get back. Ok?" Willow faked a smile, but her eyes clearly indicated how she truly felt; depressed.
"Ok." Luz said in defeat and smiled back before joining the others in her car.
Luz was driving down to the Orb to leave Amity first like she did the day before, when she was confronted by Amity herself. "Why don't you drop me last, this time? I don't have any arrangements, so I can make you company while you drop Caleb and Vee. Sounds good?" Amity said with a smile.
Luz panicked when hearing this, but tried to weasel herself out of the new change in plans. "Oh, but sweet potato… I wouldn't like you to arrive late to work. I mean… surely there might be stuff you need to do… right? Besides, it can be a rather boring trip. You don't have to come with me. I can do this!"
Amity raised her eyebrow in confusion, and she wasn't alone. Caleb and Vee were staring at Luz from the backseat. They found her behavior somewhat… suspicious. "It's ok. I can arrive a little late, I just thought that maybe…" Amity tried to reason with Luz.
"But I insist… I need to… I was planning to… eh…" Luz's eyes kept rolling all over the car while sweating trying to make up an excuse that would work.
"I don't know… she sounds like she's hiding something.." Caleb said as he rubbed his chin.
"Luz… why don't you want me to accompany you?" Amity asked, crossing her arms.
Luz began to sweat as Caleb and Vee brought their faces closer to the front seats to join Amity to get to the bottom of this. "Yeah, Luz. What are you hiding from your dear beloved girlfriend." Caleb said in a rather judgemental tone.
"Not cool, sis." Vee said. Luz nervously stared into the road as she continued to drive before her eyes traced across her door and found a book lying next to her foot. She quickly picked it up and made up her excuse.
"Oh! I'm dropping this book at the library after I drop Vee to school! Hehe… it's not that I don't want you to accompany me. I might take a little while to drop both of them off and also do this thing at the library! I just don't want you to be late to work!" Luz smiled nervously while Amity noticed what book she was holding.
"The Valley of the Lillies. You read that whole thing… in two days?" Amity asked.
"Oh, yes! I did… I read it while I waited for customers… It was a very light read. Hehe."
Amity and Caleb looked at each other as if they knew what the other was thinking. "Text me when you find out." Caleb said and Amity nodded.
"Yup."
"Ok… I guess you're coming with me now." Luz said trying to sound enthusiastic while deep down she was still worried about Amity finding out the librarian's secret. Luz began to drive in the opposite direction. Heading to the hospital now to drop Caleb.
Soon enough, they were at Gravesfield High. Amity and Luz were out of the car and saying goodbye to Vee who felt a little awkward being left alone with the tense situation between the pair.
"You have a good day, ok? Call us if you need anything. We'll pick you up after work." Amity said with a big smile as she hugged Vee, who replied with her own hug.
"Kay, thanks Amity. Hm… see ya later, sis." Vee said as she shyly gave Luz a small wave with her hand.
"Have a nice day. Sis. I'll see you then…" Luz said, smiling nervously at her as Vee walked away to join her friends laying on the grass under a tree, in the same spot she met them every day of the week.
"Get to it." Amity said as she jumped back into the passenger's seat.
"You're… not coming?" Luz asked.
"No. I'll wait for you." Amity said as she began to look into her phone, leaving a very worried Luz who wanted nothing but to say anything that could fix the situation. She sighed and brought the book into the library. She made her way up to the counter to meet up with Lilian who was typing things on her laptop before Luz caught her attention.
Luz looked at the door to see if Amity followed her, but that wasn't the case. "Hm… I came to bring you this book. And ask you if you found out anything yet?" Luz said while the woman could notice a sad tone in her voice.
"Ok. And no. I'm only doing research in my free time. Are you ok?" Lilian asked as her closed eyes stared at Luz.
"No. Not really. It's a personal thing… doesn't have to do with the research." Luz said as she stared down to the wooden desk. "I'll see you later today. Thank you. For what you're doing. I truly appreciate your help." Luz said as she faked a smile and began to walk back to the door.
"Don't mention it. Hey!" Lilian exclaimed as Luz looked back at her. "You can tell her."
Luz was completely blown away from Lilian's massive guess to what was bothering her. "How did you even guess…?"
"Are you sure you went to magic school at the Boiling Isles?" Lilian chuckled softly. "Oracle Magic, silly."
"OH!" Luz laughed softly. "Oh, goodness… I almost had a heart attack. Are you sure?" Luz asked, double checking.
Lilian shrugged. "She's going to find out eventually. Better be from your own mouth. You two… I sense something special in you both. I wouldn't like you to stray away from the path you're supposed to be."
Luz had a lot of questions as to what that meant, but she decided not to stay and find out. She had Amity to worry about, still. She walked back outside and joined Amity in the car.
"Hey." Luz said with a smile as she began to drive away.
"Hey." Amity said back but stared into the window instead of facing Luz the whole way. Luz tried to find the words to explain the situation now that she had Lilian's permission. Time passed by and without realizing, they reached the Orb. Luz looked at Amity as she opened the door and was about to go out, her tone wasn't reassuring. Amity did feel hurt by the whole situation.
"Have a nice day at work. Luz."
"Amity wait…" Luz quickly leaned in to grab her wrist to stop her. "Please… allow me to explain."
Amity wasn't looking at Luz just yet, but sighed and got down to the passenger's seat once more. "It's ok, Luz. I guess… we're allowed to have secrets." Amity said, trying not to sound upset.
"No… it's not ok." Luz said as she squeezed her wrist a little bit, before reaching for her hand. "I don't know what's going on in your mind. But I promise you. I wouldn't ever… see someone else."
Amity looked at Luz and immediately replied. "Luz, I trust you. I know that's not the case. But it does hurt me that you're willing to lie to me. You probably have your reasons… but it…" Amity leaned back on her seat and stared up as she tried to finish her sentence. "It hurts. Alright?"
"I know…" Luz said and squeezed that soft hand gently before looking back at her girlfriend. "The librarian. Her name is Lilian. And she is a witch. I found out a few days ago. The day that Professor Phillips was brought into the hospital. She made me promise not to tell anyone… not even you. She is scared of what this town had done to witches in the past. And I don't blame her…"
"What?" Amity asked in shock.
"She is a witch. And she is helping me find out a way back into the Isles…" Luz said as Amity interrupted.
"Luz… how can you even trust this person? How can you be sure that she is not deceiving you?" Amity said with worry in her eyes. Not again. Those false hopes that brought the person she loved to the depressive state she's now in.
"Because she IS a witch. I promise you! She is not human. This time it's for real! I'll introduce you to her today!" Luz tried to desperately make Amity believe her story.
"Ok. Let's assume that she is telling the truth and she looks for a solution that could bring us back to the Boiling Isles. But there isn't one." Amity said as she stared into Luz's eyes with tears building up on her own. "Then what?"
"I'll…" Luz's own eyes began to tear down. "I'll just have to accept it."
"Are you?" Amity said as tears rolled down her own face as well. "Luz… if I could bring Eda back for you, I'll do it. But I can't… I don't want you to lose hope. But you can't keep jumping at any person that claims to be magic or a witch. I don't want you to get hurt… not again…"
Luz's tears began to flow down excessively, making Amity to lean in closer to wrap her arms around her. It was then that Luz was no longer able to resist the urge to cry. Her sobs were muffled against Amity's shoulder for a few minutes. While Amity kept comforting Luz the best way she could, her eyes rolled to the window when she noticed Aisha walking down the street to reach the Orb. Their eyes crossed and the situation became evident for the curly haired woman, who looked away and walked into the building to allow the pair to have the privacy they needed.
Soon enough, Luz calmed down, Amity kept holding her tight, brushing her hand down her back in reassurance. "I'm going to… see your boss on the weekend." Luz whispered.
Amity rested her chin above Luz's head as she replied. Her arms, holding her tightly. "I don't want you to feel obligated to do so. Don't do this for me. Do it for your own well being. I'll be there for you, whether you do it or not. I'll be there for you, hoping that this woman you speak of… tells the truth. I hate to see my Luz getting hurt… but I'll be there for you… regardless."
Luz's sobs stopped and she pulled away from Amity. "Thank you." Luz said, cleaning her face with her hands. "We're both late for work now…" Luz said with a forced chuckle, faking a smile at the same time.
"I don't care about work right now. I'll be with you for as long as you need me to." Amity said as she reached to hold Luz's hand.
"I'm sorry I lied to you." Luz said.
Amity smiled and shook her head. "I'm sorry if I smother you with my presence, sometimes. You're allowed to have some privacy when you want it. I just want you to know that you can count on me. Ok?"
"You don't smother me… Amity." Luz squeezed her hand. "I realize that my mental state hasn't let me spend time with you lately. I understand that you want to be with me." Luz said as she looked at her. "I know that you don't want me to apologize anymore. But I'm sorry. You're probably going through things of your own and here you are… worrying about me."
"I have… but that's why I'm doing therapy myself." Amity said as she leaned against Luz. "They're holding me back… these thoughts I have. I love the Human Realm and the people I've met in it. But… this is a scary place sometimes. And I'm not just saying it because of the recent murders. There's a lot of stuff that I've been exposed to while being here. Like… homophobia, transphobia… racism. Finding out about… witches being burned at the stake in your history books was rather disturbing to read about."
Luz wrapped her arm around Amity as she continued to vent herself. "I'm sorry… on behalf of my people. For the crimes they've committed against yours." Luz whispered.
"Thanks, Luz. Humans don't believe in witches anymore, so most likely… from what I can gather, perhaps humans accused their own of being witches. So… who knows how many humans died at the same time. Not just my people. It is kinda offensively funny how you all now dress up like us for Halloween." Amity said with a soft laugh, lightening the mood in the car and getting a laugh out of Luz as well.
"Yeah…"
"Are you ok, now?" Amity asked as she looked up.
"I'll power through it." Luz said with a soft chuckle. "We should get to work. I'll pick you up later, and I'll introduce you to Lilian when we go pick up Caleb and Vee at the library.
"Ok." Amity said before leaning in to kiss Luz. "Cuidate, amor."
Luz shivered when hearing Amity speaking in spanish. "You're getting better at your pronunciation." She said with a soft laugh. "You better get out of here or else I'm not holding back of myself." She joked, making Amity laugh as well.
"Ok, love ya!"
"Love you too! Sweet Potato!" Luz said as she drove off.
Shortly after, Amity was walking inside the Orb. She moved out of the way as she saw Leni rushing up to the bathroom with a kid in her arms. "Hey Amity! Bye Amity!" Leni said as she went past the pink haired gal, whose eyes traced into Miss Craig's office, noticing a new face in there. A tall woman with long purple hair, wearing a beanie over her head, a black jacket with a white tee underneath, tight jeans and sneakers.
"Hey Amity." Aisha's voice brought Amity back into reality.
"Oh! Aisha… you startled me." Amity chuckled softly.
"Sorry. I… hey. I don't mean to butt in… but are you ok?" Aisha asked, since she witnessed Luz crying earlier.
"Oh… yeah. I'm ok. What you saw. We're fine. Something just… happened. A misunderstanding of sorts." Amity tried to reassure Aisha with a short laugh. "So, hey… what's going on in there?" Amity immediately found a way to change the topic. While Aisha knew something had Amity stressed, she decided not to keep pushing it and replied to her question.
"That's Wendy. She used to work here before you joined us. Not sure what she's here for. She was already there when I walked in" Aisha said as Amity stared into the office. Wendy and Miss Craig seemed to be having a friendly conversation. Eventually, Miss Craig pulled out an envelope from one of her drawers which she handed to Wendy. The conversation was coming to an end, shortly after. Wendy and Barbara embraced and shook hands. "She's nice… a little bit of a rebel. But she liked working here. I never had any issues with her. But she does have a reputation for being… an activist of sorts."
As soon as Aisha finished speaking, Wendy began to walk out of the office. The expression of the woman's face was of pure joy as she faced her old co-worker. "Heeey! It's so good to see you again!" Wendy's voice echoed from across the hall, making Aisha to grin back and wave at her.
They both hugged, making Amity feel a little awkward. She was about to sneak her way out before she heard Aisha introducing them. Amity smiled nervously and waved at the stranger. "It's good to see you too! I like your new hair color, by the way! Oh! This is Amity. She took your place when you left."
"Hiii…" Amity said.
"Nice to meet you, Amity. I hope you've liked the experience so far. I'm Wendy." The woman said as she leaned to respectfully shake hands with the pink haired gal.
"Likewise. Hehe…"
"Hm…" Wendy began to squint her eyes as if she was trying to recognize Amity, making her a lot more uncomfortable than she was before. "Aren't you… I've seen you before. Aren't you related to Caleb Noceda?"
Amity laughed softly. "Oh, no no no! We're not related… at all. Caleb's cousin is my girlfriend."
"Ohhh!" Wendy laughed as well. "I see. Cool. I thought I recognized you from the pictures he uploads on instagram. I know Caleb from college, by the way."
Aisha's curiosity caused her to start searching for Caleb on her phone. Quickly finding Caleb's profile online. "That is Luz's cousin! He is so cute!"
Amity snorted. "I mean… yeah. If you have bad taste in men."
"You are so mean!" Aisha laughed. "You don't even like guys."
Wendy couldn't help but laugh at the back and forth between the two. "It's good to know that there's still a healthy working environment in this place." Wendy said as she wrapped her arm around Aisha.
"About that… are you coming back to work here?" Aisha asked.
"Oh no no. I came here for a letter of recommendation that Miss Craig made for me. I'm going to apply for a different job. With Professor Phillips." Wendy said, Amity's eyes perked up, knowing the guy that Caleb works with.
"Howard Phillips?" Amity asked.
"The One and Only." Wendy winked.
"Isn't that the witching dude?" Aisha said with a soft chuckle. "I remember him. He is such a weeb. Every single time he talked about something in class, he somewhat related it to witchcraft. He was fun."
"Yup." Wendy laughed at Aisha's comment about the guy. "As funny as it sounds. I think the guy is doing important things now. He is not just a weeb. He is a cultured weeb." Wendy grinned.
"Wendy… he is probably twice your age." Aisha said, making Wendy laugh out loud.
"Eww, shut up! I'm not applying for a job because of a crush. I'm applying for a job because I believe in his mission. I believe that the people of Gravesfield need to embrace their horrid past and make amends for it." Wendy said with a smile and a spark in her eyes.
"Are you secretly a witch or something?" Aisha said with a grin.
"Yes. Yes I am." Wendy said in a joking tone.
"You'll definitely get along with Amity. She happens to read a lot of witch-related tales to the kids." Aisha said, making Amity sweat.
"Uh… well. I mean…" Amity began to ramble. "I believe that a little bit of magic wouldn't hurt them. Telling them stories about witches in a positive light can reinforce their perception of reality. To accept each other for their differences."
"Wow." Aisha laughed. "That truly sounds like something Wendy would say."
Wendy grinned and gave a genuine clapping for Amity's speech. "That is so true. I would say something like that. I like you, Amity. Take care of this place for me."
Amity smiled nervously and laughed a little. "Thanks. I need to go and do… stuff." Amity excused herself by shaking Wendy's hand. "Pleased to meet you. Take care and good luck with the job."
"Likewise." Wendy winked before her attention shifted to Leni coming out of the bathroom. "Ayy, it's Leni!"
With that out of the way, Amity went back to the classroom to join Barbara and help her with the kids. She seemed to have the attention of one offering her a strawberry.
"You brought me a pebble?" Barbara said as she looked at the fruit closer.
"Noooo, it's not a pebble, Miss Craig…" The young girl said as she giggled. "It's a strawberry! It's for you!"
"A strawberry?" Miss Craig said with a smile as she took the fruit from her and gave it a bite. "It tastes like a rock."
The young girl laughed. "You're silly, Miss Craig. What do rocks even taste like?!"
"Strawberries." Miss Craig said in a joking tone.
"Really?!" The kid asked in awe.
"Noooo! Of course not." Miss Craig laughed. "Don't you try to eat a rock, tho."
The kid laughed it off before Miss Craig turned to look at Amity. "Morning Miss Craig." She said with a soft chuckle. "Shall we start with the story?" Amity said, which caught the attention of all the children in the room.
"Sure thing. How about you all take a seat…" Barbara said.
The rest of the day came by swiftly. Wendy was gone after hanging out with her old co-workers. Amity read to the kids another story she transcripted from the Boiling Isles. Nothing out of the ordinary happened during the rest of the morning. Amity however, kept thinking about the earlier confrontation with Luz. She texted her a few times. She didn't seem to catch any sort of weird behavior about her anymore.
By the time she realized, the day was over. She helped Aisha and Leni clean up the classrooms, picking up the toys, rearranging the books, etc. Her co-workers soon left the building as she heard the notification on her phone.
Luz: i'll be runnin a lil late! dun worry! i promise u im fine, just so u know. im preparing a lil something for u. :b
Amity smiled as she read the message and immediately texted back.
Amity: k. ill hang out with Miss Craig in the meantime. luv ya~
Luz: 3
Amity put her phone out and began to walk down the empty hallway, the sounds of her steps making her ears perk up under her hair where she hid them. Every time that the place becomes this deserted, she felt rather unnerved. During the day, the Orb it's the happiest place on Gravesfield. Where kids run around, play and listen to her stories all day. But during the evening, there was this aura of sorrow that she wasn't able to shake off… She stopped thinking about it, and quickly rushed up to Miss Craig's office. Finding comfort in her company. The red haired woman was cleaning up the office when she walked in.
"Oh, hey Amity. Are you here for your session?" Miss Craig said with a soft chuckle.
"Hey. Are we having another session?" Amity asked with a bit of confusion.
"Of course. I mean, you're free to decide whether or not you want to continue. This can last as long as you want it to be. Yesterday, you were telling me about your mother, your family and how she controlled it. But somehow… you got sidetracked and started to talk about Luz." Barbara said as she placed some stuff back on her drawer and walked up to Amity. "Do you want to talk about your family today? Or…"
The pink haired gal blushed heavily when she was reminded of how things went the previous day. "Yeah… I guess I did. Hm, I was thinking, tho. How much is this going to cost? I mean… for the both of us, Luz and me. I was wondering if…"
"Nothing." Barbara chuckled softly and kicked her flip flops off to lay on the floor like the day before. "Like I told you yesterday. I've got a degree in psychology that's only gathering dust. I'm coming out of retirement for fun. Besides… I think it's a nice exchange that I give you both this chance to clear your mind, for the extra miles you go through by making up stories every day for the kids. I think your talents should be rewarded somehow." Barbara said with a wink.
"Oh. Are you sure?" Amity said, a light blush remained on her face after hearing the compliment. "I wouldn't feel…" Amity was quickly interrupted by her boss.
"Amity. It's free. Really. Now… are we having a session today?" Barbara asked as she stared at Amity from the floor.
"Yeah. I… yeah. I think. I honestly prefer this rather than wait for Luz outside." Amity said with a soft laugh as she laid down next to her boss. "Is it just me or… this place becomes a little bit unsettling when the kids are gone?"
Barbara laughed. "I believe that they take their good vibes with them. Yeah… I can understand your point. But don't worry about it. Let's talk about…?" Barbara asked as she stared up into the ceiling, making Amity to do the same.
"Let's see. I already told you about my mother. There's my father… and my siblings. Twins. Older than me. Like I mentioned to you before… when I was little. I had a best friend; Willow. But when I developed…" Amity smiled. "My magic." This made Barbara chuckle.
"I love that you're building an allegory of your life through witchcraft." Barbara commented.
Amity gave a soft laugh. 'If only she knew…' She thought, before she continued. "I developed my magic earlier than Willow. This made my parents… no, my mother. She was the one that demanded me to get rid of Willow. And my father backed her up… because he felt that he was helping me reach my full potential."
"Are you excusing him?"
"Not really. He is just as guilty as my mom. But at least my father was able to understand what he did wrong. Unlike her…" Amity said, with a little bit of anger in her tone.
"What's he like?"
"My father is… a very distracted man. He spent all his time in the basement… working on his abominations. I guess, that was his way of disconnecting himself from us… from her. They had a successful business, my father was the one that created tech and my mother was the one who sold his creations. I mean… for most of my life, I suppose… they made a good team. But, I wonder if my father was ever truly happy." Amity said as she sighed.
"Do you love your father?"
Amity thought about that question for nearly a minute before she replied with a frown. "I… do. But… I feel like we need to work on some things, before we can truly bond the way we used to. When I was young, he was my role model. I wanted to be just like him. Excel at Abomination Magic. Become a member of the Emperor's Coven just for him. I wanted to make him proud. And… it took me some time to understand that my goal wasn't something my father wished for. It was my mother's wish."
"Your father did nothing to raise you when you were young?"
"Neither of them did." Amity said as she looked back at the ceiling. "Me and my siblings just stayed at the house with the servants all day, until they came back from work and then they would lock themselves in the basement to keep working… that was my daily life. They didn't really know that I would spend my whole time with Willow whenever they weren't home until I developed my magic and yet, they deemed… Willow was a bad influence. They imposed me some new friends. Boscha and Skara."
"I see. You didn't like these new friends?"
"No." Amity said while rolling her head to look at her boss. "Well… I didn't have anything against Skara. She just followed Boscha around. But I hated being around Boscha. Eventually, I accepted that these were my friends. And unfortunately… I became like Boscha. I picked on Willow and so did they. It's because of me that Willow became Boscha's main target for most of our life at school."
"Ok, let's backtrack a little bit. How about we talk about your mother. She imposed you on these friends, she forced you to end your friendship with Willow, she set goals for you to accomplish. Your mother was in full control of your life, even when she wasn't around?"
"Yeah… I guess me and my siblings were conditioned to follow her rules. Shortly after I cut ties with Willow… she made me dye my hair to match hers and my siblings. I guess… that's where she solidified her control over me."
"Wow." Barbara exclaimed. "It's unfortunate for me to say, but it's something that I've seen frequently."
"You've done therapy for kids, right?" Amity asked out of curiosity.
"I have." Barbara sighed. "I used to, that's what my degree was for. I helped children that suffered from abuse. But… I couldn't handle it after a while. Guess that it takes a strong mind to hear all that cruelty day and night. I left the field and… dedicated myself to teaching."
Amity looked at the red haired woman, she couldn't tell if the smile on her face was to reassure her that she was fine. Amity could only wonder what she has seen and heard in her past. "You met people like Odahlia Bli- '' Amity slapped herself when she almost said her mother's full name. "Dahlia Greene! People like Dahlia Greene…"
Barbara found the little slip-up a little strange, she even looked back at Amity for the first time since they began the session. "Yeah. Unfortunately."
Amity bit on her lower lip. "What makes these people… the way they are? What drives them to ruin people's lives?"
"That's something that can only be answered if you stare into the same abyss they have. And I assure you. You don't want that." Barbara said as her gray eyes pierced through Amity's for a brief moment, until the pink haired gal heard the notification on her phone.
Luz: im here!
"Oh…" Amity said as she looked back at her boss. "It's Luz. She arrived. Can we… call it a day?"
"Sure." Barbara said. "Take care."
"Likewise. Luz will see you on Saturday, I believe." Amity said as she went to pick up her bag.
"Cool. Looking forward to it." Barbara said with a smile, waving at Amity from the floor as she left.
Amity walked through that silent hallway once more before rushing her way out, yet again. Once she was outside, she began to walk up to Luz's car and got inside. Instinctively, she did the same as always. Greeting her girlfriend with a kiss before putting the seatbelt on. "Hey. Sorry about earlier… I was thinking about it all day. The least I want to do is make you uncomfortable."
Luz brought Amity into a tight hug in response before kissing the top of her head, making her laugh softly. "There's nothing to forgive, sweet potato. It's important for us to talk. And you made me realize how much I've been neglecting our relationship… when was the last time we ever had a date? Let's do it! This Saturday, you and I, after therapy of course."
"Hehe…" Amity turned her head to face Luz, their foreheads pressed against each other's. "I could go on a date for sure."
"How about the movies?! Or or… maybe go and have dinner outside. What would you be in the mood for? Italian, mexican, thai… sushi?" Luz said with googly eyes, rubbing her nose against hers lovingly, making Amity blush a little bit.
"That all sounds excellent. Shall we go casual, or…?" Amity laughed softly as she heard Luz's answer.
"Let's go fancy! Let's blow some minds! Maybe I can wash my otter jams. Hmm?" Luz said in a joking tone and a wink, making Amity laugh out loud.
"Oh please do, I dare you." Amity grinned.
"You think I won't? I think you don't know me enough." Luz laughed.
Amity smiled at Luz, giving her that look that made her eyes stand out. The spark in those yellow eyes telling how much in love she was with her. That compelled the both to kiss once their eyes met. They completely spaced out, not minding what was happening around them.
When their lips parted, Amity rested her head on Luz's shoulder. "We should really go now… this can wait until Saturday." She said with a soft chuckle.
"Yeah…" Luz said, tightening her grip on Amity, making the pink haired girl laugh some more.
"You're not going to let me go anytime soon, are you?" Amity asked, getting her answer right away.
"Nope." Luz grinned.
"Wanna hear something funny?" Amity said as she nuzzled on Luz's neck. "Aisha says that Caleb is cute."
"That poor girl. I think she can do better than that." Luz said as both of them laughed. "What else happened during your day? I wanna know everything!" Luz said as she parted ways with Amity and began to drive their way down to the library. Handing Amity some chocolate she made for her like the other day.
"Well…" Amity began to tell Luz everything she lived through during the day. About Wendy, about the session… even how uncomfortable she felt when the building was empty and there was no one there but her and her boss.
Shortly after, they arrived at the library. They walked in to find Vee sitting on the same table reading a book. She did not seem to notice them this time around, too focused on her lecture until she felt both of their arms wrapping around her. "Ah! Not again!" She exclaimed, hearing the shushing of the people around as she was squeezed.
"We need this, Vee. I'm sorry." Amity laughed softly.
"How was your day, sis?" Luz said after squeezing her a little more.
"Ugh… fine… can you please let me go?" Vee asked politely.
"Ok." Luz and Amity said in unison.
"So I take it that… you two are alright now?" Vee asked, a little concerned still.
"We talked things through. Everything's fine, now." Luz said, with Amity backing her up with a nod.
"Mhm."
Vee smiled, feeling a lot more comfortable now. "Well, that's a relief. I was really worried about you two."
"Aww." They both exclaimed in unison, making poor Vee feel instant regret as they hugged her once more.
"That's so sweet of you.~ " Amity giggled.
"Please… not so tight!" Vee tried to wiggle her way out until Luz broke the hug, causing Amity to do the same.
"Hey, would you wait for us? I got to show Amity something." Luz said as she looked at Amity and offered her hand to help her stand up.
Amity remembered what she meant by that. The enigmatic librarian that she was talking about earlier. "Ok. Let's get this over with." Amity said, a bit skeptic. She held Luz's hand and began to follow her down to the librarian's desk, where the dark haired woman was working on her laptop.
"Hey." Luz said that to gain her attention. The woman peered up at them, her eyes closed as always. "Lilian, I want you to meet… Amity, my girlfriend."
Lilian waved lightly at the pink haired gal. "Hello."
Amity raised her palm in response. "Hi."
Luz felt the tension between the two and decided to do the talking herself. "I told Amity everything… since I've got your permission. I know you must be busy right now. But I was wondering if we three could… talk in the OTHER section." Luz meant she wanted to show Amity the secret room in the library.
"Ok. Sure. It has to be brief, tho. Follow me." Lilian said as the two of them began to walk behind her down the many book shelves within the library.
Amity crossed her arms, not in anger or discomfort. She was still skeptical of this woman and while she tried to keep an open mind for Luz… she still had her doubts. Luz noticed and gently wrapped her arm around her, making Amity look up at her to see that loving smile from her girlfriend. Making her smile back.
Lilian summoned her staff by then. Stopping at the same shelf at the end of the hall. Amity eyed the staff, there was no palisman in it. Nor did it look like the one Belos or Caleb used back at the Boiling Isles. It was a plain and simple wooden staff, there were a couple of indentations on the top side, as if the staff held something else before Lilian repurposed it. She placed a book in the lone spot on the shelf and the whole thing opened up, revealing a short hall into the secret room. Inside were many more shelves, but these ones were full of books not meant for human's eyes.
"Here we are." Lilian said and with her other hand, she removed the headphones she wore to hide her ears. Revealing the pointy ends, a feature that was characteristic of witches from the Boiling Isles.
Amity eyed those ears, still not convinced. "Ok, so you are a witch?"
"Half witch, half human. My mother was a witch, my dad was a human." Lilian replied.
"Why does your staff doesn't have a palisman?" Amity continued with the interrogation, her eyes staring at the closed eyelids on Lilian's face.
"Because palistrom wood does not exist in the Human Realm." Lilian said.
"Why didn't your mother pass you down hers?" Amity said, by now Luz was becoming uncomfortable with the interrogation. Looking at Lilian with an apologetic look on her face.
"Because my great grandmother, who was the last possess one was burned at the stake with it a hundred years ago by witch hunters." Lilian said, this time… the revelation made Amity back down on her questions.
"O-oh… I'm sorry… I…"
"It's ok, I understand that you're worried about your girlfriend. I'm just a librarian. And I'm only looking through these books to find a solution for her request. I mean no ill will towards any of you." Lilian stated.
"You told Luz that we should leave. Why?" Amity asked out of curiosity.
"Because witch hunters still exist within this town." Lilian said as she walked around to sit down on one of the tables, inviting them to join them. Luz and Amity walked up to it and pulled a couple of chairs to sit down.
"We've been living here for four years… I've never encountered anything suspicious. People… don't believe in witches anymore." Amity said.
"The vast majority of them don't. But there's a small portion of them that are fanatics, whose realities warped by the ancient words of their old kind who used to murder us in the past. Their racism and fear is irrational and eternal. They hide, because they know this world will judge them for what they've done." Lilian said.
Amity bit on her lower lip. "So, there is a real danger out there…"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Why don't you leave?" Luz asked one question, herself.
"Because I'm bound to this place. To this library and its contents. Until the arrival of our kind to the Human Realm." Lilian said with a sigh.
"Your kind? Other witches? Witches are coming to the Human Realm!?" Luz asked in surprise.
"Those were the dying words of my great grandmother. An Oracle of sorts who passed down her knowledge to my family. I wouldn't… take her words as literal. She was probably delusional. But we made a vow to respect her wishes about these books. We've guarded them ever since. I suppose… there might be some truth to her words after all, granted that you claim to come from the Boiling Isles."
"So… maybe she foresaw Amity, Willow, Gus and Caleb would arrive, maybe? I hope… there's more to it, tho." Luz said, hopeful of seeing Eda once more. Making Amity to gently hold her hand under the table for comfort.
"How come you can perform magic with your staff?" Amity asked. "I'm not… being skeptical… it's an honest question. If it isn't made of palistrom wood, then… what is it made of?"
"It's a literal stick." Lilian said with a grin. "I can perform magic with it because I'm using both the bile in my heart and the magic residue left in this world." She said as she levitated all the books left on the tables and all of them were thrown at their respective places in the shelves.
"WHAT?!" Luz and Amity exclaimed together.
"You're telling me there's magic in the human realm?!" Luz asked with an excited tone in her voice.
"Neither of you knew that?" Lilian asked with a raised eyebrow, somehow her eyelid did not open up when she did. Keeping those eyes closed as always.
"I mean… I can perform magic to some degree…" Amity said as she looked down on the table. "But I specialize in Abomination Magic. And as you already know, there are no ingredients to make Abomination Goo in the Human Realm."
"Are you sure about that?" Lilian smirked.
"Is there?" Amity asked.
"What about the Abominations made of chocolate you make for Vee every morning?" Luz added.
"Oh… well, I… know that Vee needs to eat magic so she can shapeshift. I thought about the idea of creating an abomination made out of syrup and it worked, so I kept doing it. But… that's my bile, right?" Amity asked Lilian."
"It is and it isn't. You can perform Abomination magic in this world, the only thing holding you back it's your imagination." Lilian said as she clapped her hands together before pulling them apart to summon a flask out of nowhere to spill some water on the table.
"What are you doing?" Amity asked, pulling away so the water wouldn't spill on her dress.
"Summon an Abomination." Lilian said as she stopped letting the water flow.
Amity looked at Lilian in confusion, before her eyes shifted to Luz to see her giving her the thumbs up. "You can do it!" Shortly enough, Amity sighed and then circled her finger in a spell facing the table with water dripping from it. She focused so her bile in her heart would create and shape the Abomination using water. It didn't work at first, she performed another spell with her finger and this time, she could notice ripples traveling across the spilled water. The liquid soon began to morph into a small Abomination made of the substance, but since it was transparent, there were no visible features on its face. The creature was barely able to sustain a form, it was more of a blob. Perhaps abominations needed a more dense material to stand up.
Amity leaned in and placed her palm above the being. "Abomination, rise."
The little guy looked up at its creator as if it was able to hear her. The creature simply raised up in a tentacle as if it was trying to obey the command the best way they could.
Luz was ecstatic. "This is amazing! But… I have a question. In the Boiling Isles, as I mentioned to you before. I was able to perform magic using glyphs, like these…" Luz said as she peeled her sleeve on her arm to reveal a bunch of tattoos with the iconic glyphs she used before.
"Yeah, I read before that some bile-less witches could perform magic differently. I'm not an expert on the matter." Lilian said.
"Ok, when I tried to use glyphs in the Human Realm, they didn't work. I mean… they kind of do. But the paper in which I drew them simply… poofs! Disintegrates. Is that proof… that there's magic here?" Luz asked, hopeful of an answer. "Back at the Boiling Isles, I taught two people glyph magic and one of them came up with the idea that maybe glyphs are like… commands. That the glyphs itselves organize the commands to perform magic in different ways."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. But if the spells only disintegrate that means the commands are different here. In many old civilizations on this Realm. Some humans were able to organize their own magic structure using runes of sorts. But like I said, I'm no expert." Lilian said as she went to grab a book from one of the shelves and brought it back. The book itself was old and had some runes on the cover. "There's some here, but most of them, if not all… don't work. Unless there's a secret to it. I really haven't figured it out because… I have no need for them. I can perform magic using my staff."
Luz grabbed the book and began to look through its pages. "Can I borrow it?"
Amity raised her voice after tearing apart the Abomination, turning it into a pool of water once again. "Maybe… you shouldn't. We don't know what we're messing up with."
Lilian nodded. "That's a good point."
"But… humans have been able to do magic in the human realm, right?" Luz asked as she closed the book.
"It's possible. But I'm not entirely sure. Many of the humans that claim to be magic are… frauds. Y'know? The magic here is different… from anything I've seen. None of the biological creatures that exist in this world… at least the ones humans know of did not evolve to use this magic. It was completely ignored by nature. And humans have no interest in pursuing it. They rather drill holes into the Earth and tear this world apart with their technology." Lilian said.
Luz looked up at her and nodded. "I would like to try. I'm curious and I promise I'll be careful."
Amity sighed softly. Knowing that nothing she says would change her mind.
Lilian took a few moments to reply, but eventually nodded. "Ok. Just be sure to return it. Do NOT let this fall into the hands of other humans or witches. That means to you both. Do not speak about me. I want to remain anonymous. Alright?"
They nodded, Luz drawing a wide smile on her face. "Thank you!" She instantly launched herself at the shorter woman.
"Here we go again…" Lilian said as she was squeezed by Luz into a hug.
"I told you I was a hugger!"
Amity spoke up once Luz let go of Lilian. "I… apologize for doubting you. I'm still not comfortable about this. But… I appreciate that you're trying to help us."
"Don't mention it. Just keep my secret." Lilian said as she began to lead them out of the room.
Luz kept walking alongside Amity, she became distracted by what Amity was saying to Lilian on the way out. Her ears perked up shortly after when she heard some whisper in her ear.
'The Light…'
"Huh?" Luz turned around to face Lilian who was speaking to Amity. "What about the Light?"
Lilian raised her eyebrow in confusion. "What Light?"
"You said; The Light. Or something…" Luz asked.
"No." Lilian said.
"I think… we should go, Luz. It's been a long day and maybe we need some rest. Let's go out and wait for Caleb." Amity said.
Luz blinked and then chuckled softly. "Yeah… that must be it. Nevermind, let's go." Luz said as they walked out and back into the main library.
Within the place itself, Caleb was attending one of those lectures that his boss; Professor Howard Phillips, was giving to an audience of young and old faces. The man had recuperated from his heart attack, although he was sitting down in a chair while occasionally grabbing his left arm every now and then. He wasn't at full strength yet, but he was strong-headed and adamant of not canceling the lecture just because of his illness.
When the lecture came to an end. He was met with applause and cheers from his audience. Holding his hand over his chest, he gave a bow while still sitting on the chair. "Thank you. Thank you… I want to remind you all that tomorrow I'll be performing the lecture next to the Brothers' statues at Gravesfield Central Park. I would be honored if you join me… I know that the people of Gravesfield… at least the more conservative ones have protested against my ideas, what I do and what I represent. But I believe that they'll all come around eventually… any of you is free to attend, but I will understand if you prefer not to." He said with a smile. "You are dismissed, thank you for the good wishes! I had a blast reading them all while I was at the hospital. Take care. Go out! Enjoy life!" The Professor said as he pulled himself up, using a cane to keep his body straight.
The crowd began to leave the room, some remained to speak to the Professor while Caleb cleaned up. When the room was clear, Caleb walked up to Professor Phillips. "You sure you'll be alright, sir?" Caleb asked as he handed the man his bag.
"Very much so, Caleb. Thank you for your assistance. I'll understand if you won't attend tomorrow. You're not obligated to be by my side."
Caleb's expression turned into a frown, the idea of missing the lecture was not in his plans, but then again… he would have to stand near those statues… the Wittebane statues. "I… I'll have to think about it, sir. I don't want to miss it, but…"
"I understand, Caleb. Don't you worry about me, I called an uber, they should be here shortly. Take care, say hello to your family for me. Thank them on my behalf and my deepest apologies for the inconvenience my illness caused." The man said as he took a seat back on his chair.
"It's not an inconvenience, sir. Thank you. See you…" Caleb couldn't finish the sentence because he hasn't made up his mind whether he's going to attend or not. The rush made him forget his back sitting on the chair. As he made his way out of the lecture room, he ran into his college peer. "Oh, Wendy. Did you forget something?" He asked the purple haired girl with the beanie.
"Nope, I'm actually applying for the available assistant spot for Professor Phillips once he starts his campaign… y'know? In the absence of Mrs. Greene?" She said with a grin, making Caleb blink and laugh softly.
"Oh, oh! Ok. I guess… we're going to be working together, huh?"
"I guess so. I'll be seeing you, bro." Wendy said, giving the equally measured guy a light punch on his arm, making him chuckle softly.
"Ok, until then." Caleb said with a soft chuckle while rubbing his arm and began to make his way out of the room. He was reaching Luz and the rest, waving at them until he recalled that he was missing his bag. "Oh, shoot. I'll be right back!" He exclaimed and began to walk the opposite way.
Back at the lecture room, Professor Phillips was talking with Wendy, holding the letter that Miss Craig had written for her. "This is perfect, and I'm happy to know that there's someone out there willing to take the extra effort to vouch for you. But this wasn't necessary. You're always here, hearing my lectures. You arrive in time and you're always eager to participate by adding your thoughts. So, I already made up my mind. The job is yours. You start on Monday."
Wendy was gleefully jumping where she stood. "Thank you so much, sir! I'm really happy to assist you. I really enjoy your lectures. I think… having an open mind is a strength in today's age. I was rather… worried that my reputation in college might have affected your judgment of me, hence why I asked Doctor Barbara Craig to write this letter of recommendation. Working with her at the kindergarten really… made me feel like I had a purpose. And I lost that… but I knew I wanted this job because I believe in you. I believe in your way of thinking."
"That's fantastic, Miss Blanchet. We all need purpose. And I'm thankful that you're there to be by my side. You're dismissed. Rest assured. The job is yours." Professor Phillips said as he held on his left arm a little bit, quickly gulfing another prescribed pill for his weak heart.
"There's also… something else… that you must know about me, sir. I'm…" Wendy said as she was about to lift her beanie off her head when the door opened up and Caleb's voice reached her ears that made her quickly shove down the beanie.
"Sorry, I forgot my bag." Caleb said as Wendy began to rush past him.
"Thank you, Professor! I gotta go! Th-thank you! I'll see you on Monday!" Wendy exclaimed, leaving the two men confused.
"Did… I interrupted?" Caleb asked as he grabbed his bag.
"A little bit, yes." Professor Phillips laughed softly. "Don't worry, Caleb. Take care."
Caleb left shortly after with the rest of his family. They were all exhausted and were eager to get back home. When they made their way into the Noceda residence, they found Willow sitting on the couch in her pajamas playing online on their gaming console.
"Hey Willow…" Luz said as she walked in. "How was your day?" She asked nervously as she and the rest walked in and began to make themselves comfortable on the couches listening to Willow's response.
Willow put down the controller and took her headphones off her head. "My day…? Welp… I came back home. I tried to read a book. But I was bored after reading eight full chapters in one sitting. So, I went to check on my virtual island to do some gardening. I did actual real life gardening and came back inside. I did a few speedruns. Played fighting games, made people rage quit, I rage quitted myself! I got hungry… and instead of making myself something to eat like a normal witch… I grabbed the Cheetos and the soda… there's Cheeto dust all over my hands, Luz! And I licked some of it off!" Willow then said in an ominous tone. "I went full gamer mode…"
"Goodness… you've become a basement dweller, what a horror!" Luz teased and went to hug Willow on the couch.
"I don't understand the appeal of having the house all to yourself when you have nothing to do!" Willow screamed in frustration.
The rest laughed softly as they tried to comfort Willow after her first day alone back home. At some point, Gus excused himself. "I gotta do a little work. I'm publishing my new article tomorrow. Don't worry, Willow. I made sure to keep you anonymous."
"You better… cause I don't want the police after me." Willow said with a glare.
The rest of the evening went on smoothly. Camila arrived with dinner. They ate, hung around some more playing games with Willow before most of them went to sleep. Luz found herself staring into the ceiling like most of her nights. She couldn't stop thinking about the conversation they had with Lilian. The idea of doing magic once again was lifting her spirit, somehow. The room fell… strangely quiet for a while. It didn't land on Luz until she paid attention. No crickets, no sounds on the street, no cars, no voices from the neighbors discussing… silence. She could hear the breathing from Vee next to her while she slept, but that was it.
That's… when she heard it. The whispering.
'The light is here.'
Luz immediately looked up at the door when she spotted a weird figure peering into the room. She felt a chill up her spine as the two stared at each other. The figure immediately shut the door, startling Luz and making her look at her roommates to see if they saw it too.
But they were deep asleep. Even Willow wasn't hiding under the covers playing video games like the night before. She was facing up with her eyes closed. Shortly after, Luz dropped down the bed, grabbed her red baseball bat and opened the door that led to the hallway. Pitch black darkness reigned there. But she heard the whispering once more.
'Do you want to do magic, yes?'
Luz felt her heart sinking in, pounding even, this time… the whispering was actually addressing her. "Wh-who are you? Why are you here?!" She raised her bat, ready to attack if she had to.
'Magic always finds a way to you. It did before… and now it's back. To reach the light…'
By now, Luz was scared to death. Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness, the long hallway began to uncover its features. Down to the living room at the end of the hall, where she could make out the same figure she saw before standing there. She could make out a smile and darker hollow eyes, making her heart pound as she stared into them. She heard the end of its sentence before…
'You must face the dark.'
She woke up, sweating. She was lying in bed still. She panted heavily and began to look over at the open door, there was no one there. The silence was gone. The voices from the neighbors were back and so were the crickets, the cars… everything. She calmed down and looked at Amity, Willow and Vee. They were undisturbed. She ran her hands over her face and laid her head back on the pillow. Closing her eyes… for the rest of the night.
End of Chapter 4.