Author's Notes: So, by the time i've started writing this, University has started proper. Which means my writing time has vastly decreased. But, I'm going to try my best to get this done! Considering this is the last proper chapter before the epilogue, I should be able to manage it. Oh, and if the formatting is off in some sections please let me know and I'll fix it as soon as I'm able! There's some issues with copying text from documents across softwares. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Camp, that belongs to Rooster Teeth.
—
Chapter 11
Torn And Restored
"Shed away night's bodily embrace and WAKE UP, HARRISON!" Preston rambunctiously beckoned, leaning over his bunk. In response, the magician simply groaned and flipped over. He gleamed the luminous rays of sunlight beyond their tent's flaps but couldn't bring himself to care, sleep schedule be damned.
Harrison didn't want to get up and realize last night's cruel ordeal had been real. Once the initial shock of his mentor literally exploding wore off, the boy had spent the entire night in a frenzy trying to track him down. He'd checked every mile of Camp Campbell: the Thinking Cave, the Mess Hall, every single one of their past job sites, even taking the boat out into the lake in desperation. But, Quartermaster was simply… gone.
"I want to sleep… Abracadabra…" The magician tiredly drawled, lazily snapping his fingers to fling Preston's pillow onto his own head.
"… Oh, really?" The theatre kid gauged in a blasé tone, arms tightly fixed to his hips. After a brief, silent showdown, his friend sighed in defeat. "Well…" Preston started, spinning on his heel with exaggerated pizzazz. "I guess I'll go then-PLOT TWIST! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! SHAKESPEARE'S KING LEAR HAS BEEN ANTICIPATING AN AUDIENCE FOR FAR TOO LONG-"
Harrison finally snapped. Growling, he hurled a pillow at the theatre kid's stupefied face. Wasting no time, the magician proceeded to drag his other pillow out and over his aggravated temple. "Leave me alone, Preston." He mumbled, haunted yet unyielding in his position.
Preston would not… could never understand. For he hadn't been the witness. For he hadn't been the one to fight off the tantalizing arms of sweet slumber until the wee hours of dawn, perched on the lake's edge and begging beyond hope that the custodian would arise. In the end, Harrison failed to get even a wink of sleep. And he collapsed vacantly staring at the wall in his bunk, fully-clothed, only due to extreme exhaustion.
His friend looked both undeterred and concerned. Probably because Preston's alarm clock shouting had never failed in its efficiency. "You… are acting FUNNY, HARRISON!" He loudly accosted, pointing a finger at his face.
Well, funny was the furthest thing from Harrison's mind at that moment. "I didn't get any sleep last night…" The magician lamely offered to get him off his back.
"Dramatic irony is inappropriate right now!" Preston countered, unconvinced. "This is the scene where you unveil what's plaguing your mind!"
"I…" The magician faltered, gently closing his eyes. Was there no really escape from this conversation? Truthfully, Harrison was more than fine with turning into a human bat and sleeping through the day. That just gave him extra hours to continue his search for Quartermaster.
Alas, if he forever held his peace and didn't speak then Preston would surely hunt David or Gwen down… Actually, that might be the more appealing option. It would be ludicrously easier to trick the counsellors than his tent mate.
"I could pretend to be sick…? No, I can't maintain the temperature high while sleeping… And the soup does not taste good…" The magician drearily debated.
Apparently, he took too long to answer as Preston frowned. The theatre kid then coughed, breaking character. Which meant he miraculously ceased his shouting. "Seriously, what's going on with you?" His friend urged at a normal enough volume.
In the end, Harrison was tired. He'd been through this once already, the disappearance of someone he cared for. First, it had been Erich. And then it was Quartermaster. A second there, another gone. And the boy knew how things would proceed. Worry. Panic. Anger. All coalesced into a viscous, heinous sludge that only grew with time before eventually sinking into sullen faces.
There were small mercies. At least in the present, the little magician couldn't get blamed. Only feel guilt. And merely because no one could possibly know. However, those mercies tangled with dirty setbacks. With Erich, Harrison knew what went wrong and what he had to do to fix it. In Quartermaster's case… he didn't even know where to start!
Harrison exhaled, numbly bringing his head up and brushing loose hair from his eyes. "I'm just… worried."
—
"I wonder if David and Gwen have noticed he's gone…" Harrison grimly noted as they arrived at the Mess Hall for breakfast. He'd eventually dragged himself out of bed - if anything to relieve Preston of that particular fuss. Yet his friend persisted in shooting him concerned looks. Plus, the magician's delay caused them to be stuck dead-last in line.
His eye uncontrollably twitched from sleep deprivation.
"Hey, why's David making breakfast today? I thought that was Quartermaster's job! Did Quartermaster get fired?!" Nikki exclaimed, bouncing on the spot from the line's front. Harrison yawned.
"Maybe they finally realized what a creep he is and got rid of him." Max sagely nodded behind her.
A flicker of anger sparked before he stamped it out. The magician wouldn't be able to explain his defence of Quartermaster without delving into personal matters. "Besides, I'll just make sure their coffee machine breaks later…" Harrison reckoned. "We will see how they like that! Tada!"
"No one has been fired!" Gwen quickly denied, a slight panic to her face before she settled down. "Thank, God for that… Quartermaster… had a rough night. So, he's taking a breather today." The counsellor calmly explained, crossing her arms over her chest. "Basically, don't try to bug him. And don't make too much of a mess either, you brats." She added pointedly.
"Ah, so that's what they're going with…" Harrison hummed. It was a good plan he supposed. If his mentor was absent for another morning, they'd probably say he took a day off or something. But, they'd have to call the police eventually, right?
David chose that moment to interject. "But, even without Quartermaster's superb cooking talent, we can manage just fine!" He cheered, emerging from the kitchen with a bucket of scrambled eggs. "Why, I bet he'll be back before we know it!"
Harrison liked to believe that too. The magician sat at his usual place beside Preston, tray filled with fully-cooked eggs. There was a blank schedule for camp activities. "I wonder if David and Gwen are going to look for Quartermaster." He went. The counsellors likely wouldn't, seeing as the campers would only have Mister Campbell to rely on if something went amiss. But, even if David and Gwen did try their hands at tracking him down, they'd be out of luck. They wouldn't even find his hook. Harrison had taken great care in concealing that underneath the backstage boards.
He picked at his food, having lost most if not all of his appetite.
He could feel Preston's stare bore into his skull. The magician paused, weighed his options, and sighed. "So… " Harrison lightly started, attaching his displeasure to a ball and chain and kicking it off into the sea of his mind. "What is… Shakespeare's King Lear about…?" He forced through his teeth.
The magician knew he'd won when Preston's eyes lit up with stars. Privacy at the cost of his sanity. Joy.
However, Harrison's sacrifice only meant something for three minutes. After which, the theatre kid unexpectedly froze before glaring holes at him. Darn, that usually lasted entire mornings before. King Lear must be a really short play!
"AHA! I've seen through your deception, HARRISON!" Preston declared, pointing accusingly. "But, the tension has been drawn out far enough! Spill already!" He reiterated, fixing a stern gaze on him.
The magician refused to meet his eyes. Logically, Harrison was aware that if he made it steadfastly clear he was not talking, Preston would drop his interrogation. He was a good person like that. On the other hand… Harrison would feel like a horrible friend if he made the theatre kid worry about him for the rest of camp. But, a magician never revealed their hand.
Except… Harrison didn't have to tell the whole whole truth, did he?
"I will… tell you if it gets bad. Like, really, bad. Like, I burned down all of your scripts on accident bad. I'm okay right now. I'm good." He sported a good-natured smile to further sell the effect. And it would be okay. It would. "I'll just find Quartermaster!" The magician coped, shoving uncertainty away. So what if he didn't know the hows or the where! He believed in himself and he'd figure it out! "Somehow…"
Harrison was not about to let his worry wreck his friends' remaining time at camp.
"HMMMM…" Preston doubtfully judged his act, raising a finger to his chin.
"Come on, just pretend everything is normal? Please." Harrison said in his most laid back voice. It was both an answer and a non-answer. They both knew that. Even so, it appeared to mollify the theatre kid.
"… Very WELL! But, the moment I seeth thou art ailing! Nothing shall thwart me! NOTHING!" His friend humphed. He exhaled into his eggs. At least that was one problem out of the way. The second could be addressed once the magician was alone. However, Harrison wasn't about to pull the rug underneath Preston's feet and ditch after assuring him he was alright. An illusionist he may be, but not all tricks were appropriate!
Fortunately, dinner finished without another hiccup.
The two boys stood to leave, trading quips about stage presence. Yet before they could exit Nerris zoomed toward them. She took a large breath while lifting her chin. "Greetings Preston… And you too, Harrison." The girl cooly addressed with a smirk.
"Hi, Nerris." The magician rolled his eyes. Although, there was no real bad blood between them. "What is up?"
She cleared her throat. "I, Nerris the Cute, hereby invite you to participate in the first ever official Camp of Campbell Arcane: The Gathering Tournament of Wizards!" The elf-eared girl cordially stated.
Harrison paused. "That is a long name…"
"It's a perfectly reasonable length! Definitely better than just The Amazing Harrison's Magic Show!" Nerris mocked. "So, are you coming? Neil and Erid already said they'd join!" She added much more amiably.
Preston briefly glanced at him before responding. "I for one, think this is a stupendous idea! I AM IN!" The theatre kid pledged. Nerris practically vibrated with giddiness before focusing on Harrison. Her stare was intense, drilling into his resolve and initially causing him to stumble. Well, he did say that he wasn't going to run off at the first opportunity. And if it made his friends happy and not concerned… the magician thought it'd be worth it.
"Yeah, I will be there!" He performed on stage.
—
Another day…
Branches snapped and leaves crumpled under his feet. Harrison scrutinized the ground as if it were a card trick that had gone particularly awry. He was miraculously alone. For Preston saw fit to work on one of his script's final renditions while Nerris was galavanting somewhere with Erid. With his newfound freedom, the magician further combed through the forests to little success.
"I have to be missing something…" Harrison grimly thought as he meandered back into camp. It considerably helped treating the entire debacle like another one of his and Quartermaster's jobs. Well, it mainly served to dull the boy's stress and worry. "There's always a sign… I just need to figure out what it is!"
He was debating the ethical implications of human sacrifice when he spotted David sneaking behind the Mess Hall.
"Huh? I thought David was setting up Paper Mache Camp by the lake." The magician noted, approaching to spy on the counsellor. Upon closer inspection, the latter had brought out his cellphone and was typing with an agitated expression.
"Oh, darn…" David talked to himself. "Hello, I need to report-"
Harrison chose that moment to interrupt. "Hey, David. What's up?" He neutrally greeted.
In turn, the counsellor sprung into the air, nearly dropping his phone in the process. "Harrison?!" David shrieked, stuffing his device away. He coughed to gather his bearings before continuing. "Why, shouldn't you be at Magic Camp right now?"
The magician shrugged. "I am taking a break to recharge my magical prowess." He offered, wiggling his fingers beside his head. "Looking for Quartermaster…" His mind fired back. "What about you?"
"Oh, uh. Me?!" The other sputtered, pupils spinning in circles as he raised his arms. "I'm just… calling my bank! To make sure all is in order… heh…" David weakly supplied with a plastic grin.
Of course, Harrison was utterly oblivious to that. "Oh. That makes sense. Is that not kind of boring though?"
"Not at all! It's no issue! None! Nadda! I love sorting through my finances! Sure do ree!" David spoke, flustered and swinging his arm out. Harrison tilted his head. But, let the older man's strange behaviour go. Everyone expressed their passion differently, he supposed. Although, the magician would rather make someone else handle that for him. Or, enchant the papers to come to life and figure themselves out. It sounded immensely tedious.
"Okay." The boy said. A beat passed in silence. Harrison shifted on his feet. David blinked.
"... Say, what do you think of spaghetti for dinner tonight?" The counsellor eventually broke the silence, grin turning genuine.
"Oh, I like spaghetti." Harrison nonchalantly agreed.
"Well then, seeing as the end of camp is coming up on us, I think spaghetti shall do!" David beamed, resting his fists on his hips. "I don't know what Quarter… master was planning…" The words instantly died on his tongue as regret made eddies in his eyes. However, the counsellor quickly bounced back from his episode of despondency. "BUT, I'm sure he'd be a-okay with it! Yup!"
Harrison was quiet. When it came to his mentor, the boy's naiveté stepped back. He lowered his gaze unsurely before patting the older man's arm. "It's okay… I miss him too." The magician commiserated.
"Harrison…?" David repeated, stunned.
"Wait." The boy went, straightening up. He backed away and sniffed the air. "Is something… burning?"
Clouds violently tore through the sky. And wind curled around tree crowns as if being swept by a tsunami. Leaves were thrown upwards while a dominating quake shook. Yet howling filled the air like a warning carroll. It almost seemed that Mother Nature herself was recoiling from whoever walked her lands. Both males were rendered speechless, sights locked on the enigmatic force marching toward them.
Harrison's jaw dropped to the ground. "It's…"
Strolling forward as if it were any other day, Quartermaster stopped to acknowledge their presence. "Afternoon." His eyes narrowed. Eyes. Plural? "Staring's rude, you know." The magician didn't have any room to fully respond to that, simply advancing with a tumble.
His eyes were blown so wide, he was mildly surprised they didn't fall out. Despite the forest's wailing, Harrison deemed it void of sound. A beat passed before he finally found his voice. "QUARTERMASTER!" The boy shouted, charging forward… And tackled the old man with a hug. "You're okay!" Harrison cried out, uncompromising in his position.
The sentiment wasn't… exactly returned. "EH?! GET OFF OF ME! GET THE HELL OFF OF ME YOU-" Quartermaster bellowed, frantically shaking his leg and arm to escape the embrace.
Finally, after what must have been a few minutes, Harrison was ripped off and placed on his own two feet. But, that didn't deter the lopsided upturning of his lips. "Quartermaster!" David proceeded to wail uglily, racing forward with his arms outstretched. Unluckily for the counsellor, the elder was ready for him and drew his fist back. "Where were you-" BAM. David chuckled weakly as he gave Quartermaster his space, clutching his throat. "Sorry… " He sniffled.
"I took a sick leave. Problem with that, boy?" The old man pressed his fists together.
Fists. Plural.
David took notice of that little fun fact. "Y-Your hook-hand! Hand hook!" He sputtered, shakily pointing at his fleshy and very not metallic appendage.
Quartermaster shrugged his apparent shock off. "The miracles of modern medicine." He dully explained before making toward the Mess Hall. "Dinner time." The custodian monotoned, abandoning him and a gaping David.. But, not before slyly meeting Harrison's gaze and giving the most imperceptible of nods. "Later…"
—
So elated was the magician, he didn't even complain when Quartermaster served them his spaghetti - a grotesque assortment of bloody animal intestines. Harrison would definitely get sick at some point. But, who freaking cared about that when Quartermaster was back!
He and his mentor met up on the same night the latter returned. It was only in the Thinking Cave's complete privacy did the old man casually reveal his past. Everything, from The Master's purpose and eventual quartering to their tontine was explained. Harrison digested the information dump better than expected, mind one minor concern of whether Quartermaster was still Quartermaster now that he was whole.
"I'm not quitting, boy!" His mentor had gruffly retorted upon question, promptly answering that. Quartermaster would always be Quartermaster in both mind and title. Even if he had enough power to level the universe a million time's over.
Which brought them into the present, the final night of camp before they were due to return. And Harrison's final job with his mentor…
—
"Duck!" Harrison warned before shooting a pillar of fire over Quartermaster's head. The flames licked a thin branch, causing the frolicking bats above it to scatter. He jumped ahead of his mentor, hands coated with fumes and firepower. "This is actually pretty easy!" The boy observed, incinerating another colony.
"The encroachment of the fall equinox offers a brief respite to these dark times…" The old man muttered, catapulting off a loose rock to spear a particularly large beast in its stomach. He promptly licked its blood off his face.
Humming, the magician narrowly missed his next attack. "Oh, come on!" Harrison cursed, watching as the bat flew into night's expanse. It joined other screeching creatures above them, congregating into one large cesspool of wings and teeth. They watched the dark whirlpool for a few minutes until the boy tilted his head. "Huh? Are they just… staying up there?"
"Cowardliness is effective when clawing onto life." Quartermaster blankly stated. Muddy, seed-like bat droppings rained down on them, infesting the area with their foul odour.
"Hey-EW!" The magician yelped, hopping around to avoid the stool storm before summoning an umbrella from his hat. Meanwhile, the elder appeared complacent as droppings piled around him. Harrison took the liberty of floating a large branch above Quartermaster, mainly for his own sake. Standing near, the boy glanced up at the morphing colony, perturbed. "I don't think I can shoot them all from here…" He stated, cringing at the smell.
His mentor humphed, spitting on wet ground. "Amateur." He flatly remarked, removing himself from the branch's sanctity. "Watch and learn, boy." Quartermaster flippantly declared, raising his arm to the stars.
Tremors erupted as the elder's magic wrestled control away from their world's natural powers. Admittedly, Harrison was rather focused on keeping his umbrella cover straight than maintaining balance. Yet even he stalled to watch the master at work. Quartermaster started to chant in a low, otherworldly voice. And as he finished, a thousand chains composed of pale bones and hair shot out from the earth. They stretched across the sky, impaling every single bat and showering them with scarlet.
Quartermaster slowly turned, cracking his head while moonlight shone on him. "Woah…" Harrison breathed out, mouth dry. Although, it would've looked cooler had the area not been stool-laden. But, he digressed. It was that epic. "That is awesome…"
His mentor being able to do magic - let alone herculean feats of legend - was something he needed to get used to. It certainly made jobs speedier from time to time. However, it seemed Quartermaster himself was still adapting to having powers again. Hence, they continued to do things the old fashioned way. Or, was it new fashion? Since technically the elder's original methods were arcane-based. Time was strange.
The chains crumbled to dust as they reconvened. "It is what it is." Quartermaster commented, and was it Harrison's imagination or did he seem vaguely proud?
"That is it then, right? All done for Summer." The magician surmised in a fond tone. Fond, a concept that he would've called impossible in early August.
They found a cozy, grassy spot to sit on near the cliffs. He looked across at the vast wilderness spread out before him, listened to wondrous nature in all its glory. The boy felt at ease as the forest slept soundly. It was quiet. But, unlike the suffocating silent pressure to speak at his house. It was a good kind of quiet. The peaceful kind where all in the world felt right.
"So it would seem." His mentor nodded from next to him.
"Hey, Quartermaster." Harrison affectionately started, cheekily stuffing his hand in his hat.
The old man didn't bother with looking toward him. "What is it, boy?" He grumbled while picking his nose.
"Let's celebrate!" The boy cheered, pulling out a strawberry yogurt drink for himself. "Tada! Here," Harrison continued, summoning a bottle of rat poison and handing it to a curious Quartermaster.
In turn, the old man weighed the green concoction in his palms, lifting a brow at him. "Huh? Where'd you nab this from? My store's locked tight." He tentatively sipped, a contented noise leaving his throat.
"I made some extra coins for myself during the last grocery trip." Harrison replied, nonplussed. A smooth operation if he did say so himself. The cashier didn't even look fazed upon ringing the suspicious items up! Quartermaster accepted the answer with a shrug. And as they drank, the magician allowed himself to reflect on the past month.
He paused, glancing at his mentor. It wasn't long before a soft smile lit up the boy's face. "I can't believe I am going to say this. But, even though I have freaked my mind out probably more times than is healthy, I am going to miss this…" Harrison whistled as the night slumbered in peace.
—
"I think I got everything!" The magician remarked to his friend as they finished packing.
"As do I!" Preston supported, hauling a hefty bag over his shoulder. It was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of manuscripts - in innumerable stages of completion - that he'd penned during the season. It wasn't even all of them… Preston was leaving the deplorable drafts behind. "Summer's fall could not march sooner! Everyone at home shall marvel at my unrivalled talent! They'll laud me, erect a marble statue of my image, and shout the grand name of Preston Goodplay through the streets!" The theatre kid boldly claimed, very much in the deep territory of ego.
Recently, Preston had taken note of the magician's improved demeanour. Thus, they were able to spend their final days at Camp Campbell in genuinely high spirits. Highlight number one was watching Nerris get owned by Neil in the Arcane: The Gathering final. Highlight number two was watching Neil sweat to earn that win. Highlight number three was the sweet knowledge that Harrison won no matter the match's result.
"I am looking forward to a good night's sleep." Harrison shook his head, half joking and half not.
His friend missed that point entirely. "A most understandable desire! I too am eager to catch but a wink of sleep without nature's unholy hallows!"
In response, the magician playfully rolled his eyes. "This feels strange. It almost was like Summer would never end." Harrison wistfully commented as they studied their barren tent.
"I AGREE! Yet as they say, all good things must reach their end… I suppose good COULD be debatable in this case though!" Preston added with a thoughtful hum. Unfortunately, the boys lacked the time to ruminate on their memories. "We should be off now. Lest Quartermaster leave us behind to ROT!"
Seeing as the elder was returning himself, Harrison doubted he'd do such a thing. But, he naturally kept mum. Instead, Harrison pulled on his backpack and followed Preston to the Mess Hall. Yet as they walked, a single, bittersweet thought stood in his mind. "Bye, Camp Campbell…"
—
Harrison shot awake, bumping his head into a window as someone roughly shook his arms. "Harrison, you dummy! Wake up! We're here!" Nerris shouted in his face. Behind her was a gleeful Preston, watching with rapt attention. Most of their other friends had left or were in the process of leaving. Harrison must have dozed off at some point. Hey, it was a long trip!
"Okay, okay, I am up! Stop shouting!" He exclaimed, shoving Nerris off of him. Outside, the boy heard the sounds of bustling crowds and traffic jams.
She huffed, spinning down the bus aisle. "Grab your dumb illusion stuff, Harrison. I didn't get to introduce you to my parents during Parents' Day!" Nerris incessantly pushed. And before he could answer she'd already flown toward the doors.
The magician shot a pointed look at a gasping Preston. But, his friend simply clapped him on the shoulder. Afterwards, Preston made his own exit, obsessively scribbling in a notebook that Harrison - with dread - thought held his and Nerris' names on it. "I am not thinking about what he's using that for…" He shivered, stretching his atrophied legs upon standing.
Harrison took his time walking, drawing out every movement. However, his stalling amounted to nothing as he reached up front. Quartermaster was at the helm, wearing his eyepatch and a modified hook over his reclaimed hand. When the boy had asked, all the elder had stated was something about too much attention and whatnot. Harrison had trouble believing any of the campers or counsellors would describe their Quartermaster at length. Yet he wasn't about to question that kind of paranoia anymore.
"So… this it it." The magician faintly said, watching strangers come and go beyond the doors.
His mentor paused, if even for a minuscule fraction of a moment. "… Finally." He grumbled, methodically tapping the wheel.
"Um…" Harrison started, at a loss for words. As a magician on stage he enjoyed a splendid, riveting finale. Simultaneously, the boy had never been big on goodbyes. They always seemed painfully awkward at best and grief-glutton at worst.
Quartermaster sighed, slugging his arms across his chest. "Spit it out, boy. I don't got all day."
"Right, sorry…" His face burned. "Thanks for showing me how to improve my magic. And for teaching me about all the stuff that happens around camp at night. If you are okay with it… " Harrison stalled, taking a deep breath. "… Can I still assist next year?" He was completely aware that Quartermaster didn't need his help, especially now that he'd won his powers back.
"Hmm…" The elder leaned into his seat. "Well, could use someone to cover a few shifts if I want to fuck."
The boy excitedly sprung to life, bouncing on his feet while balling his hands in front of him. "Is that a yes?!"
"Sure." Quartermaster shrugged.
"Yes! Thank you!" Harrison cheered, although enough common sense remained to not go in for another hug. An awkward second passed in silence. Although, the magician's smile didn't falter one bit. "Okay… I am going to go now." He randomly blurted out, marching his body toward the door.
"…Boy." His mentor spoke up.
The magician stopped on the bus's last step. "Yeah?" He went, rotating his perplexed head.
The old shuffled in his seat. "… You're a good kid… If you ever get framed for murder and need a place to hide out, you know where to find me." Quartermaster reluctantly related, a foreign tinge of uncertainty coating him. However, the boy heard his underlying meaning and grinned.
Harrison warmly laughed as he turned and left. "See you next Summer, Quartermaster."
"Hmph, that you will, boy. That you will." His mentor cordially saluted him. Then the doors slammed shut. And with those final parting words, the Eternal Custodian departed.
—
He found his parents near the back of the station, away from the other adults. "Mom! Dad!" Harrison yelled to catch their attention, lips curved in a blinding smile. Unfortunately… they shrieked upon seeing him, backing off ever so slightly. The magician felt himself wilt at their reaction. "Oh… you're still doing that…" The boy sadly noted, approaching like a scolded child.
"… H-Harrison!" His Mother hesitated, before slowly stepping forward.
He lowered his gaze, but forced a smile. "Hey…"
"D-Did you learn how to… how to…?" His Father shakily asked, standing next to her. The unfinished implication was loud and clear. "Did you learn how to bring Erich back home?" Not wasting any time then, huh?
"I think so." Harrison nodded, shoving his arms behind his back. At his words, his parents seemed to jolt from a sudden burst of energy. Eyes wide, his Mother grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. "Hey!" The boy protested, glancing over his shoulder to see the other campers mingling with their families. "Mom! I don't want to go home yet!"
Immediately, the woman released him, reeling from the small anger in his voice. And immediately, Harrison felt shame cloud his mind. "Or, uh, it's okay… I just wanted to talk with my friends first…" The end of his statement was nearly imperceptible with how quiet he spoke.
Again, his parents shared a strange look. "N-No, no, it's fine, H-Harrison. We can wait…" His Father reassured, clasping his Mother's hand tightly.
Harrison shyly dipped his chin before nodding. "Okay… thanks, Mom and Dad…" The boy said, promptly hurrying to meet with Preston and Nerris before they went their separate ways.
About twenty minutes of back-and-forth and meeting their respective parents - minus Harrison's who kept to themselves - passed. Afterwards, the three friends made plans to call each other once they made it home. However, as Harrison walked behind his parents to his Father's ancient car, he couldn't help but study the other families.
Preston's Grandmother gave him a peck on the cheek.
Nerris' Father carried her on his shoulders while her Mother watched with concern.
Just like how Harrison's family used to be before Erich's disappearance. Yet now they looked at him with worry… and fear. Old, dark thoughts crept into Harrison's mind. "Dad and Mom didn't think I was going to hurt them… right?" That whole episode on Erich's birthday. "They're not scared of ME, are they?" He questioned, grasping his backpack's straps like his life depended on it.
That doubt refused to halt even as they started down the road. Something wasn't right. But, what was that something?"This is stupid. They love me. They're not scared of me. They're not! THEY'RE NOT!" Harrison mentally screamed, hitting his own forehead to make the thoughts stop. But the fear was back and it wasn't leaving any time soon.
it wouldn't… be the worst idea to just ask… right?
They'd tell him he was being silly. They'd surely put such silly thoughts to rest.
"Mom… Dad…" Harrison quietly croaked out, with his hands tightly clenched on his knees. He kept his eyes glued to the dusty, grey mat below his feet. Both anxiety and eagerness gnawed at the magician's chest. He could feel magic brimming beneath his skin, ready to pounce at a moment's command. At his command.
"Y-Yes… Harrison…? S-Son…" His Mother replied with her ever-present stutter. He wondered how they fared without him at home, surrounded by memories of their children. Or were they memories of child and… devil?
Harrison opened his mouth but found his tongue uncooperative. The car's tension built with each second of screaming silence.
…
…
…
"Are you… scared of me?" He broke it and watched the pieces fall. Harrison's parents twitched like frightened animals. His Father's hands trembled on the wheel while his eyes remained chained to the gravel road.
They paused…
They paused…
They paused…
The magician felt the pause twist and shatter his heart.
"… O-Of course we d-don't, H-Harrison!" His Mother scrambled to reply. The boy's heart pounded in his chest like an elephant's stampede. Loud, loud, and LOUDER. Soon, the sound of the car driving across the country roads faded along with the wind rushing through them. The quiet wrapped around his throat and strangled him. Yet Harrison somehow found the nerve to speak.
"You didn't ask me how I was or that you missed me! You haven't told me that for months! You never replied to any of my letters! You haven't told me that you loved me, or given me a real smile ever since Erich-" Harrison desperately shouted, hitting the sides of his seat.
"Don't bring him up!" His Father joined the quarrel, a venomous bite in his voice that was foreign to Harrison's ears. However, the return of his parents' emotions other than fear or despair only served to incense him further.
"You know I'd never hurt you on purpose, right?!" Harrison demanded, a sob escaping his control. "You know I didn't want to make Erich disappear?" He cried, leaning forward. "You can't even look at me! Please, LOOK AT ME!" The magician begged his parents to turn around and see his earnest grief. It was as if a bomb had been set off within his body. Sorrow coursed through his veins. The world felt tilted.
"H-Harrison. Harrison, that's enough." His Mother finally stressed with a fresh iron steel. The boy's parents shared a fearful glance and protectively gripped the car. For the first time in his life, Harrison knew why…
His magic gripped the swirling memories and feelings inside his shattered heart and surged.
And Harrison. Forced. It. Down.
"… I would never hurt our family on purpose…" Harrison whispered in a deathly quiet voice. The pulsing rage abandoned him and left the boy exhausted. His eyes were wide, and salty tears silently rained down his cheeks. The pitter patter of his life bending. "… Erich is my baby brother… " He painfully mumbled, loud as thunder. And crossed his arms across his chest as shadows fell over the car.
The little magician missed how his parents shared another look, softer, a tinge more guilty than the last.
Harrison missed the water that slid down his Mother's cheek, as she glanced at him in the sideview mirror.
—
He had never felt more awake than in that moment, despite avoiding sleep like the plague during their drive home. Harrison stood in the living room, in the exact same spot he and Erich had performed those years ago. The boy felt his parents' cowed eyes behind him, watching, worrying, wary. But, he was stone-faced to them.
"It's time to come home, Erich…" The older brother thought, draping a curtain overhead. Meanwhile, the sun set behind him, embracing the walls with golden hues. Amazing. Just, amazing…
Harrison had never felt more confident in himself. "And now return…"
—
Author's Notes: Chapter was originally titled "Back and Forth", but I learned about the Torn and Restored magic trick from an AWESOME Harrison-centric fanfic by AqauQuadrant and thought it fit better. In retrospect, it would've been really nice to name every chapter after a magic trick or general magician reference. But, I do like some of the titles I gave that aren't related. So, you win some you lose them, eh?
I got worried about this chapter's pacing halfway through. For example, the section of Harrison and Preston leaving camp was going to be a lot longer and match what was shone in the "With Friends Like These." But I realized it was just plain unnecessary and cut it. Furthermore, I was going to detail the ENTIRE conversations with Preston and Nerris with their parents. However… I just didn't want to. Finally, I got concerned about not detailing Quartermaster's explanation to Harrison. So, for A WHILE I was debating switching the order up to end this chapter at the "Later", make his interlude come after, and then continue from there. But, I ended up liking it how it is!
Also, I actually had Harrison's confrontation with his parents written out during Chapter Two. It might be one of my favourite parts of this fanfic if I'm being honest. Like, my goal for Harrison's development character-wise was to lessen his guilt about Erich and to realize that his parents' fear was not okay. Which I tried to represent with his magic skill.
Anyways, the epilogue will be next! I'm not expecting it to be long or anything. Actually, it might be… considerably short. But, I'll leave my thoughts on that for its own notes.
Please tell me your thoughts below and have a SUPERB day! Until next time!