Amity tried to have fun as best she could while she was in the water: after all, that could have been one of the very last chances she had to swim in the sea since it wasn't long until the day she became a full-fledged witch, and they still didn't know if that would keep her from touching the water or if her human half would grant her that little favor. However, she couldn't relax: her gaze continued to go to Luz, who was lying on the beach sunbathing while she and the others were there in the water together. Just that would normally make her sad... but to make matters worse, now she had something very important to talk about with Luz, and she almost felt like the puppet was avoiding her.
She was tempted to slap herself. She had spent practically the whole night awake wondering why she had done such a stupid thing. How would Luz react? Judging by her behavior she didn't seem angry or annoyed, but it was as if she was trying not to talk about that specific event... and maybe it was for the best. Amity would have preferred to remove it from the puppet's memory and forget it herself.
Although... she actually didn't want to forget it at all. The taste of the wood Luz was made of still permeated her lips, as if it were glued to them, and she didn't want it to leave; and Amity didn't know how it was possible, but it tasted like the best in the universe, even better than prunes, her favorite food. If she could, she would have immersed her lips in that beautiful contact again... and maybe this time she would have kissed Luz's lips... and maybe... maybe their tongues would have intertwined too... and...
Amity realized that the heat on her face was reaching such levels that the water around her almost reached the boiling point and began to evaporate; embarrassed and hoping that no one had seen her, she dived deep to cool off a little in the cold water under the surface, cold water which however instantly went from twenty degrees to over forty as soon as it touched her cheeks, and only when she was sure of having cooled the boiling spirits she resurfaced. However, she knew she couldn't postpone a confrontation indefinitely, so with an excuse she left the others and returned to the beach.
Luz was a little surprised to see her leave the water so soon. "Hey... aren't you having fun?" she asked her.
"Well... yes, but not as much as I would like" Amity sighed as she sat down next to her. "Luz, why did you want to come here? I can see from your eyes that you wish you could be there with us to play. Why did you come knowing you wouldn't get in the water?"
Luz got sad eyes, but still she smiled as she watched Hunter and Willow swimming together, Emira trying to drown Edric (they were joking... right?) or Gus, Matt and King playing with the ball. "Well... I didn't want to stop you from having fun" she answered. "I mean, look at them... they're bursting with joy. Gus and Willow have never been able to swim, and I also think that just from what Hunter saw, Willow considers this day a success... and so do the others, and you, who maybe soon you won't be able to do it anymore... I didn't feel like being the one who stopped you from coming to the seaside. I like it too, or at least I liked it before... well, you know. It's a beautiful place, and taking a trip I like it all here together, even if I can't get into the water"
Amity couldn't help but smile admiringly. Yep, that was exactly what Luz would do. She put the needs of the others before her own, she was altruistic. It was one of the most beautiful things about her. "You were really generous. You always are"
"Heh heh! Now don't exaggerate" Luz giggled awkwardly.
"But it's not fair that you don't have fun" Amity told her. "Maybe afterwards we could play a bit here, on the beach. We have a ball, we can use it out here too. I'm sure Boscha would agree just to be able to hit someone with the ball"
"I bet that someone will be me. And yes, that would definitely be something Boscha would do" Luz laughed heartily, only to then notice the absence of the magenta-haired girl: "By the way, where are Boscha and Skara?"
"Uh… I think I saw them swimming towards the rocks over there" Amity said, pointing to a small pile of rocks nearby that was sticking out of the water. "Oh, there they are! You have to look closely, they're half hidden behind that..."
Both Luz and Amity fell silent when they realized the reason why Boscha and Skara had separated themselves from the others: the two girls had their mouths glued to each other and judging by the way they were moving them they were giving their tongues a lot of activity. Amity and Luz immediately turned away. There was silence for a moment, then Luz whispered: "Well... it seems like their relationship... is progressing well"
"Yeah..." Amity murmured as her heart began to run a marathon as an image of her and a certain puppet in the same position appeared in her mind. "Good for them..."
"Yeah, good for them..." Luz said twiddling her thumbs, trying hard to push the vision of her and Amity playing some 'games' with their tongues out of her brain.
Both girls' hearts were beating again as if they were trying to break through their rib cages and run away... or maybe they were trying to get out so they could finally reach out and touch each other. Silence fell between Luz and Amity again, and each second that passed seemed as long as a century; in the end Amity whispered: "Do you want to... take a walk?"
"Yes... yes, that sounds like a good idea to me" Luz nodded in agreement.
The two girls tried to get up normally, but they almost fell on top of each other as their legs seemed to have become too weak to hold them, and even after they managed to keep their balance they continued to shake so badly that it was impossible not to notice them. "Heh heh... I must have put in too much physical effort in the water!" Amity hurriedly said to justify the shaking in her legs.
"Yes... yes, I understand!" Luz said back to her; she would have replied with 'yes, I also put in a lot of physical effort, that's why my legs are shaking!', but a familiar tingling in her nose reminded her that she shouldn't do it.
Despite their legs continued to shake, the two girls began walking along the beach and away from the others, and soon they were completely alone. When they realized that there was practically no one around them anymore, and that they were therefore alone as if they had implemented a romantic getaway or had secluded themselves like Boscha and Skara, they both began to blush again at an alarming rate. "Um... Amity, are you feeling okay? You're a little red" Luz asked as she saw the lavender haired girl starting to look more like a tomato than a person.
"Um... sure! I just got some sun!" Amity exclaimed, and the voice that came out of her mouth, no matter how convincing she tried to sound, was as shrill as violin music. She tried to stop blushing, but with each passing second her cheeks became more and more colored; her body was definitely more honest than her mouth. "And you? You're a little red too"
"Uh... don't worry! I told you, Eda made me this special potion, I don't risk getting too much sun!" Luz replied, being careful not to tell a single lie, and then she immediately changed the subject: "But... you don't have it, so it's better to rest for a moment if you've gotten some sun! Here, let's sit on that rock!"
Luz and Amity climbed onto a large stone that seemed almost shaped like a sofa, and sat on it; as soon as they did Amity immersed her feet in the water, while Luz instead kept hers away from it and actually hugged her knees to make sure she didn't lose her balance. Seeing her like this, Amity forgot her embarrassment for a moment and took on a sad expression: "I... I'm sorry you can't go into the water, Luz"
"You don't have to be sorry, it's not your fault" Luz replied, then she looked at Amity's feet immersed in the sea. "Is it... good?"
Amity didn't know exactly how to answer, but in the end she chose to be honest: "Yes, it's good. It's refreshing" she replied, then she asked: "Have you... never gone swimming in the sea?"
"Well... no, actually" Luz replied. "There was that time Viney threw me into the water... but we were in the middle of the ocean and I didn't really enjoy it... I was too busy arguing with her to let me get back on board"
"Who is Viney?" Amity asked, but she immediately regretted it when she saw a dark veil pass over the puppet's face. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked..."
"No, no, it's okay. I'm fine with you knowing... I don't want to have secrets from you" Luz replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Viney... she was a pirate. I met her while I was looking for my mother at sea. Me, my sister and her girlfriend, as well as obviously Gus and Willow, were traveling on a small boat and suddenly we came across a huge ship full of pirates and their captain, Salty, welcomed us aboard before a storm rolled in. Viney was the first officer... she was a girl about our age, and even though she was a little rough, she was still my friend... she helped me to gain courage after Eda had turned into a monster the first time because of my actions. She wasn't my only friend on that ship, there were also Jerbo, and Barcus... but I had more affinity with her. She was really tough, you know... just think that I saw her jump in the face of a shark the size of a house, and in the middle of a storm to boot!"
Amity found herself smiling without meaning to; Luz had a hint of sadness on her face, but at the same time she seemed to be reliving a good moment. "She must have been a really great friend"
"Yeah... although I still haven't forgiven her for throwing me into the sea" Luz said with a big laugh, then she added: "And I haven't even forgiven Gus and Willow for encouraging her to do it, or Vee for having indirectly suggested the idea!"
Amity let the puppet laugh, then she asked: "Vee... was that the sister you were talking about?"
Luz's expression darkened a little, but she didn't lose her smile. "Yes, exactly. She was my lovely sister. I was traveling with her to find our mother, with her and her girlfriend, Masha"
Amity didn't know how appropriate it was to continue asking for more information, given that sooner or later it would awaken some unpleasant memories, but she was still curious to know that part of Luz's life that she still knew too little about. "Was she a puppet too?"
"No, she was a basilisk" Luz replied, then noticing her confused expression she quickly explained: "She was my adoptive sister. I met her in a prison. Her cruel aunt had locked her up there, but I welcomed her into the family. She was adorable, trust me: her face looked like that of a peluche! She saved me a couple of times while we were looking for my mother"
"Wow... she really seems like... a great sister..." Amity murmured indecisively, then although she wasn't sure if she would regret it she asked: "And your mom... what was she like?"
Luz's body tensed, and the puppet hugged her shoulders tightly and bit her lip. "Y-You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to!" Amity was quick to say. "Sorry, I was really..."
"No... no, it's okay. I want you... to know about her" Luz said in a voice close to a whisper. "My mother... she was the best mother in the world. Her name was Camila, Camila Noceda. She carved puppets for the children and even sold her jacket to buy me my school book... and even when she had to be strict with me, she never punished me too harshly, not even when I almost put her in jail because of that bitchy guard... I did so many mischief on her, but she always forgave me everything, and never stopped having trust in me until the end... even... even in that moment... she told me that... that she forgave me... an instant before... that the sea parted... and... and..."
Amity realized that Luz was starting to tremble, and instinctively she took her hand; the puppet jumped at that contact, but still she squeezed the girl's palm. Amity looked at her intently, then she said: "Luz... I appreciate you wanting to talk to me about these people who seem so wonderful, but don't force yourself to do it if it hurts you. Take your time, I'll always be here ready to listen to you. And anyway... I don't need any further description... because even from the little I've heard... it seems clear to me that your mother was a marvelous person. And I'm happy that you have all these beautiful memories of her and of all these other people"
Luz's lips curved into a smile; a tear fell from her eyes, but it wasn't sadness. "Amity... I'll never stop saying you're an angel. Thank you" she said; she was silent for a moment, then her eyes widened: "Hey, it's true... I have beautiful memories... how is it possible?"
"Huh? What are you saying?" Amity asked her confused.
Luz swallowed. "Ever since... well, what happened... I haven't been able to remember my mother, or my sister, or my old friends in any way other than... that. Every time I tried to remember when we laughed or joked together, I only saw the sea opening up and a monster coming out of it. But now... now I remembered them for the good moments... while I was talking to you about it, I almost never thought about that horrible moment... how is this possible? Why I cannot before... and now I can?"
Amity didn't have a good answer; in fact she wasn't even sure she had just an answer. "Well... maybe because you talked to someone about it, instead of trying to remember on your own"
"Or maybe because I talked to you about it" Luz said without thinking, and when she realized it she turned red to the tips of her ears. "Um... that is... well... I don't..."
Amity had also turned red and felt as if her heart had jumped into her throat. "I-It's nothing" she whispered. Then their gaze lowered and they seemed to realize only then that they were holding hands; their cheeks literally seemed to be on fire and the air around them almost heated up, and they both looked away, but still neither of them let go of the other's hand; both of their brains were screaming at them to do it, but it was as if their fingers had taken on a life of their own and not only they adamantly refused to separate, but in fact they kept gripping each other tighter and tighter.
While trying to dispel the embarrassment, Luz still found the mental clarity to think about what had just happened: she had never been able to remember her mother, Vee or anyone else differently at the moment Belos had devoured them, not even while he talked about it with Eda. Yet in that moment she had succeeded... she had remembered her mother's smile, or Vee's funny face, or Viney's laugh; she had remembered so many things that she thought she had lost forever in her memory. Had Amity actually had any kind of beneficial effect on her?
A thought began to creep into her mind. She lowered her gaze and looked at the brackish water beneath her; just thinking about what had happened the last time she tried to touch it made her blood run cold. But still she gathered courage and with some reluctance abandoned her previous position and lowered her feet until she immersed them in the water. "Luz! What are you doing!?" Amity exclaimed when she saw her, but she ignored her.
As soon as the salty liquid touched the wood she was made of, Luz immediately felt her heart start to beat wildly and her breathing become extremely labored; just like the last time the world seemed to disappear before her eyes and become dark, and she seemed to see two immense blue eyes in front of her like the corpses of two dead stars... but instinctively she squeezed Amity's hand, and just as she did so for some reason she felt stronger, braver, and Belos' face seemed to falter before her.
Amity was already about to take Luz's feet out of the water, but she stopped when she realized that the puppet wasn't having a crisis as bad as last time, but in fact she seemed to be handling it quite well... and she clearly felt her fingers tightened around her hand, and she hastened to reciprocate; not only that, but she stood up and taking advantage of the fact that the water there was so shallow that it didn't even reach her ankles, she moved in front of Luz and took her other hand too. "Luz... are you sure?"
Luz bit her lip, but then she nodded. "Yes... yes, I'm sure" she replied, and with an inhuman effort she stood up and took a step into the shallow water, moving away from the rock; even though the water was now soaking nothing but her feet, giving up touching dry land immediately intensified her panic attack. She felt her heart beat faster and her breathing quicken, and the hallucinations became more intense, and she heard Belos's horrible voice in her ears again...
But Amity came closer to her and touched her face with her forehead. "Luz" she whispered to her. "Repeat after me: we can fix this together"
Amity's voice was low, but it rang in Luz's ears like a drum, making Belos's practically non-existent; and the puppet, even though she was still on the verge of an epileptic fit, found herself smiling as she heard the same words she had said to her to calm her down at the rugby match repeated. "We… we can fix this together" she said, then she whispered: "Amity… can you hug me… please?"
The lavender-haired girl didn't have to be told again and immediately wrapped her arms around the puppet's body, feeling it tremble beneath them, and held her tightly to her; Luz reciprocated and grabbed Amity as if she were a stuffed animal that a scared child was holding to gain courage and overcome her fear of the darkness. She kept seeing Belos' eyes in front of her, and yet... at the same time she could feel the wonderful softness of Amity's body, her scent in her nostrils, and see that wonderful cotton candy colored hair that made her want to try to eat them... and she felt good, more and more good, and as much as the monster in front of her roared and scared her, Amity's mere presence made her feel safe. And then the lavender-haired girl whispered in her ear: "Luz... I'm here. I'll always be here. I'm not going anywhere. You're safe now. There's no monster. It's over. Don't think about it. Think about good things. Think about when we played rugby together. Think about when we had a pillow fight. Think about when Gus, Willow and Matt became human. Think about when you met King. Think about when we became friends..." and she continued like this for quite a while.
The two girls remained in that position for almost a quarter of an hour, and the more time passed the more Luz's body relaxed, her heartbeat slowed down and with it her breathing, and her body's attention no longer seemed focused to the brackish liquid that bathed her feet but to the beautiful body of the cotton candy hair goddess that she held in her arms; and Belos' hallucination became more and more confused and faded, until it disappeared completely. Finally, Luz stopped shaking completely; Amity noticed and looked into her eyes; the two girls nodded at each other, and then they both nooded and let the other go. Luz found herself without anyone to touch or hug anymore, but despite this, apart from an initial shiver, her body had no reaction. She waited for ten seconds, then twenty, then thirty, and still there was no reaction; just the pleasant sensation of the cool water washing over her feet. When she realized that the puppet almost started crying with happiness: "Amity... Amity, I did it! I'm okay now! I am not scared anymore!"
Amity in turn seemed to explode with joy. "Oh, Luz!" she exclaimed with a broad smile. "I am so proud of you!"
Luz playfully wiggled her feet and splashed some water on Amity, making her laugh. The puppet was in seventh heaven: she was in the sea... but she wasn't panicking anymore! She felt like a normal person! "Do you think... I should try to dive more...?"
"Later" Amity told her quickly. "You've already done so much now. Rest for a moment and enjoy this victory. Later... we'll try to go a little further"
"Yes... yes, you're right" Luz admitted; as galvanized as she was, she too agreed that it was best not to overdo it. "Thank you, Amity. I couldn't have done it without you"
Amity scratched her hair embarrassed, but with a wide smile on her face. "It was no big deal" she said. "I will always be here for... for you"
It wasn't difficult to understand what she meant by that 'for you', and in fact they both blushed as soon as they realized what she had just said. There was a moment of awkward silence between them, then Luz gathered courage and said: "Amity... I would like to talk... about what happened yesterday"
Chapter 83: Amity triggers Luz's PTSD
Chapter 134: Amity helps Luz to fight her PTSD
If that's not character evolution, I don't know what is