BREAKING THE FANTASY
Written by Gwendolyn Frost. Note: Did a little editing on the previous chapters.
That following morning, Amity was sitting on the couch down in the basement - telling everyone but Camila of that weird dream she had last night. Luz was sitting next to her on her right side with Willow a little farther away on her left, while Vee, Hunter and Gus were listening while they were sitting on the floor. Amity was holding a bag of ice over the right side of her forehead, having woken up that morning with an intense headache that she blamed her nightmare for. Sitting on Amity's lap was Ghost -her palisman- who meowed at her every now and then.
"So, what you're telling us is… that you spoke with a spirit last night?" Willow asked after hearing the end of Amity's tale.
While holding the bag of ice closer to her head, the pink haired witch shook her head. "I'm not sure, I'm just telling you what I dreamt of last night."
"Of course it was a real spirit!" Luz exclaimed, her face showcasing a bright smile and a sparkle in her eyes. "So, is this something you can do now? Would you be able to do this again?"
"Luz, please. Don't scream on my face…" Amity pleaded as she shut her eyes in pain.
"Oh, right! I'm sorry! I mean…" Luz realized she was being too loud still and so whispered her apology before bringing the question once more. "I'm sorry, sweet potato. But… is it possible you can contact the spirit of Thomas Morton again?"
"Look, Luz. I know you're excited…" Amity sighed. "But I want you to try not to get your hopes up. First of all, I cannot tell for sure if this was real. There's the possibility that Masha's stories, visiting the Morton Ranch, the movie last night and that loud buzzing sound coming from the TV seeping into my dream may have made my head fabricate this elaborate nightmare."
"But you told me last night you saw something at the ranch… and you told me that your mother used to give you Oracle Magic lessons." Luz said as she tried desperately to hold onto that hope that Amity was asking of her to let go.
"Yeah… I know. Which brings me to my next theory…" Amity said as she rubbed the bag of ice on the other side of her forehead. "That if in any case this whole dream was real… then it was Thomas Morton that contacted me. Why? I have no idea. Like I told you last night. I'm not an oracle like my mother. My knowledge of this type of magic is very limited. I have no idea what triggered it. For all I know, it may have been my own heart that did it. I've barely even done any magic since we arrived into the Human Realm. All I've done is infuse magic into food so that Vee can recharge her ability to shapeshift. Who knows… maybe my heart is trying to compensate for my lack of doing magic by venting through these little episodes that I've got no control of."
"Ok, I understand. But this is incredible, nonetheless!" Luz exclaimed with a glee in her voice. "There's a door out there in Herlock Woods. Think about it. Every now and then, Eda would make me go to the shore to check for Boiling Sea-Slugs carcasses, they literally eat anything and with anything… I mean mostly trash. And many times that trash often comes from the Human Realm. There may be other doors out there in the Boiling Isles other than the one Eda found…"
"Yeah, but you are forgetting about one crucial detail." Willow said with a serious look on her face. "There's something guarding that door. If Amity's dream is real and if your theory is correct and there is a door connecting the Human Realm and our home, there's something out there that's probably traversing through both Realms."
"Right…" Luz said. "Were you able to see what it was?" She asked Amity, who shook her head with her eyes shut in a little bit of pain.
"No… I remember that it tried peering into the shack several times through the window. I was only able to see a large shape. It was big… it made the whole house shake when it was crawling all over it."
"Ok…" Luz said. "So it is something big, with claws maybe, that's capable of imitating voices. What kind of creature from the Boiling Isles fits that description?"
They all pondered about it for a solid minute or two before Willow raised her voice to point out a suspect. "Well… I'm not sure if I should say it. But there's that Basilisk that broke into Hexside last year, remember?"
Luz looked nervously at her green haired friend as she gestured to her with her eyes to look at Vee still in the room. "I don't think that's something we should talk about… Willow."
"It's ok, Luz. It doesn't bother me at all." Vee said while looking at her with a smile. "It would be naive of me to think all of my kind have good intentions. I cannot speak for that Basilisk you talk of, but the ones I knew were very nice towards me and other witches… until we were captured by them." She said with a sad tone in her voice.
"I'm sorry, Vee." Willow said with a frown. "For everything that you went through. But it is true, there was an adult Basilisk that broke into Hexside. Other than that… I have no idea what kind of creature would fit into this monster's profile."
"There's something that doesn't add up, though." Luz interrupted. "If this was a Basilisk, why would they be in the Human Realm? There's no magic here. Other than Vee who's being provided with magic by you guys, why would a Basilisk terrorize humans in Herlock Woods for? What do they gain from this?"
"Well…" Vee seemed to be the one that raised her voice to suggest her own theory. "I hardly interacted with adult Basilisks myself. But if there's a door connecting both realms, what I think it's happening is that this Basilisk may be going to replenish their magic in the Boiling Isles while crossing to the Human Realm to… y'know." She bit her lower lip lightly. What she was trying to say was obvious, every witch in the room seemed to know what she was talking about. Everyone… but Luz.
"Do what?" Luz asked naively.
"Y'know what…" Hunter said with a grossed out look on his face.
"No, what?" Luz asked while blinking innocently.
"Seriously, Luz?" Willow asked while crossing her arms. "Don't make us say it."
When Luz looked at Gus, he provided the answer she sought for through a game of charades that made the young human's expression turn grim.
"Munch, munch, yum yum. Mhmhm…" Gus said as he used his hands to suggest the Basilisk was feeding in the Human Realm, which immediately made Luz gag in disgust.
"Ewww! Wait! Do your species eat humans?!" Luz asked with a horrified look on her face.
"What?! NO! I mean… I don't know!" Vee exclaimed, shaking her head with all her strength.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Luz asked.
"I've only known a handful of Basilisks my whole life. Most of them were just as young as me. Consuming magic is not vital for us, although we…" Vee sighed. "Well, we use the ability to shapeshift for hunting. We eat like any other living being out there. But I didn't know what humans were until I met you and Camila. So if you ask me if Basilisks would eat humans in the past… I'm not sure." She blushed and nervously looked around as ashamed and concerned whether this will affect her relationship with Luz.
Seeing how worried Vee was, Luz dropped herself down to the floor to hug her and reassured her with a smile. "It's ok, Vee. I get it. I'm sorry for overreacting like that, I was just shocked. But…" She sighed. "If I have to be honest, I'm not really that surprised. I mean… a lot of things wanted to eat me in the Boiling Isles."
"Oh, yeah. That doorbell, that one fairy, the monster in detention…" Willow began to name things that once tried to eat Luz.
"Ok, ok! You don't have to name everything that wanted to eat me!" Luz laughed softly, her laughter softening the ambient in the room and making everyone relax after such a serious conversation. "Well… if we want to find that door. We will have to confront this thing."
"If I may intervene before you suggest we go and explore Herlock Woods looking for this thing…" Hunter said as he raised his hand as if he was in school. "We need to make sure what we're up against. It may be a Basilisk or maybe something else entirely. It's a bad idea to go out at night if that's where this creature finds comfort coming out and taking people away. If we were to find its lair during the day, then we might have an advantage over them."
Everyone looked at Hunter with a mix of confusion, awe and genuine surprise - which made Hunter blush slightly.
"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Hunter exclaimed before explaining. "I did a lot of monster hunting for the Emperor's Coven, alright? I'm not proud of it but I got experience handling wild creatures…"
"Yeah… I remember." Luz said as she chuckled softly. "I understand. We need to come up with a plan."
"Exactly!" Hunter exclaimed.
"We could ask Masha." Vee suggested. "They may have more information about Herlock Woods."
"Yeah, they even mentioned there was someone that often camped in that place. Maybe if we can find this person we can learn a little more about the place itself." Luz said before being interrupted by Amity.
"You remember Masha told you that looking for answers through this person is a bad idea, right?"
"It's our only lead so far." Luz replied.
"Ok…" Amity sighed. "But I wouldn't like you to go alone. So, if you are doing this, I'm coming with you."
"That sounds fair!" Luz grinned with a soft laugh.
"But it can't be today cause I got to lay down some more due to this headache." Amity said as she leaned back on the couch with her eyes shut.
"Ok, well… maybe we can start setting that meeting up with Masha?" Luz asked Vee who gave her the thumbs up with a smile.
"I'll call them!"
"Great, since we're all chilling today - we'll be at the arcade!" Gus said, with Hunter and Willow agreeing with him.
"Wait, really?" Luz asked while raising her eyebrow. "Are you guys sure you can go to the arcade all by yourselves?"
"We were all fine by ourselves yesterday, remember?" Hunter said, all three of them smiling innocently as if they were asking 'please' with those large smiles.
"Well… I guess you all earned my trust." Luz said with a soft laugh before warning them. "Just don't bring any more weird TVs back home."
"Thanks, Luz!" They all leaned forward to hug her human friend.
"You're all welcome.~ Time to spread your wings, my pretties!" Luz said while laughing softly. "As for me, I'm returning some books to the library. I'm thinking of doing a bit of research while I'm there."
The sudden mention of the library brought Amity back to life. "I'm coming with you!"
Luz and the rest were all mesmerized by Amity's sudden spurt of energy. "I thought you were having a headache?" Luz asked.
"Oh, well. My head still hurts but the library is a quiet place. I told you already you're not doing this all by yourself, so I'm coming and that's final!" Amity said a bit aggressively, but forced a large smile on her face afterwards.
"Ok, you can come…" Luz said while chuckling nervously before looking back at the whole group. "So, Vee - call Masha and ask them when we can meet today. We'll be at the library in the meantime."
"Of course!" Vee grinned with a nod.
"Amity and I are going to the library and I'll try to find through old newspapers if there's more information about this Unknown creature. Hey… I think I just named the thing. The Unknown! Has a nice ring to it." Luz said while everyone had mixed feelings about it.
"We'll talk about the name of the creature, later." Gus said before grinning. "Now, to the arcade!"
The excited trio cheered while Gus was leading up the stairs, leaving Luz, Vee and Amity down in the basement.
"So, shall we go?" Luz asked as she offered Amity her hand which she took with a smile.
"Sure."
THE LOOKING GLASS
Chapter 4: The Unknown
Later that day, Luz and Amity found themselves walking into the public library. The place was even less crowded than before. There were a few people sitting at a few tables, and some workers walking through the halls while handling books. When Luz approached Velvet -the librarian with the large headphones- she smiled nervously at her before placing those large paper bricks she brought with her back home a few days ago.
"Hey…" Luz smiled at the librarian with a nervous look on her face and a hint of blushing over her cheeks as she came to return every book she checked out.
"Done with the light reading, I see." The librarian joked with a soft chuckle which made Luz laugh the shame off.
"Turns out physics isn't my thing." Luz joked back at her.
"Well, there's plenty of time for you to figure out what's your thing, no rush." The librarian said as she grabbed the books once Luz offered them back to her.
Luz tapped over the desk while the Librarian checked the books before asking. "Excuse me, but I was wondering if there's old newspapers I can look at?" Luz grinned nervously before adding. "It's for homework… summer homework!"
The Librarian finished setting the books aside on her desk before she replied. "Of course, this is a public library. All the records history is available with a library card." She then looked to her side and caught the attention of a worker passing by. "This is Mindy, she will take you there. I must ask you to write your full name, write down the time and sign your entry and once you're finished please sign on your way out." The Librarian opened a log book which had a bunch of names of people that have visited the records section.
"Of course, thank you!" Luz said with a soft sigh before writing her name, the time and signed up before setting the pen down.
"Mindy is going to escort you there. Happy hunting." The Librarian said with a smile before Luz nodded.
"Wait for me here?" Luz asked Amity as she turned to face her.
"Sure. I'll be sitting over there in the meantime." The pink haired girl said as she pointed at a table close to the entrance.
"Ok, I'll see you in a bit." Luz said before leaning in to kiss Amity's cheek before following the worker over to the records section.
Amity smiled and waved at Luz as she disappeared through the long hall. Once the coast was clear, she hurried up to the front desk to talk to the Librarian who seemed to notice her presence right away, even though her eyes were fully shut at all times.
"Can I help you?" The Librarian asked, Amity read her name tag that said her name is Velvet Grimm.
"Yeah, Miss Grimm, right? I wanted to ask you something related to one of your sections in the library." Amity said nervously, her heart pumping a little as she tried to arrange her thoughts before the dark haired Librarian responded.
"Ok, which section in particular?"
Amity rubbed her arm slightly before replying with a nervous smile. "The children's section. I was wondering if there's someone in charge of it?"
Miss Grimm tilted her head in confusion. "That would be me. I'm in charge of the whole place, although other workers in the building handle most sections as well. Do you have a complaint?"
"No, no! Ok, you see…" Amity figured out what to say next for a solid second before looking back at the Librarian. "I'm not local. I used to work at a library like this one back home…" Amity nervously looked away while muttering under her breath. "What was the name of the place Luz said…? Can… ada…" She then raised her voice once more. "Canada! I used to work at a library in Canada. But I'll be here in Gravesfield for an undetermined amount of time. So, I was wondering if you're looking for someone to dedicate themselves to that specific section, if the position is available - I would like to apply." Amity nibbled on her lip nervously as she looked at the puzzled Librarian before her.
"That is… a strange request, I must say." Miss Grimm said with a smile and a soft laugh. "Ok, I like your enthusiasm. It is rare that someone your age would show interest in a place like this. As a matter of fact, the last time someone volunteered here was a few years ago. There were three girls around your age that did some work during summer. One of them went the extra mile to read for the children at specific dates. Unfortunately, I must tell you that I'm not authorized to hire anyone right now. I work for the state. So, if you were hoping to work here with a salary that won't be possible."
Right away, Amity cut the Librarian off. "No, you're getting it all wrong. I'm not driven by money. You see…" Amity sighed once more before speaking through the heart as she looked at Miss Grimm straight in the eyes… or at least at those shut eyes behind those glasses she wore. "Back home, I used to volunteer as well. I convinced myself that I was doing it for the extra credit at school, but I knew deep down… that this was the only place where I felt at peace. I enjoyed my time working there, reading for those children, helping them with their homework. I'm not sure if it's selfish of me to feel this way, but I like to create a space in which children feel safe and relax while they still can."
"You know…" Miss Grimm chuckled. "The kind of job that you're describing would fit best at a Daycare Center. There's a few in town. Would you like me to set something up for you?"
"What do you mean?" Amity asked in confusion.
"The people I just mentioned to you, now work in a place called The Orb. Technically, it's a pre-school, but during summer it operates as a Daycare Center. If you'd like, I could make a call to see if they're hiring. Not only would this be a place where your efforts will be compensated, but I'm sure from hearing your story that you'll feel right at home there."
"Would you do that for me?" Amity asked, unable to hold the excitement in her voice.
"Like I said, these youngsters volunteered here before they moved on to work there. How about…" Miss Grimm looked through a notebook. "Next weekend? Maybe I could set a public reading here at the Library before meeting with the Principal of this place for a job interview at the Orb? She'll see what you have to offer and hopefully double your chances at landing a job at this place?"
"That would be amazing! Thank you! A-are you sure about this? I wouldn't like you to bother yourself for a stranger like me." Amity seemed to forget all about her headache by now, the happiness she felt completely numbing the pain by now.
"Not at all. It's a win-win situation. You get to meet Doctor Craig or one of her workers and they could bring in youngsters who you may encourage to get a library card."
Amity smiled widely and nodded. "I won't disappoint you! Thank you for this opportunity!"
"Next Sunday." Miss Grimm said as she saved the date. "At 10 in the morning, sounds good?"
"Perfect! I'll go look around for a book to read that day. Thanks!" Amity was unable to hold how excited she was, catching the Librarian off-guard when she leaned over the counter to hug her.
"Oh wow, you're welcome. By the way, I think you didn't offer me your name." Miss Grimm said once the both of them broke the hug, the Librarian immediately made sure her headphones were still in the exact place covering her ears.
"Oh, it's Amity. Amity Blight."
"Well, Miss Blight. Would you like to get your own library card while you wait for your friend?" Miss Grimm asked with a smile.
"Certainly!"
Meanwhile, Luz was browsing through old newspapers in the Records Section by using a PC. Every newspaper up to date has been scanned and uploaded into a server that she now had access to.
When searching for the keywords 'Herlock Woods', she lowered the results to about… a couple of thousand different articles. So, she added another keyword into the search bar: 'missing people.' Now, the server lowered the results to about 448 different articles. Still a high number, but made things a lot easier.
Unfortunately, she was not able to look up newspapers from the 1700s when the Mortons were still living, but there were a number of results that talked about the case.
After browsing through a few dozen of those results, Luz got a bit frustrated - so she added yet another keyword into the search bar: 'bright door.' She remembered from listening to Amity's experience last night that the spirit of Thomas Morton mentioned a Bright Door. Once she hit enter there was but one result left. The headline reads:
LOCAL HISTORIAN RESCUES A YOUNG GIRL DURING A COLLEGE HIKING TRIP WITH HIS STUDENTS WHICH HAS CONNECTIONS TO THE COLLECTIVE DISAPPEARENCE OF THE GROUP KNOWN AS THE ONLOOKERS
During a hiking trip with his students, Professor Howard Phillips found and rescued a young girl by the name of Flor del Bosque - who identified herself as a member of the Onlookers, a group of nomads that can be traced to several places in Oregon, including Gravity Falls.
The young girl seemed to have been wandering Herlock Woods for days before she was found. When asked about the rest of the Onlookers she was only able to remember a bright door. A massive search for the group ensued soon after…
Luz kept reading intently, the article seemed to talk about the Onlookers in detail for a few more paragraphs. The group was known to be conformed by eccentrics who believed that the Earth is connected to different planes of existence. They dedicated themselves to look for these 'doors'. In particular, a door in Gravesfield they called… The Looking Glass. While reading, Luz thought that the people of Gravesfield seemed to be rather judgmental of this group labeling them as a bunch of eccentrics, crazies, tree-huggers, weirdos, etc. But the more she read, the more she was inclined to believe that these people may or not have known of the Boiling Isles and maybe even other Realms!
Once she was done reading that article, Luz took out her phone and started to take snaps of the whole thing before moving onto a different search. Now the keyword was: Flor del Bosque.
There was the same result, and a couple of ones that followed the story after she was rescued. But other than that, there was no more information about this Onlooker survivor. The Onlookers were never found, and there was no mention of this 'Bright Door' ever again.
Luz sighed and leaned on her chair. Once her mind was no longer distracted reading the newspapers, she realized she was all alone in the room. Mindy, the worker who helped her set the server on, was no longer there and the silence was getting to her. The sudden thought of The Unknown filling her head, imagining what Amity had dreamt of the night before.
The curiosity grew bigger and wider the more Luz spent time thinking about the Guardian of Herlock Woods. Her fingers became anxious, tapping over the keyboard before she got the courage to type down a new set of keywords: Herlock Woods shapeshifter.
When hitting enter, Luz was able to sigh in relief once the server showed 0 results.
Maybe there's no Basilisk out there in Herlock Woods, she thought. Maybe it was all a dream, after all - she kept reassuring herself. But… if it was all a dream, then there is no door. A sudden rush of sadness engulfed her. She tried one more time by typing the next set of keywords in the search bar: Herlock Woods Monster.
1 result.
THERE'S SOMETHING IN HERLOCK WOODS
You may have heard of through tales or whispers shared by your neighbor, your family, your classmates, your co-workers, etc. One of the most well-known secrets in Gravesfield. One that we dare not to speak of in public in fear of ridicule. From the haunting experience of the Morton Family in the 1700s, all the way to this very day we've come to know, respect and fear Herlock Woods due to an unseen entity that's been there for several centuries.
Whether this is a monster or something else entirely, we've heard the tales, we've heard the warnings. The Native Americans spoke of a creature known as The Skinwalker that seems to share similarities with our Unknown Entity. The Native Americans believed that Skinwalkers were mad witches using their maddening power to lure and feed on unsuspecting victims. And there is no other place in the US more connected to witchcraft than Gravesfield. Is it possible that the creature may be a witch that steals voices?
The 1700s was notorious for the massive group of Witch Hunters that made Gravesfield their home and their hunting grounds. During the time the Mortons were attacked by this monster, Witch Hunters had been there and there is no record of a witch ever associated with the terrifying creature of Herlock Woods. As a matter of fact, while the Witch Hunters dismissed the idea of a monster existing in the woods, it was known in town that not even this group would dare to enter the woods at night.
The article was very short, Luz was able to read some of the stories but were all summed up in a few sentences. But most of them share one thing in common. Most people who were able to tell the tale spoke of something out there in Herlock Woods, luring them deep into the forest using a voice they knew and trusted.
But the most unnerving story was saved for last, and it went beyond than just voices in the forest:
'So, one day - me and my buddy Gary were having the week off. We're experienced outdoors men, we've been hiking since we were in middle-school. We initially planned to camp on the outskirts of Herlock Woods. We've never believed in the tales, although deep down - we both knew that the place had a bit of an off vibe. For a few days, everything was fine.'
'We went to fish in a lake that's within Herlock Woods during the early hours of the morning. We were running out of food and we felt a bit adventurous that day - so we brushed off the superstitious thoughts and went to go fish our food. Everything went smoothly, every time that we set our hooks in the water - we fished something. Not counting on this much luck, we brought our boat back to the dock and told Gary we should head back. But he wanted to fish a little more. Not for food, but rather for sport. And I said; ok. Sure, you do that.'
'So when I come back to our camp that's beyond Herlock Woods, I start cooking our meals. Gary did not come back and it was getting late. So, I go back to the dock and I find the boat there. No Gary. I didn't know what to do at first. I called for him. I looked around the lake with no luck. So, I went back to our camp and there he was. Gary was sitting on a stool. So, I was sighing in relief and punched the guy on his shoulder for scaring me like that. As a joke, I didn't hit him that hard. He looked at me… and there was something about his smile that didn't feel right.'
'It was definitely him. He looked like him, sounded like him. But my instinct was not buying it. He joked back at me like Gary would do. I tried to shake the feeling off and tried to eat some fish. But… Gary was not eating with me. He asked questions, some weird questions. He started pointing out my little quirks when I ate, the way I expressed myself. It almost felt like he was trying to understand me. Few minutes into this one-sided conversation. I stared into his eyes, into his face. Have you ever felt this unsettling feeling where you know something ain't right? The feeling of the uncanny valley as you stare into something that looks like your friend but deep down… your gut tells you he's not?'
'I ran. I never saw Gary again. I shared this story with the police and they didn't believe me. They tried to accuse me of his disappearance, but I had nothing to do with it. Thankfully, I was able to prove it in court. Gary is still out there in Herlock Woods. But I'm too afraid now to go out and look for myself.'
When Luz was done reading, she turned the PC off. She had enough.
There's a chance that this was a Basilisk, she has faced one in the Boiling Isles, so if it turned out to be the case - she wasn't that worried. But when she thought about the possibility of the Unknown being something else… it made her skin crawl. She left the Records Room right there and then.
Luz felt much better once she was able to spot Amity sitting on that table she pointed at before she left her. But before she could join her girlfriend, she signed her way out in the logbook at the Librarian's desk.
"Found what you looked for?" Miss Grimm asked with a smile, sorting some books while Luz set the pen down.
"Yeah, thanks! One question, though. I can use the Records Room multiple times?"
"Of course. Just be sure to come to me and sign the logbook." The Librarian said as she put the logbook under the front desk and waved at Luz on her way out.
"Ok, great! Thanks again!" Luz said as she hurried towards Amity.
"Hey, sweet potato."
"Oh, hey." Amity said with a smile, being caught off-guard reading a book.
"Want me to take this book out for you?" Luz asked with a soft chuckle.
"No need." Amity said before she pulled out her brand new library card. "Boom!"
"What?!" Luz exclaimed before being shushed by multiple people. "You got a library card while I was gone?" Luz whispered in pure astonishment.
"I know my way around libraries.~" Amity said proudly.
"Yes, you do." Luz grinned. "So, what else have you been doing while I was gone?"
Amity thought of telling Luz that she was doing a public reading in the library next weekend… but for some reason she chose not to. "No, what about you? Did you find something useful?"
Luz's expression turned from happy to stressed out in an instant. "Yeah, I think there's more to this place than we thought…"
End of the chapter.