𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐛𝐢𝐞 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝

[81]

𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙜𝙖𝙨𝙥, 𝙇𝙪𝙯 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙊𝙬𝙡 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚.

She took off running in the direction of the building, the other teenagers sharing worried glances as the Latina looked up at the top of the Owl House, ignoring the bright green star stuck in the ground beside her.

Different phrases were splattered across the building's walls, such as 'There is no Titan' and 'The Emperor's Coven wuz here' were all that remained of the people who once were there. A broken pot with a withered plant rustled in the wind as a pink star was stuck in the house's side.

"What is this place?" Camila questioned as the teens who stood beside her looked at the house in pity, remembering the fun they once had in the house.

Luz's heart hurt at seeing the building in such a condition, placing her hands over the wooden-planked door of the home. She steeled her nerves, a small and sad smile plastered on as she opened the door with a lack of enthusiasm.

"Welcome..." She began, the door creaking.

"To the Owl House."

–––

As the teenagers settled in, Camila peeked through the cabinets and found a half-eaten apple, the woman then groaned and winced at the sight of a skeleton of a rat, its coat still on it as it lay motionless in the piece of furniture.

Hunter paced back and forth outside the Owl House, the others sitting within the home as their palisman followed the boy around in worry, watching him move. Gus and Willow sat on the window sill, watching Hunter in worry as their palisman had.

Xen wandered around the halls of the Owl House, walking around the halls with awe and amazement, Talon hopping after them in a curious manner.

Georgia walked up to the two teens, holding up two cups of tea for them as Willow smiled, gently taking the mug from her friend's hands. Camila stood up from her crouched position, holding the rat carcass in her hands while talking to the plant witch as Georgia sat on the ground next to her friends.

"So, this is the Owl House I've heard so much about?" Camila questioned, Georgia stood up and walked over to the older woman as she took the rat carcass from the mother's hands.

"Yeah, but don't worry," Willow chirped. "The food's not usually that spoiled."

"Food?!" Camila shuddered as Georgia placed the carcass down on the counter.

"Oy..."

Camila smiled, gently placing her hand on the teen girl's shoulder as she then pulled away, clasping her palms.

"I need some advice," Camila began, the children listening in to hear her.

"Well, first you gotta pluck out all the dire rat's extra heads," Gus smiled, placing his head on his knees. "The tiny ones that line the digestive tract might still be bitey so–"

"I–Ah, no!" Camila frowned in frustration before sighing, walking over to a fallen stool as she fixed it up.

Georgia sat on the sill beside Willow and Gus, Camila sitting on the small piece of furniture.

"I need advice about Luz," Camila frowned. "See, she's planning to... make a very bad decision for herself. She's so determined to make herself sad and... I don't know how to help."

The three looked at Camila in pity and sadness, knowing that neither one of them there wanted to see their upbeat friend so downtrodden. Gus smiled, recalling one of his memories as he recognised a pattern.

"That reminds me of when I failed my first school project," He muttered. "I thought I deserved to be grounded so I ran off to live in a cave in the most dramatic way possible! Of course, reliable old Willow finds me and says..." 

Willow cleared her throat, smiling as Georgia chuckled at their enthusiasm, Camila watching them interact, and that was enough for her to know that they were close friends.

"Augustus, it's okay to fail," Willow smiles. "Look at me, I fail all the time!"

"'Oh yeah?' I said. 'Like when?'" Gus' eyes were wide in excitement. "Suddenly, there's this big slimy explosion in the distance."

Georgia smiled at Willow's silent laughter.

"'Like tonight'," Willow placed her hands on her hips. "'I forgot to chain up my abomination homework.'"

The three then burst into laughter at the thought, Camila's smile now tense as she heard the last sentence, looking at the children with concern. She muttered her thoughts to herself.

"They have to chain up their homework?"

"Maybe Luz is going through something like that," Gus suggested. "My Dad didn't care if I failed that project, but I didn't want to fail him. And..."

Gus sniffed tears appearing in the corners of his eyes. Willow's smile dropped and Georgia placed her hand on Gus' shoulder, hoping that her actions would help him feel slightly better.

"Oh man, I... I hope he's okay," He sniffed, and Willow hugged the curled-up boy in her arms.

"Don't worry, we'll get him back," She assured him. "I'll make sure of it."

Camila looked at the three with a frown, leaning closer as she reached her hand out to calm the teens, but a voice from outside grabbed their attention.

"Stop!" Hunter yelled, the group looking out at him.

Xen peaked around the corner, hearing the yell as they walked towards Georgia's direction, seeing what had caught the group's attention.

"Stop following me!" He hissed. "Belos could be anywhere right now and we're just... sitting here!"

A rustling in the bushes had the boy on edge and he froze, his hands in a staff position before he looked down, realising what had happened.

The blond boy let out a cry of frustration, shaking his head before returning to his pacing. The palisman watched with frowns on their little faces filled with worry as they watched the boy.

"I should go check up on him," Georgia muttered to Xen, walking out of the door.

"Yeah, we should make sure he doesn't pace himself into the Boiling Sea," Willow joked as Gus wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Good call," He smiled, chuckling. "Besides, you and Georgia are the only ones strong enough to drag him back up."

As Xen followed Gus out of the house, Willow trudged after, Camila calling the plant witch's name as she halted, her smile gone.

"Willow, hold on," Camila frowned. "How are you feeling?"

"Don't worry about me, you heard what Gus said!" Willow smiled, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm the reliable one."

"It's okay to be scared too," Camila looked away from the girl. "It's not good if you try to hold it all in."

Willow blinked, her smile reappearing, yet her eyes held secrets. She choked out a small laugh, eyes shut as her smile remained before Camila.

"I'm fine, really," Willow reassured the woman. "And I think you'll be fine too. You and Luz are a lot alike."

As soon as her back was turned, Willow's smile fell, her glasses blocking out her fear and pain as a frown replaced where her smile was. Camila watched the girl leave in worry, a rustling making her look down as she spotted sprouts of plants creeping past the floorboards of the home.

With each step Willow took, Camila watched as the girl left a trail of sprouts in her wake, the woman's concern returning.