Jim Armstrong and the Goblet's Curse

Chapter 20: Scottish Slang Is Confusing

   I dropped the last of the empty mugs in the sink before heading back into Shea's cozy living room. She was still passed out, but was now on a couch, James having moved her from the floor.

It was the next day and the sun was shining, reflecting off the white snow to make the sky a bright, heavenly colour. It was as if the world itself knew that we were a step closer to finding the Silver Sand, and was therefore rejoicing. It was a nice feeling to see the outside looking so happy.

It was actually close to one pm now. We had spent the day cleaning up Shea's house, which we'd unintentionally made a mess of. There had been mugs everywhere, blankets and pillows strewn across the floors, and stacks of books, newspapers and other odds and ends spilling off the tables, because we'd all bumped into an overcrowded table and sent an avalanche going at least once. Seeing as Shea was already a very cluttered person, we didn't want to make her house even messier that it already was.

I knelt on the floor to pick up a bunch of newspapers that had tipped off the coffee table when I saw the headline I had been looking at a couple days ago. Now, being able to see it fully, I sharply in took my breath in surprise.

RUMORS ABOUT SIGHTINGS OF AMOUR HAVE PEOPLE IN CHAOS AND DISSARY, it read. I set the other papers down on the coffee table before unfolding this one and starting to read the article.

It had been thirteen years since the name Amour brought fear to the minds of Guardians, and once more, the name has brought fear. Late yesterday night, trusted member of the Union, Alexa Sherman was seen screaming incomprehensible nonsense on her front lawn. After calming Sherman down long enough, authorities learned that the cause of her great distress was that "she swore that she had seen the devil himself in the shadows of the street." Sherman had said that she had seen the infamous Amour in shadows and that he had whispered a threat into the air: "Tell your friends. Tell your family. Tell the world, that I shall return. I am coming."

Sherman had seemed to either take this seriously, and told people, or was forced to tell people. As it is known, Amour was a commander of the mind. There are mixed reactions to the supposed sighting of Amour. Some take it as a serious threat that he may, one day, return. Others think it is a ridiculous cont. pg. 12

"Jim, could you pass me that pillow?" it was Noah with his hand out, waiting for me to give him the pillow. When I didn't respond, he waved his hand in front of my face.

"Hello? Earth to Jim?" I grabbed his hand, forcing it away from my face.

"Look at this," I said, shoving the paper at him. He took it from me and scanned the article. With each line he read, his frown got deeper and deeper. He put a hand on the arm of the couch nearest to us, steadying himself, before sinking on to the floor to sit next to me.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"I don't know," Noah said, flipping the pages of the newspaper. "I mean, no one's seen him in thirteen years, and all of a sudden he pops back up and makes a threat?"

"Who pops back up and makes a threat?" I looked behind me. James had come back from taking the trash out, Cecily behind him. They came and sat on either side of Noah and I. Noah showed them both the newspaper and I followed their eyes as they read through the article, skimming the information. When they were finished, they looked up at Noah and me.

"So?" I asked. "What do you think of it?"

James handed the newspaper back to me. "I don't believe it," he said. "I mean, it seems really unlikely."

"Yeah," Cecily added. "I mean, he's a powerful Guardian, probably the most powerful. I feel like if he was alive and well for all these years, he would've attacked, or something."

"But... that's kind of what he's saying, isn't it?" Noah asked, pointing to the paper. "I shall return again. I am coming. It's like he's telling us that, well, that he's coming for us."

"You believe this?" Cecily asked incredulously.

"Kind of? I don't know," Noah said.

"And you?" James asked, pointing at me.

"Well, if the bad guy ever makes a threat, the worst possible mistake is to ignore it," I said. "Every single movie ever made proves it."

"But that's the thing," James said. "They're just movies. This," he pointed at the paper, "is not. I say this is just some person either gone crazy, or wanting attention."

"But, what if it's not?" Noah asked. "What if this is legit?"

"I'm telling you, it's not."

"But-

"Relax," James interrupted. "You're a long time deid."

Noah, Cecily and I stared blankly at him "What?"

James rolled his eyes. "I mean, lighten up. You've got plenty of time to be a misery after you die." James shook his head. "It's like you've never heard foreign slang before."

"It's because we haven't."

"Well, too bad. You're missing out."

Hey... really quick, short update this week... sorry for that... but if you enjoyed it, make sure you leave a comment and vote!

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