When Luz arrived home, she found it empty, her mother was still at work and Vee in school, she quickly headed for her room.
'Should I tell mom about this...?' She asked herself, she could picture the conversation, 'Hi mom, so funny story, you know the library right, where I went, I felt like a magical presence there, could you maybe idk. do something about that.. or right only think you can do is forbid me from going outside and locking me here, for 'MY SAFETY', I totally understand, nice chat, I am soooo glad I told you.'
Yea, her mom would not hear a word out of her about any of this, it would make things even more difficult for Luz for one and she could not do anything at all about the situation even if Luz told her.
Presuming there even was a situation to deal with, she got scared and ran away, but that presence responded to her question and request for help, she asked if someone was there to help, and good old mister wall phantom came to say hi.
After which she ran, which was also kinda ungrateful now that she thought about this, maybe she should go back to apologize, bring a present maybe, what kinds of things do phantoms eat, do they eat at all?
Maybe a book...to a phantom that lives in a library, excellent idea Luz, nothing could go wrong with that..not like he/she/they have an abundance of those..
She got up, but remained standing halfway to the door..,she did not want to go back, even if the thing was summoned by her, it creeped her out so much, she never really wanted to encounter it again.
'If I do not go back now, I might never encounter it again tho.'
'That's kinda what I want to happen.'
'Can I really risk that?? It might be the only way to learn more.'
'But it was so scaaary.'
'And that's why I am going to chicken out.., because I am scared??'
Her own mind was waging a war, leaving her undecided in the middle of her room.
She quickly glanced at her mirror, checking if she was visually alright and jumped back so hard she fell and hit her head.
"ouwe ouwe ouwe", she could not help but say, as she got up as fast as she could, to get to her mirror and confirm what she just saw, "Well this complicates the situation.", she said solemnly, 'Heloo vampire Luz', her eyes were once again bloodshot, skin pale.
Now this was a problem, if her mother saw her looking like this again, it would lead to another argument and Luz really did not want that to happen, she also could not really go out like this..
'Make up??', she thought for a moment, before abandoning the idea, she was bad at putting on makeup and that was saying it lightly, there was no way she could hide how she looked right now, the skin and red veins maybe, but eyes..there was just no way, if she went outside, she risked getting an ambulance called on her..
Well, called for her..but there was little difference really.. and with her having an unknown condition, rooted in magic in which no one believed in, she would be put in quarantine and probably never saw the light of day, sooo no more library today.
It was at that exact moment, when she decided she could not go, her brain finished its civil war and decided that it was her only way of ever getting more information and not going was akin to abandoning her friends, 'Goodbye indecisiveness, helooo depression.'
'I need to distract myself with something.', decided Luz, now wanting to go, but resolved not to risk it.
Music, that was always a good distraction and she was gone for quite a while, soo maybe some new songs dropped, time to check, she opened up YouTube..
Bones from Imagine Dragons, sitting right on her 'for you' page.
'Well...I got bones, maybe I will relate to it.', she thought with a chuckle, playing the song.
But she needed to stop it after only 40 seconds..., to find a lyrics version so she could scream her voice out, while attempting to sing it.
*Play Bones by Imagine Dragons (Official Lyric Video)*
Luz was getting lost in the music.
*Gimme, gimme, gimme some time to think*
*I'm in the bathroom, looking at me*
She attempted, gesturing wildly at herself.
*Face in the mirror is all I need (ooh)*
*Wait until the reaper takes my life*
*Never gonna get me out alive*
*I will live a thousand million lives (ooh)*
Luz already felt like she lived at least three lives in her life, one before ever discovering the portal to the Demon isles, second when she was there, adventuring with her friends, getting a girlfriend and a third one right now.
*My patience is waning*
*Is this entertaining?*
Her mom did not trust her anymore.
*Our patience is waning*
*Is this entertaining?*
She stopped supporting her, was this some kind of sick joke at her expense, she threw her arms wide, spinning on the spot, while looking at the ceiling, talking to whatever deity clearly had a grudge against her.
*I-I-I got this feeling, yeah, you know*
*Where I'm losing all control*
She really was losing control, when would the old Luz ever blatantly lie to her mother, like she did today, was she really still herself?
*'Cause there's magic in my bones*
*I-I-I got this feeling in my soul*
*Go ahead and throw your stones*
*'Cause there's magic in my bones*
She had magic, she was a source of her own magic, she was sure of it, it really was in her bones and no-one could or would take it away from her.
As the rest of the song played, Luz found herself associating her current situation with the lyrics and it was helping her immensely.
*Some time later*
*KNOCK KNOCK*, "Luz you there??", asked her mother behind the door.
A few hours later, Luz was now drenched in sweat from all her improv dancing. She played other songs during that time, but 'Bones' still played about 40 times and horrendously loudly too.
She quickly glanced at her mirror, smiling at the visage of a very sweaty and wild looking teenager, she looked normal again, or like her skin was human colored and her eyes did not look like she stole them from an albino bunny.
Stopping the music, she opened the door for her mom.
"How are you doing Luz??", asked her mom carefully, a little taken back by Luz's wild appearance.
Luz just shrugged, not finding any words to answer that question, she was in the middle of an imaginary battle with Belos, Collector and who knows who else.
There was a moment of silence, in which Camila looked her daughter down inquisitively, her face growing more and more concerned with every passing second.
"Did you take something Luz????", asked her mother, a mortified expression on her face.
Luz did not know that one question could ruin her imaginary battle, fleeing enjoyment of the music and fact she was up until a sentence ago, glad to see her mom.
She just stared at her mother, at Camila, she just stared at Camila, 'Did she take something?', was that seriously a question Camila just asked her, it was as if she was asking her, 'How are you this happy?', Shouldn't you be in bed crying, like you do, every time you lose a friend, or someone at school does something to you??'.
"Did I take something??", asked Luz back, crossing arms over her chest, "You think I did??", "That I can not be happy??", "OR copping in some other way than crying ??", "Really mom??", she asked, trying to emphasize the hurt she felt because of the accusation.
"I know you Luz!", said her mother resolutely, pushing past Luz and into her room, "And this!!", she motioned to the whole Luz that was standing in front of her, "Is not you..", she said, as she begun searching her room.
'What does she think, she is going to find??' asked Luz herself, 'Cigarettes, alcohol, weed, pills, some other drugs,' Luz was hurting, the complete lack of trust her mother was displaying was hurting her more then when she crushed her lights, or her relief when she learned that the portal was closed.
Her mother was going to ask her, where her 'drugs' were, when she does not find anything in this room and Luz was very interested in what was her mother going to ask about, so interested, she started betting with herself as it was the only way to make this situation bearable to her, turn it into a joke, as if it did not immensely hurt her.
'Soooooo Ladyboy's and gentlewoman for this contestant of 'How little does your mother think of you', we haaaave, Luuuuuz Nocedaaaaaa a brand new face in the show, home to both the United state of America and who would have thought another realm caaaaalled, the Demon isleeees, I must remind all your bets must be finished in seconds, very soon we will have the grand reveal of this shoooow, are you reaaadyyyy??? *Crowd frantically cheering*, I am glaad to hear that, she is turning around here we gooooooo'.
"Do you have weed somewhere Luz?", 'Ohhhhhhh, its weeeed who would have thought, all who bet on weed today is your lucky daaay, the winnings go to youuuu, everyone else I must sadly inform you, your children will go hungry this month.'
"I have no weed here mother..", said Luz, in an unusual stoic voice, "Nor do I have anything else here, was there something else you wanted from me..or the unjust accusation was the only thing?", she asked, while smiling, but there was not a spark of joy in her smile.
It came out crooked, more of a grin than anything else.
"Luz, please...do not lie to me", said Camila, looking heartbroken.
"Search the whole room..", said Luz quietly, "Hell search me, if you really feel like you have to.."
Nothing..her mother just stood there.
Luz turned on her heels, "I am going to take a shower," she announced, quickly grabbed some change of clothes and ran out of her own room.
Just as the bathroom door closed behind her, she slid to the floor and started crying, she held back the tears long enough at this point.
Out of all the things her mother said and did flashing in her mind, her mother was her constant, the one stable pillar of her life she could always count on, even if school got hard, even if people didn't like who she was and how she expressed herself, her mother was always there for her, supportive and on her side.
Why was she not here now?
Why was her mother missing when she needed her now, possibly more than ever before, how could she be so...so, Luz could not find a proper word to describe it.
She was alone, not only on the bathroom floor, but alone in this world, why did she have to suffer like this, why did everything just pour more oil into the fire.
Luz needed to get out of here, getting up she turned to the room, but hesitated, where would she go...she had no money, no place to sleep, no friends to visit, her mother would start looking for her and unless Luz planned to begin her life as a hermit, living of roots in the forest, she could not just leave.
She turned back to the bathroom, took off her clothes and begun to shower, 'The library..', she needed to get back there, now that her condition cleared up, she decided to finish showering and try her chances with a phantom, instead of her own mom.
It was almost surprising how easy it was for her to leave her home, her mother had finished searching her room when she got back, so Luz just put some warmer clothes on and headed down stairs.
"Where are you...", started her mother, seeing her approaching the main door.
"I am going for a walk.", said Luz and before she could stop herself, "You should maybe try to go as well, clear your head and all that.", before swiftly closing the door in her mothers face and sprinting away.