More Spook Me
Oct. 27th, 2024 03:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessTitle: Raven’s Hollow
Summary: Amity tries to hide that she’s reinjured her ankle but fooling the Nocedas isn’t as easy as she might imagine.
Rating: teen
Author Note - Written for Wombatking in Fandom Trumps Hate 2024 for the prompt of Amity has reinjured her ankle and tries to conceal it so she's not a bother to anyone. Thanks to Wombatking for donating to a worthy cause and trusting me to write this story. It's all appreciated.
It was also written for the Spook_Me 2024 Pumpkinhead prompt to this piece of art by Michael Blank
Also written for Lyrical Titles for the prompt 'instrumental song' on lyrical titles – Raven’s Hollow by Midnight Syndicate (you can find the whole album also titled Raven's Hollow here and would make a fun soundtrack for the whole story
Also written for the Ladies Bingo prompt of Femslash
Thanks to Evil_Little_Dog for her help as a sounding board for this story.
Chapter One
Amity swatted a branch out of her way, following Hunter deeper into the woods around the abandoned house. Maybe it would have been smarter to send Willow with him but she and Gus were back at the house; Willow putting in a garden that would function as security as well, Gus cleaning some of the utter grossness of the place. With Luz at school – and oh how she missed her when she was gone. Titan, Amity missed being in class herself – Amity had little to occupy her time other than their quest to get back home. Maybe that’s why Hunter’s paranoia about the safety of the abandoned home had proven contagious to her. They were checking the perimeter – a perimeter that got bigger every time Hunter chose to check it.
If nothing else, it felt good to be moving. Amity enjoyed exercise, something she was learning she shared with Willow and Hunter. Luz and Gus were less enthusiastic. They were stalled on the quest to return home because well, there was little in the way of magical research in the Human Realm. Sure, there were plenty of books about magic and wicca and the occult but none of it was real magic, at least not in any way she or her fellow witches understood it. They could hope their family and friends back home were working on getting them back. King knew they had gone across. Edalyn used to cross over all the time. How she’d done it seemed to be linked to the portal and its key, which required a lot of power. Power they didn’t have. They didn’t have a door for that matter. They also didn’t have a clue if their friends and family were okay after the Day of Unity. If only Hunter and I hadn’t managed to break the key. Amity sighed. Even if they hadn’t, chances were Belos would have wrested it away from them and would have made good his escape.
They could all be gone. Amity winced at the horrible reoccurring thought and shoved it down deep. She couldn’t think about it. If she did, depression would win and they would all lose. Ed and Em had to be okay. Mom and Dad too, even as mad as she was at them, especially her mother, Amity wanted to see them again. The last she saw of her father, he was doing battle. He was good at that but he’d been outnumbered badly. No, she wasn’t going to think of that either. Her dad would be all right.
But what about the Collector? her brain whispered. His power had been terrifying. He’d splattered Belos with a flick of his finger. The bilious ooze of Belos’ remains dripping down had been in her nightmares: everyone’s nightmares really, especially Hunter. She felt bad for him and for Gus having to share a room with him and his issues, which were bigger than the basement. The Collector could move the sun, could rearrange the world if their theory about that was right. Was there even a home to go home to? Yet another thing she didn’t want to think about.
“Hunter, how far are we going?” Amity wasn’t sure she cared because action was better than sitting in Camila’s house watching endless TV as her brain circled through all her doomsday fears.
“There’s a creek not far from here.”
A creek? When had he found that? Hunter wandered at night much to Camila’s dismay. He couldn’t sleep and he was used to functioning on less sleep than anyone she’d ever met, including her workaholic father.
“Is that your new perimeter?”
He nodded. “It makes for a good boundary line. Also, it’s kinda cool.” He smiled, the scar on his cheek crinkling. “A lot of animals come out here and I found a trail camera mounted on a tree. Camila and Vee think it belonged to that guy Jacob Hopkins who caught Vee. He’s obsessed with witches. I think he’d be our number one worry, at least around the abandoned house.”
“Is the camera gone?”
He nodded. “But there might be more of them. We know how obsessed people are.”
She wrinkled her nose, wondering if that wasn’t a dig at her and himself. The worst part was it was true, both of them obsessed with making parental figures happy in spite of their insanely high expectations that could never really be met. “Okay, fair. I’ll check that way and you go the other?” Amity suggested.
“Sounds good.” He headed deeper into the woods along the creek with Flapjack gliding along next to him.
Ghost had stayed behind. According to Luz, it would look odd to walk around here carrying staves and while her cat palisman could have walked through the woods, the first time she tried, she came back covered in burrs and strange seed pods. Camila had brushes to help get Ghost free of the things – because they weren’t entirely sure what would happen if she went back to her staff form covered in them. Willow had excitedly collected them, harvesting their seeds.
Amity debated with herself about what she should be doing on this trail. She didn’t feel right putting up traps – which would have been Hunter’s plan, still stuck in the Emperor’s Coven mindset. He’d told her about how Darius created tiny abomatons as spies. Her father always built big. She learned to do it that way but the little ones had her intrigued. She might try one but she would put it closer to the abandoned cabin and Camila’s.
Sunlight beat down on the open canopy near the creek. It was a lovely day and Amity wished Luz could be here to enjoy it with her or she could have been with her in school but that required too much paperwork and parents they didn’t have. Amity stood still for a while, listening to the burble of the creek. Luz could probably write a scene set in a place like this, maybe some Azura fanfiction. Willow would love the autumn flowers blooming on the banks. Maybe they should come out here, picnic and talk about their next plan to try to get home. It was certainly private enough.
A glint in the tree line caught her eye. She walked toward it. Sure enough there was another trail camera. Did it have the right to be there? What if it wasn’t Hopkins’ doing? Who owned the woods? Amity didn’t know. Maybe she shouldn’t bother the camera. Didn’t Camila say trail cameras could be used to study wildlife? What if she removed it and someone’s research got damaged as a result? As she contemplated that, Amity had taken her eyes off the path. Her foot found the hole she hadn’t seen. The ground came up fast and knocked the breath out of her.
When Amity regained the ability to breathe, she tried to get to her feet. Her ankle argued against this. Flopping back on her bottom, Amity held her ankle. This was the same one she had hurt in the Grudgby match. Under her fingers, her ankle puffed up. She rotated it slowly. It didn’t feel broken but it certainly hurt. Debating calling for Hunter, Amity dismissed the idea. It was better no one knew. They’d only worry about her and they needed to be focused on getting home. This was her fault for not paying attention. Using a little of her abomination goo – something she wasn’t sure she could make more of here – Amity fashioned a brace.
It helped and she got up and dusted herself off. Trying hard not to hobble on it, Amity back tracked.
“Hunter,” she called.
He appeared quickly. His red eyes swept over her, picking up on the grass and dirt stains. “You okay?”
Amity shrugged, hoping to look casual. “I’m fine, just slipped on the bank. Ready to head back? We should dig back into the research.”
“Or at least help the others work on the house.”
She nodded and followed him back, trying to stay a step behind because he was giving her looks like he knew she was lying about being hurt but he said nothing. She’d be fine after all, right?
# # #
“What is a haunted corn maze?” Gus turned huge eyes on Luz. “Is it like our haunted birthday?”
Luz made a face that made Amity smile. “I’m not sure about any of that but a haunted corn maze is just a fun-scary thing we do around Halloween.”
Luz had explained Halloween to them before and they were all looking forward to it. They didn’t’ have a holiday where you dressed up as something else but, of course, illusionists could do that easily. Maybe it could be a fun idea to introduce to Hexside when they got home. Amity shifted on the couch next to Luz, her ankle thumping.
“So once the corn is harvested, the stalks aren’t good for much,” Luz said. “So we take them and turn them into mazes. We put scary displays inside of them and then there are actors in the maze to jump out and scare you.”
“And humans like this?” Amity cocked up her eyebrows.
Luz beamed. “You bet! We like our fake scary stuff. Some people get really scared though. I’ve heard of people wetting themselves.”
“Are humans easier to scare than we are?” Hunter shot her a perplexed look.
She shrugged. “Maybe. You guys definitely have scarier things on the daily than we do. Anyhow, a lot of the corn mazes and haunted houses have themes. The maze this time is called Raven’s Hollow all about scarecrows and pumpkinheads.”
“Before you ask, Pumpkinheads are like scarecrows but with pumpkins for heads and they have scary faces carved into them,” Vee offered up but what Amity was going to ask was going to be ‘what the heck is a scarecrow?’
“I’ve always wanted to be an actor for one of these things,” Luz said, with an adorable pout. “But they have stupid rules about age and working after dark.”
“Really?”
Of course Hunter would be dubious. He had been working with the Emperor’s Coven and the guard from far too young even by Boiling Isles’ standards. Amity wondered if her mother would have approved of Belos’s parenting style. Probably so it was lucky Odalia hadn’t known about it.
“I think you have to be sixteen or eighteen or something.” Luz shrugged.
“Can we go to this maze?” Willow asked.
“Sure but I’m not sure how scary it’ll be.” Luz made a face. “But it should be fun. We could all use a little of that.”
That sounded forced to Amity’s ear. Luz didn’t do nearly as good a job of hiding her emotions as she thought she did. Amity knew she was hiding something but couldn’t understand why. Maybe for similar reasons as to why you don’t want anyone to know you hurt your ankle again. She shut that griffin caravan of thought down. Luz had given her a couple of looks since dinner that suggested she knew Amity was hiding something. Amity had taken away her brace once she had gotten back to the house since the floors were level and easy to walk unlike the uneven ground of the woods. Someone would notice the brace and she didn’t want them worrying.
“I vote we do the maze some night,” Willow said.
“I second that.” Hunter grinned. “I’m sure we can master it quickly.”
“I’m not sure that’s the point,” Vee said. “You’re supposed to linger and enjoy it.”
Luz pointed at her, nodding.
“Are we allowed to scare them back?” Gus asked, a wicked twinkle in his eye.
Luz snickered. “No, Gus! You’re supposed to jump and scream and run.”
“And wet yourself,” Hunter added in wryly. “I think I’ll be passing on that.”
No kidding. All of them had seen things scarier than whatever was likely to be in that maze. They didn’t jump or run and definitely no loss of bladder control. The real trick was to rein in their inherent tendency to fight. Amity liked to fight more than she cared to admit. The Bonesborough Brawl had been a blast. She loved it. She was glad it was something she got to share with her father, even if he hadn’t wanted her there because he thought she was still five years old or something.
They made more plans before turning in to get ready for bed. Amity tried not to mince across the bedroom, her pajama bottoms barely hiding the fact her ankle looked like it was holding its breath, all puffed cheeks and purply-blue.
Luz shot her a look. “Is everything okay, Ams?”
“I’m fine, just sleepy,” she said, trying to cover for her shuffling hobble into the bedroom. She gave Luz’s cheek a kiss, leaving them both blushing a bit. Luckily Willow had ducked into the bathroom after Amity vacated it and Vee looked asleep already. Odalia hadn’t been much for public displays and drilled that into her children.
“Get some sleep. We’ll tackle the problems tomorrow. I wish it was the weekend so you’d have my undivided attention,” Luz said, pain in her voice. She hated not being there to help as much as she wanted to be but her education was important. Amity and the others tried to make her see that it was okay, that they were capable of carrying on in her absence.
“You’re wearing yourself to a frazzle, Luz. You need sleep too. No reading in bed tonight,” she said sternly.
With a sheepish look, Luz nodded and crawled into bed. Amity laid down, the sheet being pressure enough to rachet her pain up to the ceiling. Amity wasn’t sure sleep was going to be happening.
Chapter Two
It had taken everything Amity had to keep up the pace all day the next day. Her ankle throbbed terribly so she chose to do research, sorting through piles of books she doubted would lead them anywhere. She scoured the internet now that Luz had taught them all how to work it. That had more interesting possibilities than the older books. She stumbled across Jacob Hopkins’ website, filled with his rantings but she read them all since he had captured Vee once and had tracked down some of Eda’s mischief. There might be a nugget or two in the mess she could use.
The others continued to work around her, often outside or at the abandoned house so she was mostly alone except for Ghost.
She jotted down notes from Rosemary Ellen Guiley’s The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft and The Art of Black Mirror Scrying, though it was Odalia who was the oracle, not her. She listened to some episodes of Coast to Coast AM all the while giving her ankle a rest.
Her solitude lasted until Camila came home. Today was her short day. She waved to Amity but left her in peace so she could go up and change out of her scrubs. Amity would have to set aside her pursuits in order to help Camila. She couldn’t let Luz’s mom do all the work while she laid about. That said, she would read on until Camila returned from upstairs.
Camila waved on her way past to the kitchen. She paused. “Are you all right, Amity? You look... upset.”
She shook her head, hating she had so poorly masked her own pain. “Mostly a bit bored listening to some of the weird theories Humans believe in. Gus would love this stuff.”
Camila laughed. “Conspiracy theories are everywhere and you have to sit back and wonder how could anyone believe that.” She sobered up. “I would have thought portals to another world were just another crazy conspiracy theory until you and your friends showed up. I thought that was nonsense made up by people who believe in interdimensional travel and lizard people taking over the government.”
Amity filed that away for future research. “I’m definitely not a lizard person.” She smiled. “Do you need help in the kitchen?”
“I wouldn’t say no.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Once Camila walked off, Amity got up. Fire shot up her ankle and it buckled. She barely caught herself before she ended up on the floor but she jostled the coffee table. Camila peeked around the corner.
“I thought so. What happened? I could see you were favoring your foot,” Camila said.
Amity steeled herself and crossed over to her. She wasn’t going to limp. Her ankle had other ideas. “I’m fine.”
Camila thinned her lips and pointed to the couch. “Go sit. You’re not fine. Let me have a look.”
Trained far too well by her own overbearing mother, Amity retreated and sat. Camila sat on the opposite end of the couch and put a pillow on her lap.
She patted the pillow. “Put your foot up here and let me have a look, Amity.”
“It’s fine,” Amity protested again.
Camila snorted. “You don’t have a daughter like Luz and not recognize the signs of someone hiding an injury because she’s afraid of telling me exactly what foolhardy thing she did to earn it.”
“That does sound like Luz.” Sighing, Amity put her foot up on the pillow. “I stepped in a hole when Hunter and I were out exploring the creek.”
Camila eased Amity’s shoe and sock off, sucking at her teeth when she exposed the swollen, purpled ankle. “This looks bad.”
“It wouldn’t be so bad if there was healing magic but…” Amity shrugged. “I hurt this ankle a few months ago so I think that’s why it looks like that.”
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Because I hurt my ankle originally in a grudgy match gone a bit wild…which was partly because of Luz and she felt so guilty about it. I didn’t want her to be upset.” Amity frowned. “And what if witches are somehow really different from humans and your doctors would know. That would be so bad.” She ticked a finger off her pointed ear.
Camila nodded. “That is true but I have some ideas how to get around that. I’m an animal doctor, true, but I know a little something about taking care of injuries. Also I have an X-ray machine.”
“What?”
“It’s a machine that lets us look at bone. We can go to my clinic first and make sure you have all the right amount of bones for a human.” Camila eased the sock back over Amity’s foot. “It’s been a long time since I had human anatomy classes but I do remember how many bones there are. Let’s go do that and then we can go from there.”
“If you think it will be okay,” Amity said dubiously.
Camila flashed one of her gentle smiles. “Trust me.”
Surprisingly, Amity did.
# # #
Humans spent a lot of time waiting, Amity thought. Camila’s magic invisible ray machine did take a picture of her bones while she waited nervously under a lead apron that supposedly repelled magic invisible rays. She had the right amount of bones and Camila didn’t think any were broken but she had to be sure so they had come to a clinic where Amity only understood every fourth word as most of them spoke Spanish. Luz had been teaching her but she was far from fluent at this point.
She had more x-rays by someone who knew how to x-ray humans and by the time they called them to the back and put them in a room, Amity was so bored which shocked her because she was also nervous about what was going to happen. Camila seemed confident no one would guess she wasn’t human but Amity still worried. Luz made it sound bad if she were caught. Vee’s story about Jacob and the cage had been scary enough.
“Camila Noceda and Amity Light,” someone called.
Camila helped Amity to her feet. She had used an alteration of her name because Luz had said unlike Porter and Park, Blight wasn’t really a common human name. Light wasn’t so bad. They hobbled back to a small room that smelled of antiseptics. The woman – a nurse she guessed based on what Camila had told her to expect – put her on a padded table and took her vitals.
“Doctor Gonzales will be in to see you shortly.”
“Thank you,” Camila said. She turned to Amity once the nurse left. “Don’t worry. This won’t be a danger to you.”
“Okay.”
Amity trusted her, as much as she trusted anyone. It was a slow process for her. Her nerves worked up as they waited but soon a youngish woman came in, her long dark hair held back in a sloppy twist. She smiled.
“Hello, Amity. I’m Doctor Gonzales. Can you tell me what happened to your ankle?” she said, sitting on a small rolling stool.
Amity recounted how she had twisted her ankle and of her sports injury a few months before. As she did so, Dr. Gonzales probed her ankle, gently turning the swollen joint side to side. She pulled on it once making Amity wince and then the doctor peered on a computer screen.
“It’s not broken, which is the good news and you passed the anterior drawer test, that’s when I pulled your heel toward me. That means your anterior talofibular ligament, one of the main stabilizers of the ankle isn’t ruptured, which is also good news. That said, you have an ankle sprain and ligaments can take time to heal, as in a couple of months.” Dr. Gonzales flashed her a sympathetic smile. “I know that’s not news an athlete wants to hear but rest and some physical therapy are what you need.”
“I understand,” Amity said, thinking there was no way she was sitting around for months while her friends did all the work.
“Especially for the next few days. I’m going to put a compression dressing on it. You and Camila should be able to put it back on as needed. And I’m giving you an air cast for when you’re up and about. You can take it off at rest. Ice and elevation are also a good idea. And I’ll give some home physical therapy you can do yourself.” She shot Camila a look.
Amity understood that too. Camila explained this was a clinic where people went when they couldn’t go to other more official ones. Dr Gonzales’ usual patients probably couldn’t afford real therapy nor had something called insurance that Amity didn’t quite understand since it seemed needlessly complicated and unfair in practice. Gonzales drew circles in the air with her foot and did the alphabet along with a few other exercises, demonstrating them all for Amity.
The air cast and compression ACE bandage did help her pain considerably and she told Camila so in the car. All the way home, Amity plotted how to get around the idea of forced rest.
Chapter Three
Luz had no intention of letting Amity get out of resting her ankle for a few days. Her friends and her mom were onboard. Camila had told Luz she doubted Amity was going to listen and Luz knew for certain she wouldn’t. When she got to the living room, Hunter was there talking to Amity with her mom’s old laptop and a list meticulously written out and cross referenced in hand.
“These are all the rabbit holes I fell into,” he was saying. “You can follow up on all of them for me.”
“I know what you’re trying to do, Hunter.” Amity shot him a cross look.
“Good, then you know it’s for the best. No one is letting you hobble around hurting yourself more and if this doesn’t do it, Willow will bind you to the couch with vines.” Hunter informed her imperiously as only he could.
Amity crossed her arms, sulking, “Like to see her try.”
Luz suspected Amity wouldn’t win that fight, at least not in her current condition. She sailed over, juice glass in hand, to rescue Hunter. “I come bringing treats.” She presented the glass filled with a tawny liquid to Amity. “Apple cider, fresh from the farm. Mom gets a couple gallons as a treat every year. Hunter, she has a cup for you in the kitchen.”
“Oh, cool. Thanks.”
He raced off, always eager to try something new. Luz sat next to her girlfriend and handed her the glass of cider.
“You know he’s right, Amity. Hunter is really good at the research and if we’re going to find a way back to the Boiling Isles, it’s probably going to be in the books or webpages, not in you helping him walk the perimeter or hauling crap around in the old house. Even if you’re stuck on the couch for a while, it’s not like you’re not helping. You absolutely are,” Luz said in a rush.
Amity sighed. “Logically, I know that but it still feels like I’m not doing my fair share.”
Luz shook her head. “Of course you are.” She slipped her fingers into Amity’s and gave them a light squeeze. “Think about it. Is anything we’re doing in that old house really helping to get you home? No. It’s to make us more comfortable while we work and so we’re not up under Mom’s feet all the time. You’re doing the real work with the research, make no bones about it, sweet potato.”
Smiling, Amity leaned against Luz’s shoulders. “How do you always know what to say?”
“Because I’m a great girlfriend,” Luz bragged before bursting out laughing.
Amity laughed too and squeezed Luz’s hand back. “You laugh but you really are.”
Luz sobered up. Amity still didn’t know everything she had done to unwittingly aid Belos. She wasn’t sure she could ever know. No, I’ll tell her when the time is right. I’ll tell everyone. At least Hunter can keep a secret like a grave. “So, for the next few days expect some grade A, best girlfriend pampering and not just from me. Oh no, Mama is getting in on the act. Comforting is her jam. Also, I’m like 101 percent sure Willow, Gus, and Hunter are plotting to shower you with all the comforts they can think of and Vee’s helping.”
Amity relaxed against Luz. “That sounds good actually.”
Of course it did. Amity had told Luz in the strictest of confidences that the first time she’d hurt herself, she’d spent the days alone in her room waiting for her siblings to bring work from school. Odalia was not a nurturer and she never let her husband out of his factory. It made Luz sad for Amity but at least, once they got home, Amity could try and repair things with her father at least. It was more than Luz would ever be able to do. A tiny pang ran through her chest and she turned her gaze to the pictures on the wall, searching out her lost father’s face.
Rallying, she said, “Later, once everyone gets the last of the apple cider out of their mouths and I get my homework done, I’m making hot chocolate for everyone and I thought we could watch some movies.”
“That does sound nice. It’s just, I hate being a bother.”
“You’re not. We’re choosing to do this. You’re not asking us to,” Luz replied in tone she hoped brooked no further argument. “I’m the one planning to a bother. How are you at geometry?”
Amity shot her a confused look and Luz realized it was entirely possible magic negated geometry.
She waved Amity off. “Never mind. I’ll get Hunter to help me.” If anyone was going to grasp the horrible subject, it was probably him. “I also have to write a book report on a book I’m not enjoying. Sigh. My classes seem so tedious after being at Hexside.”
“We’ll get back there,” Amity said in a tone that rang of hollow self-confidence. “You’ll see.”
“If anyone can do it, it’s us,” Luz tried to sound confident too. She wasn’t sure she succeeded. “Try your apple cider.”
Amity quirked up an eyebrow. “Aren’t we too young for this?”
“No, it’s not like apple blood.” Luz giggled. “Though if you forget about it for a while, it will ferment. No, Eda would probably be disappointed in it but I think it’s delicious.”
From the broad smile crossing Amity’s face at her first sip, she did too. At least Luz could do this much to make her girlfriend happy. Now to unleash Operation Pamper Me.
# # #
Amity bore up with the first wave of the operation with good grace…sort of. Luz wished Amity could learn to relax, that no one – except maybe Odalia who wasn’t here to judge – would care if she took a little time to herself.
Luz had made Mexican hot chocolate for everyone, keeping the spices on warm and mild side. She’d opened a couple bags of chicharrónes and her mom had fried up some batata frita. Amity and Luz shared a few secret grins about that snack. Everyone settled down for a Halloween free for all movie session of her Mom’s 80s horror collection. Half of them were watching through their fingers and Hunter kept up a running list of how unrealistic everything was until he got caught between two thrown pillows; one from Amity, the other from Camila.
“How’s it feeling now?” Camila asked, bringing out a fresh ice pack for Amity’s ankle while Luz put on the Evil Dead DVD.
“Better,” Amity said a little too quickly.
Camila eyed her dubiously. “It’ll probably hurt more in the morning after you take the dressings off for the evening. Don’t go thinking you can push it tomorrow.”
“But…”
“Mom has spoken,” Luz said, cutting Amity off before she could dig too deep. “Everyone tell her she’s not a bother.”
They all but chorused it and Gus added, “Definitely not a bother if we get to watch spooky movies all night with you on the couch.”
“Have fun trying to sleep tonight, Hunter.” Willow laughed. “Gus always says he loves scary stuff.”
“I do!”
“And then has nightmares all night.”
Hunter shrugged. “He’s listened to mine for weeks. It’ll be okay.”
Luz hated that he still had nightmares. So did she. Being inside Belos’s head would do that to you. “Wait until you see Ash. You’re gonna love this character.”
And so they did. Luz enjoyed looping an arm around Amity during most of the jump scares and even more so helping her upstairs to their room. At least Amity had given up calling herself a bother. She sat on her bed, a small scowl on her face.
“Amity, is everything okay?” Luz asked.
“I know everyone wants to go to the Raven’s Hollow corn maze. Promise me, if my ankle still hurts too much, you’ll go without me.”
“It wouldn’t be any fun without you.”
“See, this is why I hate being a bother!” Amity flopped back on the bed, elevating her unwrapped ankle. It was still purpled but the swelling had improved. “Everyone can go without me.”
“Okay, okay.” Luz waved her hands. “But you’ll see, you’ll be fine to go especially if you’re wearing the air cast.” She certainly hoped so. She wasn’t going without Amity and wasn’t sure the others would either.
Mollified, Amity smiled. “Thanks, Luz.”
“No problem.”
All this meant was Operation Pamper Me had to go hard tomorrow. Amity needed to rest or else.
Chapter Four
Luz grinned as she came through the door. School might be a drag but coming home to her friends – no, her family – made the day brighten. Geometry had gone better than she expected; Hunter had been good at explaining it, better than her teacher. Vee had met her on the stoop as she hustled in a tray of empty glasses and said that the others were nearly done for the day in the abandoned house and they’d be along soon to help start dinner. Better yet, Amity was where she was supposed to be, on the couch with her feet up.
Half hidden in the door frame, Luz listened to her girlfriend muttering to herself about Hunter’s innumerable research rabbit holes. Amity was fooling no one except maybe herself. She loved the research as much as Hunter. It was the one thing they had in common, that and having bad parental figures but no one wanted to dwell on that.
“Afternoon, sweet potato,” Luz called merrily. She needed to keep up a good façade or they might start to see behind her mask of guilt and shame. “How’s it going?”
“I’m not sure how Hunter found this many research paths but he did a good job. I’ve bookmarked the most promising ones. Once I finish a few more avenues we might be ready to put all this information together.” Amity’s smile was huge and genuine.
Luz jogged across the room and reached down to give her a hug. “That is fantastic.”
“I think we might need to learn more about Philip and Caleb Wittebane though. They got across somehow.” A cloud sailed over Amity’s face as she glanced around. “That should probably be you and I doing that research. It might be a bit much for Hunter. I know he’s given up on thinking Belos is a good guy but he could barely make it past where….” Amity paled. “The Collector did what he did to Belos.”
Luz grimaced, still seeing Belos splatter like a rotted pumpkin in her mind’s eye far too often. “We can do that but I pretty sure they followed a witch.” She didn’t want to think much on that either because she knew deep down it was the Titan’s blood in the key that allowed the brothers through. It was why Belos had wanted it so much. Was King’s blood enough to power the portal? If so then why hadn’t it happened? Eda wouldn’t stop until she was through to Luz. She came to the Human Realm all the time. The only thing it could mean was Eda couldn’t open a portal. Was she dead? Was King too young to have magic strong enough to open the door? Were her friends trapped here for life? No, she couldn’t go down that path or she’d start crying.
“Luz?” Amity cupped Luz’s chin. “Are you okay?”
Luz summoned up a faltering smile. “I’m fine, just getting deep in thought. This is so promising, Amity. See, silver linings and all that.”
Amity shot her a confused look. “Huh?”
“Oh, it’s a human expression. Every cloud has a silver lining. It means even if it’s dark and stormy right now, there will be something good coming from it.” Luz wasn’t sure she believed that entirely and Amity’s expression said the same. “You’re giving your ankle time to heal and you’re putting your time to good use with the research.”
“I guess so but it feels weird letting everyone do stuff for me.”
“I’m sure.” Luz gently lifted the pillow Amity’s ankle rested on and slid under it, cradling the pillow and Amity’s foot in her lap. “You said your mom made your dad work through having fire flu. It sounded awful. You’re not used to being babied but it’s not a bad thing.”
“No, I’m sure I could get to like it,” Amity replied dubiously.
“We all could. I wish you didn’t get so antsy about just relaxing.”
Amity frowned, glancing away. Luz could kick herself for bringing it up. She knew Amity was a bit slow to trust and open up.
“But it’s okay.”
Amity turned back to her. “I suppose it’s because of my mother. Why relax when we could spend that time improving ourselves, climbing to the top of the mountain. I don’t know how much higher she thought we could go. We were already one of the richest, most influential families in Bonesborough.”
“I know that’s why she wanted you to be friends with Boscha.” Luz wrinkled her nose. She tried to see the good in people but Boscha made it hard. “I guess the next step would be actual royalty.”
“I know and…part of me wonders, did she think we would be marrying into the family,” Amity said, the words slow as if she could barely force them out.
“Oh, ew. Gosh, that’s terrifying. She wouldn’t have tried to marry you or Emira to Emperor Belos?” Luz had nearly called him Philip. She had to remember not to do that.
Amity made a face. “I can’t imagine it but…to the Emperor’s nephew.”
“Oh. Oh!” Luz sat up straighter as that scenario gelled in her head. “She knew the Golden Guard, had to know he was a kid.”
“She did. The question is who was she going to throw at him? Me, Em or Ed?”
“Yeah, maybe this is a scenario we don’t share with the others,” Luz said. “But I get what you’re saying. You mom never let you take it easy.”
“I’m used to be self-sufficient don’t know any other way to be. ”
“You and Hunter,” Luz said.
“And I don’t want to turn out to be like Odalia because I was going down that path. Look how I treated Willow.” Amity sighed.
“You’re not your mother, Amity and Willow’s worked past all that. I know your mom and everything she did is a lot to get past but I’m glad you’re comfortable enough to share some of those fears with me and I hope you know, that seriously, you’re not a bother. Friends help friends.”
“Yes, I’m getting that now.”
“Good.” She rubbed Amity’s leg above her ankle. “How’s it feeling now?”
“Much better,” she said and at Luz’s best firm look, added, “Really, it’s good. I think I can start doing more.”
“In that case, come help me dice up all the veggies and get the asopao de pollo started before Mom gets home.”
“The what?”
“Chicken and rice soup. It’s really good this time of year. It has lots of veggies, carrots, peppers, corn and even pumpkin but I’ll let Hunter power through cutting up that.”
When Amity stood and walked to the kitchen, she wasn’t limping or even favoring the leg a little like she had been. Luz took that as a good sign. By the time her mom arrived home, Luz had sautéed off the veggies and the chicken and Hunter had diced the small, sugary pumpkins. The whole kitchen smelled good and the sense of home and family so strong it drove out the doubts and pain from Luz’s mind. If the worst happened, they would make it through somehow. She could have been content to live in the Boiling Isles but that was different. She knew her mom was safe, if worried sick about her being missing. The denizens of the Isles were accepting of her physical differences. It would not be the same here for her friends. They would have to hide their whole lives. They didn’t know if their families were okay. No, she couldn’t get too content. They had to get them home. If Caleb was coming and going, if Philip followed him, there had to be more Titan’s blood, right?
When Amity tried to help with the after dinner clean up, Camila shooed her into the living room with a glass of apple cider in hand. Luz smiled. She would have to do something for her mother. Not everyone would step up and mother six kids, helping them to navigate their fear and pain. Luz had always known her mom was special, even if they did have their fights. Now she had all the proof she needed to think Camila Noceda was the best mom ever. She definitely needed to find a way to show her how much it meant.
“One of my clients was trying out two new blends for her fall festival booth so I have bags of candy apple and caramel popcorn and pumpkin spice popcorn too,” Camila called into the living room. “How about I get them and we all sit down to watch an Azura movie?”
Amity squealed and the boys groaned.
“And we can follow it up with a few episodes of Cosmic Frontier,” Camila added. And those squealing and groaning flipflopped.
Luz kissed her mom’s cheek. “You’re the best.”
Chapter Five
“This is it. Everyone excited?” Luz spread her arms wide.
Sprawling before them was the maze, wonky lighting effects, a big ‘Raven’s Hollow’ sign and a couple older women taking money for the tickets. Camila opted to stay in the warmth of the car with her Kindle, reading while the kids ran around in the brisk autumn air. At least the chill in the air made all the hats and scarves covering pointy ears less questionable as a fashion choice. All the palismen had been left at home because outside of Ghost, they would have been odd and draw attention.
“I can’t wait!” Vee pumped a fist in the air. “Do we separate or is this a team effort?"
“I did mazes all the time in the Scouts,” Hunter boosted. “We could make it a competition?”
“You’ll be sad when you lose,” Luz shot back with a feral grin.
“Because you will,” Amity added, looping her arm with Luz’s.
“Why is everyone in this group so competitive?” Gus sighed.
“Because it’s fun.” Willow laughed. “I’ll be on Hunter’s team.” She added, surprising no one except maybe Hunter who flushed in the dim light of twilight.
“Fine and I’m with Amity. Gus, you and Vee will make a good team, “ Luz said.
“We’ll have hot chocolate waiting for you at the end.” Vee smirked.
“Ha, you wish. We’ll probably have to send bloodhounds to find you two. Remember the rules. Absolutely no magic,” Luz said in a whisper. “And no touching the actors. That’s a major rule for everyone’s safety.”
“That’s no problem,” Willow assured her.
Luz raised her eyebrows. “Are we sure? We’re all the hit back now, realize the consequences later type. Now’s the time to put that warrior spirit in check and remember they’re all just actors. There’s no real danger.”
“I’ll try,” Amity said dryly.
“I was thinking though if I were a witch looking to take advantage of humans, something like this might be what I’d do,” Hunter said. “Just in case Eda wasn’t the only witch with a way over.”
Luz wagged a finger in his face. “Stop thinking.”
“And I’d know if there was magic,” Vee said. “I’d sense it.”
They let her have the last word on that since she was the one who ate magic, after all. Despite them choosing teams, they all wanted to turn right on the first turn. The setting sun – and the lighting provided for the maze – cast long shadows. The wind rustled the dried leaves on their stalks.
It’s just a fun thing, Luz reminded herself. You’ve done way scarier things…like bringing a bunch of witches and a basilisk into a haunted maze and hope they behave themselves. You’re earning that hot chocolate at the end!
Amity startled, drawing against Luz as they rounded a corner and three, eight feet tall, sickle-handed Pumpkinheads loomed over them. Gus bravely neared them when two pumpkinheaded actors popped up with loud shouts. Gus took off the way they came like a giraffe was after him and Vee followed him. Luz reached for Amity’s hand, her heart racing. Hunter smirked over at her as if to say ‘I wasn’t startled!’ when she darn well knew he had been. He was easy to startle. That’s what a life of abuse had earned him.
“I guess someone decided the left hand path through the maze was better.” Willow laughed after Gus.
“That was pretty fun, though,” Hunter said, hustling through another turn in the maze with everyone following him. This time the sounds of a chainsaw revving up greeted them. “What’s that noise?”
“Chainsaw. They’re big in haunted fun houses,” Luz said. “They’re used to cut down trees and to cut up your victims.”
“Lovely.” Amity gave Luz’s hand a squeeze.
The sound chased them into another clearing in the maze where two zombie women were ‘eating’ a dude’s ribs. Laughing, the friends hurried past into another part of the maze. The sun had slipped past the horizon so it was now darker and the shadows denser. They crossed pass a massive pile of pumpkins. The sickle-handed Pumpkinheads were everywhere in this part of the maze. Suddenly they jumped down from their platforms, roaring.
All the friends fell into defensive positions.
Before vines started ripping out of the ground and purple abominations were called forth, Luz hissed, “It’s fake! Remember, it’s fake!”
Fake or not, her brain screamed ‘this is real!’ as the actors raced across the clearing, their sickle hands waving. Everyone ran. She and Amity went one way and Hunter and Willow the other. She and Amity sprinted around several turns before stopping in a raven infested clearing. A few of the animatronic birds cawed and fluttered their plastic wings. Lilith would probably love it.
Breathing hard, Luz laughed. Amity caught her up in a tight embrace.
“We escaped,” Amity cried.
Luz’s answer was to kiss her. Amity kissed back hungrily. Neither cared that the fake ravens were watching.
When Luz stepped back, her lips tingling, she said, “Now you see why people like these mazes.”
Amity stole another kiss. “Now I definitely do.”
“Fake scared is fun.”
Amity laughed. “We’re definitely introducing this idea to the Boiling Isles.” She rested her forehead against Luz’s, her breath curling along Luz’s skin. “That was pretty scary even though we know it’s fake.”
Another group of older teens crashed into the clearing. They waved at them and threaded through another path out of the ravens. Luz turned to Amity again.
“But should you have run so far and hard on that ankle?”
“It’s fine. Barely twinging. I’ll ice it when we get home, promise.” Amity hip bumped her. “But come on, we have to be the first to get through the maze. If it’s Hunter, he’ll be more insufferable than usual.”
Luz snorted. No arguing that.
Having literally no idea where they were in the maze at this point, Luz made an arbitrary right hand turn right into a Leatherface arena that had them running again. Several more scarecrows and Pumpkinheads and one werewolf later, they found their way to the end of the maze only to find Gus and Vee waiting for them with little smirks on their faces.
“No fair,” Amity groaned.
“Did you two just exit the maze at the beginning after the first jump scare? Luz queried.
“How dare you?” Vee asked in mock indignant. “We’re just that good.”
“Uh huh,” Luz said, pushing past them for a Styrofoam cup of the world’s most watered down hot chocolate in celebration of ‘surviving,’ gifted to her by the older volunteers who waited for the maze runners at the exit.
“Can’t help notice Mr. Maze and Willow aren’t out yet,” Gus said.
“Probably realized that a lot of people use the maze as a place to make out with your significant other,” Vee shot back and Luz wondered if Willow or Hunter realized yet that they had a crush on each other.
“Or he hit an actor and is in the back of a police car,” Luz replied, sincerely hoping not.
Finally, Willow and Hunter did emerge from the maze, holding hands, not even realizing their friends were waiting for several long minutes. Hunter said nothing about being last as he got his celebratory weak-sauce hot chocolate. Willow opted for one of the popcorn balls on offer.
“Did we all have fun?” Luz asked.
“I want to go again!” Gus beamed.
“There’s usually more than one haunted spectacle in the area. I’ll look into it,” Luz promised.
“We needed this time off,” Amity said, surprising her. Amity was not the take time off type.
“We definitely did.” Luz leaned against her girlfriend’s shoulder.
They all had fun. They had put their worries aside for an hour and it felt good. She felt recharged and ready to face the world and their enormous problem again. It might not have brought them any closer to finding an answer back to the Boiling Isles but it had given them a much needed break. She’d have to tell her Mom she was right about that. For now, she wasn’t in any hurry to head home. Luz wanted to steal a little more time in the cool autumn night with her friends. Their problems would be there in the morning but for now, they needed this relaxation time. Maybe they could slither back into the maze for another run through. It was the perfect night for it and Luz was happy.
Summary: Amity tries to hide that she’s reinjured her ankle but fooling the Nocedas isn’t as easy as she might imagine.
Rating: teen
Author Note - Written for Wombatking in Fandom Trumps Hate 2024 for the prompt of Amity has reinjured her ankle and tries to conceal it so she's not a bother to anyone. Thanks to Wombatking for donating to a worthy cause and trusting me to write this story. It's all appreciated.
It was also written for the Spook_Me 2024 Pumpkinhead prompt to this piece of art by Michael Blank
Also written for Lyrical Titles for the prompt 'instrumental song' on lyrical titles – Raven’s Hollow by Midnight Syndicate (you can find the whole album also titled Raven's Hollow here and would make a fun soundtrack for the whole story
Also written for the Ladies Bingo prompt of Femslash
Thanks to Evil_Little_Dog for her help as a sounding board for this story.
Chapter One
Amity swatted a branch out of her way, following Hunter deeper into the woods around the abandoned house. Maybe it would have been smarter to send Willow with him but she and Gus were back at the house; Willow putting in a garden that would function as security as well, Gus cleaning some of the utter grossness of the place. With Luz at school – and oh how she missed her when she was gone. Titan, Amity missed being in class herself – Amity had little to occupy her time other than their quest to get back home. Maybe that’s why Hunter’s paranoia about the safety of the abandoned home had proven contagious to her. They were checking the perimeter – a perimeter that got bigger every time Hunter chose to check it.
If nothing else, it felt good to be moving. Amity enjoyed exercise, something she was learning she shared with Willow and Hunter. Luz and Gus were less enthusiastic. They were stalled on the quest to return home because well, there was little in the way of magical research in the Human Realm. Sure, there were plenty of books about magic and wicca and the occult but none of it was real magic, at least not in any way she or her fellow witches understood it. They could hope their family and friends back home were working on getting them back. King knew they had gone across. Edalyn used to cross over all the time. How she’d done it seemed to be linked to the portal and its key, which required a lot of power. Power they didn’t have. They didn’t have a door for that matter. They also didn’t have a clue if their friends and family were okay after the Day of Unity. If only Hunter and I hadn’t managed to break the key. Amity sighed. Even if they hadn’t, chances were Belos would have wrested it away from them and would have made good his escape.
They could all be gone. Amity winced at the horrible reoccurring thought and shoved it down deep. She couldn’t think about it. If she did, depression would win and they would all lose. Ed and Em had to be okay. Mom and Dad too, even as mad as she was at them, especially her mother, Amity wanted to see them again. The last she saw of her father, he was doing battle. He was good at that but he’d been outnumbered badly. No, she wasn’t going to think of that either. Her dad would be all right.
But what about the Collector? her brain whispered. His power had been terrifying. He’d splattered Belos with a flick of his finger. The bilious ooze of Belos’ remains dripping down had been in her nightmares: everyone’s nightmares really, especially Hunter. She felt bad for him and for Gus having to share a room with him and his issues, which were bigger than the basement. The Collector could move the sun, could rearrange the world if their theory about that was right. Was there even a home to go home to? Yet another thing she didn’t want to think about.
“Hunter, how far are we going?” Amity wasn’t sure she cared because action was better than sitting in Camila’s house watching endless TV as her brain circled through all her doomsday fears.
“There’s a creek not far from here.”
A creek? When had he found that? Hunter wandered at night much to Camila’s dismay. He couldn’t sleep and he was used to functioning on less sleep than anyone she’d ever met, including her workaholic father.
“Is that your new perimeter?”
He nodded. “It makes for a good boundary line. Also, it’s kinda cool.” He smiled, the scar on his cheek crinkling. “A lot of animals come out here and I found a trail camera mounted on a tree. Camila and Vee think it belonged to that guy Jacob Hopkins who caught Vee. He’s obsessed with witches. I think he’d be our number one worry, at least around the abandoned house.”
“Is the camera gone?”
He nodded. “But there might be more of them. We know how obsessed people are.”
She wrinkled her nose, wondering if that wasn’t a dig at her and himself. The worst part was it was true, both of them obsessed with making parental figures happy in spite of their insanely high expectations that could never really be met. “Okay, fair. I’ll check that way and you go the other?” Amity suggested.
“Sounds good.” He headed deeper into the woods along the creek with Flapjack gliding along next to him.
Ghost had stayed behind. According to Luz, it would look odd to walk around here carrying staves and while her cat palisman could have walked through the woods, the first time she tried, she came back covered in burrs and strange seed pods. Camila had brushes to help get Ghost free of the things – because they weren’t entirely sure what would happen if she went back to her staff form covered in them. Willow had excitedly collected them, harvesting their seeds.
Amity debated with herself about what she should be doing on this trail. She didn’t feel right putting up traps – which would have been Hunter’s plan, still stuck in the Emperor’s Coven mindset. He’d told her about how Darius created tiny abomatons as spies. Her father always built big. She learned to do it that way but the little ones had her intrigued. She might try one but she would put it closer to the abandoned cabin and Camila’s.
Sunlight beat down on the open canopy near the creek. It was a lovely day and Amity wished Luz could be here to enjoy it with her or she could have been with her in school but that required too much paperwork and parents they didn’t have. Amity stood still for a while, listening to the burble of the creek. Luz could probably write a scene set in a place like this, maybe some Azura fanfiction. Willow would love the autumn flowers blooming on the banks. Maybe they should come out here, picnic and talk about their next plan to try to get home. It was certainly private enough.
A glint in the tree line caught her eye. She walked toward it. Sure enough there was another trail camera. Did it have the right to be there? What if it wasn’t Hopkins’ doing? Who owned the woods? Amity didn’t know. Maybe she shouldn’t bother the camera. Didn’t Camila say trail cameras could be used to study wildlife? What if she removed it and someone’s research got damaged as a result? As she contemplated that, Amity had taken her eyes off the path. Her foot found the hole she hadn’t seen. The ground came up fast and knocked the breath out of her.
When Amity regained the ability to breathe, she tried to get to her feet. Her ankle argued against this. Flopping back on her bottom, Amity held her ankle. This was the same one she had hurt in the Grudgby match. Under her fingers, her ankle puffed up. She rotated it slowly. It didn’t feel broken but it certainly hurt. Debating calling for Hunter, Amity dismissed the idea. It was better no one knew. They’d only worry about her and they needed to be focused on getting home. This was her fault for not paying attention. Using a little of her abomination goo – something she wasn’t sure she could make more of here – Amity fashioned a brace.
It helped and she got up and dusted herself off. Trying hard not to hobble on it, Amity back tracked.
“Hunter,” she called.
He appeared quickly. His red eyes swept over her, picking up on the grass and dirt stains. “You okay?”
Amity shrugged, hoping to look casual. “I’m fine, just slipped on the bank. Ready to head back? We should dig back into the research.”
“Or at least help the others work on the house.”
She nodded and followed him back, trying to stay a step behind because he was giving her looks like he knew she was lying about being hurt but he said nothing. She’d be fine after all, right?
# # #
“What is a haunted corn maze?” Gus turned huge eyes on Luz. “Is it like our haunted birthday?”
Luz made a face that made Amity smile. “I’m not sure about any of that but a haunted corn maze is just a fun-scary thing we do around Halloween.”
Luz had explained Halloween to them before and they were all looking forward to it. They didn’t’ have a holiday where you dressed up as something else but, of course, illusionists could do that easily. Maybe it could be a fun idea to introduce to Hexside when they got home. Amity shifted on the couch next to Luz, her ankle thumping.
“So once the corn is harvested, the stalks aren’t good for much,” Luz said. “So we take them and turn them into mazes. We put scary displays inside of them and then there are actors in the maze to jump out and scare you.”
“And humans like this?” Amity cocked up her eyebrows.
Luz beamed. “You bet! We like our fake scary stuff. Some people get really scared though. I’ve heard of people wetting themselves.”
“Are humans easier to scare than we are?” Hunter shot her a perplexed look.
She shrugged. “Maybe. You guys definitely have scarier things on the daily than we do. Anyhow, a lot of the corn mazes and haunted houses have themes. The maze this time is called Raven’s Hollow all about scarecrows and pumpkinheads.”
“Before you ask, Pumpkinheads are like scarecrows but with pumpkins for heads and they have scary faces carved into them,” Vee offered up but what Amity was going to ask was going to be ‘what the heck is a scarecrow?’
“I’ve always wanted to be an actor for one of these things,” Luz said, with an adorable pout. “But they have stupid rules about age and working after dark.”
“Really?”
Of course Hunter would be dubious. He had been working with the Emperor’s Coven and the guard from far too young even by Boiling Isles’ standards. Amity wondered if her mother would have approved of Belos’s parenting style. Probably so it was lucky Odalia hadn’t known about it.
“I think you have to be sixteen or eighteen or something.” Luz shrugged.
“Can we go to this maze?” Willow asked.
“Sure but I’m not sure how scary it’ll be.” Luz made a face. “But it should be fun. We could all use a little of that.”
That sounded forced to Amity’s ear. Luz didn’t do nearly as good a job of hiding her emotions as she thought she did. Amity knew she was hiding something but couldn’t understand why. Maybe for similar reasons as to why you don’t want anyone to know you hurt your ankle again. She shut that griffin caravan of thought down. Luz had given her a couple of looks since dinner that suggested she knew Amity was hiding something. Amity had taken away her brace once she had gotten back to the house since the floors were level and easy to walk unlike the uneven ground of the woods. Someone would notice the brace and she didn’t want them worrying.
“I vote we do the maze some night,” Willow said.
“I second that.” Hunter grinned. “I’m sure we can master it quickly.”
“I’m not sure that’s the point,” Vee said. “You’re supposed to linger and enjoy it.”
Luz pointed at her, nodding.
“Are we allowed to scare them back?” Gus asked, a wicked twinkle in his eye.
Luz snickered. “No, Gus! You’re supposed to jump and scream and run.”
“And wet yourself,” Hunter added in wryly. “I think I’ll be passing on that.”
No kidding. All of them had seen things scarier than whatever was likely to be in that maze. They didn’t jump or run and definitely no loss of bladder control. The real trick was to rein in their inherent tendency to fight. Amity liked to fight more than she cared to admit. The Bonesborough Brawl had been a blast. She loved it. She was glad it was something she got to share with her father, even if he hadn’t wanted her there because he thought she was still five years old or something.
They made more plans before turning in to get ready for bed. Amity tried not to mince across the bedroom, her pajama bottoms barely hiding the fact her ankle looked like it was holding its breath, all puffed cheeks and purply-blue.
Luz shot her a look. “Is everything okay, Ams?”
“I’m fine, just sleepy,” she said, trying to cover for her shuffling hobble into the bedroom. She gave Luz’s cheek a kiss, leaving them both blushing a bit. Luckily Willow had ducked into the bathroom after Amity vacated it and Vee looked asleep already. Odalia hadn’t been much for public displays and drilled that into her children.
“Get some sleep. We’ll tackle the problems tomorrow. I wish it was the weekend so you’d have my undivided attention,” Luz said, pain in her voice. She hated not being there to help as much as she wanted to be but her education was important. Amity and the others tried to make her see that it was okay, that they were capable of carrying on in her absence.
“You’re wearing yourself to a frazzle, Luz. You need sleep too. No reading in bed tonight,” she said sternly.
With a sheepish look, Luz nodded and crawled into bed. Amity laid down, the sheet being pressure enough to rachet her pain up to the ceiling. Amity wasn’t sure sleep was going to be happening.
Chapter Two
It had taken everything Amity had to keep up the pace all day the next day. Her ankle throbbed terribly so she chose to do research, sorting through piles of books she doubted would lead them anywhere. She scoured the internet now that Luz had taught them all how to work it. That had more interesting possibilities than the older books. She stumbled across Jacob Hopkins’ website, filled with his rantings but she read them all since he had captured Vee once and had tracked down some of Eda’s mischief. There might be a nugget or two in the mess she could use.
The others continued to work around her, often outside or at the abandoned house so she was mostly alone except for Ghost.
She jotted down notes from Rosemary Ellen Guiley’s The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft and The Art of Black Mirror Scrying, though it was Odalia who was the oracle, not her. She listened to some episodes of Coast to Coast AM all the while giving her ankle a rest.
Her solitude lasted until Camila came home. Today was her short day. She waved to Amity but left her in peace so she could go up and change out of her scrubs. Amity would have to set aside her pursuits in order to help Camila. She couldn’t let Luz’s mom do all the work while she laid about. That said, she would read on until Camila returned from upstairs.
Camila waved on her way past to the kitchen. She paused. “Are you all right, Amity? You look... upset.”
She shook her head, hating she had so poorly masked her own pain. “Mostly a bit bored listening to some of the weird theories Humans believe in. Gus would love this stuff.”
Camila laughed. “Conspiracy theories are everywhere and you have to sit back and wonder how could anyone believe that.” She sobered up. “I would have thought portals to another world were just another crazy conspiracy theory until you and your friends showed up. I thought that was nonsense made up by people who believe in interdimensional travel and lizard people taking over the government.”
Amity filed that away for future research. “I’m definitely not a lizard person.” She smiled. “Do you need help in the kitchen?”
“I wouldn’t say no.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Once Camila walked off, Amity got up. Fire shot up her ankle and it buckled. She barely caught herself before she ended up on the floor but she jostled the coffee table. Camila peeked around the corner.
“I thought so. What happened? I could see you were favoring your foot,” Camila said.
Amity steeled herself and crossed over to her. She wasn’t going to limp. Her ankle had other ideas. “I’m fine.”
Camila thinned her lips and pointed to the couch. “Go sit. You’re not fine. Let me have a look.”
Trained far too well by her own overbearing mother, Amity retreated and sat. Camila sat on the opposite end of the couch and put a pillow on her lap.
She patted the pillow. “Put your foot up here and let me have a look, Amity.”
“It’s fine,” Amity protested again.
Camila snorted. “You don’t have a daughter like Luz and not recognize the signs of someone hiding an injury because she’s afraid of telling me exactly what foolhardy thing she did to earn it.”
“That does sound like Luz.” Sighing, Amity put her foot up on the pillow. “I stepped in a hole when Hunter and I were out exploring the creek.”
Camila eased Amity’s shoe and sock off, sucking at her teeth when she exposed the swollen, purpled ankle. “This looks bad.”
“It wouldn’t be so bad if there was healing magic but…” Amity shrugged. “I hurt this ankle a few months ago so I think that’s why it looks like that.”
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Because I hurt my ankle originally in a grudgy match gone a bit wild…which was partly because of Luz and she felt so guilty about it. I didn’t want her to be upset.” Amity frowned. “And what if witches are somehow really different from humans and your doctors would know. That would be so bad.” She ticked a finger off her pointed ear.
Camila nodded. “That is true but I have some ideas how to get around that. I’m an animal doctor, true, but I know a little something about taking care of injuries. Also I have an X-ray machine.”
“What?”
“It’s a machine that lets us look at bone. We can go to my clinic first and make sure you have all the right amount of bones for a human.” Camila eased the sock back over Amity’s foot. “It’s been a long time since I had human anatomy classes but I do remember how many bones there are. Let’s go do that and then we can go from there.”
“If you think it will be okay,” Amity said dubiously.
Camila flashed one of her gentle smiles. “Trust me.”
Surprisingly, Amity did.
# # #
Humans spent a lot of time waiting, Amity thought. Camila’s magic invisible ray machine did take a picture of her bones while she waited nervously under a lead apron that supposedly repelled magic invisible rays. She had the right amount of bones and Camila didn’t think any were broken but she had to be sure so they had come to a clinic where Amity only understood every fourth word as most of them spoke Spanish. Luz had been teaching her but she was far from fluent at this point.
She had more x-rays by someone who knew how to x-ray humans and by the time they called them to the back and put them in a room, Amity was so bored which shocked her because she was also nervous about what was going to happen. Camila seemed confident no one would guess she wasn’t human but Amity still worried. Luz made it sound bad if she were caught. Vee’s story about Jacob and the cage had been scary enough.
“Camila Noceda and Amity Light,” someone called.
Camila helped Amity to her feet. She had used an alteration of her name because Luz had said unlike Porter and Park, Blight wasn’t really a common human name. Light wasn’t so bad. They hobbled back to a small room that smelled of antiseptics. The woman – a nurse she guessed based on what Camila had told her to expect – put her on a padded table and took her vitals.
“Doctor Gonzales will be in to see you shortly.”
“Thank you,” Camila said. She turned to Amity once the nurse left. “Don’t worry. This won’t be a danger to you.”
“Okay.”
Amity trusted her, as much as she trusted anyone. It was a slow process for her. Her nerves worked up as they waited but soon a youngish woman came in, her long dark hair held back in a sloppy twist. She smiled.
“Hello, Amity. I’m Doctor Gonzales. Can you tell me what happened to your ankle?” she said, sitting on a small rolling stool.
Amity recounted how she had twisted her ankle and of her sports injury a few months before. As she did so, Dr. Gonzales probed her ankle, gently turning the swollen joint side to side. She pulled on it once making Amity wince and then the doctor peered on a computer screen.
“It’s not broken, which is the good news and you passed the anterior drawer test, that’s when I pulled your heel toward me. That means your anterior talofibular ligament, one of the main stabilizers of the ankle isn’t ruptured, which is also good news. That said, you have an ankle sprain and ligaments can take time to heal, as in a couple of months.” Dr. Gonzales flashed her a sympathetic smile. “I know that’s not news an athlete wants to hear but rest and some physical therapy are what you need.”
“I understand,” Amity said, thinking there was no way she was sitting around for months while her friends did all the work.
“Especially for the next few days. I’m going to put a compression dressing on it. You and Camila should be able to put it back on as needed. And I’m giving you an air cast for when you’re up and about. You can take it off at rest. Ice and elevation are also a good idea. And I’ll give some home physical therapy you can do yourself.” She shot Camila a look.
Amity understood that too. Camila explained this was a clinic where people went when they couldn’t go to other more official ones. Dr Gonzales’ usual patients probably couldn’t afford real therapy nor had something called insurance that Amity didn’t quite understand since it seemed needlessly complicated and unfair in practice. Gonzales drew circles in the air with her foot and did the alphabet along with a few other exercises, demonstrating them all for Amity.
The air cast and compression ACE bandage did help her pain considerably and she told Camila so in the car. All the way home, Amity plotted how to get around the idea of forced rest.
Chapter Three
Luz had no intention of letting Amity get out of resting her ankle for a few days. Her friends and her mom were onboard. Camila had told Luz she doubted Amity was going to listen and Luz knew for certain she wouldn’t. When she got to the living room, Hunter was there talking to Amity with her mom’s old laptop and a list meticulously written out and cross referenced in hand.
“These are all the rabbit holes I fell into,” he was saying. “You can follow up on all of them for me.”
“I know what you’re trying to do, Hunter.” Amity shot him a cross look.
“Good, then you know it’s for the best. No one is letting you hobble around hurting yourself more and if this doesn’t do it, Willow will bind you to the couch with vines.” Hunter informed her imperiously as only he could.
Amity crossed her arms, sulking, “Like to see her try.”
Luz suspected Amity wouldn’t win that fight, at least not in her current condition. She sailed over, juice glass in hand, to rescue Hunter. “I come bringing treats.” She presented the glass filled with a tawny liquid to Amity. “Apple cider, fresh from the farm. Mom gets a couple gallons as a treat every year. Hunter, she has a cup for you in the kitchen.”
“Oh, cool. Thanks.”
He raced off, always eager to try something new. Luz sat next to her girlfriend and handed her the glass of cider.
“You know he’s right, Amity. Hunter is really good at the research and if we’re going to find a way back to the Boiling Isles, it’s probably going to be in the books or webpages, not in you helping him walk the perimeter or hauling crap around in the old house. Even if you’re stuck on the couch for a while, it’s not like you’re not helping. You absolutely are,” Luz said in a rush.
Amity sighed. “Logically, I know that but it still feels like I’m not doing my fair share.”
Luz shook her head. “Of course you are.” She slipped her fingers into Amity’s and gave them a light squeeze. “Think about it. Is anything we’re doing in that old house really helping to get you home? No. It’s to make us more comfortable while we work and so we’re not up under Mom’s feet all the time. You’re doing the real work with the research, make no bones about it, sweet potato.”
Smiling, Amity leaned against Luz’s shoulders. “How do you always know what to say?”
“Because I’m a great girlfriend,” Luz bragged before bursting out laughing.
Amity laughed too and squeezed Luz’s hand back. “You laugh but you really are.”
Luz sobered up. Amity still didn’t know everything she had done to unwittingly aid Belos. She wasn’t sure she could ever know. No, I’ll tell her when the time is right. I’ll tell everyone. At least Hunter can keep a secret like a grave. “So, for the next few days expect some grade A, best girlfriend pampering and not just from me. Oh no, Mama is getting in on the act. Comforting is her jam. Also, I’m like 101 percent sure Willow, Gus, and Hunter are plotting to shower you with all the comforts they can think of and Vee’s helping.”
Amity relaxed against Luz. “That sounds good actually.”
Of course it did. Amity had told Luz in the strictest of confidences that the first time she’d hurt herself, she’d spent the days alone in her room waiting for her siblings to bring work from school. Odalia was not a nurturer and she never let her husband out of his factory. It made Luz sad for Amity but at least, once they got home, Amity could try and repair things with her father at least. It was more than Luz would ever be able to do. A tiny pang ran through her chest and she turned her gaze to the pictures on the wall, searching out her lost father’s face.
Rallying, she said, “Later, once everyone gets the last of the apple cider out of their mouths and I get my homework done, I’m making hot chocolate for everyone and I thought we could watch some movies.”
“That does sound nice. It’s just, I hate being a bother.”
“You’re not. We’re choosing to do this. You’re not asking us to,” Luz replied in tone she hoped brooked no further argument. “I’m the one planning to a bother. How are you at geometry?”
Amity shot her a confused look and Luz realized it was entirely possible magic negated geometry.
She waved Amity off. “Never mind. I’ll get Hunter to help me.” If anyone was going to grasp the horrible subject, it was probably him. “I also have to write a book report on a book I’m not enjoying. Sigh. My classes seem so tedious after being at Hexside.”
“We’ll get back there,” Amity said in a tone that rang of hollow self-confidence. “You’ll see.”
“If anyone can do it, it’s us,” Luz tried to sound confident too. She wasn’t sure she succeeded. “Try your apple cider.”
Amity quirked up an eyebrow. “Aren’t we too young for this?”
“No, it’s not like apple blood.” Luz giggled. “Though if you forget about it for a while, it will ferment. No, Eda would probably be disappointed in it but I think it’s delicious.”
From the broad smile crossing Amity’s face at her first sip, she did too. At least Luz could do this much to make her girlfriend happy. Now to unleash Operation Pamper Me.
# # #
Amity bore up with the first wave of the operation with good grace…sort of. Luz wished Amity could learn to relax, that no one – except maybe Odalia who wasn’t here to judge – would care if she took a little time to herself.
Luz had made Mexican hot chocolate for everyone, keeping the spices on warm and mild side. She’d opened a couple bags of chicharrónes and her mom had fried up some batata frita. Amity and Luz shared a few secret grins about that snack. Everyone settled down for a Halloween free for all movie session of her Mom’s 80s horror collection. Half of them were watching through their fingers and Hunter kept up a running list of how unrealistic everything was until he got caught between two thrown pillows; one from Amity, the other from Camila.
“How’s it feeling now?” Camila asked, bringing out a fresh ice pack for Amity’s ankle while Luz put on the Evil Dead DVD.
“Better,” Amity said a little too quickly.
Camila eyed her dubiously. “It’ll probably hurt more in the morning after you take the dressings off for the evening. Don’t go thinking you can push it tomorrow.”
“But…”
“Mom has spoken,” Luz said, cutting Amity off before she could dig too deep. “Everyone tell her she’s not a bother.”
They all but chorused it and Gus added, “Definitely not a bother if we get to watch spooky movies all night with you on the couch.”
“Have fun trying to sleep tonight, Hunter.” Willow laughed. “Gus always says he loves scary stuff.”
“I do!”
“And then has nightmares all night.”
Hunter shrugged. “He’s listened to mine for weeks. It’ll be okay.”
Luz hated that he still had nightmares. So did she. Being inside Belos’s head would do that to you. “Wait until you see Ash. You’re gonna love this character.”
And so they did. Luz enjoyed looping an arm around Amity during most of the jump scares and even more so helping her upstairs to their room. At least Amity had given up calling herself a bother. She sat on her bed, a small scowl on her face.
“Amity, is everything okay?” Luz asked.
“I know everyone wants to go to the Raven’s Hollow corn maze. Promise me, if my ankle still hurts too much, you’ll go without me.”
“It wouldn’t be any fun without you.”
“See, this is why I hate being a bother!” Amity flopped back on the bed, elevating her unwrapped ankle. It was still purpled but the swelling had improved. “Everyone can go without me.”
“Okay, okay.” Luz waved her hands. “But you’ll see, you’ll be fine to go especially if you’re wearing the air cast.” She certainly hoped so. She wasn’t going without Amity and wasn’t sure the others would either.
Mollified, Amity smiled. “Thanks, Luz.”
“No problem.”
All this meant was Operation Pamper Me had to go hard tomorrow. Amity needed to rest or else.
Chapter Four
Luz grinned as she came through the door. School might be a drag but coming home to her friends – no, her family – made the day brighten. Geometry had gone better than she expected; Hunter had been good at explaining it, better than her teacher. Vee had met her on the stoop as she hustled in a tray of empty glasses and said that the others were nearly done for the day in the abandoned house and they’d be along soon to help start dinner. Better yet, Amity was where she was supposed to be, on the couch with her feet up.
Half hidden in the door frame, Luz listened to her girlfriend muttering to herself about Hunter’s innumerable research rabbit holes. Amity was fooling no one except maybe herself. She loved the research as much as Hunter. It was the one thing they had in common, that and having bad parental figures but no one wanted to dwell on that.
“Afternoon, sweet potato,” Luz called merrily. She needed to keep up a good façade or they might start to see behind her mask of guilt and shame. “How’s it going?”
“I’m not sure how Hunter found this many research paths but he did a good job. I’ve bookmarked the most promising ones. Once I finish a few more avenues we might be ready to put all this information together.” Amity’s smile was huge and genuine.
Luz jogged across the room and reached down to give her a hug. “That is fantastic.”
“I think we might need to learn more about Philip and Caleb Wittebane though. They got across somehow.” A cloud sailed over Amity’s face as she glanced around. “That should probably be you and I doing that research. It might be a bit much for Hunter. I know he’s given up on thinking Belos is a good guy but he could barely make it past where….” Amity paled. “The Collector did what he did to Belos.”
Luz grimaced, still seeing Belos splatter like a rotted pumpkin in her mind’s eye far too often. “We can do that but I pretty sure they followed a witch.” She didn’t want to think much on that either because she knew deep down it was the Titan’s blood in the key that allowed the brothers through. It was why Belos had wanted it so much. Was King’s blood enough to power the portal? If so then why hadn’t it happened? Eda wouldn’t stop until she was through to Luz. She came to the Human Realm all the time. The only thing it could mean was Eda couldn’t open a portal. Was she dead? Was King too young to have magic strong enough to open the door? Were her friends trapped here for life? No, she couldn’t go down that path or she’d start crying.
“Luz?” Amity cupped Luz’s chin. “Are you okay?”
Luz summoned up a faltering smile. “I’m fine, just getting deep in thought. This is so promising, Amity. See, silver linings and all that.”
Amity shot her a confused look. “Huh?”
“Oh, it’s a human expression. Every cloud has a silver lining. It means even if it’s dark and stormy right now, there will be something good coming from it.” Luz wasn’t sure she believed that entirely and Amity’s expression said the same. “You’re giving your ankle time to heal and you’re putting your time to good use with the research.”
“I guess so but it feels weird letting everyone do stuff for me.”
“I’m sure.” Luz gently lifted the pillow Amity’s ankle rested on and slid under it, cradling the pillow and Amity’s foot in her lap. “You said your mom made your dad work through having fire flu. It sounded awful. You’re not used to being babied but it’s not a bad thing.”
“No, I’m sure I could get to like it,” Amity replied dubiously.
“We all could. I wish you didn’t get so antsy about just relaxing.”
Amity frowned, glancing away. Luz could kick herself for bringing it up. She knew Amity was a bit slow to trust and open up.
“But it’s okay.”
Amity turned back to her. “I suppose it’s because of my mother. Why relax when we could spend that time improving ourselves, climbing to the top of the mountain. I don’t know how much higher she thought we could go. We were already one of the richest, most influential families in Bonesborough.”
“I know that’s why she wanted you to be friends with Boscha.” Luz wrinkled her nose. She tried to see the good in people but Boscha made it hard. “I guess the next step would be actual royalty.”
“I know and…part of me wonders, did she think we would be marrying into the family,” Amity said, the words slow as if she could barely force them out.
“Oh, ew. Gosh, that’s terrifying. She wouldn’t have tried to marry you or Emira to Emperor Belos?” Luz had nearly called him Philip. She had to remember not to do that.
Amity made a face. “I can’t imagine it but…to the Emperor’s nephew.”
“Oh. Oh!” Luz sat up straighter as that scenario gelled in her head. “She knew the Golden Guard, had to know he was a kid.”
“She did. The question is who was she going to throw at him? Me, Em or Ed?”
“Yeah, maybe this is a scenario we don’t share with the others,” Luz said. “But I get what you’re saying. You mom never let you take it easy.”
“I’m used to be self-sufficient don’t know any other way to be. ”
“You and Hunter,” Luz said.
“And I don’t want to turn out to be like Odalia because I was going down that path. Look how I treated Willow.” Amity sighed.
“You’re not your mother, Amity and Willow’s worked past all that. I know your mom and everything she did is a lot to get past but I’m glad you’re comfortable enough to share some of those fears with me and I hope you know, that seriously, you’re not a bother. Friends help friends.”
“Yes, I’m getting that now.”
“Good.” She rubbed Amity’s leg above her ankle. “How’s it feeling now?”
“Much better,” she said and at Luz’s best firm look, added, “Really, it’s good. I think I can start doing more.”
“In that case, come help me dice up all the veggies and get the asopao de pollo started before Mom gets home.”
“The what?”
“Chicken and rice soup. It’s really good this time of year. It has lots of veggies, carrots, peppers, corn and even pumpkin but I’ll let Hunter power through cutting up that.”
When Amity stood and walked to the kitchen, she wasn’t limping or even favoring the leg a little like she had been. Luz took that as a good sign. By the time her mom arrived home, Luz had sautéed off the veggies and the chicken and Hunter had diced the small, sugary pumpkins. The whole kitchen smelled good and the sense of home and family so strong it drove out the doubts and pain from Luz’s mind. If the worst happened, they would make it through somehow. She could have been content to live in the Boiling Isles but that was different. She knew her mom was safe, if worried sick about her being missing. The denizens of the Isles were accepting of her physical differences. It would not be the same here for her friends. They would have to hide their whole lives. They didn’t know if their families were okay. No, she couldn’t get too content. They had to get them home. If Caleb was coming and going, if Philip followed him, there had to be more Titan’s blood, right?
When Amity tried to help with the after dinner clean up, Camila shooed her into the living room with a glass of apple cider in hand. Luz smiled. She would have to do something for her mother. Not everyone would step up and mother six kids, helping them to navigate their fear and pain. Luz had always known her mom was special, even if they did have their fights. Now she had all the proof she needed to think Camila Noceda was the best mom ever. She definitely needed to find a way to show her how much it meant.
“One of my clients was trying out two new blends for her fall festival booth so I have bags of candy apple and caramel popcorn and pumpkin spice popcorn too,” Camila called into the living room. “How about I get them and we all sit down to watch an Azura movie?”
Amity squealed and the boys groaned.
“And we can follow it up with a few episodes of Cosmic Frontier,” Camila added. And those squealing and groaning flipflopped.
Luz kissed her mom’s cheek. “You’re the best.”
Chapter Five
“This is it. Everyone excited?” Luz spread her arms wide.
Sprawling before them was the maze, wonky lighting effects, a big ‘Raven’s Hollow’ sign and a couple older women taking money for the tickets. Camila opted to stay in the warmth of the car with her Kindle, reading while the kids ran around in the brisk autumn air. At least the chill in the air made all the hats and scarves covering pointy ears less questionable as a fashion choice. All the palismen had been left at home because outside of Ghost, they would have been odd and draw attention.
“I can’t wait!” Vee pumped a fist in the air. “Do we separate or is this a team effort?"
“I did mazes all the time in the Scouts,” Hunter boosted. “We could make it a competition?”
“You’ll be sad when you lose,” Luz shot back with a feral grin.
“Because you will,” Amity added, looping her arm with Luz’s.
“Why is everyone in this group so competitive?” Gus sighed.
“Because it’s fun.” Willow laughed. “I’ll be on Hunter’s team.” She added, surprising no one except maybe Hunter who flushed in the dim light of twilight.
“Fine and I’m with Amity. Gus, you and Vee will make a good team, “ Luz said.
“We’ll have hot chocolate waiting for you at the end.” Vee smirked.
“Ha, you wish. We’ll probably have to send bloodhounds to find you two. Remember the rules. Absolutely no magic,” Luz said in a whisper. “And no touching the actors. That’s a major rule for everyone’s safety.”
“That’s no problem,” Willow assured her.
Luz raised her eyebrows. “Are we sure? We’re all the hit back now, realize the consequences later type. Now’s the time to put that warrior spirit in check and remember they’re all just actors. There’s no real danger.”
“I’ll try,” Amity said dryly.
“I was thinking though if I were a witch looking to take advantage of humans, something like this might be what I’d do,” Hunter said. “Just in case Eda wasn’t the only witch with a way over.”
Luz wagged a finger in his face. “Stop thinking.”
“And I’d know if there was magic,” Vee said. “I’d sense it.”
They let her have the last word on that since she was the one who ate magic, after all. Despite them choosing teams, they all wanted to turn right on the first turn. The setting sun – and the lighting provided for the maze – cast long shadows. The wind rustled the dried leaves on their stalks.
It’s just a fun thing, Luz reminded herself. You’ve done way scarier things…like bringing a bunch of witches and a basilisk into a haunted maze and hope they behave themselves. You’re earning that hot chocolate at the end!
Amity startled, drawing against Luz as they rounded a corner and three, eight feet tall, sickle-handed Pumpkinheads loomed over them. Gus bravely neared them when two pumpkinheaded actors popped up with loud shouts. Gus took off the way they came like a giraffe was after him and Vee followed him. Luz reached for Amity’s hand, her heart racing. Hunter smirked over at her as if to say ‘I wasn’t startled!’ when she darn well knew he had been. He was easy to startle. That’s what a life of abuse had earned him.
“I guess someone decided the left hand path through the maze was better.” Willow laughed after Gus.
“That was pretty fun, though,” Hunter said, hustling through another turn in the maze with everyone following him. This time the sounds of a chainsaw revving up greeted them. “What’s that noise?”
“Chainsaw. They’re big in haunted fun houses,” Luz said. “They’re used to cut down trees and to cut up your victims.”
“Lovely.” Amity gave Luz’s hand a squeeze.
The sound chased them into another clearing in the maze where two zombie women were ‘eating’ a dude’s ribs. Laughing, the friends hurried past into another part of the maze. The sun had slipped past the horizon so it was now darker and the shadows denser. They crossed pass a massive pile of pumpkins. The sickle-handed Pumpkinheads were everywhere in this part of the maze. Suddenly they jumped down from their platforms, roaring.
All the friends fell into defensive positions.
Before vines started ripping out of the ground and purple abominations were called forth, Luz hissed, “It’s fake! Remember, it’s fake!”
Fake or not, her brain screamed ‘this is real!’ as the actors raced across the clearing, their sickle hands waving. Everyone ran. She and Amity went one way and Hunter and Willow the other. She and Amity sprinted around several turns before stopping in a raven infested clearing. A few of the animatronic birds cawed and fluttered their plastic wings. Lilith would probably love it.
Breathing hard, Luz laughed. Amity caught her up in a tight embrace.
“We escaped,” Amity cried.
Luz’s answer was to kiss her. Amity kissed back hungrily. Neither cared that the fake ravens were watching.
When Luz stepped back, her lips tingling, she said, “Now you see why people like these mazes.”
Amity stole another kiss. “Now I definitely do.”
“Fake scared is fun.”
Amity laughed. “We’re definitely introducing this idea to the Boiling Isles.” She rested her forehead against Luz’s, her breath curling along Luz’s skin. “That was pretty scary even though we know it’s fake.”
Another group of older teens crashed into the clearing. They waved at them and threaded through another path out of the ravens. Luz turned to Amity again.
“But should you have run so far and hard on that ankle?”
“It’s fine. Barely twinging. I’ll ice it when we get home, promise.” Amity hip bumped her. “But come on, we have to be the first to get through the maze. If it’s Hunter, he’ll be more insufferable than usual.”
Luz snorted. No arguing that.
Having literally no idea where they were in the maze at this point, Luz made an arbitrary right hand turn right into a Leatherface arena that had them running again. Several more scarecrows and Pumpkinheads and one werewolf later, they found their way to the end of the maze only to find Gus and Vee waiting for them with little smirks on their faces.
“No fair,” Amity groaned.
“Did you two just exit the maze at the beginning after the first jump scare? Luz queried.
“How dare you?” Vee asked in mock indignant. “We’re just that good.”
“Uh huh,” Luz said, pushing past them for a Styrofoam cup of the world’s most watered down hot chocolate in celebration of ‘surviving,’ gifted to her by the older volunteers who waited for the maze runners at the exit.
“Can’t help notice Mr. Maze and Willow aren’t out yet,” Gus said.
“Probably realized that a lot of people use the maze as a place to make out with your significant other,” Vee shot back and Luz wondered if Willow or Hunter realized yet that they had a crush on each other.
“Or he hit an actor and is in the back of a police car,” Luz replied, sincerely hoping not.
Finally, Willow and Hunter did emerge from the maze, holding hands, not even realizing their friends were waiting for several long minutes. Hunter said nothing about being last as he got his celebratory weak-sauce hot chocolate. Willow opted for one of the popcorn balls on offer.
“Did we all have fun?” Luz asked.
“I want to go again!” Gus beamed.
“There’s usually more than one haunted spectacle in the area. I’ll look into it,” Luz promised.
“We needed this time off,” Amity said, surprising her. Amity was not the take time off type.
“We definitely did.” Luz leaned against her girlfriend’s shoulder.
They all had fun. They had put their worries aside for an hour and it felt good. She felt recharged and ready to face the world and their enormous problem again. It might not have brought them any closer to finding an answer back to the Boiling Isles but it had given them a much needed break. She’d have to tell her Mom she was right about that. For now, she wasn’t in any hurry to head home. Luz wanted to steal a little more time in the cool autumn night with her friends. Their problems would be there in the morning but for now, they needed this relaxation time. Maybe they could slither back into the maze for another run through. It was the perfect night for it and Luz was happy.
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