“What is this?” Lorcán’s voice cracked as the shade with Aurora’s face guided him through the forest, the flames parting as the psychopomp led him back along the path the stag had run.
“These are your first steps,” She responded, “Come, don’t delay, there is someone eagerly waiting to meet you.”
“Someone?” Lorcán repeated, “Waiting to meet me?” He asked, more confused than ever.
“Yes,” The psychopomp replied with Aurora’s signature smile, her eyes lighting up, the pinch of her cupid’s bow and playful dancing at the corners of her mouth. “She’s incredibly excited, she’s waited your whole life to meet you.”
“My whole life?” Lorcán asked, repeating the odd verbiage. The roar of the inferno was slowly fading in his ears the closer he got to the light at the edge of the forest. Shivers were running up and down his body, chills setting in as he slowed his footsteps and pulled away from the shade.
“I don’t want to go yet,” He stated, looking back towards the fire. “I’m not ready yet,”
“University is a big step,” Aurora replied from beside Lorcán as the pair looked out over the beach. It was the first weekend of September the year after Hyperion’s attack, the first year that Aurora and Lorcán were transitioning from the Collegiate programs into University. Aurora had declared her major in psychology, but Lorcán had yet to declare his.
As usual, nightmares had brought Aurora out to the beach, but for once, she wasn’t alone in the growing anxiety that came when the sunset. Lorcán’s stomach was in knots about moving into University and joining Blackjack, the same team both his parents had been on when they were students. The pressure of legacy was doing a number on the boy’s usually relaxed demeanor.
Lorcán looked to his right, Aurora was dressed comfortably in a pair of leggings and a baggy sweatshirt in a colour that managed to both bring out her eyes and accent her hair. He had seen her in a swimsuit, in uniform and even in a dress and still, there was never a time she looked more beautiful than she did now.
The pair had spent many nights out on the beach in this very spot. Lorcán swore it was the best spot on the entire island to look at the stars. They’d been out late before, but never to the point where they were both taking turns stifling yawns.
Lorcán looked down, feeling a weight against his shoulder, copper-toned hair catching the corner of his eye as he realized Aurora had fallen asleep against his shoulder. A smile crossed his face before he stifled another yawn.
Maybe this year won't be so bad after all.
“It won’t be, but you need to come with me.” Lorcán felt smoke fill his lungs again, prompting a cough as he took a step forward towards Aurora again. He knew she wasn’t his Aurora though and he felt himself starting to freeze, he felt worse the further he got from the fire.
“Please, Lorcán, come with me,” The psychopomp sounded eerily like Aurora as she pleaded.
“I can't lose you.”
Interaction(s): @Melissa - Aurora MitchellPreviously: Live and Let Die
Two days had come and gone since Lorcán had been transferred to his private room. A nurse had been in each day to change out his bandages but the wound underneath continued to look worse despite the salve. The veins in his arms had become blue while the skin spreading outward from the wound became darker and darker, the lacerations turning nearly black. The smell of the wound itself was absolutely putrid, nearly causing both Ripley and Cassander to gag on multiple occasions.
Aiden had convinced Tori to walk back to their apartment for a decent rest while both Ripley and Cassander had returned to class. That left Aurora alone at Lorcán’s side while the young man continued to slip in and out of consciousness. Even when he was conscious, Lorcán was rarely coherent, the fever and infection in his body leaving him in states of delirium.
Rothschild had joined Aurora and was curled up beside the girl on the small sofa adjacent to Lorcán’s bed. Tori had been ensuring the girl still was getting what sleep she could, eating and had plenty to eat. In a bittersweet way, it seemed that Lorcán’s mother had been enjoying having both Aurora and Ripley around, treating the pair as if they were both her own daughter having never had the chance to properly care for girls before.
The days had started to blur together.
Aurora couldn’t tell you how long she’d been sitting there, watching as her best friend fought for every breath he took. She felt absolutely helpless, but there was nothing to be done but wait. Her hands were tied, and that in itself was debilitating. But she found solace in staying by Lorcán’s side, keeping him company even if he didn’t realize it. She didn’t want him to be alone, and knew he’d do the same if the roles were reversed.
The redhead leafed through her book as she sat on the sofa, mindlessly running her fingers through Rothschild’s soft coat as she attempted to distract herself. She looked up from the words on the page every few minutes, as if she didn’t believe the consistent and metronomic beeping of the monitors. For once, the girl opted not to have her headphones in, the sound of Lorcán’s heartbeat the only thing she wanted to hear.
Needed to hear.
Rothschild let out a small whimper, lifting his head to look at Lorcán before exhaling impatiently and placing his head back on Aurora’s lap, pushing his brow under her palm as if to demand more affection from the girl. His head suddenly snapped to the side, the dog’s black lips curling upwards as a half snarl was caught in his throat only to disappear, replaced by a happily wagging tail as Aurora’s eyes were drawn to a man who had somehow entered the room.
He stood there for a second, as if just as lost about how he ended up in the small private room. A hand decorated with a signet ring rubbed over his smooth, bald head before he tugged on the blazer of his suit, turning to greet Aurora with a smile.
“Apologies for the intrusion, Miss Mitchell,” The man bowed humbly, “I rarely get much say in it.” He vaguely explained before turning to Lorcán unconscious form laid out on the bed beside him. An outstretched hand gently hovering over the bandages, as the man examined the boy with a familiarity that should have made Aurora uncomfortable. His nose wrinkled in protest at the odour coming from the decaying flesh before he took a step back and once again straightened the neatly pressed suit he wore.
“Ah,” He stated knowing, “I see my grandson has run into some trouble in the Northern Forest,” Jonas concluded, looking all too nonchalant about the entire situation. “Have they tried a salve of crushed chrysanthemums? It should help slow the spread.” He added, taking a seat across from Aurora before crossing his legs.
“And how are you, Miss Mitchell holding up? I imagine seeing him there like this isn’t the start to your final year that you had hoped.”
Aurora nearly jumped out of her seat, startled by the man’s sudden appearance, her novel falling to the floor with a dull thud. Gasping, her hand had moved to rest over her heart, pulse having skyrocketed. “Dr. Lehrer,” She breathed, recognizing him instantly with confusion in her gaze. However, it dissolved quickly, her conversation with Lorcán from the other day coming to mind, remembering that his spontaneous emergence happened from time to time. “I guess this is how everyone else feels when I just teleport in… I gotta stop doing that.” She stated, more to herself than to him.
The redhead watched as the older man examined Lorcán, raising an eyebrow at his neutral expression. She would have assumed he’d be just as torn up about this as the rest of Lorcán’s family, given how close she knew they were, asking questions and wanting answers. But at his mention of the Northern Forest, she realized that Jonas likely knew something that they didn’t, and nodded in response.
“I’m not sure what they’ve tried, but I’ll ask the nurse when she comes in to check in on him.” Aurora replied, leaning down and picking up her book and setting it on her lap. She reached out towards Rothschild and began petting him once more, seeking comfort as she spoke. “It’s been a rough couple of days,” She admitted, the bruise on her face, which had begun to fade, seemed to warm at the thought of the Trial on top of Lorcán getting injured. “I’m trying to stay strong, for him and for his family, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was scared.” Her blue eyes drifted over to his unconscious form, sadness in them evident.
“How much do you know?”
“I know many things, some that can ease suffering and many that are irrelevant.” Jonas replied, “But I am vowed to also allow the natural course to proceed, I am not of this here and now nor is this my place to interfere.” His expression softened, as he reached a sympathetic hand forward toward Aurora.
“And I know, that is unbearably difficult to hear. From where you’re sitting, I have all the answers and the means to save his life, to spare all of you the pain, the anxiety and the worry.” Jonas squeezed Aurora’s hand, “But truthfully, child, I unfortunately am not the one who can save him. Another still has a role to play and so the river continues to flow, no matter how many times I step foot into it, it continues to move around me.”
The redhead felt her eyes start to water, unable to stop the flow of tears that began to slowly fall over her freckled cheeks. It was cruel, that Jonas seemingly had all of the answers and yet, he held them just out of reach. But as angry as it made her, she knew it wasn’t his intention to do so. Aurora removed her hand from his and stood, not wanting the older man to watch her cry, and walked over to stand by the bed where Lorcán lay.
His tanned skin was dull, devoid of his usual sunkissed glow, and he looked fragile lying there, normally so strong and sturdy. “I can’t lose him Dr. Lehrer,” She almost whispered, resting her hand on the edge of the bed. “I thought he left me, during the Trial, and I truly didn’t know how I was going to go on.” The girl looked up at the older man, “He’s all I have.”
“Lorcán is suffering, his family is suffering.” She swallowed, “If I could switch places with him, I wouldn’t hesitate.”
“My child, I do not mean to be cruel,” Jonas replied, “I practically see you as family, much like my beloved Aiden and Victoria. Not to mention, my grandson.” He stood, walking over to Lorcán again, “But switching places with him would not lessen the suffering, do you think fewer people care for you?” He asked, looking back at Aurora.
“The only thing that would change is that he was there and you were here,” He motioned, “Aiden, Victoria, Ripley, Cassander, they would all be here worried and anxious for your well-being. That’s not including the rest of your teammates, Miss Baxter especially would likely be researching everything she could to find a cure.” He paused,
“Nor your own mother,” Jonas added, “Lorcán would have moved heaven and earth to ensure she was here if the fates were turned. No, the suffering most certainly would not be less.”
He clutched his chest, before he suddenly disappeared and then reappeared again.
“Oh Miss A, I’m afraid our time has come to a close.” Jonas stated, vibrating again, “If I could leave you with one thing, after he wakes up, just-” And then Jonas was gone, his sentence unfinished and Aurora was again left alone with only Rothschild who let out a small whimper before putting his head down between his front paws.
“Hey ‘Rora, I’ve got some time between classes, can I grab you a snack?” Ripley burst into the room, barely looking up from her phone as she asked the question. The older girl's lack of immediate response was enough to draw her attention upward.
“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
Aurora quickly wiped at her tears, not wanting the younger girl to witness her losing her composure. She didn’t even have time to process everything that Jonas had said, all of his words rattling around in her head, more questions swirling in tandem. “I’m fine,” She deflected, knowing that Ripley wasn’t clued in to the older gentleman’s ability to show up from beyond the metaphorical grave. “Yeah, I should probably eat something, a snack would be good.” She mustered a smile, hoping it didn’t come off as forced as it felt. “Thanks, Rips.”
Turning around, Ripley ran out the door, her face colliding with that of another as a mess of red hair was pushed into her mouth before she managed to spit it out.
“Geez ‘Rora, you need to warn a girl before you teleport-” Ripley scolded before realizing that neither the hair nor the face belonged to Aurora.
“My apologies, friend, I just wanted to check on the boy from the forest.” The redheaded woman replied.
“You’re Alyssa right?” Ripley asked the familiar looking woman. “The one who found him?”
“Myself and Lucille Calder,” Alyssa replied.
“You really didn't see what attacked him?” Ripley asked as Alyssa's eyes darted to the left, before she nervously bit her bottom lip.
“I’d love to tell you the whole truth, but I can't.” Alyssa replied. “I hope he gets well soon.” She offered solemnly while backing into the hallway before spinning on her heels and heading in the opposite direction.
Ripley looked towards the vending machine remembering the snack she promised Aurora before opting to follow Alyssa.
Hanging back, she watched as Alyssa ducked into a room before silently slipping down the hallway and peeking into the room to see Alyssa alongside another young woman who she assumed had to be the woman who helped her bring Lorcán in.
Reaching to the side of her head, Ripley took a hold of her ear before taking a deep breath and giving it a tug. It popped off with less resistance than she anticipated before peeking around the corner again. Neither Alyssa nor her blonde companion noticed her and Ripley took the opportunity to quickly lob her detached ear across the room watching it land on a sofa cushion. Focusing on her ear, Ripley began to hear Alyssa’s conversation.
"If the cousin is asking questions, then Aurora will start soon too. Blackjack has a history of...prying."
Luce shook away memories of campfire soul-spilling and peer-pressured revelations.
"Lucille Calder, you know I can't abide lying." Alyssa retorted. "We should divulge the whole truth, even if they don't understand."
"It's not about understanding. They just won't believe us."
"We go to a school for people with superpowers. Ellara is wrong - they're more open minded than she says, they'll listen."
Luce pinched the bridge of her nose. In a way, this clash of perspectives was why they'd survived their 'gap year' so well, and continued to be such a steadfast pair. In other ways, it irritated Luce, especially when Alyssa held her to account. Being back at PRCU made Luce antsy, and she was certain Alyssa could see it.
"Superpowers are one thing - there's plenty of science to back it up. But there's no literature on Limbo, Ünterland, wendigos, or anything else we encountered in the last five years." She sighed, absent-mindedly drifting her fingers over one of the many scars that criss-crossed her skin, most of which she'd picked up during the pair's adventures in their time away.
'Good thing you can heal' indeed.
"Look. If you want to march in there and tell Aurora her boyfriend is dying because a wendigo infected him and is now attempting to devour his soul and turn him into the very same ravenous monster that we'll then have to put in the ground just like the first one, then you go right ahead. But it won't make a difference. The fight's up to Lorcán now. You'll just incite panic."
"He's not her boyfriend."
"Whatever! It doesn't matter!" Luce replied, exasperated and half-yelling, throwing her hands up. "If we want to fix this, we need Ellara. Can you get her back here?"
"She left me enough to make a summoning rune, I can get her attention."
Ripley ducked out of sight as the pair exited. Running into the room, she retrieved her ear before bursting into Lorcán’s room finding Cass had joined Aurora. They turned to look at her while Ripley looked from Cass to Aurora and then Aurora to Cass and back again.
“Do either of you know what a wendigo is?”
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