The lines between worlds run thin during some points in the year and in certain areas. Many go on about their day not realizing that a pixie is causing havoc on someone’s senior project or that a gnome is wandering through their backyard, and that is how it is meant to be. Both worlds going about their lives with one not knowing the other exists. In recent years the belief in magic or magical creatures has dwindled with very few passing on the stories and warnings of the Fae.
It was June, and all of Arkanis Springs was out and about. Of course, not the actual residents themselves, but rather their servants and gardeners. Bushes were trimmed, flowers were planted- all things the rich were apparently too lazy to do themselves.
All except for a thin, pale redheaded teenage boy, whose calculus homework was put aside so he could mow the lawn and see to the daffodils.
He squinted up at the sun and wiped the sweat from his brow. He was upset, because he knew that being out in the sun too long would reveal the layer of freckles that decorated his cheeks. Thankfully he had found his mother's old sun hat and was currently wearing it. There was no need to be embarrassed, as the other families in the area respected the Hux mansion.
So with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his gloves on, he mounded the yellow flowers with more fresh, cool dirt and placed a few worms around them.
“Dinner!”
Hux looked up towards the open window while slipping off the muddy gloves. The cook, Joe, was calling him. She made the best food he had ever had the pleasure of tasting, and was grateful he would be enjoying his meal in peace, since his parents were not home.
As Hux walked inside, Joe quickly rushed from the large, white tile kitchen with a dishtowel over her shoulder. She was shorter than him by about two heads, with gray hair and dark skin.
“No, no, Mr. Hux,” she waved her small hands at his white shirt that was wet with sweat. “Go change.”
A small smile formed on his lips as he walked towards the stairs she pointed to, off to switch into more comfortable clothes.
Joe had been in his life as long as he could remember, always there to set him right in a much more polite manner than his father did. She nurtured him when his mother couldn't, and always made sure there was food on the table for him.
Hux quickly took off the shirt and replaced it with a dark tee. As he came back downstairs, Joe plated his food and poured water into the tall glass beside his place setting. On the plate was chicken and pasta, one of his favorite meals [if he had to choose one].
“Joe,” he called out as he sat down.
Her head appeared in the doorway, an eyebrow raised.
“You can join me, if you like. Brendol won't be home until later.”
She smiled, and walked to the table with her own plate. They discussed her going back to Mexico for awhile to visit her grandchildren, and Hux's academic plans for the year after.
“What does the boss want you to do?” Joe asked while sipping her water.
“He wants me to go to his school,” he replied, setting down his fork and knife. “Although I would prefer something else.”
“Like what?”
“I don't know yet..”
The next morning Hux awoke to the sound of his loud buzzer sounding beside his head. He quickly rose from bed, happy that it was Friday.
Exams were coming in fast, but Hux was more than prepared to ace each of his classes. As a straight A student, he had no issues. But to pass his classes, he first had to attend them, which was worse than any amount of studying.
The school, First Order High, was the worst. First of all, Brendol Hux was one of the main founders. Of course, when Brendol went to school, it was called Empire High, but its name was since changed. Either way, Hux was seen as a snobby prep who was a teacher's pet. Of course, there was nothing he would have liked more than to see the school obliterated, but sadly, that was not an option.
It was in walking distance of Arakinis Springs, so the teen usually just strolled along the path from his house to get to his destination.
As he entered the building, upon seeing the banner across the front of the lobby, remembered the horrible Pep Rally he would have to attend along with all the other senior grades.
Everyone was shooed into the gymnasium, where the principle proceeded to explain what a good football season it was for their team, The Stormtroopers, in the beginning, but to beat their rivals, The Rebels, from Resistance High, they would need a lot of positive energy from the crowd.
So with that Hux plugged in his headphones and enjoyed a Jonsi song while his fellow peers screamed from their seats in the stands.
The rest of the day was dull and uneventful, filled with boring lectures and test reviews.
He was finally pleased when he shuffled into the house and collapsed onto the couch. He expected his father's booming voice to scold him for acting so lazy, but he was not in the room. Hux sat up and listened for either his mother's or father's voices, yet heard nothing.
“Joe?” he called, standing up.
There was a creak as the cook walked into the room with a dish in one hand and a sponge in the other.
“Si?”
“Did they not come home last night?”
“No, but you mother left a message for you. I wrote it on a note. Here.”
She dried her hands on her apron and passed him a piece of paper.
“Emyr,” he read to himself, “I apologize for the late notice, but I will be home soon after you arrive from school. Until then, Mum.”
He put the note in his pocket and nodded, then went upstairs with his bookbag in hand. Hux inspected himself in the hallway mirror, then frowned as he leaned close enough to fog the glass with his breath. Small, orange freckles were showing on his nose and under his eyes. The ones on his arms already looked like paint splatters, and he vowed to not wear any revealing clothing for the whole summer.
In his room, he read the note from his mother once more. Then twice.
It was not often he was able to be alone with his mother without Brendol being somewhere in sight. His father disapproved of Arlene talking to his son, with all her ideas and stories and such. It was ridiculous, really, to think that a mother couldn't speak to her child without being watched. Hux remembered once when he was younger, his mother telling him about a secret that was just for the two of them.
Arlene looked down at the small boy in her lap, smiling at his bright eyes and vibrant hair.
I'll tell you a story now,” she whispered and put a finger to his lips. “But you can't tell Pa I told you, understand? It's a secret story.”
He nodded and moved closer into her, desperate to hear of what couldn't be uttered to his Pa. To Arlene, Hux was always Emyr. It was the name she had given him, and even though Brendol had stopped calling him that by the age of five to assert a military sense, she used it as much as she could.
“When you were just a babe, your father once threatened to hurt you if I didn't do as I was told. I couldn't live with the idea of him harming you, so I tried to run.”
“Without me?” Emyr exclaimed, horrified that his mother would leave him.
“No, no, my darling,” she shook her head with closed eyes. “I took you with me. But he heard me leaving, and he choked me so hard I thought I was going to die. The point is, always listen to him until I can get us away. Always.”
Hux never forgot that story, but his mother never spoke of getting away ever again. Out of fear or cowardice, he wasn't sure, but she still loved him dearly, and he reciprocated that feeling.
“Emyr?”
Hux's head popped up, and he quickly made his way downstairs and stopped at the bottom. His mother stood in the doorway, purse in hand, smiling. Her light blonde hair was tied neatly into a bun, and though she he had just seen her a few days before, she looked more frail.
“Mum,” he said as he stepped forward to hug her.
She fit into the crook of his neck perfectly, and she arms wrapped around his torso.
“Hello, Emyr. How are you?”
“I'm fine, thank you. Where were you?” Hux stepped back and took the sweater from his mother's shoulders.
“I am so sorry, dove.” She placed her bag by her shoes on the floor. “Mr. Van Helsing is not well. We were visiting.”
Gabriel Van Helsing was a close friend to Brendol. It was well known that his health had gone downhill recently, but Hux hadn't thought that it was that serious.
Suddenly the phone rang, and Arlene jumped, but rushed to pick it up.
“Hello? Oh, hello Bren- Oh gosh! Is he alright? Ok, well, make sure- Hello? Hello?”
She placed the phone back down with a small frown.
I tought it was all over, til i accidently open that room in my head...
since that moment i couldn't stop thinking about her, she was in every corner of every street, in my head, in my mind, god dammit! she was even in my mouth! i couldn't stop talking about her and also my friends were exhausted about that shit, so i decide to kick her out of me like once i did it in the past, plasming her into art, like all my joys and fears, but instead i felt something new, i suddenly started to feel like flying, like falling from really high without fear of dying, it all turned grey, but cool... it started to feel rigth to have her far, to have someone to miss, it started to be once again, as i said, my greatest inspiration, it was fine for a while, everything i wrote, i played, every single sketch i made was the best, and obviously i felt greater, better, in fact i felt so special, like a real artist, everything was more than good.
