lookinside (lookinside) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2020-06-25 12:46:00 |
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Entry tags: | #january 2018, jules, jules x sebastian, sebastian |
Who: Jules and Bash
When: Mid-morning, Thursday, January 25
Where: Jules’s house
Status: Complete
After Mr. Lucas dropped her off, Jules went to her bedroom where the exhaustion started to seep deeper into her bones. She barely managed to get her coat off, dropping it into a heap on the floor, before crawling onto her bed. As soon she closed her eyes Jules knew she would probably fall asleep, hopefully the next eighteen hours. But… she couldn’t. Not yet. Bash was probably wondering where his mom was. If not Bash, then his dad for sure. Probably. With the cars they left on Witcham Road, the cops would probably figure things out soon enough and show up at the McCarthy’s house. Jules didn’t want that to happen without someone knowing the truth.
Her phone was still on her nightstand and Jules ignored the messages that were waiting for her. Instead she sent a quick message to Bash. need to talk to you asap. Can you come over? Door is unlocked.
It was late when Sebastian woke up Thursday morning, well past the time he should have been at school. His phone had died sometime the day before, so he plugged it in and began to wander the house, trying to figure out what was going on. His mother was nowhere to be found, which explained why he could oversleep and not hear about it, but no one seemed to know where she was. It didn’t help that Wednesday was a blur for all of them, a lost twenty-four hour period where he couldn’t account for anything he did other than sleep. Sebastian ate a quick breakfast, then returned to his room, deciding he could still claim to be sick after yesterday, especially since Phee seemed to be in the same boat. He was playing video games by the time Jules texted and he turned the game off after he sent a quick reply. sure. be there soon
It was weird walking out the door without his mother there to ask where he was going, especially since he’d claimed to be “sick”, but Sebastian didn’t worry too much about it. It was probably better in this case, since she’d gotten so weird about him being friends with Jules. He told Phee instead, just so someone knew, then hopped in his car to drive all of one block. He probably should have walked, but it was so cold that he’d rather not. He knocked on Jules’s front door, just to be polite and because it was weird not to, then let himself in and headed straight to her room, where he knocked again. “Jules?” he called out, then opened her door a crack. “It’s Bash.”
Jules had begun to doze as soon as Bash responded to her text, but it couldn't have been long before he was knocking on her bedroom door. She blinked rapidly and forced herself awake before pushing up into a sitting position. "Hey," she said, pausing to clear her throat. "Hey. You can come in." He didn't sound upset or anything, so maybe he didn't know that his mom was gone just yet. She supposed it was early enough that there was still the possibility of Mrs. McCarthy being at work or something. Given how sore and puffy her eyes were, she knew she looked like shit and Bash would know right off that something was wrong, but Jules hoped he would listen as patiently as Mr. Lucas had.
“Oh shit,” Sebastian muttered, hurriedly closing the door behind him before moving to sit beside her on the bed. “What’s wrong? What happened?” He hadn’t expected it to be great news, considering she’d asked him to come over without much explanation, but seeing that she’d been crying kicked it up a notch. She’d had a lot going on lately, from her step-dad going missing to weird portals opening from her hands, but things had seemed okay as recently as the dance, at least when talking to her. If his mother was to believed, she was evil… Sebastian couldn’t buy into it, no matter what his mother said.
Where was she supposed to start? Would he believe her? Even if he didn’t, Jules still had to tell him. Like Mr. Lucas said, the not knowing would be worse. Jules could barely feel her hands and it was as if a hefty stone was resting in her stomach. For once her eyes, though sore, felt dry. Mr. Lucas had had the unfortunate pleasure at having to handle her tears. “You know how your mom was hurt by something in the fog? Well... a lot of people were too. Which, you probably already knew. But... we found out that people like your mom, they were the ones causing people to fall into comas. Some died. You know you said you’ve been tired at the dance? It’s because your mom was like... feeding off of you. Phee and your dad too, probably.” Jules could just spew everything out all at once, but she wanted to make sure he was following along and understood what she was talking about first. Before she got to the really bad stuff. “Don’t ask me how I know, Bash. I just do. We saw it... me and the other guys who were sharing dreams with me. We figured it out.”
“We?” Sebastian asked, but he was already connecting some of the dots. Greg had mentioned other people, men specifically, and shared dreams, though he couldn’t recall if anyone had told him what the dreams were about. He followed up to that point, able to believe it even if it didn’t make complete sense to him, but got stuck at the part that involved his mother. “But she… she wouldn’t hurt me. Or Phee or dad. Maybe it was something else. I’m better now, so… How would she even do that?” His mother was as new to witchcraft as he was and he couldn’t imagine her performing something so complicated, even if his father taught her, which he doubted. “What were these dreams even about? Who are these guys? Maybe they were… I dunno, manipulating you, or something.” That seemed more likely than his mother draining him of his energy, though he knew he wasn’t the only one who’d been exhausted as of late. Phee and his dad had been out of it as well. But his mom had been fine… Well, not really. She’d been a little bit crazy. A knot began to form in his stomach along with the knowledge that something worse was coming. Jules wouldn’t have been crying over this, even if it was bizarre. “What happened?” he asked softly. “Why are you telling me this now?”
There were so many questions and Bash deserved answers but Jules was just so tired and it was hard to think straight. "They weren't manipulating me," she said quietly. "And your mom would never hurt you on purpose. Whatever injured her in the fog... she was infected with something. It was controlling her. It fed off of people. And we had to stop it because people were going to die. And we tried. It just..." Jules rubbed at one eye. "I'm telling you this now because your mom... we... opened some doorway that brought the fog back. We thought it would help... maybe heal them somehow. I don't know, Bash. But it didn't. It made things worse. The infected people, they weren't themselves. We had to close them in there, all of them. Including your mom." Exhaling a shaky breath, Jules finally looked fully at Bash. "She's not dead, but she's gone."
“She’s gone?” Sebastian asked, unable to fully comprehend what she was saying. As he spoke, he became visibly more agitated, his hands shaking as he tried to hold back an emotional response. “If she’s not dead, she has to be somewhere. You can open the portal again. I can call on the coven. Reagan and Caius could track down the ancestor of a three hundred year old witch with her bones, so I know they could find her. She can’t be gone.” She wasn’t dead, that was what mattered and he was holding on tight to that fact. The rest was still being absorbed, including the fact that more people were missing than just his mother. Missing… He’d gone about his morning as if she was at the store, or the gym, not trapped in an otherworldly portal with who knew what. Whatever was there had scared Phee and Greg, the later enough that he’d even talked about getting a gun. “We have to get her back. She can’t stay there.”
Jules shook her head as he spoke, though she didn't interrupt. This was something she supposed she ought to get used to. Nic and Neil too. People thinking it would be easy to just do it all over again and everything would be fine. Open the portal, bring those people back. Piece of cake! They didn’t know how dangerous it had been, and how bad it could have ended up for everyone. Nic had been shot. It just… wasn’t feasible, no matter how badly Jules wished she could do it. She would give anything to have Jasper back again, unharmed. "No, I can't open the portal again, Bash. I don't even know that I could if I wanted to. It could be somewhere totally different, and more dangerous. And the witches... they can't do anything. They've tried. We had to do this to save everyone..." Jules rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself up. "Your mom, it wasn't really her... she became something else. Even if I could find her again she wouldn't be the same. I'm so sorry, Sebastian. We didn't want this to happen. If there had been any other choice... we tried everything we could think of, I swear."
“They’ve tried?” Sebastian asked, and it was hard to ask for more details. Who tried? How hard? Maybe they just needed someone who was more powerful, who had access to a greater variety of spells. This felt like the kind of thing that witches should be able to handle. What was magic for if it wasn’t for saving the people you cared about? “So… there’s nothing you can do? She’s just… gone?” He tried to think back to the last conversation he’d had with her, but the last few days had been horrible. They’d had that fight after the dance and then he’d avoided her most of Sunday. Monday and Tuesday had been a blur. He’d gone to school, but been so out of it that nothing really stuck. Had they even talked? Had his last real conversation with her been about Jules and how she was out to get here? “She knew something was going to happen. She tried to tell me,” he said, his face scrunching up as his eyes burned. “She sounded so crazy, Jules. I didn’t believe her. She didn’t make any sense.”
Jules lowered her eyes to the hands in her lap. She didn't know what to say. Was there something she could do? Jules didn't know. That was the problem. She didn't know. They had all floundered a bit, unsure as to what the dreams had been telling them. The town had been suffering, people were dying and more would have died. Now everything felt like it was normal again, and it's because of that Jules and the others had done. It was a cold comfort, to be honest. Jules's eyes ticked to Bash when he told her that his mom had known something would happen. "They thought we were out to get them," she murmured. "But we weren't. We were trying to help. Whatever had infected them knew it too. I don't think any of them knew what was really happening to them. It felt normal, you know? Jasper was the same way."
“Jasper,” Bash said softly, understanding just hitting him. He’d been so focused on his loss he’d completely forgotten that all the other people who’d been hurt in the fog were in the same place. “Oh god, Jules, I’m so sorry,” he said, swiping at his eyes. For some reason, knowing that Jasper was gone made it all real. If there’d been any way to save him, he knew Jules would have done it, but she was so resigned in her grief, truly believing there was no other way. Sebastian still wanted the coven to try, but his hope felt lackluster now, crippled by the knowledge that he could do nothing about it himself. His mother was gone, probably for good, and the knowledge made him want to both sob and vomit. He did neither, thank god, but he couldn’t completely stop the tears anymore. “This doesn’t feel real,” he whispered. “Like… I believe you, but… she was just here, you know? I thought things were getting better this morning, and they did, but… I didn’t know why. Fuck.”
She knew she could just keep saying she was sorry, but Bash already knew she was and frankly, Jules was aware that the words really meant nothing. Sorry didn't bring anyone back. Sorry didn't make up for the fact that she hadn't been able to find a way to help everyone. But she was in high school! She was only seventeen. What was she supposed to do about all of this? "If there had been any other way, we would have tried it," Jules said. "I don't know what's going to happen now, or if the police are going to get involved or anything like that... I just knew you had the right to know what really happened. You and your dad, and Phee."
The realization that he was going to have to relay this back to his dad and Phee hit him and he rubbed his hand over his face, then up into his hair. They were going to have questions, probably more than he could answer. He wasn’t even sure if his father would believe him, but Phee could back him up. She’d been there for the fog, had seen the creatures, and more importantly, she’d seen first hand the portals that Jules could open. “My dad might want to talk to you. Or the other guys,” Sebastian said. “I don’t want police showing up at your door though. Who else knows?” He imagined she might tell Jasper’s parents, but it sounded like there were going to be a lot of missing persons reports going out today.
Jules remembered Mr. Lucas telling her that if she had to speak to anyone, to speak to the Sheriff. He knew about this stuff. About Amelia. He didn't know about her stepdad though. Or what Ruby had done to him before those things had carried his body off into the fog. Assuming that's what happened. "If your dad wants to talk, tell him to call Nic Castell," Jules said. The last person she wanted showing up on her doorstep was Mr. McCarthy. He seemed like the type of person who would want to speak to an adult anyway, so she wasn't too worried that he would come storming over. "I only told Jasper's dad. But... I don't want this spreading all over town. We're telling who we need to tell. Some of the people... I didn't even know who they were. I didn't recognize them and not everyone would believe us. It's a crazy story."
“Yeah—No—I mean, I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Sebastian said, trying to focus on something other than the fact that his mother was gone. The number of people who would believe the truth was limited at best and even then he understood why she wouldn’t want it getting around. It would be easy to blame Jules and her friends. Had the past six months been easier on him, Sebastian might have blamed her as well, but lately it felt like the cards were stacked against all of them, that this town had it out for them no matter how hard they tried. Senior year was supposed to be epic, but this wasn’t what any of them had had in mind. “Nic Castell, was he one of them? The guys that were having dreams too?” he asked. “I’ll tell Phee not to tell anyone either, but she’ll probably tell Greg, just so you know.” He didn’t think that was the best idea, since Greg was already avoiding Jules, but he understood why she’d want to as well.
Jules nodded. She wanted to try and comfort him, assure him that they would try to find a way to get his mom back. But Jules was just... numb. She didn't even think she could cry anymore. It didn't bother her if Phee told Greg. Greg already knew most of what was going on... at least enough of it that he would believe Phee and Bash. "Nic is the one your dad will want to talk to." She couldn't reveal Neil's name. She could only imagine his reaction if someone like James McCarthy showed up at his door demanding answers. "Just... make sure they know we tried, Bash. We really did. Just... when you talk to your dad... please don't tell him what I did... what I can do, I mean." She held up her hands. "No one else can know about that, okay?"
"Okay," Sebastian nodded, though he didn't think he could leave Jules out of it entirely. His connection to her was the only way to explain how he knew what he knew; Nic certainly wouldn't have approached him with this news and sent him home to tell the rest of his family. But he could easily leave out the bit about Jules opening portals, especially since his father didn't even know that was a thing. "My dad knows Nic. My sister works for the Castells and they were there when I-- they're part of the coven." He assumed she already knew that part, since she'd said the witches couldn't help. But it made him wonder if Nic had reached out to them. Those were questions his father could probably ask, details that didn't matter now that everyone was gone. "I should probably go tell them," he said, but he made no attempt to move just yet. He wasn't ready to deliver this news. He didn't think he'd ever be ready.
Jules wasn't sure how happy James would be with Phee working for Nic's sister if he somehow blamed them all for this. But that was also none of her business and she couldn't change or influence his opinion on anything. She felt some relief that Bash was leaving because she just wanted to get under her blankets and sleep for the next several days if possible. But he still looked a bit shell shocked and lost so Jules reached over to take his hand in hers. She didn't know what else to say. I'm sorry still felt so silly to her. Apologies were crap, if you asked her. She had wanted to save people, not... this. But Jules was lost too and she couldn't bring herself to find the words to make him feel better. There simply weren't any.
Sebastian gave Jules' hand a squeeze and almost told her he was sorry as well--sorry for her loss, that she'd had to go through so much shit, and that she had to put up with his grief. Except that he was glad she was there, and that she'd done what she could, because if she hadn't, then his mom might still be around, but he might never have woken up. He couldn't quite say 'thank you', but 'sorry' wasn't right either. "I'm all out of pep talks," he said with a lame little laugh as he wiped at his eyes. He knew they'd be okay eventually, but god, he felt miserable and suspected she felt the same. "Okay," he said, then took a deep breath and leaned in to give her a hug before sliding off the bed. "I guess I'll...see you later?"
Would he see her later? Jules hesitated, but only briefly. "Yeah, of course." Honestly, she didn't know. Would the police show up? Would some angry friend or relative come to her house? Would... something else? Maybe Jules would go to sleep and wake up later and go back to school and... be normal. She doubted it, but it was a possibility just like everything else. Jules did her best not to flop back on her bed. Instead she rubbed her eyes and then offered him a very faint, brief smile. "Could you just lock the door on your way out? I don't know when my mom will be home..."
Bash assumed he’d seen Jules eventually, that at some point life would return to normal around them, even if they wouldn’t be the same. That was how it seemed to go—life moved on, regardless of the moment you were stuck in. He was willing to bed that by next week people wouldn’t think much of the day they’d lost to exhaustion. They wouldn’t give a thought to the people that disappeared, unless they were close to them. And they wouldn’t know who’d saved them all and how miserable she was. Bash locked the door for her, then hesitated before leaving. “You sure you want to be alone?” he asked. He doubted her mother would’ve been much comfort, even if she’d been home. She’d never liked Jasper and it was hard to be there for someone when you were happy with their misfortune.
Jules nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks, Bash." She knew he would probably stay if she asked him to, but he had his own stuff to deal with now and she wouldn't want to keep his family waiting, wondering. While she couldn't exactly predict how she might feel later, right now she just wanted to be alone so she could sleep. And maybe when she woke up, she would find she had dreamed everything and life would be back to normal. It wasn't likely to happen because the cold, heavy weight in her stomach told her this was real. But... where was the harm in wishing?
“Bye, Jules,” Sebastian said, offering her a sad smile before closing the door behind him. He knew he couldn’t hold off telling his dad and sister, but it still felt like a bad dream. He had no idea how to deliver this kind of news without breaking down completely, but he’d managed so far by some kind of miracle. Sebastian moved on, since that was all he could do. Keep moving forward and hope that somehow, someway things got better. He didn’t really think they would, but falling apart in Jules’s hallway wasn’t really an option.