It's a Long Way To Dearest Gravesfield

Chapter 11: Rest

Eda and Camila decide that regardless of the intel and planning needed, for at least a week, or until absolutely necessary, the kids will have time to rest, play, and consider how they might return to Hexside.

Luz starts the time anxious, trying to figure out how to sneak planning to defeat Belos into her everyday activities. It takes a sit-down with Amity to tell her to relax and let the adults take the lead for a little while. She still struggles, but the games the others come up with distract her.

Hunter is eager to get back to sewing and he chooses his projects carefully, taking apart his old clothes to rebuild into other things. Pants are ripped open at the seams, other trousers used as inserts to widen the waist, the legs, and lengthen them. Eda finds him scrap garments and fabric and adds to his stash, the desk in the bedroom fully adopted as Hunter's sewing station. He eyes his friends, wondering if he can surprise them with clothing that will fit them simply by borrowing their other garments at night when they sleep over. The first person he makes something for is Camila, replicating the shirt she wore to the Boiling Isles. He sews mostly when the others are out wandering Bonesborough, tucking away his projects when they return.

Willow finds every neglected plant in the house and coaxes it to thrive, adding a few specimens of her own when she comes over for the day. She wishes she had her camera and scrapbook with her and asks Eda for permission to go through her human treasures to see what might be hidden there. With Camila in tow, they dig through boxes, looking for anything that might allow Willow to add to her collection of photographs when they return to the human realm. Willow overlooks the small black metal box, but Camila stops her, smiling as she picks up the old object. They find a few precious rolls of film alongside it. The camera looks complicated, with multiple silver dials and more than one viewfinder, but the little machine, labeled "Argus", Camila assures her, will take beautiful pictures, if she's patient enough to learn how to use it. There is a pair of thick books tucked in the box with the camera. They are photography manuals from a war eighty years ago, written for a military force. They are extremely detailed. Determined to master this device and desperately hoping the film is still usable, Willow sets her mind on studying.

Gus spends his time playing games, pulling Willow away from her studies, and drawing laughter from Luz and Amity. He gives Hunter his quiet space when he needs it, but seeks him out alone while the others play more rambunctious games, daydreaming about science fiction and spaceflight. Hunter wonders what might be in their own skies and if any witches would ever visit their moon.

"You know...if you ever want to play Cosmic Frontier, I'm sure we could get Willow in on it," Gus says, "and you and I already have costumes."

Hunter nods, "I know. I'm having a hard time with that, though. The last time I wore it, things...weren't great. It makes talking about the story hard sometimes, too. But...I miss it. It was fun."

"Yeah, I get that," Gus says, "But the last time you wore that costume, you also survived something kinda impossible, so...maybe you need to shift your thinking a little."

"Maybe. I don't know. We've been here a little while. I should probably start to move on."

Gus shrugs, "I think you have. You still wear your wolf shirt. You were wearing that, too, when you survived. I think it's less about what you were wearing and more about all the other memories tied into that day. If you can set it aside for the shirt, you can do it for the costume, too. Just remember all the neat things we found in the basement, and all the cool Cosmic Frontier stories we read, the games we made up, the times we wondered what other adventures they could have, or what we'd do if we were them...."

Hunter smiles, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Come on, let's find your jacket."

"It's in my laundry pile."

Gus goes to the neatly folded stack of laundry now mostly consisting of things Hunter has refashioned and retrieves the bright yellow jacket, "Here, I'll grab mine." Gus' laundry pile is much smaller and much messier, but he easily finds the jacket and tosses it over his shoulder as he hands Hunter the other.

Hunter hesitates, "I don't know Gus," he says quietly, "I'm still terrified by what happened."

Gus rests his hand on Hunter's shoulder, "You're OK. You're safe. And I'll be right here. You can always take it off after a minute."

Hunter sighs, then puts it on, "This...this is...not bad. Not great, but not bad, either." He meets Gus' eyes, "I think I need to take it off, though. Is that OK?"

"Of course," Gus replies, "This is about you being comfortable. A little at a time is fine. And you don't need to ask if you can stop." Hunter removes the jacket.

He smiles, "Thanks, Gus. We'll try again another day."

"I'm proud of you, Hunter. You'll get there." Gus says, "Wanna come outside? Willow says she's gonna see how high she can get a single vine to go before it starts to fall over. Not sure how she's going to keep it from crushing anything, but I'm sure she'll figure it out."

"Should we have someone do a shield spell over the house first?" Hunter asks.

There is a loud thud and the windows rattled; they hear Eda shout, "What in Titan's name was that?"

"Sorry!" Willow yells from in the yard.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea," Gus replies to Hunter. He walks to the door, "Come on – let's go make sure Willow doesn't accidentally flatten the Owl House."

Hunter follows Gus out of the room. They step out the door to see Eda gaping at a large vine laying in an indentation in the yard.

"You might want to put up a shield," Gus suggests, "Hunter's idea."

"What are you doing?" Eda asks Willow, stunned.

"I want to see how tall I can make it. Probably should do it a little farther away from the house."

"Probably?!" Eda exclaims, "How about yes, you should?" Willow nods and the vine slithers back into a seed on the ground.

Gus and Hunter pass her and Hunter pats her shoulder as he walks by, "Like I said...shield the house. You don't know how big she's gonna get that thing." Eda stares after the teens as they walk away.

She sighs, "Guess I've got to call on somebody with magic left to make sure my kids don't crush my house...." She laughs, "Guess this is what I get for being a mom...and I wouldn't trade it for the world."