𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲 《The Owl House》

𝟏. 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒆

Hunter Wittebane had curled up on the Nocedas' green sofa. He had one of the cushions pressed against his chest to keep his otherwise shaking arms busy.

He felt as if he had done nothing but sit there and shiver for the past two days. He wasn't even sure if he had eaten anything, but when he thought about it, he realized that Luz must have forced some kind of food down his throat. The Nocedas have always tried to force food on him because they think he is too emaciated.

But then, that's exactly what he was. Uncle Phillip had only ever given him enough to keep him alive. Hunter would never have complained. He knew he was just a burden to his uncle and could be happy if he didn't reminded him for one day how much worse his life had been since he took Hunter in.

But whenever Camila Noceda stood in front of him and asked him if he wanted something to eat, he couldn't refuse. He didn't know how to say no to her, because when she looked at him through her warm eyes, a pleasant warm feeling spread through his chest. So nice that it almost brought him to tears.

Hunter sighed and let his face disappear into the pillow.
Now he had probably ruined all that.

Two days ago he had finally dared to say something. Uncle Phillip had struck at Flapjack. Flapjack was a little red bird Hunter had gotten for his seventh birthday from his father, Caleb. It was the last thing he had gotten from his father before he had been killed in a car accident. Uncle Phillip had told him to get rid of the bird. But he had never done anything to him. At least not until two days ago.

It wasn't that Uncle Phillip hit him often. Only when he was really angry. Most of the time he hit the table or any other object that was around Hunter with full force. Sometimes he also threw plates, books or other things that were near him and easy to grab.
But in the evening two days ago, he had struck at Flapjack. The little bird had flown across the room and crashed into the edge of the kitchen table.

Hunter remembered that he had cried. That he had cried ugly and sobbed as he gently cupped the injured Flapjack in his trembling hands and ran. He hadn't even thought about where he was running until he was standing in front of the Noceda house, panting and desperate.

Camila had immediately wrapped him in her arms and rocked him back and forth while Luz and Vee had thrown on their jackets and hurried with Flapjack to the vet. Camila and Hunter, who was still held by her , slowly followed the two. Hunter wasn't sure what came over him as he walked down the street with Camila, but he began to tell her how Uncle Phillip had treated him.

"-I - I can take it, but - but Flap - he's all I have left of Dad - I don't want to lose him - I'm so sorry!"he had sobbed. Camila had stopped and pulled him into a gentle yet firm hug. Slowly she ran her hand through his hair and whispered, "Shhh, it's okay. There's nothing to apologize for, carino."

Flapjack had come through it all in the end, except that one of his eyes was so injured that the vet said he would probably never be able to see again on that eye and that the injury would leave a noticeable scar.

"I guess we're alike in that respect," Hunter muttered, only now realizing that he had started crying softly again. His tired eyes searched for Flapjacks. The little bird looked gently at Hunter and fluted softly.
"I love you too, Flap," Hunter said softly, and as if he understood him, Flapjack fluted again, louder this time.

Hunter let his face sink back into the pillow.
Sometimes he wished he could turn off his thoughts, just to let them go silent. They were always so loud when everything around him was quiet. Right now it was just him and Flapjack in the house. Luz and Vee had been sent shopping by their mom and Camila was talking to the police, who had taken his uncle into custody after their investigation concluded that Hunter was telling the truth. When the police officer indicated that he didn't believe Hunter, Luz gave him such a sour look that he immediately apologized to Hunter.