For All Those Sleeping [Editing]

Consanguineos

Capitulum XI

Part 1

Once again, Jace walked face-first into another tree. Contrary to his thought that his vision was clearing up, bumping into everything that crossed his path was his new course of action. I felt a little bad for feeling this way, but if you just skim the surface of the situation, Jace looked like a little wind-up toy bumping into walls over and over again.

Maelstrom caught on to my thoughts. “You having some trouble there, buddy?”

“Oh, you all think this is so funny, don’t you?” groaned Jace.

He rubbed his forehead, and Ophelia chimed in, “You just look really silly. Can’t you see at all? It’s been quite a while…”

“There’s a fog. How many times must I say this?”

“Calm down cranky, I doubt it’s permanent. Archers have keen eyesight, right? Since you’re no longer and Archer, you’re probably having a difficult time having your eyes adjust to the new lighting.”

Our group came across the door back to the meadow, and Ophelia took Jace’s hands to safely lead him down to the ground, and I trailed in after Leo. I don’t know why exactly, but ever since we met again, it feels like we’ve been overly distanced

“Hey Leo, are you okay?” I whispered to my friend.

He shot me a questioning look. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be? Possibly a little traumatized with the whole shocky thing and Jace not being an Archer anymore because Cedric deleted some DNA, but yeah, perfectly fine.”

“No, I mean… personality-wise?”

“So you feel it too…” he nodded. After a pause, he continued, “I think you’re too serious.”

“Wha- too serious?” I exclaimed.

“You skipped over my joke. And act like my mom.”

“How would you know? You haven’t seen her in six years.”

“Okay, ouch,” he grumbled with a slight twitch. “But we’re heading her way now. That’s none of your business anyway.”

There goes the innocent conversation I was planning on having…

“It’s actually a lot of my business. Your mother comes to my house all the time; she’s probably there right now! Do you really think that you left and we just carried on with our lives?”

“I didn’t ask to get on this subject again,” he sighed.

“It doesn’t take much to have it pop up again.”

“I think you’re problem is that you can’t let go! I’m sorry about what happened, but what do you want me to do about it now? because to me, I’m doing all I can.”

“Can you two tone it down? Before you know it, this tunnel is gonna crumble down right on top of us!” Jace chided us.

Leo and I side-glanced at each other with hidden pouty lips and quieted down. The end of the tunnel was near, and some sunlight streamed in. It hit me that it was probably only around noon, and my growling stomach confirmed my theory.

“Do you guy want to go to my house for lunch? I was serious about the possibility of Leo’s mother being there,” I offered.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Ophelia nodded. “Do you have any peanut butter?”

“You ate it all last time I brought the can to practice, remember?” I sighed.

The bright sunlight shot into my eyes, and I led the group in the direction of my house (over the sound of Ophelia’s despair). The five of us trudged up the hill, still exhausted from this morning, and I threw open the door to my house.