Spirits of the Past

Chapter 10

The next day had come and Steven was happily getting ready to see Connie. He left an hour early to grab something to eat. He's been practically starving since he refuses to eat most things. But today he decided to make his way to the Big Donut for a baked treat

He walked through the door and was immediately greeted by former mayor Dewey. "Heyy Universe! What can I get for you today?"

"Just a white donut with sprinkles is fine." Shockingly, Lars came out from the back carrying boxes. "Lars?! What are you doin here?" His body flashed pink

He set the boxes on the ground and pressed his elbow on the counter, leaning on it. "Oh hey Steven! I'm just here for a visit. I saw Mr Dewey needed help so I thought I'd lend a hand." Lars finally took notice of the boy's sudden change in appearance. "Are you okay man? You're glowing pink."

Steven looked down and examined his hands. He quickly shut his eyes and shook until the pink disappeared. "Sorry. It just happens sometimes. Don't worry about it." That only made Lars worry more

"O-Okay." Steven grabbed the brown bag in front of him and was about to walk away. But as he was turning, Lars saw a bit of white peeking out from the sleeve of his jacket. "Wait, Steven." The boy stopped in his tracks and turned around. "What's goin on with your wrist?" Lars stepped forward towards him

Steven anxiously looked at it and tried to play it cool. "Oh this? I just accidentally cut myself while sword training. I should probably get going-" The boy was about to escape when Lars firmly grasped onto his wrist and forcefully pulled up his jacket sleeve 

What he saw absolutely broke his heart. "....Steven. A-Are you...?" Steven held his head down refusing to make eye contact. "Steven what's going on? Talk to me."

There were a few moments of silence. Suddenly Steven looked up at him with tears running down his face. Lars was a bit taken aback by this. He wasn't used to seeing Steven like this. Sure he's seen Steven cry before..but not like this. For some reason, this hit different. "Please don't tell anybody about this. I don't want people to know. I'm too embarrassed to say anything."

The boy looked at Lars with desperation in his eyes. He appeared to be just a scared little kid. And maybe his inner child was calling out for help. "Hey...it's okay man. There's nothing to be ashamed of. I went through it myself." Steven widened his eyes at him

"Yeah, shocking I know. Listen...I'll be staying with my parents for a while. Come over if you ever need to talk, okay?" A weight was lifted off of Steven's chest. He grinned at the boy and gave him a big embrace. Lars was startled a little but returned the hug

Steven wiped the tears from his face and went on with his day. He sat on a nearby bench and quietly ate his donut. Not long after he finished, Connie showed up and they headed to the beach

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They each sat down across from one another on the sand with their legs crossed. Connie thought of something that might help. "Okay Steven, how bout we try some meditation? Just like Garnet showed us. It may help you feel centered and calm you down during a panic attack. You ready?"

Steven hesitated before answering her. "..Ready." The two folded their hands like how Garnet taught them. They took deep, slow breaths, calming their heartbeats

Connie continued to guide him. "Let your mind wander and listen to the sound of the waves. Here in darkness, everything is okay." It was working at first. Steven felt more at ease. But his mind wandered a little too far

Flashes of pink kept appearing. He winced every time it did. Then it began to form into his mom. She started off in the distance but she inched her way forward. With each step, Steven felt more and more anxious. In reality, he glowed pink once again. Connie didn't notice until a moment later. "Steven?!"

His breathing became heavier. Connie tried calling out but he was in too deep. In his mindscape, Pink reached out as she got closer. Steven was breathing even heavier now. When Pink was about to touch him, he cried out and jumped back

In reality, it was only Connie that was about to touch him. Steven swung a hand out in defense and hit the girl right across the face. She fell back in the sand, a red mark on her face. Once Steven came to his senses, he saw the girl he loved vulnerable on the ground. Her nose started bleeding. "Oh my gosh! Connie I'm so sorry!"

Connie got back up on her feet. "Steven it's okay. We'll figure something else out." She was about to approach him when he summoned his bubble

"Stop! I d-don't want to hurt you." The girl crouched in front of him

"You won't. I'm not scared of you. I trust you. And I'm not giving up on you." She placed her hand on the surface of the bubble. "Please come back to me."

He began to relax and eventually lowered the bubble. Connie slowly crawled towards him and pulled him into a hug. Steven smiled softly and leaned into her arms. "Don't worry Steven. I'm here."