Hell Castle
Chapter Eighteen

I bought a one-way ticket home. I’m going to leave it all behind me. I bought a car from a dealer by the airport, just a Focus, nothing too flashy, and then drove to my aunt and uncles. I sat in the car outside the house for an hour. I had no idea what they had been told if anything. Would they want me back? Would they let me come back? My heart started racing with anticipation of their reaction.

I rang the doorbell and waited. The door opened, and Uncle Arthur answered. He stared at me in shock. I struggled to replace the words to say. After a few minutes, I heard a voice “Who is it, dad?” Cathy called from the other room. Cathy came up and peered around his shoulder.

I started to cry just seeing them. “Can I come home?” I asked as tears fell from my eyes.

“Honey, who is it?” Aunt Beatrix pulled the door all the way open. She looked at me with an astonished expression.

Uncle Arthur reached out and pulled me in for a hug. “Oh child, you will always be welcome here. This is your home too.” Uncle Arthur hugged me tightly.

Aunt Beatrix joined in on the hug as well. “Bart, come quick.” Aunt Beatrix yelled as she hugged me tightly.

Cathy ran up to me and squeezed me like she thought she would never see me again. “I missed you so much, Rori!”

Bart joined in on the tight breath-restricting hug. “You could have written a letter.” Bart scolded.

Bart and Cathy helped me bring my bags in and up to my room. I stood amazed, my room was just the way I had left it, the night we went to the Halloween party; minus the two pallets by my bed. Pointing to the pallets Cathy smiled. “We missed you. Mom and Dad said you went to live with your dad. None of us could bring ourselves to mess with your room.”

At that moment, as I looked around my room, I had never felt so loved or truly wanted. “We might have crashed in your room a few times,” Bart admitted as he started packing up the pallets.

“I have missed you guys so much. There were so many times I just wanted to go down the hall, open your bedroom door and start telling you about the craziness in my world that day.” I admitted as I sat on my bed tears of happiness began to flow again.

“Well you can now, we’re here for you Rori. Whatever it is, we’re here for you.” Bart assured me with a friendly hug.

At dinner, Uncle Arthur talked about getting me back into school the next day. Not wasting a moment on getting back into my old routine. Aunt Beatrix wondered if I should not wait till the week was over, to give me time to readjust. “We should not rush her, Arthur.” Aunt Beatrix cautioned.

“So tell us about your dad. What’s he like? What does he do? What did you do these last five months?” Cathy asked eagerly as she leaned on the table.

I stared at my plate, rolling the meatball around on my plate. I thought about the castle, Loki, Eliot, Carter, the garden outside my bedroom window, Hyland, Owen, Hidi, and Astreal. Thinking of them just made my heart ache. I now had this empty void in my heart that hurt anytime I thought of them. When will this pain end?

“New rule, no one is to ask or pressure Rori into talking about her time with her father or the last five months. When and if she decides to talk about it; then and only then, as long as that it’s her choice.” Uncle Arthur announced in a serious tone. I looked up at him, he gave me a wink.

“But dad, she was gone for nearly six whole months and she never wrote not once. We are all curious about what happened.” Bart argued. Aunt Beatrix shot Bart a look and the subject was dropped. I had written to them, at least once a week. Hidi must have never sent my letters. I wonder why?

I lay in bed looking at my ceiling letting my mind get lost. I could hear Astreal humming as he did sometimes when we were taking a bath. “Missing Rori” I heard his gloomy voice call.

I felt a tugged at my heart. “I miss you too” I replied crushed. I longed to see him. I found myself missing them all, to be honest. This was destroying my heart, but it had to be done. How could I stay in a place where I am constantly lied to by everyone I was not the only victim of this, Astreal is suffering too. The thought of loneliness and missing me; while knowing I’ll never return, it’s killing me. I feel so miserable for leaving him behind. How selfish and horrible I am.

The next day, I transferred back to James A. Garfield High. Everyone seemed pleased to have me back. Many people, even those I didn’t know came up to welcome me back and gave me a hug. Just about every person I came across said “Hi” or “Welcome back.” By lunch, I had already fallen into my old schedule. However, no matter how much I didn’t want it to, it all felt wrong. Cathy or Bart was at my side all day. They warded off pesky people and questions about where I had been these past months. They were very helpful at getting me out of awkward conversations as well. Thank you, could not be enough for the help they gave me today.

I got bored in class and started drawing pictures of Astreal, just anything that came to mind. My classmates saw me drawing and asked what or who they were. I could not bring myself to answer them. I even drew a picture of my Father. I continually got compliments on my drawings and how life-like they were. “Wow, you’re good at drawing, Rori,” Cathy remarked as she watched me draw during homeroom.

After school, I walked home, I needed to be alone so I let Cathy drive Bart back to the house. Cathy was ever so excited, she had not got her own car yet and was a bit jealous that I had my own. I wanted to put the money Father had given me for my birthday, to good use. I could not help but wonder why Hidi had never sent the letters I wrote? Loki had said I could write as long as I didn’t reveal anything about them.

That got me to thinking about how Astreal was doing. I wonder if he was following Loki or Eliot around like he always did me. Maybe he was watching out the window like he does every day? One thing I did know for certain, is he’s missing me as much as I’m missing him. With such a distance between us, I had to try extremely hard to hear him. Trying that hard, in itself, was exhausting.

I arrived at the house an hour later. Standing out front gazing at the house, this is the only home I have ever known up until a few months back. This is the world I belong in. Where everything is solid and founded on science. Not one filled with lies, assassins, deceit, power, and pain. A loveless world is no place for someone who is of any part human. If I’m so sure this was the right choice. Why do I feel so lost? Why does it feel wrong just here?

~~~

A month has gone by since I came back. My grades are good, top of the class, in fact, and better than before, when I was second in the graduating class. The teachers are amazed at how well I caught up so close to the end of the semester. However, I replace myself depressed and nostalgic a lot. “You don’t look sick. Come on Rori, you can’t go home. Tomorrow is Senior Skip Day. If all the seniors don’t attend every day this week they won’t let us have it.” Cathy complained as she hung off my arm.

I didn’t want to be at school today. All I wanted to do from the moment I got up, was to go for a walk by the creek behind the house and think or perhaps lay in bed all day. “Fine” I caved in as usual.

Cathy was so happy, jumping around like a kangaroo. “Think of it like this, Rori, today is just another day in the hat.” Cathy smiled at me and then looked out into the library. “Look here comes Joey, play nice Rori. He likes you.” Cathy suggested as she got up and headed out of the study room we were in.

I watched as Joey walked in and set his books down across from me. “Hey, Rori” He greeted.

“Hi, Joey” I responded.

Joey pulled out some notes and started going over them. We sat there each doing homework and immersed in our own worlds. I looked up to see that it was five till the bell rings to let school out. Just another day, so Cathy says. To me, it’s not just another day. It’s another day that I have spent from Astreal.

“Rori?” Joey called.

I looked over at Joey; we didn’t talk much before I left. Yet, from the moment I got back he has done his best to get my attention; everything from helping me with homework or offering to tutor me. Much like Carter did before.

“Will you go out with me tomorrow? On a date.” Joey asked with a cautious tone.

“Why now?” I asked skeptically. Joey is one of Bart’s friends. It could be Bart trying to make me feel better.

“Why now? Ha, uh, Rori I’ve liked you from the first day I met you in Mr. Thompson’s 5th-grade classroom. When we got to High school and Carter came. He just didn’t leave any room for me to make my move.” Joey opened his bag and placed a Calla Lily on my Biology II book. I looked at the Calla Lily; I had never told anyone what my favorite flower was. Not that anyone had bothered to ask me. “I noticed last year when we were on that Bio-Field trip, how you looked at the Lilies, particularly the Calla Lilies. Just go out on a date with me. One date is all I’m asking. We can do it tomorrow, go to the mall with everyone if you want.” Joey looked at me with nervous eyes.

I picked up the lily and held it to my chest. It was such a touching gesture. “Ok, tomorrow, at the mall.” I agreed.

I walked into the house with the lily. “That’s a beautiful flower you got there Rori, where did you get it?” Aunt Beatrix asked as she handed me a vase to put my flower in.

“Joey gave it to me. We’re going on a date tomorrow at the mall with everyone. For senior skip day.” I smiled a bit at the flower. Aunt Beatrix beamed with joy.

“Oh, that’s wonderful. You need to get out and date. Joey is a good boy. He has had it bad for you for years, ya know, Rori. It’s good to see that he finally took the initiative.”

At dinner, Aunt Beatrix told Uncle Arthur about my date. Bart looked surprised at the news. Whereas Cathy, just sat by me with a big smile on her face. “Well Rori, you sure are growing up. If you’re going on this date and everyone will also be around I guess its ok with me. I won’t be there when he picks you up. But...” Uncle Arthur spoke pointing to me “... if there is a second date he must come pick you up here. I have to meet this kid properly. I can’t replace Meditris in putting fear in a young man category, but I will let him know the rules. Understood?”

I nodded agreeing with him. He is right, he can, in no way, shape or form beat my Father in the fear aspect. On the other hand, Uncle Arthur is creative and gets his point across. He bought a single shotgun shell from the gun store and tossed it at Mark when he came to pick up Cathy for prom last year. I thought Mark was going to piss himself right then and there. I could not help but smile as I thought of this.