Estrellas: Book 2

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: TAKING A DETOUR

(told in perspective of Matthew)

I quickly ran back into the car, every one gave me some concerned and yet scared looks. I gave them a faint smile and stared out the window. As Cassandra got up from where she had just talked to me, she walked slowly over to Draco. He rolled the window down, "Yeah?"

"Out of my seat." She said. And he rolled his eyes and unbuckled.

"How am I supposed to be the vehicle specialist if no one lets me drive vehicles?!" Draco said sarcastically and gestured to the seat like a chauffeur.

"Thank you kind sir." Cassandra joked and sat in the driver's seat.

"Hey, I'll move seats so you can sit next to Brutus." Danny smiled and unbuckled as well.

"You do know you'll be sitting next to my brother, right? The one who totally has a crush on you and you would make a perfect couple with." Cassandra wiggled her eyebrows and Danny rolled her eyes.

"You just can't let it go can you?" She said exasperated. Then as she sat down next to Draco, Brutus sat down in the passenger's seat next to me.

"Hey, try not to crash the car again." I teased her and she gave an annoyed sigh. I heard Draco quickly buckle his seatbelt, no questions asked. I laughed, hey! He finally listened. That kid finally put on his seatbelt like he should have been doing all along.

"So, where are we going?" Cassandra looked back at me.

"You jumped into the driver's seat and have no idea where we're going?" I teased her again.

"Well you haven't exactly been the talkative type lately." She said, annoyed.

"We're going to Saddle-burgh, the place where it all started...." ...and my home. I continued in my mind. I didn't want a pity party, I was just going there to complete the mission, find my parents, and live a happy life afterwards. So the best thing was not to tell anyone, and not let my emotions get out of control again. I took a deep breath, "You ready?" I asked Cassandra.

"Yeah, are you?" She asked concerned.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I reached into my pocket, pulling out the picture Zana had shown me of my parents. I imagined the conversation Zana and I had had when she gave this to me.

"Why are you giving this to me?" I remembered asking Zana.

"To remind you that your not invincible, your parents begged me to go on that mission, and I, regrettably, said yes, not thinking there would be any consequences..." The word echoed in my mind. Consequences, a risk I am willing to take for her, for Andrometa. The car started and after a good ten minutes of driving, we had gotten to Saddle-burgh. I got out and my parent's voices echoed in my mind. You could have saved us. I shook it off, just a dream. I started walking then I heard their voice again but this time, it was from a past memory, "Come on Matty we're almost there." My mother was holding me by the hand, pulling me forward, six year old me was crying because I didn't want to leave my home. I looked back and our entire house caught fire, my Dad was running out with a bunch of papers. "I have the research, now let's get out of here." My mother picked me up, then we ran. And I hadn't seen this place since. I planted my feet on the ground taking a deep breath and walking forward. Some of the towns people looked at us oddly and gave us some glares.

Then, an old man shouted out to us, "Hey! Is your last name Crustello?" I turned around and gave the man an odd look and I nodded. "Well I'll be, I haven't seen a Crustello in a good five years." My team gave me some suspicious looks, I rolled my eyes and walked up to the man.

"That's weird, a Crustello hasn't been here since the war started." I inquired.

"Yeah, that's what you think, but I saw Marge and Brady here five years ago." I looked at him in shock and he nodded, "I'm sure y'all are pretty tired from traveling so why don't ya come in and stay a night, the names Woodlock by the way, Mr. Joseph Woodlock, but me friends just like to call me Woody." I laughed and walked inside, everyone nervously trailed me behind.

"So, Woody, did my parents possibly mention anything to you about where they were planning on going next?" I tried to figure out.

"Hmmm, closest I got to knowin' where they were going was a conversation I overheard, somethin' about the Mystic Mountains, though no soul has made it back from der in one piece, that is, except for ol' Jonny, yeah, he came back a few weeks ago but he hasn't been himself lately, he's acting quite odd. But yeah, that's Jonny for ye, never bein' quite der." Woody said.

"Did Old Jonny possibly find any sign of my parents? Anything at all?" I pleaded Woody.

"Nah, not dat I've heard. But what he can tell yer is that the Mystic Mountains ar dangerous, and that if some kind soul happens to set foot on those der mountains, it would be the biggest mistake of der life." Woody shook his head, "But dats a story for another day." He stretched, "If ya ar hopin' to talk to Ol' Jonny he's always in dat bar over der." Woody gestured to the building across the street. "Well, I'm gonna cook up somethin' to eat."

"Thanks Woody." I told him, and he disappeared into the kitchen, I stared off at the bar, I needed to figure out exactly where my parents left to, maybe I could find a clue or something that would tell me if they were alive or not. I started walking towards the bar when I felt someone pull me back with my shirt. It was Cassandra. "What?!" I asked her annoyed.

"You are not going over there until you tell us why this nice man seems to know you and your family and how this town correlates with that." Cassandra said sternly.

"M-my..."

"No, I don't want to hear it now, I want to hear it over dinner, you need to relax, not rush everything at once, we have time." Cassandra tried to convince me.

I sighed, "Fine, but I'm talking to Old Jonny in the morning." I finally said.

A few minutes later Woody came out with some corn beef, potatoes, and carrots. And we all quietly sat down.

"So Matthew care to tell us all why this man knows you and what this town has to do with it?" Cassandra said with an annoyed look on her face.

I looked down from her glare. then I nodded, "I grew up here, before the war, that is, and I'm not sure how Woody knows me but I'm sure it's because he knew my parents." I explained, everyone looked at me as if they understood. "I didn't want to tell you guys because I wanted to focus on the mission, not personal things." They all nodded. And with that, we silently ate dinner and went to bed.
TO BE CONTINUED