The Calamity House

Chapter Two~Luz

Luz Noceda, a Dominican-American girl with light brown eyes and dark brown short hair walks back home from school, her backpack slung over her back. She had a lot of life in her eyes, and walked rather quickly. She looked at the city of LA in silent dislike: She had been happy with the way her life was going up until a few years ago. That's when her dad became sick. Then they moved to LA because there was a better hospital for him in the city. And then he died. She felt like only bad things happened in this city, at least for her. School was mediocre. She had no friends, everyone laughed at her, most people thought she was weird, and the teachers strongly disapproved of her. Maybe that was because her grades were bad. Or because she had once brought a live snake to school.

She crossed the road as the cars stopped at the traffic lights, and she turned down a backstreet; a shortcut to her neighborhood. Luz saw rats scurry around the bins, but she kept walking. She loved animals, even the ones most people despised with a passion, like rats. She didn't especially like the rodents, but she was on good terms with them. 

She turned the corner into her neighborhood and walked down the street. She approached her house and walked into the driveway, before using the key to open the door to her home. Stepping in, she took off her shoes and put her backpack on the table. 'Mom, I'm home.' she called as she did all of this.

Camila Noceda walked into the room. She was a vet and Luz inherited her love of animals from her. In Luz's opinion, Camila was the best mother of all time. She was kind, caring, loving, and overall a wonderful person. 'Bienvendio a casa querida.' she said in Spanish, giving Luz a hug. 

'Hola, Mama.' Luz replied. She decided to ask a question she had been wanting to all day. It was a desperate question, as she already knew the answer. '...do I still have to go to summer camp?' she asked quietly. Camila smiled softly. 'Yes, Mija. But you'll make new friends and...and..learn to appreciate public radio that time will fly by. You might want to pack your things. You're going soon.' 

'But please, Mama, I don't wanna go to a Summer Camp. I'd prefer to edit anime clips, write stories, watch and read Azura movies and books!' Luz cried desperately. 'That's what I'm good at! And the kids there would only make fun of me...' her voice trailed off, not wanting to think about it. 

Her mother put a hand on her shoulder. 'It'll be okay. I promise. I know the woman who works at the camp. She's very kind. She'll look out for you. Okay?' she said gently to her daughter. Luz nodded. 'Okay.' Luz then hugged Camila, and Camila hugged back. 

After the hug, as Camila adjusted her glasses, she spoke, 'Mija, you really should pack, the bus will be here in half an hour.' 

Luz froze. 'Half an hour?!' without another word, she rushed off to pack. Camila laughed, mistaking Luz's anxiety about being late for the bus with excitement of going to the camp.

Luz typically didn't care if she was late, but this time it was different: If she was late, her mom would have to drive her in to the camp after the other kids, and then they'd probably laugh at her even more! She could not let that happen. She stuffed her Good With Azura book (which was very dear to her) into her bag, along with a few other items she thought she needed. She put her phone in her back-pocket. 

She then walked outside to the pavement, waiting for her mom to bid her farewell. Camila approached, wearing her light-blue veterinary clothes and her hair tied in a tight bun. When she noticed Luz still looked glum, she spoke. 'Mija, I have said it already, you'll be fine. You'll make friends!'

'But I already have friends,' Luz began, but Camila cut her off. 'Any that aren't drawn, imaginary, or reptilian?' she said sternly. Luz raised her index finger and opened her mouth to argue, and say that she did, but then she thought a little bit and closed her mouth, defeated.

'See? You need to make friends, Mija. It's a healthy part of life. Now, don't get me wrong, I love your creativity, but think of the last few times you've been to the principals office. Think.' Luz thought back. There was the time she had been sent to the principals because she had created a "griffin" in art class which spat spiders...The time she had been trying out for the Romeo and Juliet play and had used sausages to be blood when she stabbed herself...The time she flipped her eyelids inside out and scared the other girls...And finally the time she had brought an actual snake to school for her book report.

'You didn't mean to do any harm, you just let your imagination get out of hand. I honestly think this camp will help you, Luz. You need to learn to separate fantasy from reality.' she said in a kind voice. 

Luz nodded, slightly reassured. She took her Good Witch Azura book out of her bag and placed it in the trash. Camila nodded approvingly, and at that moment, her phone beeped. She looked at it. 'My shift is staring in a few minutes. I'd better be going.' she kissed Luz on the cheek many times. 'Now, don't worry, we'll be seeing each other soon enough. Goodbye, Mija.' 

'Bye, Mom.' Luz said in a meek voice. Camila got into her car and drove away, waving. The moment her mother had exited the neighborhood, Luz panicked and opened the trash-can and pushed trash aside to find her book. 'Where is it? Where is it?!' she exclaimed, her voice rising in distress. Just as she was about to give up hope, she heard the hoot of an owl. She turned around and saw an owl staring at her with a bag in it's beak. In that bag, was her book. 

Luz's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't bother trying to make sense of it. 'Tiny trash thief!' she said to herself, and started running after the owl. The owl began hopping away, and was surprisingly fast. 

She pauses chasing the owl when they reach an old, abandoned house that everyone in the neighborhood swore was haunted. 'Oh, of course you lead me here!' she said angrily as the owl hopped into the old house. Deciding it was still worth going in there to retrieve her book, so she ran in after the owl. 

She had just entered the house when she saw the owl go through a door further in the house, and she ran in straight after it. While doing so, there was a blinding flash of light that made her clutch her eyes and tumble over. 

On the other side of the door now, she rubbed her eyes. 'What was that?..' she asked herself, and then she remembered her book and immediately got up, but took a step back at what. She was in a tent, the floor covered with odd junk. Extremely odd junk. 

'Woah. And I thought I had a lot of weird stuff,' Luz said as she picked up a sort of doll, and it opened it's eyes at her and she dropped it, making a distressed noise, 'but this..This is impressive.' She then jumped in fright when she heard a woman's voice.

'You're back. It's about freakin' time.' the woman said. Luz peeked through an opening in the tent and saw a woman with very pale skin and grey hair. Luz watched in horror as he woman screwed the owl onto a sort of staff, so it became a wooden feature of the staff. Luz didn't like this owl much, but that seemed like animal abuse. But still, she was too scared to move. 

The woman was wearing a red dress and had a headscarf on. She had taken the bag from the owl beforehand and was taking stuff out of it. She took out a phone. 'Garbage.' She then tossed it aside. Next, she took out a wedding ring and sparkling chalice. 'Garbage.' After that, she pulled out a pair of joke glasses. 'Now this...this will make me rich.' After putting the glasses down, she takes out the Azura book. 'And this...well, it'll be good kindling.' she then puts the book over the candle, but Luz rushes out before she can burn out. 

She grabs the book and puts it in her bag. 'Sorry, excuse me, that's my book, I'll just take that back and get out of your hair.' she rushed to the door she had came through, but just as she reached it, it folded up in three parts. Confused and scared, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She was being watched. Luz turned around and saw the woman from earlier staring down at her. There was a golden gem on her dark red dress, she had golden eyes and nails, boots, a gold ring on her left hand, and an "X" shaped scar on her cheek. 'You're not going anywhere.'