The University of Magic. Year 1

2. Into the unknown

Sam

Sam leapt over whole thickets, dodged between trees, sailed over streams, and... stopped. Which way had they gone?

Where had they gone?

There was no trace. He was sure they had come this way, but there was no sign of them. None whatsoever.

His eyes stung with visions of his baby brothers. His mother. Struggling alone.

He ploughed off in a random direction.

He had to find them.

His eyes searched the unfamiliar forest, desperately looking for some sign left by a unicorn. Which way?

He stopped again.

Unbidden, the memory of his father abandoning him as a child clouded his thoughts.  His mother's tears as she'd struggled to look after his one year old baby brother, whilst pregnant. The misery of two under two, with no support. He'd only been eight. He'd tried so hard.  Tried to be the man his father never was. Tried to help his mother look after two clingy babies.  He'd hated his father for leaving them. Promised himself he was different. Now he'd gone and abandoned them all. Just like his dad.

He hadn't meant to abandon them. He'd meant to visit as often as he could. Check in on his mum and his brothers, so big now at 9 and 10 years old. He'd promised them he would.
Those wretched unicorns had turned all his heartfelt promises, into lies.
He picked up a loose rock from the ground, barely seeing it through the tears as he hurled it, hard. It bounced over the ground, landing uselessly in another thicket.

Why was this God forsaken forest so full of vegetation? There was barely a patch of ground not teaming with life. It was ridiculous!

He shouldn't be here. He should be home. Not chasing after some stupid fantasy of learning magic.  Like some carefree, naive child.  His family needed him. He'd abandoned them. He was no better than his father.

An odd thought popped into his head, what if his father had come here? What if that was why he'd never returned.
He imagined the old man in the middle of this strange, enchanted forest. Surrounded by the flowers and butterflies and birdsong. The image was so ridiculous it almost made him laugh.
He remembered the way the old man had come home drunk, and loud.  He remembered how lazy his dad had been. Irresponsible and quick to blame others for his own lack of action.  He wasn't like his father.  He couldn't be.
He wasn't.

He remembered his mother's pride as he'd shown her the acceptance papers for the University. Her insistence that he go follow his dreams. His relief that she still loved him as a child, even after all they'd been through together. His relief at the opportunity to act as a regular child, together with all his closest friends. This wasn't the same as his father's exit from the family.

He needed to keep his head. His friends needed him now. He would find a way to return to his family later.

He found his friends where he'd left them. Lucy looked frightened enough to faint. John and Elvira were trying to comfort her. Jack was starting to wonder off alone into the forest, after an iridescent glowing butterfly.  That boy was as carefree and careless as one of his baby brothers.

Lucy saw Sam first. The relief from all four of his friends at his return was palpable. They pulled him into a hug.  Sam hugged them back, then gently questioned Elvira on how they could return home, now that Sheya had gone.

When Elvira reassured him that Sheya would return before the end of the school term, Sam's whole body sagged with relief. He hadn't abandoned his family. He would be home for the holidays.
He'd have liked to visit more often, would have felt safer with Sheya with them, but this was ok. As long as...
He decided to ask Elvira the question before it grew too upsetting. "Elvira what if?" He paused biting his lip. "What if we can't do magic?"