A Second Chance

Part 83 - Back to Ignacia

The bus finally rolled into the Ninjago City terminal just after the clock struck noon. I sat in my seat for a minute after the other passengers scrambled off the vehicle, just staring out the window at the bustling station. 

It felt incredibly strange to be back in my old home after everything that happened. Coming back to a place you left under such horrible circumstances really messes with your head.

I pulled my backpack from the overhead bin and stepped down onto the warm pavement. The walk to the mansion wasn't very long. Looks like Cliff Gordon actually did a few useful things for me in the long run. 

The guy definitely had great taste when it came to picking out prime real estate. I walked up the winding driveway and felt a massive wave of relief wash over me.

The car was sitting exactly where I left it, which was a huge surprise since I expected it to be long gone. I half thought someone would've figured out the owner vanished and hauled the sweet ride away to an impound lot. 

Instead, it was just sitting there under a thin layer of gray dust but otherwise looking totally perfect. I unlocked the front door of the mansion, tossed my heavy bag onto the floor, and verified that nothing had been disturbed while I was away.

I snatched the keys off the brass hook by the entryway and headed straight back outside to the vehicle. 

Ignacia was only about a forty-minute drive from the estate, so I didn't bother calling ahead to let anyone know I was coming. I honestly didn't even know what I'd say over the phone anyway, and a surprise visit felt a lot more genuine. 

I just really needed to see two people I could completely trust before I forced myself to face the rest of the world.

The drive down the highway was exactly what I needed to clear my chaotic thoughts. The open road stretched out before me through a familiar landscape that had clearly received a few modern updates since my last visit. 

I kept thinking about Dylan's advice back in the kitchen about how the things we fear the most are usually the most important things we need to finish. It's totally fine to feel scared about a reunion, but it's definitely not okay to just run away from it forever.

I pulled up to the old blacksmith shop and noticed the building looked exactly the same as the last time I woke up there. The forge was up and running with a steady plume of dark smoke rising from the chimney into the clear sky. 

I parked the car, walked up the wooden steps, and gave the front door a loud, rhythmic knock. I could hear heavy footsteps moving around inside the workshop before the latch finally clicked open.

Ray stood in the doorway and stared at me in total silence for about half a second before his entire expression completely shifted. He slammed a heavy hand onto my shoulder and gave me a massive, enthusiastic pat on the back that almost knocked the wind right out of me. 

"Jay, look at you!" Ray shouted with a huge grin spreading across his face. "How was The City of Glass?! We've been absolutely worried sick about you out here?"

He dragged me inside the shop. "I tried calling your device a hundred times and got absolutely nothing but voicemail, so we thought some crazy villain captured you!" 

Maya hurried out from the back room with a look of intense panic that instantly softened when she saw me standing there. "Are you doing good, dear? You look like you haven't slept a full night in a week?" 

I rubbed the back of my neck and offered them both a reassuring smile to calm their nerves. "Yeah, I'm doing alright, but it's a pretty wild and long story to explain everything that happened," I replied. "The main thing is that I'm completely safe and I'm just really glad to be back here with you guys."