The Impossible Dream (Mundane Apocalypse)

Chapter Three

July 27, 2016

After learning of Angelica's and his demigodhoods, Gabriel crawled into bed and hoped when he woke up, normal would resume. He woke in the same creaky, maroon wall-papered room he had fallen asleep in.

Angelica sang badly and enthusiastically in the shower, and at least that was normal. Downstairs, Gabriel figured out the Corning Ware coffee pot much faster than yesterday, and outside, Erik and the door-knocker, Fred, talked to a couple older men. After a few minutes, Erik came inside, ears flat.

"Hey," Gabriel said.

Erik's powers of explanation lack a bit, especially when talking instead of writing.

"Fred and I were only watching the mansion."

"Okay."

"The mansion is designed for a ferry, but the new ferry isn't finished and we can use the mansion again."

"People work here?"

"Aye."

"I thought it was a portal to another world," Mark said.

"Aye."

"So..."

"It's private property and your mother was the land-owner, but they want to keep it."

"But Angelica and I weren't supposed to know. That's C.E.'s fault! They shouldn't be mad at you and the door-knocker. But I said the house was yours and they can't tell you what to do. It isn't their property and they can only keep it."

"Well, it's theirs if they keep it."

"Nay..." Erik said, giving him an odd look.

"Yeah..." Gabriel said, returning the look.

In New World Britic, "keep" means "to seize, to take in, to care for, to attend to, to charge, to control, to continue or cause to continue in a particular condition, position, course." To Erik, I can keep Maddy's dog Buster without holding Buster. "Holding" in New World Britic denotes ownership (or a fortress, which is awesome because a keep is also a defensive structure). If I hold Buster (doggy cuddles aside), I own Buster. If, in New World Britic, I keep and hold Buster, I'm his owner and guardian. Mark speaks English and Erik speaks an English dialect and here, both share two words with slightly different meanings and thus each man thinks the other is an idiot.

"Hey guys!" Angelica burst into the kitchen to fill her thermos. "Or guy and werewolf. Morning, Fred!"

Fred went, "Gahrumph-breh-breh." I don't know if it's a word or a cough.

"Will you tell her or shall I?" Erik asked.

"You? Or I can."

"I'll tell her."

"Hurry. She's excited about going to the doctor. Sometimes I just don't understand her..."

Erik and Angelica tripped over each other in the hallway.

"How do you get to...This place?" Angelica showed him her hand. "It's sort of washed off."

"The aberrant hospital?"

"That's what Grandpa said."

Erik edged away.

"I'm almost late."

"Do you have your passport?"

"Yeah."

"I'll go with you. There is something about the house."