Elliot: A Lucid Dream

17: Amelin Archives

The next morning, Sonnet was already downstairs when Ashley, definetly the earliest riser out of all of us, woke up to make breakfast. Both of them were sitting at the kitchen table when Camille and I finally woke up. They looked serious, across from each other. Sonnet's hands were clasped, resting on the table, while Ashley kept his gaze trained on the table itself. 

Sonnet, upon noticing me, avoided my gaze a little. I did, too. The whole incident yesterday was a little awkward. I guess we weren't going to talk about it. I felt a mixture of relief and a little anger. 

Camille looked surprised. She stretched half-heartedly, her gaze focused curiously on them. "What is this? Did you guys find the vase I broke or somethin'" Her attempt at lightening the situation failed. She cleared her throat and tried again, "What's up...?"

"I want to tell all of you something," Sonnet looked up, but her gaze was directed at Camille, not at me. She was still avoiding my gaze. 

"What is it?" I asked, picking at the tablecloth. There was a clear plastic-like layer over it. It looked fake. I didn't like it. Too shiny. 

"I remember that the both of you were talking about SC Im... and about how you were trying to get Azure back home..." She looked up at me hesitantly, then quickly away again. "I owe Azure an apology for my behavior. I figured that this is the best way to apologize."

She got up and gestured for us to follow. I stood up first. Ashley and Camille, looked at each other, then at me, and followed as well. 

She took us down to the basement, leading us to a door in the kitchen. We'd all seen the door before- in fact, Ashley saw it everyday. However, we'd never tried going down there before. Sonnet didn't even go down there. It was incredibly dusty. Camille let out a series of sneezes punctuated by 'bless you's from Ashley. 

Sonnet flicked on the lights, illuminating the entire room. The lighting was dim and the lights flickered. No one had been down in the basement for years, by the looks of it. There was basically nothing in that gray room, except for a bookshelf in the far corner. 

The bookshelf was definetly where Sonnet was leading us. It was dilapidated, with wood basically collapsing upon itself. There were a few books on it, but most of the items that it contained were loose papers scattered every which way. As we approached, some of these pieces of paper slipped off the shelves and onto the floor. 

As we approached it, Sonnet began to talk. At first, she started hesitantly, like she was being forced to speak. However, she began to pick up until her words flowed out too quickly, just like that day when we met Locke again... 

"Amelin, you must have realized that I'm related to the scientists from the Amelin lab in Aseania... but there is more to my family than just that. SC Im was also an Amelin. I am a niece of SC Im... After he disappeared, some of his things were passed to his relatives... We were ashamed of him. Our family name was dirtied by him. We were lucky that he didn't use his real surname- Amelin. I was supposed to be quiet... especially about Locke, but I figured... if we were going to live together, we need to know about each other. It was unfair of me to withhold all this information from all of you when you have done nothing to make me not trust you. In fact, the only reason why the café is still running is because of you. I was a silly goose to drown myself in my own self-pity when there was so much to do." She looked at me, this time keeping her gaze on me. "There is more to Magic Absorption than you think." 

Sonnet reached forward and grabbed a book off the shelf, handing it to me. "Here. Take it. This is the only one I've got from SC Im. They'll hate me for it, but I've done a lot worse. I've... I've done a lot worse in my life." 

"...Thank you," I said quietly, not sure of what else to say.

Sonnet nodded, taking in a deep breath. She straightened herself and regained her calm demeanor. "Camille, I understand that you know the code? Or at least some of it?" 

"Yup." She held up her journal. "Recorded all I know in my trusty adventure journal!" 

"Then it should be quick. It shouldn't take you both more than a week." She nodded at us, then looked at Ashley. "We should go back to the café. I'll handle the front. Let them stay down here a while."

He opened his mouth to say something, then decided against it. "Ok. See you two later." 

They left, leaving Camille and I in the café's basement. 

Camille sat against the wall of the room. "What's up with her?" She asked me. "Why's she actin' so weird today? Did she like drink a buncha cooking sherry or something?" 

"No. We had a... talk yesterday." 

"Oh, okay." She left it at that, which relieved me. "Y'know, Azure?"

"Yes?"

"I thought that... for a while... I was startin' to think that we weren't gonna be able to do it. 'Cuz we didn't find anything for so long and now-"

"Yeah. We've got another shot. Why do you think she's not doing it with us? I mean, it seems like she has read the book already. She knows about Magic Absorption and its method... or methods, I guess." 

"She's goin' against what she was told to do. Be quiet, y'know. Actually sitting down and helping us might give her a ton of guilt and constantly remind her that she went against her family's wishes. It just prolongs the pain. It'd probably be easier to just give us the book, just be done with it. Like pulling off a band-aid quickly. Or something like that." 

Maybe, but I didn't say that. "Yeah, I guess so."