Tempus Fugit {Who Killed Markiplier}

~Home Again~

-not my art ♡-

I was thrown out of a daze as the bus came to a jolting was halt. "Is this your stop miss?" the bus driver asked nonchalant. Regaining myself, I looked out of the clearly unwashed window to see my childhood home. "Yes it is." I replied quietly, the faintest trace of a smile finding its way to my lips. With a small sigh, I picked up my bags from the floor, slinging my favorite old brown satchel over my shoulder. I gave the bus driver a tip as I passed him, then stepped out onto the cracking pavement in front of my family home.

A feeling of lightheartedness filled me as I walked up the steps of the familiar porch. I rang the doorbell and stepped back to gather my surroundings. Almost nothing had changed, besides a few houses in the neighborhood being remodeled. The graying wooden boards of the porch, the chipping paint of the house, everything was just as a I remembered it. It was quiet and serine, calming even.

I heard the sound of the deadbolt unlocking and I whipped back around just in time to see my mysterious yet beautiful older sister Celine opening the door. "Iris!" she cried, pulling me into her arms. I let out a giggle, happy to finally be seeing my sister after nearly five years. "Hello Celine!"

She stepped back and placed her hands on my shoulders, looking me over. "How are you? Did university treat you well?" she asked. "Yes, it was fine. There was a lot of work but other than that it was nice."

"Make any friends? Find a love interest maybe?"

I snorted. "No Celine. I told you I was going to focus on studies didn't I?"
"That you did, and I'm proud of you. Come in! I cleaned up your room for you, I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all, it probably needed it anyways."

She led me inside. The place had barely changed, aside from the fact more windows had been installed. Sunlight washed over the old, faded furniture. My gaze landed upon an old portrait of my late mother and father that hung above the mantel. They had died just a year before I went to university.
Shaking off the sad memories, I climbed a spiral staircase that led up to a small loft. An enormous circular window on the far wall bathed the room in the golden light of the sunrise. The bottom lip of the widow stuck out and resting upon it were pillows so it was more comfortable to sit. The ceiling hung low in a triangle, as the room was placed at the intersection of the roof. Bookshelves lined the wall opposite of my small bed. Next to the bed sat a nightstand with a small music box, covered in a snowy layer of dust.
I smiled and placed my suitcase on the floor, picking up the music box. Carefully blowing away the dust, I examined the lovely woodwork that I was so familiar with. I lifted the lid and a mixture of sorrow and nostalgia filled me as my father's melody began to play. But then I noticed something foreign on the inside of the lid. There was a photograph pasted in it, a photo from my first four years at university. It captured a happy moment, three of my friends, Mark, William, and Damien and I had our arms around each other's shoulders, all of us laughing, the biggest grins on our faces.
It was then that I realized how much I missed them. They gone back home after the graduated, while I stayed behind to get a better degree. I hadn't seen or heard from them in nearly five years. Though I always intended to write them, I never got the chance. All I had left was the memory of our goodbyes.

"You sure you don't want me to take you home Iris?" Damien had asked. I smiled at him. "Thank you, but I'll be alright." I replied. He smiled warmly and pulled me into his arms. "You'll come see me?"
"Of course."
"And you won't forget me?"
I laughed. "How could I ever?" William, or the Colonel as he was known to his friends, came striding up to us. "Oh bully how I hate goodbyes. They're much to drab and saddening for my taste." he boomed. I smiled up at him. "I agree Colonel. Besides, it won't really be goodbye if we plan to see each other again." He put his arms around Damien and I. "Quite right Iris! Very good thinking."
"Well don't leave me out now!" We all turned to see a smirking Mark walking up to us. "And Iris is right. This won't be goodbye. I can imagine we'll all have each other in our futures, one way or another." he said calmly. I nodded, then spoke. "I imagine so too. But for now I'll miss you all."

I frowned, realizing I didn't even know if they had stayed in the local area. I closed the music box, not wanting to tread on the thought of having lost my closest friends.
~*~*~
I unpacked my bags then joined my sister downstairs. I found her in the study, scribbling away in one of her many notebooks. "Mind explaining why there's a picture of Damien, Mark, the Colonel and I pasted inside my music box?" I inquired with a grin. Celine looked up from her writing with a smile. "I thought you'd enjoy that touch. I know how much you miss them." she mused. I nodded. "You don't happen to know where they are, do you?" I asked hopefully.
"Mark lives on the outskirts of town, and at the moment Will is out of the country. I'm sure Damien is busy doing who knows what." she replied. "Is there anyway I could see them soon?"
"We can visit Mark within the next few weeks, but the Colonel should be by here in a few days."
Her uncontained smile was very telling. "Well well, is there some untold romance between you and and our dear Will?" I asked cheekily. A light pink hue dusted her pale cheeks. "The Colonel and I.. Well.. It's complicated to explain." she said. I chuckled. "He did always speak so fondly of you. So long as you're happy and safe with him I'm satisfied." I said sincerely. She smiled. "I'm glad you approve little sister. He should be back soon, he promised he wouldn't be gone long."
I nodded, grateful I'd be able to see at least one of my good friends. Celine stood, closing her notepad. "Come with me. I'm ecstatic to hear about your time alone at university."

a/n: hullo hullo! i'm officially back finally! i'm really excited to start posting my stories again. i know there were a lot of times i thought i was going to start posting again, but i always lost inspiration before i could post.
i originally wrote this story on paper and at this point in time i'm working on chapter nineteen. school might be a problem, but i will try to type the chapters and get them up as soon as i can.
anyways thanks as always for reading, and thank you for being patient. i'm excited to see where this book will take me, and i'm more excited to see if you all like it : )
i love you all! byeeee ☆
~jsfp ♡