HUMAN SPIRIT

HUMAN SPIRIT; Ch. 8

/Author's Note: I tried to make the second illusion as clear as possible. Secondly, I really like how this story is turning out. I don't have a whole plot made out, so I'm learning things as quickly as you guys are./

The urn was heavy, and after decidedly carrying it ten, perhaps twenty feet through the forest, he called it quits. He was tired, after all, and couldn’t think straight with his mind falling asleep. So he let it stay where it was, having put the tiny little book in his back pocket. Then, he trudged back up to the house, where he opened the back door to find everything motionless and dark. Everyone was asleep. Huck snored quietly on the couch as Julius passed by, and making his way up the stairs, he got to his room and undressed. When in the bed, he fell asleep within seconds.

Julius woke up very late the next day, around one in the afternoon. No one had bothered to wake him up, what with how everyone was rushing around and packing. They didn’t think to pack ahead of time, so they all were quickly washing clothes and bartering for each other’s extra suitcase space. Julius had heard that they did not, in fact, travel around in those tiny  two black vans. But rather, two GIANT tour buses. It was said that as tight as their purse strings were, they didn’t hold back on traveling expenses. Even so, extra room was rare with all of them packed together.

Julius didn’t know what to do. He didn’t feel hungry for food, and everyone was still busy doing their own thing, so he casually sauntered over to the couch and sat down. Getting comfy with a thin red fleece blanket, he found the remote and turned the TV on to the news station, mindlessly getting distracted every time someone walked by. Eventually Julius would have to get up again – as he knew today was their last day – and exchange goodbyes.

Then, Julius would be all alone again. It had been countless days since such a thing occurred. And honestly, he didn’t know how to feel about it. The constant presence of people had filled a void within him. A void that, beforehand, Julius had grown used to. But now that they were leaving, it would be empty once more, and that was… controversial. Julius just sighed quietly. After about thirty minutes of the news, he had grown bored, and wondered what his sister was up to. He left the TV on as he turned for the stairs, knowing his sister was on the third floor. At the top, he curiously walked over to the open door and peered in. Tina, who was already packed, helped out his handicapped sister with her stuff. He knocked on the open door. They both briefly looked back, but Tina, who paid no mind, went back to packing.

“Morning,” Mariana joked, smiling. He tried to give a short laugh, but it felt fake, so he looked to the ground, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeah, yeah…” Julius said with a short sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Mariana asked. She was sitting down on her bed, attempting to fold a collared shirt in her lap. It failed, so she cast it to the side and looked at her brother. Julius refrained from gazing at the floor and looked up slightly, into Mariana’s eyes.

“You. Leaving,” he admitted.

“Ohhh,” Mariana said, standing up. She made her way over to Julius and hugged him, managing to wrap her good around him, standing on her toes. She put her head on his shoulder and whispered into his ear. “I’ll always be with you, Julius.” This made him smile, and she backed up out of the hug. 

“I’ve grown so used to you here. Everyone,” he admitted.

“I wish I could stay, but I can’t. You know that. I have places to be.” Julius didn’t feel like he could say anything else, so he looked down at the floor again, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“I know,” he said. Out of the door, down two flights of stairs, Finn yelled that it was time for everyone to go.

“The buses are here!” he called. Tina, who had finished packing for Mariana, handed the rolling suitcase to his sister and left for her own room, where her own bag sat by the door. As the trio descended the stairs, Julius saw that all the Black Sheep still stood in the foyer, bags by their side. Caraway stood in front.