The Triple Date Disaster

Chapter 23: Finding Lucinda

Aaron and Travis proceeded to try and find the mental asylum that Garroth was talking about.  As expected, it wasn't easy to find.  After all, this is an island people go to for vacations.  It's a resort.  How many people want to see a house full of crazies while they're drinking their coconut drinks with tiny umbrellas?  Why did they even have a mental hospital in the first place?  When did they find a need for that at the world's hottest vacation spot?  

Maybe she wasn't even on the island.  Maybe they needed to ship her off the island.  They sure hoped that wasn't the case.  They just got back to the island the last thing they wanted to do was leave.

For a while they walked in silence.  They asked a few people where the mental asylum was, but they just stared at them as if they were the ones deserving of being put into one.  Not that they were wrong in thinking that.  The past few weeks sure made them feel like they were going insane.

After a while Travis got sick of the silence.  Even Katelyn wasn't saying a word.  "Aaron, do you think Lucinda is still on the island?" Travis asked.  Aaron responded with a hint of agitation in his voice, "I sure hope so!  We just got back, I am not leaving this island.  Not when I know Aphmau thinks she's married to Garroth."  He choked on those last few words like they were the hardest things he's ever had to say in his life.

Travis, picking up on the hurt in Aaron's tone tried to make him feel a little better about their current situation.  "Aaron, I know it's tough seeing Aphmau with another guy, especially when that guy is a friend.  But just know I know what you're feeling, Katelyn-"

"Is in love with you," Aaron interrupted, "more so than she was before if you ask me."

"That's just it!" Travis stopped abruptly causing Aaron and Katelyn to stop as well.  Travis looked at Aaron with a look of sadness, and determination.  "Katelyn doesn't love me.  This look a like is fawning over me, yes.  But it isn't the real Katelyn."  Travis raised his voice in anger at Aaron, wanting him to understand how much his current situation hurt him; "It hurts me almost more that it takes a stupid potion for Katelyn to love me!  I've tried to get her to like me the way I like her but nothing I've tried works!  Now I'm getting the love back from her and at first it was amazing, I thought we could have a future!"

Now his voice was almost in a whisper, as his eyes began to get puffy.  He looked down at his shoes, "But it isn't her".

He looked up at Aaron with his eyes stained red, it looked like he was crying.  

Aaron didn't know what to say.  What could you say?  It was obvious to him now that yes, Aphmau being under this spell was awful, but the others were going through the same thing.  Just in a different way.

Aaron still felt like somehow his situation was worse; but in reality they all were getting their emotions played with.  

Aaron spoke softly, "Travis, I'm sorry.  I didn't even think about how that must of been hurting you... let's continue to look for Lucinda, okay?  The real Katelyn will fall for you, I promise.  If she hasn't already." He winked at Travis causing him to laugh. 

They started to walk again when they heard a familiar voice yell, "We can take you to Lucinda!"

They looked over to see Zane walking toward them.

He wasn't dead!  He made it back to Starlight!  

They went over to Zane and they bro hugged, followed by pats on the back.  Aaron started, "You made it out of the woods!  Does that mean you found-?"

Before he could finish the sentence a familiar pink haired meifwa came running toward them.  "Kawaii~Chan!" Aaron and Travis yelled in unison, happy to see her after weeks of looking for her.