Trucks Are the Most Troublesome Things, You Know.

Chapter 7

8/19/18

Next door to the expensive place they had gone to on Monday, they were at Shooting Star Sandwiches, a much more reasonable place when it came to prices. The storefront was small and standard, with what resembled a patio with simple but nice white chairs and glass tables held up by long bars of curled white-colored iron. A classmate they didn't seem to recognize was sitting there, all by himself, eating a sandwich in a barbaric sort of way. He had red hair, and they could swear that they knew him, from his air of familiarity, but the name seemed to be lost to them. Across the street, there was someone they recognized, eating at Uncle Pan's Bakery. It was Alex with her best friend, Sarah, or Susan. They didn't really remember her name. Toby turned around to wave at them with the rest of his friends, and turned back to them.

"It's been a week since she threatened to fight us, huh?" Toby said as he shoved a sandwich into his mouth.

"I'm actually surprised she waited this long. All we're doing is waiting for her, huh?" Lila asked, taking a sip from her high-sugar-content soda.

"Come on, you two, isn't it better if it never happens? Like a proposed change to UTC time for in-game announcements?" Harold asked, playing a game. "Speaking of which, have either of you picked up a new game?"

"No, with all the meditating Aunt Forticia's made me do, I've only been able to finish half of the first part of the event in a day, for Beautiful Inner Daemons. Magic Academy: Perfect Overture and Re:Destiny Drive haven't fully started their summer events yet, but I already finished the event quests in Mendel's Key and Horizon's Light, Hourlight's End weeks ago," Toby explained.

"I'm more of a casual player, so I've only finished the events in MK and HLHE a few days ago... Still working on raising my level in BID so I can participate in the event. I did download Magicians of the End a while ago, but I haven't tried it. What about you, Harold?" Lila prompted him.

"I'm mostly in the same boat as Toby, but I already finished the event. Gotta get those evolution mats! Nostalgic Memories are super hard to get outside of the event shops..."

All of them nodded, knowing the feeling of spending hours on a free quest only to get one mat to drop, and only one, when they needed at least ten more.

"So, since we've finished our food, I think I'll take my leave," Toby said, pushing in his chair and standing up.

"I'm going to go as well. See you later, Harold," Lila said as she too, walked away.

"Eh? So you both are going to leave me here to play games by myself?" he said, looking at their backs, which were facing him. "I guess I can't really complain... I do like my privacy."

***

"Aunt Forticia, what are we going to do today? Is it more meditating?" he groaned. "I don't like meditating."

"No, we're going to test how much you've improved! Come on, let's try making a barrier!"

He groaned once again, as he dipped a brush into some magic-conducting liquid and drew a square on some parchment.

"Barrier," he stated with half-hearted effort.

"Come on! Put some more effort into it!" she shouted, noting that not much of a response came from the magic formation.

"...barrier..." he said, slouching, and eyes half-closed.

"That's the opposite of effort!" she yelled at him. "Can't you muster at least something that resembles it? If you continue to be like this, you'll end up a useless bum that still lives with his aunt!"

"But I'm already that," he talked back.

"Then do you want to be that in the future? You don't even have five friends, currently. When I move into some high-quality apartment, I'll be leaving you in that old house!"

"Stop shouting at me..."

"Well, if you listened, then I wouldn't have to yell as loud! Now-"

"Shut up and take this!" he yelled back, annoyed. He threw the paper at her as it expanded into a full wall, almost hitting her in the head. She dodged and sliced it in half with her dagger.

"Don't do that, Toby! That's rude, throwing a barrier at your aunt!" Miss Forticia scolded him, her face stern.

"I want to go to sleep... but I'm compelled to watch a movie..." he mumbled, standing unsteadily.

"Just go... We'll continue this tomorrow."

She watched as Toby walked inside the house and went to his bedroom.

[That barrier nearly cut off my head! If I hadn't been a little quicker, I think I'd be headless right now... But to think that with the correct materials this time, he can create such a powerful barrier... Yep, that's Toby.]

She nodded to herself with a smug smile on her face, and entered the house as well.

***

That night, Lila had gone to sleep at 11:00 in the night, and before she fell into a deep dream, she had an ominous feeling of dread.

It was because she knew of a great sacrifice that would have to be made, or at least, one of some importance.

In her dream, she was only an onlooker, from outside of the house. The stars scintillated in the deep, blue sky, dyed with shades of violet and indigo. Nary a cloud was to be seen, and she was standing outside of Toby's house to be exact. Toby's room was the closest to the street, and the street was empty, not a car to be seen as well. However, the noise of a vehicle rose up from behind her, and she watched as a truck barreled into his room and through the house, seemingly killing both Miss Forticia and Toby. A gaping hole now opened in the structure, it collapsed underneath its own weight, and she was forced to watch for what seemed like hours until the sun rose, and the next-door neighbors called 911, the police showing up, and the wreckage being cordoned off with police tape. In shock, she couldn't do anything about her nightmare, until a small voice seemed to rise up within her, whispering, [You can prevent this if you call her. Tell her to run. He is fated to die, however. Leave him alone.]

"Who's there?" she said as she sat up, awake.

She looked to her phone and turned it on, clicking on Miss Forticia's phone number in Contacts.

"Hello?" she said, holding it up to her ear. "Are you there?"