Forest of Riddles (Reverse Falls, S1)

FF: Part Three

Pacifica sat sideways on a recliner seat in the living room, her arms crossed as she pondered meaningless thoughts while frowning. Melody had wanted to take both cousins to the fair, and Pacifica told Gideon to go without her; he had tried to refuse because he didn't want to go without Pacifica, but that was lost in vain because she herself had told him to go because this wasn't something you'd go to everyday, she explained. And then she had tried to convince Priscilla to let her go, but her mother was insistent on the answer no. So now Pacifica was glowering, resenting her illness and the fact that she had made Gideon go.

So now she'd be stuck in the Shack for an afternoon basically by herself, because her mother would be doing laundry and her father had gone out into town for an errand, and Ford was doing who knew what.

Pacifica only sunk into the recliner even more.

It wasn't long before Gideon found her, glowering in the recliner. "Hey, Paz!" he said happily.

"Hey," Pacifica said.

"Sorry you, you know, can't go." Gideon looked sympathetic.

Pacifica tried to shrug it off like it wasn't a big deal. "I wish I could go," she sighed. "It's not fair."

"No," Gideon agreed. "But hey, it isn't your fault you got sick! It's that mean ghost's fault."

"But -" Pacifica hesitated. "But I feel like it is. The whole thing happened because I wanted a break. And now I have one, and I can't go anywhere."

"Well . . ." Gideon shrugged, looking a little lost. "At least you have a break?"

"But I can't go anywhere," Pacifica muttered, her arms still crossed.

And then Melody was in the living room, standing right before the recliner. "Sorry, kids, but it's time for me and Gids to leave," she said. "Gideon, are you ready?"

Pacifica's heart sank.

"Yeah, I'm ready!" Then Gideon paused, and he glanced at his cousin. "I don't have to go, you know -"

"No, you can go." Pacifica waved him away. "It's not like you're stuck home sick."

Melody gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Paz. We'll bring something back for you."

"Yeah, we will!" Gideon nodded his head.

Pacifica managed a smile. "Thanks."

"We better get going, Gideon, if you want to have lunch there." Melody checked the time. "The fair's been open for a couple hours, anyway."

"Bye, Paz." Gideon leaned over and gave his cousin a hug. "We'll be back soon!"

And then Melody and Gideon left, and the living room was quiet.

Well, she had the whole afternoon ahead of her, she noted. She'd already read through the journal, and she didn't have any other books to read.

Maybe she could see what Ford was up to.

Pacifica sat up straighter, intrigued by the idea. If they had the third journal, did Ford have the other journals? Could she read them all?

She hopped off of the recliner and headed for the hallway. There hadn't been very many tourists here, anyway, she reflected, as she stopped before Ford's study door. Otherwise she'd probably been forced to help with the last trickle of tourists.

Well, she noted, this was bringing her memories of her latest adventure. Except this time Gideon wasn't in mortal danger and maybe Ford would actually be in his study. Pacifica lifted a hand and knocked on the door.