Fantasia (Part 9)

Previous parts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Daniel awakened to a flooded neighborhood. Fortunately the floodwaters were subsiding in a few hours, the rain and winds were gone and only the dark clouds remained. However, the village would still have to clean up from the mud and debris left behind by the overflowing river. Obviously he would not be allowed to roam around the city, so he made himself useful in the clean up. He fumed when rain fell and delayed everyone's work.

Red was returning to his own house with food for the next two days. He was supposed to buy food from whatever enterprising store would open that day, and he had braced himself for the high prices he expected from Merchants. Fortunately though, some Knights had been galloping around Ceres fulfilling their chivalrous task of distributing food for the suffering citizens, and he got most of the essential goods for free. The flood didn't threaten his neighborhood, but a sudden downpour caused flooding on the road back home. Good thing he decided to ride a carriage. He saw Dominic and Crag outside the house collecting rainwater, for the well was muddied. Not far away, Helen was soaked up in the rain taking a bath. Red remembered Helen asking him if it would be alright if her sister Emmie could also stay in his house. Emmie was also a guest for this year's interscholastic visit but was assigned to a different group. The returning homeowner went out from the carriage and inquired, "leaving so soon?" Helen nodded. Red showed his bountiful catch (it wasn't a purchase) and insisted that she stay for breakfast.

After breakfast, Red noticed the long face on Mervin. Oh please, he thought, Helen will be gone for just a few hours! Dominic was also uneasy, for Angela was taking too long at the Box of Conversation. Harvey was checking up on her. Later on, Dominic appeared to be confiding a plan to Mervin who seemed warm to it. Kindred love-struck spirits. The two then approached Crag who seemed amused at whatever that was. Amusement, Red thought, they'd be needing a lot of that, stuck as they were in the house until tomorrow. He had learned that the boats and carriages that would bring all the guests home would come to the Pillars tomorrow morning. He had also chatted with Gorgon who lived by the same street and got the details on the concluded tournament. The entire household struggled with boredom for the entire afternoon. The thought of working on scholastic requirements actually passed their minds and they shuddered that such a thought ever came up.

Daniel had managed to sneak out his house later that same afternoon. He reached the street leading to Red's house, but he suddenly stopped on his tracks. He'd been moving along by sheer compulsion: that was how he sneaked out and how he hurried to Red's place. Yet now his compulsion told him to stop, and he couldn't argue with it. All of a sudden, there was another downpour, but Daniel had brought his cloak for such eventuality. The street at Red's house became flooded, but not that bad as to deter Daniel's boots. The rain strengthened though and he doubted if he should go on. Gorgon saw the motionless cloaked figure out in the street and called out, "hey Daniel! Out to see Helen? She's not there; she went to her sister."

Thunderclap. Daniel waved Gorgon off in what he supposed was a gesture of thanks. He stood a few moments longer on the flooded street. His cloak had kept him dry, yet he was feeling the rain. Then he started moving again towards Red's house: might as well check on the others. He tried knocking on the gates, but the rain was louder. It was no use, he surmised and then walked away.

On the way home, a carriage sped along close to Daniel. Inside the carriage, Helen wondered whether the cloaked figure they passed by avoided the splash. Beside her, Emmie saw what happened and exclaimed, "that guy didn't even dodge it; he could've been ran over! What's up with him?"

At Red's house, everyone figured it was best to nap the boring afternoon away and the thunder failed to rouse them, except for the homeowner himself. Lethargy kept him from getting up though. A short time later, he strained his ear to determine if it was knocking he heard outside. Finally, the sound of hooves and carriage wheels had him scurrying to the gate to welcome Helen and Emmie.

The long afternoon nap had everyone wide awake later that night. All were engaged in a second round of card games. Since acolytes don't gamble, Dominic was a spectator, but he seemed just as anxious as last night's losers who were hoping to win back their Zennies. His eyes glanced at Angela from time to time, just as Mervin would glance at Helen then Emmie then back at Helen again. On the other hand, Angela kept on glancing at the Box of Conversation wondering when Harvey would summon her for a talk.

A short while later Helen and Emmie took their leave for they were too sleepy, being the ones who didn't nap that afternoon. With that, Mervin made a sharp look to Dominic as if accusing him of some delay. That startled the acolyte and he rose abruptly.

Dominic cleared his throat. "Ah, guys, I was just thinking, uhm..." Emmie continued to the bedroom, but Helen turned around to listen, to the delight of Mervin. "That since we, uh, didn't have a farewell ball this time, uhm..." Dominic stared at Angela, who glowered at him in bewilderment. He was taken aback, but found his composure to gesture to Crag to get his guitar. Suddenly, the Box of Conversation lit up and chimed. Angela jumped towards it. Sure enough, it was Harvey.

"Thank goodness you're up!" She whispered breathlessly to Harvey, but that didn't conceal to everyone the relief she felt that he finally made his summon.

Dominic remained speechless at the turn of events. It was Mervin who screamed in frustration, to everyone else's amusement. So that was it, Red thought. He noticed that Helen had gone to join her sister in bed and wondered why Mervin hadn't taken the initiative this time.

As Dominic, Mervin and Daniel lay in their respective beds, thoughts of where they had gone wrong and what might have been kept them from sleeping soundly.