Post by Stockmon on Aug 22, 2009 15:20:24 GMT -6
Jessie didn’t give a thought to the confusion she had caused in Avis. He did not know her, and she was not famous. She was well known enough that others in her field, or those who read her articles knew her name, but otherwise people didn’t just know her, and they certainly didn’t know about her past. So she was certain Avis had no idea that one Sophia Twight had died approximately eighteen years earlier. He didn’t need to know. This was about him, his family tragedy, and that was all.
“I see. Well, at first Dad got more involved in his work. It got to the point where we didn’t see him for weeks at a time, at least not awake. He’d get in late, when we were already asleep. I learned later that it wasn’t just work. He was looking. In fact he was the one who found one her friends, dead. After that he just spiraled into depression. I think he decided that she must be dead.” Avis said. Jessie nodded, not saying a word. She didn’t know exactly where she was going to go with this article, but for the most part, Avis was giving her good information she was fairly certain she could use.
“Then, there was Mom. Her response was to deny anything had happened, saying Lark was just staying with a friend for the day or the weekend or however long she claimed it was on a particular day. At the same time she smothered me. I think if she had her way I wouldn’t have gone back to Hogwarts that year. As was I was required to send her an owl every day for months. By the end of the year it was down to once a week, which was a lot easier. The next year it was once a month, which was easy because I already sent her owls more often than that.” He said. Jessie didn’t move much. It was all rather familiar. Denial. Obsession. Not letting your child out of your sight for fear they would be hurt too.
“Me? I was lost. I loved and love my little sister and being without her was like losing a piece of me. I’m told that I started getting more withdrawn and I wasn’t the most outgoing person to start with. I pushed everything into my studies. I was going to find Lark or I was going to find out what happened to her. It wasn’t a question in my mind. It was what I was going to do. And it was what I did.”
Did her boss even know her mother was dead? Jessie didn’t give it a second thought, it really didn’t matter. Most of all, just because her mother was dead did not mean she would necessarily remember being withdrawn, lonely, obsessed, and broken because of that. It did not mean her father would keep her within arms length except at Hogwarts, for fear something terrible would happen to her as well. It was all too coincidental for anyone to predict, and so Jessie merely gave a sympathetic smile.
“I ran into another student,” And there was where it all became a bit too much, Jessie blinked a bit, “Casey Christos,” and then it was gone. It was Casey. It wasn’t Lucas. It wasn’t the same. It was completely different, “when I was in the owlery. Of all things, that day I got message from Lark. She was alive. And he helped me find her.”
“Well Casey Christos is a particularly helpful man. I am glad.” She said, sighing, “Well I think that is probably enough. I haven’t decided where exactly to go with this article, and maybe my boss has more specific instructions when I get back to the office. Either way, I don’t want to take up any more of your time, bringing up sore memories.” Jessie said, not considering that the soreness applied to both of them, “I am glad everything did turn out well for your family…” It dawned on her that she did have one more question. Instead of blushing and going over it, she merely glanced around for a moment and then looked back at Avis,
“Actually, I will trouble you with one more question. What was the stasis… or how was your family after Lark’s return? And how did that come about exactly? Two questions I suppose…” She said, trailing off. Despite the smile on her face she was a bit flustered. It wasn’t normal for her. Not anymore at least.
“I see. Well, at first Dad got more involved in his work. It got to the point where we didn’t see him for weeks at a time, at least not awake. He’d get in late, when we were already asleep. I learned later that it wasn’t just work. He was looking. In fact he was the one who found one her friends, dead. After that he just spiraled into depression. I think he decided that she must be dead.” Avis said. Jessie nodded, not saying a word. She didn’t know exactly where she was going to go with this article, but for the most part, Avis was giving her good information she was fairly certain she could use.
“Then, there was Mom. Her response was to deny anything had happened, saying Lark was just staying with a friend for the day or the weekend or however long she claimed it was on a particular day. At the same time she smothered me. I think if she had her way I wouldn’t have gone back to Hogwarts that year. As was I was required to send her an owl every day for months. By the end of the year it was down to once a week, which was a lot easier. The next year it was once a month, which was easy because I already sent her owls more often than that.” He said. Jessie didn’t move much. It was all rather familiar. Denial. Obsession. Not letting your child out of your sight for fear they would be hurt too.
“Me? I was lost. I loved and love my little sister and being without her was like losing a piece of me. I’m told that I started getting more withdrawn and I wasn’t the most outgoing person to start with. I pushed everything into my studies. I was going to find Lark or I was going to find out what happened to her. It wasn’t a question in my mind. It was what I was going to do. And it was what I did.”
Did her boss even know her mother was dead? Jessie didn’t give it a second thought, it really didn’t matter. Most of all, just because her mother was dead did not mean she would necessarily remember being withdrawn, lonely, obsessed, and broken because of that. It did not mean her father would keep her within arms length except at Hogwarts, for fear something terrible would happen to her as well. It was all too coincidental for anyone to predict, and so Jessie merely gave a sympathetic smile.
“I ran into another student,” And there was where it all became a bit too much, Jessie blinked a bit, “Casey Christos,” and then it was gone. It was Casey. It wasn’t Lucas. It wasn’t the same. It was completely different, “when I was in the owlery. Of all things, that day I got message from Lark. She was alive. And he helped me find her.”
“Well Casey Christos is a particularly helpful man. I am glad.” She said, sighing, “Well I think that is probably enough. I haven’t decided where exactly to go with this article, and maybe my boss has more specific instructions when I get back to the office. Either way, I don’t want to take up any more of your time, bringing up sore memories.” Jessie said, not considering that the soreness applied to both of them, “I am glad everything did turn out well for your family…” It dawned on her that she did have one more question. Instead of blushing and going over it, she merely glanced around for a moment and then looked back at Avis,
“Actually, I will trouble you with one more question. What was the stasis… or how was your family after Lark’s return? And how did that come about exactly? Two questions I suppose…” She said, trailing off. Despite the smile on her face she was a bit flustered. It wasn’t normal for her. Not anymore at least.