Lucas' Memories

[Lucas Mardling]

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.

~ Dr Seuss

[Lena]

Early Years

Age 7 - A Different Kind of Lost

SPOILER: Click to show

The vast forests and wetlands of Hendrae Moore were a dangerous place for a young child to be left unattended, which was precisely the predicament little Lucas was in. He often enjoyed exploring the lush forests on his family's estate, for no particular goal or destination than to just pass the time and see new things.

He stumbled over a mossy log, aching from the constant walking since that morning. Lucas knew he was lost, but figured he'd find his way back sooner or later. He always did. It had happened enough times now that he was able to keep himself from panicking too much, despite knowing no one would come searching for him even if he didn't make it back by dark.

It was no secret that his parents actively counted the days until he was eleven and they could finally send him off to boarding school. Hogwarts, they'd called it. Lucas planned to explore that place too, accustomed to a lonely existence and no one to miss him.

He collapsed against a tree, furiously rubbing his teary face with his hands. Lucas reached into his pants pocket for a small, green lizard.

'We're still lost,' he told it. 'I don't think I can show you my backyard today.'

The lizard wriggled free, and scurried off to another log and hid amongst the rotted wood and stripped bark.

Lucas frowned at it. 'Fine, run away.' He huffed, crossing his arms. 'I said I was sorry.'

He tugged at his grey sweater; it wasn't the warmest of afternoons. Lucas sat on the leafy ground, nervously eyeing distant trees or shadows that might turn into monsters ready to eat him. He tried to catch his breath and restore some energy to keep going, but he was exhausted and had already eaten his snack.

He reached into his other pocket, stuffed with something far more valuable than a traitorous lizard. Lucas smiled at the three cocoon-shaped objects, holding them out to get some daylight. It was an overcast afternoon, but he figured it still counted. One of his relatives had said all living things needed sun to grow -- often joking he was going to end up tall because he rarely spent time indoors. His pockets were pretty dark.

The truth was, Lucas didn't know if what he had were fancy pinecones or some mysterious creature eggs. They certainly looked magical enough, especially to an adventurous seven-year-old. There was an almost metallic shine to them, and they weren't particularly light either. It didn't even matter, because Lucas was convinced he'd found someone's abandoned eggs that needed his help.

'I'll keep you safe,' Lucas whispered to them. He brought them close to his face, in case they had trouble hearing him from inside the protective shell. 'Father said I can only do bad things, but if I help you hatch then maybe he'll see I can do good things too?'

He leaned against the tree, hugging his three... whatever they were. He'd found them under a bush, so it could have been a nest. He was convinced he'd rescued them. When they hatched, they could show him what being saved looked like. He imagined it would be a happy thing, like how happy he felt when he ate those custard pastries his new chef let him steal.

'You're gonna be okay,' Lucas whispered again, stroking one gently as if to reassure it. 'I'll make you a bed by my window. We have really soft blankets. And I'll check on you every day, I promise. When I go to Hogwarts, you can come too. You'll be my friend, won't you?'

Tears slid down his dirt-smeared cheeks, leaving tracks, but he didn't notice. Lucas just sat there, holding his eggs close as the shadows grew darker and night soon fell over him. He would wake there the next morning, shivering from cold but still keeping his precious objects warm in his sleep. No one came looking for him. No one cared he wasn't at dinner. But that was okay, because he kept his eggs safe. He matter to them.

So long as he protected them, one day they would hatch into friends and everyone would be happy. Lucas held tight to his chance to prove he could do good things. He could be happy. They were always warm, even when many years later when he eventually left them behind to start his 5th year at Hogwarts, no longer believing they could save him...

They were yet to hatch.

Pre-Hogwarts

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Hogwarts - prior to ? year

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