Synthesis

“Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.”

― Lloyd Alexander

Luz doesn’t understand why her mom had to move here of all places. Why was it so important, that she had to snatch her out of the middle of highschool. 

She said, “Mija, San Francisco is too crowded, too much commute, too much stress. We need a break.” But Luz knew that wasn’t the only reason.

Now she was away from her few friends, away from her childhood city streets, to…. The middle of Midwestern nowhere. The summer she planned to spend going to Anime conventions and LARPing was now gone with the wind.

Bonesbourough originally sounded intriguing to Luz, legend has it that the town was built upon fossils of gargantuan creatures from eras past. This of course, peaked her interest. Perhaps she, Luz Noceda, would be the first to find the remains of a spider spitting griffin? Or a spine chilling demon?

However, her excitement faded when she arrived. The town did not have bones branching out of the ground as she envisioned, it was composed mostly of corn.

After a few hours of mulling around her boring new house with spotty internet connection, she decides to venture out and explore. Maybe the public library will have the latest Azura book? Maybe one of the general stores has candy?

“Mami, I need to run out to get some supplies for school...”

“But cariño, school doesn’t start for another two mon-”

“See you soon!” Luz rushes out, swiftly slamming the door behind her.  

School...will they like me? It took too many years to make friends at my last school. AUGH. Why did I have to come to this boring old town? Why couldn’t I just have moved to some fantastical realm where magic and miracles exist? It’s past the time I would have gotten my Hogwarts letter… but maybe another door will open… and I’ll have another world to get lost in….lost….wait where am I?

She looks up. The brick and cornstock of the town has morphed to a maple forest. She should be worried, wondering how she’ll get back home; but instead the beauty captures her imagination. The lofty trees splattering soft sun spots onto the ground and the cicadas singing in the distance seem to imbue the place with a certain aura of excitement.

This is totally a place where Azura would practice magic. 

Luz seizes the nearest stick, brandishing it as if it were a witch’s staff. Her mind's eye conjures a great beast to battle. It would have to be something terrifying...something that strikes fear into the hearts of many. 

“The ghost of boredom! My greatest enemy, at long last we meet… I will free the peoples of this town!”

Suddenly, a rustle pulls Luz out of her fantasy. She whirls around, searching for its source.

“The ghost of boredom? Are you actually there? I meant no offense…it just was a game I swear...”

A petite owl pops out of the bramble. One of its wings drags behind slack. It flaps desperately, trying to run and fly simultaneously. 

After a moment of shock, Luz recovers, “Oh no! You are hurt, I wonder if Bonesborough has an animal hospital….how would I get there. Come here little guy.”

She scoops the owl up before it has a chance to realize what’s happening, and it seems like the bird begins to calm.

Luz gives the small creature a chin scratch, and it responds with an affectionate “hoo”.

Huh that’s weird, it likes me, must be domestic?   

“Let’s get you all bandaged up and then put up…missing owl posters?”

Once again, the bramble crunches, this time a lot louder. The owl becomes agitated again, burrowing into the teenager’s hoodie pocket. 

Two hooded figures emerge from the woods. Dirty white masks cover their faces. One clutches a large stone. 

Oh crammity, I do not have a good feeling about this. 

“Little girl, have you seen an owl wander through here? He belongs to my boss?”

Very bad vibes, very bad vibes. Is this some cult? Did I manage to steal an owl that belongs to the KKK?    

  She eyes the rock suspiciously. 

“I have yes, but he is injured, first you should both come with me to the local vet to fix his…..”

“That won’t be necessary,” the second figure cuts her off, “my master has his own way of fixing things.” 

“Um… I really think we should take this little guy to--”

The first masked man steps directly in front of her, beckoning for the owl with a large gloved hand.

“Give it now,” he says with a boom.

Luz is stricken. Fear invades every nook and cranny of her mind, but she knows the hidden men will hurt the owl and she can not stay by letting them.

“No,” she squeaks. Not as brave as she imagined it in her head.

Curse my hero complex.

The second figure steps forward, easily pushing her to the ground. Luz cries out, curling around the little bird to shield him. 

You’ve done it now Luz, you are going to die.

She closes her eyes, the owl screeches at the attacker.

“Come on you little bastard, Belos will be very pleased that we finally---ah - gurgh” He stops, words strangled mid-sentence. 

Luz looks once again. She opens her eyes just in time to see the guy who pushed her drop to the floor unconscious. 

A woman with raggedy grey hair stands above the body. Gold earrings and a matching necklace sparkle in the sun, contrasting with her dusty dark red dress. 

“You won’t get away with this this time! You can’t escape the mighty Belos!” The second figure charges the mysterious lady. Luz flinches, covering her eyes again. The newcomer is lithe, she surely will be crushed momentarily.

Instead, she sweeps her opponent off his feet in one fluid motion, seemingly throwing him to the ground with magic.

“Would you guys quit following me around? It’ll only bother me and hurt yourself.”

The pursuer rises, lunging in with a ring hook. But the woman is faster, landing a blow right to the face. He stumbles, and she follows up with a kick to the stomach that sends him flying. 

“Well, now that I’m done with them,” she turns to Luz, “where’s Owlbert?”

The bird pops out with a triumphant screech hooping on over to the newcomer, scrambling up to perch upon her shoulder. 

“Thanks for your help little one, hey…. I don’t recognize you” the woman in red eyes her suspiciously.

“I just...moved here?” Says Luz, confused and in awe. 

“Huh...okay…well, thanks for saving Owlbert, he would have been toast if not for you. What’s your name?”

“Luz Noceda,” she stands, offering her hand.

“I’m Eda, sometimes called the owl lady, see you around kid,” she begins walking off in the opposite direction.

“Wait! I have soooo many questions” the teen runs after her.

“Ugh, okay, you can ask if you just keep up…” The owl lady speeds up, gracefully moving over the forest floor.

“No pro--” Luz runs straight into a low hanging branch.

Eda looks back and snorts laughing. She flashes a grin, revealing a gold canine.

“What were you going to say?”

“First, who were those guys?” Luz recovers almost instantly, determined to get answers.

“Members of Belos’s Coven, the most powerful gang in this town.”

Gang?! Some safe small town this is. I never had run-ins with the gangs back home.  

“What….wait, where are we?” The thick trunks and brambled floor parted ways for an open grassy area. A towering two-story house stands alone made of wood and stone. It looked extremely exotic compared with the quaint brick architecture of the town. A stained glass eye glares down at Luz.

This day wasn’t as boring as I thought it would be.

“What is this place?” the dreamer is awestruck. 

“The Owl House, where I escape from the dreadful town, also the gangs...and the cops, and ex-boyfriends! Also, kid, do you always follow strange people home? It’s a wonder you haven’t gotten abducted by some wacko yet.” 

Luz begins to speak but stops, realizing Eda had a point. Why did she follow her?  

“Can you...teach me how you did what you did back there? Self defense I mean…?”

The older woman laughs, “Go back home kid, you don’t wanna be caught associating with the likes of me, plus it’s late.”

Something well up within Luz, a determination she did not know existed. 

“But you, you were like some fantasy protagonist back there. You swooped in, beat the bad guys, and saved me. I wish I was like that. I’ve always been too weak to stand up to fight off bullies, and not strong enough to be the hero I’ve wanted. But if you teach me, I could be like you back there. My mom has probably left for her nursing shift hours ago and now I’m alone….”

“Alright, slow down there, you don’t have to speak at a million miles per minute… I’ll teach you, I could use a student, but first… first you need to work for me.”  

Eda examines the lanky girl, “Hmm, you don’t look strong, but you got heart kid, I saw it when you protected Owlbert back there. I’m a fighter, the best fighter in this town, and I will help you be great, but damn is it a long, hard road. You will sweat, you will become bruised, and you will curse the day you agreed to be my pupil, but you know what, you will become tougher. Now kid, come on, we have work to do.” 

Eda stretched out her hand. 

Luz hesitates. This is all so crazy, what if this was a mistake and Eda is some psychopathic killer waiting to abduct her, what if her mother finds out about this and disowns her, what if she dies while training. But Luz Noceda never listened to common sense in her life, so why start now?

I’ll be able to protect people, just like Azura, and maybe coming here will be for something bigger.  

She takes the mad woman’s hand, and off they go.