7The town of Hulbury was actually quite pleasant, from what I had thought it entailed. I expected a somewhat dirty town, filled with interesting characters and children running amok, dirt caked into their small features. Certainly if someone from this town had taken my brother, it had to be a horrible place to reside in, right?
I was wrong.
It was like a replica of Luke's and I London; A fairly quaint place, with quiet children, a cup of tea up to the lips of nearly every one you saw. Roses and ferns were hung from every windowsill in sight and varieties of flowers were planted in every flower box placed among the small town.
"Ah, it's just as I remember it!" Luke says, stretching out his arm and yawning. He smiled, but soon stopped. I knew why; He was remembering his and Hershel's time here.
Trying to dismiss anymore agonizing thoughts of how I longed to see my brother from out of the blue, his top hat almost fluttering off of his head from the roaring wind, I patted Luke on the shoulder.
"Do you remember the last place you and the Professor were?"
Luke gulps, but wearily bobs his head up and down.
"It was...Crowley Station. The Professor and I were going to go to a restaurant, called Rosemary's Eats. I had read about it in Hulbury's newspaper. It was announced as one of the best restaurants it had ever set its eyes on. We both thought it had seemed equally interesting...but we never made it to the restaurant."
I bit my lip, hesitant of what to respond with. There were two options, and both were measly. One, I could ask him why. Two, I could respond with nothing...because I had a feeling that I knew the answer already all too well.
But suddenly out of nowhere, a random third option objected the other two.
"Wanna go eat there?"
Luke smiled at me, but it wasn't as big as I had assumed it would be.
"Yeah, I do. I remember where it is, and if we get lost, we can just ask Grazent!"
"...Grazent? That's certainly...an interesting name."
"Agreed," replied Luke, "Now, if I'm correct, Rosemary's is to the right of the street ahead."
With that, he took my hand and we ran down the cobblestone streets to the restaurant.
"You know," Luke said as we had gotten to the front of the restaurant, "According to the newspaper, Rosemary's Eats has the best fish and chips in town!"
I was about to comment on this recommended food choice, when all of a sudden I heard two people shout,
"Luke!"
We both turned around to see two children, about Luke's age.
"W-Wren...? S-Socket? What are you guys doing in Hulbury? It's ten miles from Misthallery!" Luke sounded harsh with his words, but even I knew it wasn't intentional; He sounded more worried than angry.
Wren, who I had assumed was the girl, was nervously twiddling her thumbs. She looked up to Luke. "Socket and I...heard about the Professor. He and I wanted to check up on you and see if you were still here...Crow was right!"
"I stayed with a friend the Professor and I made, whilst on our adventure."
"Grazent?" I asked; Luke nodded in my direction.
"Who are ya with?" asked a loud Socket. The boy adjusted the goggles that lay beneath his bright yellow cap and then dug into his pockets, getting a piece of salt water taffy. He unwrapped it in a crazy fashion, and then popped it into his mouth.
"I'm Amelia Layton; I am the Professor's sister." I say, introducing myself. I hold out my hand for him to shake, unfortunately receiving a sticky hand.
"You're the Professor's sister?" Socket asks, chewing on his taffy. Wren gave him an annoyed look, to which he didn't notice.
I nodded, feeling a bit disgusted by the boy and finally replied with, "Yes, sir! And you are?"
"Socket!" he answers proudly.
"And you, miss?" I say, turning to the girl.
"Wren," Wren says quietly, "Socket is my brother." She gave her brother a cheeky grin and almost knocked him over when she put his arm around him.
"Where's Crow?" Luke finally asked, when our introductions had stopped and the pesky five minute fight had stopped between Wren and Socket.
Not knowing who this Crow character was, I decided to keep my mouth shut during this new conversation.
"He, Tweeds, and Marilyn are running the Black Market while Louis, Badger, Nabby and Scraps ran the whole Black Raven scheme. Crow sends his best for you, Luke...as do the others." Socket said happily. "Crow has finally given Wren and I some meaningful work to do besides watching over that Black Market!"
"Socket!" Wren said, hushing her twin brother. When given a quizzical look, I noticed she secretly jabbed her thumb toward me and muttered something along the lines of, "Don't let the outsider know!"
"Wren, she can hear you, dummy!" I heard Socket whisper loudly. Wren turned her head to look at me wearily and then gave me a mysterious look.
"You didn't hear anything we said, did you?"
"A tad bit," I mumbled.
"Good job, Socket!"
"Me! She heard you the most!" Socket shouted, still whispering.
"Are they always like this?" I managed to whisper Luke without the two siblings noticing.
Another fight had begun between the two and people were beginning to stare.
"It used to be a lot worse!" Luke replied with a small laugh, "Come on now guys, stop fighting!"
Wren and Socket, who had been petty fighting with a few slaps in play, stopped and turned to Luke and I.
"Sorry about that," Wren muttered quietly.
"Luke, do you want to go inside now? I'm starting to get-" A loud gurgle from my stomach was enough to finish that sentence. I blushed instantly, muttering a silent, "Hungry..."
"Wren, Socket? Do you want to eat with...us?"
Before I had even finished that, the three children had already trotted into Rosemary's, Wren and Socket beginning to bicker all the while.
Oh my puzzles, Wren and Socket? Yup. Why? Because I like them from the Black Ravens. :) Crow too, of course, but he doesn't strike me as the kinda guy to leave the Black Market to check on Luke, even if they are friends. Which sounds kind of harsh, but you know what I mean!
In the next chapter, you'll get some more insight on Grazent!
Thanks for reading, guys!