leap of faith Solo Complete

Sylvie Hawthorne
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Date: 1/Sep/2021 | Time: 09:00 | Mood: Emotional | Location: King's Cross Station
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─────The hustle and bustle of King’s Cross Station was almost overwhelming—everywhere Sylvie looked, there were people coming and going, pulling luggage on wheels, grabbing the hands of straying children, talking, laughing, yelling, gesturing. She pressed closed to her da’s side, and Minden put a steadying hand on her shoulder. She wondered if he was used to this, but there was a tenseness about him too. Her pa, Levitt, pressed ahead with every confidence of having walked this way thousands of times before. Sylvie supposed he had. Of the three of them, only he knew where they’d find the platform between 9 & 10.

The reality of leaving suddenly hit Sylvie hard, a force as strong as any magic, and it hit her in her chest, her stomach, in the space behind her eyes where tears slept before waking up at crying time. She blinked rapidly, and looped an arm around her da’s waist. She’d never been separated from him before. Her pa often traveled to perform, teach lute classes, assess rare instruments, magical and otherwise, but she and Minden had always spent each day together in their home in Wheldrake.

She wondered where her friend Sevver was now. He had been able to take a train direct from York to his boarding school, but Sylvie had had to transfer there to reach London. It felt silly to travel south just to go north again, and Sevver had told her that when she’d said she was going to Scotland for school. Was he dreading his goodbyes, too? Or was he eager for a new life, away from the bullies and tedium filled days of Wheldrake With Thorganby Primary School?

“This is it,” her pa said, pressing hands on hips and looking back over his shoulder at her. “With every bit of boldness y’can muster, you walk straight through this—” he gestured at the brick column before him, “and y’ on yer way.”

“You are pulling our fucking legs, Levitt,” Minden snapped, and Sylvie tensed at the language before relaxing again. Da must be in a bad mood—maybe he was sad she was leaving. “Here I am trying not to—and here you are telling her to walk through walls!”

Levitt turned to them with a smile and shrugged. Keeping his eyes on them, he casually walked backwards until he hit the wall then pretended to lean on it—then—then—

“He’s gone,” Sylvie said. She didn’t quite believe it.

Minden lifted the hand he’d had on her shoulder so he could pinch the bridge of his nose. “Of all things,” he muttered. He sighed, dropped his hand, and spent a moment simply standing there, staring at the wall. Then, seeming to decide something, he looked down at her with a kind look in his eyes. “Well then, lady-o, it appears to be our turn. Have you gathered all your boldness, yet?”

Sylvie looked up at him with a watery smile, her chest warm with affection. She was going to miss him, her pa, her pony Baby J, but—

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

She nodded, adjusted her satchel, and with every bit of her boldness, walked through a brick wall and into a new life.