Chapter 13: The Wrong Guy

The days started to blend together. Some days, Derek felt tempted to open MythMaker. However, the Quest Failed notification gave him pause, but Derek didn't need an app to remind him he was a failure. This thought process inevitably ended with him throwing his phone into the woods again. There were days Derek watched trash television series like syndicated sitcoms where the characters never really changed or did anything of lasting import. Their lives and problems felt so small that Derek felt jealous of their meaningless lives. In a way, Derek's situation was just as funny; a magical scroll misfired. Now, the inept protagonist was supposed to save a Magical world, but he wasn't even capable enough to save his hometown. Comedy gold. He was still waiting for the writers of his life to devise a contrived series of events to wrap everything up in a neat little bow, but something told him he would be waiting a long time.

Without the family store or fishing, Derek wasn't even sure who he was anymore. His old life had had enough inertia to carry him forward without needing to do any introspection about who he was or who he wanted to be, and now that he'd become unmoored from everything he'd used to define himself, Derek felt adrift in an empty ocean of possibility without any shore in sight. Derek's helplessness got so bad that he even decided to work on his college classes. The professors formatted the courses so that all the content had been uploaded at the beginning of the semester, so exceptionally enterprising or particularly sluggish students had the same opportunity to jam out the entire "18-week course" in a few days. He could feel a vestige of the old Derek complaining that the classes were a waste of time, but he couldn't deny it felt good to start and complete something. The classes may have felt like a trained monkey could have passed with a B+, but Derek still appreciated the reminder that he wasn't a failure at everything, just everything that mattered.

Calendars were the enemy. He didn't need visual cues reminding him of the deadlines looming over Teetch's head or how many days he had left of the summer. Eventually, Derek ran out of college classes to occupy his mind, but his mom must have noticed he passed his classes and decided to visit him in his tiny home to offer her congratulations. Derek couldn't think of anything nice to say in return. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. It wasn't until she'd been gone for several hours that Derek realized the similarity between his dad's silent treatment and how he'd treated his mom.

More days passed. Every time Derek considered opening MythMaker again, saner heads prevailed. He hurled his phone far enough into the woods that he couldn't find it even if he wanted to. It would be better for everyone involved if Derek forgot all Prophecy-related things. Derek's powers and abilities didn't matter; they were still delusions of grandeur, in a way. They let him delude himself into thinking he could do things that mattered, but that was more David or Maddie's purview. His parents had made it abundantly clear his siblings were better than him at everything, and it was increasingly difficult for Derek to think of a counterargument. If David had become Hero of Prophecy, he would've been crowd surfing in a sea of amberkin, and the Queen would've woken up for his brother, probably to kiss him on the cheek.

"Wreck?" a knock sounded on his door, "You in there?"

"I'm here," Derek said. "Give me one sec to sneak out the back."

"Don't you make me chase you, Derek Dunn," Harmony Walker said, a note of playful warning in her voice.

"Well, when you put it like that," Derek said, opening and slamming the back door to make it sound like he'd left.

"Nice, try, Wreck. I'm coming in. You better be decent."

"Wait, does halfway through a game of online strip poker count as decent?"

Harmony chuckled and entered his tiny home. She was wearing the customary Derek frown and crinkling of her eyebrows she'd started using on him ever since Reid came to town. Harmony had always wanted to be a part of Derek's antics back in the day, but she seemed more grown-up than she used to be, more serious. She used to be hungry for the distractions Derek gave her from the doldrums of real life, but now, she didn't need or want an escape and, therefore, didn't need Derek. He should've seen it coming. That's what happened with all his other friends. Derek was a good placeholder until something better came along.

"Well," Harmony said, tapping one of her work boots impatiently. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Nothing you'd remember or understand."

"You know what I don't understand? The reason you always push people away." Harmony said, taking a seat on his bed and crossing her arms.

Derek shook his head and almost pinched himself to ensure this was real, "You think I'm pushing YOU away? If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you had an elective procedure to get surgically attached to Reid Wilco."

"So we aren't best friends anymore because I'm with Reid?" Harmony asked.

"That's not what I'm saying," Derek said, "It's more like you're always with him. Spending time with you used to be effortless, and now..."

"It feels different because it is different, Wreck," Harmony said, but before Derek could respond, she kept going, "You know what your problem is? You think change always means something bad. If you had your way, Golden Lake would live crystallized in the summer of our junior year of high school, and it would never change. Every time something changes, it deviates further from your perfect memory of Golden Lake. So when I meet someone important to me, you immediately assume that means you're less important. Or when someone tries to change the town, your first conclusion is it will change into something evil and nefarious. Life isn't ever that black and white. Some people felt trapped by Golden Lake, and thanks to Reid, they're free."

"Forgive me for not thinking money is a one-size-fits-all solution to every problem like your pal, Reid. I'll admit he doesn't seem as bad as I thought he was, but he treats us like he's the white knight to our provincial bumpkin."

"When was the last time you talked to him? You got one first impression and decided you knew exactly who Reid was. You ignore the capacity for change or growth because you never do, and the sad thing is, you wear it like a badge of honor. Reid isn't perfect and probably never will be, but at least he tries to become a better man."

"You think I don't?" Derek asked.

Harmony looked into his eyes for something, but he wasn't sure if she found it, "Do you?"

"Did you just come here to compare me to your boyfriend? I already get enough of this from my parents. Do you have any other thrilling insights for me? Tell me you brought a list."

"Derek, I didn't come here to nag you or to tell you to be someone you're not."

"Then why did you come here?"

"Because you don't feel like Derek anymore." Harmony said, "Even when you were annoying or infuriating, we could always count on you to put a smile on people's faces or attempt some new bait or fishing strategy to beat Rod at the Jamboree. You've been so worried about Golden Lake changing, but did you even stop to consider how much your change affects everyone else in Golden Lake?"

"I haven't changed. I'm not even sure I can change. That's part of the problem. Golden Lake needs someone…" Derek paused, "Better than me. I can't help but feel if these things had happened to someone else, that person would've known what to do. Sometimes, I feel like all I'm good at is making things worse."

Harmony laughed, "I'm not even sure I should dignify that with a response, but you seem like you're in rough shape, so I'll make an exception."

Derek laughed with her. He'd forgotten how good it felt. Harmony pressed on, "Derek, there aren't too many people better than you, not in a cheesy way, but in a genuine sort of way. Sure, you've got flaws, but who doesn't? But when you take the measure of a person, you think about their impact on those around them. If we don't count Reid," she said with a chuckle, "I don't think a single person in Golden Lake is worse off for having known Derek Dunn. You really care. Most people are polite because it is the socially convenient thing to do, or they want something from someone, but when you make small talk, you care what people are saying and take that into account in future dealings with them. You probably know more about these people and this town than anyone. If you ask me, that's precisely what Golden Lake needs. You can't put a price on that."

Derek wanted to succumb to Harmony's sincerity. It would be nice if everything were that simple, but there was so much more behind the scenes that she couldn't possibly understand. Wallace Wilco and the Wheel were ruining their respective Realms. Derek was the only person not slated for execution with any knowledge of what was going on, but he couldn't do anything about it. So what if he could make people feel warm and fuzzy inside or cast a fishing rod?

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

A loud crack split the air. Derek and Harmony recognized it as the sound of someone toppling a tree, a result of construction companies' attempts to reclaim some of the wilderness around Golden Lake for a new housing development.

"It doesn't matter, Harm. Wallace Wilco can put a price tag on anything, and I can't go around making people feel good while some rich jerk steals their home and lives out from under them to make his comically large stack of gold even larger." Derek left out the part where Wilco was also there to pump Golden Lake dry of its Magic.

"Did you ever stop to consider that maybe Wilco is exactly what some people needed to be free of this town finally? I know you love it, but some people would do anything to get out there and explore the world or, if not the world, somewhere other than a smelly lake town."

"Trust me, I've seen what's out there. It's nothing to write home about."

When Harmony replied, her voice rose as if she were agitated at what Derek had said, "This isn't a joke to me, Wreck. Just because you've probably seen some of the world on TV doesn't mean you've actually been there. Isn't there some part of you that's the least bit curious about what's out there? College? Amusement Parks? Fancy restaurants? Wilco's money might be the chance some of us need to get out there and experience the world for ourselves."

At some point in Harmony's rant, Derek realized what was happening. He'd been so focused on himself that he missed what was right before him.

"Harm, you're not leaving. Right?"

"Ma sold the diner."

"You can't leave," Derek said. You're the only one who stayed. You can't just leave now after you already decided to stay. That's not right."

"I applied to some schools. Some of them even have some good engineering programs. Randy's great, but there was only so much he could teach me. I want more, Wreck. Tell me some part of you doesn't feel the same."

"What is with people's obsessive need to make everyone else validate their choices? Why is it so hard for people to believe this is all I want from life? I would've been thrilled fishing and working in the family store until the day I died. I didn't need or want anything else, just maybe a couple of friends who felt the same way. Why is something so simple too much to ask for?"

Harmony sighed and shook her head. Then she took a deep breath and seemed to steel herself before patting a spot beside her on the bed. Derek sat next to her, and Harmony made meaningful eye contact. Derek could tell whatever she was about to say was hard for her.

"Wreck, have you ever wondered why you never want anything to change? It's not normal. Normal people want things. They want to expand and grow. There's nothing wrong with being happy with what you have, but that's not what you're doing. You're obsessively clinging to every piece of an ideal life that only exists in your mind."

Derek stood up and looked out the window. Suddenly, he couldn't meet Harmony's eyes any longer. Without that knowing expression boring into his soul, it was easier to form a reply, "You can leave now, Harmony. It's harder to obsessively cling to my idealized version of our friendship while you're still here. Let's skip to the part where you leave me like everyone else. That's what you want to do anyway."

"No, I won't let you push me away right as things get tough."

"Do you wanna bet?' Derek asked acidly.

Something in Derek's voice must have given Harmony pause because he could hear her get up and leave. Derek couldn't tell if the "Goodbye Derek" he heard was real or imagined.

Derek didn't feel better when Harmony left, but it was easier to avoid thinking while she was gone. Harmony's visit taught him a valuable lesson: He would have more visitors if he kept moping around his house. No visitors could help him; they just made everything hurt more.

The weather was nice enough to be outside with a light jacket, so Derek left home and went to the lake. The lake used to be a haven for Derek, where he could escape the troubles of nagging responsibilities and get lost in nature, but it now served a different purpose. Derek found a sturdy and tall tree to sit under and sat perfectly still. No Sudden Moves guaranteed he wouldn't have any interruptions. Derek spent the rest of that day staring at the reminder of his failure.

Φ

The first day at the lake was the hardest, but each sequential day got easier. He'd bring himself a lunch, and Derek would spend the day watching the lake, mostly invisible to the rest of the town. If anyone noticed or followed him, Derek didn't know or care. They eventually lost him when he sat against his trusty tree and watched the town change.

Derek watched the bustle and change of Golden Lake with an almost horrified fascination as the old and new blended and became one. WWW renovated an old boat garage that Derek hadn't seen used in years. There wasn't a day that went by when one of the suits from WWW didn't have a boat out on the lake. They always seemed to be looking for something, but Derek couldn't begin to guess what. It didn't matter how early Derek started arriving. The WWW boat and early birds like Larry Kennig and Ryan Gary were always out there.

With his idle surveillance of WWW, Derek started to notice other patterns and routines. In their way, the people of Golden Lake were just as interesting a subject as a fish's specific patterns and habits. It was fun to learn their behavioral idiosyncrasies and wonder if he could catch them if they were fish. Derek wondered if he'd used to be as predictable as these people. Randy McGuffin took three smoke breaks each day, all roughly within five minutes of each other from one day to the next. Ava Renteria, Andy's mom, still worked in the kitchen of the Lucky Catch hotel through the change in management, and she always took the time to dump kitchen leavings in the lake. Birds and fish gathered and waited for the woman's daily post-lunch rush visit. Derek tried to ignore the pang of guilt he felt whenever he saw her. Sometimes Chuck would be walking the lake's perimeter after school, or is school out by now? Derek hoped that Chuck's wanderings and Ava's kitchen trek would eventually coincide, but the two never did run into each other.

The routines gave Derek some measure of comfort and something to look forward to each day. It became easier and easier to forget and lose himself in the lives of others without becoming an active participant. He didn't even know what his new place would be in these patterns, and in many ways, it made him happier that life persisted whether or not he was a part of it. The days got warmer and brighter, and Derek started noticing lots of new faces. He could tell they weren't from Golden Lake. They wore a myriad of bright colors and paid attention to the wrong things. Summer people never appreciated the real beauty of Golden Lake. Derek didn't know if it was his imagination, but this year, it felt like there were a lot more of them.

The Idealogram that WWW left under the dock was something Derek did his best to avoid noticing, but he could feel its presence with a set of senses that Derek never knew he had. If Golden Lakes' color palette was green and gold, then the Idealogram would throb with a dull crimson glow that intensified the more people there were near it. The sigil drew tourists like moths to a flame. Derek didn't think they knew what they were doing, but sometimes groups as large as ten people would find themselves milling around aimlessly on that section of the dock without ever knowing why. Derek tried to imagine the scholarly conjecture Teetch would've made. Proxiposition of Humans seems to be a power source for the Idealogram. Humans make convenient fuel for Idealomantic endeavors because they are so easy to manipulate. He had difficulty getting Teetch's voice right in his head. It felt so long since he'd heard it. Derek wondered if the Idealograms had been drawn around the lake to attract tourists. It was precisely what he would assume money-grubbing warlocks would use Magic to do. More tourists = More money.

"Don't bother gettin' up," a familiar voice said. Derek couldn't believe he hadn't heard or smelled its owner approaching. Rod Hockenson settled to the ground next to him, watching the lake. He had a long, green blade of grass sticking out of the corner of his mouth and was wearing a pair of black waders. The familiar smell of live bait and coffee wafted off him in waves.

"How can you see me?" Derek asked.

"See ya, boy? Yer sittin' out in the middle of the open, plain as day. Course I saw ya." Rod said with a chuckle, altogether avoiding the underlying meaning behind the question, "How could I not see ya out here, day after day, wastin' yer life away?"

"If I'm wasting my life, what do you call what you've been doing every day for the last fifteen years?" Derek asked, forgetting that he'd wanted to talk to Rod about the night he'd entered the Giild. He had so much he wanted to say to the man, but the old fisherman was a pro at derailing just about every conversation.

"I already lived my life, boy. I had more 'an my fill to tell ya true. Prolly had more than any man should stomach, but all that's behin' me. Now, I get to enjoy what's left. Fishin' and workin' my shop is more 'an enough fer me, but a little gup such as yerself has plenty left. It's a cryin' shame to watch ya waste it."

"What's left to waste?" Derek asked. "The life I wanted slipped through my grasp the more I clung to it. Golden Lake, the family store, my friends—they're all gone. Everything I wanted for my future couldn't have turned out more different."

"What's want got anythin' to do wit' it? A true fisherman shoulda learned this lesson a hunnerd times o'er by now. It don' matter what ye bring or what yer plannin'. Ye gotta adapt, think on yer feet, be patient. I don' get the best catch e'ery year because I'm the best planner. Nah, I win e'ery year because there's no one better at usin' what life gave 'im. I'm a bona fide expert at makin' lemonade outta whate'er crap life throws my way. That's my secret."

Derek snorted, "That's not much of a secret. It's basically a hick version of telling me to go with the flow."

"All the best philosophies are," Rod said with a grin. The blade of grass wobbled but stayed in his mouth.

"How's that supposed to help me? If I keep going with this flow, my family store will be gone for good, I'll probably lose Harmony, have to move somewhere else, and Golden Lake will be a billionaire's tourist theme park. What am I supposed to do, just let it happen?" Derek asked. He didn't mention Teetch, but the little Heretic's execution weighed heavily on his mind.

"Yer not listenin'. Don' just let life happen to ya. Ye can't control the weather, boy, but ya can control yer response. When it's rainin', do you give up or buy yerself a raincoat? Are you sure yer the same fella that was out there ice fishin' so they could finally get the best o' me?"

"That fella had a whole lot of life happen to him since then," Derek said, but that was hardly an excuse. Rod's tirade was scolding that passive mindset, but what could Derek do about any of this? These problems were more significant than a small-town grocer, college student, and Angler. He sighed and shook his head at what he had to do next. It was time to ask for help. "What if he doesn't know where to start?"

"How's about he start with a little job?"