The Baby Glyph (Patreon)

The events of this story take place a few years after the end of The Owl House. All characters depicted within this story are over 18 as they were in the ending of the final episode! ENJOY!

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Many years have passed since Camila Noceda had bravely and blindly followed her daughter, and her friends, into that dangerous demon realm. Never before had she felt such terror by venturing into that unknown world and yet she had never felt more alive than that day she helped her daughter defeat the evil emperor Belos. However, ever since that fateful day something had been missing in her life that she couldn't quite figure out.

Deep down she missed the exhilerating sensation of discovery; of experiencing everything for the very first time as she did when she first journeyed to the Boiling Isles. Everything was so vibrant and filled with wonder even if some of the creatures she encountered had tried to eat her. With each subsequent visit to the Demon Realm things were beginning to feel familiar which was why she allowed her only daughter, Luz, to attend college there under the watchful eye of Eda, the Owl Lady.

She suddenly realized, as she gazed at herself in the mirror, that she missed that feeling of unearthing the unknown! It had been missing in her life ever since she had grown accustomed to the bizarre oddities of the demon world. Not to mention that working for years at the Animal Hospital had begun to take its toll on the middle aged woman. What was once her passion had become a chore. What was once a fun escape from the humdrum life of Gravefield, had become boring and mundane. How she longed to experience unbridled enchantment once again with new eyes!

Ultimately, it was her own fault that the Demon Realm had lost its luster. She had tagged along, following after Luz every opportunity she got whenever the girl crossed over to check in on her friends and make sure that it was still safe from that beast, Belos. After the first half dozen visits it became abundantly clear that the Boiling Isles had returned to some semblance of normalcy: Hexside had reopened, the market in downtown Bonesborough was bustling with renewed life and none had stepped up to fill the power vacuum left behind by Belos. So, there was little reason to keep accompanying her daughter and yet she did.

Even now, she was looking herself over, making sure the clothes she wore were rugged enough to handle a trek through the relatively uncharted forest on the far side of the island. She had overheard Luz telling Amity, on the phone, that there was a long lost ruin, an ancient temple, hidden deep within the woods. Such an expedition sounded like fun and it had been a while since she had explored anything. Of course, it would also be nice to help her daughter find some new glyphs. With that justification in her mind, Camila had managed to butt her way into another one of her daughter's travels

Was she trying to live vicariously through her own daughter? Was this some way to recapture her lost youth? Deep down she knew it was ultimately about trying to feel something new after so many years of feeling nothing. What once had been an almost neverending rollercoaster of emotions had gradually become a mundane existence.

At the end of the day, Camila knew that all of her questions had the same three letter answer and yet she wasn't going to admit to herself that she was feeling old. Her daughter was all grown up and was getting ready to move out and start her own life. It was hard to ignore the truth. She was becoming a mother who had no one to take care; she was beginning to feel completely useless!

"Ay dios!" Camila exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed by her thoughts. "I need to stop thinking like this."

A light tapping came from her bedroom door before the door slowly opened, revealing her only daughter, Luz. "Hey, mama. Are you ready to go?"

"Si, mija." Camila smiled, never one to show her daughter a frown. "Let's get going before it gets any later"

"Good idea." Luz grinned, excited to finally start her exploration properly and with the help of her mother.

The older Noceda watched her daughter bolt from the door frame, running down the hall with that boundless energy and enthusiasm that always brought a smile to Camila's face. 'No matter how old that girl gets she always has so much energy. She is really something special.'

Not wanting to slow her daughter down, Camila took off after the girl, walking briskly out of her room and down the stairs to find Luz waiting for her at the front door giddy with an ear to ear grin.

"I think today will be the day I finally discover some new graphs!" Luz proclaimed with an air of unmatched positivity.

"That's the spirit, miha." Camila smiled, basking in the boundless optimism her daughter exuded.

Camila watched as Luz pulled out a unique key from her trusty satchel, one that bore a resemblance to the portal opening instrument which had originally belonged to Eda. With a steady hand, the young woman pushed the key into the hole on her front door and gave it a twist. What had once been a normal door rapidly became the portal to the demon realm, her gateway to the Boiling Isles which had increasingly become her home. This thought caused Camila to feel a foreboding sadness creep back into her thoughts; it was only a matter of time before Luz left her for good to start her life with Amity.

The middle aged woman approached the portal slowly, not out of fear, but out of a sense of trepidation that this could be one of the last times she accompanied her daughter to the Demon Realm. As she stepped into the portal ripples began to emanate around her body, as if she were in a pool. It only took a moment for her to cross the bridge between realms which exited into the now familiar Owl House.

Unlike her first few visits to the Boiling Isles, Eda wasn't there to greet them. She was busy running her University of Wild Magic which made her presence scarce within the walls of the Owl House. Sometimes, Camila would find King or Lilith waiting for herself and Luz, but on this day neither were present. Even Hooty was missing, more than likely strapped to Lilith's back as the two had grown quite close since Belos' fall from power.

"Looks like everyone's busy today." Luz observed, looking around the vacant living room.

"Si, you're right." Camila agreed, noting that the house remained still.

"Well, that just means they'll all be surprised when I come back with a new glyph to show them!" Luz grinned, pumping her fist triumphantly into the air.

"That's my girl!" Camila couldn't help but admire how her daughter always managed to turn a depressing scene into something positive.

Wasting not another minute, the mother and daughter set off on their adventure to the far reaches of the isle. Neither knew what awaited them, but Luz was familiar with the woods they trekked through. It was a fairly straight forward hike and even the once startling sights of twenty legged centipedes with skulls for heads skittering across their path hardly caught Camila's attention as she trailed behind her daughter. Above her head the dense trees blocked out the sun, keeping her portly body cool, but she was starting to sweat slightly.

The middle aged mother was about to yawn when she spotted an outcropping of stone stacked high into the sky. It looked to be a decrepit tower belonging to a long abandoned castle surrounded by trees.

"Luz, look at that!" Camila called out, pointing to the crumbling edifice.

"That must be it!" Luz exclaimed, ready to conquer the castle and plunder any and all of the secrets it contained.

Even Camila felt her spirits begin to lift upon realizing that this was the first time in years she was going to actually explore a part of the Boiling Isles she hadn't seen until today. This! This was what she had been longing for!

It only took a few minutes to reach the castle thanks to the brisk pace set by Luz. Camila gazed up at the battlements as she walked across the rotting wood of the drawbridge, worry creeping up in the back of her mind that she could fall through it at any moment. It was that sense of uncertainty, that slight tingling of anxiety in the back of her mind, that made her feel so alive.

"I think we should make our way to the bailey and then start searching for any books or pieces of parchment." Luz suggested, hope shining in her eyes.

"That sounds like a good idea to me, mija" Camila agreed. She had always been more of a science fiction type of geek, but during her many travels with Luz she had gradually picked up on the jargon of this fantastical realm.

They pushed their way through an old set of double doors made of oak that rose high above them on the front of the main building. Numerous cobwebs and walls caked in dust greeted them as they ventured inward. Camila didn't know what to expect, but she had expected to find more than an empty, unlit corridor. Luckily for her, Luz was able to conjure a sphere of light which helped illuminate their path, granting them the ability to journey deeper into the heavily fortified, dark passage.

Down stairs they went, walking further into the bowels of this mysterious monolith to some long forgotten king or ruler. Little was known about the structure and Luz hadn't exactly told her how she knew this place existed, but that was becoming more and more common as time marched forward. Still, Camila pushed such thoughts to the back of her mind, trying to be happy that she was accompanying her little girl on such a quest. Now if only she could help Luz out by finding a clue to the whereabouts of a glyph.

The chubby middle aged mother was lost in thought when she felt the cobblestone floor underneath her foot give way after putting her weight on a loose stone. A panicked scream left her lips as she fell through the floor, gravity pulling her down with the stones. She caught a glimpse of Luz spinning around, calling out to her as time practically froze. An all encompassing fear washed over Camila as her body took on a weightless sensation. She lost sight of Luz as the darkness swallowed her. An ear piercing scream left her mouth just before everything went black.

Time had passed, but just how much time was impossible for Camila discern as she sat up and rubbed her head. The opening in the ceiling, once illuminated by Luz's light glyph, was bathed in an inky void, devoid of light. She tried looking around, waiting for her eyes to refocus themselves, but they never did; Camila couldn't see a thing in this dark pit of despair!

Slowly, Camila reached out, feeling for something to help guide her through the darkness until her palms brushed up against the coarse surface of a stone wall. She cautiously walked alongside the unseen wall, tracing it with her right hand as she searched for a way out of this subterranean space. There's no telling if she was even going in the right direction and, after walking for several minutes, she almost decided to turn around when she felt a slightly raised surface coming out of the wall. Using her index finger, Camila traced the peculiar protruding segments carved in the stone until a bright light appeared before her eyes.

Camila gasped upon seeing the blinding light emanating from the wall take the shape of two rounded orbs. One segment was larger than the other, but joined together forming something that looked vaguely familiar to the older woman.

"Luz... I..."

Without warning, the older Noceda realized that the light was becoming brighter and brighter until she was literally bathed in the pink hue of the incredible illumination coming from the mysterious glyph. She shielded her eyes, earning herself a momentary reprieve from the harsh blinding glow of the glyph, but she could still see the image burning brightly within her mind. Just picturing it triggered an intense feeling of vertigo; it felt like she was falling despite standing on her feet. The words to describe this bizarre feeling swirled around in her mind, just out of reach of her comprehension. Her thoughts rapidly became more and more fragmented until everything within her mind just vanished, leaving her standing there as a small bit of saliva started to trickle down her chin.

Her mind was a blank slate; the perfect environment for magic such as this to spread, permeating into the very core of her subconscious being.

Slowly, the light began to dissipate and Camila began to regain her ability to actually think of things in actual words beyond simple colors and feelings. As each second passed she began to conjure more complex thoughts that quickly confused the older woman whose comprehension was slowly returning to its previous state. Slowly she lowered her forearm from her eyes and looked around, the room she was in was illuminated by a dull pink glow coming from an outlet by her dresser that stood next to her bed. It took a moment for her to realize that she was standing in the bedroom she lived in when she was a very young child!

Out of nowhere, the middle aged mother had appeared in her old room, gazing around in awe as she took in the sights of her old dolls, random toys and furniture that was barely illuminated by the gradually weakening pink light coming from her nightlight. Suddenly, the only source of illumination in the room flickered violently before burning out.

Fear. Panic. Dread. These odd sensations manifested themselves out of nowhere. It was not only confusing to the middle aged mother who hadn't been afraid of the dark since she was a young child, but downright terrifying! It felt like all reason was abandoning her, rapidly evaporating from her brain as she rapidly lost control over the thoughts forming within her head!

She took in a deep breath, trying to slow her breathing and calm herself down while reminding herself that she was in the catacombs beneath a ruined castle, not her bedroom from her childhood. Yes, she was separated from her daughter, but Luz would find her soon! Camila knew her baby girl would!

But what if she didn't? What if she couldn't locate her and left her stranded in this horrifying darkness for all eternity? Camila felt her heart start beating faster, terror taking over as tears began forming in her eyes. The middle aged mother did everything she could to keep herself together, but after only a few moments she broke and started crying in desperation as a growing sense of fear consumed her thoughts whilst she gazed out into the pitch black abyss for any sign of her daughter.

All hope was lost. She was all alone; stranded in her old room crying like a child who had become separated from her mother. The very thought of her mom made her call into the void, hoping desperately that the one woman who had always been there for her would save her.

"Mami!" Camila cried out in Spanish, her voice labored and her lungs heavy from sobbing.

The sound of a doorknob turning caught Camila's attention. She looked towards the rigid light piercing through the sides of the rectangular frame, causing Camila to hold her breath as she saw someone enter into her room. An immediate feeling of apprehension filled her heart, traping her on the spot until she saw what looked to be her mother's silhouette filling the doorway.

"Mami!" Camila's voice shouted gleefully as she took off in a mad dash, moving her chubby legs towards the image of her mother who reached out and took the portly woman into her arms, scooping her up off of the carpet as if she weighed nothing. An ear to ear grin only grew wider when she heard her mother begin to sing an all too familiar lullaby that was sung to her in her native language, one she knew well from her childhood.

This song, whose words she recognized but could no longer comprehend, made her feel safe and warm inside. It only took the passage of a single moment to bring warmth back into the ice cold room.

Once more everything was right in the world as Camila nozzled her head against her mother's chest, loving the warmth and closeness. She breathed in the long forgotten but oh so familiar scent of her mother's perfume, cherishing everything about this moment. Her mother had always protected her from the evils that lurked in the unknown; she kept her safe!

Life was good.

Until it wasn't.

Just as fast as her mother appeared to her and held her in her arms she had vanished into a fine mist that was swept up in the cool wind funneling its way through the door. Camila watched, confused by what was transpiring in front of her tear soaked eyes. It made no sense! The room returned to darkness, leaving the middle aged mother to be bombarded with the sobering and harsh reality that her mother was gone once more. In fact, they both were long dead, and she was once again all alone in this world.

The memories of being held and cradled were only remnants of a better life and all that remained was the ever growing need to be comforted. She wanted nothing more than to be held by her mother again. To be loved, nurtured and protected from the ever present and all consuming darkness.

Everything was wrong in this place!

Nothing made sense anymore!

The more she racked her brain, the fewer answers she had for what she had just experienced and why she was feeling this way. All that stood in front of her was a never ending expense of emptiness and nothingness.

She was completely alone and felt the strange yet familiar compulsion to take her thumb into her mouth. When she was a little girl she had often soothed her anxiety by sucking on a pacifier. That was the main thing she did to cope with things that were beyond her control. It helped clear her thoughts whenever her mother wasn't there to hold her and console her.

She obviously didn't have a pacifier since she was an adult; a mother! But she just needed something to put in her mouth.

Something familiar. Something to comfort her!

The all-encompassing blanket of anxiety and confusion briefly dissolved from her mind when she spotted her thumb thanks to the growing but dim glow of the pink light emanating from her nightlight. Camila didn't question why the light was gradually filling the room; she was transfixed by the sight of her thumb. Seeing her thumb filled her with an intense urge to suck on it; to take the fat finger into her mouth.

Such urges easily overwhelmed her as the powerful compulsion took hold of her, forcing her to open her mouth wide and bring her thumb up to her lips. Once she felt the tip of her thumb against her lips she pushed the entire digital into her wet, salivating mouth. In the blink of an eye, her lips closed over her fat digit, wrapping around it as she started to suck on it like she was possessed.

It was an instinctual response.

The desire to not only suck but rid herself of those highly distressing thoughts compelled Camila to apply more pressure to her thumb. Her mouth began to move faster and faster as she slurped on her thumb like a baby. The pressure built up between her lips, and then suddenly everything stopped.

Her lungs gasped for air as she felt an intense feeling of panic coursing within her body.

She needed more. More. MORE!

Now that she knew what she needed, Camila sucked on her thumb even harder, feeling every raised ridge of her thumb's fingerprint with her tongue. Her entire body trembled as a slight sliver of saliva leaked down her lip. Despite being focused on the digit in her mouth she was still fighting the terrible thoughts that lingered in her mind. It wasn't enough to simply suck on her thumb; she had to find a way to suck on something larger!

Her heart pounded rapidly. Sweat broke out all over her body. But there was no stopping. She had to have more. Needed to have more. No matter how much she sucked, she still wanted more. She was addicted to sucking her thumb.

"Mama!"

The sound of Luz's voice pierced through all of the clouds enveloping her mind, giving Camila a sense of clarity that she had been lacking since arriving in the dark dungeon she was standing in.

Camila immediately released her thumb from her mouth and let out a tremendous sigh of relief. The panic was gone, replaced by the sound of her daughter talking to her. She realized that everything was fine as the familiar glow of Luz's glyph grew closer.

"Mama, are you alright?" Luz asked, looking worried for the first time in a long time.

"Si, I'm fine, miha." The middle-aged woman replied.

"That's good to hear, mama, but I thought I saw you suckling your thumb." Luz countered, genuinely worried about her mom.

"I guess I was but I'm okay," Camila said before she glanced down at her spit-covered, prune-like thumb one last time before shaking her head.

'That was strange.'

"I'm glad." Luz sighed. "I couldn't forgive myself if something bad had happened to you."

"You don't have to worry about me, Luz, I must've landed harder than I thought."

"Alright then," Luz said, doing her best to ignore the sight of a little drool dripping down from her mom's chin. "We should get back to searching for those glyphs."

A whirlwind of images bombarded Camila, immediately reminding her of what had happened when she had traced the raised edges of the wall.

"Miha! Camila exclaimed, excitedly pointing at the stone wall. "There was a glyph here and-"

Both Camila and Luz stood there in silence for two different reasons.

What was once chiseled into stone had disappeared, leaving behind a smooth surface devoid of any evidence that something was ever there, to begin with. This left Camila with more questions than answers. She couldn't help but feel like she was going crazy; had she somehow imagined the entire event?! 'Did I hit my head when I fell?'  Luz, on the other hand, was feeling even more concerned about her mother than before. 'Did she land on her head after falling through the floor?'

Camila felt certain that something had happened, but her growing sense of doubt clouded her thoughts. She was beginning to feel dizzy and disoriented. The familiar voice of her daughter once again calling out to her broke the confusion washing over her thoughts.

"Mama." Luz's voice sounded distant and slow but was growing near and picking up speed. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Camila looks up at her daughter. "Yeah, I think so."

"What happened down here?" Luz asked, staring intensely into the older woman's eyes.

Camila shook her head as if she was trying to shake away the cobwebs clouding her thoughts. "I don't remember much, but I'm pretty sure that a bright pink light came from this wall."

The older Noceda reached out with her hand, pressing her palm against the flat stone wall expecting the pink light to return. Sadly, nothing happened as the wall remained stagnant and cold to the touch.

"I've been pushing you too hard," Luz commented before suggesting that they should return to the Owl House. "I think we should head back to the portal."

The rest of the day, and the long trek back to the portal, was a blur to Camila who did her best to keep up with Luz despite her fatigued mind being plagued by conflicting thoughts and compulsions.

To Be Continued...