Fresh rays of sun melted into the shaggy purple rug, crouching up one end of the cream sofa, burning onto my leg. Annoyed, I laid on my side and hugged my legs, holding them tightly like a little baby and its doll. Though napping was one of my most favorite things to do, I could tell why I always did it in my room. My bed was much more comfy than the sofa, and the sun didn't tend to bug me as much. Unwillingly I opened my eyes and looked around the room.
My home was small and cozy, decorated with green house plants that livened up the space and little things here and there, like a vase of flowers or a tea tray. The rug covering the dark wood floor was always spotless, not a stain to be found. Lacey pillows adorned each chair, each pillow fluffed and put in the right place. Logs were stacked carefully next to the brick fireplace, which was cleaned and refueled every winter and summer. Every room in my house was neatly planned out, conveniently spaced and decorated, yet very functional.
Sitting up, I fluffed my custom-laced pillow and straightened the soft, cushy rug before getting up to maneuver into the kitchen. Hunger growled in my stomach like a caged lion trying to break free. I was most certain I had food in the fridge, like a cold piece of apple pie, or a bowl of freshly-picked burgundy cherries. Delighted, I found in the bottom drawer a lime-green pear, with a stubby brown stem attached to the top. After rinsing it under a jet of cold water, I heartily bit into it, the flavorful juices exploding into my mouth.
There was a good pound at the door, and while I wasn't surprised that the door didn't fall over, I walked out of the kitchen and answered it with a mouthful of pear. Standing in the doorway was Margie, holding an oriental tea kettle in her hands. "Hi, Bridget!" she cheerily greeted. "I thought I'd just drop off some berry tea for you. May I come in?" Margie was one of the nicer villagers in town. She knew how to be polite, and some of the villagers respected her. The rest never paid any attention to people like her.
Daintily, she walked inside, acting gentle and calm. After I took the warm, Chinese tea kettle from her hands, we walked into the living room, where I had been napping before hunger hit me. Wiping my hands on a napkin, I threw it away and sat down on my sofa, Margie sitting across from me. We began to talk about small things, like the most irritable villagers in town and the new fountain I had bought for the bus stop the previous week. Finally, the talk died down, all was quiet. Margie noticed I was zoned out, thinking in my own little world. Because of how well Margie knew me, she let me wonder for a few minutes while she sipped at her tea.
I blinked a few times and realized my guest was still sitting across from me. "I'm sorry," I apologized quickly. Staring off into space while thinking was like a Bridget trademark; I was the only person in town that did it. It was hard to not stare off into space with guests around, but I knew Margie could tell I was thinking. She had seen me zone off before.
"What are you thinking about, sugar?" she asked presumptuously. As she set her dainty glass cup on a saucer, I reached for a burgundy cherry. It looked like a mini ornament; it was shiny and fairly round, not quite a circle and not quite an oval. Margie could tell what was bugging me. We lived next door to each other, plus we were best friends. I knew I could tell her anything, and I did. This was one of those 'anythings'. "Is it the only human thing? Honey, there's nothing to worry about. Autumn County is just special to have only one human inhabiting it. You are special because you have to put up with all of us villagers, plus the look of the town. If there were another human in town, the town would go nuts!" Margie's sapphire eyes sparkled like the sea.
I couldn't help but retort. "Marge, you don't understand. As much as I enjoy being the only human in town, I'm lonely. I know I have the villagers to count on, but look at me. I'm a human living in a town full of villagers! Do you know how long it has been since I've seen another human?" Abruptly, I stopped. Did I hurt Margie's feelings? I had been so calm and now I'm all fired up. Did I yell at Margie? Worry filled my lungs, squeezing its way into my heart. I had never meant to hurt Margie; she was my best friend! Did I? I looked over at Margie, her eyes still sparkling. It didn't look like I had hurt her feelings, but Margie was always quiet. She never really told me how she felt. I could only imagine what she could be thinking now.
Calmly, she replied, "Bridget, just think. Do you know how bad you could ruin this town if you invited another human to live in it? It would be torture. Not all humans are as caring and polite as you, sugar. They can really mess you up. And losing you to crazy is not a risk I would like to take. Please don't make me go down that road. As much as I want to support you and stay by your side, Bridget, you have to be careful about who you choose as your friend." She stood up, gathered her belongings and walked over to the door. "Bridget, don't make a wish you will regret later. Trust me, I know that could happen. Call me sometime, OK?" I nodded and saw her out.
After I shut the door, I trudged up the wooden stairs to my bedroom. My bedroom was just as mess-free and organized as downstairs. Fluffy, white pillows ornamented my cozy green bed, the laced sheets wrinkle-free. A wooly chestnut-colored blanket was folded neatly and was laid over the curve of my reading chair. My bookshelf laid organized, sheltering two dozen books of stories and information, and about five notebooks filled with ideas I had written when I first moved in. Exhausted, I decided to call it a day. I dressed myself in my white tee and some silky pajama bottoms and fell into my bed, the sun just setting and the moon hanging low in the night sky.
I hope you guys like! AC Story is written in the title only so this story won't be moved to the General Fan Fiction board that is coming soon.
The sun was beginning to set in the horizon, and fluffy rainbow clouds filled the darkening sky. I was on my walk back home, which didn't take very long, for I lived next door to Bridget. The imperial tea kettle I held empty in my hands as I turned towards my house.
My humble little abode resembled a welcoming cottage on the outside. It wasn't as large as Bridget's; I had a one-room bungalow. My blue bed I had tucked away in a corner with a doily-covered end table beside it. A comfy cabana chair awaited me near my window, along with a book and my soft knitted blanket. As soon as I set the tea kettle on my blue bookcase, I fell into my chair, picked up my book and began to read.
By the time I opened my eyes, the moon was hanging high overhead. Someone was irritatedly rapping at the front door. Slipping on my airy cardigan, I looked out the peephole. My heart dropped. What had Bridget done? A human boy stood outside my door, tapping his foot impatiently, his arms crossed. "Anyone home!" he raged, pounding on the door again. "Oh come on! Tom Nook said I have to meet everyone, and I know someone lives here!" Immediately, I put out my 'Not-Home' sign. The human outside read it. "Out on a walk, be back soon? Who does that in the middle of the night?" he huffed.
I watched as he walked away, his short amber hair flopping from side to side in the moonlight. Quickly, I hopped over to my pink lovely phone. It was the only thing that didn't match with my room. Picking it up, I dialed Bridget's number. A hazy voice answered. "Hello?" it mumbled. Did I call at a bad time? It sounded like Bridget had been sleeping. "Is anyone going to answer?"
"Oh yes, hi, Bridget," I replied, holding the phone closer to my ear. "I have something to tell you, and-"
Bridget interrupted me. "Wait a minute, Margie, I think someone's at the door." I was put on hold. I was put on hold? How could she? Bridget never put me on hold; she would at least let me finish what I was saying. It was five minutes or so before Bridget came back. "Sorry, Marge. But you won't believe who I met!"
"Wild guess, a human boy?" I asked flatly. Rolling my eyes, I began to tap my foot. It reminded me of the human; I stopped because of the thought. "Listen, Bridget, I'm not getting good vibes from him. He rapped on my front door while I was sleeping!" My eyebrows furrowed, and I bent over the table. Sweat beads were forming on my forehead. "I had to put out my sign just for him to go away!" Anger shot out from every little bit of me. Though I was known for being the quiet, content villager in town, I could blow my top when I was getting worked up.
Bridget began to speak. "Hey, don't worry. Troy is really nice. Why are you so worried? It's not like he's a psychopath or a charlatan." She didn't seem to be worried a bit, but I knew that would change soon. Bridget was always that positive, peppy girl that never looked on the dark side. But then again, she was acting up when we were talking about humans earlier.... My thoughts trailed a little before I heard Bridget's voice again. "Margie? You still there?" I replied and she understood. "There's nothing to worry about, Marge. You'll see."
"Bridget, you don't understand though. He doesn't come across as a charlatan, but that doesn't mean he isn't a psychopath either!" By now, I thought I was calming down a little, but I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure about another thing either; the whereabouts of Troy.
Still calm, Bridget seemed so sure of herself when she said that Troy had already gone through the Safety Check at the Gate. "Everything will be fine, I promise." I trusted Bridget, so I agreed and hung up.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Now a sparkling marble was rising in the gray sky. I was already up and about, trying to take my mind off Troy. At this point, I was almost certain it was a dream. No one comes into town in the middle of the night! Besides Troy couldn't have passed the Safety Check because the Gate is closed after ten o'clock. And I was fairly sure that Troy didn't sneak into the town, though I do have my suspicions. It was strange how he hit it off with Bridget. She had such good vibes from him! But I knew he was bad. I was trusting in Bridget to put her foot down to him.
Secretly in my head, I was imagining all of the things that could go wrong. For all I know, Troy could destroy all of the hard work that Bridget had put into forming the town. If he didn't do that, he might be planning to raid this town and take our belongings with him to another town. I couldn't tell if he lived in this town officially, or if he lived in a different town but was fooling the Gate Keepers. What if his name wasn't even Troy, but some other name, like Patty or Bobby or Monica?
So many worries filled by head, I couldn't think. Sliding out of my cardigan, I hung it on a coat-rack and decided to take a walk down to the Town Hall to see if my map needed updating. But before I could leave, Pete the mail-carrier appeared at my front window. He always went to the front window. It was pretty annoying, and it bugged me to see a pelican staring in at me when I was sleeping. I slid open the window and leaned out.
Pete smiled. "You're looking lovely today, Miss Margie," he complimented. I rolled my eyes. Pete had no luck when it came to girls. He handed me the morning paper as well as a bill and a postcard. I set the mail on the table besides me. "Hey, have you seen that new fella in town?" he gossiped, closing his satchel. I nodded. "He's quite the gentleman! When I gave Maple her mail today, she accidentally dropped it and Troy helped her pick it up! Then she thanked him. How does the new guy in town get more girls than I do?" He looked down.
"If I weren't an elephant, I would totally hang with you," I said, rolling my eyes. He asked with sparkling eyes if I meant what I said. "Sure!" I fibbed. Pete straightened out his evergreen suit and smiled.
"That's the best thing anyone has ever said to me, Margie. Thanks!" he squealed. "I'd better be off then. See you around!" I closed the window. Already Troy was winning hearts. So many good responses were about him. My heart wasn't changing, no sir, but I was beginning to trust him a little bit more. Just a little.
I opened the morning paper up and read the head title. My jaw dropped. "Disappearing Villagers: Hometown," it read. I read on, and honestly, got bored. But it was about a human doing this, I realized. Could it be Troy? Rolling up the paper, I tucked it in my chair.
Noon time. Most of the villagers were in their air-conditioned houses, lounging around without a sweat bead dribbling down their face. I was relaxing in the Autumn Creek Gardens, fanning myself while laying amongst a field of wild flowers that glistened like diamonds. Margie had gone to the bustling city for the day to visit her brother, Axel. I didn't really have a want to hang with any of the other villagers, so I just retreated to the garden. And here I am.
Hunger sharply rose in my stomach, again. Groaning, I stood up and brushed myself off. After cursing my stomach, I shook the nearest apple tree, and ate one of the fruits. A boy swung around from behind the tree, and bit into an apple of his own. "Hey there, Bridget," he said slyly.
I stumbled. I didn't have an idea of what to do. Should I ignore him? Margie said she wasn't getting good vibes from him, and Animal Crossing knows she is very wise. But he seemed nice, nice to me anyway. Was he to Margie? The elephant and I had been best friends ever since I moved into Autumn Creek. I knew I could trust her. Walking away, I decided to go to the Town Hall. He followed, and I moaned.
"Wait up!" he bellowed from behind. Should I pick up the pace? Should I slow down? A pale hand grabbed my shoulder. Halfway between the garden and the Town Hall, he pulled on my arm and I turned to face him. "What's going on? Are you OK?" His rosy brown eyes twinkled softly, full of feeling. Don't fall for it... don't fall for it. I was immune to telling people what I was thinking, especially if their eyes twinkled. Weird, right?
"Uh, I can't talk to you right now." Nice cover, B! I congratulated. "I have to deliver a letter to the Town Hall." He offered to do it for me. "No thank you," I said in the politest way possible, trying to keep myself calm. "But really, I have to go...." He demanded the truth. What do I say? "Troy! I can't talk right now, OK? I am not comfortable talking to you." That was the first time I had ever said that. 'I am not comfortable talking to you.' When I played it back in my head. I didn't really care about how he felt, or what he was saying or what he would say. He was just some guy I wished would come to Autumn Creek. I wished. My wish came true! But was this what I wanted? Yes, I was sure of it. Before I was a lonely human living in a town of animals, and now I'm a human telling another human off. He just wants to be your friend, Bridget, I told myself. He's not a wacko.
"Wait, stop," I told him as he turned to walk away. "Listen, I'm sorry. It's just, I used to be the only human here, and now here you are. Honestly I don't have a clue what I'm doing." He smiled and stared at me.
"Well," he thought aloud, "I guess we could start with maybe a friendly lunch in the city then. You have to get out more." Offensive! I thought in my head. I do go out, everyday! I stay in the city for at least a good four hours on Saturday nights. Bridget, he's offering you a lunch. Just go with it. Don't worry about Margie.... 'Margie' stopped my thinking. What would Margie say to me going to lunch with... with Troy? She would probably say he offended me, ask if my lunch was alright and say I should be careful. Margie was always like that. If something was bothering her but not me, she would still support me. But would she support this? Too much thinking, brain overload. Need an answer.... "Bridget?" I looked at Troy. He was still staring at me. "Are you alright?"
Ooh! The staring-off-in-space thing! Gah! "Uh, I'm fine. Normally when I'm thinking, I zone out. But I'm back, and let's go. We don't want to be standing here for the next ten minutes," I joked.
"Is that your record think-stare time?" he asked. We laughed.
"Maybe."
I gazed at the ceiling. Yes, again I was thinking. About Troy and Margie. Margie came back two hours ago, Troy and I came back an hour after Margie did, and I was lucky to shoo Troy off before Margie saw him. It wasn't like Troy and I were a couple; I just didn't want Margie to get mad at me. I knew Margie was known for her calm personality, but she could flare when she wanted and if she wanted. She didn't know about lunch with Troy, but I knew I would have to tell her sooner or later. Now, now I was going to do it.
Sliding out of bed, I fitted some fuzzy bed slippers on my feet and trudged downstairs to the telephone. I hesitated at the stand. Should I call? It's seven thirty. Margie would be watching her TV show by now, and I knew interrupting her would turn into a flare. Believe me, I've made that mistake before. I gave up and sulkily climbed the stairs again. I'll just tell her in the morning.
Thank you guys! I haven't thought about Computerfan's competition. Should I join? To be honest with you guys, I'm still just an ordinary writer. I feel like I'd like to become better at least. I don't know. :/ Well, anyway possibly a next chapter will be up today or tomorrow. Or sometime soon. : )
Early the next morning, birds tweeted cheerful songs outside my bedroom window. The stained wooden boards beneath my feet were cold to the touch as I slumped towards the window. Outside, the beautiful hybrids rubbed their eyes and smiled as they began to bloom into a colorful rainbow. Fruit-bearing trees shook heavily in the light summery breezes that passed through its emerald leaves. The river sparkled like it was covered in a blanket of blue glitter.
While everything seemed perfect except my unmade bed and my messy, tangled bed-head, I could tell something was wrong in town. The town was still, quiet and dead. No one came to water the flowers or shake trees or go fishing at six in the morning. It was like everyone was gone.
Shrugging carelessly, I brushed my teeth and struggled to tame my wild hair-do. It was like a battle: I strike with the hairbrush, and the hair launches back at me with a sea of tangles and knots. After spending a good fifteen minutes wrestling with my amber hair, I finally managed to get it in a nice ponytail with a floppy blue bow and a slight curl at the tips.
Sporting a kitty-cat tank and a frilled pink skirt, I felt like a girly girl when I reached the landing. Now what, a shopping spree for sparkly pink nail polish? I wondered, questioning my strange apparel. It was unlike me to put on this attire; I was normally a blue-jean, tee-shirt sort of girl. I turned to face my bedroom. The dresser mocked me sarcastically as it stood in its greatness against the wall. Sticking out my tongue, I walked downstairs to the kitchen.
A kettle puffed white steam out of its spout. Frying in a pan was a egg, sunny-side up, just the way I liked it. On the table was a glass of chocolate milk and some donuts, another favorite. What was this for, and who broke into my house to do it?
Looking over the side of the couch, a white elephant smiled, got up and leisurely walked over to the counter, modeling a pink sweater that covered a white tee and some bright buttercup-colored jeans. “What do you think?” she asked.
I began to applaud, chuckling softly. “Very bold, and… so you,” I said hesitantly, watching as she spun around majestically.
Margie smiled in delight and squealed. “Axel bought it for me yesterday. Isn’t he sweet? Best brother ever!” Margie was always one to love fashion. Who didn’t? I knew my closet was color-coordinated, but my dresser was organized so that there were four compartments filled with accessories for each season. I wouldn’t call myself a fashionista, like Margie would. I just try to stay up-to-date. Is that the same though?
Another zoned-out think. Margie stared at me. “Anyway,” she said slowly, “You should see my closet now. To die for! What did you do yesterday?” See what I mean? You could tell we were best friends. We talk about clothes and what we did and want to do and the works. I guess my clothes were getting the best of me. Now what was I going to say…. Thoughts poured into my brain like a waterfall draining into an ocean. The garden, lunch, Troy…. Did I really want to talk to her about Troy? Right now?
“Uh, I’ll tell you later,” I stalled, sitting down at the table. The vase of flowers I kept looked like its contents were dying. “Water…” moaned the flowers, “I need water….”
Margie cheered, “OK, sugar. So do you want some breakfast? I’ve got some scones cooling off in the oven for later, unless you want them now.” The elephant tended lovingly to the eggs and delicately placed them on a plate. “Here you go!” She delivered them with ease, putting on a show as she danced over to the table. It was easy to tell Margie was happy about something – most likely the visit she had with Axel – because she always was extremely cheery.
After eating the breakfast she had prepared, I was stuffed and still wondering how in the world she had gotten into my house. I did trust her, but it was weird to walk downstairs with eggs cooking on the stove. “Oh, that’s the thing,” she said. “You see, last night I was out for a walk after my soaps, and it turned out Troy was out for a walk too. He was waiting behind your house, and I guess he saw me coming because he began to walk away. I didn’t want anything bad to happen while you were sleeping, so I found the extra key under the mat and went inside.” Margie took the silvery keys out of her pocket and jingled them. “I wouldn’t hide them under the mat again. He might have been watching.”
I was happy that Margie had been watching over my house. What a good friend…. See, B? It was a bad idea to go out to lunch with that hooligan. Now I was picturing my consciences on my shoulders, and they were debating about yesterday’s lunch.
“Bridget, what are you saying? Troy isn’t a hooligan; he’s the person you have been waiting for,” Bad Bridget stated.
Angelic Bridget piped, “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Margie says she’s getting bad vibes from that jerk. You should listen to her. She watched over your house for you!”
Bad Bridget created a quick comeback. “He isn’t a jerk: he took you out for lunch!”
“It might have been poisoned!” retorted Angelic Bridget.
“She doesn’t look poisoned!”
“Poison goes through the system, birdbrain. Instead of Bad Bridget, you should be Uneducated Bridget!”
“Poison does not go through the system, trashcan!”
“Yes it does!”
“No!”
“Stop!” I shouted. My consciences disappeared.
“Whoa,” Margie said, bewildered. “Are you alright, B?”
I was at the verge of tears. “Actually….” My voice trailed and I looked distantly at the living room window.
Pains leaked throughout my body. My forehead was throbbing; scrapes adorned my arms like maroon bracelets; and multi-colored bruises dented my silvery white skin. Where was I? Consious, I stood up uneasily, falling against the wall for support. Miserable was a good wood to describe my state. Memories of Bridget and her wish melted into my head. "I'm the only human here!" That was what she had said, and look where we are now. I'm in the middle of nowhere; Bridget was probably wondering what in the world had happened; and Troy would be getting away with it. I knew it was Troy, Troy the animal killer. Even though I was still breathing and alive, Troy was still an animal killer. He probably was just plotting his revenge.
Rubbing my throbbing forehead, I managed to find my balance when someone walked into the room. Donned in a pair of floral jeans and a white tee, a girl stared at me, my scrapes, wounds and bruises especially. "My, my, it seems Rover can never do anything right," she muttered, unsatisfied. She clicked her tongue and orbitted around me as I stood there uncomfortably. "Well, dear, we are going to have to take you over to the consultant, hon," she concluded. "I can tell you have some questions, sweetie. Come with me." The girl seemed to be a little younger than Bridget; she was a thin, pale-skinned teen whose crisp wavy, brown hair reminded me so much of Bridget. She led me out of the strange room I was in; it seemed like a jail cell made of fluffy white clouds with only one window.
I entered a long hallway, which I was unhappy to meet. Long walks to unknown places made me tired and snappy. If this walk took forever, whoever I'm consulting with will definitely see the fiercer side of me. We finally stopped before a door, this also made of white clouds. Engraved on the top read, "Doctor Rover F. Purr." The girl opened the door, and I walked in. The inside looked like another jail cell, though this room had two barred windows and was occupied by a large oak desk. Sitting in a leather swivel chair was the 'doctor'. Rover spun around.
"Miss Margie Ann, what a pleasure to meet you," the doctor said flatly. I could tell this was more of torture for him. The cat continued with his monotone presentation. "I am Doctor Rover F. Purr. I will answer and help you with any of your questions as best as I can. Now let's get down to business. Miss Margie, you are here today because you have been voted unanimously to be erased from Autumn Creek. I -"
I couldn't believe this. Unanimously? "What do you mean 'unanimously'? Bridget Rogers wouldn't have voted for that! We've been best friends since she moved in next to me; there's no way she would want me to move away," I told the cat. I was beginning to think he achieved his degree online, if he had one.
"Well, Miss Margie, I know your type," Rover stated matter-of-factly. "I've dealt with patients like you before. They call it 'stubborn.' " Was he being snotty just to make me blow my top? I kept quiet as he continued. "You see, not everyone has to vote the same for it to be unanimous." That made no sense. I thought the definition of unanimousity was everyone agreed. Was I wrong, or was he just an uneducated charlatan? "Now, miss, I came to your aid and brought you back here. I just knew you wouldn't be happy in town if you knew everyone voted against you."
"And yet you tell me." I rolled my eyes. What was with this guy? I could be a better doctor than he was, and I didn't have a degree!
"My, you are a stubborn one, whew," the cat diagnosed. "Now if I can get back to the explanation, we removed you from Autumn Creek to here so that way we can get you situated in a better town."
What was the matter with the doctor? It was stupid to tell me that not everyone has to vote unanimously for it to be unanimous. 'You wouldn't be happy in town if you knew everyone voted against you.' 'They call it stubborn,' I mocked in my head. I sighed unhappily. "Yeah yeah, you think you know what's best for me; I've heard that saying before." I knew I was being snappy, a little too snappy for my liking. "Ooh, I'm a doctor and I know what unanimous means," I mimiced. I could see I was annoying Rover, and I was annoying myself too (if that's possible).
"Miss Margie Ann, you are going to have to be in a special treatment course over the next two weeks. I will not priviledge you to move into a new town if you keep your attitude in that state! Theresa to my office, now!" the cat fumed, puffing smoke into the intercom. Beginning to feel bad for whoever Theresa was because of how Rover treated her, I watched as the thin girl I had met eariler shakily entered the room. I could see her quiver in fear as she wobbled into the room. Rover violently tore a piece of paper from a notebook and scribbled on it, breaking his pencil twice. "Theresa, this is Margie Ann's treatment course times. I want you to be her guardian over the span of the next two weeks. Now go!"
Immediately I rushed out of the room, not wanting to get poor Theresa in trouble. On our way back to my cloud cell, I succeeded in getting her to talk. "Girl, have you answered to that crazy cat's yelling all these years?" I asked in disbelief. She nodded.
"To be honest with you, ma'am, I don't like being here at all! I've been encaged in this prison for five years, never getting to see what a real town looks like or meeting friends or anything like that. I wish I could, but Rover wouldn't allow it."
I thought of an idea. It was bad, but it would get me back to Autumn Creek. Theresa, too.
Night was coming. Moonlight spewed into my cloud cell like an erupting volcano. I stared out the window, my hands choking the bars. My bed wasn't like the one I had at home; this one in my cell wasn't as comfortable or cozy as the one at home. The cell was dingy, even though it was constructed out of clouds, white fluffy clouds. I remembered gazing up at them in the middle of the day with Bridget; we would sprawl out on a blanket after lunchtime and would just spend time staring, staring at clouds that looked like bunnies and cresents and pots. It was our thing to do when there was nothing else we wanted to do. I wanted to lay down on the cloud floor and stare at the clouds outside.
"Miss Margie Ann, your clothes have been steamed and pressed now." Theresa walked in, my clothes folded nicely and stacked neatly. I walked away from the window, my draping nightgown trailing behind me. It wasn't my favorite, but Rover said that the rest of my things were lost. I was sure they weren't, but I was glad I at least had it, even though it made me feel like I was older than I really was. "Would you like me to open the window for you?" she offered.
"What?" I asked. This reminded me of the 'Meaning of Unanimous' talk Rover and I had had. "I thought it already was." Theresa smiled and stretched the cloud wall like it was dough. I laid down and looked out. Stars, thousands and thousands of them, stared back at me as I stared at them. Theresa laid down besides me. "My best friend and I would do this everynight last month."
"And you stopped?" Theresa asked intently. I nodded and told her about what had happened. "Oh, I'm sorry about Rover. He can be a real pain. That's why I want to leave." I nodded again.
It reminded me of my plan. "What if we could?" I asked her.
"You don't mean-"
"Yes, I do," I interrupted. I began to talk about the large portals I had seen in one of the rooms when she was taking me back to my cell. "You can activate them, I know you can. You have worked here for five years! You've got to know."
"Maybe," Theresa mumbled. "Rover's explained it to me once, but you know how he is; all he ever does is yell, yell, yell. He thinks he's a doctor, but he doesn't have a degree."
Thought so. I knew there was something about how the cat dealt with things that made me think he wasn't. Digressing from our prior conversation, we began to talk about how terrible Rover was at his 'doctoring.' Finally we roped ourselves into our old conversation about our escape.
We continued to think, think and think some more, unaware that Rover was thinking also.
I think you're a good writer ocean1 and you're one of my favorites; however I can't help but see a lot of similarities between this and Perfection and the Hacker, my series. I want to make sure that you're using your own ideas too instead of going purely off of inspiration and changing some things around.
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#blackout
Thank you for the Reese memories (7/9/13-9/27/17)
There's some twists, Liv. I'm sorry it sounds like PATH. But this is an original, and as soon as I get deeper into the plot, it will be a lot better. Again, sorry, and I hope you keep reading!
"OK, Theresa, let's do this." It was game-day, the day we would escape from this terrible place in the sky, the day I would reunite with Bridget, the day Theresa would finally get to see what a town really is like. Things would be perfect as long as we could make it to the portal room safely, which we did, thank goodness. But that's where the hard part stepped in. Theresa was still rusty with the controls to opening the portals, and then the doctor came. He was on to us, I knew. He had listened in. He had seen this coming. Maybe he did have a degree, a degree in psychic thinking, if that's a real thing.
"Rover, get out of here," I braced, tightening my hands into a fist. "You have already trapped us in this cloud prison, which clearly means we can't escape unless we use the portals, which you obviously know about." Theresa stood in the corner, with her thick, black-framed glasses resting on her nose. "Now leave."
"Oh, Margie... what a beautiful thing you are, and yet you are like this," Rover sighed. "I did know about the escape plan, my dear girl. And Theresa knows close to nothing of these portals. She learned of them two years ago, and might I say, our prison houses the most recent in technology, leading me to say that these portals are newer than those other ones, and they are far more work than this stupid girl knows of."
So it was a battle of the knowledge, I concluded. That sounds lame, but alright. I can take you down any day, I thought, imagining a wrestling rink in my head. You have been warned.... "Theresa is not stupid; she is a bright girl who deserves better than this. She was only ten when you recruited her. She barely had a childhood!" I pointed to her nails. "Look! These beautiful things aren't even coated in the finest nail polish! That's a teenager's dream!" I recalled the various memories of being a teen, even though now I was a few years older than that. All it ever was for me was popularity, nail polish, shopping and the cutest elephants in school. But anyway, I saw Theressa's eyes bubble when she heard me mention nail polish.
"So I see. While Theresa may not be as stupid as I thought-" Yes! I won! "- you still won't be able to get back home, Margaret. No animal has escaped this prison, and I'm not going to allow that record to be broken."
"Margie, run!" Theresa howled. She leaped into the portal. Theresa did it; she managed to fix the portal.
"How's that for a stupid girl?" I sneered, and hopped through the portal before it closed behind me.
Bridget's POV
"Margie, you're back!" I cried. I had been on a walk around town, something Margie would do. I had missed her so much. "I can't believe it!" Troy had been on the walk too; he just wanted to cheer me up. He seemed to know what was going on, that's why I was planning on ratting him out when Margie came back, for I was sure she would. She smiled. What was I going to start with though... oh right. The thing. "Hey, I have some things to tell you."
"Me too. I found a human, one that is better than that boy you wished into the town," Margie said firmly. "Her name is Theresa and she is moving in on Sunday. Now that thing can move out, and everything will be fine!" She seemed happy about that, and I was excited to meet Theresa. She sounded like she was spot-on, like she took care of matters. For Pete's sake, she already had a move-in date set up, and who knows, she could be packing, labeling and organizing things into cardboard boxes. I had so many questions about Theresa, like what she was like and what she looked like and if she liked to plant flowers or go shopping. Don't forget about the thing, Bridget, don't forget.
"Great!" I smiled. "But the thing I wanted to tell you was...." I turned to Troy. "You should know that Troy had everything to do with your leave." Troy shook his head in disagreement. He began to say that he knew something was going to happen to one of the villagers, but it wasn't his doing. Then he began to explain why he was standing outside my living room window.
"I knew that Margie didn't like me, so I figured she might be the one to be sent away. Obviously, she was. I know who did this, Bridget, and it wasn't me. And because I know him, Margie, I apologize. But he is on the loose; he's doing it non-stop. Margie and Bridget, please believe me. I need to find him; I want to stop him." Margie turned to me.
"I believe him," she said honestly.
"Let's help then," I said quietly. She nodded. "OK, Troy, we'll help you track down this guy," I said. "Let's do this."
I am excited to say that, with a great burst of inspiration, I finally present to you, Chapter Seven!
Chapter Seven Troy’s POV
He just moved to New Leaf County, into a town that had been established a few days ago. Crimes he had committed, he smartly found, wouldn’t track him if he moved. In a new town, no one would know him as a thief or killer, but as a friendly neighbor and mayor. But the crimes lived on. He was doing wrong things, though no one realized it was him. That’s how he got away with it when he lived in other counties.
I frowned at the thought of him. I used to know him, back in the fifth grade. He was that kid that no one wanted to be around. He had been known for his violent tantrums that normally ended up with someone with a black eye. I was lucky to hide from him when he claimed I stole his pudding cup.
Why do I keep saying “he”? He changes his name all the time. Illegally. No one really knows his true name, or his current name, or his relative’s names, at that.
Crumpling up a piece of paper, I ‘swished’ it into the trash can and returned to my desk. It was scattered with papers, some of which leaked over the edge and fell to the floor. I was devising a plan, not an evil one, just one that would get us to New Leaf County. First, we would have to take Bus 8 to the Card. This place was just the area we would have to go to board a train to New Leaf County. “The Card is just like a switch, really, like the place you get off one thing to get on another,” I explained to Bridget. “It’s like Game Central Station in that movie I saw in Dis-”
“What?”
“Nothing, um… got to get back to my planning. Tell Margie to meet us at the bus stop at five in the morning.” I swear I heard her moan as she hung up.
But, back to plans. So after we take the train to New Leaf County, we need to head south to a town near the ocean called Nine Islands. Sure, it had a pretty long name, but it was where Troy Mayfield was last seen. After that, we’d just have to wing it.
I didn’t like winging things. It’s like guessing on a really important test. “Winging it is a way of saying you could have done better,” Mom had said when I told her I was going to wing it on my book report when I was in fourth grade. I ended up doing the report, managing to get an effortless B. Not my best work.
The next morning came quickly for me; probably because I had stayed up all night planning and making calls to various places. When I woke up, it was four thirty, surprisingly. This left me thirty minutes to pack up some things for the trip and get myself organized.
First I started with my hair. Today was a rushed session in the bathroom with my hair, so I basically ran some water over my hands and smoothed it out. After packing a few belongings, I moved into the kitchen to stuff an apple into my mouth as I multi-tasked between brewing coffee and packing a small lunch for later. Lastly, I shuffled through my messy, unorganized desk drawers for a stray folder to slide the papers in.
Ten till five, I left the house, sliding the spare key under the mat like Bridget did, and told Poncho where it was. Poncho and I were buds; last Sunday we watched a game of football together, and a few nights back we decided to prank call people in Wild World County.
I reached the bus stop at five, just as the doors were about to close. Luckily, the bus driver opened them again for me, but charged me extra for being late.
I sat in the back with Margie and Bridget. Both of them were nicely dressed, which barely made any sense since we were on a chase. But they weren’t as sweaty as I was; Margie scooted away from me a little so she wouldn’t ‘get yucky boy sweat all over her new top’. I guess that’s the price you pay when you make last minute arrangements with some hotels that put you on hold for five minutes.
“OK, so we’re going to go to the Card first...” Bridget tried hard to explain the trip to Margie, who didn’t exactly understand all of it. “And then we shall find what’s his face and set him on track!”
Margie shook her head. Did she understand? Nope. Did I think she was going to? No. Did I think we were going to find this guy?
The world may never know.
???’s POV
I live on an island, one that is far… far… away. No one knows of it, and I intend to keep it that way. It’s a nasty little island, perfect for a lair meant for the most wanted of wanteds by the police. I hide here with my brother, who decided to run away from Mom and Dad a few years ago. Somehow I was dragged along. He is a cruel, vindictive criminal who had been wanted by the Animal Crossing government for some time now. I hate to be related to him, because I know that if I get caught with him, I’m going to the slammer… or worse.
It’s hard to survive on the island. Tropical storms raid our four islands weekly, one every few days. Sunshine is rare on the islands, which my brother says is good. “No one wants to come on an island that has no sun, even if they found our side of the seas.” Rainbows were rarer. I had always wanted to see one of these, but since there was no sun, no illusions could be emitted through the sun’s rays. I’m a pretty smart rascal, as my brother calls me. He uses me for my extraordinary skills of education and knowledge. Plus, I'm a pretty good actress, if I do say so myself.
Which is why he never gets caught.
He brings me with him on his ‘excursions’ sometimes, only so that he would have an excuse if he got caught, which is, “My sister lost her way from me, and I had to find her in the dark world.” And then I would say, “Is that you, brother?” I’m five, so I’m “police-bait”. My brother says I’m his ticket to get out of trouble.
But I’m lonely. I had one other sister that I’m dying to play with, but she’s two and she lives somewhere in the county with the rest of our family. Mom and Dad, I knew, were still hunting for us. My brother was Mom’s first son; I her daughter. I knew for a fact that Mom was saddened when she had Ellie, my new sister. It reminded her of me. How do I know all this? Well, some of it is probably my brother’s lies, but most of it is just my heart. I can feel it. They are searching for me, and I’d flag them down if my brother would let me.
He said that I was a blabber mouth. “Listen, you may be smart, kid, but you still are my little sister. You’ll rat me out to Mom and Dad if they find us.” But now that I think about it, what did he say about me finding them?
Posted:
6/8/2013 4:38pm
