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A decision

Nise Dreamweaver
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4
A decision

Hello friends!

 

I hope you all are having a great day and that all your Simmies are doing well. 🙂

I’ve come to a decision. Oh, don’t worry. It’s not bad news or anything like that. It’s just simply me announcing a decision I’ve made in regard to one of my stories. For those of you who follow my other blog, you may have seen the story called Heartsongs & Enchantments. It’s the crossover story I began featuring Mathilda’s daughter, Alina and her now fiancé, Robin, who is Cian and Theresa’s son and Lauren’s twin brother. It also started out as a legacy. However, there are going to be some changes. First off, I’m moving their story over here to this blog since it is a crossover story with Forever in Time. And with Robin and Alina being featured here anyway and Alina having written some pen pal letters here, it makes more logical sense to host them over here.

As mentioned, the story began as a legacy, but I’ve decided to nix that. Yes, I’m sure their family will grow, but I’ve already got another legacy on my other blog to contend with, plus a sort of mini-legacy. I really don’t want another right now. So, I’ve decided it’ll be an ongoing story that’ll still cross over and fit very well with Forever in Time. I will add an introductory page on this blog for their story as well as add their character profiles to the cast list.

I will keep the original posts on the other blog but will repost them here for your reading pleasure. For those who haven’t begun their story, I encourage you to read it when posted here, as these characters are very important and certainly near and dear to my heart.

The big decision is made, but there is one thing I’m still toying with. I’d love feedback on the two options I’ll outline below, as I’m totally undecided as to how to proceed once I get to a certain point.

Option A: Keep the two stories as two stories that cross over at times. Heartsongs & Enchantments is written in the First Person POV while Forever in Time is in Third Person POV. So basically, this option is to keep both stories here on this blog but keep them as two separate stories.

Option B: Have Heartsongs & ENchantments be a mini-story and end at a certain point, then incorporate the characters fully into Forever in Time. Robin and Alina are part of the big picture anyway, so they can easily be fully “inducted” once we get to a certain point. Then, it’s just one big ongoing story with chapters featuring different characters, just like how I am writing it now.

Anyway, if you have an opinion one way or another, please post it in the comments section.

I will begin the reposting process probably today. So far, I have eight chapters over there for Robin and Alina with a ninth one being edited and screenshot as we speak. If you haven’t read their story, please do once the posts appear here, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it. If you have already read it up to its current point, please feel free to refresh your memories, as Robin and Alina do appear in my main story, and characters from there do appear with Robin and Alina.

As always, thank you all for your support and hanging in there with me. Much love to you all.

Forever in Time: Chapter 45, Calling in the Cavalry

Nise Dreamweaver
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7
Forever in Time: Chapter 45, Calling in the Cavalry

 

As Tyrone requested, Deus and Erica, Cian and Theresa, and Mathilda and Liam arrived at his house as the sun awoke to renew the morning. Crystal and Landon, Robin and Alina, Lauren, and Valerie were also present. However, it took a good deal of time for everyone to calm down and make their way inside. Lauren’s homecoming was a lively topic of conversation. Being the close family that the Landgraabs were, many hugs were exchanged, and Lauren was welcomed home with excitement, happy tears, and loads of questions.

 

 

Crystal and Erica served coffee to the grateful family members. This early in he morning, everyone needed a jolt. Plus, alertness was key if they were going to crack this mystery.

“Thank you all for coming,” Tyrone started out. “I’m sure you all know why you’re here.”

“Indeed,” Mathilda said. “This gathering has been a long time in coming.”

Tyrone nodded. “I should have done this a lot sooner, I know. It took my grandmother verbally kicking my ass for me to fully listen to my Sixth Sense and acknowledge what I already knew. It’s just…” He vigorously rubbed his hands over his face and groaned in frustration and despair. “How does one come to terms with something like this? I lost my wife…saw her die and felt her leave me…only to come to the realization that who we buried wasn’t her. How the hell am I supposed to deal with that?”

 

“You’re dealing with it now, brother. You’re taking action, and that’s what needs to happen,” Valerie said, then took a huge gulp of her strong, black coffee.

“You’ve been through a lot, sweetie. You’ve had major reasons to feel scrambled,” Erica replied. “The main thing is that we’re all together now and can compare notes. Perhaps with all of us putting our heads together, we can come up with an explanation, at least maybe a partial one.”

“We all agree that Tyrone’s decision to have Lenora, or who we thought was Lenora, exhumed is the right thing to do. Am I correct?” Cian added, getting to the main reason for the meeting.

“Agreed,” Mathilda said with an emphatic nod.

 

“I trust Uncle Tyrone’s instincts,” Robin added. “Never have I known them to be wrong.”

“How does this work?” Valerie asked. “I mean, we all can’t just march out to the cemetery like an army of ants and…” An audible click was heard as she swallowed around the large lump forming in her throat.

Deus squeezed his younger daughter to his side and patted her shoulder. “It takes some doing. Even in a Supernatural community such as ours, it takes some doing. An order must be sent to the President of the Witches’ Council to be signed off on. Now we have an in since it’s up to Erica, who is the current President. Besides, Mathilda’s opinions carry a ton of weight, and Robin’s agreement as a magical police officer will speed things along a lot faster.”

“Guess it pays to have family in charge. But…but just what are we looking for? I mean, this is such a strange situation.” You don’t know the half of it, and you’ll all hate me once my part in all this comes out. I shouldn’t have come here. I should be–

Valerie’s panicked thoughts were interrupted by another comforting squeeze from her father. Unable to help herself, she clung to Deus as tears slid slowly down her cheeks.

However, Valerie wasn’t the only one crying. Alina’s cheeks were wet, and she’d gone the color of sour milk. Robin snaked an arm around his distraught betrothed’s waist and snuggled her close. “It’s…it’s…so ghastly,” she squeaked, her voice constricted with revulsion and grief. “She will stink of the ground she was buried in, and…and…” She gasped and closed her eyes at the grisly images that assaulted her mind’s eye.

“Alina, child.” Mathilda came to Alina’s other side, took her cold, clammy hand, and rubbed it vigorously between her own warm, comforting ones. “We spelled the casket and what was inside to keep everything perfectly preserved. The body was contained in a magically induced airtight seal. Tyrone wanted it that way, darling. Lenora…well, what was thought to be Lenora…will be as she was when we saw her last…at the funeral.”

“I-I just couldn’t bear to think of my Lenora rotting and decaying in the ground. The mere thought of it just made me ill. I just couldn’t allow that to happen.” Tyrone rested his elbows on the palms of his hands, hugging himself. This was so hard to face, even with the loving support of his family around him.

 

“We understand, Uncle,” Lauren said, rubbing his back, then taking a healthy swallow of her own coffee. I don’t fully understand. I mean, I’ve never been loved like that. I wonder what that feels like.

“Right then. Let’s get down to it.” Theresa got to her feet, conjured a large easel, and waved her hand before it. Taking it upon herself to be the group’s secretary, she called forth a small blue light that poised itself in front of the white paper, ready to write as each person spoke.

 

“It’s clear to all of us that it was Lenora at the hospital, and it was she who apparently passed,” Deus began. He related his experience of smelling something akin to almonds on her breath as he’d sat by her bedside. “I’ve smelled something like that before but even now, I just cannot, for the life of me, put my finger on it. Plus, Lenora certainly did not smell of death beforehand nor afterward.”

“A burning question I want to know is, how the hell did Ma get so sick in the first place? This so-called mysterious illness is suspicious in itself,” Landon said. “Ma was the picture of health, then is near death the next instant. That, to me, doesn’t add up.”

Valerie winced against Deus’s side and swore under her breath. This is hitting way too close to home. I didn’t remember any of it until Neil jogged my memory. Oh, Landon, you’ll want to kill me when you find out what I did. I…I’m so, so sorry.

“Valerie, honey, are you okay?” Deus asked, rubbing his daughter’s shoulder.

“Y-yeah. It’s all just so sudden. I mean, this is just about like one of those B-rated horror movies except it’s real and happening to us. I’m just a bit…spooked, I guess.” Spooked, hell! I’ll never watch another Friday the 13th movie again!

 

“Me, as well. I ne’er could have kindled anything so vexing in all my imaginings,” Alina added.

Robin nodded and kissed his fiancé’s cold fingers. “I know, my love. I’ve seen way too much in my career, but I must say that this is rising to the top of that list.”

Everyone was silent for moment, lost in their own thoughts. The first to speak was a shaken Liam, who exhaled a shuddering breath. “When Mathilda and I returned, we went to see Lenora for ourselves. It was my beautiful granddaughter lying there. That was undeniable. But she was warm when she should have gone cold. By the time we got there, she should have been cold. I held her and–” Liam bowed his head into his hands and wept softly. “Och! My beautiful, sweet Lenora! To see her that way–” His brogue thickened with the immense heartsickness that engulfed him.

“I know, Liam, dear.” Mathilda took the broken Irishman in her arms to console him. “We’ll figure this out, dearheart.” Her poor Liam had been as much of a mess as Tyrone but in a different way.

Tyrone clapped Liam on the shoulder and sighed. “Lenora loved you with all her heart, Grandda Liam. You can be sure of that.”

“Aye, laddie, I know. A grandda just isn’t supposed to see his heart’s treasure like that. It isn’t right.” Liam ran a hand through his hair. “Forgive me. Yowling and ringing my hands certainly won’t help us get to the bottom of this.”

A great, despairing sob racked Valerie’s body, and all the color drained from her face. “I…I must get out of here. I’m so sorry. I’m…sorry. Please…forgive me.” With that, she ran from the room, nearly crashing into the broom stand from barely being able to see through her tears. The gust of inconsolable weeping was abruptly cut off as she ran from the house, slamming the door behind her.

“Auntie, come back!” Lauren called, then stood up to go after Valerie. “Oh, gosh!”

“Let her be, sweetheart. I’ll talk to her later and try to calm her down. I think your auntie just wants to be alone right now to sort all this out in her own mind.” Theresa put a sure, comforting hand on her daughter’s arm.

However, Mathilda’s lips thinned, and she shared a look with Liam. //Something is off with that girl. She’s been off since before all this happened.//

//Aye, Mathilda, my darling. She’s been wound up tight as a drum for so long now. She knows something but isn’t sharing.// Liam immediately responded to Mathilda’s telepathic message, affirming his own suspicions.

 

After an awkward silence, Theresa cleared her throat and spoke of her attempts to contact Cian during Lenora’s illness. “What I find odd is that Cian, Grandda Liam, and Mathilda were unreachable during all this. Something…or someone…wanted to keep all of you away for some reason. It’s my hunch that any of you could have found out what the problem was and fixed it. So then, it’s this Dr. Hughes who ends up with Lenora’s case. Now, I think we all believe he did what he could to the best of his ability and was sincere in wanting to help Lenora. However, I’m unfamiliar with him and why he handled her case.”

“Neil Hughes is a very talented and promising young man. He has much to learn, but he learns fast. He’s been studying under me for quite some time now. Plus, he’s very gifted in figuring out Supernatural illnesses and cloning organs to be used for transplant patients. The knowledge he has and shares has saved more lives than when people had to wait for someone else to die to receive a much needed organ. Lenora was in good hands with Neil. This was just too much and happened to quickly for him to get a handle on,” Cian said. “Still, darling, I understand your concern.”

Tyrone then spoke of what his Sixth Sense had been trying to bonk into his head. “Who was laid out in that casket looked like my Lenora, but deep down, I knew…I knew…she wasn’t. All I could smell was embalming chemicals and death, nothing else. There was no sense of my Lenora there. She smelled like a…clean slate.”

“I didn’t think about this, to ask to look at her more closely as she was laid out,” Liam continued, “but hearing all of what everyone is saying, I should have. I had no reason to believe it was anything other than Lenora being prepared for burial.” He ran an agitated hand through his hair.

 

“What is it, Grandda Liam?” Robin asked.

“Lenora has this mark behind her right knee,” Liam said quickly. “It’s a crescent shaped mark but a very powerfully magical one. She was marked as the Chosen One.”

“I know that mark very well,” Tyrone said. “I didn’t look for it either. I didn’t think of it. All this other stuff hit me, and that mark was the farthest thing from my mind.”

“You had to really look for it to ever notice it,” Theresa replied. “We all know about Lenora’s mission and how special her powers are. That mark would definitely single her out.”

“It is a mark that cannot be duplicated,” Mathilda said. “This is reason enough to move forward with the exhumation. Whatever…or whoever…is buried in that grave needs to be thoroughly examined. First, we must confirm our suspicions that it’s not Lenora in there. Secondly, if what we suspect is true, we need to find out what happened to the real Lenora and why. And if Lenora truly is no longer with us, she deserves to be laid to rest in what was prepared for her…where she belongs.”

“She belongs with me   with us!” Tyrone barked. “My Sixth Sense keeps telling me she’s alive. Somehow, she’s alive. I get flashes where I can feel her plain as day but then, they’re gone almost as quickly as they came. She’s alive! I know my Lenora is somehow alive out there, and she needs me.” He got up to pace, his nerve endings on edge from restless agitation.

 

Erica rushed to her son’s side and enfolded him in her arms. “Okay, darling. It’s going to be all right, Tyrone, darling.” She rubbed his back and spoke in low, soothing tones. “I know you are in turmoil and rightfully so. We’re going to fix it, sweetheart. If you say Lenora is alive, we believe you. Robin is right. Your instincts have never been wrong. They have never failed your Lenora, and they won’t now. We’re all going to help you find Lenora and get her back home to you and the children. She’ll come back. She’ll come back to all of us. Keep believing that, Tyrone. Your Lenora needs you to do that for her, all right?”

“Thank you, Mom.” Tyrone kissed his mother’s cheek and hugged her close, his heartbeat returning to a more normal pace. “Did I ever tell you I’m eternally grateful that you’re my mother?”

Erica chuckled and rubbed a loving hand over his hair. “Yes, dear, but I never get tired of hearing it.” At seeing him smile, Erica’s own grin widened. “There, now, that’s my love. That’s my Tyrone with the laughing eyes. Oh, how I’ve missed that. I wondered if I would ever see your smile reach your eyes again.” She framed his face with her hands and drank him in. “We will find Lenora. We will find her and bring her home.”

“Aurora always said Lenora would come back,” Tyrone said.

“You should listen to her and believe in her. Your beautiful princess has the second sight of Ariadne,” Erica said matter-of-factly.

“I will, I promise.” Tyrone leaned his cheek against his mother’s warm, capable hand. “But the biggest question remains. Where is my Lenora? Where…is…she? Who did this and why? I want answers, Mom, and I swear when I get them, I cannot promise I can hold the Wolf back from pounding into the ground whoever hurt my Lenora and took her from me and left my kids without their mother. I will not rest until my beautiful Lenora is back in my arms.”

 

The sun was starting to shine through the curtains when Andrea awoke from a dream-filled sleep. “Ma?” she croaked, her eyes still closed. Andrea’s dreams were filled with her mother. She swore she could feel her mother’s long golden hair tickle her cheek as she leaned over to kiss her. The scent of Lenora’s favorite lilac perfume permeated the air. Andrea was positive she’d heard her mother calling to her in her dream. I’m alive, Andrea, my heart. It’s going to be all right, love. Ma loves ye so, so much, Andrea. Please, please believe that.

Tears slid from under Andrea’s closed eyelids as wakefulness pulled her up and out of the dream. The images and sense of Lenora began to fade, and Andrea fought, without success, to slide back into dreaming slumber.

Andrea slowly opened her eyes, sniffed loudly, and ran the backs of her hands over her wet cheeks. This was not going to be a good morning, not at all.

Feeling parched, Andrea climbed out of bed and made her way toward the bathroom with the stealth of the wolf she was. However, she stopped short when voices from downstairs reached her. Six O’clock? She frowned at her watch,, puzzled at hearing so many familiar voices. It was way too early for company, even for close family members.

Unable to resist the pull of curiosity, Andrea tiptoed back to her room to riffle through the top drawer of her dresser. “Ha, gotcha!” She grinned in triumph as she retrieved a set of Apple AirPods that Aurora had magicked in order to make eavesdropping much easier, even for a wolf with supersonic hearing. Pushing them into her ears, she sneaked to the top of the steps and pointed the open case toward where the voices sounded. Oh, GG Mathilda had probably put a sound-blocking charm on the living room to keep them from waking up and hearing anything. However, Jonas and Aurora had figured out a workaround, and Aurora had made the spell on the AirPods even stronger with her magical music.

Andrea stood, transfixed, mouth agape, as the conversation revealed itself to her. “Holy…!” She breathed out the word as soundlessly as she could, then clamped her hand over her mouth to keep the surfacing expletive from actually surfacing. She gripped the banister as she listened. Her Ma was alive! Aurora had always believed it and said she would come back. Da now believed it. Andrea now fully believed it, too, thanks to the chilling conversation and what she felt in her dreams. It was real! Somehow I felt her. It was real. Oh, Ma, where are you? Please come back to us. We need you so bad.

//Ma…?// Andrea reached out her blossoming telepathic senses.

Andrea jumped, momentarily losing her hold on the banister, and nearly falling down the stairs when she felt a quick flash of her mother’s deep-seated unconditional love come to her.

Author’s Note: You can read more about Robin and Alina by clicking here. They have their own story, which is a crossover with this story. If you haven’t done so, please don’t forget to subscribe and follow my other blog as well as this one. Please, and thank you. 🙂

Sorry I couldn’t get all the characters pictured in this chapter that were present. The more Sims I have in a household, the laggier (is that even a word? Haha!) and more temperamental my game gets. Crashing, then, becomes a huge problem, and I end up doing a fair amount of cussing. 😀 As there was a lot of dialogue in this chapter, I figured it would make my life a helluva lot easier to just make everyone sit down and drink coffee, especially with so many Sims to contend with.

As always, thanks so much for reading, commenting, liking, and subscribing.

Forever in Time: Chapter 44, Mending and Strategy

Nise Dreamweaver
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4
Forever in Time: Chapter 44, Mending and Strategy

***CONTENT WARNING! Mild swearing***

 

Fixing her eyes on Neil, he seemed to Lenora like an avenging angel. This was the second glimmer of hope that at least something during this whole sordid ordeal was turning in her favor. Valerie had come through and brought the doctor to her, and Lenora would grasp at anything he had to offer to help her feel halfway normal again.

“I think under the circumstances, you’d better call me Lenora. I reckon we’ll be going through a lot together.”

Smiling, Neil nodded and waved his hand before Lenora’s forehead to take her temperature. This was much better than sticking a thermometer into someone’s mouth. “And I’m Neil. You’re right. We’re in this too deeply for formalities.” His smile rearranged itself into a frown. “You’re burning up with fever, and you have a behemoth case of pneumonia.”

 

“Brilliant deduction, Dr. Watson,” Lenora quipped, trying to grin a little. The corners of her mouth did manage to curve at seeing Neil’s own slight grin. “Um, so…how bad am I?” she asked, her expression turning grim.

Neil sighed, sat on the edge of the bed beside her, and took her hand. “Well,, I commend you for your inner strength and will to fight. Anyone else as bad off as you are would be dead or damned well near it. Frankly, you’re lucky to still be with us.”

“It’s my mission to get back to my family. I do not want to die in here.” Lenora produced a bone-rattling cough and whimpered in pain. “As bad as this hurts, I must survive. I must!”

“That’s why I’m here.” Neil patted Lenora’s hand, then squeezed it before focusing his attention on his bag and sifting through its contents. “Now then, did you take the stuff I left for Valerie to give you earlier?”

“I did. The nausea has quieted down a good deal, and I was able to get in a little sleep while she left me to bring ye here. As ye already know though, it was full of dreams. Dream visions I call them.” She sighed, the last of it ending on a wheeze. “Maybe…hopefully, I reached one of them. Maybe one of them felt me.” She quickly explained her abilities, giving Neil the barebones edition of what her magical powers could do.

“I am familiar with them, Lenora. Valerie has told me a great deal about you. Plus, you have an extremely detailed chart at the hospital outlining your medical history, magical experiences, and record of your blood donations to the special Supernatural blood bank. For your sake and theirs, I certainly hope you made a successful connection. None of you deserve what happened, and I feel partially responsible for causing you all such anguish. It’s a wonder you’re even speaking to me, let alone trusting me with your care.” Neil blew out a long breath and looked down at Lenora’s hand resting at her side. “I’m so terribly sorry. I hope one day you can forgive me even though I don’t deserve it in the slightest.”

Lenora reached for his hand, holding it between her fevered ones. “I understand. Truly, I do. Ye tried to help me, Neil. I know your heart, and I sense how knowledgeable and capable of a healer and clinician ye are.” She placed her right hand over his heart, smiling as she felt the doctor’s compassion and caring shining through. “Ye see, ye gave me the strength to muster a smile. Having ye here to help me makes me want to fight even harder. Ye are good for my morale.”

 

“I’m glad, Lenora. You need the will to fight in order to help get you better.” Neil offered a fleeting smile, then looked at her in self-loathing. “What I put you all through. The clone…”

“Ye were frightened for your mother. That is powerful motivation, my new friend. However, this is a big learning experience. Giving in will only drag ye deeper into the abyss, and blackmailers will demand more and more every time ye cave.” As always, when giving sage advice and when she felt deep emotion, Lenora’s Irish brogue thickened. “I think ye now know where to go to for help. Mathiilda will rant and rail at ye for a time, but she will listen. Just show her that ye are sincere, and she will help ye.”

“Valerie says your husband called some family meeting that’s supposed to happen at first light tomorrow morning.” He looked at his watch and whistled. “Strange hours we’ve all been keeping. Sunup is only a few hours from now. Anyway, I’m supposed to go to Mathilda later in the afternoon. Truth be told, I’m quite scared of her.”

 

Lenora nodded her understanding. “Mathilda isn’t one to trifle with. Just be honest with her, and she will listen. Follow everything she tells ye, for she will not steer ye wrongly.” She eyed each vial and bottle Neil pulled out of his bag to set before her. “I dreamt that this meeting is to talk about exhuming me…eh…my double. Your clone will certainly be discovered, Neil. Tyrone, Mathilda, and the others will know what to look for, and they’ll discover that what is buried will not be me.”

“I know. I’ll come clean about the entire thing, I promise you.” He handed her a small vial with liquid in shades of blue swirling inside. “Drink this first. It’s a stronger, much more potent anti-nausea potion. You’ll be able to keep stuff down. It’ll lasts for a couple days, but I’ll leave more for when you need it.”

Without question, Lenora drank down everything Neil gave her. He explained what everything was for, some of which she knew while others were unfamiliar. “When we’re both in the clear and out of danger, we must exchange Alchemy recipes.”

“That would be great! A lot of these are of my own creation. They’ve gone through extensive testing, so don’t worry about strange side effects. You’ll just be very, very drowsy and want to sleep all day, but that’s exactly what you need. You need your rest, Lenora.” He reached his hand to feel her forehead. “Your fever is coming down already, and I’ve performed a charm to take care of the night sweats and to keep you dry and clean.”

“Yes, I felt it, and I thank ye for your kindness.” She touched his hand, squeezing his fingers. “May your heart soon be lifted from sorrow, and may the sun carry ye once more to beautiful and balanced tranquility.”

Neil felt unexpected tears sting the corners of his eyes. “You have such a beautiful, loving spirit, Lenora. Even now after everything you’ve been through…you’re a lovely person. It’s no wonder so many people love you so. My mother…she’s a great fan of yours.”

Lenora smiled at his compliment and squeezed his hand again. “Your mother is fortunate in having such a wonderful, compassionate son. I hope to meet her one day. Neil, after all this is said and done, I want us to grow our friendship. There is much we can learn from each other.” At seeing Neil cock a questioning eyebrow at her, Lenora continued. “We were put in each other’s lives for a reason, Neil. There are obstacles we must overcome to be free of the dangers we are in, but if all three of us stick it out together, we will triumph.”

 

“I’ll do anything I can to get us all out of this mess,” Neil said.

“Me, too,” Valerie said determinedly.

“All right then. For starters, here is what we need to do.” Lenora was relieved when the potions quickly took effect, for she was able to take a much deeper breath than she’d been able to in weeks. “I’m to play along and get Allen to trust me. I think I can do that. I do, indeed, feel sorry for the poor man. He is clearly addled, and I suspect he is off his medication. Valerie, if ye can somehow look for a medication list for Allen in Shane’s stuff, do what ye can to get it to Neil. Neil, if ye can get them filled, please do, and then give them to me for keeping. I’m sure between the two of us, we can come up with a shielding spell to keep them hidden from Shane. I will work on Allen and convince him to take them, and I’ll administer them to him myself. Naturally, we will need to keep Clayton from finding out. I’m hoping that if we can get Allen to clearer thinking, he may be more receptive to telling me things we need to know. I don’t expect him to actually let me go, but I think we can uncover some valuable information. My hope is that we can even help him, too. Och, that poor, poor man!”

“I’d say someone is feeling much better,” Valerie grinned in spite of their dire situation. “Lenora strategizing. I love it. Right. I’m in.” It was the first time she’d spoken since Neil commenced his thorough examination of Lenora.

“And me,” Neil replied. “I’m in total agreement. Allen needs help as well. He’s definitely in need of treatment. Now, here’s another thing we need to consider. We’ve got to find a way of breaking this curse or hex, whatever was used to magic this cell. It drains you of your power, Lenora, and that is part of what is weakening you. That and being deathly ill is a horrible combination. I will consult my Grimoire and see if I wrote down anything over the years that can help us. My guess is that as Clayton can’t cast magic himself, he bought some kind of curse from a witch or wizard who practices the dark arts. Rack your brain, too, Lenora, and see if anything comes to mind.”

“I can do that. Plus, the sooner ye get me stronger, the sooner I can test things out in here and see what the limitations are to my magic whilst trapped inside. Och! I wish I had access to my own Grimoire to consult. Well, we’ll just have to see what this old noggin can do.” She shrugged and tapped her head. Moments later, however, Lenora produced a jaw-popping yawn. “I think I’m running out of gas, my loves.”

“Then, sleep, Lenora. That’s the best thing for you right now,” Neil said, gently pushing her back onto her pillow.

“Just promise me something.”

“What?” Valerie asked, stroking her sister-in-law’s hair.

 

Lenora’s eyes slid closed, but she fought them open for just a moment more. “Promise me…if I don’t make it back in time for…” She trailed off, her eyes closing again.

“What, sweetie. What is it?” Valerie coaxed in a soft whisper.

“Promise me…tell the wee ones…how much I love them if I don’t make it in time…for their birthdays.”

“I’ll tell them, Lenora. I promise.” Tears stood out in Valerie’s eyes as she leaned over to kiss Lenora’s brow.

 

Lenora blinked once before her eyes slid closed once again. After a soft sigh, her breathing became deep and even, unlabored, at least for now, by Neil’s potions. Before escorting Valerie to the cell door, Neil performed a restful sleep spell over his patient and left her to the healing slumber she so desperately needed.

Author’s Note: I’m sorry if this chapter seems a little short. I wrote something longer, but then, it got too long and so felt it was better to break it up into two smaller chunks. This means you will likely see the next chapter in the next day or so. I’ll post it once I get done with the editing and screenshots.

Just as a fun little thing – I’m a pretty big fan of the TV show Charmed and have always wanted to get my mitts on a replica of the Halliwell sisters’ Book of Shadows. I normally don’t get a lot of trinkets from book series, movies, or TV shows I like, but once in a while, I’ll fork over the lettuce if some sort of collector’s book grabs my attention. Some years back, I wound up pulling the trigger and getting a collector’s edition of Beetle the Bard. Harry Potter fans will know exactly what I’m talking about. 😀

Anyway, long story short, I did manage to find q Book of Shadows replica and got my hot little hands on it recently. Yep, I probably paid way too much, but let me tell you, the thing is huge, heavy, and jam-packed with stuff from the show, like the spells, potions, and notes written by the three sisters and family members now deceased. It really is a beautiful piece. Although my witches are more traditional and not wiccan based, the book is inspiring me to make my own sort of Forever in Time reference book to keep track of the spells I write for my characters, how their powers have evolved and grown, and things the characters need to know and will learn as Supernatural folks.

Sounds exciting, right? Well, hang onto your hats for now, my lovelies. 🙂 This is just in the thinking stages for right now and nothing serious has been planned. If it does come to fruition, I’ll make a video flip of it for my YouTube channel and share that link in a future blog post. I love journaling, and anything creative I can do with something in my HUGE collection of blank journals appeals to me greatly.

So, I’m curious. Has anyone else made a sort of Sim book, journal, or something that represents your own SimLit story or even a favorite Save that’s near and dear to your heart? If so, I’d love to hear about it.

As always, thanks for reading, commenting, liking, sharing, and subscribing.

Forever in Time: Chapter 43, Into the Dreaming

Nise Dreamweaver
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4
Forever in Time: Chapter 43, Into the Dreaming

 

After Valerie left, Lenora fell into a fitful sleep full of disjointed and bizarre dreams. She was lying in a hospital bed, Wolf Tyrone beside her. He was crying and caressing her cheek, begging her to come back to him. I’m here, Wolfman. I’m just asleep but can’t wake up for some reason. I’m alive, sweetheart! Don’t cry. Oh, please, darling, don’t cry. I’m all right. I promise ye, I’m all right. Why could she not wake up, and why did Tyrone think her dead?

 

Aurora was sitting on her bed, her little head bowed, her voice humming softly. Oh, her little girl had such a beautiful, strong voice, so mature and developed for her age. But oh, the grief and sadness in it now!

“Raindrops on a window pane
Stillness of a summer rain
Silently the haze drifts through the trees
Slowly dawn is breaking through
Yet a morning without you

Curtains rustling in the breeze
I’m still trapped within my dreams
Daylight makes its way into my mind
Coming through
Yet another morning without you”

That tune sounded so familiar but the words were somehow different than she’d ever remembered hearing. In the dream, Lenora tried to call out to her daughter and reach for her. No sound came, nor could she move to hold her close. Aurora…sweetheart. Ma’s here. Ma’s right here, my darling Aurora. I haven’t left ye, my sweet girl. Ma’s here…I’m right here. But Aurora couldn’t hear her. Why couldn’t she make Aurora hear her?

 

Crystal was at the mailbox retrieving what was inside, muttering darkly about bills, junk mail, and letters from charities begging for the Landgraabs’ and Athertons’ donations. “Guess it’s about that time for yearly donations, I suppose. Somehow, it just doesn’t seem important anymore. Oh, Calista, give us all the strength to get through this. It’s just not getting any easier for any of us.”

 

Seeing a boy with unmistakable red hair approach on his bicycle, Crystal dashed away a few tears that traced their way down her cheeks. Once dry eyed, she opened her arms to receive Carson in her warm embrace. “Hey, sweetie, how are you?”

“Oh, I’m OK, I guess,” Carson said, returning the hug.

Crystal took a step back to look into the troubled face of the young boy. “You look like you’ve been crying. Has something happened?”

Carson looked away and angrily swiped his hands across his damp cheeks. “Damnation! I’m nothing but a big baby.”

Crystal studied Carson intently for a moment, then hugged him again. “You still miss her, don’t you? Your Aunt Lenora, that is.”

“How did you…?”

“I see it in your aura, honey. Hey, listen to me. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. You love her and miss her terribly. We all do, and believe me, you’re not the only one around here blubbering.” She ruffled Carson’s hair and offered him a tremulous smile.

Carson burst into fresh tears, falling into Crystal’s arms again, and clinging to her as though he were drowning in the ocean. “I was cleaning out my desk today…Ms. Duncan makes us do it every nine weeks. I found m-my book report th-that Aunt Lenora helped me with…the one I g-got an A on. It’s the last one sh-she helped me with b-before she went away. I c-couldn’t help it, C-crystal…I had to r-run to the bathroom before the whole class s-saw me bawling.”

In the dream, Lenora was a spectator, every disjointed scene playing before her like a bad movie. She could cry in the dream, and she did. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to get to Carson, to fold him into her arms. Och, Carson, sweetheart! Forgive your old Auntie Lenora. I’m so sorry I made ye cry, my darling. I was so proud of ye for that book report. Ye deserved that A. Ah, ye worked so hard on it, and it was my pleasure to help ye, sweetheart. I love ye so much, dear. Aunt Lenora will always love ye ever so, so much.

All Crystal could do was hold him. She didn’t fight it as her own tears surfaced again. “I know what your auntie meant to you. We all miss her terribly. She was crazy over the moon for you. She’d be so proud of you.”

“It just isn’t right, Crystal. Why should Aunt Lenora be in the ground? It just isn’t fair! Why her?”

Crystal shook her head and wiped at her tears, then dried Carson’s with a fresh tissue. “I don’t know, sweetie. Sometimes bad things just happen to good people. It isn’t fair, but it’s beyond our control.”

“I wish I could have told her one more time how much I love her and gave her another hug,” Carson said, swallowing hard.

Crystal kissed his still damp cheek, then knelt before him so she was at eye level with him. “Aunt Lenora knew how much you loved her, sweetheart, and you never shorted her on hugs. The two of you had a very special relationship, and it’s those wonderful times you need to try to remember, okay?”

Och, Carson! Crystal is right. I do know ye love me, and your hugs were always so loving and fierce. I wish I could hug ye now.

“I’ll try.” Carson looked up at Crystal with big, pleading eyes. “I came here…because I wanted to ask you…I mean…”

“What is it, Carson?” Crystal asked, concern in her voice.

“I wanted to take some flowers to Aunt Lenora and I wondered…you see…I wondered if maybe you could make them bloom real nice. I mean, could you use your fairy magic to…you know…?”

Crystal smoothed his hair and kissed the top of his head. “Sure, sweetie, I can do that. I think your Aunt Lenora would like that very much.”

“I hope so. She always liked pretty things and when I made little cards for her and stuff. She…” His face crumpled for a moment but he managed to maintain some control. “I still wish I’d told her one more time I love her.”

“You can talk to her all you want at the cemetery, all right? Do you want to go right now?”

“Yes, please.” He was silent as Crystal led him to her car. She made a show of waving her fingers and transporting some flowers from her own garden. It made Carson giggle a little when she thrust them under his nose. “They smell so nice, and they’re so pretty already.”

“They’ll look and smell even prettier once we plant them and I make them bloom more. Now, buckle up and we’ll be off.”

 

Crystal backed away to give Carson his privacy once they’d arrived at the spot where “Lenora” was buried. He gently laid the flowers next to the tombstone and sat on the grass, moving his hands over the fresh blades in a caressing gesture. He then traced his finger over his aunt’s name and spoke in a choked voice. “Into Paradise may the angels lead you.”

From Simon Burch! Ah, that little prayer for Rebecca. Oh, Carson, I wish I could tell ye, all of ye, that I’m alive. How can I reach ye? Och, it grieves me so to see ye all so sad and grieving for me. I will make this up to all of ye one day. I swear it, Carson. For now, just know how much Aunt Lenora loves ye.

“I miss you, Aunt Lenora. I wish you weren’t gone. I wish…” He choked on a sob. “I wish I told you I loved you one more time. You never cared that I didn’t have wings. You always made me feel…like I belonged even though I don’t have any kind of magic like everyone else does.” He traced her name again with a loving finger. “I got a gold star in school today and an A on the book report you helped me with. I wish I could have told you…but…you went away. But maybe you knew anyway. You just always knew stuff like that. I hope wherever you are that you can see me. I wish…I wish I could have hugged you one more time.”

 

The dream changed again, and Lenora saw both sets of quads standing in the bedroom she’d shared with Tyrone. Mathilda and Grandda were there, too. When the picture came into sharper relief, clear strains of conversation came.

“Sometimes we just want to be in here. We can still feel her,” Jonas said.

“It makes us feel closer to her, like she’s not really gone,” Chris said, sitting up from where he’d been lying on the side of the bed Lenora had slept on.

“Her dresses…everything she wore…it still smells like her,” Andrea whispered.

“She’ll come back! I know she will, but…but oh, how I still miss her!” Tears stood out in Aurora’s eyes, and slowly made their way down her little cheeks.

 

Even as a wolf cub, Chris was able to act with lightening-fast reflexes. He sprang to his feet, got to Aurora’s side, and pulled her in for a tight hug. He was always quick to tease his sisters, who gave it right back, but when it came down to basics, he was always there to protect them. “Don’t cry, sis. It’s gonna be okay.” Chris’s guttural wolf’s voice sounded in her ear.

“I know. It’s just…it’s just so sad. And with you and Andrea being wolfed out all the time…”

Och, my poor darlings! What have I done to all of ye? In the dream, Lenora couldn’t staunch the flow of tears that wet her cheeks and dripped to the floor.

“I know. It’s just…well, we couldn’t fight the urge, and maybe it’s best. Maybe we need to stay wolfed out so we can protect the rest of the family.” Chris rubbed his sister’s back and stroked stray tendrils of golden hair from her face. “Don’t cry anymore, Aurora. And all those sad songs you sing and play on the piano…it tears my guts up, you know. The way it makes me feel when you put your juice in it and all…” He trailed off, unable to find adequate words to continue the thought. Instead, he simply repeated his request that she not cry anymore.

“Sorry. I just…can’t help it.” Aurora sighed and wiped at her wet cheeks. “You do believe me about what I saw, don’t you? You know, about Ma coming back.”

“Sure,” Chris said, squeezing her again. The other kids murmured their agreement. If Aurora said she had a vision of something, they knew better than to question it. Aurora’s visions were always spot on.

Liam and Mathilda exchanged a look and then both nodded. “Your visions have never been wrong, sweetheart.” Mathilda didn’t comment further. There was still so much unexplained strangeness about all of it, and the children were way too young to be hearing much of it.

In the dream, Lenora smiled for the first time. I will find a way back, Aurora. I swear that to ye here and now. Oh, my darlings, I will find a way back to ye. I…will…come…back!

 

“I think we should skip the birthday party,” Albus said. “It’s been so danged awful around here that none of us feels much like celebrating.”

“Nonsense, lad!” Liam proclaimed. “Your grams would want ye to have a lovely birthday. Ye become a teenager only once, after all.”

“Besides, your cousin Lauren made it home. She missed you all very much, and you’d really hurt her feelings if you didn’t let her help plan a big bash for you all,” Mathilda said.

 

The dream shifted a final time to a half-awake, half-asleep Lauren. She watched as Lauren then arose from her bed and padded to the door. Lenora heard the soft creak as Lauren slowly opened it a crack, then listened.

“Are you sure? Yes, Tyrone did seem agitated at something before the funeral, and you said you thought something was off. And Mathilda agrees? Does anyone else know that Tyrone wants Lenora exhumed? These things take time…yes, I understand. Yeah, that’s wise…let the kids celebrate their birthday and then tell them what they need to know when they need to know it. Mmm, hmmm, yes, they’ve been through enough already…yes…certainly. Theresa and I will be over at first light. Oh, listen, Lauren shocked the hell out of us when she arrived home last night. Yes, poor girl is exhausted…got more than she bargained for on that trip. Yes, fine…OK, I will. Lauren sends her love to everyone. Oh, do you want me to keep this quiet…just between all of us or should Robin and Lauren be privy to this info? OK…yeah…perhaps they can. They’d want to help and with Robin’s connections in the Department, we might be able to get this sped up a bit. I understand. Yeah…definitely…for Tyrone’s sake and the sake of the children, answers need to be found. Right then. See you at Tyrone’s at sunup.”

Oh yes! Exhume what ye think is me! It was not me ye buried. Please…please find me! Please know that I’m…

 

As the dream started to let go, Lenora heard another voice and felt gentle hands stroking her hair. “Lenora, sweetie, wake up.” A gentle shake. “Lenora…time to wake up!”

“Mrs. Landgraab, it’s Dr. Hughes. I’ve come to help yo. Can you hear me?” Another voice. A familiar voice…one that she didn’t know for long but one she knew nonetheless.

“Oh, hell, Neil! She’s drenched in sweat, and she’s been crying.”

“It’s no wonder, being in a place like this. Looks like she’s been having bad dreams.”

“Lenora…it’s Valerie. I need you to wake up now. I brought Neil here to check you over.” Gentle hands wiping at her wet cheeks. Have I been crying? Och, I must have been. Valerie said so.

“She has a raging fever.” The man cursed. “Let’s hope you got me here in time.”

A groan escaped Lenora, then she produced a ragged, wet sounding cough. “Ouch! Dammit to Hell and back!” Her eyes slowly opened, then she blinked in bewilderment. “How…long?”

“I was gone around two hours,” Valerie said, applying a damp cloth to Lenora’s forehead. “Looks like you were having some rough dreams.”

“Yeah.” She closed her eyes again but opened them seconds later. “Disjointed…bizarre…but I think…”

“What? Can you remember them?” Valerie asked, reaching for Lenora’s hand.

The weakened witch nodded, wincing at the pain it caused her head. “Every detail. I think…I think they were visions. They haven’t come to me like that in a long time, in dreams, I mean. The wee ones…they were talking about not wanting a birthday party. They said they could still feel me, and Aurora said she knew I’d come back. But she’s been singing such sad songs…and using her magic in them. Crystal took Carson to the cemetery where I’m supposedly buried. Tyrone was with me after I…after…” She bit her lip but forced herself to continue. “Lauren is home…and I heard Cian talking on the phone to someone…your father, I think…about having me exhumed. Valerie…has this all happened?”

“All this has happened except the exhumation, and things are still happening, Lenora. You’re weak right now and so is your magic, but apparently, your visions are still functioning, at least to some degree,” Valerie replied.

“I tried to reach them…all of them…but I couldn’t. Oh, this is torture! What have I done to everyone I love?” A lone tear rolled down Lenora’s cheek. “I want to get out of here. I need to get out of here. Please…please help me.”

“That’s what we’re going to do, Mrs. Landgraab. Valerie brought me here to help you get your strength back. You’re going to need it if you’re going to make it out of here. Do you remember who I am?” the doctor asked.

“Aye, I do. Ye looked after me…in the hospital.” She reached her free hand out for Neil, who took it and squeezed. “I thank ye for all ye tried to do for me.”

“I wish I could have done more, but by Ariadne, I will this time.” Neil gently disengaged his hand from her grip and rifled through the bag he’d brought with him.

“I know,” Lenora whispered. “Please help me, Dr. Hughes. I don’t want to die in here.”

“I will. I swear that to you, Mrs. Landgraab. On my life, I swear that to you, and I will see that you are well.”

Author’s Note: I know this doesn’t get us very far, but I had some screenshots from the original work on Blogger that I wanted to use. I couldn’t think of an appropriate place so decided to have Lenora have dream visions of stuff that happened. I promise, there is a method to my madness. Perhaps Lenora was able to make a connection with one or more of her family members without knowing it. Maybe seeing them in dream visions will give her the strength to keep fighting to get back to them. More will be revealed in the next few chapters, and major events will start happening at a good clip quite soon.

The lyrics to the song Aurora was singing is from From a Twinkling Star to a Passing Angel by ABBA. It’s a collection of demos done before the group came up with the final release of Like an Angel Passing Through My Room. I’m so glad I found this recording, as I loved seeing how the song evolved into what it finally became. You can listen to it here if you are interested.

You can find the lyrics to the entire thing here.

As always, thank you all so much for reading, writing, commenting, liking, and subscribing. Words can’t express how thankful I am for all of your support.

Forever in Time: Chapter 42, Lauren

Nise Dreamweaver
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6
Forever in Time: Chapter 42, Lauren

 

The day Tyrone received his cryptic message from Magdalena, Cian and Theresa received their own surprise. Sitting down to dinner after Cian’s shift at the hospital ended, the couple began to talk over the day, catching one another up on their respective activities. “I was hoping Lauren would be home in time for the children’s birthday. I know she misses everyone. I so hated that her trip home got delayed for so long,” Theresa said of their daughter.

“I know, love. That pandemic breaking out over there totally messed up her timeline. At the same time, I’m glad she was able to make a difference. She jumped in to help when she was really needed,” Cian replied.

“I’m just so grateful she didn’t get sick, too. I’ve been so worried enough about her anyway with being all alone overseas, and with everything this family has already suffered, that was certainly a scenario we can all do without.” Theresa forked up some rice and chewed thoughtfully. “Robin’s also been so worried about his sister. Plus, almost losing Alina nearly broke him. Having Lauren back home safe and sound will do wonders for his morale.”

Cian frowned into his plate. “They’ve been through hell, and Alina is still so ill,” Cian replied. “I’m going over there first thing in the morning before my shift so I can examine her myself.”

Theresa shivered violently and pounded a fist against her chest. “I nearly had heart failure when Robin put himself in such peril. I know it would have broken him if he’d lost Alina, and I get that. But when it’s my own son, oh, it frightened me so! My magic told me something was terribly wrong, but I was given strict orders by your mother that it was Mathilda who was needed. I’ve never felt so helpless in all my life.” She hugged herself as another shudder racked her slender frame, tears brimming in her eyes and spilling over.

 

Without hesitation, Cian went to his wife, pulled her to her feet, and held her close. “Theresa, my darling, don’t cry. Oh, my love, don’t cry. The worst is past, and they will recover. They both come from strong stock, you know.”

Theresa sniffed and clung to Cian for all she was worth. “I know. Deep down, I know. But…oh, sweetheart, there’s still so much pain this family is going through. My poor brother! The children! And I simply don’t know what Valerie is up to. She’s been so distant and secretive. She’s in trouble, Cian, I know it.”

Cian blew out a long breath and nodded slowly, resting his cheek atop his wife’s blond head. “I’ve been beating myself up thinking about what else I could have said to get through to her that night she came to dinner. It felt to me like…” He trailed off into a momentary contemplative silence. “It felt like she’s sentenced herself to some self-imposed penance. She’s hiding something huge, but far be it for me to guestimate what it could possibly be. I’m rarely ever stumped, and I absolutely despise those times when I am.”

Theresa leaned back to look into his troubled face and stroked his cheek. “I know. I don’t know how to help her, and I’m equally at a loss as to how to comfort Tyrone. There are just some things this twin thing can’t heal. And the kids! Oh, it hurts more than I can sometimes bear to see such sorrow in their little faces. They’re so young to be feeling such pain.”

Cian ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “I’m a doctor. It’s my job to fix things, to fix people, and this time I just can’t. I feel so damned useless.”

Before Theresa could respond with a gesture or words of comfort and encouragement, there was a knock at the door. She jumped and uttered a small started squeak.

Cian looked at his watch and grimaced. He was tired and just wanted to finish his dinner, followed by another glass of wine, and possibly a little snooze in his easy chair. “Were we expecting anyone, love?”

Theresa shook her head and resignedly started for the door. “I’ll get rid of whoever it is. I don’t think either of us are in the mood for company right now.”

 

However, Theresa changed her mind, gasping as she saw who their evening visitor was. She screamed in sheer joy as she flung open the door. “Lauren! Oh, my everlasting gracious! Lauren! Oh, my Lauren!” Unceremoniously, she pulled her daughter into the house, kicked the door closed, and threw her arms around the younger woman in a tight, motherly embrace. She wept unashamedly and sobbed her daughter’s name repeatedly.

“Oh, I missed you, too, Mom…so much…so, so much.” Lauren was crying, too, and clung to her mother like a bereft orphan. “It’s so good to be home!”

 

“Let me look at you,” Theresa said, stepping back slightly but still maintaining physical contact with Lauren. “You look tired, sweetheart, and you’ve lost weight. Oh, my poor baby.”

Lauren rolled her eyes in mock exasperation but smiled fondly at her mother. “Oh, Mom, you never change. I am tired though, but I won’t complain about the weight loss. I was turning into such a chubette before I left. A few pounds shed won’t hurt me one iota.”

Moments later, Cian cleared his throat. “Hey, what about me? Doesn’t your old man count for anything?” Tears filled his eyes as Lauren hurled herself into his arms. Cian lifted her easily off the ground and whirled her around and around as only a father could.

 

Once back on her feet, Lauren bawled like a baby on Cian’s shoulder and held on as tightly as she could. “Oh, Daddy, I was so homesick! I love traveling and having adventures, but when you want to go back home and can’t, it’s such a nightmare. All I could think about was you guys and everything that’s been going on. I feel awful that I couldn’t make it back for Aunt Lenora’s services.” She took a tremulous breath and tried to stem the flow of tears but was only partially successful. She wiped furiously at her cheeks, then gave Cian a lopsided smile when he handed her a hankie. Lauren bit her lip and tried to mop herself up as best she could. “What is going on with Robin? He told me he was engaged but then, I got this horrible feeling in my gut that something was terribly wrong. My twin radar went off.”

Theresa nodded understandingly but was quick to reassure her daughter. “it was touch and go for a brief time but everyone’s doing better. The worst is behind us.” She quickly told Lauren the full story of Robin and Alina’s harrowing experience. When Lauren went chalk white at the telling of Robin entering the spirit world, Cian quickly guided her to a chair at the table and made her sit. Almost as though she were “The Flash,” Theresa handed her daughter a snifter of brandy. “Drink,” she commanded. “You’ll feel much better.”

Lauren did as bidden and felt warmth and color return. “I wish I’d been here to help. Oh, I am so out of sync right now. I wasn’t here when everyone needed me the most. Uncle Tyrone…the kids…oh, I just feel like I abandoned everyone. I want to see them all so badly and do what I can to support the family.”

 

“What you need is a good night’s sleep, some homecooked food, and time to recover. It won’t take long to get caught up with everything. We just wish we had happier things to share with you, sweetheart,” Cian replied on a sad, tired sigh. “I’m sure everyone will start flocking to see you tomorrow. Are you hungry?”

“Famished, actually,” Lauren grinned in spite of everything. Then, she gave her parents an apologetic look. “I’m sorry I came unannounced and interrupted your dinner. I could have just checked in at a hotel and come tomorrow after everyone was rested up.”

“You will have done no such thing,” Theresa said sternly. “This is your home, darling, as long as you want it to be. We were just about to have another glass of wine, but dinner is still warm. It’s shrimp scampi and rice. How does that sound?”

Lauren grinned delightedly. “I’ll apologize in advance for my soon-to-emerge bad manners, for I’m about to drool. It sounds heavenly.”

Laughing, Theresa hurried to the kitchen while Cian waggled an eyebrow at his daughter. “Now, my dear, let us wine and dine you while you tell us all about your adventures.”

Lauren giggled and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Oh, Daddy! You’re too much. Oh, Grandmother Ariadne, how I’ve missed you all!”

“We’re so relieved to have you home,” Cian said softly, reaching across the table and covering Lauren’s hand with his own. “It puts our minds at ease that you’re safe.”

In between mouthfuls, Lauren told her parents about everything she’d done, especially about the pandemic she’d gotten stuck in the middle of and about an advanced martial arts class she’d taken with a master guru. “The class was wonderful, and Sensei Toda is absolutely amazing. I’ve learned so much from him. Between the pandemic and talking extensively with him, I know what I want to do. Oh, we got so close, Sensei Toda and I.” At Cian’s raised eyebrows, Lauren burst out laughing. “Not close in that way. The man is 67. It’s just that we became great friends, and I’ll always consider him a mentor.”

 

“Well then, what was revealed to you while in your zen-like state, O Great One?” Theresa asked, eyes twinkling as she served everyone glasses of wine on a tray.

Lauren’s face went from all smiles to an intense, serious expression. “Well, I guess, in a way, I’ll be taking after you, Daddy. You see, I ended up helping out at this makeshift hospital that was set up in this particular remote, poor village. So many people came down with the sickness, the nearest doctor had died from it, and the nearest doctor after that was about 200 miles away. There were a few actual nurses but those of us who were untrained but still standing did all we could to pitch in and help. I learned how to do IV’s, give breathing treatments, and so on. I also learned how to…” She trailed off and bit her lip, a wave of grief hitting her. “Well, let’s just say I learned a lot about death and dying, too.”

Cian patted is daughter’s hand, then squeezed her shoulder. “Sweetheart, that’s a hard thing to learn about. Believe me, I know.” When Lauren nodded, he continued. “So, does this mean you want to go to medical school and become a doctor?”

 

“Well, not exactly,” Lauren said. “I want to be a life-flight paramedic. You know I love to fly, and I’m rather proud to say I can think quickly on my feet. I’m not the ER or hospital type. Hearing about Sensei Toda’s life, learning the lessons he taught me, and getting right in there in the thick of a crisis…well, you see, I think I’d be more useful actually out there in the trenches. I mean, it’s often the paramedics who get to the patient before the doctors, and I think that sometimes what they do beforehand can make a difference in saving a life. Oh, I know there are instances where nothing helps, but paramedics are needed.”

 

Cian took a sip of wine, squeezed Lauren’s fingers, and smiled a proud, fatherly smile. “You don’t have to sell it to me or justify it, darling. I’m in complete agreement with you. There are many times over when it’s the medics who save a life, and the doctors just finish things up. Sweetheart, if that’s what you want to do, then go for it.”

“Damn straight, love!” Theresa agreed.

Smiling, they all clinked their glasses in a toast. “I know I’ve got a long way to go to be certified, but I’ll do it in record time. You’ll see,” Lauren said determinedly.

“Naturally. You’re my kid, after all,” Cian grinned.

Theresa snorted and poked Cian in the ribs. “Oh, well. I guess the only thing ole Mom is good for is looking pretty and playing the piano,” she quipped while slapping her forehead in a dramatic fashion.

“Don’t forget that you know how to make delicious shrimp scampi and rice,” Lauren shot back, swallowing her last shrimp and waggling her eyebrows at her mother.

“Touché!” Theresa laughed and then kissed her daughter’s forehead. “We’re so proud of you, sweetheart. You’ll make one hell of a flight medic.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Lauren said, then produced a jaw cracking yawn. “Pardon me. I’m bushed all of a sudden.”

“Travel time, a full belly, and alcohol will do it every time,” Cian replied, helping his daughter to her feet and giving her another tight hug.  “Your room is all ready and waiting for you. Go on up to bed, and we’ll see you in the morning.”

 

Lauren was awakened from a sound sleep at the shrill ringing of the house phone. Automatically, her hand reached to answer the extension in her room but stopped in mid-air when the quiet, soothing sounds of her father’s voice greeted her ears. Growing up, Lauren and Robin had always been used to their father being called to the hospital at odd hours, but those kinds of calls had always come through to his private line, not the main house phone. Something was going on. A cold chill ran through her very soul, and she shivered as though someone had walked over her grave.

Arising from her bed, Lauren padded softly across the room, opened the door a crack, and put her ear to the opening so as to make out Cian’s words. Lauren’s eyes widened, centimeter by centimeter, as snippets of conversation reached her. “Are you sure? Yes, Tyrone did seem agitated at something before the funeral, and you said you thought something was off. And Mathilda agrees? Does anyone else know that Tyrone wants Lenora exhumed? These things take time…yes, I understand. Yeah, that’s wise…let the kids celebrate their birthday and then tell them what they need to know when they need to know it. Mmm, hmmm, yes, they’ve been through enough already…yes…certainly. Theresa and I will be over at first light. Oh, listen, Lauren shocked the hell out of us when she arrived home last night. Yes, poor girl is exhausted…got more than she bargained for on that trip. Yes, fine…OK, I will. Lauren sends her love to everyone. Oh, do you want me to keep this quiet…just between all of us or should Robin and Lauren be privy to this info? OK…yeah…perhaps they can. They’d want to help and with Robin’s connections in the Department, we might be able to get this sped up a bit. I understand. Yeah…definitely…for Tyrone’s sake and the sake of the children, answers need to be found. Right then. See you at Tyrone’s at sunup.”

At the sound of the receiver being put back on the cradle, Lauren quietly closed the door, crawled under the covers, and shook as though she’d been lost in a raging blizzard. Exhumation? Aunt Lenora? What in blue thunder was happening here?

A couple minutes later at hearing a soft knock on her closed door, Lauren turned on her bedside light and propped plump pillows behind her back so she could lean against the headboard. “Come in,” she called.

“Lauren, honey, it’s Daddy. I’ve got something I need to tell you. I’m sorry, love, but it can’t wait till morning.”

Lauren was certain this was going to be a bedtime story she wasn’t going to like one bit.

Author’s Note: The pandemic mentioned in this chapter is strictly fictional. I didn’t elaborate on it much, as the only things that are important about it is that it was bad and deadly, Lauren jumped in there like a trooper and did what she could to help, and it’s something that will shape her life for a long time to come. It’s not COVID. I try not to put real current events into my stories since they take place in a parallel world. Besides, writing my stories is an escape from all the crap that is happening in the real world.

As always, thank you so much for reading, commenting, liking, and subscribing. Your support is so greatly appreciated, and I love you all so very much. 🙂

A Good (or Bad, haha) Amount of Frustration & Needing a Little Help

Nise Dreamweaver
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6
A Good (or Bad, haha) Amount of Frustration & Needing a Little Help

 

Hello, Fellow Simmers, Readers, and Friends!

This is Valerie Landgraab. If you haven’t met her acquaintance yet, please do so. She’s a lot of woman but one who’s been down on her luck, some of her own making and some not her fault. She’s worldly, streetwise, and has a certain kind of animal attraction. The life of the party, she knows how to have a howler of a great time, but that has gotten her into a few undesirable scrapes. Most of the time, she knows what she wants and goes after it. She can be an amazing ally, but don’t get on her bad side or things might get a little…hairy.  Oh yes, everyone, this is Valerie.

But this is also me channeling Valerie at the moment. Why, you ask? Well, here’s the deal.

See, it frustrates me to no end but saddens me, too, because stuff for Sims 3 is becoming more and more nonexistent. Thankfully, there’s still plenty of CC and believe it or not, there are creators who are still making CC for us Sims 3 Simmers to use. What I’m mostly referring to is poses. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’ve downloaded a crap-ton of pose packs and can usually come up with something doable to illustrate my chapters. It’s a good thing I downloaded it when I did, as many creators have gone in other directions and some in this category have, sadly, taken down their sites and deleted all their creations. The reality of it is that certain things just aren’t readily available anymore. Now, if I did my stories in Sims 4, I’d have no problem finding everything I’d need. But I’m still very much a Sims 3 loyalist. At some point, I might diddle around with Sims 4, starting off with some short stories and such, But you all know I absolutely love my Supernatural characters and storylines, and, IMO, they’re simply not as doable in Sims 4.

One of my favorite creators who has also made some request poses for me has, apparently and so very unfortunately, closed up shop. The blog hasn’t been updated in around two years, so I think the playhouse curtains have closed for good. 🙁 Some of you might remember BlamsArt from You Name It, I’ll Pose It  . I love these poses and feel it’s such a shame that we’ve lost yet another Sims 3 pose creator. My hope is that we will see them again one day. At least we can still enjoy all the wonderful pose packs already made and available to us for download. Such a talent I will greatly miss.

So, the big thing this post is about is, yeah, you probably already guessed it. Do we still have Sims 3 pose creators out there, and are any taking requests from the handful of “oldsters” that are left? For about two days now, I’ve scoured the Internet in search of a some specifically themed poses that would be perfect for some future chapters with no luck. Oh, I think I find exactly what I’m looking for and get all excited…only to find out it’s for Sims 4. Dammit, Google! I search for Sims 3 NOT 4. *sigh*

Sometime back, I’d been playing with Blender, which is a software used to make poses. I messed around with it for a while after watching some tutorials. Ladies and gents, it’s hard and I totally suck at it. I kid you not! For example, I was messing with the rig’s fingers and oh, what a mess I made! Every finger was splayed out in a different direction! :O I’m telling you, it was creepy. That poor hand looked like it had been hit several times over with a mallet and none too gently either. Bottom lime – it takes talent (and practice) to make usable looking poses. There are folks out there who definitely can do it a lot better than I’d ever be able to, even if I practiced day and night for three months straight.

Anyway, if anyone knows of any Sims 3 pose makers who would be willing to have me hire them for some pose work, please let me know. I’d really appreciate it. I’m certainly willing to offer compensation for the work, and credit would certainly be given where credit is due. But if not, well, I reckon we’ll see how crafty and creative I can get using what I do have available to me. Whichever way the wheel turns, I’ll find a way to make it work. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?

Now for just a quickie update. 🙂

My next Forever in Time chapter is written, but I need to do a little more editing and get the screenshots. My plan is to release it tomorrow. I also have some CAS work to do, and hopefully, my game will cooperate.

I do have a few other goodies I’ll be posting. I’m just about ready to add a couple more characters to the Cast of Characters section, which I hope to get to early next week. I love the little interviews and plan to do a few more of those. I feel it really helps to get to know the characters a little more and adds a bit more material to what their backstories were. Question – do you like the Diary of Sims short stories? For those who might not have read any of those, they are written as diary entries for Sims I play in my personal gameplay or feature in my YouTube videos, Sims I don’t feature in my stories. Would you like more of those?

I still have more of my lore to fill in as far as other Supernatural beings go. I’m ironing out a few kinks and will hopefully finish up that section before the major heat of Summer kicks in. It takes a lot of thought and planning to put it together, and I want to be really happy with it before it goes up.

My SimLit Legacies blog will also be updated soon. Because I have a crossover story with Forever in Time that is located over there, I need to make sure I have everyone pretty much on the same timeline so I don’t get too ahead of myself and end up possibly making a continuity oopsie. If you haven’t done so, please feel free to navigate to that blog and follow me there as well as here. You can find the link to that blog on the top menu of this page.

On a final note, if you have followed me from Blogger over to here and are a bit familiar with my original writeup of Forever in Time, I ask you to please keep reading here. I’ve done a lot of reworking when I decided to revamp the story and spruce it up when I decided to migrate here. Some of the core events are the same, but there are character and plot differences. A prime example is Valerie’s role in the kidnapping and imprisonment of Lenora. Her character and outlook is very different than the original and, IMO, is much, much more multi-dimensional. The family’s history has changed quite a lot as well, and the lore has been added to. Basically, there’s a lot more world building I did for the revamp. There is a lot more story to tell which wasn’t in the original work. Just a FYI, the original work on Blogger has been locked and is no longer viewable. The posts have been reverted to Draft status, I having done that when I migrated here. As the author, I still have access to a chunk of the original in case there’s something I need to grab. However, as I rewrite posts and add new elements, I find that not much of the original remains. So, the long and short of it is that any reader, longstanding or a new follower/reader, would benefit by going through the chapters and familiarizing yourself with the story as it stands on here. With all the new details, you’ll have missed a lot if you have glossed over a chunk of chapters. The format has also changed. The original started out as a Legacy but has been reworked so it’s more like an ongoing soap opera kind of story. With so many characters, immortal characters, and new characters being added, I feel this is a better format because it gives a character or group of characters more screen time. You’ll notice that there is one main family and everything a characters does effects the entire main central family. Whew, I hope all that makes sense. 🙂

I hope you all are having a great Thursday. Happy Simming, everyone, and as always, thank you for supporting and hanging in with me, even through my little rants such as this. I can’t tell you enough how much I love and appreciate each and every one of you.

With love always and lots of virtual hugs,

Sharon, aka: Sweet Nightingale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forever in Time: Chapter 41, Valerie on the Warpath

Nise Dreamweaver
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7
Forever in Time: Chapter 41, Valerie on the Warpath

***CONTENT WARNING*** A good deal of swearing, including several F-Bombs and descriptions of violence.

 

Once aboard the plane, Valerie climbed into the pilot’s seat, fiddled with the small plane’s console, and expertly guided the craft to the runway. Neil cocked an eyebrow at her. “You’re always full of surprises, Bonnie. Here, I thought you’d have a personal pilot to whisk you anywhere you’d want to go.”

“Oh, our family retains a pilot, but I prefer a more hands-on approach. I got my pilot’s license before a driver’s license. I bought this baby right after my trust fund became available to me.” Neil noted the pride in her statement. “If you can believe it, I once had aspirations of being a fighter pilot. But that sorta got squashed when I realized that being on a mission during a full moon would be dangerous. See, when you’re compelled to Wolf Out, you lose concentration for a hot minute, and that can spell doom. Full moon or not, you have to be prepared for any emergency, especially if you get deployed during a war.”

“Makes sense,” Neil said. “So what did you do when you realized your dream was crushed?”

Valerie grinned ruefully as she prepared for takeoff. “I was damn mad for a while. I eventually sucked it up and became a flight instructor for a time but really didn’t enjoy teaching. I’m just not a patient enough person, I guess. When all you want to do is take over the controls and feel the urge to call a beginner an idiotic lost cause, it’s time to hang it up and reevaluate your career choices.”

Neil waited until they were in the air before responding to her statement. Shouting to be heard over the roar of the engines during takeoff wasn’t Neil’s idea of fun. “I can understand that. What did you do after that?”

Valerie sighed as she checked her control panel and leveled the plane. “I bummed around Europe for a while, had a few flings, and generally just enjoyed myself. When I came home, I got married…and that was an epic failure.”

“I’m sorry.”

Valerie shrugged and sighed resignedly. “It was a terrible time. I made so many mistakes then and after, and that is how I landed up in this mess we’re both embroiled in. If I ever get out of this…if we get out of this, I have a lot to make up for.”

“Ditto.”

A somber silence fell over the pilot and her passengers. Greta fell asleep against the plush seats of the small plane. The droning of the engines and the calm, sure voices sounding over the plane’s communications system lulled Neil into a light doze.

 

The sun was up by the time the plane landed and the car was loaded with driver, passengers, and luggage. The car ride to Valerie’s property was uneventful and occurred without incident. As planned, Neil warded the car against magical detection, and Valerie drove skillfully over deserted backroads and sandy paths. Neil breathed a sigh of relief when he felt powerful magic around him as they passed through the protective wards of Valerie’s property, Approaching a driveway, Valerie pointed out the house Greta would be staying in. “There is also a car for you to use while you’re here. As you can see, It’s parked in the carport,” she said to Greta in her wolf’s gravelly voice. “It’s registered in the name of Regina Garfield so it can’t be traced back to you or me. You will be secretly hidden here as discussed, and there is also a set of fake ID and papers in Regina’s name that you’ll need to use while you’re in hiding. Best to be extremely cautious and cover our asses at every angle.”

Greta’s eyes widened. “But how did you manage that? I mean, that takes a bit of time to do, doesn’t it?”

“Valerie has connections, Mom. I gave her one of your passport pictures and she got things expedited. Just trust her. She knows what she’s doing,” Neil said, kissing his mother’s cheek.

Greta gave Neil a wan smile. “Common crooks, all of us, but if it keeps you safe, my son, that is all that matters.”

“And your safety is most important to me.” He squeezed Greta’s hand. “Come on. Let’s get you settled.”

 

Neil smiled as Greta oohed and ahed over Valerie’s beach house. He nodded in agreement, the weight of worry falling from his shoulders at seeing that Greta was pleased. “You should be more than comfortable here, Mom.”

“Your father and I always wanted a little vacation home like this.” A nostalgic look came over Greta’s face, and she sighed. “Oh, Neil, I wish you could stay and enjoy it with me.”

 

Neil hugged his mother close and rubbed the small of her back where it often ached. “When all this is done and over, I’ll come back and we can spend some time here together, if Valerie says it’s all right.” If I’m not in jail by then, that is. The unvoiced thought made him feel cold although the Sunlit Tides morning was pleasantly warm and inviting.

 

Valerie put down the last of Greta’s luggage and changed into human form. “That is perfectly fine,” she said, overhearing Neil’s comment. A dreamy expression came over her, and she moved to stand in front of a window that looked out onto a beautiful view of the water. “I hope it brings you the tranquility it has always brought me.”

Greta hugged the younger woman and gave her a motherly kiss. “I can’t thank you enough, Valerie, for what you are doing. You certainly didn’t have to get involved, and your generosity astounds me.”

Valerie blushed but ducked her head to blink back sudden tears. “I have a lot of sins to atone for in my life, and this only scratches the surface.” She returned Greta’s hug and stepped back. “Now then, let’s get down to it. There’s plenty of food and stuff to last you about three months. The grocery store has delivery service, and DoorDash and InstaCart are also available. Use the Regina name and use this phone that’s in Regina’s name, too. All the apps you’ll need are set up and are up to date. Passwords and important info are locked in a secret compartment hidden in the desk.” Valerie handed Greta an IPhone, gave her the passcode, and told her to commit it to memory.

“You should give Valerie your phone for safe keeping. We don’t want anything being traced back here to your real identity,” Neil added.

 

“Such cloak and dagger,” Greta said, giving Valerie her own phone. “It’s been turned off, and Neil’s scrambled the signals.” She sighed wearily, ran a hand through her dark hair, then turned her attention back to her son. “I’ve always wanted to be part of a spy novel and would be enjoying having such an adventure if there wasn’t going to be real danger to you both. Please, please be careful.”

We will, Mrs. Hughes–”

“It’s Greta, dear,” Greta said, interrupting Valerie with a kind smile.

Valerie smiled back at the older woman. “We’ll be careful, Greta. You just relax and enjoy. I’ll make sure you get more supplies as needed and check on you as often as I can.” She looked at Neil. “We’d better get going. You’ll be missed if you don’t show up for your next shift, and Shane will get suspicious if I’m not back by breakfast tomorrow.”

After a brief, tearful goodbye, a pensive Neil followed Valerie to the car and watched somberly as she resumed her wolf form. Both were silent until the return flight began. “She’ll be OK, Neil. Those wards are impenetrable, and Shane has absolutely no idea how to get through anything like that. As far as Shane will soon find out, your mother will have disappeared off the face of the planet. Now, what we need to concentrate on is getting you in to Lenora before he discovers your mother missing. Otherwise, he’ll certainly come after you. You’re a loose end.”

Neil nodded his understanding. “I’d better get my ass to Mathilda and throw myself on her mercy.” He produced a rueful smile. “I may not have to worry about Clayton killing me. Mathilda may do it first.”

“I don’t envy what you’ve got to do. Mathilda is going to be super pissed, to say the absolute least, but she’ll understand that you’re needed if Lenora is to make it out of there alive.”

“And you have to deal with the devil himself.” He rolled his eyes and gave a humorless laugh. “A fine kettle of fish we’re in, Landgraab.”

“From the pot right into the fire. Well, Clyde, let’s show ’em what we’re made of.”

 

Over the next few weeks as Summer changed to Autumn, Lenora’s condition worsened. Her appetite faded to nearly nonexistence and when she did eat, her stomach rebelled and disgorged its contents. She wanted to sleep all the time but when she did, she was plagued by unspeakably frightening nightmares.

Along with her waning strength, her magic was weakening. The cell, itself, kept her from being able to cast the day-to-day magic she’d always taken for granted. Even a simple spell to warm herself fizzled, and a charm to brighten the cell with more light didn’t ignite even a single spark. One of the few things she could still muster was a glamour to give the illusion of better health. She did her utmost to keep it in place. After all, she wanted to maintain some dignity, even if it was a very tiny helping.

Shane still refused to let Neil see to Lenora. “She’ll be OK, Al. She’s just sulking because she knows I’m in control here and can’t stand it,” Shane said one day, shrugging off Allen’s continued insistence that Lenora needed medical help.

For the first time in a very long time, Shane saw a murderous expression come into his brother’s eyes. “You need to look at her. She’s running a fever and having trouble breathing. It sounds like she has all kinds of gunk in her lungs. If she dies, I will never, ever forgive you and you’ll be very, very sorry.”

 

Shane sighed in exasperation. Where the hell was Valerie? It was her job to babysit the bitch, not his. “Fine, but I’m telling you, she’s completely fine.”

Muttering darkly under his breath, Shane trudged downstairs with Allen to Lenora’s cell and unlocked it. He gave Lenora a long, venomous stare upon entering. She, in turn, returned it, her fever-filled eyes narrowing in utter hatred, her lips pursing in complete disgust.

Allen knelt in front of the chair where Lenora sat and took her hands. At his worried look, Lenora softened her expression. Yes, she was acting out a charade, but she’d come to feel so truly sorry for him. The man was clearly mentally ill, but Shane was too thick to recognize that his brother needed major help. “Don’t look so worried.” Lenora squeezed his hands and tried to muster a weak smile.

“But I am, Lenora. You’re ill,” Allen said, touching her forehead. “Oh, Lenora, what can I do?”

 

Ye can release me and let me go home to my family, she thought bitterly, knowing that wouldn’t be happening. ‘For starters, ye could get me someplace warmer. It’s cold and dank down here, and there’s no sunlight. It’s a horrible place for someone to try to remain healthy,” she replied in a feeble, raspy voice, her lungs rattling with every breath.

“Absolutely not,” Shane growled, emphasizing his words with a determined shake of his head.

Before Allen could reply, Valerie ascended the stairs, looking windswept and flustered. “It’s about damned time! Where the fuck were you?” Shane yelled.

 

“My car broke down, so keep your fucking shirt on. I got here as quickly as I could,” Valerie snapped back.

//Ye went to see Neil, didn’t ye, Valerie?// Lenora mentally reached for her sister-in-law. //Your car really didn’t break down.// Lenora knew Valerie always kept her vehicles in tip top shape and that a car breakdown was simply a ruse to buy her some time.

 

//Yep. He gave me some stuff to keep you going until we can get him in here to look at you.// She put her bag down in a huff and quickly came to Lenora’s side. Valerie frowned as she touched Lenora’s forehead, her brows drawing together more and more as she listened to the harshness of Lenora’s breathing. “Shane, she needs a doctor now!”

Shane started to shrug his shoulders but stopped in mid gesture as both Valerie and Allen leveled unwavering stares at him. Lenora silently watched the exchange and sent a plea to Ariadne to let something finally work out in her favor. She noted the darkening expression on Allen’s face as well as the thunderous look in Valerie’s eyes. This could get ugly, and for Allen’s fragile mental health, he needed a distraction. “Allen, would ye please get me some cold water? I’m rather parched.”

“Of course, Lenora. Anything.” He kissed the back of her hand, got to his feet, and started for the stairs.

“Get it from the sink over there,” Shane commanded, pointing to the sink in the cell.

“But she wants cold water. She needs the better stuff with ice, not this nasty tap water,” Allen insisted.

Shane swore fluently but finally relented.

 

Valerie must have gotten the same idea as Lenora because once Allen was gone, she wasted no time in giving Shane a verbal spanking. “How idiotic can you be? Any moron can see that Lenora needs medical attention. What the hell is the matter with you? You are more insane than your poor damaged brother.”

 

What came next happened in a lightning-quick blur. Leora saw Shane’s muscles tighten as though ready to spring like an enraged panther, but Valerie was ready. When Valerie saw the flash of a needle and syringe come at her, the beast within became unbound. Lenora watched, agape, as Valerie’s features began to change. Her fingers grew longer, her nails turned into claws, her nose elongated into a snout, and thick, red hair sprouted over her body. //Yes, Valerie, get angry! Ye’ve been a victim long enough,// Lenora encouraged telepathically.

//I am Wolf, hear me howl,// Valerie sent back. At the same time, she twisted Shane’s wrist, forcing him to drop the needle and loaded syringe. Catching it deftly with her left hand, Valerie grabbed Shane by the front of his shirt with her right, slammed him forcefully against the brick wall, and brought the needle to his neck. “You…will…never…do…that…to…me…again…if…you…value,.,.your…life!” Her words were punctuated by ferocious growls that made goosebumps arise on Lenora’s fever heated skin. Lenora shivered violently and hugged herself as Valerie continued. “I will stab this right into your jugular, gleefully watch as the shit takes effect, and then kill you with one blow. Do you understand me?” She emphasized each statement with a further slam of Shane’s body against the wall.

Shane mothed soundlessly, looking like a guppy out of water. His face had gone the color of cottage cheese, and Lenora was immensely pleased to see that he looked like he might faint.

“What’s that, punk? I can’t hear you,” Valerie ground out.

Shane gulped. “Okay, okay, no more drugs. Just turn me loose, Landgraab!”

“That’s Ms. Landgraab to you if you insist on addressing me by my surname. Otherwise, it’s Valerie. Just Valerie. Got it?” Valerie put her face close to Shane’s, her fangs close to his nose. When he nodded wordlessly, she continued. “Now then. You will not protest anymore about me bringing a doctor in here to check Lenora, and you will not interfere once he gets here. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Shane croaked.

“Good. Any questions, asshole?”

“Bite me!” he bellowed in a last ditch effort to regain control.

“Oh, you’re not worth that,” Valerie retorted. Before Shane could blink, Valerie’s index and middle fingers forked toward Shane’s eyes, and her extended wolf’s nails flicked his lashes. “Instead, I’ll take great pleasure in blinding you.”

 

“Holy fuck!” The room was filled with a sour stench as Shane’s bladder let go. Lenora waved her hand in front of her face, revulsion marring her expression. But then, she didn’t fight the little smirk that rose to her lips. Shane was getting just the merest beginning of what he deserved.

Valerie flicked his lashes again. “I suggest you remember what I am before you try anymore stunts. I’m not taking anymore bullshit from you. Now, any questions?”

Shane shook his head mutely.

“Good.” Valerie released him, and Lenora blinked as Shane slid bonelessly down the wall. “Pick yourself up, march yourself upstairs, and clean yourself up. You stink of the sewer your mother gave birth to you in.” When Shane bristled at the insult to his mother, Valerie let out a low, menacing growl. “Go, fuckhead! And be sure you are out of my sight when I get back with Neil Hughes. Now fuck off!”

The next thing Lenora saw was elbows and ass as Shane scrambled upstairs. Turning to her sister-in-law who was beginning to subdue the wolf, she whispered. “Remind me not to get on your bad side. I don’t recall ever seeing ye this way. I salute ye and bow to your superiority.”

Valerie chuckled and blushed when Lenora did, in fact, offer her a salute and bowed a little at the waist. “Yeah, well, that’s been needing to happen for a while. I just couldn’t take it anymore, Lenora. It was either snap or burst.”

“I understand,” Lenora said, then produced a wet, rib-crunching cough.

 

“Awww, hell’s bells, Lenora! You sound like shit,” Valerie barked, helping Lenora to her feet and leading her over to the bed. Lenora didn’t protest when Valerie helped her into a fresh nightgown. Hugging her sister-in-law as tight as she dared so as not to hurt her, she stroked the golden tresses she’d always thought so beautiful and angelic. “Oh, Lenora, hang in there. You’ve got to fight this and hang in with me, OK? We can’t lose you.” Valerie continued to clasp Lenora close and gently patted her back, her pleas clogged with unshed tears. “I’m so sorry I got you into this mess. I’ll get you out of it, that I promise you. I’ll get you out even if it kills me.”

Lenora leaned back so she look into Valerie’s ravaged face. “Don’t ye dare talk like that, do ye hear me? Nobody’s going to do any dying around here. I won’t give that excuse for a human being the satisfaction of watching me check out. And you! Valerie, ye’ve got a lot of living yet to do. The family needs ye and so do I. Hear me now! I can’t make it in here without ye.” With a last effort at mustering some reserved strength, Lenora gave Valerie’s shoulders a little shake and took her face in the palm of her hands so Valerie had to look at her. “For the first time in a long, long time, I sense that all is not lost for me. Seeing ye get angry and take the upper hand against Clayton did my heart good. Ye need to stay strong, Valerie. Ye must! Shane won’t stay down for long and will try another tactic to take back control. Ye need to stay strong and remain extra vigilant, all right?”

Valerie took a deep breath, bit her lip, and finally nodded. “Okay, right. We won this battle, but we still have a war to win. Now, I’m going to get Neil, and you need all the rest you can get. He gave me some potions and stuff for you to take to help you until he can get here. Take the anti-nausea one first so everything else doesn’t come back up, OK? And try to keep down that water that Allen’s going to bring you. You need to get better so we can beat this sonofabitch and get you the hell out of here and back home where you belong.” She gave Lenora one last desperate hug, helped her into bed, and tucked the covers around her. “Get some sleep now. When you wake up, Neil will be here and things will look better.”

Author’s Note: First off, I want to give credit where credit is due. I did not build the beach house that Valerie and Neil whisked Greta away to. It came from a very talented builder named Josh or IntotheSimulation on YouTube. I absolutely adore his houses. Because he made a video of this as a speed build and showed screenshots at the end, I did not include a house tour. If you’re interested, you an find his video here. If you want to download the house for your own game, the link can be found in the description section of Josh’s video. However, I’ve also linked it here. When taking my own screenshots, the only thing I changed out was the car. Josh used the 4-Everything Van, but that just isn’t Valerie’s style. 😀 She’d want a shiny red sports car to zip around in. Thank you so much to Josh for sharing his wonderful talent with us and making his beautiful houses available for us building challenged Simmers to use. 🙂

I also want to emphasize to readers who’ve followed me over here from Blogger to please keep reading here and hang in with me on WordPress. If the story seems a bit familiar, it is, as I’d decided to revamp and improve on the original and flesh out the story a lot more. For example, If you’ve read the original storyline of Lenora’s kidnapping, please definitely take a look at this current version. You will notice that Valerie’s part in it has changed drastically. I thought it would be a lot more interesting to give Valerie a lot more depth and not make her the cold-blooded criminal she was in my original story. Yes, she is still very much a part of this in my reworked version, but her role is a lot different. There are other differences as well, and once both sets of quads age up into teens and then go into young adulthood, they will be a lot more fleshed out; their stories will be a lot more detailed than what I’d had on Blogger. Again, this started out as a legacy but when I moved here and decided to rework the story, I felt it would be better as a soap opera styled story with each chapter devoted to a character, set of characters, or a couple. I felt this was best since with two sets of quads who will be growing up, it gives them and extended family characters more screen time rather than just focusing on one family unit or couple all the time. Gosh, I hope that makes sense. 🙂

In the near future, I’ll be adding more to the Who’s Who section as more characters are added. You’ll probably notice that I don’t have any of the kids up there yet. As they are still evolving, I likely won’t add their profiles until they reach young adulthood. I might do an interview post with one or more of them as children and then do another when they are older so we can see how the character(s) have grown.

As always, thanks heaps for reading, liking, commenting, subscribing, and any and all support. I love you all so, so much. 🙂

Forever in Time: Chapter 40, Divine Grandmother

Nise Dreamweaver
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7
Forever in Time: Chapter 40, Divine Grandmother

The days passed for the Lndgraabs very slowly at first as they continued to deal with their raw grief. As the Summer heat gave way to Autumn’s mild chill, the battle weary family began to pick up the pieces of their life. Although Lenora was never far from their minds and hearts, the Landgraabs found a new rhythm without Lenora’s physical presence.

 

Tyrone resumed his work and threw himself into his new role as a single father. He lavished all his love on his family but was now a different man. Very rarely did he smile, and gone was the laughter that had always come so easily. The once happy, affable man was now replaced by a quiet, more reserved man with haunted, pain-filled eyes.

 

Magdalena, Tyrone’s grandmother, visited the family as often as she could. One rainy evening, the strain of trying to keep it together for the sake of the children wore him out completely. After the children were in bed, Tyrone sank to the sofa, hands over his eyes and groaning. He didn’t fight it as the grief rolled over him in merciless waves, the physical and emotional pain of Lenora’s absence attacking him like an army of manchettes. Tears ran, unabashed, down his cheeks, and he shivered as chills racked his body.

Magdalena quietly sat next to her grandson and took him in her arms. She held him tight while he sobbed out his sorrow, murmuring soft words of comfort and rubbing and patting his back. “It will be all right, my love. I promise it will.”

“No, Grandmother, it will never be all right again,” Tyrone croaked out once he was able to speak. “My Lenora…” He trailed off as another onslaught of chills rendered him speechless.

Magdalena retrieved a throw blanket from a nearby chair and wrapped it around her grandson. “It will, Tyrone. I know it is hard to believe right now, but one day you will know it’s true.” As he began to shake his head in protest, Magdalena gave him a firm but gentle shake. “You must listen to me very closely, Tyrone. I cannot reveal much but I promise you that things will truly be better.”

The tone in his grandmother’s voice was all too familiar to Tyrone. It was purposeful, firm, and stern, yet it was loving and reassuring. When she spoke this way, Tyrone knew a cryptic message was about to come. “What is it, Grandmother? I’m listening.” With great effort, Tyrone focused all his attention on his grandmother’s face.

“First of all, things are not always as they appear. You are going to have to rely on your Wolf’s Sixth Sense and listen to it. Listen to it carefully and it will guide you in the right direction.”

Tyrone shook his head in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“You will if you listen to it and don’t fight it,” she said simply. Before he could question her further, she went on. Placing a hand gently on his shoulder, her expression changing to one of absolute compassion, she said, “You are going to have to be very strong, my beautiful grandson. You will need to muster all the strength that is within you and then some, for the storm is not over. The children, Aurora especially, will be needing their father more than ever.”

 

Another chill attacked Tyrone, and the remaining color in his face drained away. “Grandmother, what are you saying? What about the children? Is Aurora in some kind of trouble that I don’t know about? Great Drogo, what next?” Tyrone closed his eyes as black spots swam in his vision. All the strength leaving his body, he felt himself falling…falling ever so slowly into a thicket of gray.

Magdalena shook him again, harder this time. She slapped his cheeks lightly and brought her face close to his. “Don’t you dare pass out on me, Tyrone Landgraab! Come on now, pull it together and hear me. You’ve got to suck it up and listen to me if you want your Pack to survive. YOU ARE AN ALPHA WOLF, NOW ACT LIKE ONE!” These last words came out in a fierce growl that would make even the bravest of heart freeze where they stood.

Tyrone could count on one hand all the times his revered and normally gentle grandmother had growled at him. She was a force to be reckoned with during those times, and Tyrone didn’t dare defy her. This time was no different. He drew in a sharp, gasping inhalation, shivered violently, licked his lips, and slowly opened his eyes.

“There. That’s better.” Magdalena softened her tone.

Tyrone blinked and willed his racing heart to slow down. “Wh–what do I need to know?” Slowly regaining a sitting position, he watched as Magdalena sat in a nearby chair. A bomb was about to be dropped, and he knew his full attention was required if he was to defuse it. Rubbing his bleary eyes a few times, breathing in and out several long, slow breaths, Tyrone braced himself for his grandmother’s next words.

 

“I can’t reveal much, sweetheart. The only thing I can tell you is that when this…life-altering event occurs, things will move along quickly, spurring on a chain reaction of more life-changing events. Aurora will be the one most effected, and you are going to have to be the strong and brave father and Alpha Wolf I know you to be. I do not mean to frighten you, and I cannot tell you when all this will begin, but you need to prepare. If you stay on the right path and listen to your Wolf’s Sixth Sense, you…all of you…will persevere.”

 

Sleep completely evaded Tyrone that night as his mind played his grandmother’s words over and over. His bedroom felt too empty, and memories of his Lenora lying beside him seized his heart and squeezed it in a vice. A feeling of urgency to get out of there was too powerful to ignore, so he got up, still fully dressed, and lay down on the sofa to try to straighten out the spider web of thoughts and emotions Magdalena’s visit brought on.

He couldn’t fathom what his grandmother’s message meant, only that something awful was going to happen that would affect Aurora deeply. What in the name of Drogo was going to happen to her and why would she, especially be effected? Was she or any of the other children going to suffer an illness? An injury? Was someone going to try to kidnap one of them? “Over my dead body!” Tyrone growled to the room at large. Now that his Lenora was gone, it was up to him alone to protect his Pack, and protect his Pack he would to his dying breath.

And what was this about his Wolf’s Sixth Sense? It tingled every time he thought of his Lenora. Her illness, her death, her funeral…something was very, very wrong. Things aren’t always as they appear, his grandmother had said. Everything surrounding his Lenora’s leaving simply didn’t add up. //Something is extremely wrong!// His Sixth Sense clanged violently, causing Tyrone’s entire body to spasm.

//Oh, my Lenora…// The image of her floated before him, his wolfish senses automatically trying to reach for his mate. “I felt her go,” he spoke aloud in a strangled whisper. “She died in my arms. I felt her go, saw her die, and yet…I’ve got to get to the bottom of this. I must for my own sanity and for the sake of my children.” He closed his eyes, totally cleared his mind for the first time in what seemed ages, and willed his Wolf’s Sixth Sense to talk to him. //Almonds. Lenora smelled of almonds and not of death when at the hospital. Your Sire recognized this, as do you. Lenora was warm even after she should have turned cold. You swore you heard a heartbeat and felt a whisper of air pass her lips. Was it real or imagined? What do you believe, truly believe? At the funeral, she didn’t smell like Lenora even behind the embalming chemicals and death smell. Clean slate…clean slate…listen to those words. Clean slate is how you described who and what lay in that coffin. How many times over the months have you thought you felt her? Did you imagine that? I think not.//

Tyrone sat bolt upright, a scream rising to his throat and desperately needing to escape. He closed his lips tightly, fisted his hands over his mouth, and mentally shook himself. “Great Drogo, who did we bury? That was not my Lenora. Insane as it sounds, I swear it was not her. But how is that possible? How can someone look exactly like her and not be her? She had no identical twin or any other siblings.”

 

Tyrone’s eyes widened as his Sixth Sense vibrated in triumph. “I’m on to something, but what? Oh, this is just too bizarre, but I know I’m on to something.” Consulting his watch, he saw it was just after 4AM, but there wasn’t a moment to lose. Urgency quickened within him, which spurred him on to do what he did next.

//Father, it’s Tyrone. Can you hear me? I’m so sorry to disturb your sleep, Sire, but I need your help. Will you please help me?//

Almost immediately, Deus’s telepathic voice answered. //Of course, Son. I will always help you. You know that.//

//Please forgive me for waking you,// Tyrone communicated.

//It’s all right, Tyrone. There is nothing to forgive.// Tyrone felt the fingers of tension lessen a little at the reassuring tomes of his sire’s message. //What has happened?//

//Well, I’m not sure just yet, but there is something I absolutely must do and I need your help. I need to see you and Mom right away, as well as Cian, Theresa, Liam, and Mathilda. I need to see all of you at first light if that can be arranged. It can’t wait.//

//OK, Son, I’m on it, but can I ask what this is about?//

Tyrone took a steadying breath before communicating back. //Sire, it’s about my Lenora. The oddities…you know the ones I mean, plus the conversation we had at her funeral. The oddities, Sire…there’s something fishy going on. I know it.//

//Yes,// Deus replied simply.

//I can’t shake this feeling. Even now, I just can’t shake it. Father…uh…Sire, I am going to have Lenora’s body exhumed and I need you…all of you…to help me with what is to come.//

What Happened? Where Have You Been???

Nise Dreamweaver
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8
What Happened? Where Have You Been???

Yes, dear readers and Simmers, these are the questions in terms of my whereabouts. I’m sorry to have dropped off. It seems that when things begin to calm down, something else happens. My deepest apologies for that, but sometimes RL certainly knows how to throw the curveballs at you.

So, what has happened? Well, a lot. The big thing is that I ended up getting Covid in January – the hubs and I both did. Sucks, right? Oh, yes it did! Thankfully, we were fully vaccinated and boosted so it didn’t get as bad as it likely would have otherwise. The hubs, thankfully, only felt as though he got a mild cold and was feeling better in about two or three days after our positive Covid test. I, however, wasn’t so lucky. I ran a slight fever for a couple days and felt like I was getting the beginnings of bronchitis. I’m asthmatic, so any kind of cold/flu/whatever goes right to my chest, and I tend to get really, really sick with it. As far as respiratory, I’m happy to say that it didn’t feel much worse than beginning bronchitis. I did have shortness of breath and some mild coughing, but that didn’t last long. I also got a headache that hung on, and my taste was certainly off for a while. The headache and altered taste took a while to go away, with the altered taste lasting a couple weeks or so. It did, however, mess up my stomach so had to keep to a liquid diet for a bit. The big thing that debilitated me, though, was the fatigue, lightheadedness, body aches, and all-around weakness. I couldn’t stray far from my bed for at least a couple weeks, and all I wanted to do was sleep. That lasted a good 2-3 weeks, but I still have a little residual effects from it. It’s getting a lot better, but I still get rather tired easily, and sometimes an afternoon nap is a must. But all in all, I’m very fortunate, and it gets better day by day and week by week.

 

All the dogs are doing great. Our little Brody, now 7-months old, weighs 25 pounds! Can you believe it? He was a little 8-pounder when we picked him up at around 8 weeks of age. Now, he’s tripppled in size and weight. My little baby isn’t so little anymore although we still sometimes call him “Little Guy.” But he’s so smart and is blossoming in his development. Everyone gets on well, and all of them are very much used to each other.

Now, I suppose I should move on to what’s going on with my stories and playing Sims, in general. Well, I had a couple of major setbacks, I’m sorry to say. All was going well, and I was playing a personal game (one I haven’t showed on my YouTube channel or used in a story thus far) where I made a lot of progress with this Sim I was playing. I upped a bunch of her skills, she was making a killing at making and selling Plumbots, and she was at Level 9 of the Commedian (a custom career I downloaded) career. All went fine until my updated anti-virus wanted me to add a component of extra security which I did, thinking it was a good thing. Boy howdy, was I wrong! It started throwing files into Quarantine that didn’t need to go. My computer began to act completely wonky, and that beautiful save I’d been playing just would not open. I fiddled and fenagled, finally having to take it back to an earlier restore point before all the damage happened. Well, in general, the computer worked after that, but there was no salvaging my save I’d been playing. Heck, it didn’t even show up in the main menu although I had only it and one other save in my Saves folder at the time. I tried the backup I had, and still no go. Unfortunately, I’ve had to put that on the back burner and will try to rebuild my progress with it when I’m not so friggin’ disgusted. Thank goodness for Master Controller.

Then, I ended up downloading some more Mods and soon realized I had some conflicts and outdated stuff. By that time, I’d totally redone my Mods folder and, thankfully, had the new ones in a test folder. My game got super messed up, and it took me a good two weeks to figure out what was causing the issue. Those of you who play Sims 3 and have Mods, you know how long it can take for the game to load. I kept sliding Mods in and out, loading, exiting, sliding more Mods in and out, reloading, exiting…again, and again. Well, you get the picture and have an idea of how time consuming that can be. Come to find out, it was a Mod I totally overlooked, thinking it wasn’t the culprit. Boy, did I feel dumb!

My CAS was also loading super, super slow, and I couldn’t stand it. I ended up redoing my CC folders and remerging some content and taking some out. Hell, I couldn’t even make a Sim without the game crashing, so something had to be done. Yet, another time consuming activity. Anyway, once I got everything working properly again, I needed a total break (my brain was utterly fried) and engaged in some other hobbies until I felt the urge to play Sims and write again.

So, this brings me to present day where I’m getting back on the proverbial horse. I’ve been working on some chapter pieces and scenes, mainly for Forever in Time and should have Chapter 40 released tomorrow hopefully. I do have a busy day due to RL tomorrow, so it’ll depend on how quickly I can get into game, set things up, and get screenshots. I’m planning and hoping that further chapters will come much, much more rapidly and the story can move along. After all, poor Lenora has been in a very bad way for a long, long time (in real time), and we need to get things improved for her. However, there is still a lot more drama, twists, and turns to come. That said, I do hope I still have readers who’ve stuck with me.

I don’t want to make this post dreadfully long so I will end here for the time being. Please continue to hang in with me and look for a new chapter in the very, very near future. As always, I thank you for your patience, support, and perseverance.

With love always,

SweetNightingale  🙂

Forever in Time: Chapter 39, Soldiering Onward & Fairy Stories

Nise Dreamweaver
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7
Forever in Time: Chapter 39, Soldiering Onward & Fairy Stories

The days that followed “Lenora’s” funeral were a blur to Tyrone. There wasn’t a day that went by when tears weren’t shed. Each night, he fell into a fitful sleep to awaken with his pillow wet with his own tears. During the day, he did his best to muffle his torment and physical pain for the children’s sakes. They needed him, and he’d promised his Lenora on her deathbed that he’d be strong for them. He had to somehow make life go on and see to it that Lenora’s mission didn’t die with her.

 

Tyrone kept the children home from school but felt it was in their best interest to return a week after “Lenora’s” burial. “I don’t want to go, Da,” Aurora cried, hugging her father desperately.

“It doesn’t seem important anymore,” Andrea groaned. “Nothing is. I just…don’t care about anything anymore.”

Tyrone sighed as Chris and Jonas mumbled their agreement. “Listen, troops. We have to soldier on. I know this is the hardest thing any of us has ever had to face, but we can’t hide forever. Your Ma wouldn’t want that. We have to try to get on with things and make her proud.”

“I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for us,” Chris said adamantly.

“Everyone will think we’re freaks,” Jonas replied.

“No, son, they won’t,” Tyrone said, hugging Jonas tight. “Your friends will be in your corner. Sometimes bad things just happen that are beyond our control. Your friends will still be your friends. All you can do is say, ‘Thank you,’ if someone tells you they’re sorry about your Ma.”

 

With resignation and a heavy heart, Tyrone sent his children off to school the next day and wondered what the hell he was going to do with himself.

 

When Lenora awoke from her faint, she found herself lying on the bed with Allen sitting next to her. She uttered a small scream and tried to shrink away from him.

“No…please don’t do that, Lenora. I-I was so worried. You were asleep for so long,” came Allen’s voice.

She blinked at him in stupefaction, then looked around the room. She was still locked in that cold, dark cell with a strange man who unnerved her. She focused her eyes on Allen and willed herself to not pull away. “Allen…what…happened?”

“You fainted, Lenora. I came down here and found you on the floor. My heart nearly stopped. I…I thought you were dead again,” Allen said, his voice shaking.

Memories started to flood back. The sword and shield on her right hand…the symbol of Great Drogo’s protection…the reaction when she ran her left hand over it and placed her right hand on her heart…seeing a vision of Tyrone and trying to reach him. Lenora heaved a powerful sob, and tears ran, unchecked, down her cheeks.

“Oh, Lenora, don’t. Please don’t. It’s going to be okay. I promise it will. Just let me take care of you.” Allen reached his other hand to wipe Lenora’s tears, his other hand squeezing hers tightly.

You will be nice to him and make him believe you care for him. The memory of Shane’s words slammed into her like a wrecking ball. Shane had a gun with silver bullets slated for Tyrone and her wee ones if she didn’t cooperate. Every cell in her body wanted to retaliate, to rebel against such demands. If she did, it might mean certain death for her family, and she couldn’t take such chances with their lives. Swallowing hard, Lenora willed herself to calm down. She’d cooperate…for now but resolved to get out at the first opportunity for escape.

“Lenora…?”

 

She swallowed again, bit her lip, and made her fingers curl around Allen’s. “I’m all right. I’m sorry I worried ye.” She tried to smile reassuringly, hoping she managed to pull it off.

Allen’s face split in a wide grin. “It’s okay. You’re going to be fine now. Are you hungry?”

At the mention of hunger, Lenora’s stomach gave a prolonged, loud growl. Smiling wanly in spite of her circumstances, she looked down at her stomach. “Does that answer your question? I don’t recall the last time I ate.”

Allen squeezed her cold hand and jumped to his feet. “I’ll get you some soup. It’ll warm you up and make you feel stronger.”

When he was gone, Lenora closed her eyes in weariness and defeat. //Och, Tyrone, my beloved! How am I ever to endure this? It all seems so hopeless.//

One day after school, the Landgraab quads and Carson were spending time at Landon and Crystal’s due to Tyrone having a late business meeting. Aurora was talking to Crystal as she sat knitting when she caught Crystal by surprise by asking about the Fae Kingdom. “Is it really beautiful, like Narnia?”

Crystal finished up a row, switched the needles in her hands, and continued knitting. “It’s beautiful but in a different way than Narnia, I expect. It’s usually a very peaceful place filled with happy people, laughter, and a whole lot of love.”

“I want to go there someday,” Aurora proclaimed.

“Maybe you will one day,” Crystal replied a little absently, her concentration on her knitting.

Aurora looked dreamily at her surroundings and smiled as she relived one of the many variations of her favorite daydream about meeting and falling in love with a fairy prince. Wouldn’t it be magical if her fairy prince would swoop down, fold her into his arms, and take her away to his castle where there was no pain, sorrow, or grief? If only he could take away the pain of losing her mother. Tears filled Aurora’s eyes and brimmed over.

Crystal jumped slightly when she heard a muffled sob from Aurora. “Oh, sweetie, come here,” Crystal said, opening her arms to the little girl.

“I just miss her so, Crystal,” Aurora said, falling into the tiny fairy’s arms. “I saw her come back…I know I did…but it doesn’t stop the awful, bad feelings.”

Crystal held her, not knowing what to say about the visions Aurora insisted she’d had. She half believed her, wanted to believe her, but ow could such a thing come true? How in the name of Calista could Lenora come back from something like this?

“The awful, bad feelings won’t go away for a long time, I’m afraid,” Crystal said, skirting the subject of the visions. “It takes time, sometimes lots of it, to heal from something like this. You’ll always miss your mother but in time, it won’t be so painful.”

“I wish it wasn’t so,” Aurora croaked through a constricted throat. “I was just thinking that I wish my fairy prince would come and carry me off to his castle where nothing or nobody hurts ever again. Dumb, huh?”

Crystal smiled a little sadly and wiped away Aurora’s tears. “Not so dumb. Daydreams are nice, but the real world is very different. Even in the Fae kingdom, there is sadness sometimes.”

“Do you suppose Queen Ella could come for a visit soon? I was so bummed when I couldn’t see her last time she came,” Aurora said. “I want to be her friend, and maybe…maybe she’ll introduce me to a fairy prince.”

Crystal smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind Aurora’s ear. “Well, that may be a little hard to do, considering the only fairy prince I know of is Prince Silvan. He’s a pretty busy guy, so it could be a while before you meet him.”

“Prince Silvan,” Aurora whispered his name. “You talked about him a couple times, but you didn’t say much. Tell me about him. Please, Crystal.”

Crystal smiled reminiscently as she thought of her uncle. Oh, it had been so long since she’d seen him. Lately, Queen Ella hadn’t shared much with Crystal about Silvan or his whereabouts. He’d been out of touch for a while, having taken up residence in Dragon Valley after a less than amicable breakup.

“C’mon, Crystal, spill! What’s he like?” Aurora’s words brought Crystal out of her reverie.

“Well, first of all, he’s much too old for you,” Crystal said, ruffling Aurora’s hair.

“How much too old?”

“Lots and lots too old. Silvan’s about a thousand years old.”

Aurora’s eyes widened, then her expression fell. “That’s old. I bet he’s a wrinkled up old man.”

Crystal shook her head, grinning slightly. “Not quite. Prince Silvan ages very slowly, as do most fairies. He looks like he’s in his early twenties and is very handsome.”

Aurora’s eyes brightened. “Do you have a picture of him? Can I see it? How come I never saw one before?”

“Well, I don’t have very many of him. Let me see if I can find a fairly recent one. I…well…I guess I just don’t show many pictures of folks from the Fae kingdom unless I’m asked. Then, it has to be someone I love and trust who I show the pictures to. Sometimes there is work to do, and they sometimes don’t want much of the human world to see their true form.” Crystal reached for her bag, fishing out her wallet. Thumbing through it, she plucked out a picture and handed it to Aurora.

 

When Aurora’s eyes landed on the handsome man in the picture, a soft, little gasp escaped her. Her heart fluttered, and she couldn’t remove her gaze from the picture. “Ohhhh! Is that his true form? Is that what he really looks like?” She’d heard that some fairies use a sort of glamor to disguise their true looks.

“Yep,” Crystal replied.

Aurora ran her tiny fingers over the face, the black hair, and the red wings. “His eyes are soooo blue!” Aurora continued to gape. “What’s he like, Crystal?”

Crystal tilted her head to the right, contemplating her words carefully. How much should she tell Aurora? Silvan’s life was so complicated, and everyone in Faedom knew his reputation preceded him.

“Mostly, he’s very nice. He speaks with a Scotish accent, and when he makes contact in the human world, he uses the surname McBeth. He’s very gifted in a lot of areas but then…well…he’s had time to study and learn, being around a thousand years old. He’s very skilled in music and art, and he’s quite accomplished in healing magic used by fairies. But he’s a bit of a Cassanova. Do you know what that means, Aurora?” Crystal asked, peering into Aurora’s face.

“He’s had a lot of girlfriends,” Aurora said. “I guess he just hasn’t found the right lady to fall in love with.”

“I suppose not,” Crystal replied, not divulging to Aurora that as long as she had known Silvan, he’d never wanted to settle down. He’d broken many, many hearts in his long line of conquests.

 

Crystal told Aurora the story of how Prince Silvan’s universe had been destroyed but was saved in the nick of time by his parents. “The then sitting Queen Emmaline had found him and brought him up as her own son. Brought with him to his new home were thick ancient tomes with vast knowledge of magic, forgotten languages, and many secrets in subjects such as time travel, advanced science, and engineering. There were objects as well that supposedly belonged to Prince Silvan’s grandmother, who was a very powerful fairy. It is said that Silvan guards these treasures with utmost diligence and will only reveal what he sees fit at a given time,” Crystal said, her voice taking on a low, mysterious tone.

“He sounds so fascinating,” Aurora said in awe. “It sounds like he could be so helpful in our mission.”

“I’m afraid that won’t happen,” Crystal said, shaking her head. “Prince Silvan is a lone wolf, so to speak. I’ve known him all my life, but there are so many layers of him that baffle me. He’s a complex, deep person.”

Aurora was silent for a moment, her fingers gently tracing the prince’s strong jawline and pointed ears. “Maybe someday, someone will peel away those layers, kind of like an onion.”

“Anything’s possible,” Crystal said, sounding thoughtful.

Aurora drifted back into silence as she lost herself in the fairy prince’s vividly blue eyes. A longing arose in her heart that she couldn’t explain. With effort, she resisted the urge to hug the picture to her chest. “Crystal, can I keep this picture?” she asked a little shyly.

“Yeah, sure,” Crystal said, puzzlement in her tone. She eyed Aurora questioningly but didn’t say anything further. It was clear that, for some reason, Aurora was enamored with the picture.

Later that night, Aurora did hug the picture to her chest and fell asleep with it tucked next to her heart. She dreamed of magical fairy castles, flowers that sang and swayed in a gentle breeze, and fairy dust. Just before waking the next morning, she could have sworn she felt feathery soft fairy wings brush her cheek.

Author’s Note: First, let me just say that it’s so good to be back writing. I hope with the large gap in time that I do still have some readers. Nonetheless, I’m thrilled to have reacquainted myself and fallen in love again with my characters. Let’s hope it doesn’t take me too much time to dust the rust off my writing skills.

Apologies for the few screenshots I have in this chapter. I ended up recycling a lot of the pics you see here. I’m having a bit of trouble with the save file where the quads live. It glitches out a bit so I might have to do a bit of fancy re-creation so I can get shots of the kids while they’re still kids. Thinking in the next coule parts, birthdays will be happening.

Yes, I know. You’re thinking, “Lenora needs to get out of there. Tyrone, use that sixth sense of yours.” All in due course. Lenora still has some stuff to go through, Mathilda and Deus need to put puzzle pieces together, and the family may see some more hard times before things get better. Please do keep reading because a lot will be happening very soon. Things will be moving right along at a good clip.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the year. As always, thank you so much for reading, commenting, liking, and following. I lvoe you all very much, and your support means the world.

 

Happy New Year!

Nise Dreamweaver
-
13
Happy New Year!

Hello fellow Simmers, friends, and readers!

It saddens me that I’ve been away for so long. A lot has happened, not all for the good. My 2021 was, literally, the year from Hell, and I’m so glad to see the back end of it. I don’t want to go into a lot of specifics, but I will say it was the worst year of my life. I battled some health issues, including a bad bout of depression and anxiety. My husband went through some crap, which added to my depression and anxiety. Believe me when I say it was the most horrendous year I’ve ever had.

With dealing with all that, it seems all my hobbies have gone on the back burner. My writing has been nonexistent, and my YouTube channels have certainly suffered. It’s a time I wish I could forget.

Thankfully, I’m happy to report that things are looking so, so much better. I’m getting my mojo back, my husband is feeling much better, and my health has improved both physically and mentally. I’m looking forward to a much happier and healthier year in 2022, and that includes a better outlook and more time with my hobbies.

It hasn’t been all bad though. 🙂

 

Meet our newest addition to the family. This is Brody, our five- month-old Beagle puppy. Isn’t he adorable?

We adopted him at the end of September, and he’s certainly kept us on our toes. He’s such a sweet little guy and very smart. He catches on to commands right away. However, being a Beagle, he does have a stubborn streak. But how can you be frustrated for long looking at that face? 🙂

 

I couldn’t resist another adorable picture of Brody. He loves his bed and will often be found curled up in it. Just as often, he loves having his head hanging off of it. LOL! No matter how many times I see this, it always makes me laugh.

 

But let’s backtrack a little. In July, we adopted a rescue girl, and this is her. Everyone, meet Megan. She’s a total princess and always wants to be the center of attention.

 

Alexander Graham Bell is doing great. When we got done making my craft room, we did another home improvement project to make a mancave for my husband. We call that “The Annex.” My craft room is called “The Sanctuary.” Anyway, I have to get permission from the boys to enter the Annex. The only time they let me in is when the hubs wants me to fetch wine. Otherwise, this is the treatment I get.

 

In July of 2020, my beautiful. sweet Caleb made his journey to the Rainbow Bridge. He was thirteen, which is a good life for a Golden Retriever. His hips had been steadily going bad for the last couple years of his life and finally completely gave out, making him unable to get to his feet or walk anymore. I still miss him every single day.

So, for a while, we were down to having only Alex until Megan and Brody came along. We have a full house now with lots of love, laughter, and yes, still the occasional accident.

What does this all mean? Well, it means that I’ll be posting regularly again. If you’ve been hanging in here with me, thank you so much! I appreciate you all more than you know. I sincerely didn’t mean to drop off the face of the planet. It’s just that sometimes when real life gives you a major curve ball, you lose sight of where you are going, and the road is often hard to find.

I’ve been familiarizing myself with my storylines and have fallen in love with my characters all over again. It’s time that we do what we can to get Lenora out of the fix she’s in. We need to see if Greta made it safely to Sunlit Tides. Can Neil and Valerie pull off their double agent Bonnie & Clyde roles? We need to look in on Tyrone and the children. What will Mathilda and Liam’s role be? I hope you all will keep reading to find out this and more as our story continues to unfold.

Diary of Sims, short stories, and other things will appear on this blog, too. My SimLit Legacies blog will also be updated in the near future. You can find the link to that blog on the home page. If you haven’t done so already, please check it out.

I also haven’t forgotten about the stories I read as well. I’m sorry I haven’t been reading or commenting for the longest time, but that will be changing as well.

Wishing you all every happiness in 2022.

With lots of love, well wishes, and virtual hugs,

Sharon, aka. Sweet Nightingale

Forever in Time: Chapter 38, Making Plans & Fleeing

Nise Dreamweaver
-
8
Forever in Time: Chapter 38, Making Plans & Fleeing

Neil 1 (Medium)

In the quiet of his office, Neil sank heavily into his desk chair, his brain whirling from everything that had happened. He was amazed at how quickly circumstances could change. Working with Valerie Landgraab was going to be his saving grace. Their situation was dangerously precarious and could end badly in a heartbeat. Even so, there was no other option. What was happening was evil, and Neil couldn’t simply stand by and watch it happen. There was no other alternative but to take the offensive and try to the best of his ability to gain the upper hand.

Glancing at his wristwatch, Neil decided it was time to go home. There was nothing more he could do here for the rest of the day, and his mother needed him. She’d been very worried about him since this whole thing arose, and no amount of reassurance placated her. Neil hated it when she worried, but she always just told him it came with the territory of being a mother.

Grabbing his keys, he silently made his way to his car. Normally, he had a jaunty step and whistled as he walked, but Neil didn’t know if he’d ever feel like whistling again. As the engine rolled to life, he wondered if anything would ever be the same again and if he would even be alive when all was said and dome.

Neil tried to put his dark thoughts aside as he drove home. He didn’t want to worry his mother any more than she already was, so he arranged his expression into a tired smile. Once he arrived home, Greta Hughes was’t fooled one bit.

 

Greta2BCrying2Bon2BNeils2BShoulder

As soon as the door closed behind him, Greta wrapped her son in a strong, maternal embrace. “Oh, Neil! Thank goodness you’re home. I was staring to get worried.”

Neil pulled back slightly to kiss his mother’s cheek. “I’m okay, Mom. I had a case that ran overtime.” This wasn’t a lie, but he could see that Greta knew there was more to it than that. His mother was a very perceptive woman.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Greta didn’t press about details, as she understood about doctor/patient confidentiality. “You look dead on your feet.”

Neil shrugged and narrowed his eyes at his mother, scrutinizing her closely. “You’ve been crying. What’s the matter, Mom?” Her red nose and puffy eyes gave it away in an instant.

Greta sighed and shook her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. “Oh, Neil, I’m just so heartsick. I went shopping earlier today, and there was a huge display of Lenora Landgraab’s books. I guess they wanted to honor her in this way. She was my favorite author in all the world. You know that. She was also a truly beautiful person. I met her a couple times, and she was the sweetest little thing. With her death being so sudden and mysterious, it’s been all over the news.”

Neil nodded.

“I got to thinking about her husband and children…and I just lost it. It just makes me so sick at heart,” Greta said, choking on a sob. “And you…you’ve looked so haunted ever since she…her death. I know you can’t talk about it, but I can see how much it’s affected you.”

More than you know, Mom, Neil thought to himself. “Some cases just affect you more than others,” Neil said, shrugging.

“I know you, Neil, and there’s more to it than that. I know you’re not supposed to discuss details due to privacy, but I wish you could. It’s not healthy to carry around such a heavy burden,” Greta replied.

 

Neil2B262BGreta2BSitting

More than anything, Neil wanted to open up to his mother but was torn in more ways than one. Yes, confidentiality was the forefront of his hesitation, but Greta’s safety also shared this priority spot. He sighed wearily and led his mother to the sofa. “Sit down, Mom. There’s something I do need to talk to you about, and I need you to hear me out.”

“Okay.” Greta let herself be led and sat down to wait for her son to begin.

“You need a vacation.”

Greta offered him a weak smile. “That would be nice, dear, but we can’t go anywhere until you’re able to get some time off.”

“I don’t mean us, I mean you.”

Greta raised an eyebrow. “Me? Alone…without you?”

Neil nodded.

“Now, Neil, what kind of vacation could I have if I can’t share it with my favorite son?”

“I’m your only son, Mom,” Neil snorted.

“That’s beside the point. Neil, darling, I don’t want to take a solo vacation.”

Neil heaved a sigh knowing this would be her answer. “Mom, it’s not a request. It’s a…” He shrugged, unable to find the right word. “It’s…complicated. For your own good, you need to get out of town for a while.”

Greta’s lips thinned in a grim line. “Neil Hughes, you need to tell me what is going on. I’m not going anywhere until I know what you’re trying to hide from me.”

“Mom…please.”

Greta’s tone softened. “Look son, if you’re in some kind of trouble, I’ll help to the best of my ability. Your wanting me to go away alone means you’re hiding something major. Now, out with it. Does this have something to do with Lenora Landgraab’s death? You’ve been acting strangely since it happened.”

Neil ran a hand over his tired, bloodshot eyes and groaned. He should’ve realized his mother just wouldn’t go passively gallivanting off without some sort of explanation. Abruptly, he got to his feet  and started to wave his hands, blue and white light igniting from his fingertips.

“Magic? Neil, what is this?”

Moments later, he returned to his seat next to Greta and took her hand. “I was looking to see if there were magical bugs installed in the house.”

Greta’s brow furrowed. “Bugs? As in listening devices or spells?” She didn’t possess magical abilities, but having a son who did made her accustomed to seeing spellwork.

“Yes,” Neil confirmed.

Greta’s eyes widened. “Were there any? Neil, who’d want to listen in on our conversations? What the hell is going on?”

Neil shook his head in answer to his mother’s question. “I didn’t want to take any chances. Listen, Mom, I’ll tell you what you need to know, but I can’t give you any specific details. You’re going to have to trust me that I know what I’m doing.” At least I hope I know what I’m doing or we’re all as good as dead, he thought to himself.

When Greta nodded slowly, he continued. “All I can tell you is that there’s something very strange about Lenora Landgraab’s case. It simply isn’t a case of some mysterious illness. She made some enemies, and now these enemies are exacting revenge.”

Greta gasped and covered her mouth. “Blackmailed? Oh my God! How much…how much money did you have to send them and what do they have on you?”

“They didn’t want money. They wanted…something else. I can’t tell you what it is, Mom, so don’t ask. The bottom line is, I’m involved now. They said if I didn’t cooperate, they’d kill you.” Neil squeezed her hand tightly.

“And that’s why you want me out of town, to keep me from being found.”

Neil nodded and bit his lower lip. “I have a friend who has a house that has protection and concealment wards on it. If we can get you there without you being seen leaving, you can stay there till all this is over, and there would be no way they can find you. You’ll be safe, and I won’t have to worry about you turning up dead.”

Greta pursed her lips in disapproval. “And while I’m hiding out and being safe, you’ll be asking how high when they say jump and doing God knows what. I don’t think so!”

“Not exactly,” Neil sighed. “My friend and I are going to work together to stop this. They’ll think I’m cooperating but all the time, I’ll be a double agent.”

“Oh, Neil!” Greta began to cry in earnest. “What have you gotten yourself into?”

“I can’t tell you right now. I’m sorry, Mom. I don’t like keeping secrets from you, but I have to this time.” Neil hugged her tight and rubbed her back. “Please try not to worry. It’s going to be okay. Do you understand why you have to go now?”

Greta wiped the tears from her cheeks with her fingertips. “I don’t like it, Neil. I don’t like cowering while my son is in danger. I want to help you get out of this.”

“You can help best by staying at Valerie’s property and keeping safe. I’ll keep in touch as often as I can. Please trust me, Mom. It’s the only way.”

“When do I go?” Greta asked in a resigned tone.

 

Neil2BHugging2BGreta

“Tomorrow night if Valerie can arrange it.” He hugged his mother tightly and whispered near her ear. “I love you, Mom, more than anything, and I’ll miss you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“I’m supposed to be saying that to you,” Greta sighed.

 

Greta2BNapping

The next evening when Neil returned home from work, he found Greta napping on the sofa. Having received a phone call from Valerie earlier in the day, Neil knew that tonight was the night to smuggle his mother to Sunlit Tides. He wanted to let her sleep as long as she could since she’d been so tired and worried for him, but now that the move was a go, they needed to move quickly.

“Mom, wake up,” Neil said, gently shaking her.

Greta’s eyes popped open immediately, and she sat up with a start. “Oh, Neil! What time is it? I must’ve dozed off.”

“You deserved a nap, but we gotta book it. We’ve got about half an hour before Valerie gets here. Mom, where are your bags?”

“In the hall closet. I stashed them in there till the last minute,” Greta said. She stood up and straightened imaginary wrinkles from her shirt. “At least let me fix you something to eat. You must be famished.”

Always the nurturing mom, Neil thought. “I’ll make some sandwiches. You just grab any last minute things you want, okay?”

 

Neil2BMaking2BSalad

Neil put together a hasty meal of sandwiches and salad and waited for his mother to return. He liked a spy and espionage story as much as the next guy but never dreamed he’d be actually living one out. What happened to the quiet, busy life he’d always loved?

 

Neil2B262BGreta2BEating

Neil didn’t have much appetite but quickly bolted down the meal. Clear thinking was crucial, and lack of food wouldn’t help matters. As Greta washed the dishes and put them away, Neil’s phone rang.

“Clyde, it’s me.”

“Where are you, Bonnie?” Neil asked in a low voice. Earlier, he’d made sure there were no tracing or bugging devices or spells equipped on his phone.

“About a mile away. I’ll send you a quick text once I arrive. I’ll park as close to your back door as I can and keep my head and taillights off. Get your mother and whatever stuff you have and get in the car as quickly as you can. We need to scoot and go.”

When the text came, Greta and Neil dashed out the door, bags in hand. Neil quickly locked it behind him and opened the back door to a car Neil couldn’t make out any features of in the pitch darkness. After helping his mother inside and sliding the bags in after her, he got in and closed the door as quietly as he could. “Heads down!” came a whispered barking command from the front seat.

Neil didn’t have to be told twice. He recognized Valerie’s voice although it sounded different. From the barking timbre of it, he knew she was in Wolf form. He hunkered down as best he could, Greta doing the same.

//Can you hear me, Bonnie?// Neil’s mental message reached out for Valerie.

//Telepathy! I didn’t know you could do that//

//There’s a lot we’ll be finding out about each other, I’m sure. What’s the plan?//

//I got a small private plane waiting for us at the abandoned airport about twenty miles away. It’s fueled and ready to go, so we can be in the air immediately. There’s a private hangar near the property, and I have another car waiting there. Once there, you’ll ward the car so we stay concealed until we get to the house. Once we get your mother settled, we’ll fly back here and go from there.//

//Okay,// Neil communicated back. //Does Clayton suspect anything?//

//Nope. So far, so good. And so far, he hasn’t tried to drug me again.//

Neil breathed a sigh of relief. The less she was drugged, the better. //How is Lenora?//

//About the same. I’m worried about her…really worried.//

Neil stopped himself from swearing aloud. //You need to convince Clayton to let me examine her.//

//I’m working on that. Allen is worried, too. If I play it just right and the fact that Allen is worried, I’m confident that between the two of us, we can convince Shane to let you come. As bad off as Lenora is, she’s playing her part, too. Once I was able to tell her what we were up to, she’s pretending to be sicker than she really is…but we must get you in there or it won’t be play acting for much longer.//

Neil blew out a long breath as the car trundled along. //Okay. Let’s tackle one thing at a time. Let’s get Mom to safety and worry about the rest after that.//

//Okay,// Valerie agreed.

They drove on in silence, Neil wishing this was all over. If he and his mother got out of this alive and if they could save Lenora, Neil vowed he would do anything and everything he could to atone for his part in this unforgivable mess.

Author’s Note: First off, I totally want to apologize that it took me ages and ages to put up a new chapter or any SimLit. Even under lockdown, we’ve been keeping busy. What’s been occupying much of my time was a huge home improvement project. We finally got my craft room – what I call Sharon’s Sanctuary – done…finally! It spent two years in the Oh-we’ll-get-to-it-eventually stage but came to fruition over the last few weeks. It was a massive project, really, because we had to do it all from scratch. Carpet needed total replacement, walls needed fixing and painting…you get the picture. I’m officially moved in, which I’m absolutely thrilled about.

I vlogged the whole thing and it’s up on my YouTube Channel. They are short videos except for the one where I did an actual tour of the room. What I will do as well as make a series of posts where I’ll link a part for those wanting to watch right from my blog. You’ll see the video and i’ll also add a little text to keep it Sims related. Let me tell you, it’s much easier to build and decorate in the Sims than it is in real life. Whew, what a job!

Anyway, now that my big project is over, I’m planning to have chapters published much, much more often. I hope you enjoy this one. As always, thanks for reading, commenting, liking, subscribing, and lurking. Happy Simming!

Update: Strange and Rough Times

Nise Dreamweaver
-
10
Update: Strange and Rough Times

sharon-sitting

Hello, my fellow Simmers, readers, and writers!

I haven’t been around much, as you know, and I’m sorry about that. When life was normal, it was quite busy since I became President of my Lions Club. That job kept me on my toes! Thank goodness it’s a one-year term because, let me tell you, it’s been insane. It also didn’t help hat my internet was giving me fit after fit after fit. it made it super hard to publish, and it was quite the chore to upload videos to YouTube. To make a long story short, it got worse and worse, so there was no choice but to change service providers. I now have much, MUCH higher speeds, and it’s better equipped to handle our needs.

As you all know, with the pandemic of the Covid-19 virus upon us, things are much different. Where I live, we’re under lockdown (shelter-in-place), which means everyone is supposed to stay home and not wander out unless it’s for essentials. This means I have a LOT of time on my hands for projects. Thankfully,, I’m not bored and am actually enjoying and taking advantage of this slower pace to get caught up on things that need attention. This includes getting back to my stories. I’ve missed my beloved characters and the actual act of writing so much! Plus, I miss all of you and seeing your comments on my posts.

So yeah, I’m okay and feeling fine. I hope all of you are as well.

My goal is to have posts for my stories in the next day or so, just as soon as I can get them written and screenshotted (is that a word? LOL).

Please keep safe and healthy, everyone.

Happy Simming. 🙂

Diary of Sims: Leah Evans

Nise Dreamweaver
-
4
Diary of Sims: Leah Evans

Content Warning! Some mild swearing

 

Leah on Computer 2 (Medium)

Bridgeport, Mid-21st Century
Journal Entry for Leah Evans

I suppose you could call me a snob, but I don’t see myself that way. Others might, but that only means they don’t know the real me. I just simply wanted something better for my life than what I was getting in the quiet town of Sunset Valley. I couldn’t wait to move out on my own and relocate to the bustling city of Bridgeport. I wanted to be where there were more opportunities. The idea of actual nightlife intrigued me, as did the stars, glitz, and glamour of the city. .Sure, you could consider me a snob because of this. But trust me! There is more to me than that.

I didn’t have it so easy growing up. I was an only child raised by a single father. I loved him like the devoted daughter I was. My dad was amazing, but like all of us, he had his faults. He was a dreamer and schemer with big plans that very seldom worked out. Each failure took more of a toll on him until one day, he just couldn’t hold onto life anymore. I will never forget the morning I found him dead in his bed with an empty pill bottle beside him and a suicide note apologizing for failing me and asking me to understand.

For a long time, I was angry; angry at him for leaving me the way he did and angry at myself for not seeing this coming. I did the only thing I could, and that was to cope somehow. I donated what I could to the Salvation Army, put our house on the market where it sold quickly, packed up my stuff, and headed to Bridgeport.

With the sale of the house, what I’d earned from my job as a bookstore manager, and the income from Dad’s insurance, I was able to buy a lovey apartment in Bridgeport that I referred to as my sanctuary. I’d always wanted to be a famous author, so I got right to work polishing up pieces I’d written, then starting my first romance novel. In the beginning, I accrued so many pink rejection slips that I could’ve wallpapered my entire apartment with them. I sank into a depression for a while and wanted to just pack it in. The thing that began to give me hope was when one of my short stories was finally accepted for publication in a romance magazine called True Confessions. Things did a complete 180 after that. My stories were picked up right away, and my novels sold like wildfire. I was finally well on my way.

 

Leah & Bookshelf 1 (Medium)

Like many authors, I’ve always been a voracious reader. I’m a shameless fangirl of many authors, but I will freely admit that I’m completely obsessed with Lenora Landgraab’s books. I haven’t met her, but that it right at the top of my bucket list. She is an inspiration to all and such a great role model. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s this uniqueness to her and her works I find both curious and refreshing. I guess what it comes down to is I want to be Lenora Landgraab when I grow up.

 

Leah Reading 4 (Medium)

I was devouring one of Lenora’s newer books and reveling in just how magical it was. I’m not exactly a naysayer when it comes to Supernatural stuff, but Lenora’s work always makes me want to embrace a full belief that some degree of it exists somewhere. I completely lost track of time as I read, not realizing a storm was howling until I closed the book and was rooted, once again, in my own world. Oh, I loved the city; it was everything I’d dreamed it would be. My apartment was beautiful, but it was definitely a lot for just one girl.

 

Leah Eating Grilled Cheese 1 (Medium)

With a sigh, I put away the book, changed into my nightie, and solemnly ate a grilled cheese sandwich as i contemplated just how lonely I was. When I’d get in this sort of mood, I’d go clubbing with a girlfriend or attend the theater. I’d have the occasional date, but no long-lasting relationship ever materialized. I would have gone out tonight, but the idea of getting soaked and battling the raging winds certainly wasn’t appealing. So, I figured staying in, popping some popcorn, and watching a romantic movie on Netflix would have to suffice. Tonight was to be Love’s Immortal Heart, a Lenora Landgraab bestseller made into a movie starring Matthew Hamming and Olivia Barrister. I loved the book and was itching to see the movie. Matthew and Olivia were two of my very favorite actors, so I was certain I was in for a real treat.

The movie was wonderful! I was sniffling and drying my eyes as I crawled into bed. Then, I snorted with dry humor as I thought of my own life. I certainly wasn’t in Lenora’s league, but I, too, was a romance writer who wrote steamy love scenes, penned words of undying love, and carved out eternal promises…but I was alone. There was no knight in shining armor to defend my honor nor an unsung hero with a checkered past to sweep me off my feet. Well, someday…maybe someday.

 

Leah Cooking 1 (Medium)

I awoke the next morning to the strangest tingling sensation, the fine hairs on my skin standing on end. My nerve endings buzzed with some sort of energy I had no explanation for. It continued as I prepared breakfast and got ready for my day. I had the weirdest feeling that something was going to happen that would forever impact my life.

I tried not to think about the lingering sensation as I called a cab and headed for the movie studio. My writing was going extremely well, as I’ve said, and I’d been thrilled when I’d been asked to write the screenplay for a romantic movie that was to begin production soon. I was asked to come to the studio to collaborate with the powers that be.

 

Leah & Elevator 1 (Medium)

Never would it have ever occurred to me that an elevator would be the catalyst in this life-altering event that destiny or whatever had in mind.

 

Leah & Elevator 2 (Medium)

Jacob was said to have wrestled with an angel. Me, I knew I was wrestling with a demon, for the damned elevator seemed to have a mind of its own. It was hellbent on slamming its doors on me as I tried to exit. One would have thought that a prestigious movie studio such as this would have perfectly working elevators.

 

Leah Sprawled on Floor 1 (Medium)

The final indignity came when my ankle turned and I went sprawling, half of me inside the accursed thing and half of me on the cold, tile floor. When I opened my eyes, the first thing i saw was an elegant rug. Swearing none-too-softly, I started to get to my hands and knees, then realized a pair of immaculately polished, shiny, black shoes were planted right in front of me.

“Oh, shit! Ms. Evans, are you hurt?”

That voice! That! Voice!

I slowly raised my gaze and fainted dead away when it landed on the handsome face of Matthew Hamming.

When I came to, I found myself lying on a leather sofa, a cool cloth on my forehead and someone chafing my wrists. Opening my eyes, I discovered, to my utter humiliation, that it was Matthew Hamming chaffing my wrists and looking at me, a worried frown creasing his brow. I groaned and covered my face, wishing heartily that the sofa cushions would just swallow me up.

“There you are. I was getting worried,” Matthew said in his soft, cultured voice.

“I-I…oh, God! I have never been so embarrassed in all my life,” I blurted lamely.

A charming grin replaced the furrow of worry. “Don’t be. That elevator has been giving us all nightmares for three months now. I swear, the thing is possessed.”

Before I could stop myself, a burbling laugh escaped. “I was thinking the very same thing as it tried to saw me in half.”

“Well, maintenance just got an earful, so they’d better get right on it if they know what’s good for them. Are you feeling better?” Matthew asked.

“My ankle. It hurts.”

Matthew took my foot in his big hands, prodded the tender area, and gently moved it. When I winced, he retrieved a couple of throw pillows and propped my foot on them. “It’s a little swollen. Probably nothing too serious, but I reckon it’s lightly sprained. Do you want to go to the ER?”

I shook my head, wrinkling my nose in disgust. I hated hospitals and doctors. “No, thank you. I think I’ll just go home and put it up. I’ll pop some Tylenol and go to bed. I was to consult with Geoffrey Howard on my screenplay.”

“I’ll PM him and tell him you aren’t feeling well. Then, I can take you home,” Matthew said.

“No, no, Mr. Hamming,” I said quickly. “You’ve done too much already.” I wasn’t used to anyone taking care of me. I’d been on my own for years, after all.

“it’s Matthew, and it’s no trouble, Ms. Evans. I’ll just sign myself out and come back to collect you. My limo is nearby.”

“Limo?” I squeaked.

He smirked slightly. “it’s one of the niceties I enjoy, thanks to my career.”

“Call me Leah. I…just don’t understand why you’re being so nice to me. You don’t know me from Eve.”

Matthew grinned at me, his eyes twinkling. “Ah, well, Eve was never my type. No, I don’t know you, but I intend to remedy that. Besides, my pal Olivia is a huge fan of your work.”

I gawped incredulously at him. “Olivia…Barrister…likes my work?”

Matthew chuckled and closed my jaw with a forefinger. “You’ll catch a fly,” he teased me, which made me blush to the roots of my hair. “Hell, Leah, Olivia loves your work. She’s always the first to grab your newest stuff when it’s released.”

 

Limo 1 (Medium)

True to Matthew’s word, his limo was easily accessible. I made a token protest when he swooped me into his arms and carried me to it, he and his chauffeur situating me inside as gently as they could. Matthew carried me into my apartment and put me on my sofa. Once again, he placed pillows under my ankle to prop it up. He even stayed with me for a couple hours, leaving only when he was convinced I would be all right.

 

Dancing 1 (Medium)

Since then,, Matthew became an important and steady fixture in my life. We began dating regularly and spent as much time together as our lives and careers would allow. I never had any grand ideas that it would last. After all, Matthew was known for his wandering eye and reputation as a player. He’d never been married, nor had he stayed with any one woman for long.

 

Leah & Matthew in Bed 1 (Medium)

That was how it was with him…until me.

 

Leah & Matthew in Love 1 (Medium)

I was irrevocably in love with Matthew Hamming but was so afraid I’d get my heart broken.

 

Leah & Matthew Holding Hands 1 (Medium)

I needn’t have worried. The depth of Matthew’s love knew no bounds. For the first time in my life, I was utterly complete.

Matthew and i were married in a beautiful ceremony with all the fanfare a famous actor could get. My career was going wonderfully, and I achieved my own notoriety as more and more of my work hit the bestseller lists. We decided to sell his house and live in my apartment, as it was suited more for a couple entertaining the possibility of beginning a family. We were joyously happy except for one thing.

Matthew was’t getting any younger, and neither was I, for that matter.

 

Potions 1 (Medium)

Three months after our wedding, I awoke to find a note and two sparkling bottles with a strange, glowing liquid inside. Again, I felt that strange tingling I’d felt the day I met Matthew. What unfolded next cemented my belief that somehow, some way, the Supernatural does exist somewhere. With shaking fingers, I picked up the note and read.
Dearest Leah,
     First off, let me apologize if this finding has alarmed you in any way. I assure you, this is a gift to you and your dear husband. There is no ulterior motive or malice contained in either this note or the bottles. It is a rare gift I bestow upon you both with my deepest blessings. Think of me as your fairy godmother who wishes for you and your Matthew to enjoy many, many more years together, years you would not have otherwise. I’m a believer in absolute and true love, which the two of you undoubtedly share. Also, talent such as what you both have should be enjoyed for as long as possible. Drink it in good heath, be good to each other, and love forever.
Your Fairy Godmother and a true fan

Because Matthew and I aren’t ones to shrink away in fear, what else could we do but drink the stuff?

 

Leah & Matthew Talking on Bed 1 (Medium)

We did get younger. In fact, we haven’t aged a day since we took the strange potion. The lines in Matthew’s face disappeared, and twenty years apparently melted away in the blink of an eye. The aches and pains I was feeling in my own body disappeared, and I feel all of twenty-two. Matthew and I suppose we will never know who this strange fairy godmother person was, but we are so thankful for the priceless gift she has given us.

Matthew and I live a wonderful life filled with activities, laughter, and love. We attend each other’s doings as much as we are able, and both of us are understanding when our careers consume our time more than usual. I frequently tease Matthew about how the first two words he ever said to me were, “Oh, shit!” He ribs me that his very presence made me swoon. Thankfully, the demonic elevator has been exorcised. There has never been a happier couple than us.

 

Leah & Matthew Eating Pancakes 1 (Medium)

Matthew and I are truly blessed beyond measure. I’m still so amazed I’m sharing my life with my soulmate. As we sit eating breakfast, I find myself smiling at him a lot. I have something to tell him, something I’m certain is happening. Still, I want to be completely sure first, I have a pregnancy test in the bathroom and feel in my bones it’ll read positive. I can’t wait.

I can’t wait to tell my husband we’re expecting.

 

Author’s Notes: Leah was a Sim I created years and years and years ago. I played her a lot way back when, put her away for quite a long time, then dusted her off last week. My intention was to have her get with Matthew Hamming, but we never ran into him until now. When we did, he and Leah hit it right off, so we snagged him. When they got married, he had one day before becoming an elder. I loved the two of them so much that they both got Young Again and Age Freeze Potions.

Who is this benevolent fairy godmother? Does anyone have a guess?

I do hope you all enjoyed this installment. If you want to see more of them, simply tell me in the comments, and I can make it happen.

If you want Leah in your game, you can download her from my studio here. She does contain CC that may or may not show up in your game. If you want to put her with Matthew, you can grab him from Bridgeport. The house they are living in is a creation by Curtis Paradis. You can find it on his page here. There is also a video on YouTube of Curtis building this apartment.

As always, thanks for reading, subscribing, liking, commenting, and lurking.

Forever in Time: Chapter 37, Bonnie & Clyde

Nise Dreamweaver
-
7
Forever in Time: Chapter 37, Bonnie & Clyde

Content Warning! Drugs, rape, and domestic violence are mentioned in this chapter.

It’s the same person who’s blackmailing you.

 

Neil 3 (Medium)

At the mention of the blackmail, Neil uttered a startled gasp. He thought of brushing it off and denying any such thing, but he was too far in to wiggle his way out. “How do you know about that?”

“I overheard him when he was doing it. I’ve seen his computer and phone setup. He has these different gadgets; some, I have no clue what they do. Others, I know a bit about. There’s one that sort of scrambles things so the number from his phone is a bogus one and appears to come from someplace other than where the phone actually is. There’s another that can make a call untraceable. There’s another gizmo that disguises the voice so it’s unrecognizable in order to throw off the person on the other end. I think he uses it for other bad stuff besides blackmailing you,” Valerie explained. “He is evil and crazy, but he’s not stupid.”

Neil blew out a long breath. “Who is he, Valerie?”

 

Valerie 1 (Medium)

She looked down at her hands, hesitating.

“If we’re going to resolve this, I need to know everything,” Neil persisted.

Valerie bit her lip and wiped at the tears on her cheeks. “He…his name is Shane Clayton. He has a brother, Allen, who is…well, to be honest, Allen is a total headcase.” Now that the confession had begun, there was no turning back. Valerie locked intense gazes with Neil and launched into the whole disgusting tale. “So, Lenora’s alive, and he’s got me over a barrel. She’s my sister-in-law, Dr. Hughes. I love her and would never want to hurt her. I don’t remember doing it at all, but…but apparently, this is all my fault!” Valerie slammed clenched fists against her forehead as if trying to jar crusted memories loose, and growled.

Neil grabbed Valerie’s wrists and worked to unclench her fists. When she allowed her fingers to relax, Neil lowered her hands into her lap and patted one of them. “Beating your own brains out won’t solve anything. Oh, and under the circumstances, you’d better call me Neil. Look, Valerie, from everything you’ve told me and the evidence I’ve seen, you’ve been terribly victimized. You’ve been used, manipulated, and abused. It’s obvious, and anyone with a lick of sense can see that.”

“But–”

 

Neil & Valerie 1 (Medium)

“But nothing!” Neil interrupted her. “Maybe you’ve made some unsavory choices, but that is no excuse for someone to take advantage of you like this.”

“Lenora basically told me the same thing.”

“From what I’ve heard and know of her, she’s a very wise woman,” Neil said. “You say she’s alive?”

“Yes.”

“This Shane went to a lot of trouble to have her moved and get a clone there in her place,” Neil mused. “Something didn’t add up from the beginning, but now, I’m putting it all together. They wanted the real Lenora because she’s obviously no use to them dead. Having her appear dead was the easiest way for them to get their mitts on her. And the clone…”

“It would look suspicious if the family didn’t have something to bury” Valerie replied.

“And the brothers have the real Lenora holed up,” Neil said. “What is her condition? How is she?”

“Whatever spell I…whatever Shane made me give her…well, she’s awfully sick. She’s weak and can’t hold anything down. I’m worried that if she stays there much longer, she…won’t be okay.” Valerie choked on the last few words and blinked furiously. “I don’t know what to do. He has us both stymied.”

“No one stymies me for long,” Neil said firmly, his expression growing dark. “I have a personal stake in this.. Ariadne helps those who help themselves, and that’s what we’re going to have to do.” Neil now knew what it was like to be frightened and feel powerless. It went against every part of his makeup to be in such a position, and it made him angry. Ever since he’d been forced into cloning Lenora and exchanging her for the real Lenora, his conscience had been beating him mercilessly. Preserving his mother’s life was the sole motivation in his cooperation, but he also knew that as long as he did cooperate, both he and his mother would be under a perpetually growing black umbrella. Blackmail didn’t happen only once, after all.

Endlessly mulling over the situation, Neil understood that there was more at stake than he and his mother. An innocent family was traumatized, and a presumed dead woman was being held hostage. Nobody deserved to be in such a predicament. Neil had been unable to help Lenora before, but perhaps he could now. He must help her somehow. Some strange force was telling him there was no other option. She’d haunted him from the moment she’d been brought to him. He was certain in his gut that somehow, someway, the Multiverse needed Lenora Landgraab, and if she wasn’t saved, they were all doomed.

 

Valerie 1 (Medium)

“But how? I’ll just keep getting drugged, raped, and slapped around. You’ll get blackmailed again. It always happens that way.” Neil started, Valerie’s words bringing him back from his reverie.

Neil rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “For blackmail to work, there’s always something hanging over the victim’s head. What we have to do is eliminate that so the blackmailer has no leverage.”

“But how?” Valerie asked again.

“I’ve got some ideas, Valerie, but it means we’re going to have to work together. We’re going to have to be in constant communication, and we must always be truthful with each other. Is that clear?” Neil said, a grim expression furrowing his brow.

“I’ll do anything to try to make this right.”

“Okay, then. I’ll be Clyde if you’ll be Bonnie.”

Despite the bleak situation they were in, Valerie let loose with a gusty guffaw. “You’re on, Clyde. Partners in crime to dissolve a crime. Who’d have thunk it? So, what’s our first move?”

“Remove the leverage, of course. We need to reverse your condition, and I need to somehow get my mother safe where nobody can touch her.”

 

Neil & Valerie 3 (Medium)

For the first time in a long time, a victorious light glinted in Valerie’s eyes. “I can help you with your mother. My family owns quite a bit of real estate jointly as well as individually. I bought this beach house and hid out in Sunlit Tides after my marriage broke up. See, my ex went on this Reality TV dating show after we divorced and got some notoriety from it. Before and after it aired, the show tried to interview me, but I wanted nothing to do with it. To garner sympathy for Caleb, I was raked over the coals and vilified for quite some time. It was madness! I asked my mother to ward the place so nobody could find me while I was there. It’s still warded and completely safe. We can put your mother there until it’s safe for her to return. Can you convince her to go?”

“Yes, yes, I think I can. My mother has been talking about taking a tropical vacation now for a while.”

“Good! Talk to her as soon as you can. It’s best to get her there under the cover of night. If you can get me shipshape, it’ll make it easier for us to smuggle her out,” Valerie said.

“I can reverse your condition. Your blood tests showed exactly what was being given to you. A Cure Elixir will take care of it, but the bigger concern is making sure you don’t end up in the same condition. There is a spell I can cast on you that will minimize the effects of the mind control and neutralize the drugs instantly once they hit your system. The mind control will still put you a little under. I’m sorry, but that can’t be avoided completely. In a way, it’s good because he will get suspicious if he realizes it’s not working anymore. What will happen, however, is that you will remember the hypnotic suggestions he gives you. You’ll be able to stop yourself from acting against your morals.”

“What about my transformations? They’ve been impaired, too, as you know.”

 

Neil & Valerie 2 (Medium)

“Since the spell is eliminating the drugs causing the blockage, you will be able to transform again. Just make sure you get out of dodge before the full moon or you’ll have a lot of explaining to do,” Neil replied. “Now, let’s get you fixed up.”

Neil chanted quietly, moving his hands deftly over the injured areas on Valerie’s body. The afternoon waned as he worked, the sun dipping lower into the horizon. When he was finished, Valerie looked at her watch and frowned. “I must get going or Shane will get testy. How much longer?”

“Just one more thing. Drink this,” Neil said, handing her a goblet. “This will help with any remaining discomfort you feel.”

Valerie obeyed, setting the goblet on a nearby table once emptied. “What next?”

“I’ll speak to my mother tonight about the trip. In the meantime, you should try to convince Clayton to let me examine Lenora. She needs seeing to, and I need to see what we’re up against. Here, let me give you my personal phone number. It’ll be best if you call me so as to keep suspicion at bay. Think you can make that happen, Bonnie?”

Valerie’s lips curled in a slight smile. “I’ll do my best, Clyde. The shape she’s in, I doubt it’ll take much convincing. If nothing else, Lenora being sick will distress Allen, which will make a huge difference in swaying Shane. I’ll call you as soon as I can tomorrow.”

By the time Valerie left, the heaviness weighing on Neil’s soul was somewhat lessened. Perhaps there was still hope for his humanity and career. If Ariadne was willing and merciful, both he and his mother would come out of this unscathed, Valerie would get the help and understanding she needed, and Lenora Landgraab would regain her health and be returned to her family where she belonged. For all three of these to come to pass, Neil would have to work hard, tread carefully, and be as crafty and cunning as he possibly could.

Author’s Note: Sorry if both this chapter and screenshots seem a bit boring. Not too much action happened, but I felt this chapter of dialogue was needed to form this “Bonnie and Clyde” partnership thingy. 😀 You can be certain that a lot of action will be happening in the near future.

As always, thank you all so much for your support. It means the absolute world to me that there are folks who enjoy reading my story as much as I love writing it. Thanks for reading, subscribing, commenting, liking, and lurking.

I’ve Been Away

Nise Dreamweaver
-
4
I’ve Been Away

sharon-sitting

 

Hello, my fellow Simmers, writers, and readers!

I realize the title of this post is stating the obvious since I haven’t had any content up since late September, but…yes, I’ve been away. I haven’t been physically away although a vacation cruise would be wonderful around this time since the weather here is getting colder – something I never look forward to every year but seems to happen (at least to my perception) earlier and earlier. I do assure you that all is well, and life is sailing along. It’s been sailing at a very fast clip these days, but thankfully, there haven’t been any major obstacles to traverse.

My Sims 3 game, however, was a different story. Don’t worry! I didn’t lose any content and nothing was seriously wrong. The major thing I had to contend with was my Library folder (sometimes called the Bin),, which, as you probably know, is where all the families, households, houses, and community lots are saved. Well, mine was an absolute disaster area! I figured out how to install and rename houses and such without having to use the launcher. This means a few extra steps to do with a couple different programs, but it’s well worth it. Anyway, long story short, I ended up with some duplicates because I had the renamed version and the gibberish name the game generates when it’s installed the conventional way. Like I said, it was a huge mess with the thing taking forever and a day to load. I’m getting it to how I want it now, but it took some doing. I still have a few more things to replace, as it’s a matter of going into the save file and saving the household. Thankfully, everything is backed up, and I have backups to my backups. 🙂

Now that I have this done (for the most part), I can focus on publishing new story content. I’m so excited about that because I miss my characters and writing for them. I hope you all have missed them as much as I have and are excited to see them again.

Have a SimTastic day, give your Simmies some love, and above all, be kind to one another.

The Running Hacker: Chapter 1, Hello, Sunset Valley

Nise Dreamweaver
-
6
The Running Hacker: Chapter 1, Hello, Sunset Valley

Corrine 1 (Medium)

I am one Corrine Prater, but that is only a moniker I grabbed for myself. It’s been so long since I’ve used my real name that I’ve almost forgotten what it is.

I never thought I’d end up in the kind of mess I’m in. I was an ordinary sort of girl, or at least, that’s what I kept trying to tell myself. I could rebuild a car engine in record time, I had an honest-to-goodness library in my house growing up, and I pretty much just kept to myself. I was smarter than the average 5th grader, especially with computers, so I went right to Junior High in the middle of the school year. I was quite low on the food chain, not having many friends, but it didn’t bother me, really. When people, especially lots of them, were involved in one’s life, pain, suffering, and heartache were present, too.

I was a pretty boring person in all aspects but one. I had some extra psychic juice that I’d tried to keep hidden. I say tried because I was awful at controlling it. Stuff happened when I was either really upset or very happy. Plates rattled around in the cabinets, doors and windows shut without me touching them, and lights suddenly burned out. When I tried to do it of my own free will, nothing happened. It was freaky to a lot of people, especially me, so I felt like it was best that I keep to myself as much as I could.

I won’t belabor the point by giving a blow-by-blow account of all that happened, but I’ll just say an “outburst” happened at the wrong time in front of the wrong person. Next thing I knew, some secret agency or cult grabbed me in the middle of the night and took me away to a secluded place where a bunch of tests were performed on me. I’d been only fifteen when I was kidnapped and spent seven years being subjected to their poking, prodding, and head games. I probably would have still been there if the place hadn’t been discovered by what appeared to be some government outfit. There were other hostages, but many of them were in varying stages of declining health. I guess I was pretty resilient because I was one of the lucky ones who remained ambulatory and able to think at least somewhat clearly.

Now, like I said, I’m smarter than the average bear, as my pal Yogi is fond of saying, so I observed and listened in order to try to formulate an escape plan. It turned out that escaping came quite easily. See, while the other hostages who were in terrible shape were getting seen to by this so-called government outfit upon our rescue, I was able to slip off into the woods and get lost. I figured I’d be going from one hostage situation to another, for these “rescuers” would have asked even more questions and subjected me to more tests. Although I’d been one of the lucky ones, I knew I wouldn’t remain so if I didn’t get out of there and try to pick up some semblance of life.

 

Safehouse 1, Sunset Valley (Medium)

Nobody came looking for me, but I know I’d be snatched again if I was discovered. I drifted into Sunset Valley with only the clothes on my back and enough cash to rent a small shack. I’m not proud of it, but I managed to steal a wad of bills out of one of the “rescuer’s” pockets. Again, I was lucky because, by then, I’d managed to learn how to control this psychic ability, at least a little. I had an awful headache afterward though and felt terribly nauseated. I’d finally gotten something out of this cursed ability, but it cost me, too.

I’d never learned to drive, so getting a car, even when I could afford one, was out. You have to have a license for that, which leads to a trail right to the government. This must not happen or I’d be screwed to the inth power. Obtaining identification in a legitimate way would also fry me. Health insurance was definitely out, schooling was a no-no, and a regular job would be my death knell. I have no training or references, so red flags would be waving for fifty miles around me if I even filled out a job application.

I’m awesome with computers. No, I’m not being conceited or arrogant; I’m only stating the bear-assed truth. I’m awesome with computers, and computers are a mighty powerful weapon. I need to earn money but must do it by laying as low as I possibly can. I will do what I know, and I know how to hack. I’m not proud of what I’m forced to do. I am a survivor, however, and survive I must. Not only will this allow me to survive and support myself, but I’m confident that if I can hack deeply enough into the right series of mainframes, I can break open these secretive so-called government outfits and other “organizations” like the one that nabbed me. After all, nobody should have to be subjected to what so many others and I have been through.

So, here I am in Sunset Valley where I must stay ahead of the game. I must do what I can to blend in, and it’s imperative that I not draw unwanted attention to myself. If I’m discovered, I know I will have to run to keep myself from getting caught. If I am caught, I know I will die. That is not an option. I am a survivor, after all, and survive, I must.

Introducing a New Story

Nise Dreamweaver
-
5
Introducing a New Story

Hello, everyone!

As a writer, ideas are always swirling around in my head, and there are so many stories I want to write. Not all my ideas will come to fruition, but there are a number of them in the foreground that I want to bring to life.

One of them is loosely based on a new Sims 3 challenge I came across called the Running Sim Challenge. It’s a rather simple one, really, and it makes for some pretty unique gameplay. Well, you know me; I always have to make a story out of it, and this one is no exception.

For the most part, I will be following these rules with the proviso that I reserve the right to tailor things to meet my story’s needs. This will likely be a shorter work, as this challenge is a rather short one. Basically, my Sim is on the run and must earn a living by hacking. She is not allowed to earn money from anything else and must hack for at least 5 hours a night. She has a safe house which she will never perform such a nefarious deed at. She must use her own laptop, and all hacking must be done away from her safe house. She cannot own a car but can get a bike to get around with. When she gets the “Crime does not pay” notice and her computer breaks, she has four Sim hours to return to her safe house, clean it up, and leave the broken computer and anything else in her inventory there.  Taking the computer and anything else will lead to her getting caught by the authorities. She must then leave town, pick up somewhere else, change her name, clothes, and looks, and do it all over again. If she earns $350,000 from hacking by the time I make it through all the worlds in my game, the challenge is won. She can then get out of this life of crime, buy a nice house, and live a respectable life. If that doesn’t happen, she is caught and must serve her sentence in Simcatraz.

Now, like I said, I like to make a story out of these things, so in Chapter 1, her backstory will be revealed as to why and how she ended up in this situation. She can have relationships and such, but it would be in her best interest to remain a loner. A family would be more trouble than it’s worth, especially since she’d have to leave them behind when the need to relocate happens. After all, this kind of life isn’t conducive for family life.

The story will be called The Running Hacker and will be updated as regularly as time allows.  Forever in Time will always take precedence, as that is my main work.

 

Corrine Prater (Medium)

This is our hacker, Corrine Prater. Her name was randomized and will change each time she is to relocate, as will her hair, makeup, and clothes. Her traits are Computer Whiz, Handy, Bookwork, Loner, and Shy. In the rules, it says to hit the randomize button until the Computer Whiz trait comes up and go with the traits shown. I did not do this and decided to handpick the traits myself because of the needs of my story. These are the traits she will keep throughout the challenge and story. However, you also know me, that I give my Sims/characters a deeper personality than what the traits show. The story will be told in first person POV. After all, there is only one main character, and having this limited of a POV would seem to work well for a story like this.

I hope you all are excited as I am to see this story come to life. This sounds like such a fun challenge with lots of opportunity for humor and suspense.

Stay tuned, for chapter 1 will be arriving shortly.

Forever in Time: Chapter 36, Valerie Takes Action

Nise Dreamweaver
-
9
Forever in Time: Chapter 36, Valerie Takes Action

One F-Bomb and descriptive aftereffects of rape present.

 

Valerie 2 (Medium)

Valerie was troubled and riddled with guilt after her time with Lenora. She’d been fully prepared for Lenora to spew any and all kinds of venomous accusations at her, but Lenora had done the exact opposite. Part of Valerie knew she shouldn’t have been surprised because Lenora wasn’t a hateful person. Still, Valerie felt like the lowest form of life after Lenora displayed nothing but compassion and love toward her.

Lenora’s dire warning about Valerie’s current state of health and Drogo’s orders repeated nonstop in her head. Valerie did feel terrible and had for a long time. There was no question in her mind that she needed to do something, and it had to be done immediately if Valerie was to recover and even survive. I want to die but not at Shane Clayton’s hands. I must make up for at least part of what I put everyone through or I’ll be eternally condemned. I deserve it, but I’m a coward. i want at least some peace in the Afterlife.

 

Valerie & Shane 2 (Medium)

“I’m going out for a while,  Shane,” Valerie said determinedly to Shane a while after returning to the living room.

“Oh? Says who? You’re supposed to be babysitting Lenora,” Shane replied.

“Let Allen sit with her for a while. He’d like that. I need to go visit my father. He’s been texting me a lot since Lenora…since we left the hospital. If I don’t go, he’ll get suspicious. You wouldn’t want that now, would you?”

Shane rolled his eyes and huffed in exasperation. “Fine. You have three hours, Valerie. If you’re not back here by then, I’ll come looking for you. If that happens, you will experience hitherto realms of perpetual pain.”

 

Valerie & Shane 1 (Medium)

Valerie had to fight the urge to snort. Such a drama queen! What I ever saw in this guy is beyond me. I must have completely lost my mind to have gotten involved with him. “Okay, okay, I get it.” Hurrying upstairs, she quickly changed, ran a brush through her thick, red hair, and applied fresh makeup.

 

Valerie Using Phone 1 (Medium)

Valerie slid behind the wheel of her car, fighting the temptation to floor the gas pedal until she was out of sight of the dreary house. When the city limits of Aurora Skies came into view, Valerie pulled into the parking lot of a filling station, quickly looked up the address and phone number of Dr. Neil Hughs’ office on her Iphone, and punched in the digits.

“Dr. Hughes and Wood’s office. May I help you?” answered the disembodied, bored voice of a receptionist.

“My name is Valerie Landgraab. I need to see Dr. Hughes urgently. This is an emergency,” Valerie replied.

“Are you a patient of Dr. Hughes, Ma’am?”

“No, not currently.”

“Then, I’m sorry. Dr. Hughes isn’t taking on new patients at this time. You will need to–”

Valerie ground her teeth and did a mental countdown backwards from ten. “Look, I understand protocol, but there’s no time for that. My father is Amadeus Landgraab, and Lenora Landgraab is…was my sister-in-law. I have relevant information about her case that I must share with Dr. Hughes. Please, this is extremely vital.”

“One moment, please. I will transfer you to Dr. Hughes,” the receptionist said.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Valerie drummed her fingers against the side of her jeans and waited. There were times she often frivolously used her family status to get what she wanted, but for the first time in her life, she was grateful to have that leverage to accomplish something so magnanimously important.

“This is Dr. Hughes. What can I do for you?” Valerie jumped when she heard his voice.

 

Valerie Talking on Phone 1 (Medium)

Valerie quickly introduced herself. “I don’t know if you remember me.”

“Yes, of course I do. How can I help you, Ms. Landgraab? My receptionist said you have information about your sister-in-law’s case.” To Valerie, the doctor sounded capable but exhausted.

Valerie’s throat went dry. Now that she had Dr. Hughes on the phone, words and coherent thought escaped her.

“Ms. Landgraab? Are you still there?” Dr. Hughes asked.

“Yes, yes, I’m sorry.” Valerie shook her head and mentally slapped herself to attention. It was now or never. “I do have information which you need to know, but I can’t talk about it over the phone. It’s…sensitive, you see. May I see you in person? Immediately? Please, Doctor, it’s imperative.”

“All right. Come to my office right away. Can you be here in ten minutes?” Dr. Hughes asked.

Valerie made it with five minutes to spare.

 

“Thank you for seeing me so quickly,” Valerie said after being escorted into Neil Hughes’ private office.

“Yes, well, you sounded quite frantic over the phone. Now, what is this about? Please have a seat on the sofa so we can talk.” Neil said, his eyes roving over her.

 

Valerie 1 (Medium)

Valerie sat and squirmed under the scrutiny. Neil’s gaze was penetrating, and Valerie felt as though he was scanning through myriad layers leading to her innermost secret soul. “Yes. Um…before I begin, I must ask you to check for possible bugs in this room. I mean, not insects, but listening devices.”

Neil raised an eyebrow. “I understand topics of sensitive nature, Ms. Landgraab. I assure you, this room is devoid of listening devices of any kind. I value my patients’ privacy and therefore continuously magically soundproof this office. You are free to tell me anything you need to. This room is perfectly safe.”

“Okay.” Valerie looked at her shoes, contemplating her next words. “I…uh…have information, but first, I need something from you. It…it needs to remain absolutely confidential. My family must not know or lives will be lost.”

“I see.”

“No, Doctor, I don’t believe you do, but please believe me that it’s true. I’m in a terrible situation that is centered around Lenora and what happened to her.”

 

Neil 1 (Medium)

“Go on,” Neil persisted.

“Before I give any information, I need you…what I mean is…I need medical attention. Something is very wrong with me. I’ve been losing time. That is to say, there are large holes in my memory and spaces in time I can’t account for. I’m a werewolf, but something is keeping me from transforming. I was told to seek treatment or I would soon die.” Tears swam in Valerie’s eyes and spilled over.

Neil’s gaze sharpened, and Valerie felt him studying her even more critically. “My instincts were telling me that something was off the minute you walked into my office. Valerie…may I call you Valerie?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Valerie, if I’m going to examine you, I’m going to have to ask you some very pointed questions. It isn’t going to be easy, but you must be absolutely truthful with me if I’m to help you,” Neil said, an element of sternness in his voice.

“It can’t be any worse than how I’m feeling now,” Valerie muttered.

 

Neil & Valerie 1 (Medium)

“First, let’s discuss you symptoms. Then, I’ll examine you, and we can talk about how you got to this point.” The stern demeanor relaxed into a kindly, attentive one.

After expounding on said symptoms, Neil gave her a thorough examination, which confirmed everything Lenora had told her. “Valerie, I’m going to take a blood sample so we can see just what we’re up against. I want to make sure I give you the correct reversal treatment so we can knock this out of your system as harmlessly and efficiently as possible,” Neil said, gently grasping Valerie’s arm, rolling up her sleeve, and prodding for a good vein. “Because your werewolf abilities have been sorely affected, I’m certain this is magical in nature.”

Valerie could only nod as Neil secured a tourniquet on her forearm. Once started, the flood of tears wouldn’t stop. Neil patted her hand and murmured soothing reassurances to her. As Neil gathered the sample, Valerie’s mind returned to the terrible, dark place it had been since all this started. She barely registered the hypodermic need piercing her skin and exiting it once two large vials were filled with her blood. She stared off into the distance as Neil examined her blood under a microscope, then began murmuring spells over it. She was lost in a world of misery as Neil continued to work.

Valerie jumped and squeaked, startled back into attention when Neil swore colorfully in an explosion of what sounded to Valerie like disgust and distaste. “Valerie, who did this to you? Who’s been fucking you over like this?”

“I…I…he’ll kill me if I tell you,” Valerie squeaked, covering her face and sobbing.

 

Neil

Neil turned his back, seeming to need a few moments to compose himself. When he turned around to face Valerie, his lips were set in a grim, thin line, but his eyes were full of undeniable concern. Stepping over to where Valerie sat, Neil took her hands in his and squeezed them gently. “I can treat your illness,  Valerie, but this person will do this to you again if you return to your current situation. I want to help you, but you must allow me to do so. You must trust me and believe that I have your best interests in mind. Now, who has done this to you?”

 

Valerie 1 (Medium)

At Neil’s display of kindness, Valerie crumbled altogether. Dissolving into incoherent weeping, Valerie didn’t resist when Neil pulled her into a comforting embrace. “It’s going to be okay, Valerie. I can help you, and I want to. Valerie, please trust me and tell me who’s been beating and drugging you.” Neil paused before asking his next question. “Valerie, who’s been raping you?”

“How…how…did you know?” she hitched.

“You have bruises on your exterior genitalia. You are torn…on the inside. This tells me you’ve not been having consensual intercourse,” Neil said gently.

“I d-don’t remember it happening, at least not most of the time. But…but I suspected he was…” Valerie trailed off, closing her eyes to attempt to ward off the flood of shame.

“Tell me who,” Neil prodded softly.

“It’s…it’s the same person who is blackmailing you.”

Update! Reader Participation Wanted. :)

Nise Dreamweaver
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3
Update! Reader Participation Wanted. :)

sharon-sitting

Helloooo there, everyone!

It’s been a while since I’ve done an update. I wanted to point out a couple things and let you know what’s been happening.

As you have certainly noticed, I’ve been publishing pretty regular updates for Forever in Time. Inspiration has been very good to me lately, so I take full advantage of that as often as I can. There are some things I want to point out in terms of the story. Some of you may remember that when I moved the story here to WordPress from Blogger, this gave me the opportunity to do some rewriting and revamping to correct some parts I felt needed some reworking. The story started out as a legacy, but as I was moving, I realized this wasn’t the format I wanted. Without giving away spoilers, I’ll just say that a large cast was added thanks to what happened in game. Because of that, it’s hard to give everyone adequate screen time within a legacy format. I, then, decided to turn it into more of a soap opera format with each chapter focusing on one character, a couple, or set of characters. I’m loving how it’s going, and I think we get to know all the cast in a much better, deeper way.

There are some of you that are familiar with events of the story, which, on Blogger, is further along than my revisions. I’m keeping many of the main events in the revisions, but I am reworking it to make for, hopefully, a more rounded reading experience. With that said, let me point out to those of you who were reading it on Blogger that the last 15 chapters or so have been completely rewritten. The plot is pretty much the same, but the writing has been totally redone. Certain characters have been written differently, and things have been added here that weren’t in the original story on Blogger. I would recommend, for those of you who were reading on Blogger, to please consider looking at this reworked version because I think (and hope) you will find it much improved over the original.

I’m also considering adding some posts from time to time with some Q&A in terms of discussing the story. I get some wonderful comments, and I definitely appreciate all the likes, comments, and support. I just thought that maybe this would be a nice way of having us all interact a bit more. What I’m thinking of doing in the posts is putting up some discussion questions, which readers can answer in the comment section. If you have questions for me, naturally, I would reply. I don’t know how well it would work in a format like this, but we can give it a try if there is interest. Please let me know if it’s something you’d like to see and how often you’d like it to happen.

I have also started a “Getting to Know You” series where characters answer some questions put to them. This series will definitely be continuing. Again, I was thinking about reader participation. I could add a post asking which character you would like to see featured next and if you had any questions you would like to see that character answer. I’ve already done Liam Kelly, but we can always go back to revisit him if you have questions for him that wasn’t on the original list. As you know, there are many, many different characters to interview. So, let me know if you have a preference on who should be interviewed next and if you have any questions for the character that I can add to the list of interview questions.

My Sims’ Pen Pal Letters (The Pen Pal Project) will definitely continue. I’m sorry I’ve gotten away from that as of late, but it will be returning. I do currently have Sims who owe letters. If anyone has Sims who would like to be pen pals with any of mine, please do let me know. 🙂

Another addition I am working on is a credits page. I use many, many poses and have a lot of CC in my game. I do not make any of this myself, but there are a myriad of extremely talented creators who do and are willing to share it with us. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. The page is a major undertaking because there’s so much to include, and I’m always afraid I will forget someone. Therefore, it will probably always be something that’s always under construction. 😀 It can also be frustrating because a good deal of the Sims 3 creators have taken down their sites and are no longer creating for Sims 3, which is the game I use for my stories. I will do what I can with it though.

My Diary of Sims series will also be continuing. It started off as being Sims unrelated to my stories that I play in my personal saves. However, if any of you would like to see a diary/journal entry from a story character, that can crtainly be arranged. it would be a nice addition in seeing into a character’s head that we may not get to see in the actual story. I can even do this on my SimLit Legacy Stories by Sharon site with any characters that appear there. Please let me know if this is of interest to you and which character you’d like to see make one of more diary/journal entries.

I have a couple more stories in the works that I’m planning, which will appear on this blog. I have a lot of irons in the fire with this site as well as my SimLit Legacy Stories by Sharon site, but ideas are always rattling around in my head. 😀 There are so many things I want to see come to fruition. Please continue following both of my blogs for story updates and new additions.

I hope you all are having a SimTastic weekend! 🙂

Sharon (aka, Sweet Nightingale)

Forever in Time: Chapter 35, Ground Rules and Pleadings

Nise Dreamweaver
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13
Forever in Time: Chapter 35, Ground Rules and Pleadings

Author’s Note: One F-Bomb dropped and some other rough language

 

Lenora Crying 1 (Medium)

After Valerie left the cell, she locked it behind her. As the heavy lock clicked back into place, Lenora shivered and hugged herself. Once alone, sorrow shrouded her, and she was unable to hold it back. Lenora doubled over, bowing her head into her hands. Hot tears fell unchecked while her shoulders shook as sobs overtook her. “Och, Tyrone, my love! Och…Tyrone!” All she wanted was for her beloved wolf to burst through the bars and take her away from this hellhole. She wanted to hold her wee ones and tell them everything was all right now. “I’m alive! Och, how do I make ye understand?”

 

Lenora Sick 2 (Medium)

Lenora tried to reach for Tyrone telepathically but was rewarded only with a sharp throbbing in her temples and behind her eyes. Nausea roiled inside her, and her stomach lurched alarmingly. She made it to the toilet just in time to bring up the little water she’d had and then violently dry heaved. Groaning and crying, she leaned her head on the toilet bowl and cursed Shane Clayton fluently in Irish, then English. “I’ll get ye for this, Clayton. I’ll make ye wish ye’d never been born. That’s a promise.”

At last, the nausea subsided, but she still felt chilled. She had to get out of this nightie and get something on her feet. Rifling through the bag Valerie left for her, she found some jeans and a sweater. After pulling them on, along with socks and shoes, she felt slightly warmer. Still, she wondered if she would ever get fully warm again. The only way she figured it would happen was when she was back in her Tyrone’s arms where she belonged.

 

Lenora Asleep in Chair (Medium)

Lenora sat in the chair and must have dozed off. The next thing she heard was the heavy lock on the cell clanging and the bars sliding open. She blinked once, but when her eyes landed on who was standing there, she narrowed her eyes and snarled. “You!”

 

Lenora & Shane 1 (Medium)

“Well, look who’s up,” Shane drawled, giving Lenora a scathing look.

“Just what is the meaning of this? Why have ye locked me in here?” she hissed.

“Questions, questions,” Shane said, rolling his eyes. “You’d better be careful, dearie. You’re not in any position to ask questions or make demands, after all. You’re in my clutches now, and I call the shots.”

Lenora leveled a defiant glare at Shane and kept silent. If she knew Shane the way she was sure she did, her silence would get the better of him, and he’d start running off at the mouth sooner than later.

Sure enough, it happened after a long minute. “I suppose I’d better lay down some ground rules, bitch, which I expect you to follow if you know what’s good for you. First, get used to this because this is your new home.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Lenora said icily.

 

Lenora & Shane 2 (Medium)

“Shut up or I’ll shut you up myself!” Shane growled. “Secondly, you are to follow Valerie’s and my orders to the letter and quickly.”

Lenora snorted derisively and rolled her eyes.

Shane shot her a malevolent look and continued. “Thirdly, and you’d better remember this. My brother Allen thinks he’s in love with you. He wanted you here, and for the sake of his diminished mental health and my satisfaction, I made it happen. You will be nice to him and cooperate. You won’t hurt him mentally or physically, and you will make him believe you care about him.”

“And if I don’t?”

Shane reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun. “This one isn’t for you although I have another one that will do the job if you get way out of line. Oh, no, this one has silver bullets, which I won’t hesitate to use on that thing you’re married to and those brats of yours. I’ll kill every last one of them, including your precious Landon and his pretty little wifey if you don’t tow the line.”

An involuntary shudder wracked Lenora’s body, her face going gray as fear seized her. Her family being killed off one by one was something she would never be able to endure.

“Ah, so that got you where you live, didn’t it? Now then, are you gonna cooperate?” Shane said.

“Yes,” Lenora said, trying to clamp down on the awful dread that made her mouth go dry in an instant.

“I thought you’d see it my way,” Shane smirked. “Now that we have that out of the way, it’s high time I kept you updated on the latest news. I’m sure you’ve already figured out that your family thinks you dead. Well, guess what? Your funeral is tomorrow, and according to what Valerie tells me, they’re giving you quite the fancy sendoff.”

This hit Lenora like a cement truck, and she felt a piece of her heart die. “This is low, even for you, ye prick.” Her voice was laced with hatred and loathing, two things she felt very rarely in her life.

“it is what it is, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Poor Lenora will be sooo missed. It seems I’m the only one who knows what you really are.”

 

Lenora Flipping off Shane (Medium)

“Fuck ye!” Lenora growled like a lioness and flipped Shane the bird.

Shane just laughed and, without a care, sauntered to the door. “Saint Lenora. Cussing like a sailor and flipping me off. So unladylike! What would your adoring public think?” Shane said over his shoulder just before letting himself out and sliding the bars and lock home.

Once Shane was out of earshot, Lenora’s bravado broke. She sank miserably to the floor on her knees and burst into uncontrollable tears. //Och, Tyrone, my darling, please hear me. i’m alive, Wolfman! I’m alive…and I’m trapped. I want more than anything to come back to ye and the wee ones, but I’m locked down. I’m being held…and I can’t get free.// Although the pain behind her eyes and in her temples screamed, she was desperate to reach her Tyrone, no matter what it took.

Through blurry, tear-filled vision, Lenora looked at the sword and shield etched on her palm. Moving the fingertips of her left hand over it, she called Tyrone’s name over and over in her mind. //I’m alive, my Tyrone. I’m alive! Please hear me.//

 

Tyrone2BSitting

Placing her right hand over her heart, a vision slammed into her like a boxing glove to the face. Tyrone sat on the sofa at home, just staring off into the distance. The anguish rolled off him in waves, which Lenora felt as though it were her own. //Oh, my Lenora! How can I put you in the ground tomorrow? How am I going to make it through saying goodbye to you? The kids…oh, Lenora, they miss you so much!//

 

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In the vision, Lenora saw how Tyrone had gone into the wee ones’ rooms to check on them. Everything played before her like a movie: Tyrone wiping Andrea’s tears and singing to her, Aurora painting her picture and singing Tears in Heaven, and Tyrone comforting Aurora, then putting her to bed. Lenora felt every ounce of grief, every tear, and every yearning cry for her.

As the vision played on, she tried to reach for Tyrone once again. //Tyrone! Och, my darling, Tyrone! I’m alive. I need ye to feel this, to know this in your heart. I need ye to feel me being alive, Wolfman. I love ye so!//

As the vision began to fade, Lenora saw Tyrone’s posture stiffen. His eyes focused sharply, and his fists clenched. “Lenora?”

//That’s it, love! Please feel me. I’m alive!//

Tyrone cocked his head as if listening for something. “Lenora, where are you?” Then, he pounded his palms against his forehead. “I thought I felt…but no, it’s gone, if it ever was even there. I thought I felt her…thought she was…” A sob rose to his throat, and tears slid down the great wolf’s face. “Oh, Lenora…oh, my Lenora! I’m going crazy.”

 

Lenora Passed Out (Medium)

In the last discernible seconds of the vision, Lenora both saw and felt her beloved break. Anguish was written all over his visage and squeezed his already broken heart in a vice. For the first time in a very, very long time, Lenora couldn’t filter the empathic signals as they barreled into her. They kept coming, and there was no defense, no shield to protect her from the worst of it. It was too much for the weakened witch, and all Lenora could do was cover her ears and cry out in agony as Tyrone’s sorrow mixed with hers. The world started to spin, then went black. Lenora felt herself falling. A moment later, the floor rose up to meet her.

As Lenora lay on the cold, hard floor of the cell in a dead faint, Tyrone curled up on the sofa and closed his eyes. “Oh, my Lenora! For a minute there, I thought I felt you. You seemed to come through plain as day. You were alive…but that’s impossible. I saw you die and felt you go. Oh, Lenora, I held you in my arms and watched you d-d–” The stricken wolf buried his face in the sofa cushions and wept bitterly.

Author’s Note: A couple pictures contain poses I got from Bee from Poses by Bee. She makes some awesome ones and is a super talented pose creator for Sims 3. Thank you, Bee, for sharing your wonderful creations.

Forever in Time: Chapter 34, Confessions, Forgiveness, and Grim News

Nise Dreamweaver
-
8
Forever in Time: Chapter 34, Confessions, Forgiveness, and Grim News

Content Warning! Swearing, including a couple F-Bombs and descriptions of physical and mental abuse

 

Valerie 1 (Medium)

“Welcome to Hell, Lenora.”

As the chill seeped further into her bones, fear took an even greater grip on her soul. Nothing good ever came of anything having to do with Shane Clayton. “I don’t understand,” she said in response to Valerie’s ominous statement. “What do you mean?”

Valerie wiped furiously at the tears staining her cheeks. “He swore revenge on you because you ousted his ass. Being famous like you are, his precious ego was even more bruised. His brother is completely obsessed with you, so he thought it would serve you right to take you away from everyone and everything you loved and hand you over to Allen.” The words came out in a rush, and Valerie refused to make eye contact with her.

“What/” Lenora gasped, sitting up straighter on the bed.

“It’s true, every word of it,” Valerie said.

“But…how? Valerie, I think you’d better ell me everything,” Lenora said.

“You’ll hate me.”

 

Lenora 1 (Medium)

“I could never hate ye, Valerie. Don’t ye know by now I love ye? Sweetie, if ye are in some kind of trouble…and right now, it looks like we both are…we’re going to have to help each other if we’re to get out of it. Now, spill.”

And so, Valerie did. She told Lenora everything, starting from her first encounter with Shane all the way up to now. “I’ve lost a lot of time. There are big holes in my memory…and I can’t transform. Shane told me I put some kind of potion in your tea that day I came to visit…but I don’t remember. Oh, Lenora, I don’t expect you to believe me, but I would have never, ever hurt you. I’m a terrible person, but…but I would have never…” Valerie shook her head and turned her back to Lenora. Her head lowered, and her shoulders shook with sobs. “I’m…so ashamed.”

 

Lenora Sick 1 (Medium)

Lenora’s stomach did a lazy roll. She tried to swallow the bile that rose in her throat, but the nausea wouldn’t be quelled. “I’m…going…to be sick.” Lenora hauled herself to her feet, covered her mouth, and nearly fainted as the room spun.

Although Valerie’s wolf abilities were impaired, a degree of her enhanced strength remained. She slid her arms around Lenora and helped her to the toilet. Guilt and shame roiled within her as she watched Lenora, who retched and moaned pitifully. Shane said she’d be sick when she woke up, but it didn’t hit her until I told her what I apparently did. She hates me, I know it. I don’t blame her. Oh, Phaedra, I just want to die! How can I live with myself after this? 

 

Lenora Sick 2 (Medium)

Lenora retched again, the dry heaves violently shaking her slender frame. It felt like the worst case of morning sickness combined with the most hellish of hangovers. It seemed to go on forever. When she thought she was done, another wave of nausea struck, and Lenora heaved until she thought her insides would dislodge themselves from their moorings. After it finally passed, Lenora rested her head queasily on the lip of the toilet bowl.

“Here, drink this,” Valerie said, holding a glass of water out to Lenora. “It’ll make you feel better.”

“I don’t know that I could keep it down.”

“You need to keep hydrated. Try just a little,” Valerie urged. She helped Lenora to hold the glass and guided it to her lips. After a few sips, a little color returned to Lenora’s face. Valerie went to the sink and wet a cloth with cold water. “This will help,” she said, applying it to Lenora’s brow, then gently moving it over her face.

“Thanks,” Lenora whispered, then leaned on Valerie as she helped her up. As Valerie started to lead her to the bed, Lenora stopped her with light pressure on her arm. “I think I’d like to sit up for a bit. I need to get my bearings.”

 

Valerie 2 (Medium)

Valerie led Lenora to the chair and helped her sit. “I’m so sorry, Lenora. I deserve every bit of your hatred.” Valerie started to turn away, but Lenora caught one of her hands and squeezed it. Valerie had no choice but to stay rooted to the spot.

“Valerie, I need ye to listen to me now, darling. Can ye do that?” Lenora said, her Irish brogue very evident.

Darling? She called me darling? That’s not something you’d call someone you hated. Valerie blinked owlishly but nodded in answer to Lenora’s question.

 

Lenora 2 (Medium)

“Ye are a victim as much as I am, as much as anyone Shane has harmed. He’s controlling ye, which means ye don’t have your wits completely about ye. He’s using ye to do his dirty work, Valerie. How can I hate ye when ye obviously didn’t know what ye were doing?” Lenora said.

“But–”

“Valerie, I want ye to kneel right here so I can get a good look at ye. Do ye still carry your penlight?” Lenora asked, indicating a spot in front of the chair.

“Um, yeah,” Valerie said. “But–”

“Come, now, let me have your light, and let’s have a look, shall we?” Lenora said soothingly.

Handing Lenora the little light, Valerie knelt before her. Before turning it on, Lenora looked into Valerie’s eyes, studying them critically. Switching it on, Lenora shined it into Valerie’s eyes, clicking her tongue in disgust as she watched Valerie’s pupils react. “Sluggish. Definite aftereffects, aye.” Lenora turned off the light and handed it back to Valerie. “Let me see your arms.”

“Huh?”

“Your arms, darling. Let me see them.”

Reluctantly, Valerie stretched her arms out to Lenora, who examined them from shoulder to wrist, gently turning them to study them at every angle. She prodded Valerie’s muscles with a firm touch, easing up in places when Valerie grimaced or winced. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I don’t mean to hurt ye.” Not only were there fading needle marks on Valerie’s arms, but Lenora could clearly discern the remnants of Shane’s handiwork. There were faint fingermarks on Valerie’s right wrist, and her left shoulder, still sporting angry blue bruises, was especially tender.

“You apologize for hurting me after everything I did?” Valerie asked in amazement.

“We will talk about that in a minute,” Lenora said, patting Valerie’s hand compassionately. “Sweetheart, I want ye to lift your shirt so I can look at your ribs.”

“What?” Valerie asked, raising an eyebrow.

With the partial return of her strength, Lenora’s empathic powers began to surface, too. With them came the sensation that Valerie was in both more physical and mental pain than she was letting on.

 

Lenora & Valerie 2 (Medium)

“I want to examine your ribs,” Lenora said. “He’s been knocking ye about, hasn’t he?”

Valerie bit her lip and blinked back tears. “Y-yeah.” The word came out in a constricted squeak.

Lenora slowly got to her feet, swayed a little, but righted herself. When she started to lift Valerie’s shirt, Valerie didn’t object. Lenora inwardly winced, her lips thinning into a thin line of anger as she looked at the yellowing marks scattered over Valerie’s back and torso. With skilled, nimble fingers, Lenora prodded lightly over the most injured areas to check for breaks, letting her empathic senses guide her. Once again, she apologized for causing Valerie pain when she flinched.

Lowering Valerie’s shirt, Lenora took her sister-in-law by the upper arms and gave her a grim look. “Ye need medical attention, Valerie. Ye are injured more than ye realize.”

“It’s healing.”

“Aye, but not as quickly and correctly as it should, given ye are a wolf. Darling, ye have broken ribs that could easily puncture a lung, which could potentially kill ye in your impaired state. Ye have ligament damage in that shoulder. Plus, whatever that monster has been drugging ye with is causing a toxic buildup in your muscles that will lead to more problems if ye don’t get it removed from your system. If this keeps up, it will damage your heart muscle very rapidly, which could also kill ye. I don’t mean to frighten ye, but ye need to know so ye can do something about it,” Lenora said.

As Lenora spoke of each injury, Valerie’s eyes widened, and she gawped, slack-jawed, at the woman who she always believed could walk on water. Although Lenora didn’t practice the healing arts on a regular basis, there was no denying that she was abundantly gifted and knowledgeable in them. Valerie had wished herself dead, but she didn’t want it to happen on Shane’s terms. “There’s no way he’d let me get treatment,” she said.

Lenora’s hold on Valerie’s upper arms was firm but careful due to her injuries. For the first time since knowing Valerie, she looked sternly into her face. “Ye must find a way or ye will be deathly sick, even dead, within three days. Broken ribs are nothing to sneeze at, but the buildup in your muscles will most definitely bring it about. Ye are being slowly poisoned, and ye will die if ye don’t take care of it.”

Valerie’s mind whirled frantically. “When…when you were still…out, I had a vision of Drogo, the Great Alpha Wolf. When my fingers passed over Tyrone’s mark, he came to me.” Valerie reached for Lenora’s right hand and turned it palm up so Lenora could see.

“The Wolf Ceremony of Death,”Lenora whispered, tears coming to her eyes as she looked at the sword and shield etched on her palm.

 

Lenora & Valerie 1 (Medium)

“Tyrone thought you dead, so he put it there,” Valerie said, feeling shame arise in her for what must have been the thousandth time. “I haven’t ever heard of it being done on a living person, but he thinks you’re dead.  Apparently, Drogo is protecting you somehow. Anyway, he came to me, read me the divine riot act, and told me to go to Neil Hughes. Said I need to confess what I did and have him help me retrieve my memories.”

“Then ye must obey. If Drogo says Dr. Hughes is the one to help ye, then ye must go to him,” Lenora said matter-of-factly.

“Lenora?”

“What is it, Valerie?”

“I…it’s just…I’m…” Valerie covered her face and burst into helpless tears. “Why are you being so fucking nice to me? Dammit, Lenora! You should hate me after this. I don’t deserve…”

 

Lenora Hugging Valerie 1 (Medium)

Before Valerie could continue, Lenora carefully snaked her arms around her. She wanted to squeeze her tight but held her more gently, being mindful of her ribs. “It would be easier for ye if I did hate ye. By having me rail and rant at ye, it would give ye more cause to beat yourself up even further. Ye could justify distancing yourself even more if those who love ye turn their faces away from ye. Ye believe none of us love ye because ye feel unworthy of that love. Ye don’t know what to do, how to act, when kindness and compassion is extended to ye.”

“S-something like that,” Valerie sobbed, taken aback at how directly and succinctly Lenora put Valerie’s turmoil into words. “I’m a fuck up. Who could love a fuck up?”

“Darling, everyone has regrets and makes mistakes. Granted, some mistakes are bigger than others, and there is fallout. The key thing, Valerie, is that ye must find a way to move forward and better yourself for it. A big part of that is forgiving yourself, for if ye can’t do that, it’s damned near impossible to accept forgiveness from anyone else.” She was silent for a few moments as Valerie continued to cry out her misery. She held her distraught sister-in-law close while rubbing her back soothingly, hoping she could exercise the wisdom she needed and that her words would sink in. She was certain both hers and Valerie’s lives depended on it. “Now, I won’t condone what has been done, but the one fully responsible for it is that bastard. What’s done is done, and all we can do is find a way out of this. I told ye I could never hate ye, and I meant it. I love ye very, very much, darling, and I want to see ye well and happy.”

“I’m so sorry, Lenora. Please forgive me.”

“I know ye are, and I forgive ye,” Lenora said, stroking Valerie’s hair in a sisterly gesture.

“Tyrone won’t.”

A single tear rolled down Lenora’s cheek, and she had to swallow hard to keep from wailing outright. I want to go home, she thought to herself. Tyrone, my love, I want nothing more than to put my arms around ye and make ye understand that I’m alive. I want to hold my wee ones. Och, the thought of all of ye grieving for me hurts me so! Aloud, she said, “It might take some time for Tyrone to come around. He…” Lenora trailed off, unable to find adequate words to describe the unbearable sorrow Tyrone would be feeling now.

“I took away what he loves most, the person he can’t live without,” Valerie stated. “He’s alive, but he won’t ever be the same again…and I did this to him.”

“Shane forced ye, Valerie, and once Tyrone sees that, he’ll understand.” Lenora pulled back slightly so she could look earnestly into Valerie’s stricken face. “We’re going to have to help each other if we are to get out of this mess. To do that, Valerie, ye need to go to Dr. Hughes and do as Drogo says. I need ye at the top of your game, all right?”

“Okay. I’m just…”

“I know you’re frightened, darling. The first step in recovery is always frightening. But if ye don’t take it, both of us are doomed,” Lenora said.

“I know.. Yes…yes, you’re right. I can do this, and I will.” It wouldn’t come close to atoning for the horror she caused, but at least she’d be doing the right thing for once.

Forever in Time: Chapter 33, Awakening

Nise Dreamweaver
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10
Forever in Time: Chapter 33, Awakening

Trigger Warning! Descriptions of being trapped in one’s own body

 

Lenora 2 (Medium)

Lenora was floating aimlessly. There was no sense of direction, no sense of being anywhere as she was buffeted along a sea of nothingness. I can’t feel anything. Where am I? 

Lenora was neither hot nor cold. She couldn’t see or hear anything. There was nothing to smell or taste. There was just…nothing.

She tried to lift her hand, tried to turn it but couldn’t. I can’t move! I remember I was dying. Is this what it feels like to be truly dead? No, it can’t be. I was dead once, and it was nothing like this. I’m lost. If I’m lost, I must be somewhere…but where? Oh, Ariadne help me! I’m lost!

Lenora tried to open her eyes, but they felt so heavy. I’m trapped. Oh, Tyrone, my love! Where are ye? I’m trapped and alone. Why can’t I move?

“My darling Lenora!”

 

Liam, Mathilda, & Lenora 1 (Medium)

Lenora would have gasped at the sorrow she heard in that beloved voice if she could have gotten her lungs to cooperate. Grandda…don’t cry. I’ll be all right…I think…if I could just move. If I could just open my eyes, ye would see I’ll be all right. 

Lenora felt something warm and slightly wet on her brow. I can feel that! There is nothing around me…but I felt that. It was a kiss. Grandda’s kiss. Oh, Grandda! I’ve got to move. Somehow, I must. He needs to see I’m…

What are ye, Lenora? she asked herself. Ye know you’re not dead, but are ye really alive? What ye are, old girl, is stuck, that’s what.

“Thank you, Lenora, for showing me how to open my heart again. If it hadn’t been for you, my life would have been a lonelier, bleaker one. I love you, sweetheart.”

Once again, Lenora tried to move, to twitch a finger, as she heard another familiar voice. Mathilda! Oh, Mathilda, I love ye, too. Please hear me. I’m trapped and can’t move. What is happening to me? Real and true panic engulfed Lenora as she became more and more aware that she was thought to no longer be living. Again and again, she tried to open her eyes, to crook a finger, to take a breath, but nothing would work; her body betrayed her in every way possible. For the first time in a long time, Lenora was truly frightened.

“Grandda loves ye, Lenora, forever and ever.” Lenora felt strong, loving arms encircle her, making some of the panic melt.

I love ye, too, Grandda. I can feel your arms around me. Maybe if ye hold me long and tight enough, I can come out of this…whatever this is. If only I could make ye feel my love, ye would see I’m not dead. To hear the desolation in his voice made Lenora want to weep, but she couldn’t muster even a single tear.

“She’s warm! She…she was brought here hours ago, but she’s warm.”

 

Lenora Dies (Medium)

Keep going with that, Grandda! Dead people aren’t warm, which means I really am alive. Ye said I was brought here. Where is here, Grandda? I was in the hospital…but have I been moved elsewhere? Lenora’s mind flashed back to her last memory. Tyrone was holding me. He was told I was dying…and I, too, believed I was dying. His arms were around me, and he kissed me. I told him goodbye and…and everything went black…until now. Oh, Ariadne, what is happening to me?

Remembering the grief-stricken expression on her beloved wolf’s face and the way he’d held her ripped Lenora’s heart to shreds. Oh, Wolfman, I’m so, so sorry! I thought I was dying…but I’m alive. Tyrone, I’m alive, and I need ye to know that. If only I could make ye know, sweetheart. Ye and the wee ones need to know. The thought of her family grieving for her redoubled Lenora’s efforts to move something, anything. She tried to reach for Tyrone with telepathy, but there was only silence. I must be too weak. I can’t move, and my magic has apparently been weakened. Och, Tyrone, my darling, I’m trying! I promise ye, I’m trying.

Lenora felt panic grip her again as another thought struck her. Did ye survive my leaving, Wolfman? Ye said ye wouldn’t be able to, but I made ye promise. I…I think ye did survive because I would know otherwise. Even now, I would feel it if ye were gone. Tyrone, my beloved, stay strong. Och, please, darling, stay strong. I will find a way back to ye, I swear it. I will find a way back.

When another pair of arms slipped around her, it gave Lenora the sensation of being gently sandwiched between two people. Mathilda was holding her, too, while her grandda talked about that night how, as a child, she’d been afraid of a particularly tumultuous storm. I remember that night, Grandda, and I remember what I said about being part of a love sandwich. I guess it came about, but…och, I wish it didn’t happen this way.

Terrifyingly quickly and without warning, the blackness appeared to once again swallow her. How can I make ye understand? I’m alive! I need to make ye understa–

Lenora fell into the abyss, awareness abandoning her completely.

 

Lenora 1 (Medium)

Lenora was, once again, unaware of time and place as the floating sensation returned. Somehow, her awareness was a little sharper, and the void wasn’t as empty. This time, her lungs cooperated, at least a little, making her able to take in a shallow breath of air. With it came the smell of someplace old an unused. A chill slowly seeped into her, too, and she would have shivered if her body had been able to do so.

Once again, she tried to move her hand, and once again was unsuccessful. Still trapped…still lost..but I’m somewhere different now. I can feel it. Oh, Ariadne, where have I been taken?

Someone was beside her. She felt strange hands handling her hair. Someone was brushing it.

“Okay now. I’ll be very gentle. You’ll be so happy when all these tangles are gone.”

The voice and cadence of it was strange. There was a dreamy, distant quality to it that made Lenora wonder if the owner of it was somehow disconnected from the real world. It was familiar to her though, and Lenora was certain she’d heard it before. The hands were large and unfamiliar, but they were infinitely gentle as they handled her hair. Och, that does feel good. My hair must, indeed, be one big snarl. But who are ye and why are ye brushing my hair?

Sometimes when she and Tyrone were alone, he loved to brush her hair. He’d run the brush down every lock with slow, deliberate, and loving motions while speaking to her in soothing, tender tones. It always made her feel so loved, and Lenora found it extremely erotic. She always melted under his touch. Afterward, he would carry her to their bed where they made passionate love.

I’ll just pretend it’s Tyrone brushing my hair. Och, Tyrone, my love, I don’t know for certain, but I could be in big trouble here. I’m among strangers in some cold, musty place. I’m alive, Wolfman! I’m alive, and I must somehow make ye realize it.

As the brush continued to slide through Lenora’s hair accompanied by the tuneless singing of the man beside her, the blackness took her once more.

 

Awareness seeped back into Lenora. The smell of the dank place bit into her sense of smell, the chill making her shiver. Oh, Ariadne, I’m shivering! Can it be that my body is starting to work properly again? Lenora willed her lungs to expand and was finally able to fully pull air into them. Oh, thank ye, Ariadne! I can breathe again. I’m coming back. Och, thank the ancients for that.

 

Allenn & Lenora 1 (Medium)

Lenora realized someone was holding her hand. She instinctively knew it wasn’t Tyrone and suspected it was the strange man who’d been brushing her hair. How long ago was that? How much time has passed since I…died? Again, she tried to move her hand and was elated when it finally gave a twitch. The strange man tightened his fingers around her hand, giving it a squeeze.

“That’s it, Lenora! You’re coming back. I was getting so worried about you.”

That voice is familiar, but who is he? Where the hell am I?

Lenora tried to open her eyes and was able to lift her lids slightly. They slid fully closed, but when she tried again, they lifted with lesser effort before slipping closed again.

“She’s waking up! Valerie, she’s waking up,” the strange man said excitedly.

 

Lenora & Valerie 2 (Medium)

“Let me see, Allen,” came the familiar voice of her sister-in-law. Lenora felt Valerie take her hand. “Lenora, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand.”

Lenora willed her fingers to move, her effort paying off when she made them contract around Valerie’s hand. They felt stiff, but she was finally able to control them.

 

Lenora & Valerie 1 (Medium)

“Open your eyes, Lenora. Can you do that for me?” she heard Valerie ask as her hands moved gently over Lenora’s face and then her hair.

Lenora lifted her eyelids, blinked a couple times, then slowly opened them again. This time, she was able to keep them open without them wanting to slide closed.

“There you are,” the strange man said softly, his fingers lightly stroking the back of her hand.

“Who…?” Lenora’s lips formed the words but no sound came. She tried to swallow, but her throat felt as dry and rough as sandpaper.

“Here. This will help.” Lenora’s eyes followed the man’s hand as he fished a piece of ice out of a bucket. She nearly sobbed in pleasure as he brought it to her lips. Her mouth welcomed the cold wetness of the ice, the uncomfortable feeling in her throat easing slightly as a couple drops went down.

“Who are ye?” Lenora whispered weakly. “Where am I?”

“You’re someplace safe, Lenora,” the man said, his fingers gently grasping her hand. “As for me, well, I’m your number one fan, actually. My name is Allen.”

“Number one fan?” Oh, hell, where had she heard that before? Crazy Annie Wilkes said that to Paul Sheldon in Stephen King’s book, Misery. As she studied the man next to her, memories started swirling in her mind. Her eyes widened, and she tried to shrink back. “I…I remember…”

“I won’t hurt you, Lenora. Please don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you.”

 

Valerie 1 (Medium)

Valerie came into view, stepping beside Allen and putting a calming hand on his shoulder. “Allen, it’s okay. I’m sure Lenora will realize you won’t hurt her. She’s just groggy and confused right now. She’s been through a lot.”

Lenora blinked in stupefaction as she tried to get her bearings. “Where am I?”

“You’re someplace safe. You were brought here so I could take care of you,” the man called Allen said, reaching for her hand again. When she pulled it back, Allen looked hurt and sad. “I won’t hurt you, Lenora. Please don’t be scared of me. You got really sick, so you came here so I could take care of you. Please don’t be scared.”

 

Lenora, Valerie, & Allen 1 (Medium)

“I want to go home,” Lenora said, her voice growing more firm as strength started to return. Her surroundings came into sharper relief, but part of her wished she could sink back into unawareness. A scream bubbled up inside her, manifesting itself into a frightened and bewildered squeak. She was in a cell, which meant she was locked away somewhere. “I’m being held prisoner. Oh, Ariadne, no!” She fisted her hands over her mouth and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

Valerie snaked her arms around Lenora and rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. “Allen, why don’t you go upstairs and refill the pitcher, okay? I’ll talk to Lenora for a while, then you can come back.”

“But I..”

“Allen, that’s best right now, okay?” Valerie said.

“Well…okay. If you say so.”

“Valerie, I want to go home,” Lenora repeated when Allen was gone. “Please tell me what’s going on and why I’m here…wherever this is. Why an I in a jail cell?”

Valerie burst into tears, causing Lenora’s heart to sink. Valerie wasn’t one to cry very often, so Lenora knew such an outburst meant they were both in serious trouble.

“Valerie, what is going on?” Lenora asked in an agitated whisper.

“It’s a long story, Lenora, but the long and short of it is Shane Clayton. He’s trapped us both behind the proverbial 8-ball. Welcome to Hell, Lenora.”

A Life to Live: The Taming of the Shrew

Nise Dreamweaver
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27
A Life to Live: The Taming of the Shrew

This is my entry for August’s Monthly Short Story challenge on the Sims forums. It contains 481 words, 3 screenshots, and the theme word “Whinge.”

If you’d like to participate, you can do so by reading all the stories in both the veteran and novice categories and casting your vote for your three favorites in each category.

This story is part of my A Life to Love series, featuring one-shots/shorts with characters from Forever in Time, especially our beloved power couple, Lenora and Tyrone. I wanted to write something cute and lighthearted, given their current situation in Forever in Time. I hope you all enjoy it.

As always, thanks for reading, commenting, liking, subscribing, and lurking.

August 2919 Short Story Banner (Medium)

 

Lenora & Tyrone 1 (Medium)

“Tyrone, it’s bad! It’s really, really bad,” Lenora muttered, exiting her studio and flopping onto the living room sofa.

Tyrone sighed in resignation. Being the kind soul she was, his Lenora usually wasn’t someone to whinge. Even so, Tyrone knew all too well what a beast she could be when her work wasn’t going well. “Let it fly,” he said.

Lenora needed no further encouragement. “Wolfman, I swear to Ariadne, I wish I was writing a murder mystery so I can kill off Marigold and send poor Ian on a pilgrimage to India or someplace where he can get some peace and quiet. It’s not often I dislike my heroine.”

For the sake of saving his life, Tyrone swallowed an amused snort and went with stroking a soothing hand down his Lenora’s hair. “You’ve hit snags before, Lenora, and you’ll get through this one. You’re not on the top of the Bestseller list for nothing, you know.”

The corners of Lenora’s mouth twitched, finally curving into a slight smile. “Thanks. I just hate it when I write myself into a box.”

“A glass of wine and a snack will do you good.” Tyrone pulled Lenora to her feet and guided her to the table. “Sit.”

 

Lenora 1 (Medium)

Lenora sat, scowling, while Tyrone whistled cheerfully as he poured two glasses of wine. Riffling through the fridge, he found just what he was looking for. Smirking to himself, he set the glasses of wine on the table and plunked down a block of sharp cheddar cheese before her.

Lenora raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Some snack.”

“Well, I thought some cheese would go great with that whine, and sharp cheddar seems to suit you at the moment,” Tyrone quipped.

Lenora gaped for a long moment before her mouth began to work like a guppy’s. All the pent-up tension she was feeling that day melted as she looked at her beloved’s grinning face and contemplated the absurdity of the situation. An unladylike snort escaped, followed by a snicker. Then, she started to giggle, the giggle soon turning into an outright guffaw. In a matter of seconds, Lenora was in the throes of unhindered mirth. She laughed until her sides ached. She laughed until tears streamed down her face. She laughed until she didn’t think she could laugh anymore. Then, she laughed some more because Tyrone was chortling along with her.

“Whatever am I going to do with ye, Wolfman?” Lenora gasped once she was able to speak.

Tyrone grinned and leaned over to kiss her brow. “Feeling better, I see.’

“Aye. Ye always make it so,” she said in lilting Irish tones.

“That’s my job. I love you, Lenora.”

“Ah, so ye still love me even if I am a shrew,” she teased.

 

Tyrone Holding Lenora 1 (Medium)

Tyrone pulled her up and into his strong arms. “And a beautiful shrew you are, my Lenora. I love you no matter what, forever and ever.”

Forever in Time: Chapter 32, Sitting Up With the Not-So-Dead

Nise Dreamweaver
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11
Forever in Time: Chapter 32, Sitting Up With the Not-So-Dead

Content Warning! One F-bomb dropped, descriptions of mental illness, and disturbing OR experience. Major creepiness present, too.

 

After leaving Valerie in the basement with Lenora, Shane marched back up the stairs in search of his brother. “Al, can you come to the living room?”

 

Allenn Inventing (Medium)

“Just a sec,” he called, his hands skillfully working at his inventing bench. Carefully applying the blowtorch to a piece of metal, he smiled to himself. His work was going so well, thanks to the promise Shane had made to him the week before. He would soon have Lenora, and all would be right with the world.

Allen was whistling softly as he entered the living room. “I was just inventing.” He sat on the sofa next to Shane and stretched.

 

Shane 1 (Medium)

“I know, brother. I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I have some good news for you,” Shane said, slapping Allen on the shoulder.

Allen’s eyes went wide, a grin spreading over his face. “Is it…Lenora?”

“Yep. She’s here, Al. She’s downstairs with Valerie.”

With a whoop of delight, Allen gave his brother a quick hug. “You did it! You actually got her here. I need to see her. Is she okay?”

 

Allen & Shane 3 (Medium)

“Al, listen to me. there are some things you need to know first. Lenora’s asleep right now, but she’ll wake up sometime tomorrow. She…well…the only way I could get her here was to make it look like she died. Right now, she’s kinda like Snow White, you know, after she ate the apple. She looks dead, but she’s really not. It’s best you wait until tomorrow.”

Allen shot to his feet and started to pace the floor restlessly and mutter under his breath. “I must see her. Must see her for myself…got to make sure she’s not scared. She’ll be afraid…trapped in her body…can’t move. She’ll be afraid.”

Shane grabbed his brother by the shoulders and shook him gently. “it’s all right, Al. She’s out of it and doesn’t register anything. Listen, now. It was the only way. You can see her a little later, okay? She’ll still be asleep, but she’ll be breathing normally. You don’t want to see her the way she is now.” Shane urged Allen back to the couch and made him sit.

 

Allen & Shane 1 (Medium)

“Please, Shane! I need to. I won’t be scared, I promise. I just…I want to take care of her,” Allen pleaded.

Shane blew out a frustrated sigh. “Okay, but remember what I told you. She may seem dead, but she really isn’t.”

 

Lenora & Valerie 1 (Medium)

Valerie was still shaken to the marrow long after the vision of Drogo disappeared. She sat beside Lenora, holding her hand and gently touching Lenora’s hair. “I’m so sorry, Lenora. I’m going to make it right, no matter what it takes. Please…please don’t hate me. I love you so much, Lenora. I didn’t want to hurt you. I swear I didn’t.”

Once again, Valerie lowered her head to Lenora’s chest to listen. This time, the thud under her ear was a bit stronger. Placing her cheek next to Lenora’s mouth, Valerie waited a beat, then felt a very soft, almost nonexistent puff of air on her skin. “Okay, you’re starting to breathe, and your heartbeat is getting stronger. Thank goodness.”

 

Allenn & Lenora 1 (Medium)

Valerie blinked when she heard harried footsteps on the stairs. Looking up, she sighed in resignation as Allen came into view. Seeing the woman on the bed, he gasped and flew into the cell. “Lenora! she’s here. She’s actually here.” He sank to his knees beside the bed, gazing unblinkingly at Lenora.

“Yeah, so it seems,” Valerie replied.

“Shane told me she’s kinda like how Snow White was…sorta dead but not really. Valerie…um…”

Valerie looked at Allen and raised an eyebrow. The guy looked mildly scared, and there clearly was something on his mind. “What is it, Allen?”

“Does she…um…does she feel dead? I mean, is she cold and stiff like dead things always are?” he blurted out.

“No, Allen, she’s not. She just looks like she’s asleep. Here, give me your hand.” She took Allen’s hand and wound his fingers around Lenora’s warm hand. Then, she helped him to gently move Lenora’s fingers. “You see? She’s warm, and her joints work properly. She’s just under a spell is all.”

“But…she’s not breathing,” Allen said.

“She is, but it’s really slow right now. Here, lean your head this way.” Valerie helped him lean his cheek next to Lenora’s mouth. “Now, just give her a minute or two and you’ll feel it.”

Allen did as instructed, frowning when several long moments went by where he felt nothing. He was about to straighten up and question Valerie further when a wispy, warm breath of air fell onto his cheek. “I felt it! Oh, Valerie, I felt it.”

“You see? What did I tell you?”

“I told Shane I wouldn’t be scared, but it makes me sad to see dead things. I don’t want Lenora to be dead, Valerie,” Allen said.

 

Valerie 1 (Medium)

“I know what you mean,” Valerie said in soothing tones. “Just think of her as taking a super long nap and waking up good as new.”

“Will…will she remember being like this? I mean, she might feel trapped in her body because she can’t move. Maybe she’s awake and scared ’cause she can’t move,” Allen said.

Oh, dear Phaedra, how to answer that! She bit her lower lip, contemplating her words carefully. “I can’t answer that for sure, Allen, but I’m sure she’s so asleep that she won’t remember anything. It sounds like you know how being trapped in your body feels.”

Allen absently stroked a hand over Lenora’s hair, frowning at how tangled it felt. he would have to do something about that. He wanted Lenora to look beautiful, and he knew Lenora wouldn’t like her hair to be all messed up.

“Allen?” Valerie touched his arm and eyed him speculatively.

“Oh, right.” Allen shook his head, bringing himself back from his musings. “I had an operation once. My appendix burst. They said they were putting me to sleep so I wouldn’t feel it. Thing is, the stuff didn’t work and I felt it all. They thought I was asleep but I wasn’t, and I couldn’t move a muscle. I heard them talking…called me crazy. Someone said I should be having a lob…lobo…” He trailed off, smacking his forehead in frustration when the word wouldn’t come.

“Lobotomy,” Valerie supplied.

“Yeah, that. They said I should be having one of those instead of having my guts rearranged.”

Valerie’s jaw dropped, and she gaped in horror. “Fuck, Allen! Great Phaedra, that’s horrible!”

“I tried to tell someone what happened after it was over, but nobody believed me. I’m only Crazy Allen, and crazy people don’t know what they’re talking about,” Allen said, balling his fists in agitation.

 

Valerie Hugging Allen (Medium)

Feeling a surge of compassion sweep over her, Valerie put her arms around Allen and hugged him. “I’m sorry you went through that. Nobody should ever have to experience something so awful.” She rubbed his back and smiled in relief when his muscles started to relax. “I don’t think Lenora can feel anything right now. She’s under a sleep spell, which is different from the anesthesia they use in the hospital. Sleep spells put everything to sleep, even memories. She’ll wake up and not remember any of this, I’m sure.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Try not to worry.”

“Valerie, could I…that is…can I sit with her alone? I want to take care of her. Her hair is tangled, and her lips are so dry. Lenora wouldn’t like that,” Allen said.

“Well…” Valerie didn’t want to stray too far for fear of igniting Shane’s wrath. Still, it would be a while before Lenora awoke. “I need to go get a few things for Lenora. She’ll need something warm to wear. It’s chilly down here, and you wouldn’t want her to get sick, right?”

Allen shook his head vigorously. “No, we can’t have that.”

“And she’ll need other stuff. You want her to look beautiful, right?”

“Yes, right!”

Valerie riffled through her bag, bringing out a hairbrush, a tube of lip balm, and a small bottle of lotion. “You can use these for now until I bring some stuff back. It won’t take me long. Will you be okay here for a bit?”

 

Allen

The smile that spread over Allen’s face softened his features a great deal. He looked more peaceful and unburdened. “Oh, yes, I’ll be okay. I’ll take very, very good care of her.”

Once alone, Allen was certain the voices would attack him without mercy. Instead, they were blessedly silent. He breathed a relieved sigh and stroked a thumb over the back of Lenora’s hand. “You see, Lenora? You made them go away just like I knew you would. Even lying here like Snow White, you made them go away. Thank you, Lenora. One day, you’ll see just how much I love you, and maybe you’ll even love me, too. That would make me so, so happy. Then, the voices will leave me alone for good.”

Allen ran his fingers over a lock of Lenora’s golden hair and picked up the hairbrush. “Okay now. I’ll be very gentle. You’ll be so happy when all these tangles are gone.” He went to work detangling Lenora’s tresses, handling her beautiful hair with reverence. Allen smiled as he worked, relishing the feeling of the voices being gone for the first time in a long time. “You see, Lenora, you’re helping me while I’m helping you. We’re good for each other. It’s meant to be between us. You’ll see. When you wake up, you’ll be so happy with all I’m doing for you.”

Even after all the tangles were gone, Allen continued to slide the brush smoothly through Lenora’s hair, humming tunelessly. “I’m afraid I’m not much of a singer, Lenora. You’ll have to do all the singing when we’re alone together. It’ll be so nice, beautiful Lenora. We’ll go far, far away from here where nobody can touch or hurt us. We’ll take long walks by the beach and build sand castles. You’ll sing for me always and I’ll give you everything you ever could want. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

 

Allen & Lenora 2 (Medium)

He arranged Lenora’s hair around her shoulders and sighed as he put the brush aside. He lowered his mouth to softly kiss Lenora’s unresponsive lips and then ran a forefinger over her jaw. “Beautiful,” he whispered.

Picking up the tube of lip balm, Allen put some on his finger and brought it to Lenora’s lips. “You’ll feel so much better,” he whispered as he rubbed it into her dry lips. “Hospitals and institutions have such dry air, don’t they?”

Allen took Lenora’s hand, moving her fingers so they curled over his. Putting their joined hands against his heart, he smiled. “My heart is beating so fast. It nearly jumped out of my chest while I waited for you.” He stroked the backs of her knuckles and looked into her still face. “You look so beautiful, like an angel. I like being here with you this way, but I can’t wait for you to wake up. I’ll watch over you while you sleep, and when you wake up, you’ll see how good I took care of you.”

After rubbing some lotion into her hands, Allen resumed the brushing of her hair. “I like doing this for you, Lenora. You have such pretty hair. It’s all gold and shiny…and so soft.”

A while later, a jaw-cracking yawn seized Allen, who had lost all sense of time. “You’re making me lazy, Lenora, but that’s okay. It’s been a long day. I’ll just sleep right here with you and be here when you wake up.” He wished the bed was bigger, but he’d just have to make due. Carefully arranging himself next to Lenora, he folded her into his arms and sighed deeply. “For the first time in my life, I’m content. Thank you for that, Lenora. I love you. Goodnight.”

 

The next thing Allen knew, Valerie was shaking him awake. “Hey, I’m back. How is she?”

Allen sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Same, I guess.”

Valerie leaned over Lenora to check her. “Hey, she’s breathing better, and her heartbeat is getting stronger.”

“Her color looks better, too. She’s not so pale,” Allen said, running a finger down Lenora’s cheek.

“She just needs to sleep, and so do you. Maybe you should go on up to bed. You’ll be more comfortable,” Valerie suggested.

“I’ll stay here. Being here makes the voices stay away.”

 

Valerie 2 (Medium)

“Suit yourself,” Valerie said, putting a black bag on the floor next to an old chair. “Shane wants me to stay here, too.” She sat in the chair and leaned her head back. This was going to be a long night, and Valerie was sure her entire body would be stiff and sore by the time the sun arose.

I couldn’t risk going to Dr. Hughes tonight. I’ll try to get out tomorrow and bring him back here. If Lenora is sick when she wakes up like Shane said she would be, he’ll be better at looking after her than I’d be. I wouldn’t know what to do for her. Hell, I’d probably mess it up like I mess everything else up.” Silent tears rolled down Valerie’s cheeks, and she did nothing to stop them.

Forever in Time: Chapter 31, Valerie’s Vision

Nise Dreamweaver
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12
Forever in Time: Chapter 31, Valerie’s Vision

Content Warning – Physical/domestic abuse, some swearing, and mentions of rape and suicide.

 

Shane Carrying Lenora 1 (Medium)

The black car pulled up in front of a dingy looking house, the figure sliding out the driver’s side in a soundless, fluid motion. Opening the back door, the figure hefted the dead weight of the “corpse” over his shoulder, pushed the door closed with a hip, and hurried into the house.

Relishing the silence, the figure stalked purposefully down a flight of steps and into a small cell. Dumping Lenora onto the twin sized bed none too gently, he smirked down at her and huffed out a derisive chuckle. “How does it feel to be dead, Lenora? I can talk to you, but you can’t talk back and give me that holier-than-thou bullshit you spouted off when you kicked me to the curb. I was married. So what? Do you think I loved that harpy I was chained to? I didn’t love you, but you made quite a trophy, really. Dating a famous person had its perks.”

 

Shane Standing Near Lenora 1 (Medium)

Scornful laughter came again. “I told you I’d get even, but you only shrugged it off. You didn’t believe me, which really pissed me off, Lenora. Nobody ditches me, blows me off, and gets away with it.” He leaned closer so he could whisper into her ear. “I quite like you in this condition and would have no qualms about keeping you like this. But my brother would be distressed and for some ungodly reason, he wants you live and kicking.”

With a dramatic, mockingly regretful sigh, the man removed a small vial from his pocket and shook it slightly until the milky white contents glowed and shimmered. “As much as I dislike the idea, I’d better give you the antidote to that potion our dear Valerie put into your tea. You’ll wake up in about twelve hours, and then the fireworks can begin. I guess I’d better get Valerie over here so she can take care of you in case you have side effects or something.” He pried Lenora’s lips apart and dribbled three drops of the glowing potion onto her tongue. “I’m not much of a nursemaid, after all.”

The figure, who was none other than Shane Clayton, turned on his heel, slid the bar door open, then turned a key in a heavy steel lock after stepping through. There was a lot of work to do before this night was through.

“Valerie, get your ass over here,” Shane barked into his cell phone once his call connected.

“For Phaedra’s sake, Shane! I can’t tonight. My sister-in-law just died.”

“You’ll get over here if you know what’s good for you. Do you want a repeat of last week’s treatment?”

“Um…n-no. that’s not necessary,” came the quavery voice.

Shane smirked. “I thought you’d see it my way.” Valerie’s resistance to his mind control was starting to surface, so Shane had needed to alter the drugs he was giving her. Before injecting her with the new combination, Shane had slapped her around mercilessly and raped her three times in a single night. The next morning, Valerie had been pliant as silly putty and ready to do his bidding without the slightest hesitation. Shane hadn’t erased the memories of his brutal attack since he intended to use it as leverage if she should ever lip off again.

“I…I’ll be over in ten minutes,” Valerie whispered. To Shane’s great satisfaction, there were tears in her voice with an audible sob just before the call disconnected.

 

Valerie & Shane 1 (Medium)

Upon Valerie’s arrival, Shane steered her into the living room. “You’re going to be moving in with me permanently. I need your help with something and besides, I’ll be able to keep a better eye on you.”

“What do you want now, Shane?” Valerie asked in resignation.

“I’m going to let you in on a dirty little secret.” Shane leered at her, then tugged on her hand. “Follow me.”

Valerie didn’t protest, for she knew what would happen if she did. He was quick to put bruises on her, but he put them in places not normally visible due to clothing. As a wolf, she normally healed faster. She still did, but the drugs Shane was feeding her significantly slowed down the process. Her ribs and kidneys were still sore from the last beating Shane had given her.

Valerie’s eyes widened as Shane led her to a part of the house she’d never seen before. “Where are you taking me?” she asked in trepidation as a flight of stairs leading to a pitch dark basement loomed before them. Was he about to push her down the stairs? Valerie hung back, a feeling of foreboding overtaking her; she really didn’t want to descend those stairs.

Shane grabbed Valerie’s wrist and yanked her forward. “I don’t have all night. Let’s go.”

Nearly tripping, Valerie had no choice but to trudge down the steps after Shane. She blinked in the darkness, but her eyes didn’t take long to adjust. This place was majorly depressing, especially with what looked like a small jail cell on one side. “Just what is the purpose of bringing me down here?” she asked coolly.

“Look on the bed, Landgraab. We have a very special guest,” Shane said with a smug, self-satisfied smile.

 

Lenora 1 (Medium)

Tendrils of dread snaked down her neck at Shane’s look. When he smiled like that, it usually meant he’d done something horrible. Very slowly, Valerie turned her gaze to the cell and screamed when she looked at the bed. “Lenora!” she gasped. Unable to believe what she’d just seen, she rubbed her eyes and looked again. Lenora’s body still remained, unmoving, on the bed.

“What is she doing here, Shane? What kind of awful, sick shit are you up to now?” Valerie asked in a trembling voice.

Unable to look away, Valerie stared in shock, tears streaming down her cheeks. She’d been dead asleep when the call came informing her of Lenora’s illness and hospitalization. She’d had one of her unexplained severe headaches, which was always accompanied by holes in her memory. By the time she’d listened to her numerous voicemails and gotten to the hospital, Lenora had been only moments away from dying. Not only did Valerie feel the ache of grief, but the heaviness of guilt assaulted her, too. She hadn’t been a very present member of the family lately, and it was only getting worse. Not being able to account for pieces of her time made things even harder.

 

Valerie & Shane 2 (Medium)

“You know how bad Allen wants her. You know as well as I do that he was growing more and more obsessed with the idea of having her. I knew if I didn’t make it happen, he’d have a total psychotic breakdown, and I can’t have that,” Shane said as casually as if he were talking about acquiring a new coat. “Besides, it kills two birds with one stone. Allen can have his fun, and I get my revenge for her insolence.”

“But she’s dead, Shane! What good is she to either of you dead?” Valerie tried to stem the flow of tears but was unsuccessful. “This goes beyond disgusting.”

Shane laughed a cold, humorless laugh. “Ah, but here’s the rub. You see, she’s not really dead. She just appears that way, thanks to that lovely potion which you put into her tea. It was the surest way of being able to nab her and bring her here.”

Valerie stared at him in confusion. “But…I didn’t put…no!”

“But you did, Landgraab. You’ve been following my orders for months now. That day you went to visit Lenora, you were under my control. You did your job well, and that potion worked like a charm.” Shane grinned at her, looking like Hannibal Lecter. “You’re in it up to your neck, and you’re going to continue to cooperate if you know what’s good for you.”

Valerie stared, agape, as Shane revealed her dastardly deed. Could this be why she was losing time? It had to be. Shane was doing something to her, manipulating her somehow without her remembering any of it. Could this also be why she couldn’t transform into wolf form?

She looked at the bed again and covered her face with her trembling hands. Yes, she’d been an awful daughter, sister, aunt, and siste-in-law, but she would have never, in her right mind, actually hurt any of them. But I’m apparently not in my right mind, Valerie thought to herself as a piteous sob escaped her.

 

Valerie 1 (Medium)

“You can’t do this, Shane. Everyone thinks she’s dead. You can’t do this.”

“I can and I did,” Shane said. “Don’t worry, Valerie, dear. Your precious family will have something to bury, and they’ll go on believing their precious Lenora is gone. Meanwhile, I gave her the stuff to reverse your potion–”

“It’s not my potion! This is all you, Shane, and I’m going to–”

Before she could say anything else, Shane grabbed her and slammed her against the wall. Stars exploded in Valerie’s vision as her head connected sickeningly with the cold, unyielding wall. “You will do exactly as I say if you know what’s good for you.” Still holding her, Shane pulled a gun from his pocket and thrust it under her nose. “Know what this contains? It has silver bullets, my girl. You either do as you’re told or I’ll kill your precious brother first. Then, I’ll kill your nieces and nephews one by one. Finally, I’ll finish you off after showing the recordings I’ll have made of their murders. Get me?”

Seeing the conscienceless, dangerous glint in Shane’s eyes, Valerie had no doubt he’d do exactly what he said he’d do. She whimpered, trying to draw back from the gun and its lethal bullets, only to be hindered by the wall at her back. “Y-yes,” she whispered in absolute terror.

“Good.” Shane released her, the cold, easy grin back in place. “Now, I’ve given her the stuff to reverse this potion, so she’ll wake up in about twelve hours or so. You’re going to come down and check on her. Then, you will take care of her when she wakes up. I’m told she may be a little sick until it’s completely out of her system.”

“What are you going to do with her?” Valerie asked in a squeaky voice.

“I’m going to convince her to forget about her former life and be what Allen wants her to be,” Shane said.

“It won’t happen. You’ll never make her forget about her family,” Valerie replied.

“I have my ways, darling. You, of all people, should know that.”

Shane turned on his heel and stalked up the stairs, leaving Valerie feeling trapped in every way possible. She was in a far bigger mess than she realized and had no idea how the hell to begin extricating herself from it. Hugging herself at the waist, she shivered as both a physical coldness and chilling fear gripped her. With hesitant steps, she made her way to the bed and eyed Lenora warily. Bending close to Lenora’s face, she listened for the slightest sounds of breath. Hearing none, she placed her ear on Lenora’s chest to listen. She was about to straighten when she heard a distinct thud under her ear. There was only one, but Valerie was certain she heard a heartbeat. Straightening slightly, she took one of Lenora’s hands and blinked owlishly at the warmth she felt. “Shane said you weren’t dead, and I don’t smell death here. Your hands are warm, too. Did Tyrone feel this or is this you trying to come back?”

 

Lenora & Valerie 1 (Medium)

Valerie studied Lenora, really looked at her for the first time in a long time. It was no wonder everyone loved her. Lenora was a beautiful person both in physical looks and in personality. Valerie had idolized Lenora when she was younger. Hell, she still did. Lenora was what Valerie always wished she could be: beautiful, selfless, brave, serene, and talented. Plus, Lenora had a husband who loved her with every ounce of his being. Was she envious of her sister-in-law? Yes, at time, she was. “I might be a worthless waste of space, but I would have never hurt you,” she said aloud as she stroked a lock of hair away from Lenora’s face. 

As she continued to finger the beautiful golden hair she’d always been fascinated with, Valerie bit her lip and blinked back the tears that easily wanted to surface. “If Shane is right, I did hurt you. Oh, Lenora, if he’s right, I put something horrible in your tea that put you here. How can I live with myself if it’s true?” Slipping her fingers under Lenora’s limp right hand and stroking her thumb over Lenora’s knuckles, Valerie closed her eyes and bowed her head in shame and self-condemnation. “Please forgive me, Lenora. It should be me lying here and not you. Oh, Phaedra, I want to be dead! I just want to die. Please forgive me, Lenora, even though I don’t deserve it.”

Just then, Valerie’s fingers passed over a spot on Lenora’s right palm that brought her up short. The spot contained an extra degree of warmth, and when Valerie’s fingers moved over it, she saw a great wolf in her mind’s eye and shivered with fright as a bone-rending, terrifying howl surrounded her. With a strangled scream, Valerie dropped Lenora’s hand and sprang to her feet. “What the…?” Cowering in the corner, Valerie hugged herself and rubbed her arms where goosebumps formed. It took her a few minutes before her wildly beating heart slowed and her ragged breathing returned to normal. She didn’t want to do it again, but she felt an inexplicable compulsion to touch Lenora’s hand once again. Steeling herself, she returned to Lenora’s side and took her right hand. When her fingers, again, passed over the spot, the great wolf’s image and howl engulfed her. This time, she held on longer and shivered when the wolf came nearer.

“You have done great wrong, Valerie,” the powerful voice boomed. “You have put Lenora in perilous jeopardy, and by doing so, you have set cosmic events in motion that could destroy not only this universe but many others.”

 

Lenora & Valerie 2 (Medium)

“I didn’t mean to, Great Drogo. I swear, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know what I was doing,” Valerie cried in misery, falling to her knees beside Lenora.

“Had you accepted the help that was offered to you many times over, none of this would have happened. Instead, you chose to wallow in self-pity, turn away from your family, and seek refuge where only evil resides. Now, you must do your part in helping to set things right,” the great wolf thundered.

“But…but how? Shane said he’d kill Tyrone, his kids, then finish me off if I didn’t cooperate. He’s somehow controlling me, and there are things I don’t remember. I’m at his mercy,” Valerie said.

“The next tine you are away from here, you are to immediately go to Dr. Neil Hughes and tell him what you have done and about your lapses in memory. He will help you. The two of you will need to work together to begin setting things right,” the wolf commanded.

“Y-yes, Great Drogo. But…but the silver bullets.”

“They will be seen to in due course. If you do not follow through, Valerie, you will suffer a fate worse and far more painful than any silver bullet will give you,” Drogo said icily. “Do I make myself clear?”

“yes…yes, Sire,” she whispered.

Valerie was still shivering when Drogo disappeared. Still holding Lenora’s hand, she turned it over and gently opened her sister-in-law’s fingers. She gasped as she saw a clear mark of the sword and shield there. It looked as though it had been drawn there in blood. When Valerie tried to smear it with her finger, the mark didn’t budge. Each time she touched it, images and howls of the Great Alpha Wolf ascended, making her shudder.

“Tyrone did the Wolf Ceremony on you, didn’t he, Lenora? Yes, of course he would have. I shouldn’t be surprised.” Valerie leaned over to kiss Lenora’s brow, then wrapped her arms around her. “You’ll be protected now, thank the gods for that. I’m going to make this up to you, Lenora, I promise. I’m going to find a way to actually do something right for once in my miserable, worthless life. I have a lot to do to atone for my sins before I end myself, which I now know I must do. It’s the only way to make it right in the end. I’ll somehow find the courage I need to do what I must do. I hope one day after I’m gone that you and Tyrone can somehow find it in your hearts to forgive me. I’m so sorry, Lenora. I’m so…so damned sorry.”

Forever in Time: Chapter 30, In Memorium, Part 2

Nise Dreamweaver
-
6
Forever in Time: Chapter 30, In Memorium, Part 2

***Major Hankie Alert***

 

Tyrone2Bnext2Bto2BLenoras2BCoffin

A mixture of emotions ran through Tyrone as he stood next to where “Lenora” lay. Most overwhelming was the continuous sorrow and emptiness he felt in the wake of his Lenora’s death. Half of him was missing, and he didn’t think he would ever recover from that.

There was also confusion, bewilderment, and much uncertainty. There was something very wrong with his “Lenora.” Is she really Lenora? Tyrone’s sixth sense buzzed insistently, igniting this question over and over within him.

“I don’t understand what is happening here,” Tyrone said to his sire. “I saw her die, felt her go. I held my Lenora as she took her final breath.” Closing his eyes against the sting of sorrow, he took a trembling breath.

“I know, son, but you know as well as I that there’s something odd about this entire thing. Lenora was warm afterward, and the sense of death was absent. Even here and now, you know something is off,” Deus reminded his son.

“Yes, but what? What are we missing? I have the strangest feeling that this is not my Lenora. She’s different. Even laid out like this, she’s different.” Tyrone paced restlessly for a moment, then came to rest beside the casket. “I’m officially certifiable! I want my Lenora back so badly that I’m conjuring mental scenarios that give me hope she’ll return to me. I studied psychology, Dad. I know the signs of grief, and believe me, I am far, far from the acceptance stage.”

“Perhaps there is a reason for it, son. You’re allowed to go off the rails a bit considering the circumstances, but you are not crazy. You have a sixth sense that is yammering at you, and there’s likely a very good reason for it. My sixth sense is zinging, too. None of this is sitting well with me, either,” Deus replied, putting a calming hand on his son’s arm.

“What the hell are we going to do, Dad?”

Deus heaved a contemplative sigh. “What do you want to do, Tyrone? This is your call, after all. We can put a halt to this, investigate further, then commence with Lenora’s burial once we have some concrete answers if you feel it’s necessary.”

Tyrone’s first inclination was to jump at this and cling to this plan of action for all he was worth. Common sense and decorum won out instead, and Tyrone hugged himself as fresh ripples of sorrow sank deeper within his fractured soul. “Postponing this won’t change anything. We’d only be putting off the inevitable, which would cause us all more suffering. None of it will bring my Lenora back.” His heart twisted, a sob wrenching loose. “Please don’t say anything to the others. They’ve suffered enough already, and I don’t want to add more to it.”

“All right, son,” Deus replied in a soft but troubled voice as he and Tyrone stepped aside to give Landon his time with “Lenora.”

 

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Landon sobbed unashamedly as he stood over his “mother.” “Oh, Ma, it wasn’t supposed to be this way! I lost Dad and now you’re gone, too. How could this have happened?” He caressed her fingers like the angel Lenora always said he was. “Who’s the angel now, Ma? You always called me your angel sent from Heaven. Now, you’re the angel in Heaven. Oh, Ma, I miss you so much!”

Landon leaned over to touch the soft hair he loved so dearly. “If I could bring you back with words of love, you’d be standing here and smiling. I’d be hugging you, and you’d hear me tell you I love you. There was never a day that went by when we didn’t say it.” He gave her a loving kiss on her brow. “I love you, Ma.”

 

Crystal2BComforting2BLandon2B2

Landon felt Crystal beside him and turned to fall into her arms. He sobbed helplessly as her arms came tightly around him. “I know, darling. This is such a sorrowful thing and so disgusting that it’s Lenora lying there. It’s so unfair.” She rubbed his back as tears streamed down her cheeks. “She was compassion itself, you know. It was clear in the beautiful, strong aura she projected. I knew how beautiful inside and out she was the first time I met her.”

“Oh, Thumbelina, what are we going to do?” Landon sobbed inconsolably.

“We’ll have to take each day as it comes, sweetheart. Lenora would want that. We’ll have to wing it.” She gulped, knowing how that must have sounded. “Oh man! No pun intended. Geez! I stuck my foot in it that time.”

Landon gave a watery little laugh through his tears and tried to muster a grin. “Couldn’t you just hear Ma chuckling over that one? Wing it? Fairy? You know.”

Crystal snorted softly and kissed her husband’s cheek. “Yeah. Lenora had the most beautiful laugh, like music.”

“She always has,” Landon sighed. “She loved to laugh and make others laugh.” He straightened up, then bent over “Lenora” again. “I hope you’re laughing in Heaven now, Ma. Nothing will hurt you again. Give Dad a hug for me and tell him…tell him I love him and miss him, okay? Will you do that for me?” He touched her hand one final time, then saw Tyrone come to his other side.

 

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For several long moments, both men stood in silence, each one lost in his own memories and grief. Finally, Landon spoke, his voice a choked whisper. “She looks so beautiful…so peaceful. If only it could be like Sleeping Beauty where she’d revive if you kissed her. She told me that was her favorite fairy tale growing up.”

“Ah, Landon, if I thought it would help, I’d give her as many kisses as I could to make her wake up.” Tyrone rested his hand over his “Lenora’s” before tenderly caressing her fingers. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I have to be, I reckon. Ma would kick my ass to Kingdom Come otherwise.” Landon smiled weakly and stroked a hand over “Lenora’s” golden hair. “She’d want us to remember the fun times and laugh, and that’s what I’m going to try to do. It’s the only way I can possibly get through the day and sing for Ma without totally losing it.”

“Yeah, same here,” Tyrone replied.

“Is Aurora sitll going to sing?” Landon asked in concern. “It’s going to be tough for all of us singing today to pull off. Aurora took Ma’s death hard…and she’s so young.”

“She’s tougher than you realize, son,” Tyrone said. “She insists she wants to do it, and I won’t discourage her.”

 

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When Crystal escorted both sets of quads to look at “Lenora,” Landon hugged each child in a long, tight embrace. Aurora fell into her brother’s arms and held him as tightly as her little arms would allow. “I heard what you told Da, and I can feel you worrying about me. You need to quit on it though. I’m okay, and I need to sing for Ma, too.”

“Okay, sis. I just love you so much is all. You’re an awful lot like her,” Landon said.

“That’s what Da said. I-I want to be like her and make her proud.” Aurora felt tears well up, but she furiously blinked them back. She couldn’t cry, not yet. She had a job to do first.

“Do you want to see her?” Landon asked softly.

Aurora nodded slowly and allowed Landon to lift her. “She looks so beautiful,” Aurora whispered, reaching out a tiny hand to caress “Lenora’s” fingers. “She’s so cold!”

“Darling, she feels that way because her body temperature is the same as the room here. It’s much cooler than what a live person’s body temperature is,” Tyrone explained. “Remember how we talked about that?”

“It…it just didn’t seem real…until now.” A single tear fell onto “Lenora’s” cheek, which Aurora dashed away with a tender touch. “I love you, Ma, and I miss you. You’re the best Ma ever.”

She and the others made little cards that they all tucked in beside “Lenora.” “This is so you won’t forget us, Grams,” Albus said through his tears.

 

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As Landon and Crystal were about to take the children to their seats to wait for the service to begin, Aurora hugged her big brother again. “I need to tell you something.”

“What is it, sis?”

“I…I had a vision this morning. And when I touched Ma’s hand just a minute ago, I had it again. I saw her come back,” Aurora whispered. “I don’t want to tell Da because it’ll make him sadder than he already is.”

Landon blew out a long breath and kissed his sister. “Sweetie, I know you’ve got the same juice as Ma, and her visions were always spot on. But sis, I don’t see how Ma can come back. I won’t say it’s impossible, but…but I think she’s gone. She was awfully sick.”

“I know what it seems like, Landon, but I swear I saw her come back. She had on that dress she wore on her TV show. We were all sitting in the living room, and when Da opened the door, she came running toward us. That’s all there was, but I know it to be true. Ma will come back,” Aurora insisted. “Don’t believe me if you don’t want to, bu I know it’s true.”

Landon squeezed her tight and rubbed her back soothingly. “Hey, now! I didn’t say I didn’t believe you, Aurora. If you had a vision, it happened for a reason. Extraordinary things do happen. If Ma can somehow make it back to us, I’ll be the happiest person ever.”

“Me, too.”

“We’d better go sit down, sis. It’s about to start,” Landon said, gently taking his little sister by the hand and leading her to her seat.

 

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Tyrone sat in his chair, consumed with grief, as his “Lenora’s” burial rites began. The dates of her birth and death were given, followed by the key points in her life. His soul shuddered with anguish as the officiant spoke of his marriage to Lenora and of the birth of their children. His Lenora’s life was so much more than what was spoken. His Lenora’s life simply couldn’t be adequately summarized in only a few sentences.

“Lenora loved life. She loved her family and friends, and she adored music,” the officiant continued. “She also loved telling stories, the evidence of that being the great number of books this talented woman wrote. Today, we celebrate the life of Lenora Margaret Catherine Landgraab with stories and music.”

Aurora, having asked to sing her song first, came to the front, her long, full dress swishing around her. “Our mother was the strongest, bravest, most courageous person I ever knew. I wanted to sing this song especially for her today because I want to be just like her. I want to be brave and loving just like her, and I want to make her proud.”

Deus, who was already seated at the piano, having played prelude music, struck a couple chords. Aurora took a deep breath and began singing in a strong voice, a voice that was more mature and developed beyond her youth.

“You shout it out
But I can’t hear a word you say
I’m talking loud not saying much
I’m criticized but all your bullets ricochet
You shoot me down, but I get up
I’m bulletproof nothing to lose
Fire away, fire away
Ricochet, you take your aim
Fire away, fire away
You shoot me down but I won’t fall, I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won’t fall
I am titanium…”

There wasn’t a dry eye in the place by the time Aurora finished and went back to her seat. “It was beautiful, Princess. Truly, it was. Your mother would be so proud,” Tyrone said, hugging his little daughter to his side.

“I hope so, Da,” Aurora choked out, unable to keep the tears at bay any longer. “She loved that song.”

Funny anecdotes and words of love for Lenora were spoken by many of the mourners who knew Lenora well. There was soft laughter among the tears, which slightly eased the cloud of sorrow above them. “Aunt Lenora always helped me with my homework. She was so smart,” little Carson said, addressing the mourners. “Aunt Lenora was always smiling, and she gave the best hugs.”

“Ma taught me to cook.” Chris said when it was his turn. “But I’d sample the finished stuff. When I did, Ma always shook her head, laughed, and said, ‘Whatever am I going to do with ye, Chris?'” Everyone chuckled at the story, some smiling mistily as he imitated his mother’s Irish brogue perfectly.

Tyrone, then, took his turn to sing for his “Lenora.” “I couldn’t decide which song to sing today. There were two that describe how I’m feeling today. I couldn’t pick, so I hope you’ll bear with me as I sing them both for my Lenora.”

He took a deep breath to steady both his spirit and his voice. “I always refer to her as my Lenora. I always have ever since she gave me her tender heart and accepted my marriage proposal. The thing is though, she wasn’t mine alone. You see, she belonged to all of us and we to her. Lenora gave everyone she came to care for so much of herself. She loved fiercely and deeply. Lenora was the kindest, most selfless and beautiful person I have ever known. I know I speak for all of us when I express that the loss of her leaves an unfillable void. The absence of her in this world dims and mutes the colors around us. Lenora brightened all our lives with her beautiful smile and loving spirit.”

Tyrone soon lost himself in the music as the introductory chords to To Where You Are began. His rich, powerful voice soon filled the room.

“Who can say for certain
Maybe you’re still here
I feel you all around me
Your memories so clear
Deep in the stillness
I can hear you speak
You’re still an inspiration
Can it be
That you are mine
Forever love
And you are watching over me from up above
Fly me up to where you are
Beyond the distant star
I wish upon tonight
To see you smile
If only for awhile to know you’re there
A breath away’s not far
To where you are…”

Tyrone, then, sang his second song.

“Love is a wind that cries
Drifting through the ashes of my memory
When I close my eyes, long ago is never far away from me
Through the door to yesterday and never more then a dream away
Inside my heart you still remain, just like a rose after the rain

If I could touch you one more time
I’ll take you where tomorrow couldn’t find us
Where we could leave goodby’s behind us
And hold you till the day I die
If I could touch you one more, just one more time

Love is a silent song
Lost along the way to remember when
Even though you’re gone
It sings deep in my soul and brings you back again
If angels can hear my prayers
Half past forever, I’ll be there
Life after life will light the flame
With all the faces of the names

If I could touch you one more time
I’ll take you where tomorrow couldn’t find us
Where we could leave goodby’s behind us
And hold you till I die
One more, just one more time
If I could touch you one more time.”

Returning to his chair, Tyrone wiped at the wetness on his cheeks and, as graciously as he could, accepted the heartfelt compliments on how beautifully he sang. His heart ached all over again as he listened to Crystal and Landon sing Danny Boy, another song his Lenora loved. This was exactly the kind of send-off he knew his Lenora would have wanted. He was sure she would have loved it, but oh, how his soul cried out to reunite with hers!

When it was all over, Tyrone and his family received many hugs and condolences, which he endured as stoically as he could. He was exhausted, and all he wanted to do was take his children home and try his best to get on with living. A new, dark chapter in his wretched life would begin today, and he just didn’t know how he was going to push through.

Author’s Notes: I do not own the copyrights to the songs mentioned in this chapter. I will include links to where you can listen to these lovely songs.

 

Titanium by Madilyn Bailey. Although the original was done by David Guetta, featuring Sia, this is a beautiful version. It’s how I picture Aurora singing it with Granther Amedus accompanying her on the piano.

 

To Where You Are by Josh Groban. This is pretty self-explanatory. 🙁 As I was looking for music to feature in this chapter, this was the embodiment of what Tyrone is feeling.

 

If I could Touch You One More Time sung by Steve Zell. It was written by Robin and Judithe Randall. It was featured on the Season 5 episode of Baywatch called Seize the Day. I ran across this strictly by accident. I was never a fan of the show when it was on but have watched some episodes since and have liked some of the stories. This was a particularly touching episode where Mitch lost the woman he was in love with due to cancer. The song played as Tracy died in his arms. Like I said, I ran across this by accident but knew this was another perfectly fitting song for this chapter. Again, I could so picture Tyrone singing this for and about his Lenora. 🙁

And of course, I think we’re all familiar with Danny Boy. There are many, many renditions of it that can be found. Do a search, find one you like, and sit back and enjoy.

As always, thank you for reading, subscribing, commenting, liking, and lurking.

A Small Update

Nise Dreamweaver
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6
A Small Update

sharon-sitting

Howdy, howdy, everyone!

It’s been a while since I posted one of these updates, so I thought it was time I rectified that.

First off, I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far. As always, I want to thank you all for your support of me and my stories. A lot of energy, time, blood, sweat, and many, many tears go into my work, so I’m always thankful and gratified when others enjoy the material I create. 🙂

Now, let’s get down to it, shall we?

I’ve been having a few little hiccups but nothing to worry about. Mainly, it comes down to my posts not showing up in the WordPress Reader until hours and hours after publication. I think with the latest update, some wires might have gotten crossed and certain Plugins don’t work as they once did. Therefore, with a sad heart, I decided to disable the CommentLuv Plugin. I really loved it because it gave you an opportunity to share a link to your work within your comment. This community is all about supporting and encouraging each other. Hopefully, it will be updated at some point, which will make it possible for me to reinstate it.

Moving onward to some announcements.

Forever in Time will remain in full swing with updates being published as often as I can make it happen. Our beloved characters are experiencing some painfully dark times at the moment, and life isn’t going to get any easier any time soon. What happened to Lenora and where is she? Well, you’ll just have to keep reading to find out. 😀 No spoilers present from your girl. Hahaha!

I am in the works of putting together a spin-off story featuring Goddess Mathilda, who appears to be a favorite character with many of you. 🙂 I’m so elated that she is so well loved. When first a thought of her, she was simply a wisp of a musing. I once produced regular Sims Let’s Plays on YouTube and would always have backstories for the Sims I created. I’d often refer to Witch Mathilda having done something to influence a Sim’s or family’s life but had never actually created her until shortly before Into the Future was released for Sims 3. I spent a good deal of time on her, and as I was working with her in CAS, she truly began to come to life. I’ve played with her in game for countless hours and realized she needed much more opportunity to really live. So, when I began writing my stories, I knew she was going to make her presence known.

Because of her complex character and long, long life, Goddess Mathilda has many, many stories and adventures to tell. The tentative name for this is Mathilda’s Meanderings, but that may change by the time I actually get down to writing the first post. What I’m thinking of doing is having the actual story be a series consisting of both one-shots as well as slightly longer writings (several chapters in length) dealing with an event/adventure that Mathilda has experienced. They would not necessarily be in chronological order because she has to be in a certain mood to tell a given story.

I was also thinking about Grandda Liam and how we really need to see more of him. He will soon become a larger presence in Forever in Time, which means we’ll get to see just what a powerful person he is, both in magical ability and character.

Speaking of Grandda Liam, I’m planning to write some “shorts” featuring him and Lenora during the time he was raising her. Their relationship truly warms my heart, and I want to capitalize further on it.

Diary of Sims will also make a return since I highly enjoy creating Sims and coming up with their backstories.

I think that about covers it for now. Have a wonderful day, keep smiling, and be kind to each other.

Hugs to you all!

Sharon, aka Sweet Nightingale

Forever in Time: Chapter 29, In Memorium, Part 1

Nise Dreamweaver
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11
Forever in Time: Chapter 29, In Memorium, Part 1

***Major Hankie Alert***

 

Tyrone2BAsleep

The next two days passed in a blur for Tyrone. It felt as though he were on autopilot as he did what he could to care for his children, make arrangements for his Lenora’s funeral, and to just get through each day. When alone, Tyrone sat on the sofa, unable to concentrate on much of anything, and staring off into space. Tears came often, and there were many times when his grief crushed him so enormously that there was no choice but to give in. Nights were the worst because he was plagued by horrible nightmares while he tried to sleep. In some of the dreams, his Lenora was trapped behind a wall of flames, which he couldn’t break through to save her. The more he tried, the higher the flames got while Lenora’s cries of fear and pain grew more desperate. He awoke screaming as Lenora uttered a tortured shriek as the flames consumed her. Other dreams consisted of his Lenora being pulled down by an undertow in the ocean. She called his name, begging him to save her while her hands waved frantically. The harder Tyrone swam to get to her, the choppier the ocean became. Large waves pushed him back. Lenora’s figure grew smaller, her voice more frightened but weaker and more distant. He sat bolt upright as the current dragged her down and she didn’t resurface. Sweat rolled down his back, and Tyrone discovered his pillow was wet from mingled tears and sweat.

Tyrone ran his hands through his hair in an agitated gesture and groaned. The aftershocks of the nightmares stuck to him like white on flour. His entire body was shaking with fatigue and grief. As he slowly rose to his feet, he felt his knees shaking and threatening to give way. He hadn’t eaten much of anything since his Lenora went away, and it was catching up to him. “I am an old man before my time,” he said, stretching and flinching as his back popped. “Great Drogo, give me strength to go on. Give me the courage to do as my Lenora asked and carry on.”

 

Andrea Asleep 1 (Medium)

Tyrone swiped the backs of his hands over his wet cheeks and heaved a tremulous sigh. He made himself drag one foot in front of the other so he could check on his kids. He found Jonas and Chris in bed asleep. Kissing their foreheads, he arranged the covers more snugly around them. Andrea was sprawled on her back, asleep, but with tears drying on her little cheeks. Tyrone’s heart broke all over again as realization that his daughter had cried herself to sleep crashed over him. “Not feeling much like a steamroller now, are you, sweetheart?” he whispered while tenderly wiping away her tears with his fingers.

All his kids had their own code names that always made him and Lenora smile. They’d just seemed to materialize out of thin air and stuck. Andrea, because of her athletic ability and strong personality, was dubbed Steamroller. Jonas, who was always smiling with laughter coming easily, was called Smiler. Chris, because of his cooking talents as well as his ability to put away food like nobody else, was named Jaws. Aurora was their Princess because she loved long dresses, always wanted to look pretty, and was such a kind and gentle soul.

“None of you are feeling it, not that I blame you a bit,” Tyrone said, stroking a hand over Andrea’s hair. “Jonas hasn’t smiled once, Chris hasn’t felt much like eating, and Aurora looks like she’s carrying the weight of the world on her back. I wish I knew how to make it better, darling.” Tyrone kissed Andrea’s still moist cheek and tucked the covers around her. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“Love you too, Da,” Andrea murmured sleepily as one eye cracked open.

“I didn’t mean to wake you, sweetheart. I just wanted to tuck you back into bed. Go back to sleep,” Tyrone whispered.

“Stay with me till I do? Please, Da.”

Without hesitation, Tyrone slid onto the bed beside his daughter and snaked an arm around her. “I’m here, my darling Andrea. Close your eyes.” Tyrone rubbed Andrea’s back in slow, methodical movements. It was the way she loved it when she was littler when her parents would put her to bed. As Andrea began to relax under his touch, Tyrone sang softly.

“Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you’ve been asking me
I think you know what I’ve been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
Then you should always know
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are
I never will be far away…”

Andrea loved this song and always wanted her mother or father, depending on who tucked her in, to sing it to her. Singing it to her this time made Tyrone’s heart tremble. It was such a beautiful song with a deep meaning about both life and death. It was so fitting for what they all were going through, especially with lots of questions having arisen about Lenora’s funeral and where she was now. Tyrone’s cheeks were wet by the time he finished. Thankfully, Andrea was asleep, which spared her from seeing him cry.

Carefully easing himself off the bed, Tyrone ran the backs of his hands over his cheeks. Drogo, he cried more in these last two days than he ever had before in his life! Taking a ragged breath and steeling himself, he went to Aurora’s room to check on her. Aurora, however, wasn’t in her bed. He frowned and reached out for his daughter with his wolfish senses. His knees nearly came unhinged as he felt the tentacles of her sorrow entwining with his.

Tyrone padded in the direction of where he felt his daughter. “Aurora? Princess?” he called softly. His frown deepened when he heard no answer.

As he neared the little studio he and Lenora had set up for Aurora, he heard soft, sad singing.

“Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in Heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in Heaven…”

Tyrone’s heart seized as he heard his once cheerful daughter singing such a woeful song. Nobody that young should have to resort to singing Tears in Heaven. He bit his lip to stifle a sob. Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the door and poked his head in.

 

Aurora2BPainting

To help herself cope, Aurora lost herself in her painting and music. With the loss of her mother came a change of mood to her work. Aurora no longer hummed merrily as she dabbed color over the canvas. Instead, she sang songs of darkness and loss.

“Would you know my name
If I saw you in Heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in Heaven…”

Aurora sang in a soft, mournful voice as she shaped storm clouds above a drenched cemetery scene. In the shadows, gathered around a tombstone were crying people with blurred features. A lonely woman clad in a black dress and long black veil stood off in the distance, her head bowed, and the black veil shielding her face. The ticking of her mother’s grandfather clock in the living room added to the mood of desolation as Aurora shaped the minute details of the lone woman’s black veil. When the painting was done, she left it on the easel to dry, then curled up in the chair and surrendered to the hot tears that always accompanied her now. Dark despair overcame her as she rocked herself back and forth and sobbed in repeated broken tones, “Oh, Ma! Ma…oh, Ma!”

Aurora in Tyrone's Arms 2 (Medium)

“Hey, come here, princess,” Tyrone said, coming fully into the room and holding his arms out to her. She didn’t come of her own volition but didn’t resist when Tyrone pulled her into his embrace. Even in his grief and unbearable pain with so little to give, he couldn’t ever turn away from his daughter, especially when she so desperately needed him.

“I miss her, Da. I miss her so much. It’s not fair! I want her back. She should be here…with us!” Aurora sobbed as she buried her face against Tyrone’s sweater.

“Oh, baby, I know…I know,” Tyrone croaked as tears ran down his own cheeks. “Your mother was the most beautiful person I have ever known. She gave all of us so much love and took great care of us. There will never be anyone like her.” He cradled Aurora’s head against his chest and sighed as he looked off into the distance. “I’d give anything to bring your mother back to us.”

“What are we going to do without her, Da?” Aurora sobbed.

Tyrone stroked Aurora’s hair and placed a gentle kiss atop her head. “I don’t know, sweetheart. We’ll just have to do the best we can. Your mother would want it that way.”

Aurora in Tyrone's Arms 1 (Medium)

Aurora cried for a long, long time while Tyrone held her close and tried to soothe her with gentle words and loving fatherly touches. When the torrent of weeping subsided into tiny hiccups and mournful little sighs, she remained cradled against Tyrone’s chest, her energy spent. Finally, she whispered in a congested, weak voice. “Da, I need to tell you something, but…but I’m afraid to.”

“You can tell me anything, Princess.. You know that.”

“I don’t want to make you cry again,” Aurora replied.

Tyrone sighed, hugged her tighter, and brushed his lips over her temple. “I’ll try not to, I promise.”

“Well…” she began uncertainly.

“What? You can tell me,” Tyrone urged gently.

She hesitated another moment before speaking. “Just before the earthquake, I had a vision. I-I can see and feel things like Ma could.”

Tyrone nodded encouragingly. “I know.”

“you do?”

“I’ve suspected for quite a long time, and your Ma told me about that talk you had with her the night before she went to the hospital.”

“So then, you know about the music thing, too,” Aurora replied.

“Yeah,” Tyrone confirmed.

“Anyway, just before the earthquake, this vision came. I saw you and Ma in the hospital. You were holding her, and she knew she was going to d-die. Sh-she said goodbye and then just went to sleep. Da, I…I felt her go.” Aurora’s little arms tightened around her father. “There’s more. I felt you lose it…afterward, I mean. Then, the earthquakes came and we thought you might die, too.”

The urge to throw his head back and howl for all eternity came on so strong, he thought he might go mad. Tyrone took in a very slow, grounding breath, bit his lower lip, and held Aurora against him as hard as he dared without hurting her. “Aurora! Oh, Aurora, my love! You shouldn’t have had to experience that.” His voice was raspy and clogged with the tears he was finally able to tamp down. “I wish I could have kept you from having to go through that. Great Drogo, you’re so young…too young to have seen and felt that.”

“I don’t think psychic powers or this empathic stuff is age sensitive,” Aurora said, lifting her head to look into her father’s ravaged face. With the tenderest of touches, she wiped away a lone tear glistening on his cheek. “I’m sorry, Da. I didn’t mean to make you cry again.”

“It’s all right, princess. It’s all right.” Tyrone pulled her close for another hug. “We’re all going to be crying a lot for a while.” Studying his little daughter’s face, he saw how truly haunted she looked. It seemed her gifts were already so powerful. He hated that she’d experienced such a heartbreaking vision along with the empathic messages. He wished she’d been a bit older before her gifts grew so powerful. He hated the haunted, woeful look in her eyes, which made her appear far older beyond her years.

“Maybe when it gets really bad, and maybe if we hold each other tight enough, it wont hurt so bad,” Aurora whispered.

“Maybe so,” Tyrone replied.

Aurora squeezed him as hard as she could. “I love you, Da.”

“I love you so very much, Aurora,” Tyrone whispered, pressing her to his heart. “So much like your Ma.”

“That’s a good thing,” Aurora said, one corner of her mouth raising in a slight smile.

“It’s the best thing. Now then, it’s late and you should have been in bed a long time ago.”

“I know, but I couldn’t sleep. I was having bad dreams, so I got up to paint,” Aurora said sadly.

Tyrone’s eyes flicked over to the drying canvas. “That’s a sad scene you painted and an even sadder song you were singing.”

“I know. It just fit my mood.” Aurora shrugged and looked at her picture. “I was trying to paint that scene from the book Ma wrote about the woman who convinced Death to give back her lover. You know the one. The woman didn’t admit she loved the guy until it was too late. She made a deal with the wise witch who summoned Death. The woman had to go through all kinds of stuff before Death released him to her forever. I was painting the cemetery scene where they had his funeral. I wanted it to look like how Ma described it.”

Tyrone sighed and tucked a lock of hair behind Aurora’a ear. “Your Ma was always so happy when you captured one of her scenes on canvas. She’d be a little worried about you painting such a sad scene though.”

Aurora shrugged again. “I suppose I did it to help prepare myself for what…what we have to do tomorrow. You know, when we have to…to put her in the…the g-ground.” Her voice broke on the last two words, and she clung to her father desperately.

Tyrone swallowed hard, attempting to steady himself. “I don’t think there is anything we can do to fully prepare ourselves for that. Sweetheart, it’s going to be a very, very hard day.”

“I know, Da. I know.” Aurora squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t like to think of Ma being in the ground. She wouldn’t like that. She’d want to be where all the pretty flowers are.”

“Oh, Princess, she won’t feel it. What goes in the ground is just a shell of what your mother was. She’s already gone from this world. The body she left behind won’t feel anything.” What he didn’t tell his little daughter was that he, too, didn’t want to think of his Lenora lying underground. Tyrone gave her a final squeeze and kissed her cheek. “Let’s get you tucked into bed now.”

Lenora2BLaid2BOuot2B5

The day of Lenora’s funeral was cold and dreary. Rain pelted the car as Amadeus drove the family to the chapel. Tyrone and Landon wanted to arrive early before anyone else so they could say their final goodbyes to Lenora alone.

Tears ran, unchecked, down Tyrone’s cheeks as he looked at his “wife.” “You look so beautiful, Lenora. You look as if you’ll just sit right up and tell me this was all a bad dream.” He touched her hand and curled his fingers around hers, unable to hold back a gasp at how cold she felt. “My Lenora! How I wish…”

However, he didn’t finish his sentence. Something didn’t feel right. His sixth sense buzzed unrelentingly, but he couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong. Tyrone ran a hand over her arm and then caressed her cheek. She would have felt like Lenora if she wasn’t so cold, but something was very, very wrong here.

Tyrone bent closer to “Lenora,” brought a handful of her beautiful hair to his nose, and sniffed. “Something is missing. You don’t smell like my Lenora.” He could smell death on her this time; there was no question about that. Beneath the smell of the chemicals used to prepare her body, there was no underlying smell of who he knew as Lenora, his beloved mate. It was as if everything that made her Lenora had been drained away.

It didn’t add up to Tyrone. He’d seen death before, smelled death several times, in fact. Even in death, there always remained the smell that was unique to that person. In “Lenora’s” case, there was nothing except for the smell of death and chemicals. The words that came to Tyrone’s mind as he smelled “Lenora’s” hair again were “clean slate.”

Tyrone2Bnext2Bto2BLenoras2BCoffin

Tyrone stood back to take everything in from a wide angled view. “I am going crazy. I want her back so badly that I’m trying to convince myself that she’s not really here, that this isn’t my Lenora lying here. She looks like Lenora…feels like her except for the coldness, which I know is her body at room temperature. Even her hair…” He stepped forward to caress the golden tresses. “It feels exactly like my Lenora’s hair…and yet…I can’t shake this feeling.” Tyrone didn’t realize he’d been speaking aloud, albeit softly.

“Son, are you okay?” Deus stepped up beside Tyrone and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“I…something is wrong here,” Tyrone said, momentarily tearing his eyes away from his “Lenora” to lock onto his sire’s. “Take a good look at her. I mean, really look at her and tell me what you think.”

Without hesitation, Deus stepped up to the casket and laid his hand over “Lenora’s.” As expected, she was cold to the touch. “She looks very peaceful,” he whispered.

“Yeah…but she’s not…right,” Tyrone protested.

Deus leaned over to look more closely. He immediately detected the odor of death and embalming chemicals. Deus sniffed “Lenora’s” hair and frowned. “She’s cold this time, and the sense of death is easily detectable. But, she smells…”

“New,” Tyrone filled in where his father trailed off. “It’s like her body was stopped only moments after it began to live. It’s like a…a clean slate. What the hell is going on here?”

 

Author’s Notes: As it turns out, I’m going to have to break up the “In Memorium” part into two separate chapters because of the length. I know I’ve dropped a cliffhanger on you, so I’m (mostly) sorry about that. I’ll get the second part up as soon as I can, and then we’ll move onward and see what actually happened to the real Lenora.

The songs mentioned here are (Lullabye) Goodnight, My Angel by Billy Joel and Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton. Obviously, I do not own the copyrights to these songs. Here are some links to these beautiful songs for your listening pleasure.

 

(Lullabye) Goodnight, My Angel by Billy Joel

 

Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton

As always, thank you for reading, commenting, subscribing, liking, and lurking.

Forever in Time: Chapter 28, Aftermath

Nise Dreamweaver
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8
Forever in Time: Chapter 28, Aftermath

***Hankie Alert***

 

Ariadne 1 (Medium)

It wasn’t often that Goddess Ariadne Dreamweaver was shaken to the marrow, but this was one of those times. Events leading up to and surrounding Lenora Landgraab’s illness and apparent death caused the walls between universes to grow even thinner than they already were. The entire cosmos was in a perilous state; the situation needed immediate attention.

Ariadne knew she and the other divinities would be facing a cataclysmic event. it was preordained by the Watcher, and Ariadne understood she and the others were helpless to stop it. Even gods and goddesses had limitations on how far they could exercise their power. They couldn’t stop the event, itself, from occurring, but there were ways to point the key people in the right direction. This was a situation where she and the other divinities could not just spread their arms and fix it with the crook of a finger.

Ariadne had no choice but to call an emergency meeting of the divinities. She needed help, and she needed it now.

 

Drogo & Phaedra 1 (Medium)

Drogo and Phaedra, along with their offspring Azura, Caleb, and Magdalena cane at once. Calista, Goddess of Fairies soon followed. Iliara, Goddess of Vampires was invited but graciously declined due to her own work. “Please do let me know if I can help in any way from here, Ariadne, my friend. I must finish my training and instructions to Prince Stefano but will come to you if I am truly needed.”

Voicing her understanding and wishing her friend well, Ariadne invited her friends and guests to her sitting room. “I’m sure you all know why I’ve asked you all to come.”

 

Drogo 1 (Medium)

“Of course! We could feel the ground tremble from worlds away. It is a wonder there wasn’t more damage,” Drogo replied.

“Yes,” Ariadne said grimly. “It is thanks to Poseidon, who did what he could to counteract it. I’ve had to appeal to Olympus, too, for help in what we are dealing with. This is a much, much bigger problem for one divinity or a small group of us to handle. I can honestly say I am truly frightened at this time.”

 

Phaedra 1 (Medium)

“That is understandable,” Phaedra replied. “Lenora was not meant to die. The loss of her has put this universe on a course to certain destruction.”

Ariadne nodded. “The only reason this universe was not destroyed instantly is that she truly is not dead but was made only to appear so. Even so, it was enough to cause possible irreparable damage. Lenora is vital to the survival of this universe and possibly the cosmos. The fact that she remains in true danger weakens the walls between this universe and others. If this is not solved in due course, the walls will crumble, and this universe will be destroyed. What was shown to Lenora by Mathilda those years ago will surely happen, which, in turn, means that all universes are in great peril.”

 

Azura 1 (Medium)

Azura pursed her lips in contemplation. “Lenora believed that Tyrone and the children, once older, could continue her work. Without Lenora, poor Tyrone is lost. Mathilda could direct the children until Tyrone feels stronger, but…well…it is less than ideal, to say the least.”

“Lenora never realized how great her importance truly is. She knew she was The Chosen but never realized that without her, worlds could collide. Right now, Tyrone cannot see beyond his own grief, not that I blame the poor man,” Ariadne said sadly. “They truly are a special couple who are absolutely incomplete without the other. The children are destined to achieve great power, but there is much for them to learn. The long and short of it is that Lenora’s work is far from complete, and she needs help to return to her destined path.”

 

Caleb 1 (Medium)

“Where do Liam and Mathilda fit into all this? They’re not here, which, to me, is very ominous,” Caleb added.

Ariadne heaved a sorrowful sigh. “Unfortunately, Liam and Mathilda must be kept partially in the dark because of their close bond with Lenora. I hate that they must endure such anguish, but their genuine grief will help ensure that the ones behind this will be apprehended and dealt with appropriately.  Amadeus is already suspicious. He and Mathilda will be a driving force in finding the needed answers and setting things straight. Liam, too, will be needed but in a very different way.”

 

Calista & Magdalena 1 (Medium)

“I must be with my son and grandson to do what I can to help,” Magdalena said. “Tyrone is my grandson, after all, and knowing he is deeply grieving hurts me so.”

“Yes, I understand. But please remember that you must not directly interfere,” Ariadne warned. “Keep reminding Tyrone of who and what he is so it may be reinforced to him that things are not what they appear and that all is not lost. Your presence will also be very beneficial to the children.”

“He needs to be reminded that his sixth sense as an Alpha Wolf is very powerful and true and that it’s telling him things for a good reason,” Azura added. “He’s so mixed up right now that he can’t think straight. To face what any Wolf who’s Imprinted on their mate dreads more than anything and survive would rattle the strongest of Wolfkind. Tyrone fits into that category, but right now, he needs looking after and direction.”

Magdalena nodded and wiped at a couple tears that sparkled on her cheeks. “It is times like this when too much knowledge is painful, but not enough knowledge is even more so.”

“Our position is never easy, and times like these are truly challenging. Anyway, we all must be extra vigilant and do what we can to indirectly point everyone in the right direction. Calista, we need to speak as well. Flora is up to her old tricks and has kept Liam and Mathilda detained far longer than they should have been. Can you retrieve them and make sure they arrive home safely? I must go to my son, Cian, and send him home. Phone and Internet services are out of reach where he is.”

 

Calista 1 (Medium)

“Yes, of course. Then, I must go to Prince Silvan and prepare him for his own destiny,” Calista replied.

“Thank you, my friends. I hope our next meeting is under far better circumstances. Blessed be.”

 

The tragic news wasn’t received well at all by Liam and Mathilda. They returned home in silence, both of them lost in their own grief. Tears poured down Mathilda’s face while Liam wept unashamedly.

“How could this have happened?” Liam asked in a broken, mournful voice.

Mathilda shook her head and took in a ragged breath. “I don’t know, Liam, dear. I just don’t know. Some time back, Gunther gave me a cryptic warning that Lenora would someday be in danger, but he had no further details to share with me. I never imagined…never dreamed that she’d be taken from us.”

“I need to see her for myself,” Liam sobbed.

“Of course you do. So do I. I just can’t help but feel something about this isn’t right.” Mathilda wrapped her arms around Liam and rubbed his back. “I love you so much, Liam. We’re going to get through this.” Her own voice broke as she choked out the words.

Because Mathilda was a known and sought after Supernatural Healer, she was entitled to certain privileges at the hospital. She was somber as she signed herself and Liam into the morgue. As the attendant led them to where Lenora lay and told them to take as much time with her as they needed, it was unbeknownst to them that Lenora would later be stolen by a mysterious figure and a clone created to take her place.

 

Liam, Mathilda, & Lenora 1 (Medium)

Liam gasped as Mathilda folded down the blanket to reveal Lenora’s still face. “My darling Lenora!” Liam sobbed out his grief as he took his granddaughter into his arms and kissed her. Tears traced their way freely down Mathilda’s cheeks as she watched Liam cradle Lenora and whisper to her in Irish. Seeing Liam so devastated and Lenora so lifeless made Mathilda want to wail. Mathilda felt absolutely powerless as her heart broke for Liam and what Lenora’s loss meant in her own life.

Mathilda gently kissed Lenora’s brow and stroked a hand over the soft golden strands. “Thank you, Lenora, for showing me how to open my heart again. If it hadn’t been for you, my life would have been a lonelier, bleaker one. I love you, sweetheart.”

“Grandda loves ye, Lenora, forever and ever,” Liam whispered hoarsely. Still holding her, something began to break through the iron fist of grief. “She’s warm! She…she was brought here hours ago, but she’s warm.” Liam stroked his fingertips over Lenora’s cheek then pressed his lips to her forehead. Placing a hand over one of his granddaughter’s, he blinked in bewilderment.

“I noticed, too,” Mathilda said, rubbing Liam’s shoulder comfortingly. “There is no doubt that whatever happened here was magical in nature. Perhaps whatever this is keeps the body warm for a certain amount of time.” She slid her arms around Liam which sandwiched Lenora between them. “I promise I will get to the bottom of this. None of this makes any sense.”

They sat like this for a long time, holding each other with Lenora situated between them. “I was just remembering a time when Lenora was about five or so. We had a big storm which frightened her. She crawled onto my lap and buried her wee face against my chest as I sat in my rocker. To comfort her and try to get her mind off the storm, I held and rocked her, and I told her stories about her mother and how Anne and I would hold Maggie between us when she was scared. Ye know what Lenora said?” Liam said in between anguished sobs.

“What, love?”

“She said…she said Grandma sounded really nice and that she wished Grandma could be here so we could make a love sandwich.” A wracking sob shook Liam’s shoulders. “She would have loved being held like this and feeling surrounded with love. She would have loved being held like this betwixt ye and me had ye been in our lives when she was a wee thing.”

“Oh, Liam, my heart! Lenora was surrounded with love every day of her life. We all held her between us always even if it wasn’t through physical touch. She felt our love around her every minute of every single day. Lenora knew how much all of us loved her.” Mathilda choked on a sob, realizing she’d spoken of Lenora in the past tense. “She’s really gone, Liam. By the ancients, what are we going to do? I miss her so much already.”

“I know, darling Mathilda,” Liam cried. “My heart is so heavy with sorrow. I don’t know how I’m going to bear it. But…but we must be there for Tyrone and the wee ones. The poor lad must be beside himself. The wee ones…oh, they are going to miss their mother so.”

With great reluctance, Liam and Mathilda left twenty minutes later, both mulling over how to pick up the pieces of their shattered hearts.

 

Aside from losing his Lenora, telling his children she was gone was the hardest thing Tyrone ever had to do. He decided it was best to get them from his parents’ house and bring them home to break the news. The anguish on their little faces and the waterfall of tears mirrored his own agony. It took everything within him to offer what comfort he could, which, to his thinking, wasn’t much. All he could do was hold them and let them cry as long as they needed to. He tried not to cry but failed miserably.

 

Tyrone2BHolding2BAurora2B2

“What do we do now, Da?” Aurora sobbed helplessly as she held tight to her father. “I don’t want her to be gone.”

“I don’t either, Princess. Oh, Drogo, I don’t want that either.” He swallowed hard to try to relieve the tightness in his throat. “All we can do is try our hardest to get on without her. We have to do our best to make her proud.”

“We were so scared when the ground started shaking,” Andrea said. “Grams got us all under Granther’s piano, but we were still so scared.”

“We thought all of us were going to die,” Jonas added. “Afterwards, Grams was crying, but she wouldn’t tell us why.”

“We sorta knew Ma was g-gone…but we didn’t want to believe it,” Chris said. “We were afraid the ground would shake even more and make you die, too”

Tyrone’s heart broke all over again as he gathered them close. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said as firmly as his constricted voice would allow. “I promised your Ma I’d take good care of you.”

“Who’s going to take care of you, Da?” Aurora said, reaching up with an angel’s touch to wipe a tear from Tyrone’s cheek. “You’re so sad right now. I can feel it.”

“We have to take care of each other,” Tyrone said, kissing his little daughter. “That’s what Ma would want. It’s okay to be sad. I expect we’ll all be sad for a long time because we miss her so. It’s painful to say goodbye to someone you love, especially when it’s someone so very special like your Ma.”

“She was the best Ma ever,” Jonas said, bursting into fresh tears.

“Yeah, son, she was,” Tyrone said, wrapping his son in a tight hug.

 

Tyrone & Andrea 1 (Medium)

“I wanted to tell her I loved her one more time,” Andrea said, her own tears welling again.

“Oh, sweetheart, she knew. She knew how much we all loved her.” Great Drogo, how could he cope with this? How could he help his children through this when he could barely keep himself upright?

“We’ll have to have a…um…funeral, won’t we, Da?” Chris whispered.

“Yeah, son. I’ll be making the arrangements in the morning,” Tyrone said somberly.

“Can we go?” Andrea asked.

“If you want to. You don’t have to if you think it’s too much, but it helps to be able to mourn.”

“Ma…she’ll be in a box. What…what if she doesn’t look like Ma?” Jonas asked through his tears.

This was nearly the end of Tyrone. He bit his lower lip to stifle the primal howl that threatened to escape. He closed his eyes and mentally counted to twenty.

“Da, are you gonna Wolf Out? I mean, it’s okay if you need to.” Aurora touched his cheek to offer gentle comfort.

“No, honey, I’m okay. It’s just…so hard…for us all.” He took a deep breath and kissed Aurora’s temple. “Your Ma will be put in what’s called a coffin. It’s a big, sometimes fancy box that’s used to bury a dead person. There’s a piece on the lid that opens so mourners can see the person and be able to say their final goodbyes. They’ll make Ma look very beautiful, and she’ll look like she’s asleep. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Do you understand?”

“Yeah. It’s just…well, we never knew anyone who died except Great Grandda and Landon, but they were alive again when we were born. I wish Ma could come back, too,” Andrea said.

“Me, too, sweetheart. I wish for that with all my heart, but it seldom works that way,” Tyrone said, hugging her.

“She’s with Goddess Ariadne now, isn’t she?” Aurora asked.

“Yes, I expect so. I’m sure Goddess Ariadne is taking very, very good care of her and reminding her of how much we love her.” Tyrone gave each one an extra tight hug then looked into each face. “Ma loved you all very, very much. Never forget that, okay? And I love you all so very much.”

“We love you too, Da,” Andrea said, fresh tears surfacing. “Can we all sleep with you tonight? We’re scared to be alone.”

“Of course. Truth be told, I don’t want to be alone either.”

 

Author’s Notes: I just wanted to point out a couple things. When referring to the clone of Lenora that was made, I’ll put her name in quotation marks. So, when it’s written as “Lenora”, that will refer to the clone.

I also wanted to bring your attention to the timeline of events. As you’ve noticed, this chapter backtracks a little in regard to the previous one. There are a lot of characters to cover, so there’s the need to get everyone caught up to the same point. So, here’s what we have.

  1. Valerie visits Lenora and puts something strange in her tea. She has no memory of lacing Lenora’s tea due to Shane’s mind manipulation.
  2. Lenora becomes ill and is taken to the hospital by Tyrone and Landon.
  3. Neil strives to find a cure, but time is running out.
  4. Neil receives the blackmail call.
  5. Lenora says her goodbyes and apparently dies.
  6. Tyrone, Deus, and the others at the hospital spend their needed time with her. Tyrone and Deus perform the Wolf Ceremony, then Theresa performs the Last Blessing.
  7. Neil begins creating the clone.
  8. Lenora is taken to the morgue.
  9. Liam and Mathilda finally arrive and are able to spend their time with Lenora.
  10. Neil finished the clone and brings her to the morgue. Lenora is taken to Room 22, and the clone is put in Lenora’s place.
  11. Lenora is stolen from the hospital by a mysterious figure.

As always, thank you for reading, subscribing, liking, commenting, and lurking.

Forever in Time, Chapter 27, Sinister Doings

Nise Dreamweaver
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8
Forever in Time, Chapter 27, Sinister Doings

Content Warning! Some swearing and one F-Bomb.

 

Neil 3 (Medium)

With a defeated sigh, Neil Hughes sank, exhausted, into his office chair, feeling like Atlas holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. He hadn’t held out much hope for Mrs. Landgraab’s survival, but he was deeply saddened by her death nonetheless. She’d been a beautiful, vital woman, so there was no plausible explanation for her sudden illness and death. From what Neil knew of Mrs. Landgraab, she was a lovely, kindhearted woman who didn’t deserve this.

Some cases got to Neil more than others, but this one haunted him at every turn. but then, it got personal the instant he’d received that threatening call from a mysterious blackmailer. He rubbed his eyes and groaned, mulling over the long night of work he had before him. “Well, I’m not getting it done by just sitting here. May Ariadne forgive me for what I’m about to do.” Heaving himself to his feet, he trudged to his personal lab feeling as though his soul was already in damnation.

 

Blythe Researching 1 (Medium)

“Oh, Neil, there you are!” came the cheerful yet distracted voice of his research partner and fellow colleague, Dr. Blythe Wood, as he shut the door behind him. “How is Mrs. Landgraab?” she asked, not looking up as she pushed buttons on her research station.

“She passed away about an hour ago,” Neil said flatly.

 

Neil & Blythe 4 (Medium)

Blythe let out a long, melancholic sigh and turned to face Neil. “I’m so sorry, Neil. I wish we’d been able to find an answer so she could have been saved. This is going to be such a blow to her fans and especially her family.”

“Her husband is devastated. I’ve never seen someone look so…empty and broken.”

 

Neil & Blythe Hugging (Medium)

“I can see you’re deeply affected, too,” Blythe said softly. Sliding her arms around him, she squeezed him in a tight hug. “I’m just so damned sorry.”

“Yeah, me, too.” Neil returned her hug then stepped back enough to take her by the shoulders and scrutinize her. “You look tired, Blythe. You should go home.”

Blythe gave a fleeting glance at the research station and shrugged. “To be honest, I am tired. It’s been a long day.”

 

Neil & Blythe 1 (Medium)

“You shouldn’t be exerting yourself in your condition. Your heart–”

“Neil, I’m okay for the time being. I’m on the transplant list, and I have to keep working and believing that a new heart will come for me. I-I just wish someone didn’t have to die for it to happen,” Blythe replied.

“I know, but I worry about you,” Neil sighed. “I just wish I could use my magic on you so I could repair your own heart. I can’t clone one for you either because of your type of infection.”

 

Neil & Blythe 2 (Medium)

Blythe produced a wry laugh. “It’s ironic, isn’t it? I’m a witch wannabe and a Supernatural junkie. I have great knowledge in the area of the Supernatural, but because I’m not magical myself, you’re prohibited from using healing magic on me without a special dispensation.”

“Sometimes the system sucks,” Neil groused.

“I guess no system is perfect. Well, no matter. Things happen for a reason, and I’m just going to have to be content with going through regular medical channels. It could be worse, you know.”

Neil chuckled, then gave her a sad smile. “Always looking at the glass half full, Pollyanna,” he teased gently.

 

Neil & Blythe 3 (Medium)

“It beats wallowing in the mire, and I’ve got too much to accomplish to do that,” Blythe said. “Now, I’m going home, and so should you.”

“I will soon,” Neil lied. “Listen, Blythe. Tomorrow before you come in, can you put together some sources about earthquakes and also werewolves for me to read? I’d do it myself, but there’s going to be a lot of fallout with Mrs Landgraab’s case with the media and shit.”

“Yeah, sure,” Blythe said.

“You’re a gem, Blythe. Thanks.”

Once Neil was certain she was out of earshot, he blew out a long exhalation through pursed lips. Nothing could go wrong or his mother would pay the ultimate price. Neil knew “they” weren’t fooling. His hands shook as he prepared for the long night ahead of him.

 

Neil With Cauldron (Medium)

Taking the glass tube from the inside pocket of his jacket and emptied the contents into a large cauldron. Then, he waved his hand, gesturing purposefully over the cauldron and chanting in a guttural dark sounding language. Steam erupted from the cauldron as the contents bubbled to life. Soon, what looked like electric shock waves sizzled through a bright blue liquid. Once again, Neil gestured over the cauldron and chanted, and an ominous humming thrummed around him. The sound reminded Neil of a powerful transformer, and he shivered, knowing what this liquid was to become. “Ariadne, forgive me,” he whispered, rubbing his arms where goosebumps erupted.

 

It was the longest five hours of Neil’s life as he waited for the mixture in the cauldron to be completed. The blue liquid changed to a frothy white substance that expanded and contracted as though it were breathing. The substance grew and swirled around the cauldron, completely covering it from sight. “Emerge!” Neil commanded, drawing his hands apart and forming a circle with his fingers.

There was a bang followed by a series of blinding flashing lights that left afterimages of stars and fireworks on the backs of Neil’s eyelids. When Neil was finally able to open his eyes and see clearly, the cauldron was gone. In its place was a body that looked exactly like Lenora Landgraab.

 

Neil2BBending2BOver2BLenora

Neil quickly garbed “Lenora” in a hospital gown, picked her up, and lay her on a gurney. Looking her over, he noticed the very slow heartbeat and almost nonexistent respiration. This clone would never know awareness or consciousness because, as instructed, Neil equipped her with only a rudimentary brain stem, just enough to sustain basic life functions for a short while.

“At least you won’t suffer, poor thing,” Neil whispered, taking “Lenora’s” hand as she began to die. “I am truly sorry, my dear. Since you did live, you have a soul, and I hope there is a special place for you in the Hereafter. May you not be punished because of the acts I have done.” As “Lenora” took her final breath, Neil kissed her brow and gently folded her hands over her stomach. After covering her body with a blanket, Neil left his lab, did a cloaking spell to hide himself and the corpse from any security cameras that would spot him otherwise, and pushed the gurney toward the morgue.

 

Lenora 2 (Medium)

Upon arrival, Neil kept the cloaking spell activated to avoid needing to sign himself in. Luckily, nobody was in the cool storage area, but Neil didn’t believe in pressing his luck. He had to work fast and make sure everything was done before an undertaker came to claim Mrs. Landgraab’s body. Neil hurriedly found what he was looking for. Folding down the blanket to reveal Lenora’s face, Neil bit his lip as self-disgust rolled through him. “Forgive me, Lenora. I’m so sorry…so very, very sorry. I have no choice,” he whispered, gently laying his hand on her brow and smoothing down a lock of her hair. “I don’t know what they want with you, but at least you’re beyond knowing or feeling any pain.” Neil touched her hand then blinked in surprise at the warmth of it.

Neil cursed under his breath, wishing he had his stethoscope with him. Lowering his head to Lenora’s chest, he listened intently for a heartbeat and lung sounds. Hearing none, he straightened up and took out his penlight. Raising one of Lenora’s eyelids, he shined the light into her eye, then did the same to the other. Both eyes were glazed over, the pupils fixed. He closed her eyes again with a tender, respectful touch and curled his fingers under hers. “What has happened to you, Lenora? What in the blue fuck is going on here?”

 

Neil 6 (Medium)

Neil shook his head and mentally slapped himself back to attention. Rolling the blanket back over Lenora’s face, he unlocked the wheels of the bed she was lying on and rolled her to the side. Then, he put the bed with the clone in Lenora’s place, locked the wheels, and pushed the real Lenora toward the door. Thankfully, the morgue and Room 22 were in the basement, so he didn’t have far to take her. Neil made quick work of stashing Lenora in Room 22 as instructed, then hurried back to the lab, deactivating the cloaking spell once he was inside. It didn’t take him long to put everything back in order and erase all signs of his sinister doings. Before leaving for home, Neil picked up his phone, punched in a complicated code to hide all traces of the call, then entered the secured number his blackmailer gave him. “It is done,” he said the instant the line was picked up. He immediately disconnected the call, shivered, and locked up the lab.

 

A short time later, a figure clad as a lab assistant, complete with latex gloves, entered the basement of the hospital. With ninja-like footsteps, the figure entered Room 22 and exited pushing a gurney with a covered body on it. Under the cover of night, the figure exited the hospital through an unused door and pushed the gurney to a black car. Opening the back door, the figure easily slid the body from the bed and onto the backseat. Closing the door and pushing away the gurney, the figure ran to the driver’s side, slid behind the wheel, and drove away.

Author’s Notes: Thank you to PiazzaGirl for Blythe Wood. We will be seeing more of her in future updates.

Just a little heads up, I did not feature Robin and Alina here although they know of the family crisis. Instead, you’ll be seeing their reactions in my story Heartsongs and Enchantments since they are the main characters in that story. However, we’ll be seeing Robin’s twin sister, Lauren, who will be a supporting character appearing in both stories.

As always, thank you for reading, liking, commenting, subscribing, and lurking.

 

 

Forever in Time: Chapter 26, Divine Protection

Nise Dreamweaver
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11
Forever in Time: Chapter 26, Divine Protection

***Hankie Alert***

 

Neil

Neil had been one of the first to hear Tyrone’s mournful howls and surmised what must have happened. He would have gone into the room immediately to check Mrs. Landgraab to pronounce her death if it hadn’t been for the earthquake striking at the exact moment of her supposed death. Strange, Neil thought to himself as he treated people for minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises. At least on this floor, nobody was hurt badly. Neil found it creepily odd that there even was a quake in Aurora Skies, let alone having happened at the moment of someone’s death. What the hell was going on here?

Then, the second quake hit, and Neil was faced, once again, with safety and treating injuries. Both his blackmailer and Tyrone Landgraab was temporarily relegated to the back of Neil’s mind while he worked. Once things started to settle, however, the continuing howls of the now apparently widowed werewolf reminded Neil of the bleak situation he had to resolve. He’d been ordered not to save Lenora Landgraab by his sinister caller, but that had been a moot point. He’d been unable to find a cure for her illness and she’d died anyway. Sliding his fingers over his jacket, he felt the rube he’d hidden in the inside pocket. Neil had gotten the sample he needed to make the clone just before Tyrone had entered his wife’s room for the last time.

I have no choice but to do what they want, Neil said to himself. I can’t let my mother die. They mean business. Any idiot would understand that. A sense of self-loathing stole over Neil, but he knew beyond any doubt that he was hopelessly trapped.

“Someone, get in here! Lenora’s heart is beating…and she’s trying to breathe. Someone get in here now!”

Neil let out a startled grunt and jumped at the gravelly, guttural command. He barreled into the room, coming to a stop mere inches from the werewolf’s side. “Mr. Landgraab?”

“I think my wife is trying to come back. I heard her breath and felt a pulse. Her hands are warm. Save her! Please, save her.” Tyrone easily sprang to his feet, Lenora’s limp form cradles against his chest.

“Put her on the bed, and we’ll get her hooked up to the monitors,” Neil said. “Quickly!”

Tyrone’s instincts were to hold onto her, to protect her, but he understood he had to defer to Neil’s expertise. He still wished fervently for Cian’s arrival, but that apparently wasn’t happening. Neil was who they had, and he’d been nothing but kind and compassionate throughout this whole ordeal.

 

Lenora & Tyrone 1 (Medium)

With utmost tenderness, Tyrone lowered his Lenora to the bed and took her hand, squeezing it hard. He barely heard two nurses enter and Neil’s orders to them as he brought Lenora’s still warm fingers to his lips. “You can do this, Lenora! Come back to me, my love.” He rubbed her fingers briskly between his, desperately hoping and wishing for more signs of life.

Neil put a hand on Tyrone’s shoulder. “Let us do our work, Mr. Landgraab. We’ll do all we can, I assure you.”

“Can I hold her hand? She’ll sense I’m here, and that will make her want to fight,” Tyrone said in his wolfish voice.

“You need to step back and let us do our job,” Neil firmly replied.

With dread and great reluctance, Tyrone obeyed Neil’s instructions and waited, almost breathlessly, as his Lenora was hooked up to one monitor after another. As Neil studied the instruments, he waved his hand over Lenora and frowned. “No respiration or pulse.” He looked at the heart monitor, but it showed only a flat line. “Asystole.”

Tyrone visibly winced as Neil began pumping Lenora’s chest and epinephrine was administered through an IV. Tyrone paced the floor like a caged animal as a mask was lowered over Lenora’s face. There was nothing he could do to protect her in this instance, and it nearly drove him mad with helplessness and agitation.

Tyrone’s insides went cold as Neil and the others slowed their harried pace and then stopped. With a defeated, grim sigh, Neil said, “There’s nothing more we can do. I’m going to call it. Time of death, 7:35 PM. She’s gone, Mr. Landgraab. I’m so sorry.”

 

Lenora & Tyrone 3 (Medium)

Tyrone felt agonizing sorrow crash over him once again. “I felt a pulse. I heard her breath,” he sobbed brokenly as he came to his Lenora’s side. In utter despair, he lowered his head to Lenora’s chest, closed his eyes, and felt hot tears slide down his cheeks. He listened for several long moments, hoping against hope that the monitors were wrong and that he’d hear a heartbeat.

There was nothing. Lenora’s beautiful, loving heart was now completely silent under Tyrone’s ear.

 

Sometime later, Tyrone still hadn’t emerged from the room. Seeing that the rest of his family was unharmed, Deus changed into wolf form as discreetly as he could and went to find his son. He figured he’d be able to handle Tyrone better in wolf form in case his son tried something stupid while in the throes of despair.

 

Tyrone Caressing Lenora's Face 1 (Medium)

Deus’ heart shattered as he entered the room and saw Tyrone crouched over the lifeless body of his mate, caressing her face, and pleading with her to please come back to him. The abject devastation radiating from his son was enough to send the entire planet careening helplessly on a direct collision course with the sun. Deus swallowed hard, fighting to keep his own despair at bay. He would grieve later. Right now, his son desperately needed him.

Sensing another wolf approaching, a low warning growl escaped Tyrone. He shielded Lenora’s body with his own, sliding his arms around her in a protective manner.

“Stand down, son. It is just me,” Deus ground out in his own raspy, wolfish voice. When Tyrone didn’t move or acknowledge him, Deus reached for his son with his Wolf’s telepathy. //Tyrone, son, it is I, your sire. You must stand down and let me approach.//

This slowly got through to Tyrone, who slowly straightened up, looking like an arthritic old wolf. //She’s gone, Dad. I lost her.//

Deus crept forward, his demeanor calm and reassuring. “Let me see her,” he said aloud in raspy, soothing tones.

 

Deus, Tyrone, & Lenora (Medium)

“I thought she was coming back. I-I was certain I felt a pulse and heard her breath. Feel her hands. They are still warm. She doesn’t smell like death. Sh-she still smells like my Lenora.” Tyrone’s voice choked out Lenora’s name, his head bowing in sorrow.

Deus kissed his daughter-in-law’s brow and folded his hands over her much smaller ones. “You’re right. She’s warm.” It wasn’t often that Amadeus Mozart Landgraab was utterly puzzled, but this was one of those times. Frowning slightly, he rolled the blanket up over the foot of the bed to reveal Lenora’s feet. Running the pad of his thumbs over them and taking the time to finger each of Lenora’s toes, his frown deepened. “Lenora’s feet are warm, the tips of her toes, too. Peculiar.”

Covering Lenora’s feet, Deus padded back to Tyrone’s side. Leaning over Lenora, he breathed in deeply, then exhaled slowly. “There is no scent of death here, not even a little. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s in a deep, deep sleep brought about by some kind of magic. but…” He trailed off and, just as Tyrone had done, placed his cheek near Lenora’s mouth, then put his ear to her unmoving chest. “There is no breath or heartbeat and yet–” Once again, he didn’t finish his thought.

“I know,” Tyrone croaked. “I thought I heard and felt it a while ago, but it was only my wishful thinking. She’s gone, and nothing I or any of us can do will bring her back.” His shoulders heaved as a sob wracked him.

Deus put one of his massive paws on his son’s shaking shoulder. “Son, I know this is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to face, and there are going to be dark times ahead. But you’re going to have to come away and go take care of the children. That’s what Lenora would want. They need you, son.”

 

Deus & Tyrone 1 (Medium)

“The…ceremony. I must perform the ceremony…for my Lenora.”

“I can do it if you need me to,” Deus replied.

“No. I must be the one. Will you…will you stand in with me and then ask Theresa to…to do the Witch Ceremony to…to bless Lenora?”

“Yes, of course.”

 

Although Lenora was not a Wolf, she was entitled to the Wolf’s Ceremonial Rites of Death because of her status as True Mate of an Alpha Wolf. Being a witch and an accomplished sorceress, she was also entitled to the Last Blessing of the Magi, which was to be performed by a witch or wizard. As Lenora’s mate, it was up to Tyrone to perform the Wolf’s Ceremony for Lenora and name another wolf to stand in and assist. In life, Lenora was entitled to invoke both Ariadne and the Great Alpha Pair for protection, which was highly powerful. In death, she was entitled to both last blessings, which would surely help in guiding her soul safely to the Elysian Fields.

The first part of the Wolf Ceremony would be conducted at the place of Lenora’s death with the second part being performed at the actual graveside. Deus filled a plastic hospital basin with hot, soapy, water, both he and Tyrone cleansing their hands. Tyrone took out his pocket knife, using the water to cleanse it of possible impurities. Once done, Deus took the knife and sliced a gash over the palm of Tyrone’s wolfish hand. Blood welled up and over the sides of the cut. Tyrone pulled the edges open even more so the blood would flow more freely. Once accomplished, he sprinkled a circle of blood around Lenora’s bed. “I call upon the spirits of Drogo, the Great Alpha Wolf and Phaedra, the Benevolent Alpha Wolf to guide the spirit of my beloved mate, Lenora, to the Hereafter. I beseech your sacred presence in this my darkest hour. I ask your just and merciful spirits to appear before us now. I commend to your keeping the spirit of Lenora Margaret Catherine Landgraab, my beloved mate, and ask that your protection be with her. I, Tyrone Amadeus Mozart Landgraab, humbly beseech your kindness and compassion to guide the soul of my beloved mate, Lenora, to her next life so she may partake of the rewards she has earned by living a true, good, and faithful life.”

Deus took the knife and made a small slash on his own palm. With a forefinger, he traced the pattern of a shield over Lenora’s palm. “The shield is a symbol of protection. I bless you, Lenora, with this shield, drawn of my own blood, so you may deflect the powers of evil spirits as your unmarred, good spirit travels to the next world. May your journey be unhindered and your steps light. In the name of the Great Alpha Wolf and his mate, the Benevolent Alpha Wolf, I commend your spirit unto the next life.”

Deus then squeezed Tyrone’s cut to produce more blood. With Tyrone’s blood, he traced the pattern of a sword to overlay the shield over Lenora’s palm. “The sword is a sign of bravery, truth, and knowledge,” Tyrone intoned. “I, Tyrone Amadeus Mozart Landgraab, bless you, Lenora Margaret Catherine, my beloved True Mate, with the sword drawn of my own blood. May it light the way for your journey so you may remain affixed upon the true and correct path. May it bring you courage to battle evil ones you may encounter. May it give you discernment of truth. I hereby commend your loving spirit unto the Great Alpha Wolf and his mate, the Benevolent Alpha Wolf that they may protect and keep you until we meet again in the next life.”

Although the words were foreign to the human ear, for they sounded like howls and other wolflike noises, it was a developed language; the Language of the Werewolf. Along with the vocalizations, Tyrone and Deus performed intricate gestures over Lenora’s body. It was a beautiful, fluid sight to see and one that was truly captivating.

From his bag, Tyrone took a vial of blessed water and began to sprinkle it over both Lenora and an extra blanket that Deus found. “With the sprinkling of this blessed water and the authority vested in me as Alpha Wolf, I sanctify the soul of my true mate, Lenora Landgraab and this shroud so she may pass unto the next life in purity. May she be forever blessed and cherished by the Great Alpha Wolf and his mate, the Benevolent Alpha Wolf. Once again, I humbly beseech your protection and grace, O Great Wolves, to forever hold my true mate, Lenora, unto your safe keeping.”

Deus and Tyrone lovingly and reverently wrapped the blanket around Lenora, then sprinkled more blessed water over the top. “Take care of my Lenora and keep her safe,” Tyrone said informally, voicing his heartfelt request in simple words. “Please remind her of my love. She is noble of heart and brave of spirit. I ask this from the very depths of my being.”

 

Theresa & Lenora (Medium)

When it was over, Theresa performed the Last Blessing of the Magi Ceremony. Waving her hand in flowing, intricate movements and chanting in an ancient language, Theresa invoked Goddess Ariadne’s protection over her beloved sister, Lenora. Because Mathilda was Lenora’s mother figure and friend as well as a goddess herself, Theresa also asked for Mathilda’s protection and guidance. A white light surrounded Lenora’s body as the sound of a mystical ethereal choir greeted their ears. For a brief moment, Tyrone could have sworn he saw the figures of Ariadne and his great-grandparents, who were also the Alpha Wolf Pair, standing next to where Lenora lay. Tyrone saw all three join hands and when they did, the white light grew so bright that it engulfed the room. It was so bright that there was no choice but to look away. An instant later, the bright light and mystical choir vanished, leaving the room as it had been before.

 

Theresa Hugging Tyrone (Medium)

Theresa slid her arms around her brother and pressed her cheek to his shoulder. “Come on, brother. Landon and Crystal want to say their goodbyes. Let’s get you changed back into human form and get you out of here.”

“She’s right, son. There’s nothing more you can do for Lenora now,” Deus said gently.

In a daze and with a great deal of effort, Tyrone changed back into human form and bent over Lenora for the last time to kiss her. “I’ll love you forever, my Lenora. Nobody can ever take away what we had…what we meant to each other. You will always be a part of me.” He tucked the blanket more snugly around his Lenora. Then, with a choked sob, he allowed his father and sister to lead him from the room and into an unforgiving world, a world without his Lenora in it.

 

Author’s Notes: First off, I’m sorry if the pacing of what’s going on seems slow. There was a lot I wanted to cover but wanted to break it up into shorter chapters rather than have one or two gargantuan ones. I figured it would make for easier reading that way. Things will be moving right along in a jiffy, so hang in here with me. Also, keep the hankies at the ready because there are still some really sad chapters ahead.

I also want to apologize for lack of screenshots depicting the ceremonies. I couldn’t think of a way to do it without major Photoshop work which, I’m sorry to say, goes beyond my skill level. I hope the descriptions were enough to give at least a fairly good idea of them. They needed to be included because they will be a huge factor in upcoming chapters.

Get ready for a bit of a wild ride as this mystery unfolds. Will Neil go through with making a clone of Lenora? And where are Cian, Mathilda, and Liam? Does Valerie know more than even she realizes or is letting on? You’ll just have to keep reading to find out.

Forever in Time: Chapter 25, Grief Beyond Measure

Nise Dreamweaver
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13
Forever in Time: Chapter 25, Grief Beyond Measure

***Hankie Alert***

 

Tyrone Cradling Lenora's body (Medium)

Tyrone was in a world of excruciating pain. His other half, his soulmate, his beloved Lenora was gone. She had entered his life with such gentleness and sadness. Her grief had become his own after he’d Imprinted on her. It was an unexpected event, for Tyrone hadn’t looked for it to happen at the time it did, perhaps ever. However, when it did, his life had changed forever.

 

Tyrone Hugging Lenora (Medium)

The first time he held her, he fully took in her familiar scent. She smelled of lilacs and something else that was uniquely Lenora. The scent of her and the feel of her hair against his face was like the breath of Heaven. Her body was soft and warm, her embrace friendly and appreciative. She was so sad that night, having been the anniversary of Linc and Landon’s death. He comforted her, drying her tears himself with his hankie. Even then, she seemed to understand that he’d always protect and take care of her.

 

Tyrone Holding Lenora 3 (Medium)

When she entrusted her heart to his keeping, her embraces became gentle, yet passionate. She always came into his arms so readily, her body melting against him in utter surrender. Her beautiful golden hair cascaded silkily over his arms and hands. He loved breathing in the sweet, floral scent of it, closing his eyes and picturing the two of them stuck in that moment in time forever.

 

tyrone-kissing-lenora-1-medium

His Lenora breathed new life into Tyrone each time she kissed him. She kissed him with a fiery passion that stirred his blood every time. There were so many times when Tyrone felt as though Lenora’s kisses and love were the only things he needed to sustain him.

Lenora’s gentle heart was the thing that tamed the Wolf. Her compassion knew no bounds, and Tyrone admired her strength. His beautiful Lenora had weathered the darkest of storms and overcame such brutal tragedy. Her courage and strength was a true testament, and Tyrone was fascinated that she possessed a serenity that most people could never understand.

 

50a17-lenora2bsmiling2bat2btyrone

Tyrone loved everything about his Lenora, but her voice was one of the things he loved most. There was magic in her soft, lilting Irish tones. He could listen to her speak all day. To just listen to her was like being in the presence of a queen.

Tyrone adored Lenora’s speaking voice, but nothing could compare to her exquisite singing. She always looked so peaceful when she sang, and he felt as though he were stepping into another world listening to her. She was gifted both musically and with the weaving of stories. Had she been born in Medieval times, she would have put any bard to shame.

 

lenora-tyrone-3-medium

Loving Lenora made Tyrone’s life complete. Every time he held, kissed, or made love to her, she gave herself to him fully. He loved the soft little sighs she uttered when he expressed his love to her. When their lips joined in passionate kisses, her knees would give way, causing Tyrone’s arms to tighten around her. Lenora’s weight was completely supported by him, and she would always look at him with such love and trust that his heart would tremble with unbridled emotion. His Lenora never held anything back, and he returned her love and devotion without question.

As Tyrone held the lifeless body of his beloved in his arms, tidal waves of desolation crashed over him, taking bits of him as they receded. Each tidal wave was more intense than the previous one. As more pieces of his soul was carried away on the tide of despair, he howled his torment to the heavens where the deities seemed to have turned their faces from his everlasting sorrow.

 

Wolf Tyrone Holding Lenora 2 (Medium)

Tyrone felt the Wolf rise up in him and was unable to keep him at bay. As Lenora’s form lay cradled in his arms, his fingernails began to elongate into lethal paws. Hair sprouted over his body, and he felt the hunger for vengeance. He pulled Lenora closer as the Wolf emerged, protecting her even in death.

In his wolf form, Tyrone’s howls escalated to a pitch and intensity that would chill the blood of even Hercules. Tyrone was crying his grief to the Great Alpha Wolf who oversaw all of wolfkind. Although the sounds themselves were unintelligible to the human understanding, werewolves would be able to understand every syllable. “I am forsaken! My true mate is taken from me, and I am riddled with perpetual agony. How will I endure without my Lenora? I am forsaken!” Although no human could understand the words inside the sounds, there was no mistaking the tortured desolation laced in each utterance.

Tyrone lost all sense of time as he keened his grief. He went on like this until his throat was on fire. His chest ached from a broken heart, and his soul cried out for vengeance. Although he rocked her still warm body in his arms, there was no sense of his Lenora within him. She had left him and had gone to a place he couldn’t reach. He was bereft, his soul in tatters. More howls filled the room and beyond…and with them came another earthquake. Tyrone had been oblivious to the first, and this one was no different. The sounds of shattering objects, toppling books and furniture, and screaming couldn’t penetrate the shroud of grief and despair that surrounded Tyrone.

 

Deus & daughters 1 (Medium)

With his keen wolfish senses, Deus sensed the initial quake even before it began. Without a word, he grabbed his two daughters and shepherded them to the desk in the waiting room. “Get under!” he barked at them. “Landon! Crystal! Find a doorway or get under a table. Quickly now!”

“Something’s…going to happen,” Valerie said, her eyes wide with growing fear. Being a wolf, she, too, sensed the coming quake.

“I don’t understand,” Theresa said in confusion as the three crawled under the desk.

Before anyone could answer, Tyrone’s first cries of grief came along with the desolate cry of Lenora’s name. All at once, Theresa felt Tyrone’s sorrow and uttered a high-pitched squeak. “Oh my god! Oh, Ariadne, no! It cannot be.” Closing her eyes, she inched forward with her magic, feeling for Lenora’s moment of death. She felt no such thing, however. There was no sense of passage and no dimming of a light, as Theresa sometimes referred to the process of sensing a death. Theresa’s magic clearly stated that Lenora was still on this plane, but the god-awful sounds Tyrone was making stated just the opposite. What the hell was going on around here?

There was no time to ponder this, for that was when the ground began to shake. “Ariadne, help us!” Theresa cried out reflexively. She grabbed for her sister, the two women locking their arms tightly around each other and crying. Deus wrapped his strong arms around them and held on tight. “Shhh, my darlings. Just hold tight to me, and don’t panic.” It was very rare that Aurora Skies experienced earthquakes, and this one seemed to have come out of nowhere. //Erica, get the kids under a table or desk as quick as you can.// His telepathic message desperately reached out to his wife.

//Tyrone!// Theresa sent out her own telepathic message. //Tyrone, answer me. Please, brother, answer me.//

The only answer was the crushing sorrow that poured into her from her twin. She gasped, clutched her head, and was unable to keep from crying out as Tyrone’s pain engulfed her. She held tighter to her father and sister, closing her eyes and wishing desperately for all this to go away. Black lines swam across Theresa’s vision at the intensity of Tyrone’s grief. “I think I’m going to faint,” Theresa whispered. “I can’t stand to feel his pain, yet I can’t avoid it. It’s…crushing me.” with that, she went limp in Deus’ hold.

“Theresa!” Valerie screamed, shaking her unconscious sister’s arm. “Theresa, wake up!” Valerie felt her wolf attempting to get free, but something stopped her. For some reason, Valerie was unable to transform. Why couldn’t she transform?

“The gods are angry with us,” Valerie sobbed, taking the limp form of her sister in her arms and rocking her. Although Valerie knew she was a terrible person and an even worse sister and daughter, she still loved her family and was distressed to see Theresa this way.

 

Landon Holding Crystal 1 (Medium)

Landon and Crystal were huddled in a door frame with Landon’s arms wrapped snugly around a weeping Crystal. “Can this day get any worse?” Landon whispered half aloud and half to himself. In answer, Tyrone’s sorrowful howls escalated, and the ground seemed to shake even more.

At long last, the first earthquake died down. By then, awareness was returning to Theresa, who blinked dazedly. “Geez! Look who turned into a shrinking violet,” she said in self-disgust. “I haven’t fainted since I was sixteen and got dehydrated from the flu.”

“Oh, my god, Theresa! I was so worried,” Valerie sobbed out. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, just a little embarrassed is all.”

Deus kissed his daughter’s cheek and hugged her close. “There’s no need for that. Anyone would have fainted in your shoes. I-I wouldn’t try to reach your brother telepathically though for a while.”

As if on cue, Tyrone’s howls sounded once again.

“Oh, Phaedra, no! Not Lenora!” Valerie exclaimed. “I loved her so much.” Valerie’s shoulders shook with renewed sobs.

“We all did, and she wanted me to tell you how much she loved you,” Deus said, kissing his younger daughter’s cheek. “We’re going to have to take care of each other and look after Tyrone especially.”

A tear rolled down Theresa’s cheek as Deus helped her and Valerie from under the desk. Tyrone’s despair was palpable, and Theresa could feel it without even trying. Still, the direction of her magic hadn’t shifted. Goosebumps arose on Theresa’s arms, and she shivered. Something eerie was definitely going on, and it frightened Theresa more than she wanted to admit.

“The kids! We have to find out about the kids,” a shaken Crystal said, tears still rolling down her cheeks. A sob tore from her throat when she saw there was no cell signal on her phone.

 

Deus Hugging Crystal 1 (Medium)

“I’ll find out,” Deus said, stepping over fallen objects to get to Crystal and hug her.

Crystal held tightly to the capable wolf as he reached telepathically for his wife. He was silent a few moments before patting Crystal’s back and letting out a huge sigh. “Everyone’s all right. Erica got everyone under the piano, and everyone’s okay.”

“Thank goodness!” Landon said, he and Crystal breathing out a collective sigh of relief. “They must be so scared.”

“I want to go home…and I want to be able to take Lenora with us,” Crystal whispered.

Landon nodded sadly and kissed Crystal’s cheek, tears welling. “Me too, Thumbelina. Me, too.” But Landon knew that wasn’t going to happen. As Tyrone’s chilling howls reached their ears. Landon’s complexion lost all color, his shoulders starting to shake. For Tyrone to howl like that, it could mean only one thing. A sob clawed it’s way up and out of him as tears flooded his eyes and spilled over. “Ma! Oh, Ma!”

Crystal emitted a mewling sound as she reached for him. Landon sank to his knees and covered his face with his hands. Grabbing onto him, she went to the floor with him and held him as her own grief joined his. Huddled together, the two of them looked like lost children from a refugee camp.

“Tyrone…I need to go to him,” Theresa whispered, then shivered at still another onslaught of cries and howls from her devastated twin.

But the second quake began, and the chaos rained down anew.

 

Wolf Tyrone Holding Lenora 1 (Medium)

Eventually, the quaking subsided, along with Tyrone’s fearsome howls, which quieted down to soft, mournful whimpers. His mate was gone. He felt her absence in every pore of his being. It felt as though bricks were tumbling down over his body, battering it mercilessly. Losing her was painful in every sense of the word. Tyrone’s heart was broken, his soul was bereft, and his body felt as though he’d run through a field of landmines.

Great tears cascaded down the stricken wolf’s face. Tyrone’s fingers lovingly caressed the golden strands of his beloved’s hair. The silky strands glided through his fingers and lay softly against his pawlike hands. He gazed into her face in a haze of pain. He brushed Lenora’s cheek with the touch of an angel and traced her slightly parted lips with the pad of his forefinger. “Lenora!” His wolf’s gravelly voice choked on a sob as he formed her name, which was the first understandable word he spoke since she left him. “You look so peaceful, like you’re just asleep.” Tyrone’s broken heart wished with everything it still carried that she was only asleep and that she’d wake up any minute and smile at him again. As he cradled her, he realized she would never smile at him again. He would never hear her call him “Wolfman” ever again. She’d never be able to hold his hand or touch his face. Her beautiful voice was gone from him, and she’d never be able to tell him she loved him anymore. As he lowered his lips to kiss her one final time, he realized she’d never again return his kisses. Lenora’s arms would never hold him, nor would she be able to caress and hold her children and grandchildren or tuck them into bed. Lenora was never coming home again.

This brought on a fresh barrage of grief, and Tyrone let out a low, keening lament. How was he going to tell his children and grandchildren that Lenora was gone? How could he even face going forth from this room without his beautiful goddess? He pulled Lenora closer, rocking back and forth with her in his arms. Burying his face in her hair, he took in a long inhalation through his wolfish snout. “You still smell like my Lenora. The smell of death isn’t on you. You smell as you do when you’re deeply asleep. Lenora! Oh…my Lenora!” He breathed her in again, feeling something stir within the cloud of grief. She didn’t smell of death, and that puzzled him. Tyrone’s senses were very acute in human form but even more so as the Wolf. The instant someone passed from this life and sometimes even before, the scent of death ascended as if to help usher the soul to the afterlife. It was odd to Tyrone that the presence of death through his olfactory senses was absent. He reached for one of Lenora’s limp hands and held it to his cheek. It hadn’t yet begun to cool, and that, too, seemed odd. Tyrone had been sitting there with Lenora for a long time and knew that a person’s hands and feet were the first to grow cold after death. It normally happened fairly quickly, but Lenora’s hands still felt as warm as they had in life.

Tyrone bowed his head to place his ear close to Lenora’s lips and immediately snapped up straight. “I thought I heard…Lenora?” Tyrone could have sworn he heard a very soft whisper of air pass her lips. His fingers went to Lenora’s throat in search of a pulse. At first, he felt nothing. But then, he gasped as he felt a couple of light flutters. Lowering his ear to Lenora’s mouth again, he was certain he felt and heard another soft whisper of air pass her lips and land warmly against his cheek.

“Oh, Lenora! Are you trying to come back to me? Oh, Great Drogo, please make it so, I beg of you. Someone, get in here! Lenora’s heart is beating…and she’s trying to breathe. Someone get in here now!” The words sounded like guttural growls in Tyrone’s wolfish throat but were unmistakably understandable.

Tyrone placed little kisses over Lenora’s face and held her tight. “I’m here, Lenora. Oh, sweetheart, I’m here. Please come back to me. I love you so much, my Lenora. Open those beautiful eyes and come back to me.”

Forever in Time: Chapter 24, Ripped Away

Nise Dreamweaver
-
10
Forever in Time: Chapter 24, Ripped Away

***Hankie Alert***

 

Deus & Lenora 3 (Medium)

“Will…will…ye send…Tyrone to me? I…need…to…be with him…one…last…time.”

The weight in Deus’ heart grew heavier at hearing Lenora’s request. “I’ll get him, sweetheart.” As he bent over her to kiss her brow, Deus was brought up short by an odor on Lenora’s shallow breath. He thought he’d detected it earlier, but now, there was no mistaking it. It smelled something like almonds but not quite. Deus’ memory flashed. His mind tried to grab onto something that slipped away as quickly as it tried to come.

Deus straightened up and went to the door, rubbing his chin in contemplation. Where the hell had he smelled that odor before? Deus had a feeling in his wolfish sixth sense that this odor was a key to what was ailing Lenora.

A wolf’s senses were so acute that he or she could detect the slightest change in a person’s physical being, especially if the person was someone they were bonded to. A wolf could sense, for example, when a person, especially his mate, was deeply asleep or about to awaken. A wolf could sense an illness even before the person began to feel sick. A wolf could smell and sense death before the moment of occurrence. The end is near. Oh, merciful heaven, help us all to endure. Deus closed his eyes as the thoughts came accompanied by a tidal wave of grief.

As Deus entered the waiting room, he saw that Valerie had arrived. “Oh, Daddy! How is she?” Valerie sobbed as she rushed into Deus’ arms.

“Not good, sweetheart,” Deus said, hugging her tight. Over Valerie’s shoulder, Deus locked gazes with Tyrone. “She’s asking for you, son.”

 

Theresa Hugging Tyrone 1 (Medium)

At hearing the somber finality in his sire’s voice, Tyrone went chalk-white and swayed alarmingly. Seeing and sensing her twin’s distress, Theresa wrapped her arms around him and held on as tightly as she could. //Tyrone, sweetie, you must be brave. Lenora needs you to be strong. You’ve got to be braver than you’ve ever been before and show that to Lenora.//

Theresa repeated these words telepathically to Tyrone until they sank in. When he felt stronger, he released his sister and took a step back. Theresa’s hands came up to cup her brother’s face. “Go!” she whispered.

As Tyrone hurried off, Deus slid an arm around her waist. “Theresa, love, I need to talk to you.”

Theresa glanced over at Crystal and Landon, who were talking to Valerie in hushed tones. “Sure, Daddy.”

Deus led his daughter to a quiet corner, pulling her close to his side to whisper quietly to her. “I shared my suspicions with your mother and now, I’m sharing them with you. There’s something fishy going on here.”

 

Deus & Theresa 1 (Medium)

“I know, Daddy. It’s odd that Cian and Mathilda can’t be reached, and Lenora got so sick so fast. I asked Mom if she could do something for Lenora, but…” Theresa trailed off, shaking her head helplessly.

“i’m afraid what Lenora has goes beyond the scope of your mother’s knowledge of healing, at least for now.” Deus hugged his daughter and kissed the top of her head. “We’re going to have to prepare ourselves for the worst, sweetheart. Lenora is…Lenora’s out of time.”

“So it would appear…but…”

 

Deus & Theresa 3 (Medium)

“But what, sweetheart?” Deus asked. “Wouldn’t your magic sense that she’s about to…to die?”

“Yes, it would, and it’s never failed me. But Daddy, it’s telling me just the opposite this time. I know what I see before us, but my magic is giving me totally opposite signals.”

Deus studied his daughter’s troubled face. “Theresa, this is very important. Can you try to explain to me what you’re feeling?”

 

Deus & Theresa 8 (Medium)

Theresa bit her lip in concentration as she gathered her thoughts. “As you know, everyone has a life force and a preordained time to live. Fairies would see a person’s life force as part of an aura. As you also know, I’m gifted with the ability to tell how long a person has to live and can sense when death is eminent. Then, there are a few people such as you, Mom, Grandda Liam, Mathilda, Cian, and myself whose timelines go to infinity. The thing is, Daddy, that I also see this for Lenora and Tyrone. No, they haven’t been given the Elixir of Everlasting Life as we all were, but my magic tells me that the Elixir is their preordained path. Either my magic is being cloaked so I can’t see Lenora’s death for some reason or something is very, very wrong here…or both.”

Deus blew out a long, agitated breath. “Nothing is adding up here. The deeper I dig, the more questions I have.”

“I wish I could help more. Oh, Daddy, I feel so helpless! if Lenora dies, Tyrone wont survive it, which means my magic would be way off here.” A tear rolled down Theresa’s cheek, a sob shaking her shoulders.

 

Deus & Theresa Hugging (Medium)

Deus hugged her tight and stroked her hair. “He’ll survive it, darling. I made a promise to Lenora that I’d see to it.”

“Oh, Daddy! What are we going to do?” Theresa sobbed against her father’s chest while he rubbed her back, continued to stroke her hair, and murmured soft words of comfort.

“I don’t know, sweetheart, but we’ll have to find a way to endure.” Deus kissed Theresa’s forehead and just let her cry. When she was a little calmer, he spoke again. “Can you try to dig deeper with your magic and see what you feel? We need to keep fighting for as long as we can.”

Theresa lifted her head and looked at her father with watery red-rimmed eyes. “Yes, of course, Daddy. I’ll try anything.”

 

Dashing to Lenora’s side, a grief-stricken Tyrone felt as though he were trudging through a vat of peanut butter. His Lenora was slipping away; he could feel it. The harder he tried to hold onto her the more futile his efforts became.

 

Neil Checking Lenora (Medium)

Entering the room, he caught sight of Dr. Hughes bending over her. “I need to be alone with her.” Tyrone’s voice was clogged with the tears he was trying to hold back.

Neil jumped, then straightened. “Sorry. I didn’t hear you come in.” He cleared his throat and eyed Tyrone soberly. “She’s waiting for you,” he whispered, touching Tyrone lightly on the arm in a compassionate gesture.

“Thank you…for everything you did for her…tried to do for her.” Tyrone choked on the last few words.

Neil inclined his head, sighing. “I’ll be just outside at the desk if you need me.”

 

Tyrone Leaning Over Lenora (Medium)

The instant Neil was gone, Tyrone was beside his Lenora, his large fingers curled around her delicate ones. “My Lenora…” He kissed Lenora’s brow and smoothed her hair with his free hand. “I’m here, my Goddess. I’m right here beside you.” He leaned over her, tenderly touching his lips to hers.

Lenora’s hand twitched ever so slightly in Tyrone’s as her eyes fluttered open. “I’m…so glad…you’re here.”

“Oh, me too, Lenora. Me, too.” As valiantly as he tried to stem the flow of tears, they came regardless. Resting his head on the bed beside her, he sobbed her name. “Oh, Lenora! Please…please don’t leave me!”

 

Lenora Stroking Tyrone's Hair (Medium)

Lenora moved her hand to momentarily rest it atop her beloved wolf’s head before stroking her fingers through the thick gold of his hair. “Shhhh. Don’t cry. Oh, my love…don’t…cry.”

“I can’t do this without you,” he whispered.

“Ye must…love,” she answered in as strong and firm a voice as she could produce. “Ye…must listen…to me. There…is so much to say…and not…much time.” When he started to protest, she squeezed his hand. “Look at me.”

 

Lenora & Tyrone 2 (Medium)

Tyrone raised his head, swiping the back of the hand not holding Lenora’s across his wet cheeks. When his eyes met hers, she continued. “Ye…must promise me…that you’ll…go on. The wee ones…need their Da…and the world…needs ye…to help save it. The…mission…”

“Hang the world and the mission! None of it matters without you,” Tyrone burst out.

“No…” Lenora insisted on a long whisper. “The…world…mustn’t stop…simply because…one person ceases…to be. There…is more…at stake…than just us.”

Tyrone wanted nothing more than to gather his Lenora close and bellow at the gods to take him instead of her. He would gladly lay down his life a thousand times over if it meant seeing his Lenora well and strong again.  Instead, he just said, “Please don’t ask this of me, Lenora. I…can’t.”

 

Lenora & Tyrone 5 (Medium)

“Wolfman…ye must! Innocent…lives depend…on ye…innocent…lives…that have…a purpose…that must be…fulfilled. Ye…must find it…within ye…to survive. The world…depends on…ye…and the wee ones…when they…are older. Ye…must teach them.”

“And what of your life, Lenora? Don’t you know I’d trade a million of those faceless innocents for your life?”

“No,” she whispered. “Listen…to me. No one…except a…small handful…of people…is guaranteed…a tomorrow. When…it’s our time…to go…it’s…our time. Don’t…ye harden…that beautiful heart. Ye…have so much love…yet to give…and so much…good to do. I…want ye…to remember me…how I was…and not how…I am now. Always know…how much…I love ye…how much…I will always love ye. I…loved…every minute…of being your wife…and soulmate. We had…more love and understanding…in one day…than most people…have in…a lifetime. Ye…will always be my heart…and my soul. Ye gave me a reason…to hope. Ye became…my reason…for living. I want ye to know…just how cherished…and loved ye…always made me feel. Ye kept me safe…when no one or…nothing else could.”

“Oh, my Lenora!” He lowered his head to brush her lips in a feathery kiss.

“Promise me…you’ll…do as I asked,” she whispered faintly.

“I…I will.”

“It’s…unbreakable…ye know. It’s…part of…what we are.”

“I know, sweetheart.” His heart broke as he spoke the words. Although a wolf often cannot survive the death of his or her mate, the promise Lenora extracted from Tyrone would hold him to the physical realm because it was what she needed. “I will always be what you need,” Tyrone choked out, feeling knives of pain slash through his being.

 

Lenora Resting 1 (Medium)

Lenora breathed out a gentle sigh and closed her eyes. Tyrone felt panic arise within him as he felt her slip further away. He touched her cheek, running his thumb lightly over the soft skin. “Lenora? Sweetheart?” Tyrone’s eyes flooded with tears as he called to her.

Lenora opened her eyes and took in a labored breath. “It’s…getting…harder to…breathe now.”

“What can I do, my Goddess? Tell me what I can do.”

Lenora inhaled on a sharp gasp. “I…I want ye…to pick…me up. I…want ye…to make me…stand up with ye.”

“Stand up?” Tyrone asked.

“Yes.” Another gasp. “Put…your arms…around me. Hold me…hold me.”

 

Tyrne Holding Lenora 1 (Medium)

Tyrone reached for his beloved Lenora and enfolded her in his arms with utmost tenderness. He easily supported her weight and held her snugly against him. “I will love you…forever, my Lenora. I’ll love you always.” He rained gentle kisses on her lips and over her face, then returned to her lips. “You are my forever love.”

 

Tyrone Holding Lenora 4 (Medium)

“I..love…ye, Wolfman.” Lenora lay her cheek against Tyrone’s chest, the steady beating of his loving heart sounding in her ear. “Tyrone…my love…my big…brave wolf.”

 

tyrone Holding Lenora Dying (Medium)

Tyrone’s body gave a shudder as jagged shards of pain seared through him. I’m losing her. I’m watching her die. Oh, great Drogo, I’m watching and feeling her die! Great Grandfather, if you are there, make it stop. Please…for the love of all things sacred…make it stop! 

 

Lenora Dies (Medium)

Lenora moved her hands feebly over Tyrone’s sweater and inhaled on another gasp. “Goodbye…sweetheart.” Another gasp of air, then momentary silence. Lenora breathed out a whisper-soft sigh…then simply didn’t breathe again.

 

Tyrone Cradling Lenora's body (Medium)

With the ebbing of Lenora’s final breath, unspeakable, unbearable agony ripped through Tyrone. It burned inside him as though he’d been barraged by thousands of silver bullets. A red hot inferno of pain erupted in a Vesuvius-like cloud of anguish. “LENOOORAAA!!!” Tyrone sank to the floor, the now stopped body of his beloved soulmate clutched in his arms. He rocked her back and forth as howl after howl of unquenchable grief tore him asunder.

As Tyrone gave voice to his unbearable sorrow, he was totally oblivious to the fact that everything around him began to shake.  IV trays clattered to the floor, small objects hit the ground and shattered, and people ran down the corridor screaming hysterically. So lost in grief was Tyrone that he took no notice of any of it.

Author’s Note: I’m sure there will be quite a few tears, which I can include myself in that. It broke my heart to write this. Things may seem hopeless right now, but there are a lot of clues that should lead us to believe that things aren’t what they appear to be. A wolf’s senses as well as Theresa’s magic (please read my Cast of Characters page to get acquainted with the characters and what powers/gifts each possesses) are big clues which will also be spoken of in future updates. Will they put it all together and find out what they need to know? If Deus has any say on it, they’ll find out very quickly. And why did the very ground begin to shake at the moment of Lenora’s apparent death? Please stay tuned for further developments in this sinister mystery, as much will be revealed over the next few chapters.

The majority of the poses I used for this chapter came from two sources. The first is from Poses by Bee. Her poses are amazing, and I’d highly recommend them. The second source is from You Name It, I’ll Pose It by Blamsart, who made some poses for me by personal request. Again, some awesome poses here that I’d definitely recommend checking out. I’m in awe at the amazing talent of these wonderful creators. Without people such as Bee and Blams, my stories wouldn’t be able to come to life as they do.

Poses used are from this set by Bee and this set by Blams.

As always, thanks for reading, subscribing, commenting, liking, and lurking.

A Life to Live: The Imprinting

Nise Dreamweaver
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32
A Life to Live: The Imprinting

This is my July 2019 entry for the Monthly Short Story Challenge hosted by LisaBee. This month’s theme is “It’s Magic!” We are allowed a word count of 800 with 5-10 screenshots.

My Word Count – 795
My number of screenshots – 6

You are more than welcome to join in the fun. New participants are always welcomed. You can also participate by supporting me and my fellow SimLit writers by visiting the forum thread (link included above) and reading all the stories in both the Veteran and Novice categories. At the end of the month, instructions will be provided so you can vote for your top three favorite stories in both categories. To participate, you MUST read ALL the stories in BOTH categories and then cast your vote in BOTH categories (a total of six votes).

As always, thank you for your support.

Author’s Note: This is a supplemental story to Forever in Time. I’m including it in my series of short stories called A Life to Live, which is a series of side stories for Forever in Time that don’t make it into the story proper. This takes place prior to Lenora’s Bachelorette Challenge, which can be found here on this blog. I would also suggest reading my Supernatural Lore section, especially my Werewolf Lore. That post will tell you a bit how Werewolves operate in my world.

As you can probably guess, this story is told in the POV of Tyrone, who later goes on to win Lenora’s Challenge and her heart.

I hope you enjoy.

July 2019 Veteran Participant Banner (Medium)

 

Tyrone 1 (Medium)

Magic isn’t necessarily the first word that comes to mind in terms of werewolves. I normally considered myself a regular Joe except for this furry little sidekick who comes out to play during the full moon. Life consisted of eating, sleeping, slaving over my studies, and hanging with friends and family when there was time. Boring, I know, but when you’re doing a double major in music and psychology,  time for extras is a precious commodity.

I’m no Remus Lupin since I’m a werewolf without the ability to cast magic. I never gave it or Imprinting, which carries its own kind of magic, much thought as my uneventful life rolled along. The Earth turned on its axis, and I existed. When the day came that changed my life forever, I learned that magic has a way of surfacing when you least expected it.

I was home for a long weekend when she became my center of gravity. Her name was Lenora, and she was a good friend of my parents. Mom invited her for a visit and dinner on a Friday night that will forever be etched upon my soul.

“Tyrone, dear! There you are,” Mom said cheerily, arranging a bottle of wine in an ice bucket. “I want you to meet Lenora Atherton. Lenora, this is our son, Tyrone.”

 

Tyrone Sees Lenora (Medium)

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw her by the window. When I beheld her face, my breath caught in my throat. My heartbeat accelerated, and a warm glow I’d never experienced before started from my solar plexus and spread throughout my body. My eyes and soul were riveted; I was inexplicably drawn to her in a way I’d never been drawn to anyone. I felt an irresistible urge to be near her. My very being cried out to protect her, to keep her safe and happy.

“Lenora,” I whispered, feeling a compelling need to touch her hand. “Such a beautiful name.” I enfolded her delicate fingers, bowed over her hand, and kissed it.

 

Lenora 1 (Medium)

“It’s nice to finally meet ye.” Her voice was intoxicating, and I greedily drank her in. Her smile took my breath away, but beneath it was a deep-seated sorrow that shattered my heart. Studying her, I could see she was blinking back tears. As one trickled down her cheek, I wasted no time in pulling her in for a hug. When she didn’t pull away, I rubbed her back and lay my cheek atop her golden head.

“Here, now. You’re too pretty to cry. How bad can it be?” I whispered softly.

 

Tyrone Hugging Lenora (Medium)

“Och, please forgive me. The anniversary of my husband and son’s death always makes me feel maudlin. On this day, I just…have a hard time controlling it. What must ye think of me? I meet ye, then fall into your arms in a blathering mess.”

“I think you are beautiful.” I held her with one arm while reaching for my hankie with the other. “Let’s dry those pretty eyes now, shall we?”

Lenora didn’t resist when I dried her tears. It was as if she instinctively knew I was there for her and always would be for the rest of my life. “Ye are a kind man, Tyrone Landgraab. My life is a thousand times richer for having met ye this night.”

Forgetting about everyone else in the room, I was brought up short when my teenage sister, Valerie, hollered from the doorway, “Let her go, fool, or she’ll think you did something lame like Imprint on her or something.”

 

Lenora & Tyrone 2 (Medium)

Discovering I still had one arm around Lenora’s waist, I gave Valerie a withering look and reluctantly let Lenora go. “Don’t pay any attention to her. She’s been reading too many of your books,” I whispered in Lenora’s ear.

 

Lenora & Tyrone 1 (Medium)

Lenora grinned and winked at Valerie, who blushed three shades of scarlet. Then, she turned those mesmerizing eyes on me. “Thank ye, Tyrone. Ye were exactly what I needed tonight. I will never forget your tender kindness.”

Oh, Lenora, I will always be what you need, even if what you need brings me great pain, I thought to myself. Lenora still had a lot of grief to work through, and I could feel in her soul that she needed me to give her the space to do that. Because of this, it would be a long time before I could tell her of my Imprinting. Although my instincts cried out to be near her, to protect her, what she needed was time and space to completely heal.

I will tell you one day, Lenora. When you are ready, I will come to you with my heart wide open. If the deities are kind, the day will come when I can make all your desires and wishes come true. 

Forever in Time: Chapter 23, Blackmail

Nise Dreamweaver
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13
Forever in Time: Chapter 23, Blackmail

Content Warning – one F-Bomb dropped

 

Neil 3 (Medium)

As a doctor, Neil Hughes was accustomed to seeing illness, and even death, on a daily basis. It was his job to see the patient through their malady or make them as comfortable as possible when the life was beyond saving. He was good at his job and knew it. Not only was he a man of science, but Neil had an extra weapon of defense against illness and disease; he had magic at his very fingertips.

Magic wasn’t a solution to every problem, but it definitely helped when it was called for. In the case of Lenora Landgraab, Neil knew that magic would be the only thing that could save her. He just wished it was as simple as casting a spell, waving his fingers a little, and seeing Mrs. Landgraab miraculously cured. Unfortunately, that was wishful thinking.

Mrs. Landgraab’s case was one that Neil knew would haunt him for a long time to come. Not only was she a very famous person, but she was a lovely woman who was obviously very much loved and cherished. Although romance novels weren’t his reading material of choice, his mother was a different story. Greta Hughes devoured Lenora Landgraab’s books as though they were a life-sustaining meal. Both Neil and Greta greatly appreciated Mrs. Landgraab’s music; she was wonderfully talented, and Greta always remarked to Neil that Mrs. Landgraab had the voice of an angel.

 

Neil 4 (Medium)

As renowned as Lenora Landgraab was, Neil had no doubt that what befell her would be broadcast all over the news. As he checked his computer, he let out a groan of frustration. It was, indeed, all over the news, and every reporter named him as the doctor in charge of the case. It would be a matter of time before newshounds would be knocking on his door or accosting him in the corridor demanding an exclusive interview.

“Just…great.” Neil thumped his head on the desk and groaned again. There were privacy laws that prevented him from spilling all knowledge, not that he wanted to anyway. Mrs. Landgraab, nor anyone else, deserved to have their health report splattered all over the media for vultures to caw and flutter their tail feathers at.

“What a damned mess,” Neil sighed, rubbing his eyes. He was no closer to solving this case than he was when Mrs. Landgraab was brought in. Something wasn’t right; there were missing elements here that were beyond his reach, and Neil didn’t like it one bit. The only thing Neil knew for certain was that this woman was going to die if he didn’t figure this out.

Time was quickly running out for Lenora Landgraab. For some reason, this unnerved him. Perhaps the biggest source of his unease was the stricken werewolf who Mrs. Landgraab was married to. Yes, Neil had seen devastation before in the faces of dying patients and their relatives many times over, but what he saw in Tyrone Landgraab went way beyond that. Neil got the distinct impression that the survival of Mrs. Landgraab was vital in sustaining her husband’s very life force.

Being.versed in the healing arts, Neil knew a little about werewolves but had to admit he needed to increase this knowledge. Neil vowed that as soon as his shift ended, he would visit The Vault of Antiquity to do some research. He wanted to learn more about this Imprinting thing he’d heard about.

 

Neil 1 (Medium)

Neil was about to head to the lab to hurry along the latest test results for Mrs. Landgraab’s case when his assistant said there was an urgent phone call waiting for him on the line. He swore under his breath and locked his office door. Neil didn’t like being interrupted during important calls.

 

Neil 7 (Medium)

Expecting the call to be about a downhill change of condition in one of his patients, Neil picked up the phone and uttered a brisk “Hello?”

“Dr. Hughes.” Neil removed the receiver from his ear and frowned at it. Whoever it was on the other end wasn’t human; the voice sounded like some kind of computer synthesized output.

“Who is this?” Neil demanded.

“This call is on a need-to-know basis, and our identity is not in that category. You are to listen and do as instructed. No more, no less.”

Neil’s temper started to flare. He was used to giving the orders, not taking them. “You either identify yourself or I’m hanging up.”

“I wouldn’t do that, Doctor,” the voice said. “Your career and your mother’s life depend on your cooperation.”

 “What the hell is this about?” 

“Listen carefully and do not interrupt,” the voice instructed. “We know about the patient you killed five years ago with an overdose of narcotics. You were cleared of any wrong-doing, but we have information that will surely reopen the case. We know where you live with your mother, so if you even think of going to the police, we will see to it that she dies a most unpleasant death with you watching every step of it.”

 

Neil 5 (Medium)

One of Neil’s gifts was that he was able to get a sense of a person by simply being around them or even talking with them over the phone. Neil had no doubt that this computerized voice was being artificially synthesized, but there certainly was a human behind it. As Neil held the receiver, it seemed to come alive as though manifesting itself into a rattlesnake. He nearly dropped it as his senses clanged. The human behind this voice was capable of unfathomable, unspeakable evil. Neil’s heart thudded crazily in his chest. The phone slid precariously in his sweaty palms as he fought to maintain his grip. Swallowing hard, the audible click in his throat was unmistakable. He could even smell the stench of fear in the cold swat that broke out all over his body.

Readjusting his hold on the receiver with his left hand, he tightened his right hand into a fist. His first concern was for his mother, whom he loved more than his own life. If there was the slightest danger to her, Neil needed to do all he could to protect her.

But then, there was the threat of a reopened investigation in a case he still had nightmares about. The image of a beautiful young woman flooded his memories as his mind went back five years. Mrs. Gail Andrews was a terminally ill cancer patient whom Neil had grown rather fond of. He’d done more for Gail Andrews than any other doctor would have. He’d held her hand when she was frightened of yet more pain. He’d held her when she cried out her fear of what her leaving would do to her family. He’d told her stories of his childhood to distract her from her pain and discomfort. He’d spent more time with her than he had his other patients. Toward the end, she’d lain in severe pain, screaming if anyone so much as adjusted the sheet that covered her emaciated frame. It had been awful to watch that woman suffer. When she screamed out in agony and begged to die, Neil had adjusted the strong IV narcotics so she would go into respiratory arrest and die peacefully. Neil knew this was wrong, according to the “rules of society,” but to him, it was even more wrong to let this woman linger on in unbearable pain. He’d finagled the chart accordingly so nobody would be none the wiser. However, in cases such as this, there was always an investigation to make sure everything was above board. Neil had never done anything like that again, but he never regretted that decision he’d made…until now.

“What do you want?” Neil whispered, sinking into his comfortable desk chair.

“I know you are an expert in cloning. What you will do is gather what you need from the Landgraab woman and make a clone of her.”

“What?” Neil blurted out. “I can’t just conjure a clone of someone on demand. It takes time, and besides, I don’t do it unless there is adequate reason.” He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a long breath. Neil was, indeed, one of the few individuals who could clone an entire complex organism. He’d engulfed himself in many years of research to learn how to clone organs for transplant patients. Because he was a person who never liked to put limits on his skills, he went the extra long mile to master the science of cloning to its fullest. It was still considered unethical to clone an entire living entity, but he hoped for ways of using this skill for the betterment of humankind one day.

“There is adequate reason now. Don’t even ask why because this is something you don’t need to know. You can shorten the time by omitting most of the brain. A rudimentary brain stem will do because this clone is to die immediately upon creation.”

Neil stared at the wall in slack-jawed mortification. This was one of the most disgusting things he had ever heard of. 

“Before the clone expires, you are to make sure it is aged to that of the Landgraab woman,” the voice went on.

“My God! What kind of sick, twisted individual are you?” Neil asked breathlessly. “I have never…” He shook his head, unable to even finish the thought.

However, the voice didn’t give him much time to brood. “Should you find a cure for the Landgraab woman’s illness, you will refrain from using it. If she survives, your mother will take her place in death. Upon the Landgraab woman’s demise and transfer to the morgue, you will replace the Landgraab woman’s body with that of the dead clone. You will then move the real Landgraab woman to Room 22 in the basement, which, as you know, is a storage closet. Do you understand?”

 

Neil 7 (Medium)

“What I understand is that this is beyond reprehensible,” Neil said through gritted teeth. His anger was returning, but it was still marred by fright, which he tried desperately to hide from this psychotic caller.

“Maybe, but that is not your judgment to make. We will know if this is not done to our specifications. Last but not least, when the exchange is made, you will call this number,” the voice recited a strange number with an area code Neil wasn’t familiar with, ”and simply say, ‘It is done.’ You will not wait for a response. You will say, “it is done’ and hang up immediately. Is that clear?”

“Crystal,” Neil said. The next instant, the line went dead. The hum of the dial tone in Neil’s ear sounded like his own death knoll.

 

Neil 6 (Medium)

“My god!” he whispered as his shaking fingers replaced the receiver on its cradle. “What am I going to do? What the fuck am I going to do?” Neil’s world…and his latest case…had just officially been turned upside down.

 

Author’s Note: Sorry this is a shorter chapter. As you can see, there is even more to this than our beloved characters know, and sliding this macabre little twist in here needed its own chapter, short as it may be. Who is this mystery computer voice? Will Neil fall victim to blackmail? And…what will happen to Lenora? To find out this and more, you will have to stay tuned for future updates.

Character Interview – Liam Kelly

Nise Dreamweaver
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6
Character Interview – Liam Kelly

Hello, my fellow Simlies,

I thought it would be fun to do something different on the blog, so I’m starting a Getting to Know You series. This will be where a featured character answers a series of questions. Seeing them in a story is one thing, but I thought this would add a personal touch since this is a good way of seeing how a character thinks and learning how they tick. I got the idea from Kymber, who was tagged to do something similar. Although I wasn’t personally tagged in any of her character interviews, I thought it would be fun to do anyway. I’ll be using the questions she used for her characters but will be adding a few of my own. Feel free to do this on your own blog for your characters.

For starters, let us begin with Liam Kelly. He seems to be a favorite among my readers and is a big part of both Forever in Time and The Pen Pal Project (his profile and letters can be found here on this blog by using the top navigation menu). I hope you all enjoy what Liam has to say.

Let’s get started. 🙂

liam

Name: Liam Sean Kelly, but ye can just call me Grandda Liam. Most everyone does.

Are you single? I am happily married to my darling wife, Goddess Mathilda, who I adore.

Are you happy? Oh, aye, very! When a man has been blessed with the kind of family and life I have, how can he not be happy?

Are you angry? Of course not. Getting angry raises blood pressure and turns my ears red – very unflattering.

Are your parents still married? I believe they are still married wherever they are in the afterlife. They are long dead, but they believed in the sanctity of marriage and family. Their values and teachings are what instilled in me my strong love and loyalty of family.


FIFTEEN FACTS

Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Hair color: Red
Eye color: Blue
Birthday: September 12th
Mood: Nice and mellow
Gender: I am an Irishman through and through
Summer or Winter: Summer
Morning or afternoon: Both
What is your most prized possession? My family
What is your deepest fear? Losing a loved one.
What hurts the most? The unyielding grief when someone dear is lost to ye. Losing a beloved spouse is agonizing, and the loss of a child, no matter how old they are, brings its own unique unbearable pain. It is something I would not wish upon anyone.
What brings you the most joy? Seeing those I love healthy and happy
Does laughter come easily to you? Aye, it does. I’m told I have a wicked sense of humor, which my Lenora certainly has inherited.
Do you cry at the drop of a hat? I’m normally not one to shed a tear terribly often, but I find no shame in a man or woman who cries. Sometimes the weight of a given situation is too much for a heart to bear, so weep, we must.
Do you consider yourself a sensitive person? If it means do my feelings get hurt easily, the answer is no. I’m thick-skinned in that regard. However, I’m sensitive to the feelings of others and have been told I have a knack for offering much wisdom and comfort. I am a Grandda after all and consider myself a rather good one.


EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

Are you in love? Aye, most assuredly
Do you believe in love at first sight? An Irish heart is a romantic one. Ye can’t think of Ireland without contemplating magic and love, especially the two together. Aye, I’m a firm believer in love at first sight. That is how it was with my first wife, Anne.
Who ended your last relationship? My Anne did when she passed on, bless her soul.
Have you ever broken someone’s heart? Unfortunately, heartbreak is a part of life, albeit a painful one. It is not for only the young. I’m afraid I broke my Mathilda’s heart when I put my magic aside thinking I was protecting my Lenora. Mathilda isn’t one to wear her feelings on her sleeve, but she told me after we were married that stepping away and respecting my decision was one of the hardest things she’d had to do.
Are you afraid of commitments? Definitely not! Life would be unbearable if ye could not have love.
Have you hugged someone within the last week? Aye, of course! Many, many times over.
Have you ever had a secret admirer? Oh, aye. Mathilda was secretly in love with me and I her, but we were both too bullheaded to admit it until after I’d gone to the Elysian Fields.
Have you ever broken your own heart? I’m sorry to say that aye, indeed I have. I couldn’t bring myself to admit how I felt about Mathilda knowing I was but a mortal man with a very finite life compared to hers. I’d told myself daily that I’d be a fool to go there knowing I would grow old and die while she stayed young, beautiful, and immortal.


SIX CHOICES

Love or lust: Most definitely love. However, a healthy dose of lusting after the one ye love doesn’t hurt.
Lemonade or iced tea: Both. It’s even better, though, with a lovely shot of good Irish whiskey to accompany it.
Cats or dogs: I prefer dogs, but I am a lover of all animals. All creatures have their place of beauty in this old world.
A few best friends or many regular friends: I have many friends, but sometimes it’s nice to be in the company of one or two close friends.
Wild night out or romantic night in: Och, it depends on the situation. My Anne loved to dance the night away when we were younger. Now, being a Grandda two times over with an extremely powerful goddess for a wife, romantic nights in are what Matahilda and I crave.
Day or night: Both


FOUR HAVE YOU EVERS

Been caught sneaking out: Aye, when I was a lad of seventeen. A few of the neighborhood lads and I would sneak out to the local park to do shots of whiskey under the bleachers. Ye see, we weren’t of drinking age yet, so we had to keep a tight lid on it. Well, me Da got wise to our shenanigans and caught me. Och, the man could swear like a sailor in Gaelic. I took the punishment like a man. Did I do it again? Hell, yes! The lads and I just had to find more creative ways of getting away with it, and for the most part, we succeeded.
Fallen down/up the stairs: A resounding yes, actually. Ye see, when the lads and I graduated from under the bleachers to the pubs, we naturally did the Pub Crawl. Unfortunately, there were times we forgot there were steps to traverse as we staggered out the door bellowing Irish drinking songs at the top of our lungs like the bunch of baboons we were.
Wanted someone/something so badly it hurt: There were a few very, very dark times in my life when I lost so much I didn’t think I could endure. The loss of my Anne was devastating, and I remember many long, lonely nights when I yearned for her so badly I thought my heart would implode from the massive weight of grief it carried. The loss of my daughter, Maggie and her man, Patrick, was another heavy blow. I adored my Maggie as any doting father would and prayed to any deity who would listen to bring her back and take me instead. However, when my beautiful Lenora was brought to me to care for and raise, it helped ease the pain somewhat. She needed me, and both Maggie and Anne would have wanted me to be strong for her.
Wanted to disappear: I reckon this would tie in to the previous question. I did want to disappear when I lost those I loved the most, to recluse myself and wallow for a while. Knowing my Anne would have been appalled at such behavior, I pulled myself out of the mire and trudged on. It was either that or roll over and die.


NEVER WOULD I EVER___

  • Strike a woman
  • Turn down a hug from someone I care about or a person in need of one
  • Turn away from someone in need of comfort
  • Use my magic to harm someone
  • Abuse an animal


FOUR PREFERENCES

Smile or eyes: It’s the eyes that get me first. It is said that the eyes are windows to one’s soul.
Shorter or taller: All shapes and sizes, although both Anne and Mathilda are tall, slender women.
Intelligence or attraction: Attraction first, then intelligence. I’m a lucky man to have both in my Mathilda.
Hook-up or relationship: Relationship, most definitely!


FAMILY

Do you and your family get along? Aye, absolutely! I’m a blessed man to have the family I do. Oh, like any other family, there are disagreements and tough times, but we pull together very tightly when one or more of us needs it. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for any of them.
Would you say you have a “messed up life”?  Och, no way! Despite the heartache and grievous losses, my first life was good. Coming back to the physical world from the Elysian Fields, my second life is even better than the first. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again; I’m a lucky man, indeed.
Have you ever run away from home? No
Have you ever gotten kicked out? Never


FRIENDS

Do you secretly hate one of your friends? Och, no! I don’t hate anybody.
Do you consider all your friends good friends? I believe the term “friend” is used much too loosely nowadays. Ye see, a friend is someone who sticks with ye no matter what. He is someone who gives ye that kick in the ass when needed but gives ye the understanding and compassion, too. From my observations in today’s world, friends stay friends only when it is convenient. When the going gets tough, said “friend” goes running. With that off my chest, I do have many who I consider friends, but there are a select few who I consider true friends.
Who is your best friend? My darling Mathilda is not only my wife, but she is my best friend. We love passionately, but we talk about anything and everything under the sun. My granddaughter, Lenora, is someone I consider to be a best friend. Yes, she is my granddaughter and all, but she is a lovely, intelligent woman with whom I adore doing such things as playing chess, philosophizing, practicing magic, and much, much more. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a couple other people as well. Although not having met in person at this time, I have a couple of pen pals I feel especially close to. Jasper McCumber and I are like two old codgers sitting at the chess table sharing stories about our families and lives, present and past. I can honestly say I felt a kinship with him right away. Emily Sato is a lovely young woman who I consider an honorary granddaughter. We’ve talked about a great number of things, and I love how inquisitive she is about the Supernatural.
Who knows everything about you? That would have to be my Mathilda

Forever in Time: Chapter 22, Promises

Nise Dreamweaver
-
20
Forever in Time: Chapter 22, Promises

***Hankie Alert***

 

Tyrone Leaning Over Lenora 1 (Medium)

The little family was reeling after hearing the grim prognosis for Lenora. Tyrone was even more determined to not leave Lenora’s side. By the time Crystal arrived with the children, Lenora was drifting in and out of consciousness and weakening by the minute.

 

Crystal & Tyrone Hug 1 (Medium)

At hearing their arrival, Tyrone quickly stepped into the waiting room where Crystal flung herself into his arms and squeezed him tight. “How is she…really?” she whispered under her breath.

“Not good, sweetheart,” Tyrone said, kissing Crystal’s forehead.

“She’s not going to die, is…is she?” Crystal asked.

“My heart says no, but…I don’t know. She’s worsening quickly now.” Tyrone choked on the last few words and felt himself shudder. “Unless they figure this thing out and turn it around, we…we are g-going to…to lose her.”

 

Crystal Crying 2 (Medium)

At hearing the sorrow in the brave wolf’s voice and feeling him shudder, Crystal broke. She covered her face and uttered a little scream as a torrent of tears wet her face.

Tyrone bit his lip and lowered Crystal into a nearby chair. Her face lost all color, and she looked as though she might faint. Tyrone didn’t want her to hit the floor and hurt herself. He loved Crystal like his own daughter, and seeing her so distraught crushed him. “I know, honey. I know. But Crystal,” he knelt before her and took her by the shoulders, giving her a gentle shake, “we have to try to be strong…for Lenora and for the children. This is going to be hard enough for them, and they’re not going to understand what is happening. Can you try, Crystal? Please try, darling, because I need you, too, and so does Landon. We’ve got to try to hang tough together, all right?”

Crystal took a shaky breath and tried to speak, but only a tiny, mousy squeak emerged. She pressed her lips together and nodded.

“Good.” Tyrone patted her hands and lovingly squeezed her fingers.

“Can…can I see her?” Crystal whispered.

“They’re letting a couple of people in at a time. Do you want to bring the kids in with me? Then, you and Landon should spend some time with her while I talk to the doctor.”

“Okay,” Crystal nodded, then felt tears well up again.

 

Crystal & Tyrone Hug 2 (Medium)

Tyrone pulled her close and kissed her cheek. “Be brave, Gorgeous,” Tyrone whispered in Crystal’s ear, using the endearment reserved for her in times of encouragement and love. “She’ll be able to feel your sadness, and it’ll upset her. You know how Lenora worries more for everyone else than herself.”

“I know…but…oh, Tyrone, this is so hard!” She ran the back of her hand over her eyes. “Does she know how bad it is?”

“Yeah,” Tyrone gently stepped away from their embrace. “She’s been asking to see everyone. She says she has things to say.” Tyrone hugged himself and closed his eyes against the pain searing through him.

Before Crystal could reply, Andrea tugged on her father’s sleeve. “Can we see her now, Da?”

Tyrone hunkered down, opening his arms to beckon them all to him. They came willingly and readily. Feeling their small hands rubbing his back and their trusting arms encircling him gave him the encouragement he needed to try to explain the situation as best he could. “Your Ma…and your Grams,” Tyrone looked from one set of quads to the next, “is really, really sick. It’s very hard for her to breathe, so she won’t be able to talk very well. You can hug her, but be gentle.”

“We made her some cards and brought them to her,” Aurora said. Her hoarse voice and the tear stains on her cheeks made it clear to Tyrone that she’d been crying.

“She’ll love them so much, Princess.” Tyrone tried to smile as he tenderly wiped the tears from his daughter’s cheeks with a tissue.

As Tyrone and Crystal led the children into the room, Lenora’s eyes fluttered open. A smile curved her lips, and she lifted her arms toward them. “Och…look at ye…all of ye! Come here, my darlings.”

“Oh, Ma!” Aurora whispered as she came closer. Very carefully, she crawled onto the bed to lie next to her mother.

“Shhh, darling. It’s…going to be…all right,” Lenora whispered, stroking Aurora’s hair. All of them hugged and kissed Lenora, who offered comforting words and a smile when she could muster it. “I love ye all…so much…always.”

“We love you too, Grams,” Blake said tearfully.

“Don’t…cry. Shhh…don’t…cry. It’ll…be…all right. Now…don’t ye worry.” Lenora soothed them as best she could. “Listen…to me, all…of ye. I want…ye to…study hard…in school…and be happy. Be…good and kind…to each other…and love…and protect…one another.”

“We will, Ma,” Andrea said, her lower lip quivering. “I love you.”

“We all do, Ma,” Chris said, doing his best to stand tall and strong.

“And…I…love ye all…forever…and always. Always…remember…that.” Lenora’s words were coming at a greater effort, and her hands fluttered weakly before returning to the bed. Unable to keep her eyes open, they slipped closed as Tyrone and Crystal escorted the children away. None of the adults wanted the kids to see Lenora’s condition worsen.

 

Lenora Resting 1 (Medium)

Lenora’s eyes were still closed when Landon and Crystal went in to her. “Ma, can you hear me?” Landon said, taking his mother’s hand and kissing her cheek.

 

Lenora & Landon 2 (Medium)

Lenora opened her eyes and weakly curled her fingers around his hand. Crystal held her other hand, which Lenora squeezed gently. “You’re here…both…of ye.”

“Oh, Lenora! Where else would we be?” Crystal’s wings shone in the dim light and swished as she leaned over to kiss Lenora’s brow.

“Do you know how much I love you, Ma?” Landon said, choking on the words.

“Me, too,” Crystal whispered, lovingly touching Lenora’s golden hair and smoothing down a few stray strands. “Is there anything you need? What can we do for you?”

“Thirsty,” Lenora croaked.

“Here, Ma,” Landon said, bringing a glass of water and guiding the straw to his mother’s parched lips. “Take it slow now, okay?”

Lenora took a sip, swallowed, and closed her eyes momentarily. “Would…have been better…with…a shot of…whiskey…to go…with it.”

Unable to help herself, Crystal let out a gust of laughter that she muffled in the palm of her hand. Landon emitted a great snort and kissed his mother’s fingers. “Ma.”

 

Lenora, Landon, & Crystal 2 (Medium)

“I knew…that would make…ye smile. No…more tears now. There…is no time…for that. Ye…must listen to me…both of ye.”

 

Lenora & Landon 1 (Medium)

Tendrils of ice ran down Landon’s spine at Lenora’s words. It didn’t take a genius to understand that his beloved mother was saying goodbye. “Ma, please don’t,” he pleaded in desperation.

“Landon…my angel…I must…and ye…must…listen…” Her eyes closed again as she gathered a reserve of strength. “Please…look after…each other…and take…care of Tyrone. He…will…be lost…for a while…but…the wee ones…will need him. He…will feel…like…he will…want…to give up…but don’t…let him. And…don’t ye…give up…either. Both…of ye. Landon…my angel…ye…must help…remind…your brothers…and sisters…and…your wee ones…that…there still…is a mission…to complete. It…must…continue…even…if I…am not here. Promise…me.” Lenora’s breath came in faster, shallower gasps.

“We promise, Ma. I swear that to you on my life.” It shattered his heart to say this because it meant admitting to himself that his mother would leave him soon. He didn’t want to let her down or watch her die knowing there was unfinished business.

“We promise,” Crystal echoed her husband’s words as her own heart shattered.

“I…love…ye both…with…all…my heart. Never…ever…forget.”

“We won’t,” Landon whispered, slipping his arms around his mother for what he knew would be the last time.

 

After exchanging loving words with her mother-in-law and extracting a similar promise from her, Lenora once again fell unconscious. Although Erica wanted to remain with Tyrone, she thought it best to take the children home with her and do what she could to reach Mathilda, Liam, and Cian. She also phoned Robin and Alina, who were devastated over the news. Robin said they would get packed and teleport himself and Alina to Lenora as quickly as they could. Their granddaughter and Robin’s twin sister, Lauren, was traveling in Asia but promised to come home as soon as she possibly could. Unfortunately, Valerie was unreachable, so Erica had no choice but to leave voicemail after voicemail, urging her daughter to call immediately.

 

Deus & Lenora 1 (Medium)

Meanwhile, Deus slipped into Lenora’s room with his guitar. He was a pianist and always would be, but he was also remarkably skilled in guitar, many other instruments, and vocals. Lenora was still unconscious, but Deus believed in the comforting and healing power of music. Music could reach places that other things could not. As sensitive as Lenora was to music, Deus had no doubt that she would know he was beside her and pulling for her. He could say things in music that were harder for him to say in words alone.

Deus leaned over Lenora and tenderly kissed her forehead. “Stay with us, sweet Lenora. Please hold on, darling. I promise you, I will find out what is happening here. I won’t rest until I get to the bottom of it.”

 

Deus Playing for Lenora 1 (Medium)

Deus positioned his guitar and strummed a few soft chords to make sure it was tuned to his satisfaction. Then, he began the introductory chords to Sweet Lenora, the song he had written for her so many years before. Although he kept his voice soft, it was still powerful and mesmerizing. His gaze remained on Lenora’s still face the entire time as he sang only to her heart. Before the last chord faded away, Lenora was looking at him and smiling weakly.

“Hey, Beautiful. Welcome back,” Deus said, putting down his guitar and reaching for her hand.

“I…heard the music…and…it brought…me back,” Lenora whispered.

Deus kissed her fingers and leaned his cheek on the back of her hand. “That’s what I was hoping for. I wanted to play your song for you.”

“So…beautiful. I’m…so glad…I got to…hear it…one…more time.” A tear rolled down Lenora’s cheek, and a mournful sob escaped her.

“Here now,” Deus whispered, wiping it away and stroking her cheek in a fatherly manner. “No more of that now, you hear?”

 

Lenora Holding Deus' Hand (Medium)

Lenora squeezed Deus’ hand as hard as she could, as if holding tightly to it could keep her from floating away. “I…I just…don’t want…to leave ye…any of ye. More…than anything…I want to stay here…but…” She looked at him with such sorrow and anguish that Deus felt his heart tremble.

“I know, sweetheart. I know,” Deus said, tightening his own hand on Lenora’s. He had to check himself so as not to hurt her, as a wolf, even in human form, possessed superhuman strength.

 

Deus & Lenora 3 (Medium)

“Dad…” Ever since Lenora and Tyrone were married, Deus and Erica had insisted she call them Mom and Dad. “Ye…must…promise me…something.”

“Anything, Lenora. You just name it.”

“Ye…and Mom…must…take care of…Tyrone. The…wee ones…will need…ye, too…but…this is…going…to be…hardest on…Tyrone…especially…in the…beginning.” Lenora momentarily closed her eyes to gather strength. “He…will feel…as though…he is…being ripped…asunder…and…The Wolf…will emerge. They both…will need…ye to help…them…keep safe. He…will…need to be…reminded…of…what…our family…means…to him. He…will want…to…give up…but…please…please…don’t let him.”

Deus leaned closer to gently embrace Lenora and whisper in her ear. “You have my solemn vow that I will look after Tyrone and help him keep grounded. I will do everything in my power to keep the family…the pack…safe.”

“There…are…others. Aliina…Robin…Carson…everyone. And…I…so wanted…to…help Valerie. She’s…so lost…and…can’t feel…our love.” At Deus’ raised eyebrow, Lenora continued. “She’s…in some…kind of trouble…but she…wouldn’t tell me…and…I…can’t discern…it through…a vision. For…some reason…I am…not allowed…to…see it. But…I could…feel her pain…even though…she…tried to…block it. She…feels…worthless…and alone. She…believes…herself…a failure. We…had tea…earlier…this week…and I…tried to…help her. We…just drank tea…and talked. I…learned…a lot…but…couldn’t…find out…what…trouble…she’s in…and she…is in trouble. Ye…must…believe me.” Lenora’s breathing grew more ragged as her worry increased. Plus, the amount of talking she’d just done drained her. The pressure of Lenora’s hand in Deus’ eased because she was too weak to sustain it.

Deus did his best to gather her close and hold her like the daughter she was to him. “Lenora…shhh. Hush now. It’s going to be all right,” he crooned. “Easy does it, now. Just try to relax. I’ll make sure everyone knows how much you love them. Valerie will come around. Now, just relax and don’t worry. Just rest.”

“Ye…will always…be my…idol…but…I was so…blessed…to have…become…your daughter,” Lenora gasped out. “I do…love…ye so.”

Deus kissed her, then swallowed hard. “It was us, all of us, who were blessed to have you in our lives, sweet Lenora. I love you, too…so, so much, sweetheart.” He held her a moment longer before easing her back. Taking her hand, he brought it to his lips once more, then placed it back onto the bed to rest beside her. “Rest easy now, Lenora, and don’t you worry about anything.”

“Will…will…ye send…Tyrone to me? I…need…to…be with him…one…last…time.”

 

Author’s Note: Poses used for this chapter came from Poses by Bee. Her poses are amazing, and I’d highly recommend checking them out. Please be aware that they are for Sims 3. They can be found here.

I apologize for not including a screenshot of the kids with Lenora when they came to visit her. I have a lot of Sims in this particular save. Trying to add in the kids and get them positioned made the game start acting wonky. I was afraid it would crash on me (yep, that’s happened a number of times while getting screenshots), so I figured it was best to quit fiddling with it and just go with what I have. Don’t worry. We will be seeing a lot of the kids as the story continues.

Forever in Time: Chapter 21, Mortal Peril

Nise Dreamweaver
-
23
Forever in Time: Chapter 21, Mortal Peril

Content Warning! Minor swearing

***Hankie Warning***

 

Tyrone Touching Lenora's Hand, Leaning Head on Arm (Medium)

It was the longest day of Tyrone’s life as he kept vigil by Lenora’s side. He couldn’t believe how quickly this all had happened. Lenora always had boundless energy. She was so full of life that she seemed to be everywhere at once. This was so wrong! His Lenora shouldn’t be lying there in a hospital bed fighting to keep that life.

Erica and Deus, Theresa, and Landon took turns keeping Tyrone company while he watched over his Lenora. They all held Lenora’s hand, kissed her, and whispered their love to her still form. They hugged Tyrone, rubbed his back, and spoke words of encouragement to him. He mechanically did the same for them but to Tyrone, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

Tyrone shook his head at their gentle coaxing to take a break and get something to eat. “I can’t. I can’t leave her. She needs me. If she wakes up and I’m not here, she’ll be confused and scared. I have to find a way to bring her back. I must!”

 

Tyrone Leaning Over Lenora 1 (Medium)

By early afternoon, Lenora’s condition hadn’t changed, but Tyrone remained steadfast in his vigil. “Lenora…” he whispered, leaning close. “I love you so much. Do you hear me? I…love…you. I need you to come back to me…to us. The kids and I…we need you, Lenora. I need my beautiful wife, and the kids need their amazing mother. Come back, Lenora. Please come back.”

Tyrone touched Lenora’s face and winced at the heat baking off her. “Oh, my poor Lenora! How did this happen to you?” He kissed her brow and felt his heart thud as dread seized him. He had always been able to protect Lenora from anything. But this…this was different. This was something he couldn’t save her from. He felt himself careening out of control in a direction of destruction. The strands of their bond snaked forward to reach out to her, but she was drifting away into some unknown place that Tyrone couldn’t reach.

 

Tyrone Leaning Over Lenora 1 (Medium)

“I know you are far away, Lenora, but come back to me. Try with everything you have within you to come back, my Lenora. I can’t reach you where you are…but oh, Lenora, I want to more than anything. You’re drifting away, and my soul is slipping. If you go away, that force that holds me here will go away, too.”

Tyrone shifted in his chair and stroked some loose strands of hair from Lenora’s fevered brow. “The day I met you was the day that changed everything for me. Oh, you didn’t know it, but I did. It happened, the Imprinting, I mean. I wasn’t looking for it to happen, nor was I expecting it. It just…happened. That’s how it works, you know. It’s one of those things that’s an enigma. No matter what, I knew I was yours…forever. I just needed to wait and have a bit of patience. It wasn’t easy, Lenora, but it was what you needed. You needed that time for your grief to abate. How I wanted to take away your pain, to be with you…to hold you and tell you I was there, but I had to bide my time until you were ready. It was the hardest thing i ever did, Lenora, because it hurt so badly when I couldn’t be near you. Then, I got my chance but had to fight for you when we were on that silly show. And at the end, it was you and me, Lenora. It’s how it’s been from that point and always will be.”

 

Tyrone Leaning Over Lenora 2 (Medium)

“Lenora…” Her name became a prayerful plea as Tyrone repeated it, desperately trying to summon her back from whatever void she was in. “You’ve got to fight this thing. You’re one of the strongest people I know, my darling. Use that strength to fight this and return to us. I can’t lose you, Lenora. I won’t lose you. We will not end this way…not like this. This…will…not…happen!”

Tyrone kissed her softly, wishing he could wake her as Prince Phillip awoke Sleeping Beauty with his kiss. Instead, Lenora lay motionless, her breath barely a whisper of air. “I can’t reach you. For the first time in our lives, I can’t reach you.”

Tyrone felt The Wolf within wanting to emerge. The Wolf sensed his mate’s peril, and Tyrone had to fight him back with much greater effort than normal. If The Wolf was unleashed in this condition, there was no telling how far he would go. Wolves of Tyrone’s caliber exercised restraint and control, but when a pack member, especially an Alpha Wolf’s mate, was in danger, restraint and control weren’t guaranteed.

“I…will…not…let…you…succumb,” Tyrone grated out in low, guttural tones as he felt his fangs starting to elongate. “You…are…not allowed…Lenora. Do…you hear me? I…will…not…let this…happen.” Anyone listening would have been frozen in terror at the growl-like words and the intensity with which they were uttered.

 

Tyrone Asleep Next to Lenora (Medium)

Tyrone clenched his fists and took several deep breaths, forcing The Wolf back to his place. His fangs shrank to normal size, the wolf going dormant for the time being. Feeling a wave of exhaustion crash over him, he lay his arms on the side of Lenora’s bed and rested his head on them. “If you don’t come back, Lenora, The Wolf will lose it entirely. Now, do you want that on your conscience?” He tried to smile, thinking of how Lenora would fire back a sarcastic retort to make him laugh. They loved playing that kind of game together. This, however, was no game, and Lenora gave no returning banter or reassurance. She lay as still as ever, which broke Tyrone’s heart all over again.

 

Lenora Awake 3 (Medium)

Tyrone thought he must have dozed off, for the next thing he felt was a hand resting on his head. He jerked, straightened, and was rewarded with the most beautiful sight he’d seen that day. Lenora’s eyes fluttered, then slowly opened. “Lenora…hey! You’re awake.” A wide smile stretched his lips and he gazed tenderly at her. Caressing her hair, he leaned over to sweetly kiss her lips. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“I’m…sorry,” came Lenora’s soft whisper.

“Don’t be sorry, Lenora. Just be strong and get better, okay?” His eyes shone as he drank her in. “Oh, Lenora, you had me so worried. Did you hear me growling at you?”

“Yeah,” she replied, the corners of her mouth turning up in a slight grin. “I…can always hear ye, Wolfman…but I…I couldn’t answer. I wanted to tell ye…it was going to be…all right and…not to worry…but I couldn’t get through. Something…held me back…and I couldn’t tell ye.” She produced a weak cough and gasped for her next breath.

“It doesn’t matter now, love. You’re awake, and I can look into those beautiful eyes. Oh, my Goddess! Do you know how beautiful you are?” She produced a slight smile, making his own smile grow even wider, his love for his soulmate quickening within every fiber of his being. But when she groaned and coughed again the next instant, Tyrone’s gaze sharpened, the protective Alpha Wolf in him ready to act.  “Lenora, I’m going to sit you up just a little and put this other pillow behind your back. Maybe that’ll help ease your breathing.”

“Okay,” she whispered, reaching her arms out to him in complete and unquestioning trust.

 

Lenora & Tyrone 1 (Medium)

Tyrone slid the pillow behind his wife and embraced her gently, leaning his forehead against hers. “My Lenora…do you know how much I love you?”

“I…love ye…Wolfman,” she said in between shallow breaths.

“Well, good. You’d better.” Tyrone grinned at her and kissed her temple. Reaching for her again through their bond, Tyrone still felt the balancing act his soul was engaged in. Lenora wasn’t out of danger yet, but he felt a bit steadier with the return of her consciousness.

“I do. Never doubt that,” Lenora said as firmly as she could.

 

Lenora Resting 1 (Medium)

“Never, ever.” Very carefully, Tyrone eased her back so she could recline against the pillows and rest. Her eyes drifted closed as Tyrone murmured his love and stroked her hair. “Rest now,” he said before brushing a feathery kiss against her lips.

“I…can’t rest until…I know…what happened. Wh…what’s wrong with me…and how did I get to the hospital?” Lenora tried to take a deep breath, but it turned into a pained cough instead. “Wh…what…”

 

Lenora & Tyrone 4 (Medium)

“Shhh, Lenora. Take it easy,” Tyrone said, leaning over and resting a big hand on her shoulder. “You’re very ill, sweetheart. Landon and I brought you here this morning when I couldn’t wake you. You’re going to be okay though. They’re taking real good care of you. I’ve been right here with you the whole time, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“How…how bad am I? The curse?” she whispered.

“We don’t know, Lenora. They’re still running tests. So far, this has got everyone baffled.” Tyrone answered her second question easily but couldn’t bring himself to give voice to the first.

 

Lenora & Tyrone 2 (Medium)

“How…bad?” Lenora asked sharply, but softened the intensity of her query by reaching for Tyrone’s hand and squeezing with as much pressure as she could.

Tyrone kissed Lenora’s fingers, then blinked back the tears standing in his eyes. “You’re awfully sick, my love, but you’re going to be okay. You’re awake now, so that’s awesome. We’ll get you back in fighting form before you can say Bruce Lee.”

“Well…good because…someone has…to kick your ass, and it might…as well be me.” Lenora mustered a weak smile and ran her thumb delicately over her husband’s fingers.

Tyrone snorted with amusement, then touched his fingertips to Lenora’s cheek. “There, now. That’s my Lenora. I’d say this is a perfect ending to a bad day, wouldn’t you?”

 

Lenora & Tyrone 5 (Medium)

Lenora tried to smile again but couldn’t manage it this time. “Ye..should rest, Wolfman. Ye look exhausted. The…we ones…I don’t want them…to worry.”

“The kids will be okay. They’ll come see you in a little while, all right? Now, don’t you worry about me or the kids. You just focus on getting better.” He squeezed her fingers and breathed a ragged sigh of relief when they curled around his in answer. “I’m going to go tell the others you’re awake. Mom, Dad, Theresa, and Landon are here. Oh, Lenora, they’ll be so relieved.”

“Mathilda…Grandda…”

“We’re trying to get them, but they’ve been out of reach for some time.”

“Magic…business…”

“We’ll keep trying, sweetheart. That’s a promise.” Tyrone kissed her again before easing himself off the bed. “Rest now. I’ll be right back.”

Tyrone’s parents, Landon, and Theresa met him on the other side of the door. “She’s awake. Great Drogo, she’s a remarkable woman, my Lenora.”

 

Deus Holding Erica (Medium)

At hearing the news, Erica fell into Amadeus’s arms and cried softly. Theresa flung herself into Tyrone’s and squeezed him tight. “You called her back! Bro, you brought her back. I knew you could do it.”

Tyrone spun her around a couple times, then gently set her on her feet. “I was trying. Believe me, I was trying. I didn’t think I was getting anywhere. I couldn’t seem to reach her, but then, she just woke up.”

Neil Hughes hurried into the room, barely giving the little family a glance. When he came out a few minutes later, Landon wasted no time in bombarding the doctor with questions. “How is my mother? Do you know anything more about why she’s so sick? What are you doing for her?”

“Let’s talk over here,” Neil said, beckoning them to a quiet corner where he took a deep breath and continued. “Mrs. Landgraab’s condition is still critical, I’m sorry to say. However, the fact that she’s conscious is a good sign. She’s a fighter, and I can see she has an amazing support system.”

“Is she going to be all right?” Erica asked.

“It’s too early to tell. I wish I had better news, but we just have to wait and see. We’re still running tests, and we don’t know much more than we did earlier. What we do know is that her blood is carrying a foreign antigen that we can’t identify as of yet. It’s causing her body to malfunction in a number of ways. If we don’t stop it, she’ll go into acute multi-system organ failure and die.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Deus thundered. “What do you mean by ‘malfunctioning in a number of ways’?” His fingers made quotation marks in the air.

“What I mean is that her systems aren’t functioning in accordance to sustaining life. Her blood pressure is dangerously low. Her heart is misfiring. Her liver is producing too much of its enzymes to remain functioning for any length of time. Her lungs are filling with fluid, and her breathing will cease if we don’t get this under control. This antigen is immune to any antibiotics we’ve tried, and it’s also highly resistant to magic.” Neil breathed out a long exhalation. “We’re working around the clock to identify it and figure out how to eradicate it.”

 

Tyrone & Neil 1 (Medium)

“Is…is it from the illness my wife had as a teenager?” Tyrone asked, feeling his insides go cold at the grim details the doctor was giving.

Neil shook his head. “No, I don’t believe so. From what I’ve gathered from your wife’s records, she donates blood to our blood banks quite often. Nowadays, we run thorough tests on donated blood to be sure it’s safe to transfuse. Anyway, we’ve compared her previous bloodwork to what we have here. This antigen is a new development and doesn’t appear to have been in her system for long. Her body is trying to fight it, but it’s too strong for her immune system to handle.”

Landon squeezed his eyes shut and covered his face. His shoulders shook with sobs as tears made their way down his cheeks. Erica slid her arms around him and rubbed his back, her own tears falling. “How…how much time…?”

“It’s hard to say, Ma’am, but it would be wise for the rest of your family to get here as soon as they can. Time definitely isn’t on our side,” Neil said.

 

Tyrone & Neil 2 (Medium)

Tyrone ran an agitated hand through his hair and narrowed his eyes at Neil. “You figure this out, do you read me? You figure this out and fix her. My wife will not be a statistic!” Tyrone brushed past Neil and ran back to Lenora’s bedside.

In the waiting room, the others stared, agog, after Tyrone as he left. “I’m sorry. We are not giving up, I assure you,” Neil said before leaving them.

“Cian would know what to do,” Theresa said, taking out her phone and getting up to pace.

“I’ll…I’ll call Crystal,” Landon croaked. “The kids…all of them…will need to know.”

“Something smells extremely suspicious,” Deus said, looking murderous. “Don’t you all think it strange that Mathilda, Liam, and Cian are all out of reach while Lenora contracted this…whatever it is? She comes down with some potentially fatal mysterious illness that nobody has seen before, and the only ones capable of healing her are all occupied. I smell a rat, and I intend to find out where said rat is hiding.”

Erica swirled a long lock of hair around her finger and frowned. “It does appear odd, dear. but I don’t know what to make of it. It could be purely coincidental.”

 

Erica & Deus (Medium)

“Bullshit,” Deus said. “My hackles are up and for very good reason, I’m certain. Two and two are being added, but four is not the answer that’s coming up. I think it’s time to go sniffing.”

Author’s Note: The majority of the poses I used for this chapter came from two sources. The first is from Poses by Bee. Her poses are amazing, and I’d highly recommend them. The second source is from You Name It, I’ll Pose It by Blamsart, who made some poses for me by personal request. Again, some awesome poses here that I’d definitely recommend checking out. I’m in awe at the amazing talent of these wonderful creators. Without people such as Bee and Blams, my stories wouldn’t be able to come to life as they do.

Promises Made, Promises Broken

Nise Dreamweaver
-
17
Promises Made, Promises Broken

This is my entry for the Monthly SimLit Short Story Challenge hosted by LisaBee. If you, the reader, would like to participate, please read all the entries and vote for your top three in both categories, Veteran and Novice. A list of entries and voting instructions will be given out on the first of July. Thank you all for your support of all the talented participants who work hard to provide these awesome stories for our reading pleasure.

This month’s theme – A June Wedding
Word count – 800 max
Screenshots – 5-8

My word count – 489
Screenshots – 5

 

Veterann Banner

 

Sisters 1 (Medium)

The balmy, perfect June day felt as frigid as a December blizzard. I shivered, hugging myself as I watched my twin sister preen before the mirror in her flowing white wedding dress. She looked exquisite, and the euphoria radiating from her shattered my heart into a million irreparable pieces.

My sister was getting married. I should be happy. Instead, I wanted to die. It should be my wedding day, not Victoria’s. 

 

Sisters Hugging (Medium)

“Oh, sis, I can’t believe this day is finally here!” Victoria gushed, hugging me tight. “Thank you for standing up with me and being the best twin sister a woman could ever have.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I arranged my face into a sisterly smile as I hugged her back. I loved my sister; she was my twin. I wanted her to be happy. I wanted to be able to rejoice in her joy. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t fully do that…and it was all because of Matt.

 

Matt 1 (Medium)

Matt used to be my boyfriend until two years ago. We were happy and madly in love, and I always thought I’d marry him one day. Our life was almost perfect, but almost wasn’t good enough. Matt wanted kids; I didn’t. I wanted to travel the world and explore unfamiliar lands. It became an unresolved issue in our relationship, the proverbial elephant in the room. The engagement was called off, and we went our separate ways to lick our wounds.

I went on an eighteen-month trip to Asia, and Matt took a trip right into Victoria’s waiting arms. She wanted kids, the big family, and a nicely grounded life; they were perfect for each other. I told myself I should be happy for them, but my heart wouldn’t listen. I still loved Matt and would run back to him in an instant if given the chance. I’m a selfish person; I want Matt and my globetrotting life. Wanderlust lost me the love of my life, and wanderlust is now the only thing that comforts me now.

 

Sisters Talking 1 (Medium)

“You’ll find your Mr. Right, too, Regina,” Victoria said softly. Even now, we always picked up on each other’s emotions. 

Again, I smiled but allowed a tincture of sadness through. “Don’t you worry about me. This is your day, and I’m elated for you. I’m okay, really.”

“Promise?”

“Pinky swear.” I laced my pinky with hers, knowing that promises made could easily become promises broken. “Now, let’s get you hitched.”

 

Getting Married (Medium)

The ceremony was beautiful; there was not a dry eye in the entire place. I cried most of all, but nobody was aware of my broken heart. I always cried at weddings anyway. I’d always been outwardly supportive of Matt and Victoria’s relationship, so nobody was wise to the despair within my soul.

My twin sister was married on a beautiful, golden June day. For me, it would always remain the coldest, darkest day of the year.

Forever in Time: Chapter 20, Hanging in the Balance

Nise Dreamweaver
-
6
Forever in Time: Chapter 20, Hanging in the Balance

Content Warning! One F-Bomb dropped.

As it turned out, the talk Lenora planned to have with Aurora and Mathilda never happened.

 

Lenora Asleep (Medium)

Lenora looked exhausted by the time she and Tyrone went to bed and was sound asleep before Tyrone turned off the lights. Tyrone felt a disturbance slice through his wolf’s sixth sense while a similar sensation ran through the bond he shared with Lenora. It was Lenora with the psychic abilities, but Tyrone suddenly felt a black sense of foreboding that something was going to happen to his Lenora. He pulled her protectively close, snuggling her against him. Perhaps if he held her tight enough, he could protect her from this darkness he was sensing. 

Tyrone fell into an uneasy sleep full of disjointed, disturbing dreams. He jerked awake around 5AM, gripped in the throes of terror. His heart pounded so hard, he thought it might explode. Cold sweat ran down his back, and he had to swallow a scream. Something happened to Lenora, he just knew it.

 

Tyrone Carrying Lenora (Medium)

With dread, Tyrone turned on the lights and leaned over his wife. The splash of golden hair cascading over Lenora’s pillow was the only color Tyrone saw on her. She was barely breathing. Tyrone didn’t need to put his ear to Lenora’s chest to detect she had an irregular heartbeat; he could feel it in his very being. “Oh, fuck! Lenora!” As he felt a piece of his soul beginning to slide away, he jumped from the bed and effortlessly lifted Lenora in his arms. He had to get her to the hospital immediately.

 

tyrone, Lenora, & Landon 1 (Medium)

Tyrone burst through the door and was met by Landon, who stood in the hallway that connected the duplex. “Something’s wrong. I awoke from a nightmare and knew something was wrong.” Landon had been about to knock on their door when Tyrone came barreling through. 

Tyrone didn’t think twice about Landon’s statement. He’d never had an all-out vision, but Landon’s premonitions and intuition was always spot on. “It’s Lenora. She’s a lot sicker than she was letting on. It’s bad, Landon. I need to get her to the hospital. The kids–”

“I’ll bring the car around and ask Crystal to stay with the kids. We’ll call her when we know more,” Landon said.

“Okay. Hurry. Just hurry!”

It was the longest ride Tyrone ever took. As Landon sped toward the hospital, he sat in the backseat with Lenora. “Hold on, Lenora. Don’t you leave me,” he said over and over like a mantra. The strands of their bond sizzled with disorder. The blackness wanted to take his Lenora from him, and the part of him that held Lenora continued its tumultuous slide.

 

Tyrone Carrying Lenora Into Hospital (Medium)

In a blur, Tyrone sprinted through the emergency room doors with Lenora in his arms. “My wife! Please…help my wife!”

“Put her down here, sir,” a man said as a gurney was wheeled close. 

Tyrone hesitated, instinctively tightening his hold on her in protection. How could he let her go? She needed him. “Sir, we can’t examine her if you don’t let her go,” the man said gently but insistently. 

 

Lenora on Stretcher (Medium)

Tyrone lowered her to the gurney, kissing her temple before straightening up. “I want to go with her. I need to go with her.”

“No, sir. Please stay here, and we’ll come for you once we have her stabilized,” the man insisted.

 

Tyrone Sitting 1 (Medium)

Utter helplessness descended on him as they wheeled his Lenora away to what seemed like parts unknown. As he sank into a chair, he saw that Landon was on his phone, probably with Crystal. Tyrone considered pulling out his phone to call Theresa but dismissed it just as quickly. The twin bond and telepathic link they shared worked quicker. He reached for his twin, who immediately swam into his awareness.

//I knew something was wrong the second you woke up. I could feel it. What’s happened, Tyrone?//

//It’s Lenora. Something’s happened to her…some kind of sickness. I don’t know what. We need Cian here ASAP. Can you reach him?// Tyrone communicated.

//I can try, bro, but he’s in an area where cell reception is spotty at best. I’ll keep trying until I get him. Is she going to be okay?//

//I…I don’t know. She was barely breathing when I brought her here. We’re at the hospital now. Theresa…sis…I can’t lose her. I just couldn’t survive that. How could I break that kind of news to the kids?//

//Sweetie, you won’t. Lenora is strong, and she’s a fighter. Listen, I’m coming over there now. I’ll call Mom and Dad and fill them in, and I’ll keep trying Cian,// Theresa thought back.

//Okay. I’m going to call Grandda Liam and tell him what’s going on. I’m sue he’ll be able to reach Mathilda. Val needs to know, too.//

//Mom can call Val. Hang in there, brother. I love you.//

//Love you, too, sis,// Tyrone communicated before mentally releasing Theresa.

 

Erica Hugging Tyrone (Medium)

There was still no word on Lenora’s condition by the time Theresa, Erica, and Deus arrived. Erica rushed straight to her son and enfolded him in a tight embrace. “Sweetheart, what happened?”

Tyrone swallowed hard, fighting for composure. “I don’t know, Mom. Lenora hadn’t been feeling well all day, and I was worried. She insisted it was just a bug. I was going to insist she get looked at the next day if she didn’t feel better, but…“ He threw his hands up in a frustrated, helpless gesture. “Mom…I-I think I’m feeling her dying.” He covered his face and sat down hard in the nearest chair.

 

Tyrone, Theresa, Erica, & Deus (Medium)

“Son, you’ve got to hang in there. Lenora needs you. I can only imagine how this must feel, but falling apart won’t do either of you any good,” Deus said, resting a hand on his son’s shoulder. 

“I suppose not.” Tyrone shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve never been so frightened in my life. Landon and I didn’t even change out of our night clothes. The children! What am I going to tell the children?”

“You’ll tell them the truth, sweetie, once we know what we’re dealing with. We brought you and Landon some stuff to change into so you’re not running around in your skivvies. I’m going to check on Landon and call Crystal so she knows what we know, at least. Theresa, dear, will you get Tyrone some coffee?” Erica said, taking charge of the situation in her motherly way.

“Of course. Does anyone else want anything?” Theresa asked.

 

The hands on a nearby clock crawled along at a maddeningly slow pace as Tyrone waited for word of Lenora’s condition. He paced the floor like a caged animal, finding it impossible to just sit still. It took all his will to keep The Wolf at bay. The Wolf, sensing the peril his mate was in, would not be as easily controlled as he usually was. Of that, Tyrone was certain, and he didn’t want to unleash a beast who would totally lose himself if Lenora…if…Lenora…

Tyrone was unable to utter the possibility of Lenora’s dying, even to himself. “Great Drogo, give me strength. Protect my Lenora from this…whatever it is she’s suffering from and release both her and me from this hell. Please make it go away and send her back to me.”

Tyrone jumped when someone touched his shoulder. “Mr. Landgraab?”

 

Tyrone & Neil 1 (Medium)

He blinked, then narrowed his eyes at the stranger before him. “I’m Dr. Neil Hughes. I’ve been taking care of your wife.”

“Dr. Hughes,” Tyrone said flatly, uncertain of who this man was and what his medical capabilities were. 

The doctor seemed to pick up on Tyrone’s skepticism. “I specialize in supernatural illnesses but also offer my services to the nonmagical realm. I know who your wife is and was called in on her case in the absence of Dr McIntyre.”

 

Tyrone & Neil 2 (Medium)

“I see,” Tyrone said. He didn’t want to offend the doctor, as this wasn’t his nature, but it was his Lenora and her well-being that mattered more than someone’s would-be ruffled feathers. It was Cian he trusted and Cian who Tyrone wanted here instead of some youngster he didn’t know or trust. “Just what is wrong with my wife?”

“To be honest with you, I don’t know yet. We’re running more tests. In the meantime, I need to ask you some questions.”

“I need to see my wife and be with her. My kids need to know their mother isn’t going to–” Again, Tyrone couldn’t utter the word die. 

“I understand,” the doctor said. “You can be with your wife in just a few minutes. First, I need to ask you some questions. Perhaps your answers will help us determine the nature of her illness.”

Tyrone heaved a frustrated sigh and shrugged. “Fine.”

Dr. Hughes grilled Tyrone for what seemed an eternity. He asked about Lenora’s daily routine, places she traveled to over the past few weeks, what she’d ingested over the last couple days, and if she’d come in contact with anyone who’d been ill. “She hasn’t done anything out of the ordinary for a couple months or so. She’s been working steadily on the current book she’s writing. She’s always been healthy as a horse except for a couple of occurrences when she was younger.”

“Can you tell me about those occurrences, Mr. Landgraab?”

Tyrone filled the doctor in on the curse that had stricken Lenora as a teen as well as her collapse after the death of her first husband and son. “She’s never been sick a day in her life after that.”

Dr. Hughes rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’m going to run her blood through some more detailed testing and see if that gives us any clues. This may or may not be related. I just don’t know yet.”

“When will you know?”

“I’ll put a rush on this and hopefully have some answers within the hour. In the meantime, you can go in to her. She’s still unconscious, but I firmly believe they know when a loved one is near. Perhaps your presence will help her rally.”

 

Tyrone Touching Lenora's Hand, Leaning Head on Arm (Medium)

Tyrone didn’t need to be told twice. He hurried to where the doctor indicated and made a beeline to his wife’s side. His heart thundered wildly as he felt his soul balancing precariously on a ledge and waiting to fall into a bottomless pit. Tyrone momentarily squeezed his eyes shut to ward off the unyielding despair that wanted to paralyze him. Taking a steadying breath, he crouched next to his wife and took her hand. “I’m here, Lenora. I’m here, and I’m not leaving.” He kissed her limp fingers and rested his cheek on the back of her hand. “My Lenora, come back to me. I need you. The children need you. We all need you. Please come back, Lenora. I love you so much.”

 

Tyrone Leaning Over Lenora 1 (Medium)

The only response from Lenora was the slight rise and fall of her chest as she took in shallow sips of air. Once again, the part of Tyrone’s soul that held Lenora slipped, and Tyrone was helpless to stop it. Getting to his feet, he leaned over Lenora as if to breathe life into her with his own breath. “Oh, Lenora…please don’t die. Please…don’t die, my Lenora.”

 

Author’s Note: For the last two pictures in this chapter, I used poses that were made for me as a request by Blamsart. These particular poses are not on the site as of yet, but they eventually will be. You can find some wonderful poses by going here to Blam’s Poses. Please remember that these are compatible only with Sims 3.

As always, thank you for reading, subscribing, liking, commenting, and lurking.

Forever in Time: Chapter 19, Making Sense of the Magic

Nise Dreamweaver
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23
Forever in Time: Chapter 19, Making Sense of the Magic

Tyrone Sitting 1 (Medium)

As the day wore on, Lenora appeared to be feeling better, but Tyrone was still worried. She’d managed to crawl out of bed by mid-afternoon, but through their bond, Tyrone sensed how puny she still felt. Lenora insisted she didn’t need medical attention, magical or otherwise, but Tyrone wasn’t convinced.

Apparently, the fates were conspiring against him. Theresa informed him that Cian was away at a medical conference for the next week and couldn’t be reached. Mathilda was also unavailable due to Ariadne needing her help on urgent magical business. Shoving his phone into his pocked, Tyrone heaved a frustrated sigh.

 

Lenora & Tyrone 1 (Medium)

“Don’t look so dejected, Wolfman. It’ll run its course. I’m not a fragile Victorian fainter, after all,” Lenora said, attempting some brevity and a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry.”

As Tyrone studied Lenora intently, she took after him with the newspaper, pretending to swat him. Tyrone laughed despite his concern, then enfolded his wife in his powerful arms. “It’s my job to worry. You still look pale, and I can sense how gnarly you feel. I just don’t want you to overdo.”

 

Tyrone Holding Lenora 1 (Medium)

“I’ll go to bed early tonight and will be better in the morning, I’m sure. I need to pick up the wee ones from school a little later, and I promised I’d watch Aurora’s new ballet routine today. Plus, there’s homework and dinner to see to,” Lenora replied.

“I’ll go get the kids. As to dinner, there’s enough leftovers for a small country. I’ll take care of that so you can rest. Homework and ballet is all yours.” Tyrone kissed her before settling her on the sofa and arranging pillows behind her back.

 

Lenora Sleeping 1 (Medium)

Lenora was soon in a light sleep but awoke when the kids blew in through the door like a hurricane. “I swear, if I have to do another fraction, I’m gonna puke,” Chris bellowed.

“It’s not so bad, man,” Cousin Carson replied.

 

Kids 3 (Medium)

“That’s because Mrs. Jax likes you. Besides, you’re one of the smartest ones in that class. You always get it on the first go-around,” Chris argued.

“Oh, I dunno,” Carson said, embarrassment in his voice. Lenora suspected her nephew was blushing all the way to the tips of his ears. “I want to be a lawyer, so I know I have to study hard.”

“Of all the things to be, Red.” Andrea snorted and rolled her eyes.

“It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it,” Carson said in a mock John Wayne manner, which made the rest of the kids laugh.

 

Lenora & Kids 1 (Medium)

Lenora got to her feet and shepherded them all into the dining room table. “Ye can tell me all about your day over milk and cookies, then I’ll help ye with your homework.”

“You okay, Ma? You look really sick,” Aurora said, her brow furrowed in worry as she studied her mother.

“Yeah, you look wrecked, Auntie,” Carson added.

“Well, thank ye ever so much,” Lenora said on a chuckle while rumpling Carson’s hair.

“You’re welcome. Seriously, Auntie, did you catch that flu that’s going around? Half the class has been out, and Ms. Duncan had to go home after barfing her lunch up in the hallway.”

 

Lenora 1 (Medium)

Lenora wrinkled her nose and felt her stomach do a lazy roll. Even the mention of vomit made her own gorge rise. She took a deep, steadying breath, swallowed, and smiled wanly. “I suppose I did, darling.”

“Ewww. That means we’re all gonna get it,” Andrea sighed.

“Nah. You and Chris probably won’t because you’re wolves. You guys hardly ever get sick,” Jonas said a little begrudgingly. “Still, if we get the chance to stay home from school, it’s worth it.”

“That is, until ye have to make up your work,” Lenora pointed out.

“Geez, Ma! What a way to spoil a kid’s good time,” Jonas grinned.

 

Aurora 1 (Medium)

However, Aurora was looking at her mother strangely. Her daughter’s eyes were squinted, and her face was scrunched in absolute concentration. Lenora felt something inside her stir. She breathed in a short, sharp gasp at the intense outpouring of love and concern she felt from Aurora through her empathic senses. It was Aurora’s next statement that caused Lenora to grab the edge of the table as she tried to get her breath and heart rate under control.

“I can feel it, Ma. You feel better than you did this morning, but you still feel really sick.”

As the children grew and matured, their uniquely special gifts were coming to light. Lenora suspected for a while that Aurora would manifest at least some of her powers. Jonas, too, was showing signs of his own powers appearing. Chris and Andrea’s wolfish instincts became more acute every day. While Andrea excelled at athletics and languages (she was learning French, German, and Italian), Chris was already a whiz at the culinary arts and had a talent for reading people through body language and facial expressions. Being a werewolf helped in that regard because of the sixth sense that wolves were equipped with.

 

Lenora & Aurora 2 (Medium)

Lenora smiled as reassuringly as she could. “I won’t deny feeling lousy, but it’ll pass, sweetheart. We can talk about it later though, all right? Let’s get your schoolwork done first, shall we?” Lenora would talk with Aurora later, as she was sure Aurora would have questions about the powers and talents she was developing. She and Tyrone would give ample time to make sure each one of their children was comfortable with their developing gifts.

Lenora loved helping the kids with their homework, but she had to admit to herself that she felt wrung out afterward. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for the next week. Regardless, her work wasn’t done because she had a promise to fulfill to Aurora.

 

Aurora2BDoing2BBallet2BFor2BLenora2B2

“It’s beautiful, darling,” Lenora said as Aurora, clad in her frilly pink tutu, pirouetted around her.

“Do you really think so, Ma?” Aurora asked.

“I think ye know how to check to see if I’m telling the truth,” Lenora said gently.

“Oh, you mean, the…um…feelings?”

Lenora nodded.

Aurora closed her eyes and concentrated. “I’m glad you’re not pulling my leg, Ma,” she said on a crooked grin. “I still feel sorta clumsy sometimes, and I hate falling on my keister. Geez, this empathy thing gives me a headache.” Aurora rubbed her temples and winced.

 

Lenora2BPraising2BAurora2B1

Lenora stroked Aurora’s cheek and hugged her. “Developing a skill takes practice, patience, and persistence. Ye sometimes have to fall, but ye then must get back up and keep at it. Ye get some bumps and scrapes along the way, but it’s worth it once ye become proficient.” Lenora’s Irish lilt always thickened when she gave serious advice or felt deep emotion. “The headache will go away in a few minutes, and ye won’t get them at all once this becomes more natural.”

“Did you get headaches when you were learning, too?”

“Och, yes! It just comes with the territory.” She looked intently at the little girl. “If they get very painful, ye must tell me. Exerting too much magic before ye can handle it isn’t healthy.”

“Sure, Ma. I’ll be careful.”

“Good. Aurora, are there any more abilities ye want to share with me?” Lenora asked.

“Well…” Aurora rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Promise you won’t laugh?”

“Pinky swear,” Lenora replied, extending her right pinky.

Lacing her pinky with her mother’s, Aurora blew out a long breath and continued. “I…well, I can see things. It’s kinda like I’m watching a movie. These images just come when I don’t expect them to. Sometimes I see things that have already happened, but sometimes I see things somewhere when I don’t think I’ve been born yet. Then, there are times when I think I see things that are going to happen. Sometimes it’s all jumbled. And then, there’s the music. I swear there’s power that comes out of me when I’m playing the piano or singing, Ma. It’s…it’s kinda like that Twilight Zone episode where this piano makes others feel what’s inside the music it’s playing. Only I’m that piano, Ma. I can make people feel certain ways when I’m practicing music. It’s more than just them enjoying or appreciating it. It’s…oh…I don’t know how to explain it. And then, there’s these colored lights I see around people and animals. It’s like I can tell what they’re thinking or read who they really are in these lights. And I hear them in my head, Ma. I can hear people’s thoughts in my head!” All this came out in a rush, and Aurora hugged herself. “I never told anyone this before. They’d think I’m crazy. I’m not, crazy…am I?”

Lenora listened with rapt attention, flabbergasted by everything Aurora was saying. “I sensed there was a lot ye were trying to work through lately but figured you’d come to me with it when ye were ready. Come here and sit beside me, sweetheart. We have a lot to talk about.”

 

Lenora & Aurora Sitting on Couch (Medium)

Aurora did as her mother requested and snuggled against her side. “it freaks me out more than a little sometimes.”

“With great power comes great responsibility. I want ye to always remember that because, Aurora, my love, it sounds like ye are destined for amazingly magical adventures.” She stroked Aurora’s hair and hugged her close. “First of all, you’re not crazy. It sounds to me like ye inherited my empathic and psychic abilities. We can work on those together, and I’ll help ye to be able to control and master them. Music has a magic all its own, but it sounds like ye have a talent that goes above and beyond that. This is very, very powerful magic, more powerful than either of us knows. I will speak with your great grandmother about this. Plus, it sounds like ye have the ability to read auras. This ability is usually only seen in fairies. The magical music ability is also usually a fairy ability although Sirens also have their own brand of magical music. I will speak with GG about this because I’ll admit some of this is beyond my knowledge.”

Aurora’s eyes widened. “You mean…I could almost be a fairy?”

Lenora chuckled. “I get the idea this makes ye happy.”

“Heck yeah! I mean, I love fairies. I’m going to marry a fairy prince one day, you know.”

“So ye tell me every day,” Lenora laughed. “For now, let’s just see what GG has to say.”

“Can we talk to her together? I mean, she might want a demonstration or something,” Aurora said, bouncing slightly on her sofa cushion. Lenora could both see and feel the excitement in Aurora now that she was assured her sanity was intact.

“I think that’s a fine idea. We’ll invite her and Grandda over for dinner once GG returns from her trip. How does that sound?”

“Awesome! You might want to talk to the others as well. They’ve got some extra juice, too. It’s different than mine, but it’s still extra juice.”

Lenora grinned and ruffled Aurora’s hair. “I will take that under advisement. Now, off to bed. It’s getting late and I’m knackered.”

Aurora raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you’re okay, Ma?”

“Now, don’t start that again, o daughter of mine.” Lenora pretended to tweak Aurora’s nose, which made her giggle. “Tomorrow’s a new day, and I will be fine. Now, off to bed with ye. I’ll be up to tuck ye in in just a couple minutes.”

 

Lenora Hugging Aurora (Medium)

Aurora hugged her mother tightly. “I surely do love you, Ma, lots and lots.”

“And I love ye to the moon and back again…forever and ever.”

Author’s Note: I’m at the point now in the story where I’m including newly written material along with the previously published (on Blogger) material that I’m reworking. Because of this, I’m gathering new screenshots to go along with the ones I’ve already taken. In some instances, I have to recreate certain aspects, namely the quads as children. In the main save, they are grown up, and I never saved the child versions, thinking I wouldn’t need them anymore. This means I had to age down the kids. In doing so, you may notice some differences in looks between scenes. I tried to put things back as closely as I could, but it’s not perfect by any stretch of the word. I wanted to bring this to your attention just in case I get some raised eyebrows. :D.

Thank you to Piazza Girl for the use of Carson. He was born in her game and sometimes appears briefly in her story, A Race Against Time. I fell in love with that kid, so she graciously agreed to letting me use him. I have big plans for him, so he will be appearing a lot in my stories. If you have not done so already, I highly recommend checking out Piazza Girl’s story, as it’s totally awesome.

As always, thanks for reading, subscribing, liking, commenting, and lurking.

A Small Update: Some Minor Changes & Decisions Made

Nise Dreamweaver
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6
A Small Update: Some Minor Changes & Decisions Made

sharon-sitting-1

Hiya again, my fellow Simlies!

Okay, so it’s only been a few days since my last update, but there are some things I need to bring your attention to. First of all, I want to revisit the issue where I was having problems getting my posts to show up in the WordPress Reader. I thought I had the problem licked but sadly, that was not the case. The long and short of it was that I’ve been emailing back and forth with the support folks over at Jetpack (this is a huge Plugin you need when your site is being self-hosted) to see what the problem was. As it turned out, the RSS feeds to both this site and my SimLit Legacy Stories by Sharon Blog were borked up, so the Reader couldn’t pick up my posts. I’m happy to report that my issue is now fixed on both sites, so my posts should now start showing up in your Reader. Because of the issue, there are posts that many of you have probably missed, so please check both sites to get up to speed. Also, please refer to the previous update to see what you might have missed.

I’ve made a few itty, bitty minor changes to this blog, which leads me into the decision I have made. Not much has changed, really; only post titles are slightly different. As I do with my SimLit Legacy Stories Blog , I’ve decided to label each chapter with the name of the story. So, for example, you will see something like, “Forever in Time: Chapter 18, In Worry and Illiness” (Quotation marks not included). This is because I’ve decided that I’ll be adding more stories to this site. Originally, I was going to keep this for Forever in Time posts and related material, short stories, and the Pen Pal Project letters. Another blog was going to be created for other non-legacy type stories. This still might be done down the road, but for now, this site is certainly capable of hosting more than one story, hence the addition of story titles being added to each chapter to lessen confusion. I made this decision because, frankly, I’m not in the mood and am too damned lazy to build another website from the ground up at this time. 😀 This means less maintenance on my part, less blogs for followers to subscribe to, and more time for me to Sim and create.

I’m trying to make navigation as easy as possible. You will be able to navigate to each story from the top navigation menu, pages to important info will be in the sidebar, and an “About” page for each story will also be on the top menu. This will be laid out very similarly to my SimLit Legacy Stories Blog. I will make update posts when new stories are added so you can be made aware of them.

Just as a reminder, if your Sims are looking for a pen pal to write to, let me know since I love partaking in the Pen Pal Project. Please see previous update for more info and my thoughts on that.

If you have not done so already, please subscribe to my SimLit Legacy Stories by Sharon Blog. You will find several multi-generational type stories there. There will sometimes be crossovers between them and Forever in Time due to a couple of stories being companion stories to this.

I will leave off here before the rain carries me off. Heaven knows we’ve had more than our fair share of it here.

Take care, everyone, and Happy Simming!

Let’s Chat! :)

Nise Dreamweaver
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2
Let’s Chat! :)

sharon-sitting

Hello, my fellow Simlies!

Although I have been posting a lot, I thought it was time for a quick chat and update.

I am always finding ways of improving my blogs. Since I am doing self-hosted ones, there are a lot more options at my fingertips than I had before, which I love. This means I can add more cool features and make the sites look unique. There is always something new to learn; each new discovery thrills and excites me.

With that said, I want to give a huge thank you to Kymber who turned me on to an excellent plugin called Comment Luv. Basically what this plugin does is it gives an option for people who comment to share a link to their blog and display a link to a recent post. As SimLit authors, I believe we should support and encourage one another, so this gives a great opportunity for that. For those interested in the plugin, you can find it here.

Please Note: It’s worth mentioning that, unfortunately, plugins aren’t available for WordPress.com users unless they want to pay the exorbitant price for the Professional Plan for more bells and whistles for a website/blog. When I was considering making the switch to the self-hosted (WordPress.org) sites, this the final thing that sent me running. Yes, I had to build the sites from the ground up (frustrating but fun, too, in many ways) and bucks were involved, but it was much, much less than WordPress’s professional Plan.

I realize this is probably more technical than most people care to read, but I felt i should try to save you some disappointment before realizing the hard way that you can’t use plugins on WordPress.com’s Free plan.

I would also like to ask a favor. If you could please comment below and tell me if you see this (and possibly my other posts) in your WordPress reader if that is the method you use to read blogs. It seems they weren’t showing up before, so I did some twiddling which, I hope, solved my issue. If you are willing, I’d certainly appreciate it. 🙂

For those who play TS4, are you ready for Island Living? I haven’t gotten into it yet (am waiting for it to install as I type this) but plan to spend some time with it a little later. As you already probably know, I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Sims 3 fan, so I don’t play Sims 4 nearly as much. Also, all my stories are done with Sims 3. However, I am not adverse to fiddling with Sims 4 to come up with something, even if it’s simply a couple of short stories. I’d have to bone up on how to use poses (from what I gather, it’s a lot different than posing for Sims 3), but it shouldn’t be too difficult…I hope. 😀 It might be a while because with s new EP comes outdated Mods.  If this is something you might be interested to see, please comment below and share your opinions.

I want to give another huge thank you to Kymber, who graciously honored me with my being the subject for her latest Author Interview. The questions she asked were awesome, and i had a total blast writing up my answers. The questions were thought-provoking, so it gave me a lot to consider as I wrote my answers. Thank you so much, Kymber. I loved how it came out and can’t tell you enough how excited and honored I was to take part.

For anyone who is interested, you can read the interview here.

As for my stories, I’m still reworking the previously written material that was on Blogger to improve the quality. Here is a list of status updates for each story.

Forever in Time – Things are going to get very intense very fast. I’m at a point right now where I’m actually rewriting (and scrapping the old) what will be happening. I feel I can give it much more depth, tension, and action with the rewrite. I’ll probably be able to use the screenshots I took for the original Blogger posts, so that will help in my being able to et the posts up quicker. Still, revamping does take time, and I don’t want to rush it. I want to provide a good quality work of SimLit rather than a half-baked one. We’re getting there, folks, so please bear with me. Just as a heads up, you’ll see that there will be a lot of hankie warnings, so be prepared.

Serenade – I’ve reworked a lot within the past 2 or 3 chapters and added material that wasn’t there in the original when it was called As Tears Go By. For those familiar with the original, you will see that the improved version has Simon playing the situation very differently. I think the rewrite gives it more layers and makes for a better read. I hope you all agree with my assessment. We’re nearing the end of the “old” material though (just a couple chapters more for revamping), so completely new material will be coming up shortly.

Heartsongs & Enchantments – As in Forever in Time, we will soon be getting into some intensity with coming up events. As mentioned before, this is a companion story to Forever in Time, so we we will see some character and event crossovers as well. Again, I am reworking the material from the Blogger site to make it a better read. I’m still dealing with those chapters, but it shouldn’t be long before totally new material will be coming up.

For my stories, The Castaways and Passion’s Strange Magic, those have just started, so no reworking needed. I would also recommend reading Ileah’s Bachelorette challenge before you begin Passion’s Strange Magic because doing the opposite will give away spoilers. From time to time, you will see characters from other stories appearing in both of these. They are standalone stories, though, so not much prior knowledge is needed in order to enjoy them.

I will be continuing my Diary of Sims series as well. As of now, I have only one installment, so I’m sorry for sorely neglecting it. These are all “one-shot” stories totally independent of the bigger works, and multiple platforms can be used. This means I can give Sims from multiple games some screentime, which allows me to show other creations that don’t make it into my main stories. Please consider reading this post about my gal, Emily Crebs, to give you an idea of how this series works.

I’m still involved in The Pen Pal Project although, admittedly, it’s been rather slow for everyone lately, myself included, as a couple of my Sims owe letters. This is where our Sims write letters to another person’s Sims. It was organized by the wonder CathyTea. Feel free to take a look at that forum thread (linked above) and see if it carries some interest for you. If anyone has any Sims interested in writing pen pal letters to any of my Sims, please comment below, and we can get something going. How I work my pen pal saves is that I have separate saves than the ones I use for my stories. This way, the Sims won’t age up and die as quickly as they might in a story save when played constantly in order to get chapters out. This avoids a situation where, in one letter, you have a young adult. Then, some time passes between letters and boom, your Sim is an elder in the next. Pen pals just don’t last long that way. 😀 I mention this because I like to keep my Sims around as long as possible so there’s more time for lots of letters and a friendship to develop. You won’t have to worry about them dying off after the 3rd or 4th letter. 🙂 With that said, events from my stories will and do play into the letters, so I add spoiler alerts whenever needed. So again, if you have a Sim interested in pen palling with any of mine, let me know.

With that, I’ll end here by wishing you all a great (and dry) rest of the week (it’s been raining incessantly here). Enjoy your Father’s Day, and Happy Simming!

Forever in Time: Chapter 18, In Worry and Illness

Nise Dreamweaver
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6
Forever in Time: Chapter 18, In Worry and Illness

Lenora Sitting on Couch (Medium)

Over the next couple days, Lenora was haunted by Valerie’s visit. If she hadn’t been convinced before that something was dreadfully amiss with Valerie, she certainly was now. Valerie had never been one to fall asleep in her chair. She was always lively, energetic, and funny. During the visit, she was the exact opposite. Plus, she seemed dazed and confused, and Lenora could have sworn Valerie looked like she was on something. Valerie was being secretive about something, which worried Lenora.

Lenora was a skilled psychic and empath but never liked to use her talents to pry into people’s lives. She considered it exceedingly rude and impolite. Even so, many times, visions and intuitions came to Lenora without her having to exert extra energy to call them forth. She didn’t actively try to get a reading on Valerie, but nothing came to her either. It was probably just as well; it would be better for Valerie to ask for help instead of her family pushing her into it before she was ready.

Aside from her concern for Valerie, Lenora was uneasy and couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong. Her mind drifted back to the awful premonition she’d had during her pregnancy with the quads. She’d called to Tyrone, who had held and comforted her as best he could. Afterward, Tyrone had alerted the family to Lenora’s premonition and asked them to be more vigilant than usual. Nothing had come of it, but now, Lenora couldn’t erase it from her mind or dismiss the feeling it had given her.

“Lenora, darling, what’s wrong?” Tyrone asked her one afternoon as she sat on the sofa trying to read. “You’ve been reading that same page over and over for the last ten minutes.”

She closed the book with a snap and dropped it onto the coffee table with more force than was necessary. “I don’t know, love. Something just feels so off balance, and I can’t shake the feeling that something awful is going to happen.”

“Do you think it’s your worry over Valerie that’s feeding the feeling?” Tyrone asked.

“I won’t deny that could be part of it, but honestly, it’s more than that. Remember that premonition I had years ago? I can’t seem to omit it from my thoughts for some reason. I have a terrible feeling and don’t know why. It’s so frightening.” Lenora shuddered and hugged herself tightly. “Will you hold me, please? Just…hold me.”

 

Tyrone Holding Lenora 3 (Medium)

Lenora was in his arms even before she completed the request. She took comfort in the slow, methodical way Tyrone’s hands stroked the long length of her hair. His deep, masculine scent surrounded her. His breath was warm on her ear as he whispered soothing words and endearments to her. Some of the fear lessened as his hard body supported her weight. Tyrone was her rock and always would be. As long as she had him, how could she be afraid?

 

 

Lenora Headache (Medium)

A few days later, Lenora awoke with a blinding headache with nausea also coursing its way through her. Knowing she’d never make it to the bathroom in time, she leaned over the side of the bed and retched. With every heave, kaleidoscopes of pain burst through her skull. Every part of her body ached, and she felt as weak as a newborn kitten.

 

Lenora Waking Up (Medium)

After the assault, Lenora groaned and crawled back under the covers. “Och, merciful heaven, I feel like hell.”

“That’s obvious,” Tyrone said, coming to her side and brushing damp tendrils of hair from her sweaty brow. “It isn’t like you to get so sick.” Because of the magical bond they shared, he never had to ask if she was all right or how she was feeling. He just knew and was able to anticipate her needs at just the right moment.

“Yeah,” she croaked. “I guess it was bound to catch up with me sooner or later.”

Tyrone kissed her forehead and arranged the covers around her more comfortably. “Well, you’re going to stay right here in this bed and get better. I’ll take care of everything and get the kids off to school.”

“Okay.”

Tyrone’s brow furrowed with worry. As ill as she was, he still expected an argument from his wife, even if it was only a halfhearted one. Her weak acquiescence and the wretched sickly feeling he felt along the strands of their bond concerned him. Lenora was the picture of health, so seeing her this way greatly unnerved him.

 

Lenora Asleep (Medium)

Lenora was asleep before Tyrone left the room. He supposed she’d contracted some kind of flu bug, so the best thing to do was to keep her as hydrated as possible and let her sleep for as long as she needed. Still, something in the way she looked and the messages he received from their bond put Tyrone’s guard up. Once the kids were gone to school, he would ask Mathilda or Cian to have a look at her. Lenora would probably make a big fuss about it, but Tyrone would definitely feel better.

What Tyrone didn’t realize was that he had very good reason to worry and that there was more to worry about than he realized.

 

Author’s Note: This is a short chapter, I know, and I’m sorry for that. Things are about to get really intense, which means the next few chapters or so will be longer than usual. There will be a lot of hankie warnings coming up, so be prepared.

Also, I’m sorry for the delay in updates for my stories, including this one. My game has been acting temperamental in terms of the store content. For some reason, not all the content was installing, which would give me the dreaded and annoying missing objects warning. I had no choice but to redo it and reinstall my content, which took me about a day and a half. It wasn’t fun, but I (hopefully) think I’m good to go now. Between that and a lot happening in my personal life, it kept me away from my stories.

As always, thank you for reading, subscribing, liking, commenting, and lurking.

A Mother’s Fight

Nise Dreamweaver
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37
A Mother’s Fight

Short Story Banner For May, 2019 (Medium)

This is my entry for the Monthly SimLit Short Story Challenge , organized by LisabeeSims, a fellow SimLit writer. May’s theme is Mother, Motherhood, Mothering. If you would like to participate, please visit the link above. At the end of the month, readers will vote for their top 3 favorite stories in two categories, Veteran and Novice. This means a total of 6 votes will be cast by each reader. If you would like to take part in that, again, please visit the link for instructions. Please note that you must read ALL the entries before casting your vote.

As always, thank you for reading, subscribing, liking, commenting, and lurking. Please show your support to all the amazing, talented writers by reading, liking, and commenting on their stories, too.

Word count: 504
Screenshots: 6

 

I’ll never forget the day I became a mother.

 

Max 1 (Medium)

Okay, so I didn’t give birth to him, thank God, and he’s not even human. Does that really matter? I mean, he’s a little soul who needs someone to take care of him, provide for his needs, and love him unconditionally. Isn’t that what being a mother is all about?

 

Jessica Holding Max 1 (Medium)

Max was the runt of the litter, so nobody wanted him. I always rooted for the underdog anyway but couldn’t resist his little face when I saw him. I paid the breeder the fee she asked for, scooped him up, and cooed over him like any new mother would.

 

Jessica & Max Sleeping (Medium)

Once home, I got out his food and water bowls and made sure his bed was all set up. I wanted him to settle in nicely, so I slept on the sofa that first night to keep close and watch over him.

Everyone loved Max. Even my mom called him her Granddog. All was right in my world until Max became very ill. I was beside myself one day when he whimpered in pain and nothing would stay in his stomach for long.

I was a hysterical mess when I found out Max had cancer. There were two choices: I could have him peacefully euthanized or pay a sizable chunk of change to have it treated. There were no guarantees of the treatment being successful, but there was no question in my mind about what to do. My baby deserved a fighting chance, and I would be right there fighting alongside him.

“Honey, are you sure about this?” Mom asked when I sobbed out my sorrow over the phone to her “It might not work, and your heart would be broken all over again.”

 

Jessica Crying on Phone (Medium)

“Mom, I have to try! I’m his mommy, and I have to do everything I can for him. You, of all people, should surely understand.”

She heaved a long sigh. “I do, Jessica. Truly, I do. Tell him Grandma loves him.”

I will,” I choked out. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.” I hung up quickly when I heard her start to cry on the other end. Staying on would make me blubber all the more, and I was hanging onto my sanity by only the thinnest of threads.

 

Jessica Holding Max 2 (Medium)

Nursing Max through his illness made me understand both the happy and dark sides of being a mother. I cried on his bad days and smiled on his good ones. I bought him special food when his regular stuff didn’t agree with him because of the treatments and hand-fed it to him when he was too weak to move. I cradled him in my arms when he seemed extra needy and played with him when he had the energy to chase his ball. My life centered on seeing him well and happy again.

 

Jessica Playing With Max (Medium)

And get well, he did. Max is a warrior and my hero. He’s healthy, happy, and the joy of my heart. What more could a mother want?

Forever in Time: Chapter 17, Shane’s Diabolical Plan

Nise Dreamweaver
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10
Forever in Time: Chapter 17, Shane’s Diabolical Plan

Content Warning! Some fowl language and derogatory names.

 

While Lenora and Tyrone’s life was sailing at a nice but busy clip, the same couldn’t be said for Valerie. She was still with Shane, but there was no heart or soul to the relationship. More and more, she was called on to babysit Allen, who made her nervous. His mental state seemed to be getting worse and worse as was his obsession with Lenora.  Getting Lenora and wanting her to stay with him was all he talked about.

 

d2151-shane2b262bvalerie2btalking2b2

When she tried to talk to Shane about it, he simply brushed her off and told her it wasn’t her job to psychoanalyze him. “He’s my brother, and I know him best,” he said curtly one day.

“But don’t you think he should be back on his meds? I mean, he’s lost complete touch with reality.”

“Don’t even go there, Val. Just do what you’re told, nothing more, nothing less,” Shane said, glaring malevolently at her.

Valerie ran an agitated hand through her hair and heaved a heavy sigh. “I can’t do that, Shane. I’m outa here, so don’t argue with me about it this time.” How many times had they gone round and round like this? Valerie figured it was too many to count.

With cheetah-like speed, Shane grabbed Valerie, who felt the prick of a needle in her arm. Almost immediately, Valerie felt herself go numb. The world seemed to melt away; a fog of unawareness surrounded her, and she remembered no more.

 

It had been a while since Shane had needed to drug Valerie. He knew how to get whatever he needed for a given situation, and the stuff he’d gotten to subdue Valerie was top of the line. It served several purposes; it kept her from being able to Wolf Out and turn on him, it made it so she was unable to remember what she did while under its influence, and best of all, it caused Valerie to be super suggestible so Shane could plant commands and false memories in her head. It kept Valerie under his control perfectly, which he needed in order to carry out his plan.

Shane’s plan was to kidnap Lenora and bring her here for Allen. At first, he never imagined pulling off something like that. In the beginning when Allen started raving about getting Lenora, Shane thought he’d forget about it in time and move on to something else. To his chagrin, it never happened, and Allen’s obsessive need to have Lenora multiplied by the day. When Shane started seeing Valerie, it seemed that she’d be the perfect accomplice to help him due to who he was and because of some deep-seated resentment toward her family.

However, it turned out that Valerie was both an asset and a liability. He’d hoped for her willingness to cooperate but knew he might not be able to bank on it. For extra insurance, he sought out an old witch whom he paid dearly in order to obtain the potion he’d been shooting Valerie up with over the last few weeks. When Valerie began to balk at watching Allen whenever Shane needed and threatened to leave, Shane blessed himself for having the foresight to have the backup plan to coerce Valerie to do his bidding. To carry this out, Shane needed Valerie, willing or not.

Nabbing Lenora would serve two purposes for Shane. Not only would it keep Allen occupied, but holding her hostage and tormenting her would be sweet revenge on her for dumping him the way she did. Instead of getting rid of her after he’d had his fun, she booted him simply because he was still legally married to that cunt Debbie. Well, he’d taken care of his whore of an ex wife, he was in the process of taking care of Lenora, and he’d eventually fix that bitch Crystal, too. No one yanked him around and got away with it.

 

e3567-valerie2bthinking

Shane studied Valerie closely, watching for the potion to take full effect. “Are you with me, Landgraab?” Shane asked in a mocking voice once Valerie’s eyes glazed over.

“I am here,” she said in a flat monotone.

“Good. Now, you will go to Lenora’s house tomorrow at 10 AM. When she offers you something to drink, you will slip the contents of this packet I’m going to give you into her drink when she is not looking. You will finish your drink and go through the social niceties of a friendly visit. After that, you will leave and come straight back here. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Repeat my instructions,” Shane commanded.

Valerie did, reciting them verbatim.

Shane slipped a little packet containing a small amount of white powder into Valerie’s hand. “Put this in your drawer and don’t forget to have it on you before you leave tomorrow. Once you put that away, come to bed.”

“Yes, Shane.”

 

eae93-shane2b262bvalerie2bwoohoo

Shane was rough with Valerie in bed as he always was when she was stoned like this. While under the potion’s influence, she never resisted him, but her motions lacked any kind of enthusiasm. It wasn’t much fun for Shane to bonk a rag doll, but at least he knew he dominated her in every way now.

 

Valerie Getting Up (Medium)

Valerie awoke early the next morning feeling as though her head was being pounded on by a jackhammer. She groaned and rubbed her temples. “What a bender!” she grumbled. “How much did I have to drink last night?”

She furrowed her brow, trying to remember where she’d been and what she’d drunk the night before. Trying to remember caused another burst of pain to shoot through her head, and a wave of nausea made her gag. She made it to the bathroom just in time as her stomach revolted and discharged its contents.

 

Valerie Making Coffee (Medium)

A shower, then coffee was what Valerie needed. After standing under the hot water until she felt relatively human, she staggered to the coffeepot where she filled a mug with the sludge Shane must have made earlier.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Shane smirked from where he sat at the kitchen table.

“Fuck you,” Valerie grated out. She just wasn’t in the mood for his bullshit today.

Shane just laughed. “Look who’s hung over. We sure had a blast at that bar last night .You really tied it on, babe. You were sexy as hell, too, until you passed out and I had to drag our drunk ass home and put you to bed.”

 

Valerie & Shane 2 (Medium)

Valerie frowned and scratched her head, unable to remember any of it. “I’m going to visit Lenora today. She’s been after me for a while to come over,” she said absently as she lowered herself onto a kitchen chair. It unnerved her that she couldn’t recall the events of the night before.

“Good. You should get out,” Shane said easily. “Have fun.”

 

Just before 10 AM, the strange fog engulfed Valerie again as, unbeknownst to her, the hypnotic command Shane planted began to be carried out. Valerie quickly dressed, took the packet from her drawer, and retrieved her car keys. Later on, Valerie would not remember the drive to Lenora’s, the visit, or the drive back to Shane’s.

 

Lenora Serving Tea 2 (Medium)

Upon arrival, Valerie’s smiling sister-in-law invited her inside and ushered her over to the small tea table. “Oh, Val, I’m so glad you finally decided to visit. I’ve missed seeing you. Here, let’s have some tea, shall we?” Lenora poured them each a cup of tea, then arranged the accessories prettily on the table.

“Sorry,” Valerie said dazedly. “I’ve been…busy. Tea sounds good.” She preferred coffee, but she enjoyed the tea Lenora liked to serve. It was strong and full of caffeine, which was what she needed this morning.

“I can relate to that,” Lenora chuckled. “Sometimes, though, a break and a rest is in order. Now, just make yourself comfortable, and I’ll go get more tea going.”

Everything was a blur to Valerie. Everything around her had a flat one-dimensional quality about it, even Lenora’s soft singing from the kitchen. Her eyelids felt so heavy,and she would have given her right arm to just lay her head on the table and sleep.

The next instant, Lenora was shaking her shoulders. “Valerie, sweetie, wake up before you fall out of your chair.” Lenora was gently slapping Valerie’s wrist and rubbing the back of her hand. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get ye over to the sofa for a lovely nap, all right?” She leaned over to slip her arms around Valerie to help her to her feet.

Valerie jerked and shook her head, trying to clear it. “I’m…I’m okay. It was just a late night. Tea and conversation will help.”

Valerie lowered her eyes as Lenora studied her. “Are ye sure, Val? Ye don’t look well, not well at all.”

“I’m fine. I’ve just been a little tired lately. Really, I’m okay.” Seeing the love and concern in Lenora’s eyes nearly undid Valerie. Lenora was always so easy to talk to, and Valerie wished she could just pour it all out to her. With Lenora’s empathic and psychic abilities, she would know just what to say and do, but Valerie knew she just couldn’t do that. Shane wouldn’t approve, and Valerie would, once again, feel like the failure waste of space she was. Besides, there was something urgent Shane wanted her to do, and she was compelled to obey; that something didn’t include crying on Lenora’s shoulder about her useless life.

 

Lenora & valerie 1 (Medium)

Lenora slowly went back to her chair. To Valerie, Lenora seemed reluctant to let it go, but thankfully, she did. “All right, then. Let’s just see how ye are after some tea.” She looked critically at the table and made a huffing noise. “Och! I forgot the lemon! I’ll be right back.”

As soon as Lenora was in the kitchen, Valerie reached into her pocket for the small packet of powder. With slightly trebling fingers, she emptied the contents into Lenora’s teacup, poured some steaming fragrant tea over it, and swirled it a few times, being careful not to dribble tea onto the tablecloth. Shane said the powder would dissolve quickly and was tasteless and odorless, making Lenora unaware that something extra was in her tea.

 

Valerie 1 (Medium)

By the time Lenora came back with some lemon slices, Valerie was back in her chair and sipping her tea. “I went ahead and started,” Valerie told her sister-in-law.

 

Lenora 1 (Medium)

“Fine,” Lenora smiled and picked up her own teacup to sip delicately at it.

As they sipped tea and nibbled on scones, Valerie made friendly conversation with Lenora. They talked mostly about music, Valerie’s guitar playing, and Lenora’s books. “Tyrone and I want you to come for dinner this week. The wee ones are dying to see you as well. It’s been a while, and they miss ye.”

 

Lenora & Valerie 2 (Medium)

“That sounds nice. I’ll call you tomorrow after I figure out my schedule a little more,” Valerie said.

Just before Valerie left, Lenora hugged her tight. “i love ye, Val. We all do, ye know.”

“I…thanks,” Valerie said, blinking back tears. Lenora was one of the sweetest, kindest people Valerie knew. Having such an abundance of that kindness extended to Valerie when she didn’t deserve it nearly shattered her. She had to get out of here…and fast. “I love you, too.”

Valerie hurried to her car and drove back to Shane’s as instructed. “It’s done,” she said, pressing the empty packet into Shane’s hand. Valerie had no way of knowing that her actions would begin a perilous chain of events. She wouldn’t even remember having a part in what was about to befall her family.

Two Fools in Trouble

Nise Dreamweaver
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23
Two Fools in Trouble

April Veteran Participant

This is my entry for the Monthly SimLit Short Story Challenge. This month’s theme is Fool, Foolish, Folly. Thank you t LisaBee for all her hard work and effort in hosting this for us.

WARNING!! Themes of teen pregnancy and suicide present.

 

“Luke, I’m pregnant.”

My boyfriend gulped and looked sadly at me. “What are we gonna do?”

 

Luke & Dawn 1 (Medium)

“I don’t know,” I said, slipping into his arms and holding on tight. “Mom and Dad are gonna kill me, and–”

“And I’m not exactly their favorite person,” Luke said tonelessly. That was putting it mildly. I lost count of how many times I’d been grilled over Luke. He was from that part of town, which made him an absolute zero according to my parents.

“I don’t care. I love you more than anything, Luke. It doesn’t matter.”

“I love you, too.”

When I got home, my parents were waiting for me. My blood ran cold when my mother thrust my empty pregnancy test box at me. “I found it in your bathroom wastebasket,” she said through gritted teeth. How could I have been such a fool to not dispose of it better? How could Luke and I have been so foolish to not realize pregnancy was a possibility when we did the deed?

 

Dawn & Parents (Medium)

They didn’t buy the excuses I tried, so I had no choice but to fess up to my situation. My mother burst into hysterical sobs, and my father was angry enough to possibly induce a stroke.

Panic arose the next day when my mother announced that I’d been scheduled for an abortion and then be shipped off to boarding school the following week. No amount of begging and pleading made any difference. “You have been foolhardy and careless ever since you started up with that boy,” she said.

‘i hate you!” I bellowed, then ran all the way to Luke’s.

 

Luke & Dawn 2 (Medium)

He looked grim as I brokenly told him everything. “Okay, Dawn, we’re getting out of here today. You’re going to pack up some stuff, and I’ll meet you in an hour.”

 

Luke & Dawn by Car 3 (Medium)

Thankfully, nothing went wrong, and I was able to meet Luke as planned. I breathed a sigh of relief when we got out of town…but it was short-lived. Luke lost control on some loose gravel, and the last thing I remember was the car rolling over.

I awoke in the hospital to the news that I would be okay, but neither Luke nor the pregnancy survived. Everything was wrong. Upon going home, I felt like a stranger there. My parents took the attitude of, “She’ll get over it.” The plans for boarding school were still in place.

Everything was careening out of control. Everyone was deciding my future for me, but without Luke, there was no future. Without Luke, there was nothing. I did’t want to be here anymore.

“It might not be right, and everyone will say I’m a fool, but I don’t care. I love you so, Luke. Wait for me.” I said whispered these words aloud to the silence of my room just before unscrewing the cap from the bottle of pain pills I’d been given after the accident. I’d stolen a bottle of Jameson from Dad’s liquor stash earlier when my parents weren’t looking. Taking the pills one at a time, I chased each down with a swig of whiskey. I winced as it burned its way down to my stomach, but oddly enough, it comforted me.

 

Dawn in Bed (Medium)

Before long, the room started to spin and my eyelids felt heavy. Crawling into bed, I let the empty pill bottle fall to the floor. As the encroaching darkness opened its arms to me, I imagined it was Luke’s embrace I was falling into. I welcomed that embrace, then felt myself slide off the edge of the world.

Happy Easter!

Nise Dreamweaver
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0
Happy Easter!

sharon-sitting

First off, I want to wish everyone a Happy Eaater. If Easter isn’t a holiday you celebrate, I’ll wish you a Happy End-of-Weekend. Where I’m at in the Midwest, we’re finally getting some beautiful weather. I hope the same can be said for all of you ad that you are enjoying some beautiful sunshine.

I’m here, also, to give just a quickie update to let you know about some changes to the site/blog. I won’t bore you all with the technical rigamorole that I’ve been going through, but I did want to point out a couple things. The site looks quite different because, not only did I change themes, but I switched over to a self-hosted site. Yes, I still do use WordPress to build the blog, but I have a lot more control with customization and media storage. Anyway, I hope you all like the new theme I picked out. I feel that it’s easy on the eyes, and the navigation menu at the top and sidebar is straightforward.

I have it looking pretty much the way I want it, but don’t be alarmed if some other widgets and gizmos are added. I’m still playing around with these extra plugins and stuff, so please be patient. 🙂

Now that I have discovered the joys and benefits (even if it’s a bit frustrating getting it all set up), I’ll be moving my other stories from Blogger and onto another WordPress blog. Once that happens, I’ll update and repost the Other Works by Me section.

If you’ve been following my blog, you might consider redoing your subscription. Once everything migrated over to self-hosted, it shows that I have only two followers. Just enter your e-mail address or click the RSS icon and you should be set. You can also connect with me through the social media buttons in the sidebar, too. I’ve also provided a nifty little contact form if you want to get in touch that way.

And there you have it. I’m hoping to actually WRITE something in the next day or two. You can expect another installment of “Supernatural Lore” with fairies being next on the list. Forever in Time, itself, will also be updated.

I DEFINITELY want to thank Kymber of Booomcha.com for all her help in getting this ball rolling. She has been so helpful and patient each and every time I’ve asked, “How did you do this?” and “Where on Earth did you get that?” in both areas of tech junk and Sims 3 items.

Happy Simming!

Sharon (Sweet Nightingale)

Supernatural Lore: Werewolves

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Supernatural Lore: Werewolves

Werewolves are easily one of the Supernatural’s most misunderstood and feared beings. Although he or she is greatly feared, a werewolf is a matchless ally and protector for those he/she cares about and loves. On the other hand, he/she will be a formidable enemy to those who cross him/her. Anger a Werewolf and that may be the last thing you ever do.

 

Werewolves came into being long, long ago during a time of great turmoil in the multiverse. A race of superbeings invaded the world of Sir Drogo von Ekhart, a fierce warrior and high ranking knight of the King. He was not only brave but astute in many areas, including that of mystical forces. Drogo knew that the only way to defeat the enemy and keep them from attacking other worlds was through magic. Unfortunately, magic was either feared or thought to be nonexistent by most people. The King, being a man of science and nature, did not believe Drogo when he explained that they were all doomed unless they turned to mystical forces for help. Because Drogo was a true friend and such a highly ranked knight, the King did not strip Drogo of his post or punish him otherwise for “spouting off such treacherous poppycock.” Drogo was warned never to mention magic to the King thereafter. He was also ordered to prepare the troops for imminent battle.

Filled with trepidation and foreboding, Drogo did as bidden, knowing he was leading the King’s army to certain death. When the battle commenced, it raged on and on for days. True to Drogo’s prediction, the King’s army was slaughtered. The few remaining survivors were grievously wounded and wished they, too, were dead.

Miraculously, Sir Drogo survived but was seemingly mortally wounded.. As he lay dying under the light of a full moon, he received a divine intervention from Ariadne, the Goddess of Witchcraft and Magic. Drogo, being a connoisseur of the mystic and supernatural, immediately knew who she was. Although in shock and delirious with agony, he had enough presence of mind to beseech the goddess for help and begged her for mercy. “I have failed in my duty to the King and failed to protect him and the kingdom. I beseech thy mercy and ask that I be looked upon with some kindness in the Ever After.”

Goddess Ariadne regarded the fallen knight with compassion and with the realization that he was meant for the divine. With a flick of her pinky, she stopped time for everyone but herself and Drogo. There was a lot to get done, and she didn’t want any interruptions. Laying her gentle hands on the wounded knight’s chest, she fully healed him. His body was surrounded by a golden light which felt warm and comforting to Drogo, who simply wanted to bask in it and Ariadne’s presence forever. When the light disappeared, Sir Drogo’s wounds went with it. Gone was the blood from his clothes. His strength returned but was multiplied in droves.

“I do not understand,” said a confused Drogo as he blinked at the stillness of his surroundings. “I am not dead, and the world around me appears to be standing still.”

Ariadne explained that time had stopped because they needed to talk without being disturbed. She explained that in the rarest of rare circumstances, there is someone born who is meant for the divine. He was such a person due to his strength, bravery, loyalty, and willingness to learn and seek understanding in things that went beyond the physical world.  “You have been tested numerous times and have never failed, Sir Drogo. Your last test was in your attempt to sway the King to seek other means to defeat his enemy.”

“Ah, but I have failed, Great One,” Drogo said, hanging his head in sorrow. “I could not persuade the King and have led his men to a senseless death.”

“It is not your fault that the King was not persuaded. He was warned, and it was his disbelief that led to the death of him and his army. You could have risen up against him to prove your point, but you chose to remain loyal and follow his sovereign wishes. The outcome was not what you desired, but you remained steadfast. You did not waiver. For this, you shall be greatly rewarded, and this sorrow shall become a distant memory,” Ariadne replied.

She went on to explain that he would become the Father of Worlds as well as a physical father to children who would also be meant for the divine. This would require him to undergo a mystical transformation. He would have to drink a potion that would transform him into a powerful wolf, a symbol of great protection, honor, and power. However, he would be no ordinary wolf. “The wolf will be a second form needed for feats of strength and to protect what is yours. You will have the ability to transform at will and keep your mind whilst in this form. However, you still will be a wolf and will exhibit wolfish behavior.”

“Egads! A shifter of shapes…me?” Drogo said in wonderment.

“Only one shape, dear one, but a powerful one, indeed,” Ariadne smiled. “There is only one caveat.”

“A…caveat?” Drogo asked, feeling his heart sink.

“Yes. You see, I had to use extremely advanced magic to save your life. This magic required the presence of a full moon, and it is under a full moon that this potion I offer you was created. As I said, you will possess the ability to transform at will…except on the night of a full moon. On the night of a full moon, you will be compelled, involuntarily, to transform. It is on this night that full wolfish behavior will be upon you. You will retain cognitive reasoning, but strong urges to spread lycanthropy, to mate, and other primal urges will swamp you.”

Drogo recoiled at this. “I do not wish to harm anyone. If I drink this potion, I will become a danger to myself and others.”

“Yes, unfortunately, that is a possibility if you lose complete control. Fortunately, you have me as an ally and teacher. I will help you to completely master and control your abilities. Do you trust me, brave knight?” Ariadne pinned a searching gaze to his.

“More than anything. I am humbled and honored that you find me worthy to receive such a gift,” Drogo said without hesitation, his gaze unwavering.

 

Drogo drank Ariadne’s potion and with her help, took to his abilities as if he’d been born to them. When she deemed him ready, Ariadne told him he would now be known as Drogo, the Supreme Alpha Wolf. “It is now up to you to create your own race, make a pack, and train your pack accordingly. Like me, you are now immortal and indestructible. You will also have final say over your wolves in the afterlife.”

“To create a pack, let alone, a race, I am certain I must have a mate. I am afraid that most women would find me…well…beastly and barbaric now that I am what I am. I would not want a woman to be frightened to mate with me,” Drogo replied.

Ariadne smiled and patted his hand kindly. “You will know your true mate the instant your eyes find her.”

“But…how?”

“Just trust me. You will know. A good name for it is Imprinting.”

And with that,, Ariadne bade Drogo goodbye. Because of her compassion and interest in him, Drogo promised to always be a protector for her and her witches and wizards.  To this day, the divine alliance and friendship of Goddess Ariadne and Drogo, the Supreme Alpha remains. This is why wolves and magical people are often highly compatible.

Creation of Werewolves

In time, Drogo did find his true mate and thus, the Werewolf race began. Phaedra, a beautiful maiden from a far away land from where Drogo’s homeland was, fell in love with Drogo soon after meeting him. True to Ariadne’s claim, Phaedra became part of him the instant he saw her. His breath caught in his chest, and the world seemed to stop. Warmth spread from his solar plexus and engulfed his body entirely. He was immediately drawn to her as she became his center of gravity.

 

Phaedra matched Drogo in bravery and called him her Angel of Strength. At finding out what he was, she asked Drogo to turn her. “I want us to share everything,” she told him in no uncertain terms. Because he had no potion such as what Ariadne gave him, he knew the transfer would have to come through blood. When the next full moon came, he took her to his den where they made passionate love. It was during the lovemaking that he pricked her skin as gently as he could with his fangs. When she cried out in release, Drogo’s own release came, his seed spilling deep within her. Phaedra’s transformation came during the following full moon. Along with that came the knowledge that she was with child.

Phaedra became The Benevolent Alpha Wolf and helped Drogo create a worthy Werewolf race. sadly, not everyone retained pure motives and became renegades, breaking off from the main Pack. These renegades are the ancestors of the wilder wolves who become mindless, vicious creatures during a full moon and go on rampages to bite everyone in sight. These are the ones who have been taken over by the beast and will kill a person as soon as look at them. Phaedra and Drogo always believed in free will and have realized a long time ago that with free will comes the distinct possibility that some will not follow the right path. As deities and kind people by nature, they are saddened that some have strayed. However, they are greatly satisfied when others make desirable choices and follow the honorable ways.

Drogo and Phaedra produced three offspring, each one possessing a specific specialty in terms of Werewolves.

 

Azura is the oldest and wisest of the offspring. Her uncanny ability to give sound and sometimes sage advice makes wolfkind and others seek an audience with her during times of great indecision or when feeling at a crossroads. She knows that sometimes the advice she offers isn’t the answer a person is seeking but will deliver it in a kind, yet direct, way She also possesses the ability to construct portals that lead to other worlds and other times.

 

Caleb, the second eldest, is the one of the three with the softest and gentlest heart. However, he is no pushover. He is a warrior, albeit a quiet one, as his movements are ninja-like in nature. He is fluent in martial arts and can take down an adversary before they even realize they’ve been ambushed. However, it is is kind, compassionate nature that draws a person in. Caleb’s sixth sense is so sharp that he can immediately sense when someone is in danger. He has an uncanny ability to find what he calls “lost ones” (parentless children in need of care, a drowning victim, someone trapped, etc.) and get them somewhere safe. He does this in such a quiet manner that a person often does not know who rescued them. He is an observant wolf, but he blends in with his surroundings in such a way that his presence is often undetected. He will often minister to a sick person, wolf or not, and is often the one who accompanies a deceased wolf’s soul to the afterlife.

 

Magdalena is the Giver of Talents and is extremely passionate about the arts. She is the mother of Amadeus Mozart Landgraab and was instrumental in the immortality of her son and his mate. She is a firm believer in everyone getting ample opportunity to grow their talents and so, therefore, sees to it that such people as talented, underprivileged children receive proper education to develop their gifts. She often resides in the physical world and oversees a boarding school for the arts to house talented children who have had a bad start in life. A select group of followers operate a home for abandoned and orphaned children, which Magdalena often visits and takes a hand in nurturing the children. She, herself, sometimes finds these children, but more often, it is her brother, Caleb, who finds needy children and brings them to her.

As of now, all three offspring are unmated (Magdalena never imprinted on Deus’s father, who is deceased). This may or may not change in the future.

Facts

  • Werewolves live by a strict code of moral conduct centering around protection and keeping order.
  • Werewolves are humans who have the ability to shape shift into wolves.
  • Both males and females can be werewolves.
  • Lycanthropy can be spread to another person either through a bite or by a potion that has been blessed by a witch or wizard. Werewolves can also be born if one parent or both are werewolves.
  • Wolves who have control over their abilities can transform at will. However, when the full moon rises, a wolf is compelled to transform. The transformation during a full moon is involuntary.
  • A wolf, when extremely angered, may possibly undergo an involuntary transformation. As Tyrone says, “Sometimes the beast must surface, like it or not.”
  • Renegade wolves (wilder wolves who do not conduct themselves as honorably as they should) often have less control over their abilities. They are apt to undergo more involuntary transformations and remain in wolf form more often than being in their human form. During the full moon transformation, it is these wolves who are the mindless, ferocious creatures that are often depicted in literature and films. Packs like Tyrone’s consider these wolves to be disgusting and lower class, and they harbor the belief that it is these wolves who give Werewolves, in general, a bad name.
  • Wolves, even in human form, have heightened physical strength and prowess.
  • A wolf’s senses, even in human form, are more acute.
  • Wolves have a sixth sense that allows them to detect and perceive a great number of things. For example, he/she knows when other lone wolves or other Packs of wolves are nearby, he/she can detect if someone is pregnant faster and earlier than a pregnancy test can, and he/she can detect an illness even before the afflicted person realizes they are sick. These are only a few things, and each wolf’s sixth sense is different from another wolf’s.
  • Wolves are often telepathic and can communicate this way with other telepathic people even in human form.
  • Wolves prefer raw meat or fish, even in human form, rather than cooked or processed food.
  • A wolf’s Pack can take on a number of structures. For example, it can consists of a wolf’s werewolf friends who band together on a hunt, or it can simply refer to a wolf’s family. For example, Tyrone’s Pack consist’s of his immediate family of Lenora, their kids, Landon, Crystal, and their kids. Not all of them are wolves, but they are all under his care and protection because he is the Alpha Male Wolf of the family. Before Tyrone was married and had his own family, he belonged to his father, Deus’s, Pack. Although Tyrone’s pack consists of other Supernaturals than wolves, it is only the wolves who accompany Tyrone on hunts.
  • Wolves are excellent hunters. During times when survival depended on a successful hunt, it was game that was sought during a Werewolf hunt. Renegade (and evil) wolves sought human victims. Nowadays with food being readily available in most cases, wolves use their hunting abilities to find rare items useful to witches/wizards and/or others. If a wolf is mated to a witch/wizard, it is usually the wolf who collects ingredients for his/her mate’s Alchemy elixirs.
  • The leader of a Pack is the Alpha Male Wolf. If he is mated to a wolf, she is the Alpha Female Wolf. The pair rule and protect their Pack together and are in charge of keeping order within their jurisdiction. If an Alpha Wolf (male or female) is mated to someone other than a werewolf, his/her mate is referred to as Alpha (the Alpha pair are on equal terms), but it is the Alpha Wolf who deals with all things wolfish.
  • An Alpha can lose his status if weakened or challenged. This happens more often in a pack consisting of unrelated Werewolves. A lower ranking wolf can challenge the Alpha, which culminates in a fight. Sometimes a death challenge is issued (a fight to the death) with the surviving wolf being Alpha. If it is not a death challenge (both wolves survive), the winner is the Alpha. The Alpha, then, decides the fate of the loser (he can become the lowest ranking wolf, he can be banished from the Pack entirely, or he can even be killed outright). If the Pack is more family centered, the change in command is usually done in a more civilized manner. An Alpha can temporarily or permanent volunteer to hand over leadership to another qualified wolf in the family, or a wolf family member can suggest this temporary or permanent change. If a Pack is in immediate danger and the Alpha is unreceptive to a change in leadership, more drastic measures are taken. This is done on a case-by-case basis, and each family centered Pack handles it differently.
  • If injured, Werewolves heal faster, even in human form, than others.
  • Werewolves are almost indestructible; the only physical thing that (usually) can kill them is silver bullets. Werewolves can die of old age or succumb from the effects of advanced dark magic.
  • There is a process by which a wolf finds his/her true mate. This process is called Imprinting (see section below for more info). It is a very personal and intimate process for each wolf.
  • A wolf and his/her mate share a very, very powerful bond which starts out with the process of Imprinting. If a wolf loses his/her mate through death, the wolf is in unspeakable pain. Because his/her mate’s soul becomes intertwined with his/hers, the wolf will feel as though he/she has been ripped apart at the moment of the mate’s passing. This goes beyond the pain of normal heatbreak. Not only is it emotionally and mentally painful, but the bereaved wolf is also in agonizing physical pain. Some wolves cannot survive it and quickly follow their mate in death. The ones who do survive are never, ever the same. Many refer to it as simply existing, being that their true living ended when the mate’s life ended. They are merely a shell of their former self.
  • Werewolves Imprint only once in a lifetime and therefore have only one true mate. They are irrevocably bonded for all eternity.
  • Werewolves have a strong constitution. It isn’t often that they are sick.
  • Werewolves do not tire or fatigue as quickly as regular humans.
  • Werewolves live longer than regular humans and age much, much slower.

Imprinting

  • The process of imprinting is a mystical and unexplained phenomenon that happens to a wolf when he/she meets his/her mate for the first time.
  • Only Werewolves can Imprint.
  • Imprinting is strictly involuntary; it cannot be forced on someone.
  • Imprinting happens only once per lifetime. Therefore, a wolf has only one true mate for all eternity.
  • The process of Imprinting is very personal and intimate for each wolf. Most describe it as an irrevocable feeling of being drawn to the person they are Imprinting on. A warmth spreads from the middle of the wolf’s body and travels throughout his/her system. The wolf has the unwavering desire to be near the Imprintee. Their souls become intertwined, and the wolf can sense his/her Iprintee’s moods no matter where each one is physically. The Imprinter can also sense where his/her Imprintee is. For all intents and purposes, the pair becomes part of one unit. It is more than simply love the holds them together. Wolves often describe it as the Imprintee being the gravity that holds them to the world.
  • Imprinting can happen at any age. If the Imprinter Imprints on someone much younger (a child or baby), the Imprinter becomes a protector and caregiver of sorts. When the Imprintee is older, he/she and the Imprinter share a deep friendship. When the Imprintee becomes of appropriate age, the relationship sifts to a romantic one. If the Imprinter is much younger than the Imprintee, he/she is like a little brother/sister to the Imprintee. At an older age, the two share a deep friendship. At an appropriate age, the relationships to a romantic one.
  • If the Imprintee rejects the imprinter (this is unheard of and has never happened in recorded history), the Imprinter will feel unbearable crippling pain.
  • For the wolf, his/her Imprintee and his/her happiness is most important to him/her. The wolf becomes what the Imprintee needs. For example, when Tyrone Imprinted on Lenora, she was still grieving the loss of Lincoln. Although Tyrone had the innate desire to be near her and as much as it hurt him, she needed him to stay away, to not reveal this to her. To do so would have been to Lenora’s detriment, so he kept his distance until the time was right.
  • If the Imprintee is familiar with Werewolf behavior, he/she will likely understand the process and come to realize on his/her own that the wolf has Imprinted on them. If not, the wolf will reveal this when the time is right. For example, even though Lenora was somewhat familiar with how the process worked (Deus, having become her friend, explained it to her), Tyrone revealed it to her when he became the last man standing during her appearance on Soulmates. When the Imprintee understands what has happened, he/she will have a feeling of a piece of his/her soul sliding into place. With the proverbial circle being complete, the relationship becomes unbroken.
  • Because of this process and the mystic forces behind it, divorce is impossible between the wolf and his/her true mate. When problems arise, they are eventually worked out and the couple becomes even stronger for it.
  • As explained above, the loss of  wolf’s mate trough death causes unspeakable agony in all areas. Some can’t survive the feeling of being ripped apart and quickly follow their mate in death. Those who do survive are never the same again.
  • Infidelity for a wolf and his/her true mate is unheard of. Because Imprinting is so powerful, the wolf nor his/her mate has no desire whatsoever to be unfaithful.

 

Author’s Notes: We may, from time to time, see a wolf called Kai, the Great Alpha and his offspring, Black Wolf, Grey Wolf, and White Wolf (Kai isn’t very creative when it comes to names). Pictures of them will not be provided at the time this post is published but may be added later. When Forever in Time was published on Blogger, I was most graciously given permission to use them by their creator, the lovely Shafer249. At the time, I was still assembling the nuts and bolts of my lore, so I gratefully accepted and thanked her for her wonderful generosity in letting me borrow them. I absolutely loved the characters but realized that their origins wouldn’t fit so well within the lore I wanted. However, I still love them and want to give them some screen time. They will appear should there be a situation when some extra divine help is needed. Because my werewolf and witch deities are related to the Landgraabs in some way, some outside assistance may be in order. We will definitely be seeing White Wolf somewhat often, as Aurora and Andrea will be doing some work for him when they are older (I don’t want to give too much away). Shafer tells me that Kai, the Great Alpha has a soft spot for those Landgraabs, so it’s natural that he might want to lend them a divine hand…or paw…when he is needed.

I realize that my werewolf lore section is really long, so I thank you for your patience while reading it. You can probably tell I have a soft spot for werewolves and have been compiling pieces of this lore for a long time. I think one of the most challenging parts was finding appropriate names befitting the station of the werewolf deities. When it came down to it, I used a fantasy name generator to help me pick out names. 😀 For the most part, I picked names I liked that frequently showed up. Caleb was a different story, however. One of my Golden Retrievers is named Caleb and naturally, I love him to bits <3 and wanted to use the name. Yes, Valerie’s ex was named Caleb as well, but he is a character from someone else’s story. Anyway, I wanted to capture some of my Caleb’s essence (sweet, gentle, and quiet) but have that warrior side to him, too. I look forward to developing these divine characters. They will soon appear on my Cast of Characters page as soon as I can.

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