One Life: Episode 7 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT (last page)

[babyblue1387]

Maybe;)

But I wanted to make a little announcement, and issue an enormous thanks:

I've dropped one novel and started another. This one, I call (for now) Dark Stories of the Night, and it is based around my Miss Midnight entrant Irmena vanGott. Her name has changed, but her story is still the same. I haven't been this passionate about a story since about May of this year. I tried to sleep, but the novel kept writing itself in my head. So, I want to thank Kielen for hosting this competition, for coming up with such wonderful rounds, and for saying no daywalkers. If she hadn't said that, I would have entered Basura or Dahlia, and there would be no Dark Stories of the Night. There would be no Irmena and no Rafael, who my novel revolve around. Inamorta, Giovann and Basura all make appearances. Even though Irmena vanGott is now named Pierina Vaccaro, later to be known as Ieri (ee-air-ree), Basura is now Diata (a brazillian name since she's from brazil), and Rafael is now Raffaele, they are still the character I've come to love. I also want to thank the Deftones for Change (In the House of Flies) because it has become Pierina's theme song. It's the sweet intoxication of it all, and it makes me tremble with excitement just thinking about it. And I suppose I must thank Anne Rice because if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have gotten the Queen of the Damned soundtrack, never would have heard Change, never would have started creating.

Thank you all!

[babyblue1387]

"This is a really nice car, Mr. Irving. I wish I could afford something like this.

"Yeah...well..."

"Who's the car for?"

John closed his eyes.

"Who's the car for, Mr. Irving?"

"My daughter."

"Ah. She's a lucky girl. Here are the keys."




"Wow, Lauren! That's an awesome car! A Chrystler 300C!"

"Thanks. Dad gave it to me."

"Any reason?"

"None that I can think of."

"Wow. I wish my dad would do that. I've got to win a big game, or get awesome grades or something..."



"Lauren, you know you can always talk to me, right?"

"Of course, John. If I was in any trouble, I'd come to you right away. You know that."

"Love ya, sis."


The weeks seemed to be flying by. The Irving family could never get their hands on time, even though they tried. John knew he was always being watched. He would call the police in the winter. He would have his first promotion then. He would actually be able to touch the accounts. Lauren's birthday would be coming up. She'd be 17, preparing to leave for college. Jay would be leaving for college. His applications had already been sent, acceptance letters received, plans made.

The days got cooler, the leaves began to fall. The sun hid behind clouds. The holidays would come, the school would be out for the summer. Son would be leaving; father and daughter would be home alone. It had only felt like a week had passed, but when you did not own your life, the days all begin to melt into one.



"Well, John, I daresay you've been doing a heck of a job. It might be time for a promotion."

"Promotion?"

"Don't look so sad! You'll be getting out of that stuffy office. You'll be on collection duty now. I'm sure you know all about that. To celebrate, I'll give you some time off. My son seems to be of the opinion that I work you too hard."

"Your son?"

"Yeah. He's fallen head over heels for your daughter. He'd do just about anything for her."

"Anything? Lauren?"

"Oh come on! Don't sound so surprised! They're kids! They make all sorts of claims."

"Heh. Yeah."



"Happy birthday, Lauren!"

Lauren looked happily at her brother and father. Gifts were everywhere; their faces were alight with joy and pride.

"My baby's all grown up now. Geez, you guys are leaving me in the dust!"

The three embraced, and Lauren began opening her gifts.



"We're so glad you came to us, Mr. Irving. We just wish you hadn't waited quite so long. We'll get you set up right away. Understand you'll have to be extremely cautious. You'll be wearing a wire now."

"Thank you so much. I held them away from my family for as long as I could, officer. It...it just became too much. I've only now got the free time to come to you."

"Don't worry, Mr. Irving. We'll take it from here."

Lies. All of them. Lying had never really come easy for John. It scared him how easy it was to lie to these people now. As John Irving left the police station, he wondered if he wasn't loosing his morals. Yet, if he'd already come this far, hadn't he lost his morals a long time ago? That would make him a bad person, the things he did, monstrous. Still, he couldn't be worse than Magdelena. He wasn't killing people. What did it matter, though, if you were still destroying their lives?

[Lola136]

another great update

[babyblue1387]

John looked at his children, teary eyed. Partly because of such a wonderful occasion. Mostly because months had seemed to slip by without his noticing. Winter had come and gone, and here he was, getting ready to send his children off to prom. It was John's senior year, so he had gone all out to make sure he looked his best.

Lauren...his Lauren. She looked so beautiful in the dress. Seraphim Monella had the best local designers to make the dress for her son's date. Diamonds glittered in her ears, on her neck, her wrist and her finger. Real diamonds. Impetigo stood at her side, smiling wide, happy to have such a gem on his arm. Lauren had never worn finer clothing, and John detected pure, true, and unadultered happiness in her. Did his son feel it, too? It was evident that Impetigo could truly take care of Lauren's ever need. Was it so wrong fro her to be happy in this life?

"Mom, don't start crying!"

The spell was broken. John could see clearly. He remembered who he was, where he was. Mr. and Mrs. Monella stood beside him, having the kids pose for pictures before John left to pick up his date. Everyone was acting as if nothing was wrong with the picture. The whole even had been financed by illegal activity. Blood had paid for his daughter's diamonds. Poor immigrant families had paid for his son's expensive tux.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Lauren you're so beautiful!"

Maybe he hadn't lost his morals. John smiled, despite his inner turmoil. Maybe he hadn't lost his morals. He was working with the police to bring the Monella family to justice.

"What're you going to do at our wedding?"

John choked. He coughed and his eyes started tearing up. John jr and Sal came to his aid. He could breathe. He was alright.

"Imp, don't say things like that. You'll give my father a heart attack! I'm still his little girl."

Lauren's sweet voice. She would never marry this boy. Imp. John hated the nickname, and he knew Lauren did too, only using it to chastise him. Still, John thought the name wonderfully fitting. The Imp. If only his daughter wasn't dating The Imp.

"Well, we better get going. We want to get there before they close the doors."

John's voice of reason. At least he'd be there to watch over his sister. Father felt better knowing son, protector, would be there. No harm would come to Lauren. Both boys would see to that.

Impetigo held the door open for Lauren to get into their car as John got into his. The parents waved as the teens drove off into the last years of their childhood. Things were moving much too quickly for John, and he felt his head spinning.
\
"Hey, don't worry about it, John! They've got to grow up some time."

John silently nodded at his boss, a somewhat amused smile on his face.

"Hey, in no time, Sera and I will be doing this again with Gia."

John felt like he could faint. He'd forgotten about the youngest son, Giardiassis. Even if he managed to take down Sal and Impetigo, there was always the youngest.

It was so hard to see evil in the face of a young child. He was barely two, but John didn't doubt he was already learning his father's ways. He was deeper in the hole than he had ever imagined. He'd be ripping apart a family. He had no morals. It had never occurred to him to think of Sal's family. Suppose this was a vicious cycle? Suppose this was all Sal knew, and so it would be all his boys knew? John did have morals, but he wished he didn't.

[krystaldepp]

can't stop reading..must go to bed!.. ):

[babyblue1387]

:lol: I don't want you to loose any sleep! Sorry I haven't been around or updating as frequently as I should. I've been busy with my novel, my grandfather was in the hospital over the holidays, school's about to start, and I'm sorta loosing interest in the game. Meh. But that seems to be my life.

Love the avi, BTW, Krystal

[Lola136]

sorry your lifes so busy

lol Id forgotten about the baby

[ktggoodnight]

lol i started on page one- a few hours ago - and now finally finished---

*urgh at work* anyway i wanted to say - i lvoe your stories so amazing the plot lines and the twists and turns- my favourite has to be the secound season as it wer of the japanese girls- i just think the begging is so real life like, so well versed, you wrote it beuatifully.

[babyblue1387]

I really want to thank everyone who's stuck by this story through the times I hadn't updated in a couple weeks, and even now, when it seems that updates have come to a complete halt.

Unfortunately, I really just don't have the time right now to update. I haven't had time to write out the end of the story, heck, I haven't even had time to load the game to take pictures for the part that I've already got. I'm sorry everyone. I really hate to just leave the story hanging like this. If anyone wants it, I'll post a synopsis of what was going to happen in the story. I had some really good ideas planned for it, and it pains me to not be able to finish it now. Maybe when I have time, I can go back and do it the right way, but right now, I just don't see that happening.

I'm sorry, all. I really am.

[ktggoodnight]

thats a deep blow- but i understand- you cant rush it, i will wait for the update

[babyblue1387]

I'm really sorry, I am. I've been trying to work something in for a while now. It's going to suck that, if I do my schoolwork right, I probably won't even have time to hang around here, except early in the mornings.

[ktggoodnight]

dont stress yourself- these stories are meant to be fun...*SMILE*

[Sam the T-man]

Aww, that's a shame. Still, RL comes first

[babyblue1387]

Still, it sucks. I know you all really liked it, and it made me feel good to know that people actually enjoyed what I write.

[Lola136]

Aaaww its a shame you cant update anmore anyway it was still realy good