Broken Dreams: The Present Day - Project Abandoned (lack of interest)
Sam the T-man:
“Next time you need a shoulder to cry on, call me okay?”
The blood was still fresh on my lips when I remembered our talk. Mopping up the excess with my tongue, I instinctively took off as I knew what I had to do next. Not being able to tell anyone in fear of the reaction was driving me insane, and with an offer like that from within my own family, how could I not accept?
After checking my watch to make sure I wouldn't be embarking on a wasted journey, I continued on my flight back towards our deceptively quiet town, and towards the moderately sized house I knew would be home to my sanctuary for the next hour or so. I had barely landed before urgently pressing the button that would alert the occupants to my presence, and cringed at the volume of the sound reverberating inside. That was bound to wake his sleeping children, but it couldn't be helped.
“Hello(!)” came the naturally surprised reception.
“Hi,” I greeted Giana, “I really need to see Joe, is he in?”
“Yeah, he's in,” she replied as she beckoned me inside. On seeing him sitting on the sofa I was over in an instant.
“Joe?” I said as I went across.
“Hello!” he greeted, before frowning. “What's wrong?”
“Sorry for turning up like this, but I didn't know where else to go...” I glanced awkwardly at her as she sat down next to him, but on remembering they're married, therefore they probably know each other's darkest secrets by now, I relented and blurted out my own.
“I beg your pardon?!” came the anticipated response.
A rising tide of dread rose inside as I eyed him apologetically. “I know,” I meekly uttered, “I'm sorry, I...”
I trailed off as he bolted from his seat with a new lease of energy, and stormed off towards the window. He was trying to contain his thoughts, but he was doing a terrible job – I'd never seen him so angry. I managed to stop myself chewing on my lip while praying he wouldn't explode.
I listened intently to his thoughts, and felt slightly relieved on hearing him trying to calm himself.
'Okay Joe, this isn't helping anyone.'
An exasperated sigh escaped his lungs before slowly he turned back to face me. When he spoke again his tone was lowered, seemingly as a result of his self-discipline. It was admirable, I have to say.
“Alright,” he began, delicately nibbling at his bottom lip, “How far along is she?”
“About a month,” I replied, before pondering aloud. “It was probably that first night.”
He nodded in acknowledgement. “So what will you do?”
He was testing me, of that I was certain. But by this point I was ready for him; I'd come to a decision.
“Only one thing I can do,” I said lightly, “Move in with her, maybe get a new place if we have to, and help her with the baby.”
“You're fifteen,” came the reply, “And children are expensive. How will you live?”
“I'll find something to tide us over,” I told him, before smiling a little as I revealed a dream I'd had for a while – must have been from keeping a diary. “Actually I've been thinking of becoming an author.”
“Oh really?” he queried, his mood lightening temporarily, “You do know that won't pay the bills, I hope?”
“I know,” I relented, “But for now it's pocket money. There's work out there for vampires... you should know.”
“I'm an adult. You're not.”
At this point I crossed my arms indignantly. “I'll still be fifteen when you're past your thirties you know. On the outside of course.”
He cocked his head. “You think in the end you'll be a man in a boy's body?!” he retorted, “I'm sorry Evan, but it doesn't work that way.”
My stomach churned as the illusion was shattered.
Is he saying what I think he's saying...?
The man was losing patience, and by now I could fully understand why. His tone hardened as he continued to speak. “That's right. That's the reason we don't bite kids; they stay kids forever. You'll never age, you'll never be the grown man you've always dreamed of being. You certainly won't be able to handle an adult's job, although you're welcome to try.”
I ran my fingers through my hair as the cold reality was laid in front of me. All the dreams I had once; of going to University, getting a well paid job and pursuing my goal with a modest nest-egg to back me up... all that had gone. My life had gone down the pan the moment my studies first began to suffer. I had hoped that sooner or later I'd be able to pick up where I left off; with immortality at my disposal I had all the time in the world to rectify things. Now with a little one on the way, time became a real issue once more. Maybe when he or she was older I could pick up the pieces again, but for now I had an insanely tough choice to make. I enjoyed the powers vampirism granted me; I especially loved the flying, and being able to hear people thinking. Did I now have to give that up? Or was there another way...?
When I got back home it was still fairly early into the night. I started to hope Mum would get back soon; I really needed to talk about these new misgivings with someone... but the more I thought, the more I realised family wasn't the best option. Yet with so many of the people around now being family, I was at a loss for anyone to talk to. I crawled up to my room with a heavy heart, changed into my swimwear and made a beeline for the hot tub, enjoying the womb-like sensation as I floated while contemplating my options, gazing up at the stars and recalling many fond memories of drifting along the glistening backdrop they offered. I so dearly longed to keep hold of this gift I had, and the more I considered its own promises the more determined I was to find a way round the money problem.
Can't handle an adult's job? Who says?!
A smile took hold of my mouth as the answer was all of a sudden staring me in the face.
I may not be mature enough for an adult's job. But vampires are strong, they can move objects with thought alone... that surely must count for something.
I sat forwards in the tub as ideas came flowing through my mind like a raging stream. After a while I gave a whoop of joy as I realised something very important that, up until now, I'd overlooked completely, yet was so obvious it was a wonder I'd managed to miss it. With the notion fresh in my mind, I sprang from the tub and tore upstairs to the computer in a burst of speed that sent piled papers flying, hoping that I wouldn't be so cruelly disillusioned for a second time that night.
jjsmith:
more please!
Sam the T-man:
For some strange reason, when I last tweaked my sims (nothing drastic, just adding body hair to the guys ;)), Marco got pretty messed up. I'm using these fang replacements, but with him no matter what I tried, first he lost his red eyes and fangs, and when I got them back his fangs went back to the default Maxis long ones. I've given up trying to find a solution now, so I'm afraid Marco is stuck looking like a walrus :( Unless anyone has ideas of their own?
*****
My time spent as a writer for the school's newsletter was paying off; it now paved the way for me to start writing articles for real money. In the meantime though, Marco had invited us all to move in with him; not just Mum but me, Amy and even our cat came along with us. I quickly understood why on the first time seeing his house – it was huge, and he was rattling in it. The fact neither of us were his kids didn't seem to make any difference, which was great. Except I was soon feeling very guilty, and one night I confessed to him and Mum that this was all very nice, but it was unlikely I'd be staying long. The test came when they asked why, and it all came out there and then. Understandably it didn't go down too well.
“Good grief Evan... what did I say?!”
“It was that very first night Mum,” I explained, hoping to diffuse the situation.
Marco sighed as he tried to calm himself. “Just like my cousin,” he moaned, “One night together and it's one night too many.”
I lowered my head as I thought back to Jeanette’s daughter. She'd done the same thing I'd now done. No wonder Joe was so mad; he took her carelessness badly, and now he was seeing it happen again.
“I'm sorry,” I mumbled, knowing it wouldn't make a scrap of difference.
“”Bit late for that isn't it?” Mum remarked.
“I know, but what else can I say?” I then addressed Marco as I continued, “I'm not gonna do what your Uncle did though; I'm gonna be there for her before and after the baby's born. I owe it to all of us.”
“Kieran didn't know about Leanne until she was about five years old,” he told me, “He's kept in touch ever since though. This is a little different.”
“I guess,” I relented, “But we love each other. We'll manage.”
“For your kid's sake I hope so,” Mum remarked.
I left a couple of nights later, having found somewhere to start us off. We'd already discussed putting together what funds we had for this place, and on going to pick her up I couldn't help but smile as I saw her. By this time a good few months had passed, enough for her to put on some weight. I hid my concern at seeing just how big she was though, considering there was only one in there... at least I hoped it was only one. Given that I had a twin myself, I started to hope we wouldn't have our hands full.
It took me a long time before I plucked up the courage to phone Dad and tell him the news. But as much as Mum and Marco responded, well, not so great, plus the fear I had at the time that Mount Johan would erupt, all that turned out to be merely a speck of what I would face with my own father. I braced myself for all manner of different kinds of outbursts, but couldn't have expected what he did come out with – he disowned me. Right there and then, over the phone of all places. What frightened me even more was how I responded to such a harsh verdict.
“Oh really,” I heard myself replying as tears streamed down my face, “Well you know what? You're no father of mine either, you haven't been for years!”
“What's that supposed to mean?!”
Even now he doesn't get it?!
“F***'s sake Dad... or should I start calling you Luca now, since my real Dad died when that wolf bit him?! You've been so different; you know all that time you were still living with us, when you were in bed Mum and I would be locked in my room, grieving!”
There was silence on the other end as all my pent up emotions were unleashed on what I now knew to be the source of my pain, the reason all my dreams had died in the first place. Yes, Mum's romantic involvement with Marco at such a peculiar time pushed me over the edge, but I was already clinging by the tips of my fingers by then. The slightest trigger would have sent me plummeting into mental oblivion, it was unfortunate it happened to be a lovely man like Marco who did it.
“We really tried to accept what was happening,” I continued, “We knew it wasn't your fault, but your downright stubbornness to accept what impact this was all having on your own family... what happened at Joe's wedding was what did it. Picking fights with strangers at his son's wedding? My real Dad would never fight period, he'd sooner walk away. He certainly wouldn't pull a stunt like that... it hurt Joe too you know, just as I knew it would. Yet you didn't care! Now this?”
“No son of mine would be so damn careless with his seed either, did that one ever occur to you?!”
“I wouldn't be in this mess if my Dad wasn't being such an a***hole in the first place!”
“Don't you dare blame this on me!!”
I sighed angrily, my head beginning to feel bruised from its relentless contact with the wall I was faced with. “Have you been listening to anything I've said?” I snapped. “Yes I took it all badly, I'm just like my father used to be; incredibly sensitive. What's to say you wouldn't have reacted any different if you were still the same man who conceived me?!”
“That has nothing to do with what's happened now.”
“Oh really?” I queried sarcastically, “And what brings you to that conclusion?”
“This may be a tough call right now, but you need to think very carefully about all that's happened,” he said, his tone calmer than before, “Your studies suffering, locking yourself in your room, that's fair enough. Sneaking out at night and opening yourself up to all manner of danger, that's borderline. Going home with a girl you knew for about a month and knocking her up that night? That's downright stupidity!”
Now it was my turn to fall silent as it began to register what he was saying. It was true that by the time I'd started seeing her the dark clouds had lifted from my mind. I sank again yes, but for a different reason... it didn't have anything to do with Dad.
I swallowed hard as the brutal truth slapped me in the face; he had a perfect right to not want anything to do with me. Joe had the perfect right to grab me by the shoulders and shake me so hard my brain would have rattled in my skull, yet despite being tempted to do so he didn't. The more I thought about it, the more I realised why everyone was so angry with me. A hand nursed my forehead as I began to mentally admonish myself for being so stupid. I was just starting to pick myself up again, but now both of us had to put our lives on hold for the sake of however many poor kids I'd brought into being on one act of impulse.
“S***,” I uttered, “I'm sorry...”
“Bit late for that isn't it?”
“Don't you start,” I grumbled, “I've already had that from Mum.”
“With good reason, don't you think?”
“I know, I know,” I admitted, “All I can do now is lie in the bed I've made.”
“Yes... and I gather you won't get a cure either.”
“I'm getting by on articles I write for the paper,” I told him, “Three to five hundred a time isn't to be sneezed at.”
“Well, that's not bad I have to say,” he remarked, “But there's more reason for a cure than money alone. Fatherhood is an adult's job and you're no adult.”
“No, but I have valuable lessons of my own to teach him or her,” I promised, “Experience. If I can make sure my child doesn't repeat my mistakes this whole thing will have been worth it.”
Referring to the unborn as a single child was, as I guessed from the offset, futile. Yet not even I was expecting what did happen when the time eventually came; it wasn't even twins Emily gave birth to, but triplets! A girl and two boys, who we named Joanne, Leo... and Luca, after the man my father used to be – I had to keep his name alive somehow.
I looked about our small house in despair. We had our one cot and the changing table, but our funds were running low. We had to sell our television just so we could afford another two cots, but there was no room for our coffins in the house – we'd moved them outside, and had to race to them before the sun rose while she was carrying, but now we didn't dare use them in case one of them needed attention during the day, so we curled up on our cheap sofa and slept there. Despite it all though, I was determined to muddle through for their sake, although I admitted to those family members I was still in touch with that it was a rougher ride than any of us could have hoped for. But I constantly promised both them and myself that I was going to be a good father to them all, that I wouldn't let my immaturity as a youth stand in the way of providing all that a child needs; love, support... all that I got from my own before everything went wrong.
Sam the T-man:
I was writing articles like there was no tomorrow, whenever there was time in between sleeping and seeing to one of our little friends. Despite myself I was starting to wonder how I still had hair, as was Emily. Not to mention the guilt we both had on leaving one of us alone just so we could hunt, doing what Joe and Giana did since they had young children too, by taking it in turns to leave for some food while the other stayed with the babies. It was just as well we couldn't go to school; well, it wouldn't have been an option if we could. Time to myself or with Emily was becoming a rare moment to treasure. So I wasn't too happy to receive a surprise visit from Mum, despite being otherwise pleased to see her.
“Hey there,” she smiled, “How's it going? Or is that a silly question?”
“It's a silly question,” I bit as I invited her in, frowning as she refused.
“I didn't come to visit,” she said, “I came to tell you to pack your things. Emily too.”
I looked at her puzzled. “Why?” I asked, “Are we going somewhere?”
“Oh yes,” came the ambiguous reply. It was then I noticed Joe standing by the car outside.
Shrugging, I told her to hold on as I went back inside to explain to Emily. Luckily there wasn't yet much to pack, just two teenagers' clothes from the wardrobe, then the nappies and whatnot from the babies, although we had to leave the furniture behind. It all fit into the boot of the car anyway, and Joe drove us off to our mystery destination.
It was a rather large house, set some way back from the street with the surrounding area looking in need of a front garden. I frowned as Mum put something into my hand and invited me to go up and take a look. Shrugging I did so, reluctantly leaving three sleeping babies with a teenage Mum and two members of my family who were still talking to me. The latter two got out of the car and propped themselves up against the side, watching me approach.
“Go ahead, look inside,” Joe offered.
I turned back to them, and noticed them smiling. “Look inside?” I checked, “How?”
“You've got the key,” came the reply.
“What's going on?” I asked.
“We'll explain in a minute,” Mum said, “All I'll say for now is, welcome to your new home.”
I gawped at them both in shock. “Pardon??” I exclaimed, looking back at the house.
I looked down at my hand, finding the key in question, and gently nibbling at my lip I gingerly approached, hardly daring to believe it would fit in the lock. But fit it did, and the door opened invitingly. A smile spread across my lips as I ventured inside, looking about me in awe and noting the presence already of furniture. It was even decorated to our taste!
I must have wandered about the house for a good half an hour or so, gazing at the walls, the desk, the nurseries... Eventually I had to leave though, breaking into a sprint as I flung myself into Mum's arms and planting a big kiss on her cheek.
“My God...” I uttered, “Thank you doesn't even begin to cover what I'm feeling right now...”
“You approve I take it?” Joe remarked dryly.
I looked back at him as I began to drift slowly back to Earth. “Not that I'm complaining, but... what possessed you guys to do this?”
Joe and Mum exchanged awkward glances before he decided to do the talking, in so doing adopting a stern stance. “It wasn't for you we did this, but for your kids. You mentioned not having room in the house, and I couldn't bear to think how they'd get by later on in such a small place. We had to do something.”
“It was his idea,” Mum said, “Well, we both decided to have a whip-round. Not everyone in our family are rich, but there's a lot of us. Those who couldn't spare much were compensated for by those of us who could. Luca wouldn't give anything until I reassured him it wasn't for helping you, but the innocent children involved. Not even he could let them carry on in that place.”
“To say nothing of selling the TV,” Joe finished, “Just to get another two cots for the little 'uns? That's just ridiculous.”
“Even Luca gave something?” I checked, feeling tears of shame well at my eyes. I was beginning to feel like such a charity case; it took my family to get me out of trouble? It fell barely short of embarrassing. Still, at least now we could go back to sleeping in our coffins. I wiped a tear from my cheek as my eyes flickered from one to the other. “I'll never forget this,” I smiled, “And you can tell the others that too. I just wish I wasn't in the position to make this necessary.”
“I won't answer that,” came his bitter-sweet reply as he offered a hug, “Just don't make a habit of it. You won't be so lucky next time.”
Harsh words from such a nice man, but he was within his rights to say them. Just as I deserved to receive them.
So this is where we are now. They say to cherish the time they spend as babies, so here they are:
And they are so right – the years have flown past. Well, us being vampires doesn't help; Emily's still seventeen and I'm still fifteen, but now Amy and the rest of her friends are starting their first semester in University. That would make them eighteen; feels weird being a few years behind your twin sister, both mentally and physically, but that's how it goes I guess. Just as while my sister and friends/relatives pursue their dreams and live new adventures, I'm at home with three kids to look after – that's the price you pay for being careless. And trust me, parenthood has its moments...
However, it's not all bad. It's time-consuming, at times hideous, but it also brings its own rewards, no matter how small they may seem. You've no idea how good it feels hearing your child say their first word, or watch them take their first step, until you've heard or seen it for yourself.
They say everything happens for a reason. I may have suffered greatly through my adolescence, how much brought on myself I don't know or even care any more; I should be studying at Uni with my friends, but here I have a beautiful lady who I love very much and who loves me, and we have three little treasures of our own, part of both of us, and every moment I spend with them tells me there is no use looking back, or contemplating what should be. This is my life now, and I have never been happier. What the future holds no one knows, but I know I'll embrace whatever it may bring.
And with that I leave you, at least for now. I hope you enjoyed my tale, or at least learned from it; I may update later on, I may not. In the meantime, if this baby sells it's a huge bonus – if not, it's at least given me the outlet I so badly needed. I'll keep a copy under my bed for when they grow up, so they can see what a mess their Dad made of his life and know not to do the same.
Take care folks,
Stonelily237:
Oh my god! That was the best TS2 story I've ever read!
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