The Broke Legacy: Gen 5.4

[simgaroop]

Previous update: Gen 5.3.






The zombie standing in front of them was just a mere shell, a shadow, of the loving mother the Grunt brothers remembered.




"Mom?"- said Ripp softly, as he approached the monster-"Is that you? It's me... it's us, your sons... do you remember us?"




But the zombie remained silent.
There was no trace of light in her beautiful blue eyes, not even a sparkle of recognition in her face.
Lyla Grunt was truly dead, for the "living corpse" in front of Ripp was missing her soul and memories.




"You... BITCH!"- screamed Buck- "What have you done to our mother?!"
"What have I done to your mother, you ask?"- Olive snarled- "Perhaps you should ask that question to the real culprits of this crime."




"THEM!"




- "The Broke family. Or to be more precise, the descendants of the famous Cosmo Broke. For years they've hidden the crimes he committed to restore his wife back to life. Such a selfish, foolish man who didn't stop at anything to bring Bella Goth back from the grave, although she had already lived an extremely long life."





- "What are you talking about?!"- screamed Tim- "How dare you blame my Grandfather of something so awful! I knew him, and he was an extraordinary man who helped a lot of people with his medical discoveries!"
- "It's amusing how deeply you care about Cosmo Broke. How you are willing to defend him, even when everything points to his involvement in the crimes that destroyed the Grunt family."




- "But the truth shall come to the light this night. It is high time everyone in Strangetown knew the truth about Cosmo Broke. It is time the Grunts learn the real story behind their mother's murder... so justice will prevail in the end.

And for that, I shall begin my tale way before anyone of you were born. Way before even Cosmo Broke was born.
My story begins in my birth place, Sedona Village..."

________________________________




I was the only daughter of Peponi and Lerato Muenda.
My father was the owner of Sedona Village's biggest grapevine, Hacienda Muenda.
Our nectar was so demanded that it was exported to every country in Sim Earth.
I was raised in a beautiful house by loving parents and all the luxuries that the Muenda's fortune could buy.
I had a bright future in front of me as heiress of the Muenda Nectar Company.
But my parents were worried about me.




I was a shy and reserved girl.
I rarely assisted to the huge parties other rich families of the region had every month.
All the rich girls around my age were getting married to rich boys. Their families usually planned their marriages in order to promote the fusion of two strong companies. In Sedona Village, marriage was a business affair.
Despite my intelligence, my parents weren't sure I could handle the Muenda Company on my own.
I needed a smart, rich man by my side.




And that's how Earl Lee appeared in my life.
The heir of the Demise Industries. A handsome and extremely rich man who was considered the ideal husband for most of my friends.
We met at school, during my junior year in High School. He was a senior in La Fiesta Tech, majoring in Business, of course.
He was charming, a perfect gentleman.
I fell in love with him.




It didn't take long before Earl asked me to marry him.
Eager to make the most of this situation, my parents planned a huge wedding that took place the following month.
I was barely eighteen and I longed for a college education like the one Earl had, but I knew that as soon as we got married, we would start "working" to bring a heir to the world.




The wedding was beautiful. The dream of every rich girl in Sedona Village.
I had a gorgeous dress, my fiancée looked stunning in his tux, and all my family and friends were there.
With the fusion of the Muenda and Demise companies, a huge emporium would be born too.




But something went wrong in that moment.
Just as I was placing the wedding ring on Earl's finger, he jumped back.
"I'm sorry Olive, but I can't marry you!"
"What... what are you talking about?! Earl I..."




"I don't love you, Olive. I never did. I was going to marry you because my parents thought that'd be the best for the Demise Industries... our stocks are not doing well at the moment. But I won't marry you! I love someone else! Someone sweet and beautiful and not... plain and boring as you are, Olive! I don't care about your parent's money! I'd rather die than be with you!"




Earl Lee Demise not only broke my heart that night. He humiliated me in front of my family and friends.
Who would want me after being left in the altar?
He had destroyed my life. He had brought shame to me and my parents.
I wasn't going to let that bastard get away.




Once the guests left, my parents were asleep, and Earl was busy packing his things to flee with his "true love", I went to my late grandfather's room.




"If you are not going to be my husband, you won't be anyone's!"








My soul perished that night.
Hurt by the harsh reality of his rejection,
the deep hatred burning behind his eyes,
and the crimson blood that permanently dyed my destiny.




I don't expect anyone to understand.
How it was his company what saved me from the shadows.
How I was brought back to life by the one who was supposed to take me away.

My life as Olive Muenda has ended that night, when I discovered the meaning of true love in the hands of the Grim Reaper.
He didn't say anything. He just held me as I cried for the loss of my innocence. No one had made me feel that way.
No one had ever... loved me just as I was. He didn't care about my money or my looks.
No man could ever compare to him. And if HE wanted me to go on, I'd do anything to fulfill his wishes.




So the first thing I did was to hide the evidence of my crime.
No one would ever know about Earl's demise. Everyone already thought he had run away with his girlfriend.
No one would suspect about me.
It seemed like a perfect plan...




If only his brother, Tim Lee Demise, hadn't caught me.




Well... no plan is perfect.

_________________________




Five years went by.
My parents died from food poisoning (who would imagine that the cook would confuse arsenic with salt?) and I became the heiress of the Muenda Company.
I quickly proved everyone that I was able to handle the business on my own. I didn't need a man by my side.




Until I fell in love with one of my employees, Hugh Thanasia.




We didn't waste time with a long engagement or a fancy wedding.
We got married a week later, with only Hugh's brother as a witness.




My marriage was short... but full of passion.
Hugh was the man who finally taught me the wonders of a couple's intimacy.




It was such a pity that he had a heart attack a few days before our first anniversary.
Especially all alone, during his daily routine in our swimming pool.




Hugh loved me. And I cared about him.
I was truly sad for his death... until HE appeared to take Hugh away.
My sorrow, my pain... those were silly feelings compared to the heat the invaded my body.
He was upset. He said it was not normal to have these feelings for me.




I just wondered how it'd be to get as close to Grim as I had been to Hugh.
I wondered how his icy touch would feel against my warm skin.

And I wouldn't stop at ANYTHING until I got my answer.

________________________________




I had such a bad luck streak with my servants the following year.




They barely lasted a couple days...




Before they mysteriously disappeared without saying good-bye.




Ungrateful bastards... after I spent so much time and money renovating the service wing of my mansion for them.




Little by little, we became closer.
With time, we slowly destroyed down the barriers between us.




Until we became one being one cold, autumn night.




Since that night, his touch became the sole thing my numb skin could feel.
Only his breath provided the air my lungs desperately needed.
but it was his greatest gift, the hope that was growing inside of me,
the force that brought me back to the living world every day.




It was ironic, how the servant of Death was the one who brought the spark of life to my existence.
Our baby boy, Bion, was born nine months later.

__________________________

The months went by...




I hadn't seen him since our only night together.
I missed him so much... but the existence of Bion made everything better.
I barely left my house, for I dedicated every minute of the day to my son.
But while he slept, I explored the wonders of something called... Internet.




And that's how I met Rigger Mortis.




He was an old widower. He'd lost the love of his life just as she was giving birth to their first son.
And he'd spent the rest of his life all alone.




If there was something Rigger wished more than anything, was to have a son.
And when he met Bion, he fell in love with him.
He told me that he was willing to leave his fortune to my son.
He was willing to give him all the love and caring that his absent biological father couldn't give him.




Bion was everything to me, so I accepted Rigger as my husband.
We didn't love each other. But we got married to form a real family for my son.
Our son...

___________________




A year went by...
Rigger and I were the perfect couple.
We were popular and rich. We were invited to all the parties in Sedona Village.
For the first time in my life I became a social butterfly.
I didn't want my son to grow up as isolated as I did, so it was better to form good relations since his early days.




We threw a small party for Bion's first birthday.




He was a cheerful and smart little boy.
Most of my "friends" were surprised by his pale skin (an extreme contrast to my dark one), so he was secretly nicknamed as "Olive's albino kid."




Pale or not, Rigger loved him as he were his biological son.
"Come here, Bion! You can do it, kiddo!"




"You did it! You did it!"
"Da... Daddy!"
"Ha! Did you hear him, Olive! He called me Daddy! He thinks I'm his Father!"




But I wasn't happy.
This had gone too far!
Perhaps it was time I introduced Bion to his real father.
And there was only one way to do so.




So that night, I took my grandfather's gun and confronted Rigger.




Unfortunately, that gun hadn't been fired since Earl's death, and it was no longer loaded.
Rigger took that opportunity and escaped.




He took Bion and locked himself inside our bedroom.
"It's an emergency... it's my wife! I think she's lost her mind... she has a gun and..."




"Do not worry, Bion. I won't let her hurt you. I'll protect you, my son."




A locked door was nothing to me, so I barged inside the room.
I found him hugging MY son.
"Take your dirty hands away from my son! He's the son of the Grim Reaper, so Bion's out of your reach!"
"What are you talking about? The son of Death? You've really gone insane, Olive!"








"Oh, you don't believe me? It's all right! You'll believe once you meet Bion's father in person. And that's the last thing you'll ever see!"





But something went wrong in that moment.
During our fight, I accidentally knocked down a chandelier.




I'd never felt so much pain.
My skin, my eyes, my soul... everywhere I turned, I could only see the bright flames around me.
The last thing I felt before losing consciousness was his cold breath behind my neck...

_______________________________________________






That night I lost everything.
My skin.
My hair.
My eyebrows.
My house.
My husband.
My company.
My freedom...

Everything was consumed by the flames... except for two things.
One was my life, which he didn't take from me that night.
Most people would say I was lucky, but when I noticed the loss of the other thing that survived the fire; I wished I had really died.

"Huh... wh... where am I?"




"You are in the ICU of the Sedona Prison Clinic, Mrs. Mortis."




"Prison? What am I doing in Prison?"




"What are you doing in prison?! I can't believe this! You killed your husband, Rigger Mortis, six months ago! And the detectives also found the bodies of at least 50 persons who were reported as missing several years ago, including Earl E. Demise, his brother Tim Lee Demise and Hugh Thanasia. Do these names ring a bell, Mrs. Mortis?"
"I..."
"You've been accused of murder. You're gonna spend a long, long time locked up! At least in the Psychiatric Hospital..."
"You have no proof of anything! My husband was old! He was senile! He was the one who started the fire! He was the one who called the police... to blame me! I was just trying to protect my... my son! Where is my son?!"
"Your son, Bion Mortis, has spent these last months in the ICU of the Pediatric Hospital in SimCity. He barely survived the fire... it's a true miracle that someone so young could survive such severe wounds. He's been in surgery five times to re-construct his face... poor child. The doctors are afraid of permanent neurological damage too... he can't walk or talk anymore."
"My... my son! Where is he? I have to see him!"
"I'm sorry, but due to the legal charges and the damage he suffered under your care, you've lost the custody rights. He's gonna be put up for adoption as soon as he gets better..."





"Nooooo! NOOOOOOO!"

____________________________________




I spent the following 30 years in prison.
And every second of those years I thought about Bion.
I was released once the judges couldn't find any other reason to keep me there.
I left Sedona Village forever, ready to start over my life.
Or what was left of it.

I searched for Bion in every orphanage I found.
But there were no records. It was as if he had never existed.
Someone even told me he had died as a child, but I didn't believe it.
I'm sure he wouldn't take his son away. At least not yet.

Eventually, I found a clue.
Someone had seen a man who resembled the baby I've described again and again during my search.
A man... I could barely believe my Bion was already grown up.
I had to see him! I had to tell him the truth about his birth!
And that's how I arrived to Strangetown.




I had no money and no place to stay.
So I started working as a maid in the Specter Mansion.




And that's how I met my last husband, Ichabod Specter.




Ichabod was a genius. A man who had dedicated his whole life to the study of paranormal phenomena.
He was born and raised in Strangetown, and therefore had witnessed several "abnormal" events.
The arrival of an almost extinct alien race.
Vampires.
Werewolves.
People who had mutated due to prolonged exposition to biological chemicals.
And the existence of a man related to Death itself.

Ichabod had a large following. People who had experienced these odd phenomena or who knew someone who did.
People looking for answers, just like me.




With time, Ichabod and I became close.
And one night, I told him about my relationship with the Grim Reaper and Bion's birth.
Ichabod believed me. He had seen my son once!
He was a teenager back then. Most people thought I was crazy, but the way he moved and walked implied he was not a regular guy. There's been reports in the past of people who had had close encounters with the servant of Death. If Bion is in Strangetown, we'll find him. Trust me..."




Ichabod and I got married two years later.




That day I became Olive Specter.
And the next 25 years, my husband and I searched for Bion.
But no one had seen Bion again. None of our students knew about his existence.




And when he took Ichabod away, leaving me all alone, I almost lost all hope of ever finding Bion.




And that's when I started hating him.
________________________________________




I still searched for answers.
I was getting older, and I knew that my time on Sim Earth would eventually be over.
But I wouldn't die! Not before finding my son!




I had to find a way to cheat death.
To cheat him, who had been both the source of joy and pain in my life.
And I was pretty sure he also knew where my son was and how to find him.
I had to ask him!




So I went back to my old "research" methods.








Several of my students died in those years.




And every time I was in front of him, I begged for answers.
For a clue about Bion's whereabouts.
For more time in this world!.

But he always refused "You've been here way too long, Olive. Our relationship was a mistake, just like Bion's birth. Accept your destiny and wait for my arrival. I'll come for you soon..."

_________________________________

Eventually, I ran out of disciples.
Several had died during our "study groups", of course.
But the rest no longer trusted me and left my circle.
Only my most devoted students remained by my side.
But they weren't enough anymore.

I needed to find new blood that would help me in my search.
I had to find someone who didn't know about my reputation.
Someone foolish enough to fall in my trap and lead me to another encounter with the Grim Reaper.




And that someone arrived to Strangetown a week later.




His name was Beau Broke, a young man who was born and raised in Pleasantview.
He was perfect!




Unfortunately, those Graslaxian parasites got to him first.
P.T. Smith never trusted me. He knew I was the mastermind behind the recent murders in Strangetown.
Of course, he had no proof of that. And back then no one trusted a green freak like him.




P.T. Smith obviously warned Beau about my shady activities.
It was too late... Beau wouldn't cooperate with me.




He already trusted Smith and his family.




But you shouldn't trust anyone in Strangetown! Ever!
And that's a lesson he learned too late...




It is well known that Beau Broke arrived to this town in search of new opportunities.
He was running away from the bad reputation he had in Pleasantview.
He wanted to clean the Broke name.
How ironic...




He never realized it, of course, but when he gave birth to a half-alien baby several months later,
he actually started the series of events that would bring ultimate doom to the Broke family.




He gave birth to the biggest parasite of all.
A parasite that my closest disciple, Angie Horowits, brought to our circle twenty years later.




And that's how I met Cosmo Broke.

______________________________




Cosmo was a genius, indeed.
Armed with the technology he had learned to use during his training in the Graslaxian mother ship, he had promoted an important advance in the medical field.
It was actually with the help of his medicines that I had survived the last three years.
I was almost 100 years old... and I could almost feel his breath just behind me with every step I took.
I knew that Cosmo had potential. With his help, I could cheat Death and live forever... or how long it'd take to find my son.




And the best part?
He had arrived to me in search of answers.
Answers I already had thanks to both Ichabod's studies and the close relationship I once had with the Grim Reaper.
He was deeply in love with a woman who had left him when his youngest daughter was born.
He couldn't imagine his life without her. He was willing to do anything to get her back.
He was so desperate that he'd be very easy to manipulate,
Or so I thought...




For a while he DID help me on my search.
He shared with me everything he knew about the Graslaxian technology.
Everything except for one thing...
and that was the recipe to prepare the Graslaxian wonder, the Green Elixir.
He had prepared enough potions to keep me strong and alive for many years, but he refused to share with me the recipe.
"I'm already breaking a promise I made to my mother, Lilith, several years ago. I promised I'd never prepare this elixir for a human... and I'm betraying her trust out of love for my wife. Don't force me to betray her any further... I can't share the recipe with anyone. When I die, it'll take it with me to my grave."




We kept a close relationship for almost 10 years.
He prepared all the elixir I needed. He used his influences as an important citizen to search for Bion, to no avail.
Deep inside, he must had believed I was crazy too.
And he still refused to share the recipe with me.

We got into a huge fight one night.
He had been doing research on his own, and discovered my true identity as Olive Muenda.
He was so disgusted by my crimes he threatened to leave the circle and call the police.
But the idiot soon realized that anyone who cared about Olive Muenda was already dead.
No one remembered my crimes anymore.

I had to do something radical to change his mind.
It was time to offer Cosmo the one thing I had also kept away from him all these years.
It was time to let him contact the Grim Reaper.

And he soon learned that to bring back his wife, he had to pay a price.




"You never told me about this, Olive! I won't sacrifice anyone to bring Bella back! I... I can't do this..."
"Then I guess Andrew and Wanda won't get to meet their mother. And all the work you've done these years will be for nothing..."
"Olive..."
"I'm pretty sure Bella would had loved to see how beautiful Wanda has become now that she's a teenager. Girls her age need a mother's advice, Cosmo, and I'm afraid Andrew, Beau or you could never give that to her."
"I know... but I can't do this... there must another way..."
"And there is!"
"Which one? I'll do it!"
"You must pay one million simmoleons in exchange for Bella's soul..."
"I... I don't have that money. And I don't think I'd ever save that quantity... not even if..."




"Then I'll give you the money."
"I... I can't accept that much money, Olive, I..."
"I'm not giving the money as a present, Broke. I'm willing to pay one million simmoleons, the amount you desperately need, in exchange for the Elixir's recipe."
"Never! You... you are a vile woman! I'd never, EVER give you a way to live forever. Who knows that kind of crimes you'd commit in the future?"
"I'm as vile as you are, Cosmo. Or have you forgotten about Lazlo Curious? He lost his job at the Town Hall when you stole the adoption documents I asked you to get for me. I've heard that his daughter won't make it to college..."
"I..."
"Or what about Johnny Smith? He had such a bright future as a triathlon athlete, but you threw down the stairs when he caught you stealing the medical data I asked you to get for me from his mother's office. I guess he's learned to be happy in his wheelchair. Or what..."
"Stop it! Stop! I... all right. I'll give you something as valuable as a million simmoleans... perhaps even more..."




"What is this?"
"I've told you about it. It's the... component Sigma."
"You don't mean..."
"Yeah, the source from which the Graslaxian Elixir was first developed. Keep it until I pay you with either the money or... the soul I need to bring Bella back."
"Very well, Cosmo. I shall wait for your payment..."

_______________________________




I gave him everything I had.
I sold all my machinery, my car, the few stocks I still had from the Muenda Company.
I did everything to get the million simmoleons he needed to bring his wife back.

And one night, Bella Goth returned from the grave.
Cosmo Broke's family lived happily for years and years.
But I still didn't have Bion by my side. Nor money.
Nor energy... the Graslaxian elixir Cosmo prepared for me was almost gone.




One year later, I called him.
I asked him to prepare me more elixir, but he refused.
"You deserve to die, you witch! I won't help you anymore!"
"Remember the deal we made, Cosmo! If you don't pay back, I'll tell the police everything about your crimes. I need the money too..."




Cosmo Broke tried to earn the money I had spent for his wife.
I heard he became an important member of a criminal organization.
How ironic... the respected Cosmo Broke had become a dirty thief.
He was captured. And he blamed me for everything.
But he had no proof about my crimes.
But I also lacked proof about his crimes.

I spent many years in misery, licking the few drops I could find of elixir to stay alive like a mere dog.
Cosmo Broke betrayed me... but I swore I'd make him pay back in the end.

________________________




Cosmo Broke betrayed his daughter and son-in-law some years later, or so I read.
I guess he was so busy explaining his odd actions to them that he completely forgot about the one thing he had left in my charge.




I knew everything about the Component Sigma, so I had taken good care of it for several years.




Now that it had grown strong, and hungry, it was time to recuperate the money Cosmo owed me.




And one night, just when his granddaughter Rose Mary was born, the mobile for my revenge showed up at my door.




It was Lyla Vandermorgan, a beautiful woman I'd seen plenty of times in the past.
Ever since her childhood days, it was common to see her taking long walks around town.
She loved to be outside, to enjoy the sun, the fresh air and to meet new people.
As a teen she was quite popular with the boys too.
But then she fell in love and married the General Buzz Grunt, a well known alien enemy like his father and many other Grunts in the past.
I hadn't seen Lyla since the birth of her first son, and there were rumors that the General had his family locked up in their house.
That night Lyla, a free spirit finally tired of being a prisoner in her own house, had a huge fight with her husband and left the house without looking back.
She wasn't really running away, of course. She loved her three sons too much to leave them like that. She just wanted a bit of... space. Some time to think how she should handle the issues with her husband.
He was an asshole, but she still loved him.




I offered Lyla a warm meal and place to spend the night.
"You look so tired, sweetheart. Why won't you go and freshen up while I prepare some tea for us."
"That's a good idea, Mrs. Specter. I've been wandering around all day..."

And off she went to the bathroom.




Until the sweet smell of my little trap caught her interest.
Once your nose perceives the addictive aroma of the Component Sigma, you are doomed.




















The only thing I can say in dear Bessie's (as I named my little pet) defense is that she was quick and lethal.
I'm sure that Lyla didn't have time to suffer or feel pain as she was devoured.




So in the end, Cosmo Broke gave me exactly what I wanted.
I no longer had my money, but I had something way better: A large dose of Elixir that would keep me alive for a long time.

And, best of all, the satisfaction in knowing that in the end Cosmo Broke sacrificed a soul to take Bella's place.




Of course, I had to share this piece of knowledge with my good friend.
I wish I had been there when he read my message, to see his face as the ice feeling of guilt and remorse ate him alive.
And I wish I had seen him during his final days, wondering about the innocents who suffered the consequences of his crimes.
The children who lost their mother, so his own children could get Bella back...

____________________________




"And the irony of this situation is delicious. Cosmo became a close friend of the man whose wife he killed to get Bella back.
The Grunt family, known for several generations as the aliens biggest enemies, became their defenders.
Isn't that right, Ripp? You married one of those green freaks, right? You spent several years away from this planet, fighting against the Graslaxian enemies!
And you never imagined that it was the Graslaxian's technology what killed your mother!"




"Oh, and this one is my favorite!
The youngest Grunt actually married a Broke, right Buck? You admired Cosmo! You care about Wanda, who enjoyed a pleasant life with her mother in exchange of yours. Wanda has memories of Bella, but what about you? You can barely recognize her! And you gave up your college studies and your dreams of traveling around the world out of love for Rose Mary. You married her and have supported her and the rest of the Brokes all these years!"





Buck was livid. He looked at Tim and snarled- "You knew about this, Tim?!"
"You knew my grandfather, Buck! You've been my friend since I was a kid! How can you believe this... witch instead of us... you family?"




"The biggest proof is standing in front of us, fool! Tell us, Lyla, who killed you?"
"T... th... plant... ate..."
"Bessie would love to meet all of you, if you need more proof. And besides..."




"Let's not forget the actions these foolish kids did tonight. They tried to bring back Lyla, but they lacked the money or the soul needed to restore her. Not happy with destroying your family in the past, the Brokes now have hurt you in the present!"




"I believe in justice, so I wanted to give the Brokes the same pain I've felt all these years without Bion. I wanted them to feel how it is to lose a child. So when I realized that little Tommy and my dear niece Ophelia had become good friends, I murdered her parents. I was sure that this child would try to resurrect them and that he would fail. I was planning to have them all killed by the zombies they'd surely create, but this was much better.

So in short, you should blame your little friend Thomas for your parent’s deaths, Ophelia."

"No! That's not true! I... I didn't want to hurt your mom and daddy, Phi! You are my friend... you're..."

"But in the end, none of this matters. Now that all of you know the truth about the Brokes, you might understand that I can't let you leave this place alive, right?
Lyla... finish them off!"

_______________________________________




The zombie snarled and moved towards the Grunt brothers.




Tim knelt down and picked up the voo doo doll, hoping it'd stop her for a second time.




But before he could react, he felt someone shoving him back with force.
"Don't you dare hurt her, Broke! I won't let you!"
"Are you insane, Buck?! She's gonna kill us if we don't do something!"




The zombie cornered Ripp. But to everyone's surprise, he didn't seem afraid.




"Mom, please. I know your soul is still inside there... please. You've got to remember us! It's me, Ripp! And that's Tank, remember? And that one over there is Buck! Please!"




Lyla turned around.
She noticed Buck and slowly moved towards him.
She placed her hand on his chest.




"Hick... ry... ock... use ... the clock..."




"What? What is she saying? I can't understand..."
"Wait!"- exclaimed Tank- "It's... it's the nursery rhyme she used to sing to us!"
"What?"
"Please remember, Buck! I taught it to you when you were a baby... I think she wants you to sing it with her..."
"Are you insane, Tank?!"




"Just do it!"

___________________




"You can do it, Buck!"
"Hickowy Bickory duck!"




"Good try, baby bro!"




"Let's surprise Mommy! Come on, Buck!"




Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck one
And down he did come,
Oh, Hickory Dickory dock.




Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck two
And down he flew,
Oh, Hickory Dickory dock




Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck three
And he did flee,
Oh, Hickory Dickory dock




Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck four
And he hit the floor,
Oh, Hickory Dickory dock




Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck five
And the mouse took a dive,
Oh, Hickory Dickory dock.




Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck six
And that mouse, he split,
Oh, Hickory Dickory dock.




Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck seven,
8, 9, 10, 11,
Oh, Hickory Dickory dock




Hickory Dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
As twelve bells rang
"The mousie sprang... Oh, Hickory Dickory dock..."
As soon as Buck stopped singing the rhyme, the light that had been absent in Lyla's eyes for so long returned.




"My... my b..by... it's you..."




The sight of Lyla hugging her sons after so many years apart was too much for Olive Specter.
It wasn't fair! She wanted her own son back! Why should the Brokes and the Grunts get what had been denied to her for so long.
She couldn't take it anymore.
This was the last time these two families... the last time anyone would humiliate her!








"If I can't be with my son, no one will!"








"Mom! Watch out!"









To be continued



________________________________________
Notes:
- The notes of this update will be published as a separate entry tomorrow, because I’m including “behind the scenes” pics with them.

- Thank you so much for reading!

Comments

[amaryssobellus.livejournal.com]

This was truly unexpected. Wow, just wow.

What's going to happen to the Broke family now? I was actually really suprised taht the Buck would turn on Tim. That any of them would because no matter how Olive tried to spin it SHE killed Lyla Grunt. Not Cosmo. SHE did it. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Your pictures and the quality of the stories are really fantastic.