Chapter 2 - Part 18: She Blinded Me With Science

Faith looked in on Flora as she lay napping on the couch.  The teenager, having gotten in so late the night before, had run out of energy and passed out on the sofa shortly after a supper full of awkward silences.

"I hate that have I to hurt her like this," Faith expressed to her husband.  "It isn't fair to her, it isn't fair to any of us."

Pete wasn't quite sure how to respond to his wife.  It seemed anything and everything he said these days wasn't the right thing, so he attempted to be helpful with a simple and neutral, "I know..."


It still wasn't the right thing.

"No, you don't," Faith scolded him under her breath, trying to keep her voice down to keep from waking their daughter.  "You don't know what she's been up to.  Do you know where she went after the boys' funeral?  To a Vampire's house, to his lair," she seethed, her face reddening from anger.


Faith didn't wait for him to answer before continuing, "did you know that she's been sleeping with Drake?"  

Her eyes shot daggers at Pete, who could only look away.  It seemed she only got angrier if you looked her in the eyes.  "Hmm?  Did you know that?" she asked vehemently.


Yet, before he had the chance to respond, her anger boiled over once more, "of course you didn't know!  Because you're never here, Pete!  You're supposed to be here, but the basement is always empty!  When we need you, it's empty!!"

Not knowing what to say or do to calm his grieving wife, Pete's only option was to let her continue to yell and scream until the anger worked its way out of her.  It has to run out eventually, he thought.


But it never seemed to, "If you aren't going to do anything to help this family, then I am!" she screamed. 

Flora, jarred awake from the sudden outburst, jumped up from the sofa.  

Unaware her daughter was now wide awake, Faith continued her tirade, "I'm getting this family the hell away from here!  Pack up your gadgets and widgets and God knows what else you have, we're moving as soon as possible!" she blasted.


Any attempt to change her mind would fail, Pete thought.  Fortunately, this wasn't going to hurt him and his business, after all, he could sell his wares anywhere.  What this was going to do, however, is devastate their daughter.  Her age-up day was just around the corner, starting at a brand new school would be detrimental to her grades.  

Though if this thing with the Vampire was true, perhaps it would be best to get away.


Faith continued to spout forth the anger she could no longer contain inside herself, "We're taking our daughter as far away from those creatures as humanly possible.  If they want us, they'll have to find us!"

Unable to listen to any more arguing, especially in light of this latest development, Flora hurried out of room before either of her parents could notice.


With tears forming in her eyes, she grabbed her bicycle and sped off down the street.  She wasn't even sure where she was going, but as long as she was out of that house, she didn't care.  She just continued to ride, away.

The sun was setting on Harmony island, and Flora's world was turning dark.


Eventually, she found herself at the Dixie Cagley Butterfly Pavilion, the park her family owned.  For a fleeting moment, standing in the flower garden, she could almost forget her problems.  Almost forget about what she had just overheard her mother saying.

Almost.


As the moon rose over the dome, Flora pondered her life.


Everything had been so good once.  Her parents used to be happy, her brothers were their annoying selves, she had a crush on the most elusive boy who may or may not have been the wrong guy for her.  Why did everything turn so horrific so quickly?

Now this whole thing about moving?  Just when her and Drake had finally taken things to the next level, when she felt loved for the first time since her brothers died.  How could her mother do this to her?

No way was she was returning to the house, not while they were still fighting.


Without realizing she'd even fallen asleep, Flora was woken up with a start when she heard her name being called.  She jumped up and brushed the loose grass off her dress, as she saw Drake headed her way.


"I didn't realize it was morning already," Flora yawned.  "How did you know I was here?" she asked.


Drake's face became concerned, "I could sense you were unhappy, but was unable to break away until now.  I came as soon as I could.  What is troubling you?" he asked, placing his hand on her arm, comforting her.


Then the flood of what had happened the previous night came back to her, "They're taking me away!" she cried in alarm.  "My mom is making us move somewhere.  She... found out about us.  She thinks I'm in danger because of you," she finished, barely able to restrain from sobbing. 


"This is madness!" Drake said in disbelief, "She has no reason to fear me.  I vowed to protect this family after the kindness that she stowed upon me.  That she would turn on me is truly undeserved."


Flora embraced him, tears dripping onto his shoulder as she sighed, "Drake, I don't want to go.  I don't want to leave you.  This isn't fair!" she cried.

As the sun began to crest over the park, he put his mouth close to her ear and whispered, "Do not fear, my flower, we will meet again.  I promise."


He vanished so fast that she began to doubt he was there at all.


Less than two days later, Faith found herself signing off on the final order for the moving company.  The house was packed and they were ready to go.

"Am I doing the right thing?" she asked Pete hesitantly, as they were putting the lid on the last box.  "We have to protect our family, right?" she questioned in an anxious tone.


"I believe in you, love.  I know we're doing what is best for us," Pete said encouragingly.  Though, a sideways glance made him question that logic, "But, do you think she's going to be alright?" he asked.


Flora had been moping about the house ever since they told her they'd be moving.  Barely speaking or eating, they knew she was taking this hard.  Their only hope was that she would see this had to be done in order to protect them.


"I don't know if she will be," Faith replied.  "I feel like a monster, Pete.  I've been acting like a crazy person, I know.  I just don't know how to deal with all this.  I think she'll be okay.  And I will be too..." she gave him a weak smile, trying to apologize for her recent behavior with her eyes.


He was fully aware she had been acting like a monster.  That much was obvious, but he also knew that it wasn't herself that was acting that way.  It was grief and fear that drove her.

"I love you and I think that a fresh start will be exactly what we need," he said reassuringly.


He turned and faced the sullen teenager, "Come on kiddo, it's time to get a move on.  Let's give your mom a second, ok?"

Flora slumped off the crate and made her way to the door with Pete following behind, "We'll be right outside," he said to his wife.


Alone in the house that she grew up in.  Her father had built this house for her after she'd been born.  This was truly the end of a legacy.  Please, god, let this be the right decision, she thought.

"Bye, Dad," she said quietly as she closed the door behind her.


On the front porch, Flora paused a moment, a cold chill traveling down her spine.  She had hoped to see Drake before she left, but being under the constant watchful eyes of her parents, there was no way to get to him.  

But now she felt him close by, "Drake," she whispered, "please keep your promise."


Before she could climb into the truck, Faith stopped her daughter and said, "I know you must hate me right now, and I'm sorry for that.  I want this to be a fresh start for us both, Flora.  Let's work on that?"

Not ready to give in completely, Flora simply nodded her head and climbed into the cab of the truck.
 

'Big Red' took off down the street. The Cagleys, leaving behind the foundation of their heritage, were headed into the unknown.




Title / Thomas Dolby

32 comments:

  1. CHALLENGE NOTES:

    So that is the end of Harmony - onto the next world, which will hopefully hold out a bit longer!

    Sorry for some of the continuity issues in this one, I tried to play them out plot wise, but playing this world at the end was so utterly frustrating (in regards to the lag) that it was a miracle I got any pictures at all.

    Thanks again for all your continued support, it really makes doing this so much fun! =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PS: I had always vowed to myself that I wouldn't uses poses in my story, because I wanted to keep it as natural as possible, but that one was just too dang perfect for the situation to pass up. That should be the only time, though. =)

      (Though, I do use poses when taking in-game pictures that are spread around the house because I think it gives them a bit more life.)

      Delete
  2. Okay so Drake HAS to keep his promise! And not in the way that Nero found Wren again when she was grey in Becky's legacy. My heart just can't take anymore heartache! (And yes I am POINTEDLY IGNORING the fact that he is eternally a teen. T_T They will find a way to be together, I just know it!)

    I really am excited for the Cagleys' new life in another town. <3

    ReplyDelete
  3. Draaaaaaaaaaaaake *drools* Yay we moving on together, except your story is better written then mine lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, pfft! Your story is amazing, and I can't wait to see how you take on Storybook!!

      Delete
  4. I certainly hope the next world holds out longer. You tied the move into the storyline beautifully. I don't know if Flora falling asleep at the park was just a continuity thing, but it sure seems to hint at vampire mind control. Stay good, Drake! Stay good! Hee!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too, Susan! It's a smaller map, so my hope is that it will.

      There may or may not be some mind control going on. I'll leave that to the reader to decide. =)

      Delete
  5. Drake! I hope he gets to go with them.

    I think you wrote the move into the story very logically. I was glad to see that Faith calmed down a bit by the end, too. Poor Pete was putting up with a lot!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks DW! I tried to make it plausible (the move). When I realized I was going to have to change towns, I had to come up with a way that would be story driven. Faith losing her mind seemed like a logical one. Haha. Yeah, poor Pete, he's put up with a lot, but to be fair, he really hasn't been around much, I've pretty much kept him chained to his inventing bench or in the time machine... Heh. I love that thing!

      Delete
  6. Poor Pete. =(

    And it feels so terrible that they must move away from the house Morand built for them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tell me about it! I loved that house!! Even though I don't care for the lime green (thanks Faith), I was loving how it was slowly filling up with stuff organically over time. That's one of the things I love about your stories, the houses really feel like homes.

      Delete
  7. I love your story! Its so fluid and inspiring, <3
    Haha is it bad if i relate to faith and pete? its basically me and my boyfriend around that time of the month. xD

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha Neeri! That's hilarious! Thank you so much for reading and commenting, it's SO appreciated. =)

      Delete
  8. Oh no! They really moved away? :( Hopefully Drake can find a way to get back to Flora, they are really great for each other.
    (Despite that,I can still understand Faith.)

    Your pictures and your story are absolutely awesome, like in every chapter! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They indeed moved away, more due to game issues (since installing Pets) than any story related purposes, though I had to figure out a way to make it story related - fun!

      Thanks so much for you comments, I really appreciate it!!

      Delete
  9. I hope Faith and Pete can be happy again. It's very realistic and well-written the way Faith turned on him in grief, but I hope they can move past that while making their fresh start.
    And I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Flora/Drake story plays out. =D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Melissa!! Having never gone through something like that, I can only imagine all the different feelings that come into it. I'm glad that it came across sincere.

      To be honest, I'm looking forward to seeing how the whole Flora/Drake thing plays out as well!! haha

      Delete
  10. Well I'm all caught up, which I'm not sure how I feel about that because I REALLY want to read some more but anyways....Drake MUST keep his promise to Flora. I'm also ignoring the fact that he will be forever a teenager while she will not. But screw it! I REALLY love them together. I hope they work something out. I simply cannot wait to find out what happens next. Is it update time yet? Lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also, YAY for the chapter title!! I was hoping you would use it and you did!

      Delete
    2. Jessica, you really DO ROCK!! It's been SOOOO fun reading your comments as you've been going through the chapters. It was like I was reliving the whole story again with fresh eyes, and then I would think "Oh wait until she gets to THAT part!" That was so fun. Thank you for doing that.

      Tying in song titles that have to do with the primary career and having them MEAN something to the chapter has been incredibly difficult! Haha

      You're awesome. =)

      Delete
  11. OMG, I love the title, I've never actually heard anyone outside of my roommates reference that song before. xD

    That last picture was so sad as they left behind their house. I'm glad you got some shots of the Butterfly Pavilion in this chapter, too, as it probably won't be moving to the new neighborhood with them, and it was such a lovely lot. :(

    Ah well, at least this means that you'll be able to continue the legacy, and I had missed your updates! Although I have to say that I don't completely trust Drake, some of Flora's actions around him have seemed a little suspicious, so I'll be keeping an eye on those two. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hehe, I love that song and have been waiting for a chance to use it!!

      I'm going to miss the butterfly pavilion. It was a great park. So photogenic!

      Delete
  12. Oh dear...I hope Faith can get the clean slate she wants! Specially with Flora, and I also hope Pete will stop disappearing all the time!! Though if I had a time machine...and I'd just lost my children...I know where i'd go...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I take full responsibility for Pete's disappearances. I just LOVE the time machine and bringing back cool trinkets and clothes from the time periods. Haha. Only I'm not telling Faith that. =)

      Delete
  13. I'm looking forward to what happens between Drake and Flora in the future as I don't believe that he won't follow them. I'm sad to see how Faith has fallen apart since the death of her sons though :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't even imagine what a loss like that would feel like, I imagine that everyone goes through it differently. It's tough to write, for sure!!

      Delete
  14. I just love the way this has turned into detailed character analysis. I hope I can post something so thought-provoking someday! :)

    So here's my take -- to Faith, it doesn't necessarily matter if Drake is a good guy. She made it a personal quest to help him out, and because of that HER SONS WERE KILLED. Drake promised to look after the family, and even so HER SONS WERE KILLED. I think it's important to keep in mind that Faith's relationship with Drake was the initiator of this entire tragedy. Why wouldn't that happen to Flora too?

    This isn't about Drake's good or badness. This is about the community he exists in, which is more dangerous and more malicious than anything Faith could possibly have imagined.

    If I were Faith, I wouldn't want my precious remaining child anywhere near him or any other vampire.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan, I love this discussion, too!! I never would have imagined it.

      I love your take on it as well, and that is pretty much where she is coming from, in my mind. I'm so glad that was relayed. =)

      Delete
  15. Haha, I must be the only person who isn't shipping Flora and Drake. I think it's seriously creepy that Drake would sleep with her.

    Don't be afraid to go against everyone's rampant shipping if you've got to, RC. I break Cece's heart frequently. >=)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Becky: I'm not totally convinced they've actually slept together. Flora didn't say that, and we didn't see what happened.

    And yes, I am rampantly shipping Drake and a Cagley, provided he stays good. Stay good, Drake! Stay good!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oooh, excited to see what the future holds, but kind of upsetting that they're leaving under such sad circumstances.

    ReplyDelete