Because the Sims 2 Exchange is full of epic fail… and I have way too many ADHD issues to make myself wait until they stop being a bunch of failures, I’ve decided to upload the little I do have of Afterlife onto my blog. I’ll try and update this again one of these days. Hopefully… yeah…On with the story.
Afterlife: The Reckoning by MonkeeGoddess/Ms.Perception
Kali didn’t know why or even how but today was going to end badly. Very badly. She had the feeling when the first thing she did upon waking that morning was knock over a picture of Caleb and herself that was on her nightstand. The result was a jagged crack in the glass that ran across the two of them.
Her next indication that this day was going to end badly came when she received what she would later refer to as the “Cryptic Text That Started All This Crap”.
It was a simple text that told her to watch what was most precious and came from an unknown number. She was so consumed with running through a list of what on earth that message could be referring to that she failed to notice the bloody yolk coming from the eggs she had previously been intending on cooking. Further examination of the eggs in the carton revealed that they were all bloody.
Now if that wasn’t an omen, she didn’t know what was.
Her final sign that today was going to end in nothing but pain, sadness and horrible, gut wrenching badness came when she finally decided to give it up and go back to bed and try it all again the next day. Her way back to bed was blocked by a 150 pounds of nervous energy. She could tell that whatever he was going to say was going to make her wish that she had just pushed past him, but honestly even she wasn’t expecting….
“Tell me the truth. Are you my mom?”
Kali blinked owlishly at the boy. He stared back with steely eyed determination. She licked her lips. He remained irrationally calm. Something about that calm annoyed her. Reminded her too much of his father which helped the lie.
“No, I’m not. Where’d you get that idea from?”
Apparently this was the wrong thing to say.
His eyes flashed briefly before the mask slid into place. “Why are you lying?”
“I’m not. I’m not your mother, Caleb. Don’t you think I would have told you that by now if I was?”
“No,” Caleb retorted. Well, at least she could say she hadn’t raised a fool. Still he could back off a little. Wait, what was he saying? Something about being told his real parents were alive and in town. Either someone was lying to him or… someone knew the truth.
“Who told you that?”
“Does it matter?”
“Caleb! Who told you about your parents?”
“Your cousin, Ariel or whatever his name was.”
Azazel? Kali’s mind was reeling. If Azazel knew, then Pythia and Alastor had to know as well. Her father must have known too. Wait, a minute. “How did you know that? When did you talk to Az?”
Caleb rolled his eyes and looked away. “Yesterday. He and the psycho looking dude with the fugly jacket came into the shop.”
“When the hell were you planning on telling me this?”
“When were you planning to tell me about my parents? My dad? You told me he was dead!”
“He was! Well, obviously not really, but it’s complicated!”
“Then uncomplicate it for me. Are you or are you not my mother? And don’t bother lying because I’ll know.”
Kali narrowed her eyes. “You’re reading me?”
Caleb looked up meeting her eyes cooly. “Way I figure it, you’re giving me no choice. So answer the question.”
Kali swallowed the lump rising in her throat. If she lied, he’d know and he’d be pissed. But if she told him the truth then everything would be ruined.
“No.”
“No, you’re not?”
“No, I’m not going to answer the question.” She turned away from him, hoping to avoid seeing the disappointment in his eyes. But unfortunately when she turned around she was facing the mirror. She couldn’t help but see the different emotions flitting through his dark eyes. The pain, confusion, and hurt were all too familiar to her. But the incomprehensible anger that turned his eyes solid black struck her.
“Caleb… listen to me. Everything I’m doing is to protect you.”
“Protect me from what?” there was an icy edge to his words that froze her blood.
“From people that won’t understand who you are.”
“Well then we’ll all have something in common because I don’t either!” He shook his head. “You’re trying to protect me but you won’t tell me from what! All my life you’ve been like this. You keep me at arm’s length giving me just enough to keep me around. But never anything more than that!”
“Are you trying to make a point?”
“You say that you’re trying to protect me, but we both know that’s bull. You’re scared and you keep pushing me away. Make up your mind and tell me the truth or I’m walking out that door and I’m not coming back. Am I your son?”
It was a simple request, really. He just wanted to know who he was. But the truth was that he was right. She was scared. She was scared of what he was or rather what he would be. That’s why she couldn’t let the truth get out… more than it already was. No, she could still run damage control. She could fix this. She just had to calm him down and everything would be fine.
“Caleb, look….”
She trailed off as she realized her audience was no longer there. He was gone. Caleb was gone.
Somehow he had managed to slip out the door unnoticed. She glanced at the clock on the wall and felt what was left of her nerves shatter. Twenty minutes had passed since he issued his ultimatum. Twenty minutes of her time that was unaccounted for. The solid black eyes, the frozen time, oh yeah, Houston they had a serious problem.
She moved on auto pilot, her fingers dialing before her brain could tell her to stop. “He’s gone,” she said as a way of greeting when the other line connected. “Gabriel, our son is gone!”
Philosophy of Perception 