5.82 Test of Family

Graciela cried as she banged on the wooden door. “Please let me out!”

 

“It’s a dare,” Raina said. “You have to stay in there for at least one hour.”

 

“You can’t do that to her,” Leon said. “Let her out now.”

 

“Why?” Shea asked with a devious grin. “Is she afraid?”

 

“Pax!” Graciela called out. “Please, someone!”

 

Raina stood in front of the door, arms crossed over her chest. “One hour.”

 

“Guys,” Nerissa began. “It’s just a game. Gracie can last one hour.”

 

Camilla clenched her fists in anger at Nerissa’s words. Wasn’t she  supposed to be Graciela’s best friend? Now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Instead, Camilla lunged towards Raina, pinning her to the carpeted floor. “Open the door Leon!”

Braylen was immobilized. These were not the girls he knew growing up. It was like something had switched in them at that mention of new people in the neighborhood. Braylen felt sick to his stomach. He keeled over and began to vomit.

 

“Bray?” Shea was alarmed as she rushed to his side. “Are you alright?”

 

“Get out,” He mumbled. “Get out right now.”

 

She stumbled backwards. “What? Braylen?”

 

“I said get out!” He cried, looking up at her with angry eyes.

 

“Woah. What’s going on here?” All eyes snapped to Callen as he stood by the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, expression unreadable. He looked from one kid to the next. Camilla was still on top of Raina, holding her down. Shea was on her knees, panic written on her face. Braylen was slouched over, holding his stomach as more vomit fought to spill out. Leon held a crying Graciela in his arms as a dumbstruck Nerissa looked on.

 

“They locked my sister in a closet with the lights off!” Pax pointed towards Raina, Shae and then Braylen.

“Braylen,” Callen said harshly. “Is that true?”

 

“Dad, I…” The boy’s throat burned from the bile that had tainted his throat. As if realizing the vomit for the first time, he scuttled away from it.

 

“No excuses, what happened here? Are you alright?” Callen asked.

 

“Dad, I-” Braylen began, but was unable to continue as he began to vomit again from fright, or maybe it was disgust.

 

Callen shot Alistair a look, begging for the man’s experienced help. Alistair was glaring at the children. “Pax,” Alistair said. “Tell us again what happened, step by step.”

 

“We sat down and played truth or dare, and when it was Graciela’s turn, Raina locked her in the closet! Shea helped her and Braylen didn’t stop them. Camilla and I tried to, but I didn’t want to hit a girl and neither did Leon.”

 

Raina struggled to sit up. Camilla, seeing Alistair’s piercing gaze, rolled off of the girl, but remained seated by her side. “It was a game, she picked dare.”

“You picked dare for her,” Camilla spat. “You asked her what she was afraid of and then when you found out, you put her in that dark room.”

 

“What kind of vampire is afraid of the dark? She lied when she picked truth! It was a punishment,” Shae added.

 

Leon stroked Graciela’s hair as she sobbed into his shirt. “It’s okay,” he whispered.

 

“Leon, it’s real,” She replied. “I’m not lying. Why do they always think I’m lying?”

 

Alistiar ran to his granddaughter’s side. “Baby, it’s okay.”

 

Noticing the cold shoulder Alistair was giving him, Callen fought to calm himself down. Today was a disaster. “I’m calling your parents,” He told the girls. “Braylen, you’re grounded for not stepping in. You know better than that.”

 

The boy only nodded, wiping the remnants of vomit from the corners of his lips, too distraught to even argue with his father.

 

“We ought to leave too,” Alistiar said. “I can’t have my grandchildren treated like this.” This, this was why Alistair asked questions. To say he was upset, was an understatement. He was disillusioned. The Grays would forever be outcast. He would no longer expose his family to this kind of treatment.

 

“Alistair, I’m sorry,” Callen said. “None of this was my intention.”

 

“It never is, but it doesn’t stop it from happening.” Of course that wasn’t directed at Callen, but Alistair felt better saying it out loud. “Guys, pack your stuff up.” He looked up at Callen, a sullen look on his face. “I’d like the numbers to these other parents.”

Jeff closed his eyes tightly, trying to envision what his daughter must have seen when she was in the dark. Was it a big monster? An alien? A menacing voice? It was frustrating not knowing what his daughter was so afraid of. It couldn’t jut be the darkness. Something had to be there to make her not want to even sleep in her room when the light was off.

 

“Babe.” He looked up to see his soon to be wife frowning at him. “My father gave me the number of these other parents. You call them, because if I do it, I’ll kill them all.”

 

He stifled a yawn. “Yeah, I’ll do it. I’d like to see if this was really just a game, or was some kind of attack.”

 

“I don’t need this stress right now.” Charlotte sat beside him on the couch. “Maybe we should postpone this wedding.”

 

He shook his head. “Absolutely not. We’ve waited long enough. Your father and grandfather are here. Let me handle this thing with the neighborhood kids.”

 

“It’s also my sisters. Adeline especially. And, what about Erik? Do I just not invite them?”

“Do you want to?” Jeff asked.

 

“Yes, you know I do. I’m just angry at them. Beyond angry. Part of me hates them, because they let Declan take our daughter. They knew so much. We ran away, Jeff. We could have had a semi normal life. I don’t want to forgive them, but I don’t want to lose out anymore time with my sister. I keep losing family, I don’t want to lose any more.”

 

Jeff rubbed her back soothingly. “Invite them. Nothing will ruin our wedding. I won’t let it.”

 

Satisfied with his answer, she leaned her head on his chest. “I’m gonna kill those parents,” She mumbled. “I changed my mind.”

 

“Don’t,” he replied. ” I’m just as upset as you are, but don’t let your anger cloud your judgement. We will find out what’s happening and fix it.”

 

“I know, but my daughter is terrified right now. How is that okay? I’m probably going to have to stay with her in her room tonight.”

“I’m sorry,” Alistiar mumbled, coming into the room. “I should have been paying more attention. I let my guard down.”

“No, dad. This is not your fault. It’s those kids! They don’t want us here, I get that.”

 

“So, let’s leave,” Jeff said. “We don’t have to stay. There are always other options.”

 

“No. Everyone is settled. Gracie has a friend here. The other kids can adjust anywhere, but it’s harder for her and she has something good here. That boy, Leon,” Charlotte said. ‘

 

Alistair nodded in agreement. “He was the one comforting her today. What a considerate boy. Not everyone in this place is wary of us.”

 

“Besides,” Charlotte continued. “There’s some knowledge to be had here. We’re not going to just up and leave. We’re staying, screw those other people.”

 

“Ok,” Jeff said softly. He turned to Alistair. “You should call Callen and see what’s happening now.”

 

“Maybe some other time, I don’t really want to speak to him right now,” Alistair admitted.

“Daddy, want to talk about it?”

 

“It’s ok,” He replied. “I’m just getting too old and dependent for friends. I’ll survive as I always have.”

 

“Too old…dad!” Charlotte cried. “You’re not at all getting too old. You just have to find the right people to hang out with. Callen is too hip for you, find someone a bit older to hang put with. Like, in their fifties or something.”

 

“An older crowd would be good,” Jeffrey said. “But I do still think checking in wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

 

“Honey, you do it,” Charlotte coaxed. “My dad must be exhausted. Are you taking the potion, dad?”

 

Alistair shook his head. “I don’t really want to. I’m getting tired of this never ending aging. I stayed around for you guys, and my people. But, I’m no longer in Moonlight Falls and I have you guys. I know you can fix what I couldn’t.”

 

“Don’t talk like that,” She said. “I need you, daddy. The kids love you, look them in the eyes and tell them why their grandfather is getting too old to take them out and play.”

 

“Wait a few more years until you’ve lived as long as me,” He said. “Then you’ll see how it’s become a chore.” Jeff opened his mouth to say something, but shut it, remembering that Charlotte was in the room. Would she understand one day when he wasn’t with her any longer?

Graciela stretched her legs out onto the bed, her face buried into her pillow. the darkness, it was everywhere. “Gracie?” Nerissa’s voice was small, but soothing.

 

Or, it should have been. Graciela sat up and smacked her friend’s arm away. “Get away from me!”

 

“Gracie!” Nerissa cried, taking a step backwards. “What are you doing?”

 

“You’re not my friend!” The vampire seethed. “I heard you! You said it was just a game! You know how scared I get. You picked them over me.”

 

“I didn’t,” Nerissa said. “You’re my best friend, you know that.”

 

“You did. You chose those stupid girls over me, when I was the one who got kidnapped to save you, remember? You made me brave, because I had someone that was worth fighting my fears for. But today, you showed me that you didn’t care. And before you try to defend yourself, I’ve noticed how you’ve been hanging out with Pax and Camilla instead of me.”

 

“You have Leon,” She defended. “If anything, you’re the one being a bad friend and ignoring me.”

 

“I would never do what you did to me,” Graciella spat. “Leon tried to protect me, you didn’t.”

 

“Stop being a baby and protect yourself!” Nerissa argued.

 

“I wish you stayed home with your parents!” Graciela cried, throwing a pillow at the girl. “I wish we never even met!”

“Raina and Shea were right, I don’t want to be friends with a baby anyway!” Nerissa shouted back.

 

Hearing the commotion, Camilla and Pax entered the room. “Raina and Shea said what?” Camilla demanded.

 

Nerissa glared at the new comers. “They said that only a baby would cry like Graciela did today. They’re right, all she does is cry about the darkness and she never wants to go anywhere. We almost didn’t get to go today because of her. I want to have fun too, but she doesn’t want to do anything.”

 

“We should have stayed home,” Pax said. “Gracie is smart. There’s something she sees that we don’t, we shouldn’t make fun of her for that. Those other kids are awful, I don’t want to hag out with them. They’re bullies.”

 

“It was a game!” Nerissa exclaimed. “Lighten up.”

 

“How dare you!” Camilla couldn’t hold her anger in anymore. “You didn’t see how Altiere and Declan treated us in Moonlight Falls? We left because of that! You don’t let other people hurt family. What you did today was terrible.”

 

“She’s not my family,” Nerissa said. “My family wouldn’t ask me to stay home all the time.”

 

Graciela was in tears again, hearing Nerissa’s words. “Get out!” She shouted. “Get out!”

 

“Graciela,” Pax said in an attempt to calm her down.

 

“Just get out!” She cried again. “All of you, get out! I don’t need friends or family! Just leave me alone!”

_____

[AN: Shea, Raina, Nerissa and Jeff were made by Dandylion240. Camilla was made by Phyrcracker23. Also, I haven’t publicized my other stories much on this blog, so if you’d like to follow them, they’re listed below.]

 

• Color My World: This follows the story of Ambrose (Apollo’s brother) It’s currently on gen 3. Autumn from Astra’s earlier chapters, is present.
• Safe Harbor: A zombie apocalypse bachelorette challenge! It’s heavily narrative.
• Escape Pennbrook Estate: This is a horror story. 12 sims enter, but not all leave. This is currently on hold, but season 1 is complete if you’d like to read it.
• Sim Star Idol: This is a reality competition. Caleb Gray shows up as a main character in season one and a minor character in season two. I have just completed season two.