Read after Witchy Days Ep 24
Bristol: Are you sure you’re up for the trip? Feeling ok?
Lakeisha: Please, I’m pregnant, not deathly ill! Of course I’m up for it.
They weren’t going to make a trip into town for another week, but a few things around the boat needed fixing and a visit to the local general store was upon them.
Bristol: I’m just feeling on edge. We still don’t know if it’s safe to be out and about.
Lakeisha: It’s daytime.
Bristol: You know what I’m talking about.
Lakeisha: We’ll just keep a lookout for anything sketchy, like we’ve planned before.
Bristol: We can. I just hope it’s enough.
Lakeisha: We haven’t ran into anyone yet. I don’t think we need to worry this much.
– I can’t believe they don’t have anything to fix those cracks.
The general store proved to be a disappointment after she and Bristol realized that, while they had some old caulk tubs, the tools for its usage were missing.
Bristol: We can try the crafts place next. They have all sorts of junk over there – might be something useful too.
Lakeisha: Sure, let’s do that. And while we’re at it, let’s stop by the old hospital as well. The boat’s first aid kit is running a little low.
Bristol: I wonder if the hospital would have anything to aid with pregnancy. I’m talking, books and manuals.
Lakeisha: Hmm, let’s hope they do.
In truth, this was something she’s been worried about. Sure, they had plenty of time until the baby was due, but they had to know how to deliver them.
Bristol: You know, I can’t believe you’re so chill about it all. If I was the pregnant one, I’d be in full-blown panic mode. Even back home.
Lakeisha chuckled at his admission.
– Maybe it’s a built in thing. If every pregnant person panicked, much fewer people would have kids.
Bristol: You have a point.
Lakeisha: Also, panicking doesn’t really accomplish anything, so there’s a good reason not to expend energy on it. The morning sickness is already enough of a hassle.
Bristol: Sorry about that.
Lakeisha: No need. We both had fun. It’s not like I was the responsible one. I didn’t even think about the possibility of getting knocked up right now, not until Joseph mentioned it – and I think, by then it was already done.
Bristol: Still…
Lakeisha: Is that craft shop far? Let’s go. We’re wasting daylight.
The craft shop turned out to be just the place they needed.
Bristol: Oh yeah! Now we’re on the roll.
Lakeisha: I’m already seeing things I can utilize around the boat.
They continue to explore, glad that despite what happened here previously, the buildings and their contents were not destroyed. Otherwise, the two of them would’ve had a much more difficult time around here.
Bristol: What do you say we take this funky guy back with us? He could be like a tin man scarecrow against whatever goes bump in the night.
Lakeisha: I’m pretty sure the ghosts wouldn’t care about it one bit. And there’s little enough space on the boat.
Bristol: Eh… I guess you’re right. I’ll look through that metal pile over there. I think I can see a few wrenches in it.
She was going to help him look for the right materials, but another wave of morning sickness nearly knocked her off her feet. Was this what the next 8 or so months were going to be like? Oh, come on, it wasn’t fair. She wanted this baby so much, but having the child here was complete madness. Even if she put on a calm front, she felt anything but…
– Hey, you ok there? Do you need to sit down?
Bristol already noticed her discomfort, coming over to take care of her. She didn’t want him to have any more reasons to worry.
– I’m fine, just a little light-headed. It’s normal though.
– Are you sure?
– Yes, I’m positive.
Or was she? This didn’t feel like her usual morning sickness – this felt like that dreadful sensation she hadn’t experienced since they joined Joseph on the boat and surrounded themselves by water…
– Bristol, it’s still daylight…
– Yes, we’ve got plenty of time.
– Do we?!
She knew what she was going to see before she turned around.
– Oh no, not again!
She felt the panic overwhelm her, as multiple specters flooded the street, moving closer and closer.
Bristol: What?! But how? It’s daylight!
Lakeisha: I don’t know!!! Run!
And so they did! All thoughts of supplies forgotten, they dashed in the only direction not blocked by the ghosts – which was down.
Unfortunately, cold snowy weather and slopes don’t mix well and the descent was partially iced over, which Bristol only realized when he found himself slipping.
– Bristol!
Lakeisha twisted around to see him falling down to all fours. Each time he tried to get back up, the ice underneath them would topple him over once more.
– Take my hand!
– No! Go!
– I’m not leaving you for them!
– This isn’t just about me, go!
Unbeknownst to them, another person has been observing the proceedings.
– Oh, I don’t think so…
If the two of them were surprised to see the unfamiliar woman stand right in the specters’ path, cursing them out in a foreign language like the bunch of them were useless pests, they were astounded when she began reciting an incantation.
Bristol didn’t know who she was, but he had an inkling she had more power in one little pinky finger than his grandfather ever did in his whole life because the spell she wove reverberated in his head like it was played through a speaker at a rock concert.
To their shock and relief, whatever she did worked, because the ghosts recoiled from the spell and immediately changed direction, running away from them as fast as they could go.
Only after making sure the haunts were all gone from sight did the woman turn to face them.
Neither of them spoke. The couple weren’t sure what to think of her. After months here without seeing another living soul, they were faced with one – and a powerful practitioner of magic at that, who’s been living here, despite the unwelcoming environment, and who just chased away their biggest threat in less than a minute without breaking a sweat. What sort of a person was she?
At the same time, she did just save them…
The woman, for her part, looked at them the way one would look at coconut-sized hailstones in the middle of July. Fascinated, but wary.
– I’m sorry, but aren’t you cold?
This was the first thing Lakeisha managed to blurt out, which made the woman’s frown turn into a small smirk.
– Not really. Snow never bothered me much. But do tell me, how in the world are you two here?
Bristol: It’s a long and weird story. What about you?
– Because of shitty family members, mostly.
Bristol: Oh! Same here, actually. I’m Bristol by the way. And this is my girlfriend.
– Lakeisha. Nice to meet you, I think? Thank you for doing what you just did. I don’t want to think about what they would have done to us had you not intervened.
– Nothing good, that’s for sure. However you ended up here, I must say, it’s nice to have a conversation with another person. I’m Olga. How is your leg?
Bristol: I don’t think it’s hurt, I just couldn’t regain my footing with all this ice, and at the worst possible time as well.
Olga: Here, let me help you up.
She gave the two of them a good look. They looked healthy, but spooked. And who wouldn’t be, after the close call they just had?
– My home isn’t far from here and it’s nice and warm in there. Come with me.
“Her” home really was cozy, to their pleasant surprise. She let them in and headed into the kitchen to check on something.
Olga: Make yourselves comfortable.
The two found themselves in a dated but clean living room, which had an alchemical station.
Bristol: Wonder where she got that?
Lakeisha: Maybe she made it? I wouldn’t even be surprised if she can build one, for some reason.
Olga rejoined them, carrying someone in her arms.
– I didn’t build the alchemy station, no. This house must have belonged to a witch or a healer, but it’s not like they’re using it anymore.
– Meow!
Bristol: Woah, where did you get a kitten?!
Lakeisha: I don’t think we’ve seen any animals in these parts, especially not domestic ones.
Olga: Brought her with me, I’m afraid. Poor girl is lonely, I’m sure, but it’s probably better than whatever my idiot brother planned for her. At least she’s alive, even if she somehow won’t age.
Bristol: What do you mean, she won’t age?
Olga: Well, we’ve been here for a year and three months. And you know how fast kittens usually grow, but Susie hasn’t changed at all since the day we got here. Maybe even before that, to be honest. I don’t know how long that imbecile had her.
Lakeisha: I’m sorry, but can you backtrack a bit? Who is your brother? Where are you from?
Olga: My apologies. The cat is the only “person” I had to talk to for these past months and I’ve forgotten how to talk to people, it seems. My name is Olga Crimson. My husband and I ran a college for witches and wizards in the Stoneshields. It’s in Europe, if you’ve never heard of it. Well, basically, my older brother worked at the academy with us. Or so I thought…
She paused, taking a deep breath. Even now, thinking about it all made her irrationally angry. Or maybe rationally? After all, if not for her brother and his choices, she wouldn’t be stuck here…
Olga: Well, turns out, he decided to follow our old man’s footsteps, after all. Dark magic, questionable acquaintances, even more questionable deals. I found correspondence between him and a dangerous vampire coven from Bridgeport. I would’ve thought the letter faked, but I knew it was his handwriting. The contents of that letter… he was in deep. I showed up to confront him. I realize now I should have talked to someone before doing anything, but I was so angry!
Lakeisha: Wait, no one knew you went to confront him?
Olga: No. I’m afraid not. When I showed up at his house, he was about to perform a killing ritual on this cat – he knew I understood what was happening and that he was caught red-handed. We had it out, I yelled at him, he yelled at me, I yelled at him some more. If I’m honest, keeping a handle on my temper has always been an issue for me – I threw the first spell against him. And instead of parrying back, he started moving stuff out of my way, so I don’t damage anything. Somehow that made me even angrier. He had this weird crystal on his shelf and it always seemed cheap to me, but he kind of tried to block it from me. So I grabbed the stupid thing, and broke it – or tried to. The next thing I know, I’m here, the cat is here, since I was holding her. And the crystal is here too, but it’s broken into a bunch of tiny pieces. It must have been the portal to this darned place – but I broke it in the process of getting here. So, there you have it. How I ended up stuck here.
Bristol: So you don’t have any way back.
Olga: None. I’ve tried to repair the crystal once I realized what it was, but whatever magic was in it is gone for good. Honestly, I hate the fact that my brother even had it – why did he have a way to get into this forsaken place?
Lakeisha: Why did his grandfather? At least, I’m assuming he had something, because how else are we here?
Olga: Who’s your grandfather?
Bristol: Darius Saddler…
Olga: Oh… that sucks.
She paused again and added:
– I’m afraid he and my father knew each other. As in, they shared common interests. Or interest, to be exact – dark magic. They had this third friend too, but I’ll be darned if I can recall his name. Smarmy kind of fellow, but for some reason, he had a way of making himself really charming to women. Especially young women. Ugh, I always thought he was a snake.
Bristol: I don’t want to interrupt, but you said your name is Crimson?
Olga: Yes, it’s my married name. I’m married to a man named Boris Crimson.
Bristol: My teacher’s name is Sage Crimson.
Olga’s eyes grew wide with surprise.
– Sage? I know her! She’s my cousin-in-law! Wait, you’re Sage’s student?
Lakeisha: He is.
Olga: Huh! Small world! Well, really small, since we’re the only ones stuck here, aside from the cat. Ha, ha.
Lakeisha: Small world? Does this mean, we’re separated from the rest of the world right now?
Olga: So, you’ve guessed? Smart girl. Yes, we are. I take it you don’t know much about Northeney?
They shook their heads.
Olga: Of course. If I recall right, Sage lived in Appaloosa Plains and most people there aren’t magical.
Lakeisha: Yeah, I’m not.
Olga: I don’t know about that. Those ghosts seemed really interested in you. Even more than in any regular person. You might not be a witch, but you might be something.
Lakeisha: Do you think they can sense I’m pregnant?
Olga: Are you? They might. They seem drawn to living things and now you’re a walking twofer deal.
Bristol: So, back to being apart from the rest of the world?
Olga: Are you two hungry? I am. Let me make something for us to eat and then I’ll tell you everything I can think of over a warm plate – and you can tell me more about what’s been happening at your end of things.
How interesting, thought Olga cooking her stew. The first thing she did after finding herself stranded was start a garden. She knew enough about various things to successfully grow enough to sustain herself over the months. It was a small consolation for someone who had a whole life she was cut off from, but at least, now she could feed these two kids.
Because they were kids, even if one of them was pregnant.
Oh well, she had dealt with worse things in her life. She knew enough about female health and child-rearing to help the girl through the experience.
And how interesting! Her father’s old crony’s grandson was here. From the way things stood, it seemed like both her family and his had keys to his screwed up place, which was supposed to be locked away forever.
She wondered if the third guy had something as well. Because now, more than ever, she was certain her father and his friends were the ones responsible for what happened here.
But wondering about things didn’t accomplish much. They had to do something. Because, even with her skills for getting rid of the specters, staying here for good was not an option.
Sims Stories of Violincat 