Challenge 2: Chapter 2 - Cowplants and Kids: Part 1
Dec 3, 2017 19:47:51 GMT
EuphorialQueen likes this
Post by Pally on Dec 3, 2017 19:47:51 GMT
A couple of days had past since I had seen Myzuki, so I went to the library to ask her if she had found out anymore about my missing man. She looked upset when I arrived and told me someone had sabotaged her computers and shut off her power, and if that wasn't enough, she was being sent to a neighboring town to help them set up a library of their own. "But you were so close to finding something out. You can't give up now," I tried to convince her to keep looking. "I'm sorry, but I have to obey the Mayor," she looked down at her feet,"I think you will just have to accept that he is gone." "But, I just can't," I told her sadly.
But after I found my 4th cowberry, I was starting to feel like maybe it was time to give up looking for Sunshine. It seemed everyone else had. So I planted all the berries I had found and as soon as they had bloomed into cow plants I called Mud over to inspect them. He was very impressed with my progress and said it was now time for me to start growing something else. He told me a little about his plan for growing the Mad Mud Faction and making it the strongest faction in Murkland. He also told me I was to be one of the first to partake in his new plan. I had to admit I was excited.
He returned the next morning and began to tell me how since we had survived the Apocalypse, we had proved to be genetically strong and that we must pass our genes to the next generation. To do this, he wanted me to have 6 children with 6 different partners. I was shocked at first! I had just come to terms with losing Sunshine and now I was supposed to make babies with a bunch of other men?! He told me I had little to no choice. It was my duty to keep humanity alive and that he already had my first partner waiting outside the jail. "He is looking forward to living here again," he told me with a strange smile. Then I heard a painfully familiar voice,"Hi Pals! Looks like we get to play house," Hank grinned at me. I tried to get Mud to change his mind but it was no use. "I have already written your names in the book of family records. Now go do your duty for human kind!" He winked at us and left.
Hank and I spent the afternoon talking about Mud's plan to rebuild the population of Murkland and both agreed to do our part. If you don't remember Hank form my gym days, well I was always trying to avoid his advances, but now it seemed he'd get his way. I told him I may need to have a little help getting in the mood so we went to the CDC so I could order a love potion drink. We sat at the bar and I ordered two, he said he didn't need one,"I'm always in the mood around you baby," he grinned at me and I felt sick to my stomach. I grabbed the glass and started chugging. "Is it working yet?" He asked in a husky voice.
"Why don't we try a kiss," I offered. I gave him a little peck. He swooned and acted like he was the hottest thing in the room. I cringed and ordered another love mix, this time a tall one. I gulped it down while he watched with anticipation. When I was finished I noticed a few of my friends had shown up. I saw Ronni Gurlz glancing at us. "How about we head to the roof?" I asked Hank. I just wanted to get this night over with, and fast. "Hey hey, you want some fun in the rocket? You are a wild thing aren't you?" He grinned amorously at me and we made our way to the roof top.
I had always felt Hank would be the last guy on earth I'd want to do the woohoo with. This way we technically wouldn't be on earth. He was all smiles as we climbed inside a small pilot chamber that was really only meant for one. It was a bumpy ride but thankfully didn't last long. Hank was full of pep and jogged back to the jail. I on the other hand felt tiered, sore and covered in murkiness. When we got back I went and took a pregnancy test while Hank sat out on a bench near the road. When I told him the good news, he looked happy and sad all rolled into one. That was the first and last time we'd be doing the woohoo.
The next morning while we were getting ready to have breakfast, he started grinning and said,"Maybe we should try again just to make sure. You know those tests can be wrong sometimes." I felt my head start aching like it did sometimes during my work at the gym. "Oh it was right," I told him, "my stomach is already bursting with the proof." And it was. I was already well into my first day of three. We didn't spend much time together after that. Hank was in the basement with the bugs most of the time, staring sadly at the dragonflies. I tried to relax but kept thinking of Sunshine. I felt the like I had betrayed his memory. I still had the rose he had given me. It somehow never died. The last day of my pregnancy I had to go eat at the Puffer Dome. Maybe it was cheating death, but I didn't think he'd want a pregnant lady.
The next morning I gave birth to a little girl. She was so calm and hardly even cried. I named her Hannah. As a remembrance to her father. "She is so pretty," I smiled down at her. "Just like her mom,"Hank looked at me with those happy sad eyes of his. "Thank you," I replied, softly. We just sort of looked at each other without speaking for a little while after that. Then Hannah broke the silence by announcing that she was hungry. "I'll handle this," Hank offered happily, "you go take a nap or something."
It seemed like in no time Hannah was a toddler. That was when the real fun began. I did my best to teach her a few toddler skills. She had her fathers eyes and sometimes I caught her looking at me and could see him in her expressions. I don't know where the red hair came from. She was a loving and sweet little thing and I could see a little part of myself in her too. As I got better with my baking skill, I made little cakes and rolls for her to feed herself. She loved them.
She spent a lot of time with her blocks when not sleeping or eating. Speaking of eating, I made sure a teach her all about trash fruit, and how a fruit a day keeps the murkiness away. To my surprise, Hank was a wonderful father. He was often helping her with her learning or playing with her, and checking on her needs. They formed a great bond.
I read to her almost every night. I taught her how to say some important words like, cowplant, and cake, and don't eat! Hank told her stories sometimes while she ate. He loved being a dad. Sometimes he'd give her a bath. Once I caught him breaking the bathing days rule. "She was sad from being so dirty. She's just a baby, she doesn't understand rules," he told me. "She has to learn them, and we have to set the example," I told him. But I couldn't control either of them so they always did their own thing in the end.
When I wasn't taking care of Hannah or the cowplants, I worked on my baking skill. Hank would sometimes come in and watch me cook. I didn't mind most times, unless he started talking with his mouth full and spraying food everywhere, but it kept him out of trouble, which he seemed really good at finding. I can't tell you how many times he was eaten by the cowplants, only to be spit out again. One night while I was working in the garden, I caught him looking at me with that look in his eyes. "I wish things could have been different between us," he said softly, "I wish...., I wish you could of loved me like you did Sunshine." "I'm sorry," I told him,"this isn't the way I wanted things to be either."
I was upset after my talk with Hank. I told him I needed some time alone and he agreed to stay with Hannah while I went down to the gym. It felt great to hit the old bag around. I was so frustrated! I was mad at the Mayor and Mud. I still felt one of them had something to do with Sunshine's disappearance. I guess I didn't want to believe the alien theory Myzuki had. It wasn't that I didn't think aliens existed, I knew they did. I had been abducted once and they had left their mark on me. It just all seemed so..out there. While at the gym I also took care of the plants in the basement while Sahara rambled on about how lucky I was to be with Hank. After that I went to the Puffer Dome for a breakfast of fish. The Mayor's wife was there with some green raccoons and a Turbo Pumpkin. She kept the strangest company.
Later that afternoon, Hank decided it was time for him to leave. Hannah was about to age up into childhood and he felt it to painful to stay any longer. We were saying our goodbyes when she came toddling out,"Dadda stay?" she asked him with a smile. He scooped her up and smiled at her, "I'd stay forever if I could, my little pumpkin," then he looked at me with those big sad eyes. "You're always welcome to come by," I told him,"anytime you want." "I'll keep that in mind," he smiled and we hugged. "Thanks for helping me make this beautiful little girl," I said softly. He simple nodded his head and turned to walk off down the street.
