Just wrote the new chapter, might get it out tomorrow, maybe not. It's five pages long, and I keep forgetting to put some of the characters in. It'll be whole eventually.
For now, I've very tired, I bid thee all a good night!
Marly looked down at her ‘father’ Rover, and her ‘brother’ Carly. They were exchanging a hug, a squeezing of the other person via the arms, and she was checking to make sure they executed the action correctly. Surely that was how it was supposed to go, right? They didn’t stand out at all, that was certain. Never mind the fact that their clothes were as pristine as they had been the first day they’d worn them. They were inconspicuous. Nothing to worry about.
Marly took her turn hugging Carly. His child form was soft and gave ease to her arms, but it was full of energy too. If only her own model had the energy that Carly’s did.
She checked over Carly’s shoulder at the table of sitting people. Did anyone notice that she may be acting different than a normal sim? Was she doing this right?
Moving on to the last pairing, Marly hugged Rover, and the blond one that goes by Jarrod looked their way, but then quickly turned his head. Was this too much hugging? Were they doing it wrong? Marly pulled herself away from Rover and walked away quickly. It must be too much hugging.
She went up to the sleeping quarters and Rover joined her. “I think that went well,” he said. “We blended in completely. No one suspects.”
“I hear that these sims don’t often jump to the idea of our kind, so I believe that we’re in good condition for our mission. I think that the new arrival will be perfect for out mission. Don’t you agree?” Marly responded.
“The new arrival? But it will be months until she will be a viable candidate! There are others who would suffice right away, we need not wait. I would rather get back to my sonic showers and warm bed…” he complained.
“We shall need to ask Jeremy what he thinks. He will tell us what to do.”
~*~
Halyee and Tessa stood outside of the old church in a small yard.
“This use to be the graveyard, ugh, I can’t believe I’l standing here right now, I’m gonna hurl I think... No, No I‘m fine. Right, so as I was saying, This use to be the graveyard, but I’ve heard from Sebastion that he wants it to be a garden. We’ve been living off of army rations that washed up one day, a whole lot of them, but those are running out so we need to be growing out own food. I heard you had some growing experience?” Haylee asked.
“Um, a little, just harvesting as I go and a flower plant, but, nothing like growing my own food.” Tessa looked a little overwhelmed. After three days gathering her strength, she was ready to move forward and get out of bed.
“Well, you’ve got more than the rest of us, so here are some seeds that we’ve acquired over time. Good luck. No pressure.” Haylee said ironically.
“Hey, lady!” greeted a small boy. If memory served, his name was Carly? “You’re moving really slow. Why don’t you move fast like everyone else?”
“Well, I’m-” Tessa thought quickly of what to say and not give away her condition. No one knew about her pregnancy yet, and she wanted to keep it that way. The leadership here seemed keen on forgetting the past and only living in the present, and her pregnancy would bring the past to be fully into her life. She didn’t know if she would be able to keep the baby after the ordeal she had been through besides, so she saw no reason to tell everyone the big news just yet. Her nausea continued, as did her cravings, and with every threatened meal to come up, she prayed that she could keep her little piece of the happyness she once had. The one little piece of Isaac. “I’m sick. I can’t move fast if I don’t have the strength to move fast, now can I?” she smiled.
“You are drained of energy? Can I give you some of mine?” Carly asked in all seriousness.
Tessa laughed. “No, I don’t think it works that way. But thanks for the offer.” she said.
Jarrod couldn’t stand the water being on the ground, so he mopped it up.
That evening, as the group was calming down, more people came through the door, people that Tessa hadn’t seen before. The group consisted of two women, three men, and a child. The people surrounded them and there was a lot of indiscernible chatter. Haylee and Blanche looked in a large sack that they had brought with them, scrounging for something with wide eyes. At last Blanche pulled out a small plastic bag with three small black tubes in it. Eyeliner. That’s how they were able to wear makeup out here on the island. It floated to shore.
The head man, who was distinguished by the lines on his face, his wide set eyes, a greying beard, and facial scars, looked up to where Tessa was on the balcony where the sleeping quarters were. He held her gaze for two moments too long, and then he looked away. He tapped Blanch on the shoulder and asked her a question in her ear. She responded without the same caution. And went back to scrounging in the sack. He looked once more up at her and then walked under the balcony and out of her sight. Tessa went to her sleeping bag, which now that she thought about it must have also been an item that washed up on shore, and she tried to get some sleep. However, after three days in bed, she was hardly tired, and the arrival of the new group and that man made her uneasy and her mind wouldn’t be quiet. She decided to get up and she walked over to the basket ball hoop that had been installed. She was the only one awake, or so she thought.
“Tessa Ruff-Stone.” came a husky voice from behind her.
She spun around to see the man from before in swimming trunks. Perhaps he was on his way to the hot tub?
“Come and watch the stars with me. I want to talk to you.” he said.
The two of them laid down on the cooling grass and looked up at the brilliant stars. Tessa instinctively put her hands over where she thought her baby should be. “I hear that you’ve recovered well?” asked the man.
“Yes, I’m nearly back to myself. Just a bit more time and I’ll be just fine.”
“That’s good. I’m Sebastion, by the way, I lead this group of survivors. There’s not many of us, but we’re glad for every one of our people. They’re a good bunch.” he paused for a while.
“Tessa, were you married, out in the world?” he waited a beat. “You don’t have to be here. It matters only to you, not to anyone else. If you see someone you like, and they like you, there’s nothing stopping you. This is a brand new life you’ve got here, a true blessing, use it well.”
They looked up at the stars, moving imperceivable. “There are somethings that I should tell you. We’re rather close to a larger island-” Tessa looked at him with surprise. “-but they’re savages. They kill each other, cook children. I don’t mean to upset you, but you should know the facts. They have slaves, do brutal things to them, it’s barbaric in every sense. We hide here and patrol our border, but if you see anyone that you don’t know, don’t hesitate to either take them down yourself or to run for help. They’ll do terrible things if they catch you. So please, don’t let yourself get caught.”
Tessa stared up at the sky in fear. Just when she thought that things couldn’t get any worse…
The next morning, after an unrestful night’s sleep, Tessa held her stomach as she felt she was going to revisit her breakfast. She walked away from the basketball game going on, and ate some herbs, hoping they would help her nausea and not make it worse.
A woman from the new group walked up behind her. “When are you due?” she asked with a serious face.
“What are you talking about? I’m not pregnant. Why would you think that?” Tessa asked.
“Tessa, I’m a doctor. I can help you. Make your time easier. Help when the time comes.” the woman eased.
“I’m not pregnant!” hissed Tessa. “I don't even know your name! I wouldn't trust a fictional baby with a woman I don’t know! So please, don’t bring this up again.” Tessa insisted.
The woman looked at her with a sad gaze, then walked away, back to the group.
The continued as normal, and Tessa was busy harvesting the vegetables from the sprouting garden when she felt sick again. What were the signs of miscarriage? Tessa didn’t even know. Was she going through them? Was this extra sickness a part of it? Was this what was supposed to happen?
~*~
Rover was forced abducted and given back by some aliens. Oddly, no one was around to see it happen.
About a week later, Tessa and Connor were working in the vegetable garden. Tessa could see out of the corner of her eye that he kept sneaking glances at her and smiling.
“So, Connor, how long have you been here? You seem pretty young to be here.”
“I was actually born here. Or at least, it’s the only place I have memory of. It’s possible that I was just too young to remember being a baby. Sebastian raised me, along with the other people here.”
“That must be rough. I can’t imagine living my whole life here. Doesn’t it get boring? You can’t go anywhere, you have to see the same people everyday. You get products that float by, but you never see what they rest of the world does with them. It feel like you’re looking through a window, and you can’t get them to notice you…” Tessa trailed off.
“I don’t mind. There’s nothing to miss, for me, so I couldn’t care less.. This is my home, as it is yours too now.” Connor responded.
They didn't speak for a while. Tessa was improving the plants and Connor had finished harvesting, so he looked at Tessa, not at all trying to hide it.
When she finished, he grabbed her arm. “Did you have someone on the outside?” he asked. “Were you, I don’t know, married?”
“I’d rather not talk about it. You are all about forgetting the past here, anyway, right?” she said, holding his eye contact. She wasn't about to be intimidated by someone who was a bit younger than her.
He read the signs wrong. “Yeah, you’re right. To heck with the past.” he was as he went in for an embrace.
“Whoa! What are you doing? That wasn’t an invitation!” She rejected.
Connor backed up immediately. “I’m- I’m so sorry. It’s just, there are so few people here who are free, everyone’s paired off, besides Gretel, but you’re much nicer than Gretel… Nicer to look at anyway…” He scurried off and went inside.
The woman who called herself a doctor replaced him, and Tessa rolled her eyes.
“Ok, I know that I didn’t give you the best options when I talked to you last, but hear me out. It’s been a long time since we had a baby here, and the last two died. Stillbirths. It hurt Hailey M really bad for a very long time, and I want your baby to be ok, to thrive. How do I know that you’re pregnant? The clothes you’re wearing keep getting smaller on you, you eat well when I know that if you weren’t pregnant you would insist that the children be fed over you. Ok, that’s an assumption, but the fact that you haven't gone anywhere near the hot tub or have eaten any fish has me convinced that you are carrying a child. Don’t tell me I’m wrong, I know I’m not wrong.” the woman said.
Tessa stood there, baffled. Was it that obvious? She couldn’t hide her pregnancy? What was she going to do?
“Even if I was pregnant, what could you do for me? There aren’t many options here, no vitamins, no ultrasounds. What can you do for me? And what is your name?”
“I’m Chloe Diaz, the fiance of Santiago. I’m a qualified midwife, and I have delivered ten healthy babies in my life. My books are intact, and we can guarantee that we will do everything we can, but I can’t help you if you won’t even admit your pregnant.”
Oh I just read both chapters. This "colony" seems a little odd to me. Tessa can't be stuck there....there must be a chance to escape. Ahh....Conner, the romantic... Sorry, Conner, she's taken. Just be her best friend and take care of her. These are great chapters, but I feel a bit of unease with the island group. Hmmm....something is going on....
@Vanpelt81@Soulgal7 thanks! I really appreciate you commenting. This season is very plot driven instead of game driven. I'vebeen reading stories on here and they're super rich and addicting, i want something like that of my own, so I'm gonna kinda lay it on. Hopefully it works well. We'll see as it comes.
Will Tessa get off the island and away from the colony? Does she want to, considering the options? We'll find out!
Sorry about the lack of updates lately. We found bed bugs in my bedframe and have been cleaning my room like crazy lately. This coming week i have occasions to attend, so no update this coming week, i think. If i do, we'll all be pleasantly suprised, yes?
I hope you're all in good spirits and are having a better time than i am.
Sorry about the lack of updates lately. We found bed bugs in my bedframe and have been cleaning my room like crazy lately. This coming week i have occasions to attend, so no updatethis coming week, i think. If i do, we'll ask be pleasantly suprised, yes?
I hope you're all in good spirits and are having a better time than i am.
“So how many people are here in the settlement?” Tessa asked Chloe. She was doing an incognito check up on the baby, but Tessa was going to have to tell people she was pregnant eventually. Thankfully her clothes were pretty roomy.
“Well, if we’re counting the dog, 20. Plus your baby, 21?” Chloe answered.
Tessa thought for a moment. “But we’re all about the same age. Connor said something interesting the other day. He said that Sebastian had raised him, and that in itself is fine, but where are all of the older people? Sebastian is the oldest one here, besides Alex Monroe, because who knows how old he is. But Sebastian is only about 45 years old, and he’s the oldest one here. Where are all of the other people? How long have you been here?” asked Tessa.
“Well, Santiago and I have been here about two years, so we’re pretty new. Come to think of it, I’m not sure who’s been here the longest. I would assume it’s Sebastian, but I can’t be certain.”
“I’ll have to ask Connor, though I don’t really want to ask him. I kinda want to avoid him, but I know that’s rude and there aren’t many reasons to avoid him. I should be honest with him until he understands that I’m not interested, right?”
“I don’t know how to help you. If we were on the outside, I would say to just ghost him, but that’s not really an option here. So, good luck is all I can say.”
“You’re a big help.” Tessa remarked sarcastically.
“You’re good to go here, I’m all done.”
Tessa sat up and walked around the front of the building with Chloe.
Many of the men were busy digging a hole in the ground, and Tessa stopped to look at them. “What are they doing?” she asked Chloe.
“I- I don’t know. Hey guys! What are you doing?” She hollered over the din of crunching dirt and muttered conversations.
“We’re digging a basement," Sebastian said, straightening his back. "We don’t have enough room up in the loft anymore for us all, and we need more space. So we’re going under ground. Why don’t you pick up a shovel and help?”
“I would, but I’m not feeling well today. I have laundry and gardening to do anyhow…” Tessa trailed off, looking at Chloe for support.
“Yeah, she could use some bed rest, but I’m available. How can I help?” Chloe jumped into the project next to her fiance, picking up a shovel like she’d done a good deal of digging before.
Tessa walked over to her plants. She was happy that there was going to be more space, but why hadn’t she known that it was going to happen? Why hadn’t they told her? It seemed like an organized effort, surely they would have said something, voted perhaps?
“What is her condition?” asked Sebastian.
“I'm afraid that's doctor patient confidential. She hasn't given me the permission to tell, so I won't.” Chloe answered, whipping her brow.
“That doesn't apply here. There are no rules to follow. What is her condition, or I'll have to find out on my own.” he asked again.
Chloe didn't like the way he was pressuring her, but she couldn’t back out. If she told, she'd be betraying Tessa, but if she didn't, Tessa could be forced to tell Sebastian. There had to be a third option.
Chloe took an impatient breath. “She has the stomach flu. It should be fine with good water and vegetables, but she needs to take it easy or out could get worse.” she fibed. If it was found out that she told a lie, she could say she simply misdiagnosed her. Tessa surely had the symptoms of a flu.
“A flu, you say? If my memory is correct, the flu is highly contagious and can kill people. She should be quarantined, but why haven't any of us been infected or shown symptoms?” Sebastian asked. Chloe noticed that some of the diggers had showed down a bit and were leaning in to hear what was being said while working.
“It's possible she got it while in the water when she arrived, or is a lingering strain that we are all used to but she hasn't come across before. It's speculation at this point, but if you feel that she is in danger of infecting us, I'll get out the tent for her to reside in.” Chloe started to head for the door.
“No, none of us have shown signs,” Sebastian stopped her. “So I don't think she'll be a risk. If her condition changes, you need to tell me. That's an order.” He went back to his work and Chloe noticed that the other diggers started working harder again. She picked up her shovel again, and started on her work.
Near Tessa were two of the women that she hadn't been able to get to know well. The one was built like a brick house, the other was made of more elegant and think lines. A swimmer’s body, built for moving through water easily.
“I don’t believe we’ve had a chance to get to know each other,” she remarked as she came closer. The two women looked up at her and halted their conversation. “Do you mind if I joined you?”
“Not at all,” the dark haired girl allowed. Tessa sat down, and tried to not stare at the blnde woman. She seemed nice, but women didn’t usually get to be that size…
“So,” Gretta continued. “I said to the prince, he could stuff it. I didn’t need people thinking that I was ugly. I’m a treasure, and that’s the truth. He wound up with some other girl and they seem happy, but that’s neither here nor there…”
“Funny, my kingdom’s prince would never have let any insolence like that. He chose his wife and she got no say in the matter. Prince Humperdink seemed charming, but my friend’s friend’s cousin worked in the castle and apparently the princess was very unhappy. It’s said that she had a lover on the outside who was a pirate, but those are just rumors. She didn’t live long, she was killed on her honeymoon… bit of a sad end.” Chaya remarked.
Tessa’s lunch churned in her stomach.
“I see you have a ring on your finger, Tessa. Did you have a love on the outside?” Gretta asked.
“Uh, yeah. Funny story how that all happened, I was randomly selected to participate in this weird TV show where you find your true love out of 14 guys… He must be worried sick about me… and I’m carrying his child.”
“What? That’s wonderful!” exclaimed Gretta. “It’ll be wonderful to have a little baby around. We have Eric, but he just cries all the time. I have a feeling that your baby will be better.”
“We can only hope.” Tessa said humbly.
~*~
Tessa woke up and felt heavy. Each morning she felt heavier and heavier, and she knew that it was only going to get more progressive, so she had to tell Sebastian.
She walked down the stairs where Sebastian was pondering to himself. “Hey, I have something I want to tell you,” she said quietly to him.
“Hmm?” he rose from his seat and met her over in the corner.
“You know that I haven’t been very active lately and I’ve been a bit sick, that’s because I’m expecting a baby. I have about six months until it is due to arrive.” She said over the lump in her throat.
“And this is a baby from the outside?” he asked.
“It’s my husband’s and mine’s baby. It was a happy thing until the accident.”
“I see. Well, I’m sure Chloe will take good care of you. She tried her hardest to take care of the last children to be born, but it just wasn’t meant to be, apparently. Stay healthy, and take care of yourself.” he turned to walk away, the turned back around. “Does Connor know?” he asked.
“Why would Connor need to know?” asked Tessa.
Sebastian’s face became unreadable. “Just remember that you don’t have to be married here.”
The plot thickens! I got a day off by mistake, turns out I am unable to go to a wedding I had planned on going to today because I couldn't get a ride there. Well, the bride and groom weren't close friends anyway, so no big loss there. But I have had lots of time to calculate plots and storylines, so stay tuned, it only gets wilder from here out!
Well Tessa finally fessed up and told Sebastian she was pregnant. But there were other children, and they were lost? Oh that doesn't sound good. I hope the baby will survive. Hmm....interesting sims...Gretta and Chaya - and they both came from different kingdoms...and Eric...is there another baby around?
What is Isaac doing? Is he going crazy looking for her?
So sorry you missed the wedding you were invited to, but you got a lot accomplished in the meantime.
To be honest, I usually sit on these chapters for a while and I don't post them right away. Not on purpose, I just don't always have all the time I need, and it gets put on the back burner. I already have the bare bones of a next chapter in my mind, most it is written out, I think.
Really liked Tessa's conversation with Gretta & Chaya (while she was feeling queasy). For some reason, Tessa's description of Gretta reminded me of this song:
Next chapter looks to be (in google dox) about 6 pages long, but it'll be more. I'm digging in deep here, i hope you'll all aprove. It's kinda all of my plans in one chapter. You'll find out more soon.
Next chapter looks to be (in google dox) about 6 pages long, but it'll be more. I'm digging in deep here, i hope you'll all aprove. It's kinda all of my plans in one chapter. You'll find out more soon.
Can't wait for seasons to roll around!
I'm looking forward to reading. You're a great storyteller.
Tessa's pregnancy won't last forever, and I'm taking name suggestions! I'm going to make a poll for it soon, but if you have any entries for the names, tell me either here or pm me!
Comments
For now, I've very tired, I bid thee all a good night!
Chapter 4
Is This How This Works?
Marly looked down at her ‘father’ Rover, and her ‘brother’ Carly. They were exchanging a hug, a squeezing of the other person via the arms, and she was checking to make sure they executed the action correctly. Surely that was how it was supposed to go, right? They didn’t stand out at all, that was certain. Never mind the fact that their clothes were as pristine as they had been the first day they’d worn them. They were inconspicuous. Nothing to worry about.
Marly took her turn hugging Carly. His child form was soft and gave ease to her arms, but it was full of energy too. If only her own model had the energy that Carly’s did.
She checked over Carly’s shoulder at the table of sitting people. Did anyone notice that she may be acting different than a normal sim? Was she doing this right?
Moving on to the last pairing, Marly hugged Rover, and the blond one that goes by Jarrod looked their way, but then quickly turned his head. Was this too much hugging? Were they doing it wrong? Marly pulled herself away from Rover and walked away quickly. It must be too much hugging.
She went up to the sleeping quarters and Rover joined her. “I think that went well,” he said. “We blended in completely. No one suspects.”
“I hear that these sims don’t often jump to the idea of our kind, so I believe that we’re in good condition for our mission. I think that the new arrival will be perfect for out mission. Don’t you agree?” Marly responded.
“The new arrival? But it will be months until she will be a viable candidate! There are others who would suffice right away, we need not wait. I would rather get back to my sonic showers and warm bed…” he complained.
“We shall need to ask Jeremy what he thinks. He will tell us what to do.”
~*~
Halyee and Tessa stood outside of the old church in a small yard.
“This use to be the graveyard, ugh, I can’t believe I’l standing here right now, I’m gonna hurl I think... No, No I‘m fine. Right, so as I was saying, This use to be the graveyard, but I’ve heard from Sebastion that he wants it to be a garden. We’ve been living off of army rations that washed up one day, a whole lot of them, but those are running out so we need to be growing out own food. I heard you had some growing experience?” Haylee asked.
“Um, a little, just harvesting as I go and a flower plant, but, nothing like growing my own food.” Tessa looked a little overwhelmed. After three days gathering her strength, she was ready to move forward and get out of bed.
“Well, you’ve got more than the rest of us, so here are some seeds that we’ve acquired over time. Good luck. No pressure.” Haylee said ironically.
“Hey, lady!” greeted a small boy. If memory served, his name was Carly? “You’re moving really slow. Why don’t you move fast like everyone else?”
“Well, I’m-” Tessa thought quickly of what to say and not give away her condition. No one knew about her pregnancy yet, and she wanted to keep it that way. The leadership here seemed keen on forgetting the past and only living in the present, and her pregnancy would bring the past to be fully into her life. She didn’t know if she would be able to keep the baby after the ordeal she had been through besides, so she saw no reason to tell everyone the big news just yet. Her nausea continued, as did her cravings, and with every threatened meal to come up, she prayed that she could keep her little piece of the happyness she once had. The one little piece of Isaac. “I’m sick. I can’t move fast if I don’t have the strength to move fast, now can I?” she smiled.
“You are drained of energy? Can I give you some of mine?” Carly asked in all seriousness.
Tessa laughed. “No, I don’t think it works that way. But thanks for the offer.” she said.
Jarrod couldn’t stand the water being on the ground, so he mopped it up.
That evening, as the group was calming down, more people came through the door, people that Tessa hadn’t seen before. The group consisted of two women, three men, and a child. The people surrounded them and there was a lot of indiscernible chatter. Haylee and Blanche looked in a large sack that they had brought with them, scrounging for something with wide eyes. At last Blanche pulled out a small plastic bag with three small black tubes in it. Eyeliner. That’s how they were able to wear makeup out here on the island. It floated to shore.
The head man, who was distinguished by the lines on his face, his wide set eyes, a greying beard, and facial scars, looked up to where Tessa was on the balcony where the sleeping quarters were. He held her gaze for two moments too long, and then he looked away. He tapped Blanch on the shoulder and asked her a question in her ear. She responded without the same caution. And went back to scrounging in the sack. He looked once more up at her and then walked under the balcony and out of her sight. Tessa went to her sleeping bag, which now that she thought about it must have also been an item that washed up on shore, and she tried to get some sleep. However, after three days in bed, she was hardly tired, and the arrival of the new group and that man made her uneasy and her mind wouldn’t be quiet. She decided to get up and she walked over to the basket ball hoop that had been installed. She was the only one awake, or so she thought.
“Tessa Ruff-Stone.” came a husky voice from behind her.
She spun around to see the man from before in swimming trunks. Perhaps he was on his way to the hot tub?
“Come and watch the stars with me. I want to talk to you.” he said.
The two of them laid down on the cooling grass and looked up at the brilliant stars. Tessa instinctively put her hands over where she thought her baby should be. “I hear that you’ve recovered well?” asked the man.
“Yes, I’m nearly back to myself. Just a bit more time and I’ll be just fine.”
“That’s good. I’m Sebastion, by the way, I lead this group of survivors. There’s not many of us, but we’re glad for every one of our people. They’re a good bunch.” he paused for a while.
“Tessa, were you married, out in the world?” he waited a beat. “You don’t have to be here. It matters only to you, not to anyone else. If you see someone you like, and they like you, there’s nothing stopping you. This is a brand new life you’ve got here, a true blessing, use it well.”
They looked up at the stars, moving imperceivable. “There are somethings that I should tell you. We’re rather close to a larger island-” Tessa looked at him with surprise. “-but they’re savages. They kill each other, cook children. I don’t mean to upset you, but you should know the facts. They have slaves, do brutal things to them, it’s barbaric in every sense. We hide here and patrol our border, but if you see anyone that you don’t know, don’t hesitate to either take them down yourself or to run for help. They’ll do terrible things if they catch you. So please, don’t let yourself get caught.”
Tessa stared up at the sky in fear. Just when she thought that things couldn’t get any worse…
The next morning, after an unrestful night’s sleep, Tessa held her stomach as she felt she was going to revisit her breakfast. She walked away from the basketball game going on, and ate some herbs, hoping they would help her nausea and not make it worse.
A woman from the new group walked up behind her. “When are you due?” she asked with a serious face.
“What are you talking about? I’m not pregnant. Why would you think that?” Tessa asked.
“Tessa, I’m a doctor. I can help you. Make your time easier. Help when the time comes.” the woman eased.
“I’m not pregnant!” hissed Tessa. “I don't even know your name! I wouldn't trust a fictional baby with a woman I don’t know! So please, don’t bring this up again.” Tessa insisted.
The woman looked at her with a sad gaze, then walked away, back to the group.
The continued as normal, and Tessa was busy harvesting the vegetables from the sprouting garden when she felt sick again. What were the signs of miscarriage? Tessa didn’t even know. Was she going through them? Was this extra sickness a part of it? Was this what was supposed to happen?
~*~
Rover was forced abducted and given back by some aliens. Oddly, no one was around to see it happen.
About a week later, Tessa and Connor were working in the vegetable garden. Tessa could see out of the corner of her eye that he kept sneaking glances at her and smiling.
“So, Connor, how long have you been here? You seem pretty young to be here.”
“I was actually born here. Or at least, it’s the only place I have memory of. It’s possible that I was just too young to remember being a baby. Sebastian raised me, along with the other people here.”
“That must be rough. I can’t imagine living my whole life here. Doesn’t it get boring? You can’t go anywhere, you have to see the same people everyday. You get products that float by, but you never see what they rest of the world does with them. It feel like you’re looking through a window, and you can’t get them to notice you…” Tessa trailed off.
“I don’t mind. There’s nothing to miss, for me, so I couldn’t care less.. This is my home, as it is yours too now.” Connor responded.
They didn't speak for a while. Tessa was improving the plants and Connor had finished harvesting, so he looked at Tessa, not at all trying to hide it.
When she finished, he grabbed her arm. “Did you have someone on the outside?” he asked. “Were you, I don’t know, married?”
“I’d rather not talk about it. You are all about forgetting the past here, anyway, right?” she said, holding his eye contact. She wasn't about to be intimidated by someone who was a bit younger than her.
He read the signs wrong. “Yeah, you’re right. To heck with the past.” he was as he went in for an embrace.
“Whoa! What are you doing? That wasn’t an invitation!” She rejected.
Connor backed up immediately. “I’m- I’m so sorry. It’s just, there are so few people here who are free, everyone’s paired off, besides Gretel, but you’re much nicer than Gretel… Nicer to look at anyway…” He scurried off and went inside.
The woman who called herself a doctor replaced him, and Tessa rolled her eyes.
“Ok, I know that I didn’t give you the best options when I talked to you last, but hear me out. It’s been a long time since we had a baby here, and the last two died. Stillbirths. It hurt Hailey M really bad for a very long time, and I want your baby to be ok, to thrive. How do I know that you’re pregnant? The clothes you’re wearing keep getting smaller on you, you eat well when I know that if you weren’t pregnant you would insist that the children be fed over you. Ok, that’s an assumption, but the fact that you haven't gone anywhere near the hot tub or have eaten any fish has me convinced that you are carrying a child. Don’t tell me I’m wrong, I know I’m not wrong.” the woman said.
Tessa stood there, baffled. Was it that obvious? She couldn’t hide her pregnancy? What was she going to do?
“Even if I was pregnant, what could you do for me? There aren’t many options here, no vitamins, no ultrasounds. What can you do for me? And what is your name?”
“I’m Chloe Diaz, the fiance of Santiago. I’m a qualified midwife, and I have delivered ten healthy babies in my life. My books are intact, and we can guarantee that we will do everything we can, but I can’t help you if you won’t even admit your pregnant.”
“Well, Chloe,” Tessa paused, gathering courage. “I’m pregnant.”
Bloopers!
Thankyou!
Will Tessa get off the island and away from the colony? Does she want to, considering the options? We'll find out!
I hope you're all in good spirits and are having a better time than i am.
Thanks for letting us know. Hang in there.
Chapter 5
Internal Matters
“So how many people are here in the settlement?” Tessa asked Chloe. She was doing an incognito check up on the baby, but Tessa was going to have to tell people she was pregnant eventually. Thankfully her clothes were pretty roomy.
“Well, if we’re counting the dog, 20. Plus your baby, 21?” Chloe answered.
Tessa thought for a moment. “But we’re all about the same age. Connor said something interesting the other day. He said that Sebastian had raised him, and that in itself is fine, but where are all of the older people? Sebastian is the oldest one here, besides Alex Monroe, because who knows how old he is. But Sebastian is only about 45 years old, and he’s the oldest one here. Where are all of the other people? How long have you been here?” asked Tessa.
“Well, Santiago and I have been here about two years, so we’re pretty new. Come to think of it, I’m not sure who’s been here the longest. I would assume it’s Sebastian, but I can’t be certain.”
“I’ll have to ask Connor, though I don’t really want to ask him. I kinda want to avoid him, but I know that’s rude and there aren’t many reasons to avoid him. I should be honest with him until he understands that I’m not interested, right?”
“I don’t know how to help you. If we were on the outside, I would say to just ghost him, but that’s not really an option here. So, good luck is all I can say.”
“You’re a big help.” Tessa remarked sarcastically.
“You’re good to go here, I’m all done.”
Tessa sat up and walked around the front of the building with Chloe.
Many of the men were busy digging a hole in the ground, and Tessa stopped to look at them. “What are they doing?” she asked Chloe.
“I- I don’t know. Hey guys! What are you doing?” She hollered over the din of crunching dirt and muttered conversations.
“We’re digging a basement," Sebastian said, straightening his back. "We don’t have enough room up in the loft anymore for us all, and we need more space. So we’re going under ground. Why don’t you pick up a shovel and help?”
“I would, but I’m not feeling well today. I have laundry and gardening to do anyhow…” Tessa trailed off, looking at Chloe for support.
“Yeah, she could use some bed rest, but I’m available. How can I help?” Chloe jumped into the project next to her fiance, picking up a shovel like she’d done a good deal of digging before.
Tessa walked over to her plants. She was happy that there was going to be more space, but why hadn’t she known that it was going to happen? Why hadn’t they told her? It seemed like an organized effort, surely they would have said something, voted perhaps?
“What is her condition?” asked Sebastian.
“I'm afraid that's doctor patient confidential. She hasn't given me the permission to tell, so I won't.” Chloe answered, whipping her brow.
“That doesn't apply here. There are no rules to follow. What is her condition, or I'll have to find out on my own.” he asked again.
Chloe didn't like the way he was pressuring her, but she couldn’t back out. If she told, she'd be betraying Tessa, but if she didn't, Tessa could be forced to tell Sebastian. There had to be a third option.
Chloe took an impatient breath. “She has the stomach flu. It should be fine with good water and vegetables, but she needs to take it easy or out could get worse.” she fibed. If it was found out that she told a lie, she could say she simply misdiagnosed her. Tessa surely had the symptoms of a flu.
“A flu, you say? If my memory is correct, the flu is highly contagious and can kill people. She should be quarantined, but why haven't any of us been infected or shown symptoms?” Sebastian asked. Chloe noticed that some of the diggers had showed down a bit and were leaning in to hear what was being said while working.
“It's possible she got it while in the water when she arrived, or is a lingering strain that we are all used to but she hasn't come across before. It's speculation at this point, but if you feel that she is in danger of infecting us, I'll get out the tent for her to reside in.” Chloe started to head for the door.
“No, none of us have shown signs,” Sebastian stopped her. “So I don't think she'll be a risk. If her condition changes, you need to tell me. That's an order.” He went back to his work and Chloe noticed that the other diggers started working harder again. She picked up her shovel again, and started on her work.
Near Tessa were two of the women that she hadn't been able to get to know well. The one was built like a brick house, the other was made of more elegant and think lines. A swimmer’s body, built for moving through water easily.
“I don’t believe we’ve had a chance to get to know each other,” she remarked as she came closer. The two women looked up at her and halted their conversation. “Do you mind if I joined you?”
“Not at all,” the dark haired girl allowed. Tessa sat down, and tried to not stare at the blnde woman. She seemed nice, but women didn’t usually get to be that size…
“So,” Gretta continued. “I said to the prince, he could stuff it. I didn’t need people thinking that I was ugly. I’m a treasure, and that’s the truth. He wound up with some other girl and they seem happy, but that’s neither here nor there…”
“Funny, my kingdom’s prince would never have let any insolence like that. He chose his wife and she got no say in the matter. Prince Humperdink seemed charming, but my friend’s friend’s cousin worked in the castle and apparently the princess was very unhappy. It’s said that she had a lover on the outside who was a pirate, but those are just rumors. She didn’t live long, she was killed on her honeymoon… bit of a sad end.” Chaya remarked.
Tessa’s lunch churned in her stomach.
“I see you have a ring on your finger, Tessa. Did you have a love on the outside?” Gretta asked.
“Uh, yeah. Funny story how that all happened, I was randomly selected to participate in this weird TV show where you find your true love out of 14 guys… He must be worried sick about me… and I’m carrying his child.”
“What? That’s wonderful!” exclaimed Gretta. “It’ll be wonderful to have a little baby around. We have Eric, but he just cries all the time. I have a feeling that your baby will be better.”
“We can only hope.” Tessa said humbly.
~*~
Tessa woke up and felt heavy. Each morning she felt heavier and heavier, and she knew that it was only going to get more progressive, so she had to tell Sebastian.
She walked down the stairs where Sebastian was pondering to himself. “Hey, I have something I want to tell you,” she said quietly to him.
“Hmm?” he rose from his seat and met her over in the corner.
“You know that I haven’t been very active lately and I’ve been a bit sick, that’s because I’m expecting a baby. I have about six months until it is due to arrive.” She said over the lump in her throat.
“And this is a baby from the outside?” he asked.
“It’s my husband’s and mine’s baby. It was a happy thing until the accident.”
“I see. Well, I’m sure Chloe will take good care of you. She tried her hardest to take care of the last children to be born, but it just wasn’t meant to be, apparently. Stay healthy, and take care of yourself.” he turned to walk away, the turned back around. “Does Connor know?” he asked.
“Why would Connor need to know?” asked Tessa.
Sebastian’s face became unreadable. “Just remember that you don’t have to be married here.”
The plot thickens! I got a day off by mistake, turns out I am unable to go to a wedding I had planned on going to today because I couldn't get a ride there. Well, the bride and groom weren't close friends anyway, so no big loss there. But I have had lots of time to calculate plots and storylines, so stay tuned, it only gets wilder from here out!
Don't forget To be awesome!
Bloopers:
Tessa, what...? Get off his bed you goofy girl.
"How ya doin'?"
The ground doesn't need to be mopped...
What is Isaac doing? Is he going crazy looking for her?
So sorry you missed the wedding you were invited to, but you got a lot accomplished in the meantime.
Can't wait for seasons to roll around!
I'm looking forward to reading. You're a great storyteller.
Boys
Bruce
Edmund
Oliver
Nathan
Girls
Krista/ Christa
Narnia
Lana
Laura
Natalie