When the Zombies Come -- a Cottoneye Decadynasty (COMPLETED)

[Louise56]

I love this update! Not many people will read about a teenager in love with a vampire? Lol!

[saltpastillen]

She looks so blissed out writing her love letter.

[MarianT]

Chapter Eighteen – Life’s Brief Candle

   Mercy went ahead and scrapped her story. When I saw her face, I felt badly about making her do that. Maybe she could have done a search and destroy – no, search and replace – on her characters’ names. But that wouldn’t have worked; the temptation to draw upon her sister’s experiences would have been too great. It didn’t help matters that Artemis got an answer from Weston:  “I loved what you had to say in your letter. Maybe you could say it again…in person?” If you’re wondering how I know what Weston’s letter said, it’s because I opened it by mistake. (That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.)



   We hosted a gift-giving party on Snowflake Day. Grace and Kristal came; my cousin Prudence is no longer with us. We had to move the coffee table outdoors in order to fit in the pile of gifts. I received a new guitar, and Artemis received some exercise equipment. Mercy overslept and came down too late for any presents. Sarah’s present was a mysterious coupon. All our guests said they had a great time, agreeing that Sarah’s party was awesome, verging on epic.



   That night was a full moon. We were awakened around midnight by the music heralding Grim’s approach. Sarah and I looked at each other in horror, sure that one of us was going, and then panic-stricken that it might be one of the girls. But it turned out he was coming for one of the zombies in the yard – Jackie Temple.



   I think he used to work with great-grandmother Constance and lived such a long time because he was a vampire. We watched him plead to Grim. I played my guitar for him and then went back to bed.



   The next morning Sarah showed off what she had procured with her coupon – a Climatron. She used it to ensure that Artemis did not wreck the dynasty by getting another snow day. Although snow was falling, it soon ceased, and the sun came out. Thanks to Sarah’s quick thinking, Artemis was able to make the honor roll.



   But later that afternoon, I found her sitting in the snow.

   “I’m contemplating grief,” she said. “I would miss you horribly if you died.”

   “And I’d miss you, too,” I said. “But let’s enjoy our time while we have it.”

   “We don’t have any time,” she said. “I’m 91 and you’re 94. We’re overdue.”

   “Then every day is gravy,” I said. “Come on, you’ll catch pneumonia sitting there.”



   The next day, Sarah was very cheerful and sparkly. “I just figured out how to make the potent cure elixir,” she said. “Artemis will be able to transform Weston, and maybe Mercy can find a nice werewolf to cure.”

   She went out to her workshop to mix the ingredients. All at once I heard that awful music.



   When I reached the workshop, she was trying to bargain with Grim. “Can’t you please give me a few more days? If I complete my lifetime wish, then Artemis can use my tombstone for her dynasty requirement, and Chase can drink this fountain of youth elixir I found.”

   “No,” said Grim.

   “Well, you could at least let me mix up this potent cure elixir.”

   Grim shook his head.



   Already I miss her horribly and not just because we could always count on her to fix the plumbing and put dinner on the table. She was the anchor for our family when we were all sailing off in different directions. Sarah, you were the greatest. Rest in peace.

[Louise56]

Oh no mean old Grim! He could at least give her some time to finish the elixir. Rest in peace Sarah.

[RainBeau]

Awww man, she was so close!

[SimBlip]

I loved the bickering between Artemis and Mercy in the previous chapter. (Diana, Easton - LOL!)
The Climatron was such a clever idea!
Oh no, Sarah's gone... Bad timing, Grim! 

[MarianT]

Chapter One – Sibling Rivalry

Dear Forum,

   Dad asked me to write this next chapter. He’s still upset about Mom’s death, too upset to write.



   “I thought I wasn’t allowed to write about Artemis and Weston,” I said.
 
   “That was in a novel,” he said. “This is a report for the Forum. They’re expecting an update on the dynasty, and I just can’t do it.”



   “Well, why can’t Artemis do it?” I asked. “She’s the heir.”

   “Because Artemis doesn’t write as well as you do.”

   Understatement of the year. I’ve already published two novels, and Artemis couldn’t write her way out of a paper bag. How she made the honor roll, I’ll never understand. If you get the impression, Forum, that I’m annoyed with my older sister, you’re correct. Soon after I was forced to scrap my novel, another novel about a teenager in love with a vampire made the top of the best-seller list and is now being made into a movie. So don’t tell me there wouldn’t have been any money in it.

   “There’s something else I want to ask you to do,” said Dad. “When I’m gone, I want you to help Artemis with her requirements.”



   “And if I refuse?”

   Dad gave me a look that cut to the quick. It reminded me that he was nearly 100 and that he’d just lost his wife. I hate feeling guilty, so I shrugged and said, “Yeah, okay.”

   “Let’s go for a drive and talk about it,” he said.



   (As an aside, I don’t know why people make such a big deal about driving. Once you get past tapping the brakes every time a squirrel threatens to dart across the road, it’s a piece of cake.) While we were driving, Dad explained to me the tasks of a dynasty helper. “She’s going to need ten best friends and ten service friends, but she won’t have much time to make them because she’ll be working on super-maxing her skill, doing her ops, and getting to the top of her job as quickly as possible. But there’s more. She can’t max any of the skills that the rest of us have super-maxed – that’s gardening, fishing, and painting – and she also can’t max any skills that future heirs might need to super-max. That would include handiness and cooking. I can help with repairs for now, but it would help if you took over when I’m gone. Cooking, too.”



   It was too much. “All my life, all I’ve ever heard about is Artemis. Is she going to make the honor roll? Can we find a potion so she can marry her boyfriend? Should she join a club or will it distract her from her schoolwork? No one cares about my problems or accomplishments. I made the honor roll, too, but there wasn’t any cheering about it. The only time I get a screenshot taken is when I do something unusual, like make a hockey snowman.



   “Artemis uses her exercise machine, and that’s something the Forum has to see.”



   Dad sighed. “I wasn’t going to tell you about this until later, when it would be more of a reward and less of a bribe, but the Watcher has some plans for you, too, once you’ve helped Artemis move on.”

   “Plans?” I echoed.

   “She’s thinking about sending you to Monte Vista,” he said. “Maybe start an Immortal Dynasty.”

   “Oh,” I said. “Wow, Monte Vista – so what’s that list? Best friends, service friends, cooking, and repairing?”

   “Also writing about Artemis’s activities for the Forum.”

   “Yes!” I said. “Yes, yes, yes, and yes!”

   “Watch out for that squirrel!” Dad shouted.

   So Forum, without further ado – here’s Artemis in her new wardrobe. We didn’t feel like having a party so soon after Mom died. This is her chilly weather everyday outfit.



Here she is, looking lovely for summer.



Artemis chose pink and black for her formal garb.



She wanted something sporty and comfortable for pajamas.



Harkening back to Hunter, she chose pink camouflage for her athletic outfit, which will come in handy if she needs to blend in with any sunsets.



And finally, her swimsuit. (She closed her eyes when she modeled her outerwear, but the Forum will see her in that come winter.)



   After choosing her wardrobe, Artemis went to the stadium to apply for a job as a rabid fan (which she got).



   She then met Weston at the Farmers’ Market, where she used the Potent Cure Elixir to turn him into a human.



   Mom’s advice was to wait until just before they got married, but Artemis said she just didn’t feel comfortable with kissing him and stuff if she was wondering whether he’d quenched his thirst lately. I think getting another potent cure elixir is going to be added to my list.

   The only other news is that Dad has retired.



   He was asked to write the score for the upcoming movie about a girl in love with a vampire, but he said no. Thanks, Dad, I appreciate that.



'Bye for now! Mercy Cottoneye

[SimBlip]

Mercy is fab! I love her writing style and wry sense of humour.
She stands up for herself, but is also willing to put her 'grudges' aside. She truly has taken mercy on Artemis.
The prospect of starting a dynasty in Monte Vista is but a detail, of course! 
This forum reader gives her full-hearted approval! 
 

[Turoskel]

My game got so glitchy I decided to reinstall and started reading this while it was doing lured in by the title, I got so totally engrossed that I kept forgetting to change the discs and it's taken me about four times as long to install as it should have. Really enjoyed this story, as somebody who doesn't have supernatural it's been interesting seeing how it changes my favourite town and your family is great fun, will definitely keep reading this.

[MarianT]

Ah, Turoskel, what a lovely compliment (I think). But I am sorry it delayed your reinstalling. Have you ever considered a factory reset? Don't be put off by the name. Instructions are in the Technical Section. PM me if you have more questions or go to that section, so we don't go too far off topic here.

[MarianT]

Chapter Two – Best Friends

Dear Forum,

   First of all, I want you to know that I have been the very model of a dynasty sibling. I’ve been cooking…



I’ve been cooked…



And I’ve told many broom jokes to my older sister, so that we’re best friends now. (Maybe you have to be a witch to get them?)



   I had my birthday some time ago.



Artemis and I went to graduation together. She was named Valedictorian and Most Likely to become a Sports Star. I graduated with highest honors and was named Most Artistic. We live close enough to City Hall that we didn’t have to take our brooms but could run instead.



   In showing off my wardrobe, I should explain that I’m writing a novel about a young maharani who is kidnapped by an evil genie and brought to a small farming town. I also think the styles are rather flattering. Here’s my everyday outfit, formal, and athletic wear.







   Soon after we graduated, Dad decided to retire. He wanted to spend more time with us, he said.



Plus, he had parties to go to and presents to receive from all the old biddies who came flocking around once Mom had died. You would not believe how persistent some of these elderly women can get, coming over and ringing the doorbell at two in the morning. And not just women – a few men have sent him love letters, too -- with the exception of Skip Broke who wrote Dad he had to rearrange his sock drawer once after Dad called him just to chat. Anyway, Dad hasn’t been lonely, but he’s been at loose ends. He spends time playing in leaves…



…or playing the guitar in Artemis’s room in the wee hours of the morning.



   Lately his vagaries have been more severe. He mistook the neighbor’s house for ours (well, he did live there much of his life).



Last night, he was playing the drums for hours in the garden after coming home from a party. And why anyone would invite a man who’s 111 to a pool party in autumn when the temperature is just above freezing, I don’t know.



   He said not to worry because he'd had his flu shot, but perhaps it was inevitable.



His death was very quick and peaceful; he even shook hands with Grim at the end.



   We put his obelisk in the back yard, next to Mom’s tombstone. They overlook the river where he spent so much time fishing so that the two of them could get married. The Riverview Gazette wrote up a nice obituary, listing all the movies he’d written the music for, but I haven’t been able to read it without crying. Good-bye, Dad -- all my life you've always been my best friend.

[Anna33]

Oh no RIP Chase...
Mercy is beautiful by the way.

[SimBlip]

Peace, Chase Cottoneye, you shall be missed.

[Louise56]

Rest in peace Chase.

[Turoskel]

R.I.P Chase 

Ah, Turoskel, what a lovely compliment (I think). But I am sorry it delayed your reinstalling. Have you ever considered a factory reset? Don't be put off by the name. Instructions are in the Technical Section. PM me if you have more questions or go to that section, so we don't go too far off topic here.

Yes I did consider that but chose the reinstall instead, game is running okay now thankfully, it would load a save but then lock up totally before, thought all my saves were lost for a bit.