Chapter 28 - part 1 - Gen 2 - Tapestry

I follow River nervously down the long dark corridor taking very deep breaths as I go.

We make our way quickly down a flight of stone steps, then along another dark and dimly lit corridor.  The whole place feels extremely cold and eerie.  The flickering flames from the torches that dimly light the way are casting moving shadows that are dancing on the walls and floors, making me very nervous and jumpy.  Our footsteps are also echoing loudly around us, unnerving me, as we make our way deeper in the den.  I realize the entire vampberry den must be below ground level, there is not a single window in the place making it really cold and dark.

I am starting to really panic inside and I'm not sure why.  I know it is not going to be anything like the first time that I was here in this vampberry den.  I am not their prisoner this time for a start.  Really I know I should not have anything to be scared of, it's not like Jazz or Maizie are going to hurt us ... I think its the thought of the other vampberrys that River has told me that live here who are worrying me.

I also think it is just the feel and the smell of the place that is making me remember things that I would really much rather forget!!

If I had a choice I wouldn't be here at all, but unfortunately spending one more night here is a necessity.  We can't resurface in town tomorrow appearing like we are or nobody will ever believe the story that we have to tell.  They will never believe that Manderine has held us captive and mistreated us for the past nine months.  As well as acting the part we also have to look the part, we need to be dirty, have dirty and torn clothes, look battered and bruised ... this is what I really am not looking forward to.

River opens a door and pushes me through it, while he giggles at me.  I think he can tell that I am very nervous.  I spot Jazz and Cosmic standing together talking.  Their conversation stops abruptly when they hear the door opening and they look in our direction smiling as we enter the room.

We are in what looks like an open plan kitchen and living room.  I just stand there looking around a little fascinated by my surroundings ... for vampires they seem pretty civilized, which really surprises me.  I am not really sure what I expected, but I didn't expect this.

As I glance around the room I see a stereo, desk and computer, a very large television, book cases, rugs, sofa's, a table and chairs, even pot plants and ornaments.  I giggle in my head when I spot the xbox on the floor underneath the TV, no doubt that is Cosmic.   Then I notice the cooker in the fully equipped kitchen.  Why would they even have a cooker here?  but logically I've known all along they must have a cooker here ... they used to cook us meals.  I'm an idiot!!

It almost looks like a normal living room and kitchen except for the decorating.  I stare at the bare walls and floor, they are exactly the same as they were down in the basement, this makes me shudder just remembering our cage.

The cage that I've been told Manderine is STILL occupying.  I imagine that she must be going out of her mind down there all alone!!  I remember the boredom when it was just me and Honey, and even with River and Manderine for company, it was still very boring because there was nothing to do down there but sleep and sit around talking and the days dragged.  It's strange how I haven't though about any of this stuff for a long time and now it is all coming flooding back to me, just because I'm here.

"The wanderer returns!!"  I hear Cosmic laughing.  "Man you've changed!!"

"Like you haven't just traveled back from Raspberry Hill airport with me Cosmic!!"  I grin at him as we walk over to where he is standing with Jazz.  I am really happy to see him here because he always makes me feel safe.

I see River frowning at me in confusion. I don't suppose River knew that Cosmic was in the car with us coming back from the airport. I hadn't spoken to Cosmic on the journey back, so used to ignoring his and Storms presence when other people are around.  I was way too busy just staring out of the window waiting for Sugar Valley to appear. I felt like an excited child when I started to recognize the familiar sights of home.

"Where's your hat Tap?"  Cosmic is laughing at me and I laugh with him. The times he's watched me kick off over not having my hat on my head.  Like the times when Coral and Mosaic used to sneak into my room while I was sleeping, they'd pinch all of my hats including the one off my head and hide them just for fun to watch me kick off and get into trouble.  I guess he finds it amusing not seeing me wearing my hat now.

"Here Tap, your Dad asked me to give you these."  Jazz holds out his hand ... my clear contacts.  "You need to lose those orange contacts, your goggles and those earrings!!"  he smiles at me.  I take the contacts off him and can't help but touch his cold hand which makes me shudder.  It makes me wander how they can even be comfortable with themselves being so cold.  I take my glasses straight off, remove the orange contacts and replace them with my clear ones.  I take my earrings out and hand them to him ... I didn't have my ears pierced before, it's a good job they have thought about them because I wouldn't have done.  "You look almost normal again!!"

The door opens and a new vampire who I've never seen before walks into the room.

I freeze at the sight of the unknown vampire, and automatically grab for River.

I am suddenly very scared and getting a flashback of the two strange vampires that had come down to our cage pretending to be friendly when all they really wanted to do was suck the life out of me and Honey.  I feel comfortable with Jazz but this new vampberry already has my nerves jangling ... I think my past experiences have affected me a lot more than I thought they had!!  I really want to get out of this place!!  River, Jazz and Cosmic all start laughing at me.

"Relax Tap, Omri doesn't bite ... well not often!!"  I stare at River wide eyed who is now laughing like everyone else. I'm thinking that's not a very good joke for him to make after what I've been through!!  "Omri is the nice vampberry that I've told you about remember!  Relax he won't hurt you!"

"River ... I thought I could smell you mate!!"  Omri is laughing  "Man am I glad to see you are back!!"  he comes straight over and hugs River which really surprises me.  I quickly take a few backward steps away from River and Omri, just knowing he's a vampberry is making me very nervous.  "Man you look different!!  Have you run out of hair dye?"  he says as he ruffs River's hair up a little and River punches his arm playfully telling him he doesn't look like he's aged a day since he's been away then hugs Omri again.  I laugh in my head a little ... another lame joke from River. Vampberry's never age!!

I know River has told me that he gets on really well with Omri, because he didn't lose any of his mortal emotions when he was turned, unlike most vampberrys.   So Omri is basically human all but for his blood sucking habits and vampire abilities.  I didn't realize they were such good mates, they are definitely acting like they are.

Omri starts to study me curiously.

"So I am guessing this is the silent one you've been telling me about!"  he says smiling at me "extraordinary!! and I though you was having me on Jazz!!"  he waves his hand around me like he's trying to find something.  "I can't hear or smell him ... Without seeing him, you'd never know he was here!!"  he smiles at me.

"Watch this ..."  River says and he moves really close to me and puts his arms around me, then stands there grinning at Omri, who now seems really confused as he studies both of us curiously.

"River you have also now disappeared ... is he hiding you?"  he says wide eyed and starts to wave his hand around us again.  He looks at Jazz then and frowns.

"Omri don't even ask how he is doing that because I don't have a clue!!"  Jazz starts laughing  "All I know is the kid is far from normal and he doesn't even know what's going on with himself - I think he's an Alien!!"  Jazz is really laughing at his own joke. 

"He saved us from becoming a midnight snack in Sandalwood Heights by doing that!!  A hungry vampberry was stood less than ten feet from us, looking for his next meal, and he didn't know we were even there!!"  River says laughing as he steps away from me and starts to tell Omri the story in full.

I'm glad he can laugh about it because I can't!!   Just the thought of that night in the motel room still scares me to death.  Four hungry vampberrys on the prowl for food, Storm managing to get rid of them luckily because he wouldn't have stood a chance on his own trying to protect us from that many of them if he had ended up having to fight them.  I can't help but think about the six drunk guys that Storm sent the vampberrys after who did become their meal.  It stopped the vampberry from coming into the motel room and finding us, so they copped it in our place.

"Hi I'm Omri."  he says smiling and holding his hand out to me. I look at his hand for a moment before I shake it nervously and I tell him my name and smile back at him.  He seems nice enough and I'm starting to relax a little, if he's a friend of River's then he can't be all bad!  His freezing cold hand makes me shudder, I really hate having to touch them!

"Tapestry, how would you like to show Omri your special party trick?!"  Jazz starts laughing and winks at me pointing to his eyes like I didn't know what he meant.  "Omri, see if you can get into his head because me and Maizie can't ... not even Celeste could."

I look at the expression on Jazz's face when he mentions Celeste, he seems sad for a moment.  I wander what actually happened to her? ... River only mentioned that she's sleeping permanently because of the silver dagger that Jazz stabbed through her chest, but he never actually said if they had disposed of her completely.  I'm not sure that River even knows himself.

Omri frowns at Jazz then looks at me, so I smile at him ... I have been dying to try this again to see if I can still do it.  I've never tried it with a mortal because I presume I can only do it with vampberrys and vampires.

I step a little closer to Omri who still seems a little unsure as he keeps glancing nervously back at Jazz, probably because he is continuously laughing.  Jazz knows what's coming and Omri wouldn't have a clue that I can compel a vampberry, unless Jazz has already told him.

I tell Omri it's okay and eventually he leans forward and makes eye contact with me.  Straight away I feel the strange feeling behind my eyes  "MAKE US A COFFEE PLEASE."  I say to him loudly in my head.

Omri stays standing there because I haven't broken the eye contact yet, and I don't because something suddenly feels very strange.  As I see his eyes starting to glow brighter, the feeling in the back of my eyes seems to be getting stronger, more intense, almost to the point where it hurts, which has not happened when I've done this before.

A sharp pain shoots through my head which almost knocks me sick.  I can suddenly see pictures in my head ... flashes of something ... movement ... this is crazy!!

Suddenly Manderine's face jumps out at me.  I can see her face as clear as anything like she is standing there right in front of me even though I know that she isn't.  What is this crazy stuff?  Manderine is laughing, that evil laugh of hers.  I move away from her face as her surroundings start to come into focus and I notice she has something in her hand ... a plate of food ... which starts flying towards me as she throws it.   It feels really strange I can see the plate hurtling towards me but I don't feel the normal reflex of trying to dodge it I just stand there watching it getting closer to me.  Almost like it's coming at me in slow motion.  The plate of food doesn't reach me anyway, it smashes up against the cage bars that have also now appeared in front of me - something else that I know isn't really there its all in my head.

I start to look around and can clearly see our cage now, but it looks different.  It is not as bare as it was when me and Honey occupied it.  There is a metal table and two chairs, a book case, there is also a television sat in the corner of the cage, the bench and crates are no longer there and in their place is a sofa.  Manderine is standing there still laughing in my face so I ignore the cage and refocus back on her, as I do she seems to get louder and louder almost to the point where I want to put my hands over my ears.   Her evil laugh is echoing very loudly around inside my head, it's almost like it's irritating me more than it usually would, to the point where it's driving me crazy and I can't stand it any more.

I pull away from the eye contact quickly shouting and holding my head while I'm trying to catch my breath and make sense of what just happened.

"What's wrong Tap?"  I feel two cold hands on my arms.  Jazz is now in front of me with a strange expression on his face asking me what just happened?  "Why didn't you break eye contact straight away?"

"I don't know ... I saw flashes of something - pictures in my head." 

"What did you see Tap?" 

"Manderine, I saw her in my head ... throwing a plate of food at me but it hit the cage bars and smashed ... she was laughing in my face, I could see her and hear her evil laugh in my head!!"  I say frowning at Jazz  I see him glance towards Omri who is now making his way towards the kitchen area.  Jazz looks really puzzled as he keeps looking between me and Omri as he is scratch his head.

"Is that all you saw Manderine?"

"No, I saw the cage, but it didn't look anything like it did when I occupied it, it was strange!!"  I laugh at myself thinking I'm going mental for a moment, it was almost like some mixed up dream that doesn't make any sense and isn't real  "There was a table and two chairs, television, book case, sofa - the crates and bench have gone ...."

"FUDGE TAP!!"  I frown at him when he starts roaring with laughter  "You are not mortal!!"  he says laughing.  "I think your abilities might have grown up with you ... I think, no I'm certain you have just read Omri's mind ... he has only just come back up from feeding our green pet and yes we have given her those things that you just mentioned to keep her quiet and we had to remove all the wood because she nearly got Omri with a piece of crate."  he frowns at Omri who is now just standing in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil.  "What did you tell him to do?"

"I told him to make us coffee."  he laughs at me.  We stand and watch Omri making coffee, he brings over two mugs, Jazz takes one and Omri gives me a mug then just stands there in front of me.  I pass my mug to River because I don't really want it, making coffee was just the first thing that I thought of telling him to do.  Jazz reminds me I need to free him, so I have to make eye contact with him again and tell him he's free to go.  This time I don't hang around, I get that feeling again, the intensified pain behind my eyes but I break the eye contact quickly just in case I start to see things again.

Omri stands there in a daze for a few moments, before he looks around the room in confusion and asks what just happened, why does his head feel fuzzy like he's just had an original in it?

"Tapestry just compelled you ... thanks for the coffee Omri!!"  Jazz laughs at Omri who is now frowning at the mugs of coffee, completely confused.  "Tell me what just happened when you went down to feed our green pet?"

"Lime has got a right crank on her today.  She says she's sick of eating spag bol and demanded something else, I wouldn't mind but it's been weeks since she's been given it!! When I refused to cook her something else and told her that's all shes getting, she thought she'd launched it at me.  I just left her too it, that laugh of her's goes straight through me!! She can eat it off the floor for all I care!!" 

"Well I'll be damned!!"  Jazz is now looking pretty shocked because I actually did see that in his head ... I really don't know how I've managed to do that, just like compelling them, it is all really confusing me.  Omri saying her laugh goes straight through him made me wander.

"You really HATE her laugh don't you!!"

"Yes, to the point where it nearly drives me crazy and I just want to choke her to shut her up!!"  he laughs then gives me a strange look.

I think that is why her laughter in my head was irritating me more than it normal would. I think I might have been feeling how he feels about it. Like me not having the reflex of trying to dodge the plate, I was seeing it through Omri's eyes not mine ... or am I just letting myself get carried away with this?

"Hang on Jazz ... he can't compel me he's mortal!!"  Omri frowns at me then at Jazz

"Omri, not only can this mortal compel vampberry's and originals, he sees and communicates with spirts and he's just read your mind!! While you was making coffee, he told us about the plate throwing which he saw while you two had eye contact ... I'm seriously beginning to think he might just be the secret weapon that the originals have been looking for!!  If he can do this as a mortal I dread to think what he might be capable of in vampire form!!"

"Jazz ... why are you telling him this ... because I'm telling you now ... I'm not running again, I'd rather live in Comic and Storms world than go through that again!!  I thought the whole point of us running in the first place was to keep me a secret!!" 

I snap at him quite angrily wandering why he is stood there telling this 'new' vampire about what I'm capable of, isn't he supposed to be keeping the secret not telling it!?

"Don't worry Tap ... Omri is one of us, he's bound to me because I'm the one who turned him he won't cross me.  You can trust him with your life which isn't in any danger anymore." 

He starts to explain that he has had to make a few alteration to the den to keep the vampire world away from it.  He says he is too involved with the mortals now to ever go back.  Now that Cosmic, Sunny, my Dad and himself are back together he can't break away again, he only wished that Alpines brain was not damaged because if it wasn't he too would be here with the rest of his school mates. He also pointed out that Omri was actually his childhood best mate back home before his parents sent him away to the boarding school, he is actually his oldest friend, so Omri is no threat whatsoever.

After he was sure that me and River were a safe distance away from Sugar Valley, he reported Celeste and her guards as missing to the Original Council.  After Celeste and her six guards 'mysteriously' disappeared he managed to pursue the Original Council to close down the den making them believe it was too dangerous to keep open.  He told the Council that he thought another immortal race, possibly the wereberrys, are picking off the vampberrys in this area and they were responsible for Celeste and her guards disappearances.  They sent guards to watch the place and Cosmic kept disposing of them until the Council agreed with Jazz's theory's and closed the place down.

All of the other vampberry residence have been moved to other dens.  There is only the three of them living here now Maizie, Omri and himself who are the only ones who knew the truth about what really is going on here.  The three of them have detached themselves away from the pack so to speak.  Jazz is playing the distraught husband who refuses to leave the den delusionally thinking his wife might still come back one day.  Maizie is playing the mixed berry, even though we know she really isn't one, so to them she has no choice but to stay here.  Omri is playing the puppet who is bound to Jazz so where Jazz is he has to be ... the Council have brought there excuses and they have just left them and the den completely alone.  He hopes over time they will forget about them and the den completely.

Luckily this being a colour mix town has helped as it has never been a very popular den anyway because of the colour code which even reaks havoc in the vampire world.  The dens in Cherry Hill and Berry Shores were abandoned years ago as he doesn't think there are actually any mixed berry vampberrys in existence.  The only reason that the den here in Sugar valley has stayed active is because of him and Maizie having ties here and both being drawn to this town, Maizie because of my Dad and River and Jazz because of his school mates.

I am a little amused that all the time that Jazz is talking to me he is avoiding making any sort of eye contact with me.  His eyes are moving around to different points of my face, but he doesn't look me in the eyes once - almost like he's too scared too.

"Maizie is the only bad apple in this camp and the only one we need to be worrying about!!   She's the only one here likely to spill your secret and there is only one reason why I can't dispose of her - River."

"Don't worry about me Jazz, dispose of her - do us all a favour!! That woman is nothing but a menace!!"  River starts laughing.  I wander if he really means that - I could never imagine talking about my Mother like that!!

"Talk of the devil and it shall appear!!" Jazz starts to laughs as he looks towards the door.

 Seconds later the door flies open quite forcefully. 

"Mango!!"  I hear Maizie squeal as she rushes into the room.

Maizie flies across the room and throws herself at River and tries to hug him.  I watch with amusement at the look of disgust which flash across his face as he pushes her away from him.  I know how angry he is with her right now!

"Get off me woman ... NOW you are calling me Mango ... you are a joke!!  Well you can forget it I meant what I said - I want NOTHING to do with you EVER AGAIN!!"

Maizie tries to calm River down but he's not having any of it.  I know he is angry with her for a lot of reasons.  On top of her dumping him on his Grandmother when he was a baby and her keeping him and Dad apart on purpose for the whole of his life ... he also now blames her for everything that has happened over the past nine months of our lives because she is the vampberry who helped Manderine to bring me and Honey here to the vampberry den.  What I think is getting him the most is that he has a son that he has not been able to see yet and he blames Maizie for it.

"DON'T you dare go anywhere near that boy EVER again he is having NO vampberrys in his life, especially not you!! ... Dad and Winter had no right to let you see him!!!  Ocean is NOT your Grandson as you have NEVER been my Mother!!!   He will be told you have faded - just like you will be to me when this is all over - FADED!!"  She made the mistake of telling him she has seen Ocean which set River off into a total rage.

They start arguing quite badly they are slinging all sorts at each other and the air is blue from all the language flying between them.   I stand there like Jazz, Omri and Cosmic, watching with amusement.

I jump when I hear Dad suddenly yelling from behind me.

Maize and River go silent when he yells at them to stop.  I am really surprised that Dad is here and that he knows how to get into the vampberry den.  When I turn to look at him I see he's carrying Crystal in his arms and Mulberry is right behind him.  He walks over to the couch and lies Crystal down.  Maizie starts sniggering.

"Oh here he comes ... I see you've collected yourself another colourless THING!!   Are you sick of your current freak already Mango?!  What's that a younger replacement?!"  she starts cackling almost like Manderine does.  I see my Dads face switch into evil mode.

"Maizie just quit it will you ... you never know when to stop do you!!  ... she is Tapestry's girlfriend if you really must know and you heard what River said ... just leave him alone he doesn't have to listen to your tripe if he doesn't want to!!"

"Oh that's right ... I might have known, this is your doing isn't it ... I should have known you would go poisoning the boy against me the first chance you get!!"  she flies across the room quickly to Dad and starts pushing him in the chest.

"You've done that all by yourself Maizie, you've needed no help from me on that score!!"  he starts yelling at her angrily  "You blew it Maizie with your spiteful game - which you still haven't given either of us a truthful explanation for yet!!"

"I think you know the reason ... "  and off she goes screaming in his face, I heard my Mothers name mentions a few times which makes Dad start to yell back at her.  She pushes him forcefully in the chest again which makes him very angry.

"Give it a rest bitch you know that high pitched squeal of yours gets my back up!!"  she squeals in his face purposefully.  Dad just pulls a face at her and starts to walk across the room like he's about to storm out through the door.

"DON'T you walk away from me Muffin!!!"  she yells which makes Dad spin round angrily. "I haven't finished with you yet!!"

"DON'T you even try to come with all the old crap Maizie - you are over 20 years too late -  I don't have to take your shit anymore!!"  Dad yells back at her "Boy have I NOT missed your whiny nagging face for one second!!"

Maizie grabs the xbox controls up off the sofa and throws them at Dad. I don't believe what I'm watching.

"And off they go!!"  Cosmic starts sniggering  "Boys you are about to be entertained!!"

"Just like I haven't missed your sniveling pompous face!!"  Maizie screams at Dad who ducks out of the way of the controls that fly past him and smash into the wall.  I hear Cosmic moaning about the broken controls that are now lying on the floor in millions of pieces.

"I see your aim hasn't improved any Maizie!!"  he laughs sarcastically "You are still a shit shot!!"  she flies at him smashing him into the wall, she's got him pinned there and their faces are inches apart as they are scowling at each other quite nastily.

"Your pulse is racing again Mango!!"  she starts laughing

"Get off me bitch - Don't even think about trying to play that game!!"  he starts to struggle but she has him pinned against the wall.  I look at Jazz - I think he needs to stop her.  "I've already told you Maizie, not even if my life depends on it!!  You are never getting your claws into me again!!"  he snaps at her quite nastily 

"Oh don't tempt me my little muffin ... you forget, I can now make you do anything I damn well want you to do!!"  Dad suddenly turns his face away from her, I think to avoid eye contact, she starts laughing at him.  "Why fight me when you know it's what you really want!!"

"Dream on Bitch!!  Over my faded body!!  Dad says

"That can be arranged quite easily!!"  she says as she goes for his neck hovering there like she's about to bite him.  I can see her teeth actually touching his skin then she runs her tongue seductively up his neck.   "Better still I'll turn you ... then you will never get away from me!!"  she mumbles in his ear.

I really don't like where this is going!!

Jazz yells at her and she glances quickly towards him. 

"Get off me bitch!!"  Dad takes her by surprise while Jazz has her distracted.  He pushes her forcefully and she goes flying backwards.  "Of course now you are just cheating ... this isn't a fair fight anymore is it!!  Touch me like that again and I won't be responsible for my actions!!"  he starts laughing suddenly  "I'd get away with it too, because the police already think Lime has done you in!!"

Maizie springs to her feet grabbing the candle stick off the table and launches it at Dad, he ducks but not quite quick enough, he calls her a bitch as it bounces off his back and he then flies at her. They are standing there their faces inches apart and start yelling and screaming at each other.  Stuff I'm not sure we are meant to be listening too, old stuff involving my Mother, their past relationship and River ...  I think they must have quite a lot of unfinished business that hasn't yet been sorted out.  Fudge!!  Is this how they always used to carry on ... it's no wander they split up!!  It's probably a good thing that River never saw his parents together when he was younger - they would have sent him deranged!!

Jazz starts laughing at me and River, we are both stood there staring at them wide eyed.  I'm not sure either of us can believe what we are watching ... Dad and Maizie both have a strange look on their faces like they have switched and are oblivious to everyone else in the room as they concentrate on ripping shreds out of each other.  I've never seen my Dad like this before, I've hardly ever seen him have cross words with my Mother ... this is just total madness!!  Has he forgotten me and River are in the room?!  Are they actually flirting or fighting??!!  That's what I can't work out!!

Suddenly it goes silent as they stop screaming at each other after Maizie has smashed Dad into the wall for a second time.  At first I think she might have hurt him by the look on his face, but I'm a little worried that the silence means that she is actually inside his head.

Jazz flies across the room suddenly and drags Maizie off Dad. Jazz looks really angry.

Dad just stands there looking really dazed. 

"Fudge Maizie ... I'm getting sick of this and I've warned you already, don't make me choose between the two of you because you know you'll lose!!" Jazz shouts at her nastily and they start hissing at each other like vampberrys do.  "Try to mess in his head just one more time and I WILL dispose of you!!  Leave him alone and GET OVER IT!!!"  He yells as he drags Maizie away "... go and make yourself useful ... your green pet's cage needs mucking out, she's been throwing food again!!"

Dad starts swearing under his breath after he's pulled himself together and storms out of the room looking upset ... River goes chasing after him.  I go to follow them but Mulberry stops me, telling me to leave them River will sort him out he doesn't need the both of us.  I glance at Cosmic who is chuckling away to himself before I look at Mulberry wandering what he thought about that performance!

"Yes ... hilarious isn't it ... that's how they always used to carry on!!  I don't know how they didn't kill each other!!  Me and your Mother used to be in hysterics watching them perform!   I think it's what they call a love hate relationship, they loved to hate each other!!  Berry knows where River came from!!"  Cosmic is laughing quite loudly and he can hardly talk  "Mulberry sat crying the first time he saw them like this - he was a teenager - but then they did smash up the kitchen in front of him, but he wasn't the only one crying Prelude had only just sorted the kitchen out after your Mother nearly burnt it down trying to cook!!"  he starts to laugh even louder looking at Mulberry who has sat down reading a book and is totally oblivious of what Cosmic is saying about him.

This is just all too weird, watching Dad and Maizie together then hearing Cosmic talk about him and Mom together ... it just doesn't seem right!!  I stand staring down at Crystal, while Cosmic continue to laugh, surprised she didn't wake up through all the racket even if she is sedated.

I sit down on the couch by Crystal and move her head onto my lap while she continues to sleep off the sedation.  I'm really worried about how scared she is going to be and how she is going to react when she wakes up.  While she is okay with me Storm and River, she's getting used to Dad and Mulberry, it's everyone else.  As soon as she sees Maizie Jazz or Omri she is going to freak and probably scream the place down.  I don't think she will even bother about Cosmic, she didn't react to Denims son wandering around the place, spirits don't seem to bother her in the slightest it's just people.

"Cosmic have you seen Honey?"  I ask Cosmic who just frowns at me for a moment then looks at Jazz and Mulberry almost nervously, before looking back to me. Why does he look confused?  I see Mulberry look up from his book.   "Honey's spirit, have you seen her?"

"No Tap we haven't seen her ... "  Jazz says suddenly but I realize he's intensely staring at Crystal with a strange look on his face.  "I think she must have passed straight over."  I stare at him for a moment, something doesn't feel right here.  Cosmic hesitated too much and looks confused, even a little shifty ... why?  Why is Jazz staring at Crystal like that?

I hadn't even thought about that happening ... all the time I've been away I have banked on Honey's spirit being here like Storms when I get back, this has helped to make it a little easier to bare.  Knowing that she isn't here - that kind of felt like a punch in the stomach for a moment.  I stare down at Crystal trying to sort out my feelings.  It makes me sad to think that I am NEVER going to see Honey again and that her life is really over and that she isn't going to be hanging around like Storm, but I'm not going to dwell on it.  I have done my grieving for her a few times over the past nine months, I don't need to do it again!!  I need to try and forget about her and the babies!!  

"I'm sorry Tap!!"  Cosmic says quietly 

Storm comes floating through the wall, stops and stares at me then slouches down on the floor up against the wall and just sits there saying nothing and staring down at the floor.  He looks upset.

"What's up with your face Storm?"  I ask him laughing, he quickly glances up at me then back down to the floor.  I notice Mulberry staring in the direction that I'm staring and he has a strange expression on his face. "I thought you'd be happy to be home!  Have you been for a wander round? Spill the gossip!"  I say to him, he ignores me at first and puts his head in his hands.

"You don't even want to know what's been going on while we've been away!!"  he says not even looking at me.  Hell!!  I really don't like the sound of that!!

"Come on Storm tell me - what's rattled your cage?" I say to him but he just shakes his head and says nothing.  I want to ask him if it's Bayleaf who's upset him but I can't because Mulberry is in here.

"Someone been messing with your grave Storm?"  Cosmic asks laughing  "I've kept it nicely polished for you while you've been away!!"  normally Storm would have laughed at something like that, but he's not amused right now something must have really upset him. 

"Just shut up man!!  You're not even funny!!"  he snaps at Cosmic who is now frowning at him then asks what's up  "Yes I have been to the bone yard as it happens ... so you tell me Cosmic!!"  he says.

Suddenly there is just a blur as Cosmic flies across the room and grabs Storm and pulls him straight through the wall into another room.  What on earth is that all about?!

Why am I starting to get the feeling that something is going on or has gone on that I'm being kept in the dark about again!?  Mulberry is just standing there confused still staring at the spot where Storm had been sat ... he would be confused he doesn't see or hear either Storm or Cosmic. 

"So who's that you've got there?"  Jazz asks really frowning at Crystal, it's almost like a look of great concern now.

"Crystal ... Jazz why are you staring at her like that?"  I ask him because it's now really bothering me, he has been doing it for ages.

"She's silent!!"  he looks up at me and frowns before looking back at Crystal  "I never noticed her silence because of Mango and Maizies carry on ... I actually forget she was there ... why is she silent?"  he frowns at me again  "Move away from her Tap!"  he says so I get up and step away from her thinking I'm probably hiding her like I do with River.  An evil look flashes across Jazz's face as he continues to stare down at her.  He mumbles that he can not smell her or hear anything coming from her at all.  He now looks angry as well as very confused. "Please tell me there are not two of you!!   This is crazy!?  Why the hell is she silent??!!"

"Oh FUDGE!!"  I say and Jazz looks up at me, I really don't like the look on his face.  "She sees and communicates with spirits like I do."  I tell him almost cringing because I never even gave a thought to there being a possibility that she could have been just like me.

"Really!?"  he looks at me thoughtfully for a moment.  "Now I guess we really are in trouble Tapestry!!  You should have warned me she is just like you ... she should never have come here!!"  I can see how angry he is as he glares at me.

"How the hell was I suppose to know ... you forget I'm not a vampberry!!"  I snap at him

"You knew she could see and communicate with spirits, that in itself is unusual for a mortal that should have made you think!!"  he snaps at me and he's starting to make me snap.

"I'm the thick idiot remember with only half a brain so I don't think!!"  he frowns at Crystal again for a moment.  "and I am not the only one who hasn't been thinking - River and Storm both know she sees and talks to spirits!!"

"You want to HOPE I can get into that head of hers when she wakes up - but I've got a really NASTY feeling she is just like you!!"  he laughs almost sarcastically for a moment  "I thought you was a one off ... now it looks like there might be two of you ... it's pretty ironic that you should find each other!!"

I have to think about this for a moment.  If he can't get into her head then he can't wipe away her memories of our time together in Rainbow Valley.  Crystal knows way too much, she knows we have been in Rainbow Valley for the last 6 months - she knows me, River, Winter, Dad, Mulberry.  I know she kept the secret of my colourless eyes from Denim but I doubt she would even understand or be capable of keeping the last 6 months a secret!!

Oh Fudge!!  What the hell are we going to do if Jazz can't get into Crystals head?


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Omri is a self sim belonging to one of my sim friends from The Simpletons Forum 
Thank you for letting me berry and use your sim Omri - I'll try to be gentle with him!!
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