Mei-Lin: Return of the Doll.

[jingxia]

A/N: Hi everyone, remember me? :3 A while ago I wrote a story: Mei-Lin, Puppet Master (http://forums.sims2community.com/showthread.php?t=30190). People liked it so much that I then decided I would write a sequel. However, I grew bored with the sims for a long time and uninstalled the entire game. But a few months ago, I suddenly felt like reinstalling. Not to play, but merely to write and take pictures... I suppose I really missed it! So here it is... the sequel to my story. Hopefully you will enjoy this one just as much as the old one. I’ll do my best!

(Before you read this story, it might be best if you read the other one first. I’ll try to make the sequel make sense for those who don’t feel like it, though xD)

_________________________________

Mei-Lin: Return of the Doll.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/pro-title.jpg

Prologue.

Tick... tock... tick... tock.

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No longer, raindrops tapped her shoulders. No more, they tried to caress her face with their wintry touch. As she shook off the few pearls of water that had nested in her hair and stepped into her little house, she could clearly hear ethereal voices whisper. “No... go back. You do not belong here.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/pro-01-01.jpg

She snorted, and reached for the golden clock. They had not held her back before — truthfully, why would they now? They were the ones confined by death, while she had easily torn herself free and gone back to the land of the living. This time, she had better plans. This time, she would not fail.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/pro-01-02.jpg

“It is time...”

________________________

Ali can be downloaded here (http://www.mediafire.com/?mzzrxijm2u4).
Rush can be downloaded here (http://www.mediafire.com/?bminjhmumrn). ^^

[Ghanima Atreides]

WOOT! A squel to one of my favorite stories, and looking just as good as the first one did! Glad to have you back and can't wait to see what happens this time :D

[jingxia]

Yay Ghanima!! :D Thank you!!

Glad you're reading this time too! ^^ I'll do my best to make the sequel even more interesting~ n__n

[Annelae]

I haven't read the first one, but this is great! :D I'm not a huge fan of horror, but this is just superb :)

[cassieandra]

Ooh interesting start! I'll have to read your first story!

[btw I love your avvie :)]

[jingxia]

Annelae: Thank you! Glad you like it so far! ;3 Although Horror is its main theme, it'll also contain lots of Drama (and some Romance bwhaha ;D) I'll make sure to add some flashbacks/memories of the past and former story in the sequel, so it won't be too confusing for you. ^^

cassieandra: Thanks! :D Hope you'll enjoy the first story too then! And ty for the avatar compliment. I love eyes n__n

[alcinoe]

I went back and read your first story. I'm glad I did: it was wonderful. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the sequel - it has a fascinating start so far.

[PlasticBarbie.]

Your first story was absolutely amazing, I can't wait to see how good this one is!
*eee! Yay!* ^_^

[Rayline]

Great pictures. Very mysterious beginning. :D

[Loco]

Wow! The excitement! Mei-Lin, Puppet Master had to be one of my favourite stories on here, I'm so happy you decided to write a sequel. So far it looks great, really carrying on the same themes and awesome pictures and writing. Can't wait for more! :D

[Anne_SC]

I read the whole first part, and I was so sad it ended. And now it's back! WOOO!

[jenny]

didn't read the firtst but this one looks interesting, great pics so far:D

[PennyTheCorgi]

OMG, I could hug you for this! :D I loved the first one and I can't wait for this one.

[Babbelsim]

omg it's back! *happy Dance!*

i loved the first one and i'll know for sure i will love this one aswell =3

[zukoislove]

Yay, it's back! =D

I love it already.

[Game Shark]

Just finished reading your last story. Absolutely amazing! I can't wait to read this one. Not only is the story excellant, but your pictures have a phenomenal quality about them.

I wish I could take pictures that well....

[HYPERPOWER!]

Hooray! A sequel! Your picture taking skills are as awesome as usual.

[Seiza]

Yay, a sequel! Beautiful pictures, as always, I can't wait to see what you've got in store for us! :)

[jingxia]

Wow, I wake up and so many comments are waiting for me!

Thanks for your sweet words everyone! <3 -so happy-

Chapter one should be coming up today. ^^

:valentine

[jingxia]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt1title.jpg

Chapter One: Rebirth.

“Once, I loved a woman... with hair like black velvet and inkwell eyes. Her life was the intricate web I wove, with sticky, silken threads that always brought her back to me. But it was not meant to be... she betrayed me with another...”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter01-01.jpg

“Lady... where are you?” his voice whispered creakily. Quickly, he let his lavender eyes flutter from one corner to another. But although her words clearly chimed around him, he could not see her anywhere.

“You will understand... some day. Love will break you too. It is such a cruel thing—”

__________________________

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With nimble fingers, Mei-Lin combed her daughter’s chocolate-coloured locks. She loved the feeling of those soft, thick tresses on her own skin. No one had more beautiful hair than Ali.

“Almost ready now, sweetie,” she whispered reassuringly.

As always, Ali remained silent, doing nothing but blankly gazing toward the bedroom window. Counting the many raindrops, perhaps, that threw themselves at the earth.

She wasn’t a normal girl.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter01-03.jpg

“Huh?”

Abruptly, Mei-Lin pivoted on her left heel. There were muffled sounds coming from the living-room – low whispers, and strange, high-pitched giggling. Her forehead wrinkled into a frown.

“Your brother must be talking to himself again. Or to those imaginary friends of his.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter01-04.jpg

“You want me to do what?

...

Well... okay then...”

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Sighing, Mei-Lin turned back to Ali, and got ready to cover her with a warm duvet. Her son, Nathaniel, had always been a bit odd after Rush left. Terribly rebellious, introvert and hardly ever acknowledging other people’s presence. It worried her, since he used to be such a sweet child. But she didn’t want to go as far as taking him to a psychologist.

With a small kiss, she parted with her daughter.

“Sleep well... don’t let the dolls bite you...”

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When she entered the darkened living-room, Nathaniel’s startled tirade instantly crescendoed in her ears.

“Mom, how many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that! Not when I’m conversing with them!”

Them. Mei-Lin truly wondered who they were. Every time she asked, the little boy would clench his jaws tightly, and mumble that she couldn’t see them because she was just a dumb adult.

She had to admit that there was something strange with this house. It was filled with this laden, static atmosphere that sent shivers up and down her spine. It almost felt haunted.

‘Not again, Mei-Lin... soon you’ll be seeing living dolls again.’

She shuddered involuntarily. “I’m sorry, honey. I forgot to knock. However, it is bed-time now, your sister is already asleep.”

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Nodding his little head, Nathaniel stealthily moved to the door she had just closed and disappeared in the room behind it. He waited a moment, before he said: “This is her... Ali. Can you really use her? I mean... she doesn’t do anything. She is so stupid.”

He did not like his handicapped sister. She was the reason why he never dared bringing friends home, afraid that they would laugh at him. I wish mommy and daddy had never adopted her. Why can't I have a normal sibling?

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter01-08.jpg

Tiny worms of light slithered through the air, tickling his back. He loved the prickling sensation of his best friend materialising. Well, maybe Ali would be of use this time. The mysterious Lady had promised to fulfil his wishes after all...

“Yessss. She is perfect.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter-01-09.jpg

“Will... definitely... do.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter01-10.jpg

[Stormy_SC]

Wow! Beautiful simmies you got there! :anime:

Update soon! :)

[PennyTheCorgi]

Uh-oh, Motoko's back...:blink: Awesome start, and I agree that your sims are gorgeous! :D

[Game Shark]

Mei-Lin! She looks so much more mature now! Maybe its just me, but its going to take me a while to get use too.

By the way, what is Ali's disability? It didn't say, or maybe I keep skipping over it for some reason.

[JrockSlore]

Oh my god! Wow I love it. ;_;

[Ghanima Atreides]

Eeeek Motoko is corrupting Mei-Lin's son! And Rush left, wow, can't wait to hear that story too. I hope she won't hurt Ali, she seems sweet and rather helpless.

[Metatwaddle]

Hey- new member here - I loved your first story, and I can't wait to see what this one is about! I love your pictures. I'm not sure how you get all the poses right, actually!

[jingxia]

Stormy: Thank you ^^ Glad you like my simmies! Nathaniel is such a creepy kid though :x But he's hot as a teen/adult so I'll bear with it. :rofl:

PennyTheCorgi: Thanks!! :D Motoko is indeed back! And more evil than ever :devil:

Game Shark: Hehe!! xD I did my best to give her a more mature, 'mommy' look n__n Not sure if I like her new look yet myself :giggler: Ali is autistic, but because I don't think I have enough knowledge about autism (apart from reading up on it online @_@) I left her disability vague on purpose ^^;

JrockSlore: Yay thanks! ;3

Ghanima Atreides: Yep :c Motoko is still desperate for revenge, apparently! More info about what happened in the past in next chapter! ;D

Metatwaddle: Thank you! :B Welcome to S2C then! I'm not sure how I get my poses right either, to be honest! Lol! Most of the time, my sims happen to do something on their own (like the picture where Nathaniel is standing near the curtain, no clue what he was up to) or I accidentally find a nice animation that's suitable for the scene... usually I don't know what I'm doing either! Haha.

I'm working hard on Chapter Two! :anime:

[@jovana@]

Great start , love the story!
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff176/jojo82_/5001emo-messbrasil.gif

[kipsnif]

Oh this is so good :dsausage:
------------------ :iws:
I love your pictures :wow (However I'm not a big fan of sims with white hair XD Not that it matters :D )

And the furniture is also freaking beautiful (this doesn't matter either but I couldn't resist :rolleyes: )

[Loco]

Woah! I love it! Mei-Lin is as awesome as ever, as is Motoko, of course. :D And the kids are really interesting. Wait, Rush left?! Wah! :( Anyways, the awesomeness, really can't wait for more. :D

[Bananywammy]

wow i loved your first story and this one is allready amazing!
great start!
:)

[JrockSlore]

Btw, Motoko's new look is scarweeh. D:! <3

[jingxia]

@jovana@: Thank you! :D Lol, that's a funny Smilie!

kipsnif: Thanks!! n__n I don't like white hair that much either, usually... xD Nathan's hair is actually light blond, but because of my photoshopping it became rather white... ^^ It looks ok on him I think!

Loco: Yay! Glad you like it~ ^^ Yep, poor Rush was forced to leave because of a certain someone doing something... :rofl: You'll find out soon! :D Chapter... 3 I think xD

Bananywammy: Thanks!!! ;DD

JrockSlore: Bwhaha yay <3 I succeeded then! n__n

Chapter 2 should be up some time today... ^^ Still have to write text with the pictures... D: It took a while because it's all flashbacks, and almost every picture needed a new setting ;__; lol.

[PlasticBarbie.]

*growls at Motoko* She better not hurt her! >:l

[jingxia]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt2title.jpg

Chapter two: Regret.

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Stilly, Mei-Lin sat on the sofa. Her almond-shaped eyes were open, but the rest of her body —even her breath— was so calm that she could have been asleep. Without moving a hair, she gazed at the television, and the flickering pictures it produced. Yet, she did not really see them – what happened in the documentary she was watching, was a mystery to her. Her mind was working overtime.

She had made too many mistakes in this life. ‘I have done many wrong things. First, I did them for Motoko.’

A shudder broke her statue-like posture. Shakingly, she ran her fingers through her hair, hair that had once been as black as tar. She had dyed it red, to perhaps forget the Mei-Lin of the past... the bad memories...

‘Then, I hurt others by making the same mistakes... thinking I could finally make decisions for me, for myself... it was wrong...’

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter02-02.jpg

She remembered marrying Rush, one sultry eve in May. They had been all alone; except for two brown moths, that playfully darted around the only source of light – caramelised, golden strings coming from a miniscule candle. Her wedding dress had been softer than silk, and Rush’s eyes were her safe beacon. Every time her own mirthful stare strayed, immediately, she was drawn back to those pools of vivid violet.

Before, she had thought that happiness was not for her. Always, she had felt fear, trickling through her body and climbing up her throat with a bitter taste. But Rush was the one who could sincerely make her smile, and momentarily forget that painful past...

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“Do you promise, Mei-Lin? Will you stay close to me forevermore, married like dust to a broom? Will you keep holding on to my heart, instead of one belonging to a random pig?”

His words had made her giggle. They made her blush, and they made her melt. She thought of the day, that Motoko had told her to fetch a heart. ‘I do not have a heart, I am without. Please get me one my little Mei, please!’ And she had obeyed, like the little lovesick puppy she was. However, she could not murder as ruthlessly as the doll... so, she had asked for a pig’s heart at the local butcher’s. It was there that she had met Rush.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter02-03.jpg

What a song those words were to her, now. “Will you keep holding on to my heart?” He had spoken them desperately, like a dying bird. Already she had imagined his heart, throbbing on her palm.

But she had promised him: “Yes, I will.”

It had been a lie.

Why had she thrown away her happiness so easily – she could pretend it was just like the saying, ‘You don't know what you’ve got till it's gone’ and that she was not to blame for it. That it was not her fault... although, deep down inside she knew it was, and the perpetual gnawing of guilt ate up her insides.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter02-05.jpg

Mei-Lin puckered her lips, still not registering anything that played before her on the telly. She remembered Nathaniel’s birth and growing up, raised by two loving parents whose hearts were connected by that one promise.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter02-062.jpg

She also remembered the day she picked up Ali for the first time... her sweet, darling Ali. A rather helpless girl, the daughter she had desired so badly.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter02-07.jpg

By that time, things had already began going awfully wrong...

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter02-07-02.jpg

Mei-Lin had started ripping her promise apart. Her frankness had started pouring out, leaving it like paint flaking off the wood.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter02-08.jpg

Even though Rush was the one to gently press his hand against her tummy when once again, she could not sleep at night. Because nightmares spun wildly through her cranium, or because she saw Motoko crouched in every nook and cranny.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter02-09.jpg

Even though he held her when she shook with pure fright, and helped gathering old sheets when she covered all the mirrors (to prevent her from seeing the doll’s reflection there).

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter02-10.jpg

“Motoko is gone, she returned to her dead mates... all is well honey.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter02-11.jpg

Only Rush was the one she believed... and only Rush was the one who believed her.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter02-12.jpg

... and she, had ruined it all.

[Game Shark]

The story is really getting interesting, Ali reminds me of Motoko. Ali seems doll-like, at least to me.

Just a random question. Is Nathaniel really her child, I mean did you go in-game, have Mei-Lin and Rush Woo-Hoo and Nathaniel ended up like that?

[jingxia]

Game Shark: Yay thank you :D I really love Ali... my favourite character I think! xD

Nathaniel originally was their child... but not anymore. ^^ Both WooHoo and CAS versions of him were rather ugly... I couldn't get him to look right ;__; So I eventually took Rush and recreated Nathan using him, in Bodyshop. :B

[Loco]

Woo... intense. I love it so much! Nice to see a little of the past, as well. Lovely update, and I have to say, I adore Rush's t-shirt in the last picture. :D

[dandylion]

Dude.

I randomly clicked on this thread and saw the first couple pictures, so I was like, "Cool, I think I'll read this." So I skimmed the text a bit and scrolled down, and after gazing at the picture with the girl and the clock, I scrolled down again really fast and there was that picture of her face... that picture, me sitting in the dark, the rain pitter-pattering away outside, and the face's resemblance to something like The Grudge meets The Ring and the Wolfman caused the reaction, "AHHHHHH!! What the ____ is that?!"

Hahaha. But now that I look at it, it's not so scary...

[Metatwaddle]

I can't figure out what happened! Why isn't she with Rush anymore? He seemed like a nice guy.

[jingxia]

Loco: Thank you! Glad you love it! :D Hehe, the t-shirt Rush is wearing is indeed awesome! It says "Mr. Grumpy" and I downloaded it somewhere on MTS2. Wouldn't know who made it, but I could go look if you want me to. ^^

dandylion: Haha! That's awesome xD I guess horror movies are usually like that too, the only scary things are those you don't expect. But at second glance they often aren't that freaky anymore! :giggler: Glad you decided to read! :3

Metatwaddle: No worries, more information on this in next chapter! ;D Rush is indeed a very nice guy... but is Mei-Lin such a nice girl? :rofl: Bwhahaha.

★

Chapter 3 is already half way done! Pictures are all finished, and that's the hardest part for me :D Writing should be done soon too.

[BethanSims2]

YAY! I loved the first story you did Dorka, it was amazing...I can't wait untill the next chapter now. It's so intreging (sp?) ...:D :anime:

[mearii]

Ah! I just sat and read through your first story, and it was AMAZINGLY SPECTACULAR to say the least.
Now I shall sit and wait for the next update of this other story, that's already fantastic with the two chapters it is so far. -pitches a tent and makes a fire-

[jingxia]

Thank you so much, Bethan and Mearii <3

Here is chapter 3... hope the writing is decent, I feel just as woozy as Mei-Lin does in this chapter. xD

More flashbacks. ^^

_______________________________

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt3title.jpg

Chapter three: Estranged.

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She alone sat peacefully in the evening grey, her clammy hands resting on her kneecaps. A black bottle of wine stood near her feet, plus a crystalline glass still filled with bitter red. Even though it was full and seemingly untouched, Mei-Lin had already had her share of alcohol tonight – quite a few glasses had been downed by her, and her head was feeling rather woozy.

‘I shouldn’t have drunk so much, liquor is bad bad bad!’

But the temptation had been irresistible and made her succumb with its claws, like a bird capturing its prey.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter03-02.jpg

From the corner of her half-closed eyes, she glared at Rush, who was playing the piano as if nothing was amiss. The lovely tunes he produced chimed loudly in her drunken mind, causing her to feel more aggravated with the second.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter03-04.jpg

“I hate how you act like nothing is wrong,” she grumbled, fiercely biting her lower lip. Blood welled up and flowed onto her spiteful tongue.

Her husband always remained calm, so easily composing his irritations and anger. The two of them could scarcely go a day without quarrelling now, and even though arguments supposedly are good for relationships, they were close to bloodshed. Their marriage currently resembled a glass cage about to break into millions of shards.

Mei-Lin harrumphed, creasing a handful of her top’s hem in her palm.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter03-05.jpg

In the room beside this one, Keiko was slowly dancing with her new boyfriend, a guy named Grayson. Distracted, Mei-Lin watched their feet shuffling about the old wooden floorboards, and the overhead lights playing with their slender bodies. She felt slightly envious of her friend.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter03-07.jpg

‘Ugh, why aren’t I happy? Keiko finally found someone again, after I stole Rush from her.’

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter03-06.jpg

Dully, she studied Keiko’s copper eyes, glittering with happiness. How long had it been since she first met that girl, in her disgustingly-decorated apartment? It must have been fifteen years. She had felt so awkward, surrounded by the most atrocious dolls and trinkets that served no use whatsoever. Especially because she had hoped to spend some time alone with Rush, the boy she liked so much. She snorted.

‘I am never happy with anything, am I? No wonder Motoko started to loathe me.’

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter03-08.jpg

At that moment, a sudden feeling of awareness chilled her slouched frame. She was being watched, and when she turned her opaque eyes sideways, they met Grayson’s.

“Be right back, babe,” she heard him say to Keiko, after snuggling his nose in her warm neck.

“Alright, pumpkin,” Keiko purred. She tiptoed to the piano, and complimented Rush on his excellent musical skills.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter03-09.jpg

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Keeping her pallid face expressionless, Mei-Lin waited until Grayson had waltzed his way towards her, and then stood up.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter03-11.jpg

“How I love Asian chicks,” he chuckled quietly. His sultry, burgundy irises travelled from her bosom to her thighs, before moving back to her face. She felt her skin tingle. “... and my, aren’t you a hottie.”

Mei-Lin pouted slyly, and teasingly rubbed a piece of fabric of his shirt between her fingers. “Why thank you, you aren’t that bad either.” She loved playing this deceptive parade, her heart thudding in her chest of the fact that her husband was actually very near. Grayson’s deep voice was like an unsung serenade that made the world spin around her. She had really missed this... love and attention.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter03-13.jpg

Before she knew it, the handsome man before her had scooped her into his embrace, pressing his lips unto hers. She could do nothing but give in, and did not know whether it was all the alcohol that made her act so carelessly. Nevertheless, she wanted it all the same.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter03-14.jpg

It took not long for them to stumble outside, and collapse on a bench in the courtyard. The kiss had left her trembling, and it had been almost impossible for her to stand on her legs – they kept wobbling and buckling away from her.

‘This must be a dream,’ she thought, but there was not much time to think. Grayson had dragged her down, helped her break all those bindings and promises she made to Rush. Finally, she was free – free from his hands, his stern words, his loveless body. She could not remember when Rush had last cuddled her, or made love to her the way Grayson now did. He was cold, uncaring.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter03-15.jpg

However... who was really to blame for that?

[Rayline]

I love it! It's almost like watching a movie. I really enter their world. :D

[Loco]

Aaah... Mei-Lin! :( I love the flashback-ness, as I said - they're all fantastic. Amazing update, I adore your pictures so much! Thank you for the offer of looking up the maker of Rush's top... I'm tempting, but I'm trying to stop downloading so much. :P Thanks anyway!

[mearii]

Wonderful chapter. Beautiful photos as always! ^__^

[Metatwaddle]

Awww, poor Keiko! :( I think I was the only person who liked her from the beginning of the last story. Now her boyfriend's a cheater and her friend's betraying her.

[Gallowsraven]

Dorka-

Hello! I'm so glad to see you writing again...I loved your first story and this one is off to a great start. I really like your syle of writing too! And your pictures are just...WOW.

Anyway, I look forward to reading more.

~Gallows ^^"

[Vinhou]

Oh, I love this! I loved the first story as well, so I'll be sure to follow this one. :)

[jingxia]

Rayline: Thanks... ^^ That's how I see my story too, when I write it or take pictures for it... if I had the right stuff for video-editing I'd definitely make a sims video as well!

Loco: Thank you... :'D Glad you enjoyed the flashbacks, I was afraid they would be a bit boring! And that's ok, I should really stop downloading too with all the lag I'm getting! xD But it's so tempting... whenever I see something nice I just have to have it!

Mearii: Thank you! :D

Metatwaddle: Hehe, I think you might indeed be one of the few, if not the only one! xD Everyone wanted her gone so Mei-Lin could date Rush... and look what Mei-Lin did now! :giggler: I love Keiko too though... although her face is starting to bug me a bit... rofl. -perfectionist- >D

Gallowsraven: Gallows! ^^ Long time no see! It's awesome that you're reading my story again too! Thanks!! n__n

Vinhou: Yay thank you Vinnie! :D Glad you're back too ^^

-working hard on next chapter- :valentine Should be finished soon.

[Schnixy]

Ack Mei-Lin! What have you gotten into with all this backstabbing *shakes head* Poor Keiko, I always did like her :(

I was a lurker on your first story and absolutely loved it and you haven't failed to deliver on the sequel. Excellent job so far Dorka ^^

[jingxia]

Schnixy: Yay! Thanks so much for reading, Rina! ^^

Sorry for the delay of this update, had some trouble in real life! But everything is well again now, so here it is!

This chapter takes us back to the present by the way. :'D

_________________________________________

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt4title.jpg

Chapter four: remember.

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Even though it was day, the sky had darkened so much that it could have been dusk. There was no wind; not a breeze, not the slightest sigh. The world was quiet, calm, waiting – waiting for the storm. Then, in the distance, thunder rumbled for a few seconds. A momentarily mutter, followed by a flash of lightning crashing onto the horizon. It was an angry song, an omen for that peaceful afternoon...

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter04-01.jpg

... and Mei-Lin shivered. She had knelt down in the tiniest room of her house, being confronted with memories she wished to forget. However, she wanted to remember them at the same time. They brought her pain, writhing through her guilty body. But they also stirred those faraway remnants of pleasure, remnants she had assumed to be all gone. Ruins of the past, they were...

Her trembling fingers caressed the edge of a blossom-adorned box, which held her old wedding dress.

Quit reminiscing, Mei-Lin, she reprimanded herself with a stern inner voice.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter04-02.jpg

The storm had tiptoed closer, suddenly rattling and clashing pots and pans above her head. The thunderous noise startled her, and she instinctively hugged her chest with her arms. It was cold; it crept up her legs like a snake, making her shudder involuntarily.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter04-03.jpg

“What is this cold, it’s freezing!” she hissed. “Did I forget to close the windows?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter04-04.jpg

“It does not matter whether you closed them or not...” a voice called out to her sweetly.

Sweetly, but not sincerely. The kind of sweet that holds a secret, the sickly sweet sort that makes you nauseous, like the scent of death on a graveyard. The kind of sweet that is not real.

“I will be able to enter either way...”

All Mei-Lin could do was gasp.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter04-05.jpg

“You... you are dead! You cannot be here, this must be a dream!”

“You dream of me? My dear Mei-Lin, I had never expected you to even remember me in your dreams.” Motoko smirked innocently, though the rest of her features remained expressionless. “I am dead? How can I be dead, when I have never been alive in the first place?”

Mei-Lin pressed her ice cold hands against her mouth, her digits digging into her skin so deeply that it turned white.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter04-06.jpg

“Don’t you have anything to say to me, my darling? I have been gone for so long, haven’t you missed me?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter04-07.jpg

“This is not real, this is not real, this is not real!”

Then, everything before her eyes faded away. Everything became black.

[BethanSims2]

Oh no shes bbbaaaccckkk...sweet update Dorka! Your pics are always so amazing. :D

[Metatwaddle]

Wheeee! Motoko is back! I'd actually think Mei-Lin would be happy to see Motoko at a time like this, when the rest of her life is falling apart, and she's practically turning into Motoko herself.

[simmingurl06]

hey dorka, i gotta say the second installment of mei-lin and motoko is awesome so far....very creepy....basically picking up where u left off in puppet master....can't wait for the next update

[PennyTheCorgi]

Eep! She really is back! I wonder if she's after Mei Lin this time or Ali..? Awesome stroy as always Dorka, can't wait for an update! :D

[mearii]

OMGNU. Scary, but awesome at the same time.
Update sooon~! Pleash. =3

[Gallowsraven]

Oh dear, Motoko's back...this should defnitely be an interesting turn in the story! I have to say, you really are good at getting across a dark and foreboding, yet slightly melancholy mood in your writing.

I look forward to more!

--Gallows

[jingxia]

Thanks guys n__n <3

Next chapter should be done really soon now, definitely today. And the one after that as well. Chapter 5 bugs me a bit, it's not good enough, but well x_x'; That's why it took a while, I keep nitpicking over it. xD -bangs head on keyboard-

[jingxia]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt5title.jpg

Chapter five: Mistaken.

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The quiet had been soothing, until now. Even though it was the perfect circumstance for pondering, Rush still knew that something was missing. It wasn’t truly silent, for the clock on the wall ticked and outside of his office, people’s muffled voices chatted. But those weren’t the kind of sounds he wished to hear so badly.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-02.jpg

He stared through the dusty, book-packed room, attempting to picture his children running around it, screaming and playing. He longed to see their bright smiles again, instead of remembering their confused, saddened looks when he left. How he wished that he could have taken them with him, but he guessed that Nathaniel and Ali were way happier with their mother. His chest hurt.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-03.jpg

“Guess who!”

Rush startled, his feet slipping off the chair he had placed them on. When had she come in? He felt like being mean, he really wasn’t in a mood to play along with her childish antics.

“Lemme guess,” he sighed. “Poppy? Margueritte? Alice?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-04.jpg

The woman who had pressed her slender hands against his eyes huffed. “Lilah-chan of course. Your favourite secretary!”

“Yes, totally...”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-05.jpg

Annoyed, Rush stood up, leaving his chair swivelling behind the messy desk. With large, impatient strides, he paced towards the tall windows that surrounded him on all sides. Walls made him feel too confined, he needed to see the world no matter where he was. Walls had ears, eyes – someone could easily hide in them.

“Cut to the chase, Lilah. What is it this time?”

‘Let’s hope she isn’t trying to chat me up again.’

“Well,” the bubbly blonde commenced, moving back towards him. Her heels loudly clicked on the floorboards. “An important phone call just came in. Apparently, your ex-wife is in hospital.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-06.jpg

Abruptly, Rush whirled around to face her. “What?!”

[jingxia]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-08.jpg

Hers was a soul that immensely reeked of innocence. It was a foul scent clinging to Motoko’s nostrils, one she could not shake off no matter what. She could try thinking of more pleasant smells, like the musky odours of death and decay, but Ali was never banned completely. This was exactly how Mei-Lin used to smell, and she had loved it – but now it only brought her misery. Like heavy perfume, it clouded the air around her, making it harder to breathe. Like a pillow, slowly suffocating her. Something had to be done about this.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-07.jpg

Ali had pressed her back against the cool wall behind her. She wasn’t really doing anything, save thinking confusing thoughts, but thinking was the only thing that could be done here. This was an old, ruined building. No one ever came here because of the danger of it collapsing, but that was why the girl loved it. She preferred being alone, to avoid other people, although she suspected that she wasn’t the only one fleeing here. Ever since last week, a music stand and violin had joined her here on this deserted floor, and she hadn’t placed them there.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-09.jpg

“Who are you?” she asked the person with her thoughts, for she had been mute since birth. Everyone thought she was also deaf, but that was not right. She simply ignored people. She did not wish to respond to them, and that was why they thought she was retarded too. The truth was, that she would never trust people again. Not after the things he did when she was a child. Of course, she couldn’t speak, she couldn’t think (or so he assumed) so doing that to her hadn’t been a problem.

“Past, go away... you are too dark!”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-10.jpg

“That child is really insane,” Motoko said with her singsongy voice as she watched Ali cringe and cover her ears. “All for the better, then nobody will realise it’s no longer her spirit inside... hehe.”

She knelt down next to the violin. Everything was covered with a layer of dust, except for this musical item, which had been polished so neatly that it shimmered in the dim. Slowly, she made her fingertips walk across it. “This isn’t Ali’s, is it?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-11.jpg

“No, not again. I DON’T WANT TO REMEMBER!”

Then, suddenly, her silent screams stopped. Screams that could not be heard, yet made a deafening noise in her head. She was no longer alone. Her dark eyes enlarged. There was a woman sitting close to her on the cold, concrete floor, but she wasn’t paying attention to Ali. “Is that her violin?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-12.jpg

WHAM.

A loud bang startled them both. Their pairs of eyes immediately raced toward the rusty door that had let them in, and noticed that they had now allowed access to a man. The door bounced off the wall behind him, its hinges making a nasty screeching sound that pierced Ali’s soul. Although Motoko leaped up in fright, Ali’s face lightened up straight away when she recognised that panting figure.

“Grayson!”

Out of all people, Grayson was an exception. Ali really adored her mother’s new boyfriend, as he would always take special care of her. Even though he was a man, she did not fear him.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-13.jpg

“How many times have I told you not to run off without notifying me!” he shot at the girl as soon as he noticed her. “Jeez, looking after you kids is hard enough, and I’m not even getting paid!”

However, the angry expression on his visage instantly faded when Ali sprinted towards him, a huge smile gracing her innocent features.

“Are you alright?” he asked worriedly, glaring at the unknown, black-haired woman.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-14.jpg

Ali nodded. She really loved Grayson.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-15.jpg

Motoko hated Grayson.

‘I need a plan, a better one... I cannot do my job with all these idiots writhing into my way with their maggoty lives. I will have to eliminate them one by one!’

[jingxia]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-16.jpg

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When Mei-Lin reopened her eyelids, the first thing she saw was a ceiling, slightly yellowed by years of sunlight. That, and a wall with awful, flowery wallpaper that was sure to haunt her nightmares. A soft groan escaped her lips as she attempted to move. Her entire body was sore, as if she had been lying in a wrong position for ages. ‘Where am I...?’

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-18.jpg

It was only when she listlessly turned her head to inspect the chamber that she realised this was her mother’s house. And next to her, sat a man she had not wished to see. Her ex-husband.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-19.jpg

She tightly pressed her eyes shut. ‘I hope this is a nightmare.’

Tearing her messed up lashes away from one another again, she wished that that chair was now empty, and that she would be able to sigh in relief. But when she adjusted her eyes again, Rush was still there, and fear pressed against her heart like cushions.

“You,” her voice croaked.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-20.jpg

Surprised, Rush looked at her, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

“Like hell just froze over.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter05-21.jpg

She averted her gaze once more. What just happened? Why was she here, and not at home? Where were her children? Most of all, what was Rush doing here?!

[BethanSims2]

Wow, awsome update Dorka, I loved it...I was a bit confused by it though...only chapter 5, part 2. lol I really like Grayson aswell, although he must be cold in that jumper, hehe.

EDIT: I only just relized Grayson was Keiko's ex...lol I'm so slow...

[jingxia]

Thanks, Bethan! 8D Sorry about the confusing part... hehe! Grayson is indeed Keiko's ex, and Mei-Lin's current boyfriend. :3 Even though he's a bit of a player, he seems to be quite loyal at the moment... for now. Bwhaha.

Lol! That jumper xD I guess he's one of those guys who never ever get cold.

[BethanSims2]

Lol, I'm the opposite of thatI'm never warm...well hardly ever anyway, hehe. I bet he's going to cheat with Ali :o I hope not though...

[jingxia]

Same, I'm always cold too. xD It's rather annoying isn't it! Family always says "Eat more, then you'll get warm!" But that really doesn't work either. :giggler:

No worries, Ali is safe! From Grayson that is... She undoubtedly has a bit of a crush on him, but he isn't interested in 'kiddos' :rofl: I do have other evil plans for him though. Heheheee. n__n

[BethanSims2]

Oh good, she is a bit young. lol. I can't wait to see what happens to Grayson though xD

[agentmaimer]

This story is amazing! I must confess, I'm not Mei-Lin's biggest fan (always been more for the bad guys), but I can't wait to see what Motoko is up to.

[annachibi]

Weeeell... Just wanted to drop in and say, I just read the WHOLE first story, and then all of this one. :D Took me a few hours, yeah...
YOU'RE AWESOME!!!!
I love this! You have great photoshop skills! :D And the plot is masterful. I am now a dedicated fan! ;)

[Game Shark]

I am sorry I did not comment for past additions, but your story is excellant. I love every word of it. I cannot wait for the next update.

Lastly, where did you find those walls with writing on them. I would love to use them in my game.

[jingxia]

Bethan: 8D Grayson's future might be a bit... ehh... grim -cough- xD

agentmaimer: Thanks! n__n I'm a big bad-guy lover too... hehe.

annachibi: -blush- Wow thank you! xD -feels all shy now- Really glad you like it! :'D

Game Shark: That's ok! ^^ Thanks so much! The walls are actually transparent 'paintings', which you can use on every wall. They are pay on TSR here (http://www.thesimsresource.com/artists/aikea_guinea/downloads/sims2/sets/649776/) but also in the Booty, here (http://paysites.mustbedestroyed.org/booty/tsr/aikea_guinea/), called "carbon-wallwritingset1-crazy.zip". n__n

[simmingurl06]

Loved the update Dorka! A little confused but let me sit with it and I'll get it! Lol

Later Gator

[BethanSims2]

Bethan: 8D Grayson's future might be a bit... ehh... grim -cough- xD

Hehehe, so can't wait for that...I mean er, poor, poor Grayson...^^'...btw, Mei-lin looks so pretty in that last pic and Rush looks so cute, like he is so happy to see her like. Aww I love, love, love Rush =)

[jingxia]

simmingurl06: Thanks! :D Oohh my stories do tend to be a bit confusing. I'll try to cut down on confusing parts xD

Bethan: Bwhahaha xD You really don't like Grayson I see :giggler: Rush is indeed very happy to see Mei-Lin! :D I think Mei-Lin secretly is too, although she won't admit it!

Chapter 6 and 7 are both almost done, so next update will be a double update! ^^

[jingxia]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt6title.jpg

Chapter six: The game starts here.

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“Quite a nice place you have here, Grayson...”

“Haha, thanks. You know, I never expected you'd be the one I’m taking home tonight.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you’re so bloody beautiful. I thought you would be way out of my league.”

“You flatter me...”

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Grayson’s apartment was dark yet exotic. Even though little light poured in through the stained glass windows, the room was bright and cosy. Motoko sat down on a chair closest to the door, and excitedly fidgeted with the velvet cushion beneath her.

“Is it alright that you’re here with me?” she asked.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter06-03.jpg

“Yeah, it’s okay. I’m sure those kids will do fine without me, they’re in bed anyway.”

Grayson settled himself on the floor in front of her, dragging a bottle of wine and some cigarettes towards him.

“What about your girlfriend?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter06-04.jpg

“Oh, she’s in hospital. Ignorance is bliss right?”

“You’re so cruel...”

“Hey, you’re the one who seduced me! What man can resist feminine wiles?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter06-05.jpg

A chuckle rolled off Motoko’s tongue. “Is that so... Enough talking, let’s get on with this.”

Lissomely, she pushed herself up from the chair again, and paced towards Grayson with elegant strides. Then, she grabbed his warm, slightly sweaty hand and locked him into a firm embrace. She could smell a whiff of his cologne, and the cigarette smoke in his hair. Their lips met soon after, sharing a passionate kiss. It made her laugh, how gullible this man was. ‘Some really don’t think with their brains.’

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter06-07.jpg

All of the sudden, Grayson wavered. He jerked back his tongue and stared at the woman in his arms, confusion dancing in his black eyes. Her tongue, it had tasted like dead meat in his mouth. It had tickled his palate like millions of crawling maggots, and he also noticed the strange cemetery smell that hung around her. The odour made him want to puke.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter06-06.jpg

“What’s the matter?” Motoko inquired with her honey sweet voice. “Don’t you like the taste of my lips?”

Her lips, they had also been odd. There had been something sticky on them that now clung to his own mouth.

“Very... bitter,” he stammered. “W-what did you d-do to me?”

His body did not want to move anymore. No longer would it respond to him. He felt weak, dizzy, and his insides burned.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter06-08.jpg

“That’s called poison, dearie,” she replied sweetly, softly poking his chest.

Like a domino tile, he fell backwards, landing hard on the floor. “Why?!”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter06-09.jpg

A smirk slithered across the doll’s face like a snake. “Because I have plans... and you don’t fit in them!”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter06-10.jpg

She kneeled down before Grayson’s paralysed body, and lifted her venomous hands. “Now I just need to suck out your soul...”

[annachibi]

Awesome! :D I still wonder, though... How exactly did Motoko come back from the dead (again)? And, in the first story, who was the brunette woman whose body she was using? And, of course, how did she get these powers?
Those questions are going to be answered eventually, right? ;)

[jingxia]

Awesome! :D I still wonder, though... How exactly did Motoko come back from the dead (again)? And, in the first story, who was the brunette woman whose body she was using? And, of course, how did she get these powers?
Those questions are going to be answered eventually, right? ;)

Those are good questions! ^^ Thanks for the suggestions, hadn't thought of adding some of those explanations yet! xD

Chapter 7 will be up today! :'D

[Rayline]

Grayson is so evil! :(

[KateTheSuperKat_SC]

It's awesome! I enjoyed your writing and picture-taking skills. ^__^

[BethanSims2]

Wow, Grayson certainly got what he deserved there...I kinda even fealt a bit sorry for him. I sound so mean :o Mainly I fealt sorry for the kids though, being left with Motoko in that house...yikes. :S Can't wait for chapter 7! =)

[PennyTheCorgi]

Wow, I'd almost feel bad for him if he wasn't such a jerk....I wonder what Motoko has planned for him, aside from the soul sucking of course. :D

[robokitty]

I just started reading the first story a few days ago, so now I'm hooked! The pictures are so beautiful and really set the mood, and your storytelling suits the genre of horror. Looking forward to the next entry :)

[jingxia]

thanks so much guys <3 :D your comments always cheer me up so much.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt7title.jpg

Chapter seven: Death is unachievable for some.

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Keiko stood motionlessly on her messy loft. Her brown eyes were fixated on the unused easel in front of her, while the tiny wheels in her mind worked hard to come up with a subject. Her whole life had turned around since she had met Mei-Lin. She had dropped her usual, punk appearance and donned a more colourful look, her childhood’s golden locks framing her face once again. A change had been necessary. No longer had she wished to be like before. Her old self was confusing, despicable — always dumped by boyfriends and screwed over by girlfriends. Now, she worked alone, unwilling to let any person in her heart again.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter07-02.jpg

Painting was her biggest hobby now. She was hoping that someone would discover her soon and turn that hobby into a well-paying job. But she needed a new subject. To draw attention, she had to find something good to paint.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter07-03.jpg

‘Motoko.

I’m going to paint Motoko.’

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter07-04.jpg

Shoving away countless pencils, pieces of paper and other drawing materials, she began sketching on the blank canvas. Motoko’s lifeless eyes had been terrifying, they pierced the soul. Even though her skin had been like porcelain, her interior wasn’t so flawless. What she hid in there was her tormented soul, both desperate for feelings and power.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter07-05.jpg

Keiko frowned. Motoko was the oddest demonic being she had ever encountered. She had been a restless spirit with severely malicious intentions, able to overthrow every single thing that came onto her path. You see, in this world, after death, there were different ways to go. When someone died, they first would have to wait for final verdict. Most souls would reincarnate to live a new life. Others would be rewarded with Heaven, or cursed with Hell. However, none of these seemed to suit Motoko. Reincarnation and Heaven were undoubtedly out of the question. But as evil as she was, not even Hell had wanted her. And thus, she had easily broken free.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter07-06.jpg

Stepping backwards, the blonde studied the painting. It wasn’t good enough, it never was. She dug her fingers into her hair and growled with frustration. “Where is my inspiration... how am I going to be a good artist like this?”

Motoko’s painted, marble eyes weren’t even close to frightening reality. They were flat and uninteresting. Still, they stared back at Keiko in an eerie way, making rows of goosebumps appear on her arms. Or was that because of the sudden, chilly breeze that curled inside through the open window?

“Who’s there?” Keiko bellowed. She had a feeling that she was being watched. There was something nearby, an empty presence that wasn’t in the least pleasant. “Show yourself!”

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As if obeying her command, a tremor shook the wooden floor. Almost immediately after, there was the unmistakable sound of thick paper tearing. Keiko’s eyes snapped towards the painting, and indeed, the canvas revealed a large hole. Red liquid seemed to trickle out of it — at first she assumed it to be paint, but then she noticed that the substance wasn’t thick enough to be that.

‘Blo-blood?’

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter07-08.jpg

Then, suddenly, the canvas ripped even more. Bony fingers pressed their way through it, curving and stretching like spider legs. Before Keiko could respond, a being had writhed onto the loft, looking more menacing than ever before.

“You!” she gasped. “What do you want? Weren’t you back in the halls of the dead?”

Motoko chuckled wryly. “Did you really believe I would stay there? Seriously, my child... that place sucks. Besides, I have unfinished plans.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter07-09.jpg

“I thought you went back in peace, that you were fine with it. You left with a smile and promised us that everything was okay now. Why are you here? Are you intending to take revenge on Mei-Lin?”

“That’s right.”

“I won’t let yo—“

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter07-11.jpg

Keiko didn’t get a chance to finish her question. Motoko had lost her patience, and thrown her backwards with an immense force that she believed, wasn’t even close to the undead’s true power.

‘Ouch...’

“You cannot stop me,” Motoko announced. “I have bigger, better plans now. I won’t let anyone get in my way so easily this time. I already made sure that Mei-Lin won’t bother me... neither will Rush. And your handsome Grayson is dead.”

The blonde gasped in shock. Grayson? “What did you do?”

“Oh, Mei-Lin was in hospital. I made sure that she won’t remember me again. Grayson was a pain in the ass, always protecting those kids...”

“Nathaniel, Ali!”

“That’s correct. This time my revenge will be a bit more interesting...”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter07-12.jpg

Quickly, Keiko jumped back on her feet and threw herself against the doll. It was almost like colliding with a wall, Motoko did not move a muscle.

“Leave those children alone! They have nothing to do with this!”

With amazing speed, she wrapped one hand around Motoko’s shoulder and pressed the other against her milky-white neck. Then, she pushed on, breaking the skin with her fingernails to hit sinew and bones.

“Argh!” Motoko groaned furiously. “You witch!”

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For a moment, she wavered. Her shoulder burned terribly. And that was something which she had not expected to be possible. She was dead, after all... apart from that silly thing called love –or her very own wicked equivalent– there were no feelings inside of her. So what was this?

Panting, she lifted her head to look into the other woman’s eyes.

“You... you aren’t human?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter07-13.jpg

[annachibi]

Ooh, my questions are being answered! :D Makes me wonder though, what on earth could be so important to Motoko that she had to come back a second time? Revenge is one thing, but geeze...
Great update, and I hope to see more soon! :D

[jingxia]

annachibi: Definitely! :D Your questions helped me a lot, actually! n__n More stuff to add to my story, yay! Thanks!

Here's another update <3 ;D

Small time-jump in this chapter. Motoko isn't at 2 places at the same time. ^^ Following chapters will reveal more of what happened in the mean time.

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Chapter eight: plan B.

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The eve was beginning to grow old. Hours had faded into darkness, strewing translucent threads of celestial matter across the sky like scattering diamonds on a velvet surface. With her big brown eyes, Ali curiously studied every corner of the house they had just entered. This was her beloved Grayson’s place, and she had not been here before. It was dark, old but also exotic — everywhere she looked were the most beautiful plants and antiques. The floor creaked, the doors creaked, even the walls seemed to creak; but despite that, it was still strangely silent. No one said a word.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter08-02.jpg

Until Nathaniel broke through the quietude, contempt visible on his young face. “Why did you bring us here? You know mom didn’t want you to, it’s too far away from home.”

Ali nervously smoothed her locks with her hand. Nathaniel was such a hot-headed kid, she hoped there wouldn’t be an argument now. Every time he had screamed at mother, Grayson, the teachers or even the mailman, his adopted sister would cringe. She hated fights. They reminded her of her abusive... no, she refused to call him her ‘father’. Swear words wouldn’t do either, though.

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Grayson spun around, his face magnificently cheerful, and pointed at a nearby sofa. “Please, sit down. There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

Nathan moaned. “Whyyyyyy?”

“It’s important. Come on now!”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter08-04.jpg

Ali didn’t refuse, and sat down on the green couch obediently. Luckily, when she did, her brother came too and copied her movements.

“This is weird,” he whispered. “Grayson acts differently today.”

She shrugged. She hadn’t really noticed a change.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter08-05.jpg

“Well, children,” Grayson began animatedly. “It’s time for a story, one that Nathaniel here obviously knows...” he paused, grinning at the little boy’s frown, “... since you have been told before. Remember that one evening a lady came to see you and talked to you about your mom?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter08-06.jpg

Ali turned her head, giving Nathaniel an asking look. He was playing on the bench, kicking his legs and hardly paying attention. He remained quiet, and she was about to assume that he hadn’t heard the question when he suddenly replied.

“Yeah. Remember her.”

The raven-haired man nodded. “Perfect. Well, I’ll tell Ali too, she obviously doesn’t know it yet. Help me out here and there will you, ‘Niel?”

The boy instantly looked up. Grayson had never called him that before. The lady, however, had. Her sweet words still chimed brightly in his mind, “I need a new host, ‘Niel. This one is lifeless and old. At first I didn’t think I could possess human beings, so I used this doll. But then I learned that I could parasite on people too... It’s much more interesting. People have organs, and hearts. That’s why I want to be one again... although, it would be suspicious if I just took a random person, right? Their loved ones would start to question their strange, new behaviour. So I need someone who doesn’t have a set personality in the first place, someone I can change without raising bothersome questions...”

And he had said that Ali would be perfect for this. Since Ali was a 'nobody' anyway.

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Grayson cleared his throat. “Ali... do you know what kind of person your mother is? No? I’ll tell you what she is. She is a betrayer, known to crush people’s hearts and break promises. When she was very little, she was nearly as quiet as you are now... nearly... hehe. The other students at school found her strange, and started to bully her. That was when she found a wonderful doll on her attic... a doll who resembled a real person. She acted like one, talked like one, and soon became your mother’s beloved friend. The doll, Motoko, would always protect your mommy, and always looked after her. But like so many children, Mei-Lin grew bored of her toy... and desperately tried to get rid of her. Motoko was terribly hurt, because she loved your mother so. Each and every one of her attempts to stay with her proved to be in vain.

“Poor Motoko was heartbroken... she felt so miserable that she tried to kill herself! Poor thing... but nothing, not even death, was able to glue the shards of her organ back together. Until this day, she still roams the earth, hoping to get back what was rightfully hers.”

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Ali’s eyebrows knitted together in consternation. A living doll? Loving her mother? Honestly, the entire story sounded like it had been plucked straight out of a book. Like a fairytale... and an unrealistic one at that.

“I made a deal with Motoko,” Nathaniel suddenly piped in. “She told me that she would make me popular at school, and that she was going to bring Mommy and Daddy back together... if I gave you to her.”

Shock washed across the teenage girl’s face. What was this?

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter08-09.jpg

“That’s right, Ali,” Grayson sang. “You will be the next doll... Motoko wants your body, and when she has that, she will finally have Mei-Lin too!”

He burst into maniacal laughter.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter08-10.jpg

Something wasn’t normal here. This had to be a nightmare... right?!

[Rayline]

Awesome. Poor Ali!

[PennyTheCorgi]

Uh-oh, poor Ali! I'm really starting to like her.....Amazing chapters Dorka, your pictures are gorgeous!

[annachibi]

Well, I've got more questions for you, then! :D Did I already ask who made the original doll? I think I may have... Anywayz, why is Nathaniel platinum blonde when both his parents have black hair? And why in the world is he so weird?? And why would he trade away his sister like that? Seems like an awful kid.

[PlasticBarbie.]

Well, I've got more questions for you, then! :D Did I already ask who made the original doll? I think I may have... Anywayz, why is Nathaniel platinum blonde when both his parents have black hair? And why in the world is he so weird?? And why would he trade away his sister like that? Seems like an awful kid.

Maybe hes jealous of her? At the beginning of the story she did seem like the favorite.
*shrugs*

Another amazing chapter, Dorka! Poor Ali..

[annachibi]

I guess...
That white hair is so weird, though, isn't it? :lol:

[jingxia]

:giggler:

Rayline: Ali definitely has a hard life. Poor thing :c

PennyTheCorgi: Yay thanks! I adore Ali too, she's definitely my favourite character n__n And picture taking is my favourite part of making sims stories hehe :'D Glad you like them.

annachibi: Okie :D Some of those questions I'll answer here. Nathaniel is blonde because Rush is too. xD He dyes his hair black, hehe! And Mei-Lin's father was German, and blonde as well. ^^ Nathan is a bit of an awful kid indeed. But he's been through a lot. He's not popular at school, doesn't have friends... He's ashamed of his autistic sister, who got all the attention from his parents... and then his parents got divorced and his mom got a new boyfriend he hated. So he has kind of turned against his family, who did nothing but disappoint him... and Motoko's promises sounded all too tempting for the little kid! He doesn't know she's evil... if he did know, he probably wouldn't have done what he did~ ;__;

Miss Megan: Thanks! :D You're right, he's indeed a bit jealous.

Not sure yet when the next update will be, I'll try to get in game today and play around with pictures for a bit! 8D My birthday is this week, so there might be some delays. :3

[annachibi]

Okay, I guess that makes sense then. I was thinking they were Japanese. :P You sure do have them change hair colors a lot! :D
Also... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! How old will you be? :D

[jingxia]

Okay, I guess that makes sense then. I was thinking they were Japanese. :P You sure do have them change hair colors a lot! :D
Also... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! How old will you be? :D

Hehe, I love changing hair colours indeed... and hairstyles! xD Ali is the only one who seems to be keeping the same hairstyle... usually I can't stand it if my characters look the same all the time. :giggler:

They all have quite different nationalities too. ^^ Mei-Lin is half Chinese/half German. Motoko is Japanese. Rush is... you know, I have no idea :P Hahaha. Keiko is half Japanese/half American. Ali is Chinese.

And thanks!! :D <3 I'll be 21.

[annachibi]

Awesome! You can go out drinking! ....Err, actually, you're in the Netherlands so... You probably already can, huh? :lol: Oh well. :D

[jingxia]

Yep, lol! :lol: The legal age for drinking here is 16. But I don't drink anyway xD

[sixteensims]

The quality of your photos is amazing. <33 So is the storytelling!

[mearii]

Waah~
Your story is amazing, your sets are amazing, your sims are amazing, your pictures are amazing...
Just... amazing... as always! -waits for next update-

[brilliantcat]

Oh wow, I just discovered this yesterday so I had to go back and read your first story. Your writing is absolutely captivating and your pictures/sims/sets are gorgeous. I can't wait to read more!

[Chessa]

Wow Dorka, I'm so sad that I missed this story earlier. I read the first part today also. You have a wonderful talent for writing. Please don't stop!! :)

[jingxia]

Thanks so much for the comments, I love you guys n__n <3 I finally got an update! Sorry for being so late! -kicks self- Had a very strange and busy month, forgive me!

P.S. At the moment photobucket seems to be acting a bit weird for me, not all the pictures are loading properly... hope all of them are showing up for you D:

______________________________

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Chapter nine: Confusion.

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Mei-Lin peered into the mirror with bag-adorned eyes. Her skin was still very pale, and she felt slightly dizzy whenever her head was turned. But she had not wanted to stay in bed all day... especially with Rush’s worried gaze piercing her all the time.

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She absentmindedly fidgeted with some stray strands of hair. Rush his presence had two very different effects on her. On one hand, it bugged her. She still selfishly blamed him for ruining their relationship, and leaving her and the children afterwards. And this thought, she tried to push upon herself as much as possible. Because on the other hand, she actually did miss her ex-husband. Things were no longer the same now... she didn’t feel that safe anymore, and had become rather restless.

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A careful knock on the bathroom door startled her. She quickly dried the shaking hands she just washed, and cleared her throat. But she could not get rid of the lump that had settled there also.

“Yes?” she answered, trying to steady her voice.

“It’s me.”

As she had thought, it was Rush. Ever since she awoke, he had overloaded her with questions. Like what happened, where the kids were now, if she really were alright.

The red-haired woman remained on her spot, not twirling around to face Rush. Honestly, she felt worried too. Her mother had told her that Ali and Nathan were fine, and currently looked after by Grayson. Her boyfriend was great with the children, so this didn’t matter that much. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not shake off this feeling of awkwardness.

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“Have you remembered what happened yet?” Rush said, in an urging tone. “Did you really faint, just like that? The doctors claimed you were healthy, well-fed and all, and that there was no reason for you to black out.”

“Heh,” she replied, finally turning around. “I told you all I know. I must have hit my head against the closet or something, no idea. Nothing’s wrong.”

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She didn’t understand why he was making such a big deal of it. Repeating herself over and over again was starting to bore her!

“Look, do we have to keep talking about this? I’m fine... you also didn’t have to rush over straight away, wasn’t there an important meeting you had to attend?”

“Work isn’t as important as you are.”

‘Wha?’

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As though they had been thrown into a corny, romantic movie, Rush suddenly swooped her into his arms. He momentarily pressed her against his taut frame, before taking a step backwards and gazing into her confused eyes.

“What was that for?!” she bellowed, not sure whether to look angry or allow the smile that tugged the corners of her mouth to be part of her expression. The latter won, even though she hated herself for it.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter09-07.jpg

‘Why are you smiling, Mei-Lin! You’re supposed to dislike this man! Stupid hormones!’

“Am I not allowed to comfort the woman I love?” he retorted cheekily.

Another ‘WHA?!’ echoed through her mind, followed by a ruder ‘what the hell?!’. This was too sudden, this was too unrealistic. She wondered if this all was one sick joke, but Rush wasn’t the type to fool around.

He chuckled at her shocked countenance, and finally let go of her sides. “Let’s say goodbye to this bathroom, okay? We should go to the sitting room instead.”

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Meekly, Mei-Lin walked after him. He sat down on a small sofa, and she picked the spot that was farthest away from him — a big, comfy armchair in the corner.

“So....” she began. “Who are you and what did you do to Rush?!”

He laughed, his deep voice sounding as pure and melodic as always.

“Don’t worry, there’s no evil doll spirits inside of me.”

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His words obviously meant no harm, but still they caused an anxious pang inside of her. Dolls... was there something she was supposed to know regarding them? She chewed her bottom lip. Nope, no memory arose.

“Doll spirits?” she repeated innocently. “Is that some sort of inside joke I forgot?”

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One of Rush’s thick eyebrows arched. He felt strange for a second. “Inside joke? No... a bad joke about Motoko, maybe. I apologise.” But his ex-wife’s naïve smile did not disappear.

“Motoko? Who’s that?”

“...”

[Rayline]

Mei-Lin looks gorgeous with the red hair. :D

[SwirlyHill]

Dun, dun, dun! Awesome chapter!

[BethanSims2]

Ooooo, poor Mei-lin...or is it a good thing maybe? I don't know, but I do know her cat ears look so adorable and Rush is being so sweet! :D

[jingxia]

Sankyuu!! <3 :'D I got another update for you~!

I accidentally deleted Motoko's skintone... -cough- So she'll look a bit different from now on!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt10title.jpg

Chapter ten: Too Late.

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Grayson’s apathetic, dark glare seemed much icier to Ali now. It made her heart grow cold, and silently agree with her little brother’s wary words. The man she admired was indeed acting different. ‘What happened to you, Grayson?’

“I will not waste any time,” he slowly said. “I don’t want anyone to come between this again.”

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Ali whirled around towards her brother, and wildly started spelling out panicky words with her fingers: ‘Why, I don’t understand... why did you do this to me? Help me!’

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Nathaniel looked back at her with his angelic, purple eyes, and smiled a little. “Don’t worry, ‘Li! This is for the best! Mommy and daddy will be back together. And you’ll finally be able to be a normal sister!”

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Behind him, Grayson had suddenly fallen to his knees and desperately scratched at his neck. He was gasping for breath, but no air would ever fill his lungs again. His body shook while Motoko emerged from it, leaving it soulless and dying.

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“Phew,” the malicious creature sighed, not even batting an eyelid at her former host’s suffering. “It’s good to be free again, I did not enjoy being a man... I’ll stick to women from now on.”

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Ali’s big eyes filled with salty tears. What had that lady done to Grayson? Unable to hold back the sobs, she pressed her trembling hands against her wet face. She did not dare watching the horrible scene in front of her.

“Don’t cry, ‘Li!” she heard her brother chatter, his voice completely void of sadness. “Grayson was a bad man. He was only hurting mommy.”

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‘I don’t believe that!’ she screamed out in her mind. ‘He was always sweet to me! And mother was happy whenever he was around! He doesn’t deserve this!’

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Nathaniel, like Motoko, didn’t seem shocked by this at all. He studied the dying, black-haired man as though he was watching a movie on TV, causing Ali to wonder whether he truly realised what was going on.

‘Or is my brother really that cold-hearted?’

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter10-09.jpg

With one last shudder, Grayson died. His eyes became as hard as the stone floor he was lying on. Ali couldn’t do anything but stare at him, secretly wishing he would stand up and explain that this had just been a nasty joke... but none of that happened. The danger of the situation began to dawn upon her. Gasping, she bolted towards the door, hoping to get out of here.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter10-10.jpg

However, Motoko was too fast, and slammed her back onto the ground with inhuman strength.

“There’s no way out of here, little girl. There’s also no need to worry. This will be completely painless, I promise.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter10-11.jpg

She tried to struggle, but the doll’s mesmerising eyes kept her in place — it was as if they were hypnotising her, lulling her into a deep sleep.

“That’s right, Ali... it’s bedtime...”

________________________________

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The wind howled at her like some sort of ferocious beast. It tugged her snug clothes, and played with her long, brown hair. From the top of the deserted building, she gazed across the vast lands that spread out all around her.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter10-13.jpg

“I know you are coming,” she hissed angrily. “I can hear your enraged footsteps like the thunder, rolling in the distance. I’ll be waiting for you...”

[Game Shark]

Great chapter Dorka! I love each addition. I feel sorry for Grayson though, he really did not deserve to die.

Your pictures and story are as always, wonderful.

I apologize for asking, but may I ask where you got that mirror and stone wall.

[jingxia]

Game Shark! Thank you! n__n

Don't worry, ask as much as you want, I really don't mind. ^^

I'll have to go ingame to check where the wall is from, but the mirror can be found here: http://parsimonious.org/furniture2/bedroom/k8-Schokolade.shtml

:D

Edit: appears the wall is from the same site :rofl:

http://parsimonious.org/decorating2/wbrick/1.shtml

3rd row, 5th wall. Fabulous Flagstone it's called. :3

[BethanSims2]

I came, saw chapter 9 and I was like awsome another chapter here and then I come back and another one? Your too awsome Dorka! :D And poor Ali, she didn't know what to do and Nathaniel is starting to get creepier...:o

[annachibi]

Yay for updates! :D Mei-Lin looks so ADORABLE!! I almost thought she was a teenager!
It's getting really interesting now... ;)

[jingxia]

Bethan: Thanks! xD I already had pictures for both updates ready but never had much time to write the actual chapters... until now. n__n I owed everybody lots of updates anyway, after not updating for such a long time 8D -shame- Nathaniel is kind of pissing me off too! He'll get what he deserves soon, I promise! :devil:

annachibi: Definitely!! :'D And you're right, she does look quite young... Whoops, and I was supposed to make her look like a more mature mommy... -slaps the dorky glasses back on Mei-Lin's face in next update- :giggler:

I'm on a roll, pictures for chapter... 11? I think it was, are all taken too. Will start editing them now!

[annachibi]

Ooh, foreshadowing of evilness. :lol: Can't wait!

[jingxia]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt11title.jpg

Chapter eleven: Bad news.

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Keiko ran.

As fast as her feet could carry, and possibly, even a bit faster. The sandals she wore had already created painful blisters on her toes, and every step she made sent waves of pain through her ankles. But no matter how much her skin hurt, or her sides, or her wheezing lungs, she kept running.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter11-01-2.jpg

Sweat poured down her body as she blindly sped through town, passing tidy streets and eerie alleys. She did not see anything that was around her. All she saw were frightening images, flashing on her retinas — pictures of things that might happen if she would not hurry. One time, she was so intend on reaching her destination that she didn’t notice a man walking on the pavement in front of her, and almost bumped into him. She surely would have if he hadn’t paid a bit more attention, and jumped backwards on time.

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“Watch it, blondie!”

The contents of the garbage bag he held spilled onto the ground, resulting in a smelly pile that spread out under the burning sunlight.

“Sorry, bandage-face,” Keiko spat back at him, leaping over the garbage and continuing her race.

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She didn’t stop to catch her breath until she reached a stone wall that cast enough shadows to cool her down.

“I hope you’re ready, Motoko,” she hissed furiously. “Because when I get there, you will regret everything you’ve ever done.”

______________________

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“The weather’s really nice today,” Mei-Lin said mirthfully, after having inspected the bright, lavender sky. “Perfect for a date! But... are you sure we shouldn’t call the kids?”

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Rush was standing a meter behind her with his hands planted on his sides, obviously waiting for her to finally finish. “You phoned Grayson this morning already. Since he said everything is fine, why do you worry so much?”

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His ex-wife giggled. “You’re right... I shouldn’t worry so much. I can’t help it though, the children have always been with me, until now. I keep wondering if they’re eating plenty, or if they’re getting enough sleep.”

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Nervously, she paced to the large, antique mirror that decorated one of the walls, and started fixing her makeup once more.

“I’m so looking forward to this, however! It’s been ages since we went out together. I’m feeling nostalgic...”

And perhaps, slightly weird, too. Here she was, about to go out with her ex-husband, who she had despised for the longest of times. Now, miraculously, they were friends again... if not more than that. Butterflies were roaming her stomach, after all, and she felt strangely light-headed. At first, she had wanted to hit herself for feeling this way. But she had slowly come to terms with it, to the point where she was now completely accepting her happiness.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter11-08.jpg

“Do I look okay?” she asked shyly.

“No,” Rush replied, making her heart skip a beat. But then he said, “more than okay. You look absolutely gorgeous,” which caused a blush to creep across her cheeks.

“I’m glad.”

“Shall we go then?”

“Uh-huh.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter11-09.jpg

But before they had even turned around to move towards the door, it had already flung open, allowing a blonde to enter. She was like a whirlwind, and Mei-Lin had to wait a moment until she recognised her.

“Keiko?!”

“Aye,” the exhausted woman panted.

“What are you doing here?”

Keiko chuckled. “There’s no time for questions. This is an emergency! You might not believe me, but your children are in grave danger! Motoko is back!”

Her panicky gaze met Mei-Lin’s blank one.

“Motoko?” she pondered softly. “Again that name... I don’t—“

“Are you serious?!” Rush interrupted her, grabbing Keiko’s shoulders and shaking her. “Motoko has returned? This isn’t a delayed April Fools joke is it?!”

“Guh,” Keiko stammered, and he finally let go of her. “No joke... I really saw her... she tried to kill me.”

“W-wait!” Mei-Lin shouted, fear now flickering in her eyes. “I don’t understand... what is this... Motoko? My children...” Her legs were suddenly growing weak, and she fell against the cabinet behind her. “What is wrong with my children?!”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter11-10.jpg

Keiko stared at her, her eyebrows knotting together worriedly. “She... doesn’t remember?”

“I think she has amnesia...” Rush mumbled, various puzzle-pieces connecting in his mind. “However, Motoko is the only thing she doesn’t know about...”

“Well, we have to go now!” the blonde-haired woman urged. “We might already be too late! Where are the kids?”

She settled her piercing stare on Mei-Lin, who had turned deathly pale.

“They are with Grayson... he’s in Osaka.”

Keiko froze. “What? Grayson? But he’s already dead.”

[Chessa]

Dorka, I love this storyline! Rush looks quite dashing in his vest and cap. I'm excited to find out more about Keiko's special powers. Though I feel really bad for Ali and hope that Motoko won't destroy her when she's inhabiting her body!

[annachibi]

Wow, the end of that chapter is just begging for someone to go "Dun-dun-DUUUUUN!!" :lol: Awesome! I'm glad Mei-Lin and Rush are getting along again. ;)

[BethanSims2]

Oh no! Hmmm, I wonder why Mei-lin doesn't remeber Motoko? Thats strange...and lol at annachibi for the dun dun dunning...hehe. And poor bandage face =] teehee :anime: Can't wait to find out more about Keiko and her non-humaness! xD

[jingxia]

Chessa: Thank you! :anime: I'm glad you're enjoying it! And that you like Rush's new look n__n I thought he was a bit weird as an adult, so until now I haven't liked him that much... but I'm actually quite satisfied with this look as well this time. 8D

annachibi: I love saying dun-dun-dunnnn :rofl: I'm happy Mei-Lin and Rush are together again as well... even though it happened so suddenly and perhaps a bit unrealistically (Motoko working her magic there xD). It bothered me that they were apart... couldn't help feel awkward about it, they really belong together don't they? ^^

Bethan: Hehe! Strange indeed :'D Motoko probably erased that memory when she visited Mei-Lin a few chapters ago. Can't wait to reveal more about Keiko too! I've got some interesting ideas for her!

Next chapter is almost ready! ;D This time we'll learn something about Ali's terrible past... -felt awful just writing about it- :giggler:

[jingxia]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt12title.jpg

Chapter twelve: Memories.

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She was laughing at the world tonight. That silly, worthless world. Her small feet tiptoed from one spot to another, as if they had been slid in the shoes of a ballerina. She twirled and whirled, carefully avoiding the furniture that had been crammed into her tiny room.

The world had been so stupid. Finally, she had gotten what she wanted, and not a single soul tried to stop her. She stretched and curled her fingers, curiously counting off the casualties she had made this time. She didn’t get very far. So few?! A giggle bubbled in her throat. Perhaps, the world was getting smarter after all.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter12-02.jpg

Triumphantly, she balled her fists. This was great! Perfect! At last, she had discarded the remnants of her past. The doll she had used was now a molten lump of plastic, devoured by the flames of a crematorium. But wait... she sighed. Not everything was perfect. Her plan had been to live Ali’s life as usual, before she would take revenge on her former lover. However, people already knew about her doings. People like Keiko...

She growled. Why couldn’t she be the only one clever enough to come back to earth?

Leaning against the wall behind her, she closed her new, chocolate-brown eyes and pondered deeply. As always, Ali’s memories resurfaced, haunting her mind like an annoying poltergeist. The girl’s spirit was still inside this body, for she was weak enough to be suppressed. Although her memories were a pain in the butt.

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Constantly, Motoko saw flashes of events that apparently had traumatised Ali enough to keep reappearing in her mind. Like the car accident she was once in. Again and again, Motoko would see the smouldering remains of an expensive sports car, and the lifeless, bleeding body of a woman beneath it.

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http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter12-05.jpg

“Mother... no... mother!!!”

This wasn’t so disturbing — Motoko was used to death, enjoyed it even, so these were just trivial matters. But there was another, maybe even more horrible, memory that surprisingly, caused an ache inside her chest.

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“You’re looking beautiful tonight, Ali... come on, won’t you take off those undies for daddy?”

Every time she saw that, Ali’s habits seemed to take over, and Motoko would violently scratch at her body. Dirty, dirty! She was dirty. Hate men!

“Pah!” Motoko hissed, and she quickly pushed herself away from the wall again. “Keep your dirty memories to yourself, Ali. I’ve still got things to do.”

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She stepped towards the middle of the room, and raised both of her hands before her. As much as she didn’t like keeping promises, this was something that had to be done. To get out of the underworld, she had received some help from a few others... in exchange, she would let them return to earth as well. Besides... fulfilling her part of the bargain could become very interesting...

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter12-08.jpg

“What... took... you... so... long... Motoko...?”

“Uhh, hi guys!”

[annachibi]

That's what I figured must have happened to Ali in her past. :( So sad.
I wonder who Motoko's "friends" are! :D

[BethanSims2]

Woowwiie! Poor Ali :( I was quite surprised to find out Motoko had friends! lol

[jingxia]

Hehe! :giggler: Time to meet those 'friends' now!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt13title.jpg

Chapter thirteen: Never-ending deceit.

“What... took... you... so... long... Motoko...?” cold, watery words slithered into her ears.

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Only minutes earlier, nothing else had been in this room with her. It had been completely vacant (not counting herself) and so silent that the sudden rasping of a voice startled her. It did not take long before the formerly invisible owner of that voice began to take shape; a swirl of white smoke arose, tracing the outlines of three, still transparent, bodies. Quickly, those ethereal forms started becoming more and more real, and soon enough, Motoko was graced with the presence of some, remarkable beings.

They clearly hadn’t been alive for a while. Their eyes were merely lifeless, white pools, and the odour of decay wafted from their rotting skin. The kind of disgusting fragrance Motoko enjoyed. She took a deep breath.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter13-02.jpg

“We’ve been waiting...” the man on the left hissed. He was extremely dark-skinned, had messy, ginger hair and with his piercings and leather garments, seemed to be the most dangerous of the three. “For so long.”

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“We thought you would no longer fulfil your part of the deal,” the other man said. He was very pale and fragile-looking — like a porcelain doll.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter13-04.jpg

The last member of the group, a heavily scarred woman, did not speak at all. Her blank eyes remained fixated on Motoko though, while a curious smile danced on her face.

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“Yeah, yeah,” Motoko retorted, twirling her brown curls around her fingers. “I had some problems here and there, many things to take care off. I did what you told me to, so no chiding!”

The woman finally spoke, and bowed her head. “We are grateful. Now we can finally be amongst the people again. Thank you.”

She moved backwards and reached for the doorknob with shaking hands, the two men hesitating before following her. Motoko’s thin brows furrowed together.

“What, you’re going out looking like that?”

______________________________

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“Get in the car, we’re leaving for Osaka right now!”

Rush didn’t have to say that twice. Mei-Lin and Keiko had already ran out of the house, their hands desperately grabbing the car’s door-handles. But they would not budge.

“Don’t be silly, it’s locked!” Rush sighed, taking out a small remote control to unlock it.

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Hurriedly, they all took place on a seat, the leather that had been heated by the sunlight burning their legs. It was extremely hot in the car, and pearls of sweat glistened on their foreheads. Nevertheless, Mei-Lin was cold — cold of fear, the terrible fear that something might have happened to her beloved children.

“Can’t you go a bit faster?” she urged.

“Do you want the police to catch us?” Rush spat back.

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“I am hoping that all is well,” Keiko whispered. “But... Grayson has already passed away, so unless his death was natural, which I doubt, Ali and Nathaniel will be in big trouble.”

“Thanks for reassuring me!” Mei-Lin squeaked.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter13-09.jpg

‘Please, Ali and Nathan... please be alright!’

She felt sick to the pit of her stomach. This was all her fault! If she hadn’t left the children with Grayson, none of this would have happened! Anxiety coursing through her veins, she started rubbing her goosebump-covered arms.

‘I am such a bad mother...’

She had been so lost in thoughts, that she didn’t see Grayson’s house looming in the distance. With a “this is it?” Rush slammed his foot down on the brake, causing the car to halt with a deafening screech. Directly after, the three of them jumped out of the car and rushed towards the old church that was Grayson’s humble abode.

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“I’m holding my breath...” Keiko mumbled, while raising her trembling hand to rap the mahogany door.

No one spoke. Mei-Lin’s sea green eyes were glued to the entrance, fervently wishing that nothing would be wrong.

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Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps came from behind the door, followed by the clicking of its heavy locks. It was then flung open to reveal a small, platinum-blonde boy, who looked up at them with a curious expression on his round face.

“Mommy? Daddy? What are you doing here?”

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“Nathan!” Mei-Lin exclaimed with a broken voice, dropping down on her knees and pulling the child into a tight embrace. “You’re okay!”

“Of course I am, mommy,” he replied dully. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

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“Where is Gray—?” Keiko started, in a very cold tone.

“Where is Ali?” Rush interrupted her, nervously scanning the hallway behind the little boy.

“Pft,” Nathaniel huffed. ‘Naturally, she is more important to them. As usual.’

“She is fine too. She went out a bit earlier and told me that she would be back soon.”

Mei-Lin smiled widely. “Great! I can’t wait to see her too.”

But Rush and Keiko exchanged a worried gaze...

[annachibi]

Arrrr, must have more! :lol: It's like a good book that makes you stop at the end of each chapter! :P

[Chessa]

Grr. Nathan is cute, but oh so devious! Also, I hope Mei-Lin gets her memory back soon! Her blankness makes me want to poke her in the eye and shout "wake up!".
I love the updates, Dorka. Can't wait to read more. :)
--
Oh! I just picked up on the "coming back to earth" line from the previous chapter. Does this mean Keiko is also from the dead? :O

[lesse]

Wow. I read your story and this one, all in one go. It is so good! I'm quite entranced, to tell you the truth. Your pictures are SO good, and Ali is beautiful. I loved the twists in the story. I do hope that you continue soon!

[BethanSims2]

Bethan: Hehe! Strange indeed :'D Motoko probably erased that memory when she visited Mei-Lin a few chapters ago.

lol. I'm such a dufus sometimes...:doh

[jingxia]

annachibi: Oh, cliffhangers are so evil! I must be making you feel very frustrated all the time then! Sowwie :giggler:

Chessa: Sankyuu! :D Mei-Lin will wake up again soon! And yep, you're right - Keiko is also not human. n_n We'll learn more about her in a few chapters.

lesse: Thank you lesse! I'm happy that you like it! n__n

Bethan: Nuuu. My stories tend to be very confusing, after all 8D

Wah, I've been slacking off! Haven't updated for a while. I have downloaded loads, so much that my game is now extremely slow again... bad me! Trying to get the Freetime EP too atm, I'm excited. Hope it'll still run well on my old computer. ^^'

Next chapter is almost ready, though! (finally!) :D

[jingxia]

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Chapter 14: Gotcha.

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“What the heck is this?” Keiko’s voice, filled with disgust, resounded through the very dirty kitchen.

“Looks like a garbage dump of some sorts,” Rush answered airily.

Mei-Lin’s thin brows furrowed together. “Nah, it’s just Grayson’s kitchen.”

Nathaniel halted in the middle of the filthy room, and the other three stood around him. Keiko thoroughly inspected every nook and cranny. Everywhere you looked was clutter — empty bottles of alcohol, unwashed dishes and thick, spider-deserted cobwebs. She was glad there weren’t any spiders. Her skin crawled just by thinking of them.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter14-02.jpg

“Yuk!” she exclaimed, when she noticed a big, red stain on the floor. “That’s wine, I hope? Or ketchup...”

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“You have to stay here,” Nathaniel said. “I will fetch Ali, okay? You can pour yourselves a drink if you want.”

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“A drink? I don’t think I trust any of these beverages here.”

“They aren’t poisoned...”

With those words, the little boy left the kitchen.

Keiko huffed and peeked in the fridge. “I didn’t think they were poisoned. Just a bit off, perhaps. I can just imagine the layers of fungus on top.”

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“My friend’s family drinks that anyway,” Mei-Lin chirped. “They just scoop the crap off it and then drink the rest.”

“Urgh... too much information. I’m going to be sick.”

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Shakily, the blonde moved towards the door, and wrapped her hand around the cold doorknob. However, she could not open it. It was locked...

“Oh my god!” she hissed. “That brat locked us up!”

“What?” Rush shouted, and tried to turn the knob also. Once again, the door would not open. He cursed.

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“Nathaniel locked it?” Mei-Lin whispered. “Maybe he didn’t do it on purpose... why would my son do such a thing?”

“Because your son is probably working with Motoko!” Keiko screamed, losing her patience.

Mei-Lin threw her hair over her shoulder and pouted angrily. Her Nathaniel wouldn’t do that, whoever that Motoko was!

“Just wait and see,” she said. “He’ll come back to let us out.”

_____________________

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“Eugene, Eiji, come look at this room too please! I redecorated it, couldn’t stand the white walls.”

Margueritte, one of the three ‘dead’, pointed her finger all around the small chamber she stood in. It was good to be back in the land of the living, even though they had received quite a lot of strange looks. She didn’t understand why, to be honest.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter14-09.jpg

“What is this shit?” Eiji asked. “This is... this is appalling! Is this what I’m supposed to look at after suffering in Death’s Halls for half a century?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter14-10.jpg

Eugene just stared, and was wise enough to keep his mouth shut.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter14-11.jpg

“Appalling, huh?” Margueritte replied. “Why thank you, I like it too!”

Eiji sighed, and flopped down on a rickety chair. “Do you even know what appalling means?”

“At least we have a place to stay...”

_____________________

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter14-12.jpg

Riiiinnnggg.... rrrrrrrrrriiiiing.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter14-13.jpg

“Hello?”

...

“They’re already there? Fantastic...”

[annachibi]

Very... odd. I'm starting to think Nathaniel is actually just using Motoko! :lol:

[Rayline]

Ali looks hot with the pink hair. :D

[Chessa]

Gah, that boy! Does he not realize that Motoko wants to kill his mother? Sheeesh.

[jingxia]

annachibi: Who knows... :D This is a great opportunity for him to get what he wants, after all. ^^

Rayline: Yes! 8D I'm loving it too... currently obsessed with strange hair colours.

Chessa: He is indeed rather dumb. xD And very naive, to trust Motoko and believe/do everything she says.

Pictures for Chapter 15 are halfway done. D: Freetime has sucked me in and isn't releasing me right now. :giggler:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/violinlove.jpg

Motoko's having fun too. :rofl:

[annachibi]

:lol: Look at her! She's like, "Muwahahaha! My violin is evil!" :laugh:
Geeze, your graphics are gorgeous!! I've never seen so much detail in a simple picture before!

[jingxia]

Hahahha totally~! :lol: Maybe she'll ditch humans now and possess violins instead. xD

And thank you! I adore my video-card :valentine

Even though it's not the newest, fastest, or anything. :D

My game is quite laggy at the moment... but I refuse to lower my settings. :rofl:

[annachibi]

Ah, yes, I know how that can be. ;) Although if I don't lower mine after a while, my computer just says, "All right, that's enough there, missy!" and crashes. :lol:

[jingxia]

My game does the same now... keeps crashing or freezing TT__TT

Crashes + annoying lag on some lots + not all of my hacks updated for FT yet = uber slow updates ;__;

But next chapter is almost done now! Although it sucks. >:

[jingxia]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt15title.jpg

Chapter 15: Ephemeron.

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The atmosphere had become incredibly thick in the kitchen that was their filthy prison cell. With an aggressive gait, Rush had crossed the room many times; then he sat down to rest, but now leaped up again impatiently.

“Try the damn phone one more time.”

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Keiko, who was leaning against the cupboards, let out a deep sigh and picked up the sticky receiver. Deftly, her fingers danced across the number-pad, dialling the emergency line once again. However, when she pressed the dirty piece of plastic against her ear, the other side remained silent. Not even a beep.

“Dead.”

She put the receiver down and crossed her arms before her chest. Both smugness and annoyance were visible in her dark brown eyes as she watched Rush kick a chair. It collided with the table, and a plate with oriental decoration fell down, shattering on the tile floor.

“Doh... stop breaking everything.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-03.jpg

It wouldn’t get them out of here. So instead, the man turned his anger to his ex-wife.

“You! Stop staring into nothingness like that, it’s working on my nerves.”

Mei-Lin rolled her eyes sideways. “Mrrr. Anata... don’t start shouting at me too now... I understand you’re worried, but Nathaniel will come back soon enough.”

“You just don’t get it, do you? Should I kick you as well? Perhaps it will help you remember Motoko.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-04.jpg

While the two quarrelled ruthlessly, Keiko trudged towards the stove and rubbed her thin fingers through the dust that covered it. Things were just too strange... where was Motoko? There was no doubt that Nathaniel was under her spell already, and perhaps Ali, too. Was the doll on her way here? Or was she planning something else?

Suddenly, she felt a bit dizzy. A strange light-headedness invaded her mind, and she had to grab the countertops not to fall. What was happening? Mei-Lin and Rush kept fighting, so she guessed they didn’t have any problems.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-05.jpg

What is this smell? So... odd. Wait... is it... gas?!

“Guys!” she screamed.

But before she could elaborate, her vision turned black.

[jingxia]

(6 years earlier)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-06.jpg

She did not know herself. She did not know this place, either.

There was a darkness here, that was different from earth. It was black, deep, and unyielding. It felt like a blindfold, pressing down on her eyes. Yet, she could see perfectly. And the cool shadows were a welcome caress to a face that had formerly known so much pain. At once, she knew the name of this place. Limbo.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-07.jpg

“You have three choices,” a voice boomed. It wasn’t truly a voice, though. It was a sound, a gust of wind, the rustling of leaves -- but the woman understood it anyway. She had never heard something like it before. It awed her.

“Firstly, there is Heaven. You shall discard your earthly body and rest in peace forevermore. Secondly, there is Reincarnation. You will be reborn on earth, and live life once again. Thirdly, you can pick neither of those... remain a spirit, and take revenge on those who took your life. However, when you return here, your only place will be in Hell...”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-08.jpg

She shuddered. When she finally spoke, her whisper was just as ethereal as the one who gave her the options. “I think... I will choose to stay a spirit... but not to... take revenge...”

“Very well. Just remember that you will always lose a piece of you...”

_________________________

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-09.jpg

“Hush little baby, don’t say a word... mommy will buy you a mocking bird. And if that mocking bird won’t sing...”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-10.jpg

“Damn woman. Won’t you ever stop singing that stupid song?”

“That... is... none of your business.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-12.jpg

“You should just have chosen Heaven when you had the chance, you know. What good is it to sit here for all eternity, singing and bawling?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-11.jpg

“How can I rest in peace... knowing that she... they, will not be by my side?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-13.jpg

“Unfinished business. Unrequited love. Unfulfilled dreams. Blahblablah. Your whining is pissing off all of us. Why don’t you go back to earth for a while?”

“I... wish. I lack the strength. Those darn kids took away all my power by sending me back.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-14.jpg

“Then we will help you... but you’ll have to do something for us too.”

“What?”

“Help us return to earth also, as soon as you’ve got your strength back. I know that each and every one of us still got a straw to pick with our murderers.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-16.jpg

“Alright then... that’s a deal...”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter15-15.jpg

[Game Shark]

Wow, that certainly was interesting. I really like how things are going. I cannot wait for the next chapter.

[Chessa]

OOh!! Poor Keiko, maybe Motoko wanted her incapacitated before she made her appearance? Can't wait for more!
Motoko should have chosen Heaven because she's certainly earned her place in Hell by now. She's not revenging her murderers! She's tormenting innocent people.

[annachibi]

Wait, so... who's the blonde chick? Motoko? I'm a little confused... Maybe they should all wear name-tages. :lol:

[jingxia]

Game Shark: Thank you! Glad you like it :D -bows- I was afraid it was a bit sucky 8D I'll try to post the next update as soon as possible!

Chessa: Yay n_n Motoko's really out of control indeed! But she's greedy... she still wants Mei-Lin too, and won't rest till she gets her. x_x

annachibi: The blonde is Keiko. Sorry for the confusion xD I should add name tags yes, hehe! Especially the last part turned out a bit strange. iSuck >:

[annachibi]

So... Keiko is... not alive? I ish confuzzled!! Maybe you should make a re-cap chapter or something, lol! It might not be you, though, I could just be having a brain fart. :lol:

[jingxia]

Mmm a recap may be a good idea yes. n_n I love writing summaries anyway. xD

Keiko is indeed dead. She's just like Motoko, a spirit who came back to earth. But she came back to save her friends. :3 She hasn't always been dead though... in the first story she was still alive. I'll add some explanation of her death in next chapter. ^^

Which is halfway done! 8D And... we're very close to the end now. D:

[annachibi]

Oh, okay, that makes sense then. :D Yay for the next chapter! And boo for it almost being done!

[jingxia]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapt16title.jpg

Chapter 16: Engulfed by hell’s flames.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-01.jpg

“Keiko, are you alright?”

A worried voice, sounding like a low buzz, crept into her ears. With a twitch of her shoulders, she awoke from her blackout, and pushed herself up from the dusty floor. Taking a deep breath, she looked around.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-02.jpg

They were still in that filthy kitchen. Nothing seemed to have changed. Rush and Mei-Lin were quarrelling, and the door was locked. Keiko dropped her head low. It had only been a dream... They weren’t being gassed. Just my imagination...

Just the memories of her death. That was how she had died before, after all — by gas. It had been her own stupid mistake, but it didn’t matter. What did matter, was her sudden fainting.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-03.jpg

Confusion flickering behind her fingerprint-spotted glasses, Keiko groaned as she got up. My time here must be running out. It had to be some kind of sign.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-04.jpg

As if on cue, the wooden door swung open. A pair of black and green shoes followed, stepping inside the darkened room without hesitation. Calmly, Motoko paced towards the shocked adults in front of her. A sarcastic smirk appeared on her face as she watched them cower, and move closer towards each other.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-05.jpg

“Hello there,” she said, cheerfully. “I am sorry to have kept you waiting...”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-06.jpg

“Ali!” Mei-Lin shouted. “My sweetheart, I knew you would come, I knew you would be safe.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-07.jpg

“That is NOT Ali!”

Quickly, Keiko leaped before the mother, shielding her with an outstretched arm.

“That is Motoko...”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-08.jpg

The teenager giggled shrilly. “You are too clever. Or maybe not, seeing how you got yourselves locked in by a child.”

“Where’s Nathaniel?” Rush cut her off.

“Oh, he’s fine. Don’t worry about him!”

“I know better than to trust your words...”

“Haha, ow Rush. Aren’t you happy now? What about my little present? I did smoothen out the bumps in your relationship with your ex-wife... shouldn’t you thank me?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-09.jpg

The black-haired man merely huffed. Of course, he was glad that Mei-Lin and he were back together... but if that was at the cost of his children, then he’d rather not have had it.

[jingxia]

“You people piss me off!” Motoko suddenly spat. “You truly don’t know the meaning of respect? Do you really despise me that much, when it was your own son who made these deals with me?”

Not giving them even a moment to respond, the woman flicked her wrists. Immediately, both Keiko and Rush found themselves in midair, feet separated from the floor, and thrown against the wall.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-10.jpg

Keiko gasped, thick, crimson blood spilling out of her mouth. She outlined her red-soaked teeth with her tongue, and instantly noticed that one was missing. “Gah!”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-11.jpg

Rush had already passed out, and lay limply under the table.

“Well, well,” Motoko smiled sweetly. “Now that we got rid of those...”

Mei-Lin nervously made a step backwards when the doll’s deadpan eyes fell upon her. Was she going to be tossed through the kitchen like a puppet too?

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-12.jpg

Motoko snorted. “You don’t remember anything now, do you? Such a shame... all our lovely memories lost in the sea of oblivion. I made them disappear, yes... however, I think I’ll let them come back now?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-13.jpg

For a second, the red-head was overwhelmed by dizziness. Then, countless of thoughts and images returned to her mind in waves, crashing against her weary skull. Panting, she pressed one sweaty hand to her throbbing forehead, but as fast as the pain had come, it disappeared again as well.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-14.jpg

“... You.”

“Bingo!”

Surprised, Mei-Lin rolled her head from one shoulder to another. To her left, she saw Rush, not stirring or responding to her frightened whimpers. To her right, there was Keiko, also not moving a muscle.

“What... what did you do to them?” she stammered. “And my children! Are... are they dead?!”

“Teehee. No, they are not dead. Your friends here are unconscious... Nathaniel is elsewhere... Ali is just slumbering inside this body... somewhere—“

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-15.jpg

“Why can’t you leave us alone? Why must you keep doing this to us! I hate you! You know I don’t love you! I stopped doing so a long time ago!”

“And that, my cupcake, is exactly why I am doing this.”

“Revenge? For what I did? Betraying you... okay, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have done it! But you shouldn’t keep torturing innocent souls! My loved ones...”

A sob left Mei-Lin’s rouged lips. It was all her fault. She should never have paid attention to that doll on the attic. She should have destroyed it straight away. But what did she know, she was but a child! No, that’s no excuse!

“I know what you want.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-16.jpg

“Eh?”

“You want me, right? Not them... not a life on earth... just... me.”

Motoko did not answer.

“Well... THEN YOU CAN HAVE ME! Take me with you, and promise me you will never harm them again! If you do that... then I will be with you. But don’t expect my heart to be yours, ever!”

“Eh?!” The doll repeated. “Am I hearing that right? You will come with me? After all this resistance?”

Mei-Lin sighed deeply. Yes... this was the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do. Her saddened, sea-green eyes danced through the room. There was her beautiful child, her body taken over and abused by this horrible woman. And her beloved Rush, who had always stood by her side and endured all her crap. Keiko... the one who had done everything to get rid of Motoko, even though she constantly had her lovers stolen...

“I am so sorry... everyone...”

Her dejected gaze travelled back to Motoko. She nodded.

“Yes. I will go with you. Your promise...?”

Motoko grinned. “I promise I won’t touch them ever again.”

“Will you follow me then, to the depths of hell?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-17.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-18.jpg

“Let us leave, no trace of tears upon our dead faces.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/chapter16-19.jpg

[Psycho_Bunny]

there's a loophole in motokos promise, there always is. notice the 'I' in her promise, she didn't say anyone else wouldn't touch them...
so is that it for Mei-Lin? or will she pop up from hell?
lovely update, by the way...

[jingxia]

Thank you very much, Psycho_Bunny! :anime:

Yep, that's pretty much it for Mei-Lin... >: All that's left now is an epilogue and a small extra chapter. xD

[Chessa]

*shocked* awww. Damn. I was hoping they'd finally destroy Motoko! No more Mei-Lin? Ever ever? :(( Hehe. We can only hope that Mei-Lin will kick Motoko's butt in the underworld.

I also love that final picture! You do a marvelous job of making everything look so amazing. :)

Oh edit: One question, how come Mei-Lin doesn't mention her son in that last portion about her family? Hmm. Aside from the fact that he's a little devil..

[BethanSims2]

Awwwssoommmee update! I get so exited when I see that you have updated, it makes my day! ^^'

[jingxia]

*shocked* awww. Damn. I was hoping they'd finally destroy Motoko! No more Mei-Lin? Ever ever? :(( Hehe. We can only hope that Mei-Lin will kick Motoko's butt in the underworld.

I also love that final picture! You do a marvelous job of making everything look so amazing. :)

Oh edit: One question, how come Mei-Lin doesn't mention her son in that last portion about her family? Hmm. Aside from the fact that he's a little devil..

Sankyuu! :B I wasn't totally happy yet with the final picture... I do like the sparklies though! They were from the genie lamp... heehee. They just happened to get stuck around Motoko and I left them in P: but I'm glad you like it!

And Mei-Lin didn't mention Nathaniel because he wasn't around. ^^ She just thought about the people that were currently in that room with her. :D

Awwwssoommmee update! I get so exited when I see that you have updated, it makes my day! ^^'

Aww yay! xD Thanks! It really makes your day! Wow, that's great! Makes me happy knowing that! n_n

[annachibi]

Oh noes! I hope you'll be doing another story, because I want to know all about those other three dead people, and how Nathaniel grows up...

[jingxia]

Oh noes! I hope you'll be doing another story, because I want to know all about those other three dead people, and how Nathaniel grows up...

:D Well, there won't be any more sequels, but there will be an extra chapter after the epilogue about the three dead guys. xD I had entire histories and personalities planned for them, but I never had time or space to write about them in the former chapters. Hehe. So I'll definitely have to do that still. 8D Nathaniel will appear in the epilogue. I believe he was handsome... can't remember... lol. :x

I am intending to write more stories after this one though... but they'll be completely different... :B Going for romance/comedy/drama next time. Got the coolest thing in mind already n__n

[1306]

Long time reader, but first-time commenter. All I can say is this story is fantastic. I hope to see more of it.

And I'd like to see a romance/comedy/whatever story from you. It'd probably be interesting. :D

[jingxia]

Long time reader, but first-time commenter. All I can say is this story is fantastic. I hope to see more of it.

And I'd like to see a romance/comedy/whatever story from you. It'd probably be interesting. :D

Wow, thanks! n__n Glad you finally decided to comment! :D -happy-

I hope my next story won't disappoint! xD

[Emina_SC]

If you write it like this one, it wont :)

[jingxia]

Yay, thank you, Emina! n__n

[annachibi]

As long as you don't fall off the face of the earth, I'll be happy. :D I love your stories! And maybe you could make a spin-off eventually. ;)

[jingxia]

As long as you don't fall off the face of the earth, I'll be happy. :D I love your stories! And maybe you could make a spin-off eventually. ;)

I'll try not to! xD -pins self to earth- And yay! Thank you for liking them~ Whee :D

Working on the epilogue now! n_n

[jingxia]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epiloguetitle.jpg

Epilogue.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue1.jpg

This time, it’s just rain on my face. No tears. Yeah. It just keeps raining and raining, almost as if there’s a little black cloud above my head or something. Maybe there is. In fact, there is — up in the sky... that is above my head after all.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue2.jpg

It’s been twelve years since my mother disappeared. I refuse to say she died. Because she didn’t, really. There was no dead body, no corpse, after all. She just disappeared.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue3.jpg

In her wake, she left the most terrible emptiness I’ve ever felt. My father was heartbroken, and I like to think that that was what killed him, eventually.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue4.jpg

But not all was lost. My sister grew up into quite a clever and beautiful young woman, overcoming all her past miseries.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue5.jpg

She kept saying that she shouldn’t dwell on her bad memories anymore, now that she had seen what it did to mom. And that we mustn’t be selfish, since she had given up her life for us. I suppose she is right, eh...

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue6.jpg

I still am not sure what to think. In a way, it was all my fault. I expected to be hated for my mistakes. Totally. However, no one ever seemed to blame me. My father looked after me like he looked after Ali, and he made sure that both of us felt love, yet never guilt. Because it had been mom’s decision, not ours.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue7.jpg

Even then... yeah. If I could turn back time, I know I would make some changes.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue8.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue9.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue10.jpg

Will you forgive me, mother?

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue11.jpg

___________________

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue12.jpg

“And then I was like, ‘Eugene! How could you possibly be afraid of a bloody truck?’ Haha. What a retard. Don’t you agree, Mei-Lin?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue13.jpg

“Hey! Are you listening?! You wishing you didn't come with me again?!”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/epilogue14.jpg

*chuckles*

The end.

(even though there will still be an extra chapter after this! n_n)

[1306]

Awesome! And epilogue already? But I do hope the extra chapter will be a shocker. ;)

[Chessa]

I laughed so hard when I read the last part of the epilogue! Poor Mei-Lin, stuck in Hell forever listening to Motoko's lame stories. Hehe.
I'm a little confused though. There are three women. Is the last one Keiko?

[Psycho_Bunny]

is it me, or does nathniel look like a girl? and you killed rush! how could you! maybe mei-lin and him will meet up again... and maybe Keiko died and went to hell, I dunno
hey that hair motoko had had when she possessed Ali, where'd you get that?

[annachibi]

Yeah, Nathaniel does look very... pretty. :D
Would you be willing to upload Ali, Dorka? She's lovely! I'd like her in my game. ^_^

[jingxia]

1306: Thank you! :D Bwhahaha, I'll do my best! It would be nice to have a shocking ending yeah xD At first I wanted to make a 'nice' ending, since there won't be any more sequels, but a shocking one is tempting... ;D

Chessa: Heehee, glad I could make you laugh! 8D Yep, the third woman is Keiko! ^^ She died earlier after all, and decided to go back to earth to help Mei-Lin. Eventually she had to go back to Hell. >: Even though it looks like they're having fun anyway :rofl: Darn, should have made Hell more scary... lol.

Psycho_Bunny: Lmao! Yep, I did make him girly. :lol: No matter how much I tried, he turned out very ugly when looking manly. So I slapped this hairstyle on him (originally a female hairstyle) and I suddenly liked the way he looked. Killing of Rush was a last minute decision... xD I'm so cruel. Ali's hair can be found here: Click! (http://gardenofshadows.digitalperversion.net/index.php?topic=2686.0) :D (if that was the one you meant!)

annachibi: I have to admit I'm into pretty guys lately :giggler: Aaaah! xD And sure, I'll upload her! Glad you like her~! Give me a moment (or like 30 minutes with slow Bodyshop... rofl) and I'll upload and post her here. ^^

EDIT: Here you go, I uploaded her :'D

http://www.mediafire.com/?mzzrxijm2u4

Hope that works eh... might have messed up somewhere knowing me. :B

[Chessa]

Dorka, I think your Hell is pretty scary. It definitely reminds me of Sartre's play, No Exit in which "Hell is other people." It must certainly be pretty bad for Mei-Lin, who did nothing evil to deserve being there. :D
So glad to have Ali in game! She's beautiful. Can you also upload Rush please? I feel so sad that he died of heartbreak, I must revive him in my game and give him a happy life.

[jingxia]

Dorka, I think your Hell is pretty scary. It definitely reminds me of Sartre's play, No Exit in which "Hell is other people." It must certainly be pretty bad for Mei-Lin, who did nothing evil to deserve being there. :D
So glad to have Ali in game! She's beautiful. Can you also upload Rush please? I feel so sad that he died of heartbreak, I must revive him in my game and give him a happy life.

I should check out that play then! It sounds interesting! n_n

Glad you like Ali. :D She's my favourite too :valentine

And sure, I'll upload Rush as well! xD I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that he's finally going to get some good treatment~ :lol:

EDIT: Here he is. :B Enjoy.

http://www.mediafire.com/?bminjhmumrn

[BethanSims2]

Aww, that was so sad Dorka, but in a good way, definately. ^^ It was really clever how you thought of the whole story, I could never do anything that imaginitive...Ali and Nathaniel are gorgeous grown up! :D If you ever decide to do another story, I'll read it for sure. =] :anime:

[jingxia]

Aww, that was so sad Dorka, but in a good way, definately. ^^ It was really clever how you thought of the whole story, I could never do anything that imaginitive...Ali and Nathaniel are gorgeous grown up! :D If you ever decide to do another story, I'll read it for sure. =] :anime:

Thank you! :anime:

-blush-

I've been thinking about the storyline of the new story for a while now, and I hope it will be found original too. :D Also hope you'll enjoy that one as well!

[annachibi]

Oh yes, it is rather like Sartre's play. How depressing. :lol:
I can't wait for the next story! :D

[Emina_SC]

Lol, great chapter :D "How could you possibly be afraid of a bloody truck?" Yes, bloody trucks are really common http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/konfus/n020.gif

EDIT: You uploaded Ali! Yay! *downloads immediately* You could write on the beginning of the first chapter that you uploaded them, so all readers can see it.

[jingxia]

annachibi: Yay :D Finally read up on Sartre's play for a bit (just on wikipedia though xD) and it does seem like my kinda thing. Interesting :'D Hehe!

Emina: Thank you! ^^ Haha, the truck was an idea of a friend of mine, more will be told about this in the Extra Chapter. :B Glad you like Ali. That's a good idea though, I'll add the links to the first post! n_n

Extra is coming along slowly though... all I've done so far is make a house and thought of some of the text. 8D

edit: Well, sadly, I'll have to cancel the extra for now... my game is so slow all of the sudden that it's almost impossible to do anything. ;_;

[ManaBanana]

Well..

I loved it. =D

Even without the nice little extra. =/

[jingxia]

Well..

I loved it. =D

Even without the nice little extra. =/

Yay! n_n Thank you, Mana!

How's your story coming along btw? ;D

[ManaBanana]

Haha its coming along... ;D

Getting harder and harder as I get along though. X_X

[Emina_SC]

edit: Well, sadly, I'll have to cancel the extra for now... my game is so slow all of the sudden that it's almost impossible to do anything.;_;Whaa..?! Nooo! http://www.cosgan.de/images/kao/traurig/d055.gif Wait, does it mean you will never write the extra or you'll write it when your game is fixed?
Btw you could try deleting groups.cache, possibly Accessory.cache too and removing custom content. Just to mention http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/frech/a065.gif

[jingxia]

Haha its coming along... ;D

Getting harder and harder as I get along though. X_X

Ah, yes... >: I know how that goes... it's a real pain sometimes, all the set building, lag, finding nice animations, sims that refuse to listen... 8D Even though I feel really fed up with it at times, when I look back at it, I realise that it was actually loads of fun too. So, good luck! I'll be looking forward to reading! n_n

Whaa..?! Nooo! http://www.cosgan.de/images/kao/traurig/d055.gif Wait, does it mean you will never write the extra or you'll write it when your game is fixed?
Btw you could try deleting groups.cache, possibly Accessory.cache too and removing custom content. Just to mention http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/frech/a065.gif

Thankies, I'll try that! Well, at first I thought I couldn't write the extra anymore at all, since I decided to delete my error-filled story hood. But I just realised I still have most of the sims in bodyshop, so I should be able to put them in another hood! Hadn't thought of that before, I'm so slow -facepalm- 8D I'll get started straight away. :3 Will keep you updated.

[Emina_SC]

Cheers to that! I was (and still am) so looking forwards to extra! As for custom content, I meant only hacks, because it'd be really strange if a makeup clashed with GUIDs :D

[mearii]

My first reaction was "No Mei Lin! Wait, the epilogue's next? WTF?"
But I really liked the ending! I'm looking forward to the extra chapter. ^^

[Aliviera]

You really have done a great job in this story.. it's really interesting, especially when the girl crawled out under the bed (gives me chivers up my spline).. love the story!!!

[jingxia]

Thank you guys... n__n

But I have to bring bad news once again...

Today I stupidly downloaded something bad... then, my whole computer was infected with trojans, worms, spyware, and whatnot... so I had no choice but to format my hard drive and lose all my stuff. I spent 7 hours trying to save it, but I couldn't.

So... my game is gone, all my sims, my files, stories, everything... TT__TT -feels sad about it- Even the sims I made for my new story are deleted. Which makes me feel even worse, because I loved them a lot. >:

I will try to remake them in the future I think, though for now, I won't reinstall the sims for a while, I'm too bummed out u__u;

Hope you'll forgive me... ;A;

[1306]

NOOOOO!!!!!

So this is completed, isn't it? But I was really hoping for the extra chapter! Oh well, good ending. Sorry for the bad news.

[jingxia]

Yep... completed, forever. ;__; I still have Mei-Lin, Keiko, Rush and Ali saved... but that's it. So I'm just going to give up this time... really sucks, because the Extra was about half way done. But it's all gone now.

I'll just write about the outlines of what I had reserved for the Extra here. >:

I let the three dead guys be the narrators. They were originally made to be some sort of, ehh, comic relief for the story, but I never really had time to add them in. The Extra explained a bit about their pasts, how they died.

Margueritte was a victim of her husband's abuse. Eventually she killed him and hung herself. Even in death, she hated men. 8D She always bullied the other two dead guys.

Eiji (the dark-skinned one, I always forget who's who too) was some sort of assassin who got murdered in the end.

Eugene was driven over by the school-bus when crossing the road... xD So he has a huge fear of trucks and big cars. He's very close to Eiji.

After that, I wanted to show a bit about their current lives in the real world (I made a beautiful, jungle-ish lot, yay for castaway things for TS2). How they stole other people's eyes (since they had none). And some bits of Nathaniel and Ali's lives, their kids etc. Rush looked after them until they reached adulthood, then he became terribly sick of heartache and missing Mei-Lin, and died. He went to Heaven though, not Hell, where Mei-Lin and Co are. Poor Rush. >:

In the end I was intending to add some funny facts. Like how Keiko was bugged once, and spent the entire time fuming, growling and clenching her fists. And how it almost always rained while I was shooting. I'm sure it rained like 95% of the time.

That's it I think... It was supposed to be quite long. -beats up the person who created the Trojan- TT__TT

[1306]

Oh well--time to stop hoping for a third Mei Lin :D

Anyways, those guys had some bad endings to them, don't they? But i like this little tidbits of info--at leasts it ties up those loose ends.

Sorry again for the trojan, and one again, VERY nice story!

[Emina_SC]

I reject to stop hoping for the Extra :D Could you simply write it in Notepad or something, then upload it somewhere for us to read? Who cares for pictures!

[jingxia]

1306: Hehe, yep! What can I say, I'm a big lover of drama. 8D So I just had to think of awful deaths for the three. Thank you very much! :D

Emina: Yes, I can definitely do that! Good idea! :B I should be able to do that quite fast, it's always the pictures that take hours to make.

[Emina_SC]

Yay and triple yay! Thanks a lot, Dorka! http://cosgan.de/images/kao/liebe/d050.gif *dances around the room*

[jingxia]

No problem! :valentine <3

I've already written 2 pages! :D

[jingxia]

Here is part one of the Extra. :B Posting it in parts because it's quite lengthy (6 pages so far), and it's taking a while. Didn't want to keep you guys waiting for too long! P:

_________________________________

Extra.

Before us stands Margueritte, her hands planted firmly on her hips. Her eyes, green like sea-foam, are squinting into an angry scowl, as her left foot taps the floor impatiently.

“Finally, I get to speak. And trust me, this is the third time I try.”

Annoyance still visible on her slightly decayed yet pretty face, she throws her long, auburn hair over her shoulder and sighs.

“The first time our dorky writer took pictures, it all was not good enough. The beach lot she made looked wonderful, but lagged like hell after installing Free Time. Sucks, because we really need some free time in that freaking game of hers.”

Margueritte makes some exasperated movements with her arms before flopping down on a grey, wooden bench. It creaks loudly enough to almost wake Eiji, who lies entangled in a hammock. He also lies upside down in that hammock, so it’s good that the mess of fabric keeps him in the air.

“Anyway, the second time she began working on this little Extra here, she actually got quite far. The lot was finished —she had created a jungle this time, made us climb into palm trees, that cheeky little. . .!— and images had been taken and edited. But then, disaster struck. She stupidly downloaded a Trojan, and spent a whole day panicking and crying about what she had done.”

The pale woman waits a second, lazily waving away a fly that buzzes around her. Nearby, Eugene chuckles at her words, while vigorously scrubbing a mirror. Someone has to keep the hut clean, after all. Because maids apparently lag too much as well.

“She truly, truly did her best to fix her mistakes. However, her computer had become such a pile of garbage at that moment that she decided to go for her last resort: formatting the hard drive and reinstalling everything. It took her hours. Eventually, she had re-added most of her favourite programs. . . but some things were missing.”

The hammock stirs dangerously, and Eiji produces a tired groan. Without even bothering to free himself, he looks up at the storytelling lady, and arches an orange brow. “What was missing?”

Margueritte stares back at him, her expression blank. “Are you bloody serious? We are missing you idiot!”

“Oh, yeah.”

She clacks her tongue in disapproval. “So, we will have to rely on our writer’s description skills. One more thing though, am I glad that we no longer have to climb in trees!”

_________________________________

Tales of the Dead.

(1)
` Margueritte’s Tragedy .

Margueritte was a simple woman. But she was a beautiful, hard-working woman, and that caused many men to fixate their greedy eyes on her. Her family kept swatting them away, though. Not one man seemed to be good enough. She was silently thankful for that. She was young, around sixteen, and did not want to think of love yet. Unlike her friends, who did nothing but gossip about this guy’s chest, and that guy’s behind.

Margueritte was rather shy, namely. Thus, she was grateful that her family was so protective of her. At least, so she thought. When they suddenly introduced her to a lewd, bald man who wanted to marry her, all her illusions were scattered.

Perhaps they had been protective of her. . . but this man was also rich.

It did not take long before Margueritte was forced to leave her beloved Orient, to join her new husband in Italy. She tried to talk herself into being happy, since she was healthy and allowed to buy anything she wanted. However, it was hard to keep telling herself that when she was raped at night, or beaten during the day if she did something ‘wrong’.

She constantly wished for a saviour. She constantly wished that her family would take her back home, or that her cruel husband would drop dead.

Her mother had always warned her that you should never wish for someone’s death. Because if you did, it might just happen to yourself.

Taking the matters into her own hands, she found a stool that wouldn’t hold her weight for too long, and a rope that was thick enough to do the opposite. She also found a poison that didn’t have a taste or scent. And the perfect meal to serve it with.

Until this day, even in death — Margueritte still hates men.

(2)
` Eiji’s Disaster .

For him, the rush of adrenaline before the kill was everything.

The startled face of an unsuspecting victim.
The struggling, the screaming, the howling.
The blood that soaked his dagger.

It all made him smile inside.

And he earned a lot of money.

That was always a plus.

So when he trudged underneath a small viaduct, his shadows shrinking and growing in the neon lights —he was on his way to the latest job— he felt almost happy.

Too happy, maybe.

“Halt! You there!”

He had not even realised he was no longer alone. Yup, definitely too happy.

Eiji stopped dead in his tracks, cursing silently. He pivoted on his heel to face a rather burly man, who was pointing a flashlight at his ebony-skinned face. The sudden brightness made him squint.

“Yes?”

“Didn’t ya see the signs earlier? No trespassing allowed! How did ya get in here?”

“I. . .”

Now was the time to come up with some brilliant excuse, but no matter how much Eiji searched his brain, he could not find one that didn’t sound absolutely stupid.

And before he knew, something had smashed against his head. Everything started turning black. . .

“Is this him? That wanted guy? The assassin?”

“Yeah. . . we can get quite a sum if we take him to—“

The rest went unheard. Eiji had already left the world.

(3)
` Eugene’s Catastrophe .

“Eugene, it is almost time for school.”

With a smile, the thin, white-haired boy released his pen. It clattered on his notepad and spat out a few drops of ink on the page of chicken scratch, making some sentences illegible.

Eugene had been sickly for most of his life. So when the moment came that he could go to school for the first time, he couldn’t have been happier. He leaped up from his chair and accepted the bento his old mother pressed into his hands.

“Thank you, mother!”

She ruffled his unruly locks. “Eat it all, Eugene, or you will get ill again.”

The boy winced. He would definitely eat it all. No matter what it was. Carrots, sushi.

His mother ushered him outside, talking about how smart he looked in his brand new uniform. He had believed her words at first, but when he heard the kids next door whisper mean things, he quickly changed his mind.

Of course, he was different from the other children. He was a lot older, since he had spent many years in bed. But their evil glares still hurt.

His smile disappeared. Suddenly, school did not seem that fun anymore.

“Now, Eugene — do your best, okay?”

The boy merely nodded. He could feel the other children’s eyes on him, their pointed fingers, their malicious laughs. Shame coloured his cheeks blood red.

I wish. . . I wish I was sick again! Then I would never have to go to school!

The scream of his mother interrupted his intense musing.

“EUGENE!”

He raised his head, a strong gust of wind pulling his hair and clothes.
The first thing he saw was the large, yellow front of the school bus.
The last thing he saw was the bottom of the school bus.

_________________________________

Margueritte is nowhere in sight. Eiji has finally managed to clamber out of the strangling hammock, and Eugene is playing chess with himself. He thinks deeply, staring at the chequered board in front of him, and eventually moves a rook. Eiji flops down on the other side of the game, and stretches his body with a dramatic yawn.

“Where did the chick go?” he then drawls, rubbing his azure eyes. “And how can you play that dumb game, I don’t understand the bloody rules.”

Eugene gives him a look that could well be poisonous. “Mayhap you would comprehend if you made an effort, lazy git.”

“Oh, yeah. Love ya too.”

“Rita went into the backyard, by the way. Said she received a telepathic message from the wicked witch of the west herself.”

“Cool, how’s Motoko doing? Havin’ fun in good ol’ Hell? Barbequing with other unfortunate souls?”

“She’s fine. She said that she has never been this happy before. Now that Miss Mei-Lin is with her, ehh. . . ‘Even Hell has become Paradise’.”

“God, romance really ain’t my thing.” Eiji heaves a sigh and leans an elbow on the chess board, nearly knocking over the Queen. Eugene shoos him away from her.

That very moment, a heated Margueritte stumbles into the messy hut. Her curls are tousled, and frustration burns in her eyes once more. She drops her glare on the two men and then lifts a fist, shaking it into their direction.

“You guys are truly, utterly useless. Didn’t I tell you to get on with the story? We are supposed to be the narrators, here. Lazy gits.”

Eiji mumbles something that could be an apology, but might as well be a curse. Eugene ignores the fuming woman completely.

“Well, anyway!” Margueritte exclaims, a sudden mirth drenching her voice. She quickly combs her fingers through her silky tresses, and turns back to us. “Now that you know about our lovely pasts, it is time to learn about Rush’s. Because his death was quite unexpected.” She snaps her digits. “Let’s use the Teleporter Shrub, it’s a lot faster than the darn phone!”

To be continued! ^^

[Emina_SC]

This is the best chapter you wrote so far http://cosgan.de/images/smilie/frech/a065.gif It was HILARIOUS. Margueritte rocks!

[Plum_SC]

AHHH!! I can't believe I didn't see this before now. Mei-Lin, Puppet Master is my favorite Sims story ever, so I re-read it before reading this one. I liked it very much, even though it was sad! I like romances that work out, so seeing Mei-Lin and Rush apart was hard to digest. The story was very entertaining though! Ali is awesome. I'm super sad that your extra chapter got messed up though. :( Even so, it's still entertaining!

[Envious Sleep]

I just read both the stories in one go, lol. That was one of the best stories (Sims AND in general) I've ever read, the the pictures are amazing! I've always had a thing with dolls; it was like how I was with dinosaurs when I was little. I was so scared of them but I was still so fascinated with them. The fear mostly was a result of playing Falta Frame II in the dark in the middle of the night though ><

[Chessa]

Can't wait to hear Rush's story! *tears*

[jingxia]

Hi guys! <3

Thank you so much for your sweet comments, as always n__n

I'm still working on the Extra -- it's taking a while, but I just bought a new computer! An uber fast, amazing gaming PC. It's love. So I thought that now that loading and playing the sims isn't such an ordeal anymore, I should start taking pictures again! :B

Here's a quick preview of next part:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/Dark_Deathwish/Extrapt2.jpg

Hope you're all still interested in it! After my long... erm... absence ^^; Gomen ne! -bows-

[novemberlove_SC]

I just read both parts of your story the other day, it was fantastic!! :D I can't wait to read the extra :)

[Emina_SC]

Yay, Dorka is alive! http://www.cosgan.de/images/kao/frech/a035.gif

The picture is beautiful! I wonder who's on it? Mei Lin (red hair...)?

[jingxia]

Thank you thank you <33 :valentine

Actually, that's Motoko! xD I changed her lips and nose a little though :B

[jingxia]

Here it is, at last. :3 It's short; I'll break it up in many parts so you don't have to wait that long for updates. ^^ The pictures might not match the story that much, because I wrote it like months before picture-taking 8D Many more parts to come, that's for sure! Ideas have been flooding in lately...

___________________________

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extrapt2.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extra01.jpg

(4)
` Rush’s Misfortune .

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extra02.jpg

The storm was all around him. It grabbed and shook his already battered umbrella with merciless hands, while constantly slamming sleet against the poor plastic. It would definitely not take long before the heavy wind would rip it, and Rush longed to be back at his cosy home.

“Hurry up a bit, guys!” he shouted over his shoulder. Not far behind him trudged Ali and Nathaniel, both soaked through and through. They also seemed to have quite some trouble staying on their feet, and their pale faces were pulled into frustrated grimaces.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extra03.jpg

“Bloody monsoon!” Nathaniel cursed under his breath. His platinum blonde locks had matted to his forehead and across his eyes, making seeing in front of him extra difficult. Even without that little curtain, it was hard to see an arm’s length ahead. Luckily, he knew the way by heart, and his father’s back was only a few steps away.

“If we’re not careful we’ll drown,” Ali remarked, sarcasm tinting her voice. Even now, that sound startled her family members, as if they still weren’t sure who had made it ― the girl had been ‘mute’ for the longest of times after all. “Where are we going anyway?”

Rush gave her a mysterious smile. “You’ll see!”

They reached an old, ramshackle house. The windows had been boarded up and tape covered the frame of the front-door. Rush began peeling it off while his children gathered around him, rubbing their goosebumped arms.

“Are we even allowed to go inside?” his son asked, trying to wipe the never-ending wetness off his glasses. “Is it safe?”

“Don’t worry,” was all the older man said. He fished a rusty key out of his pocket, quickly unlocked the entrance and ushered the kids inside.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extra04.jpg

“Blergh, spider-webs,” Ali complained. She had walked into some headfirst, and now fervently plucked them off her face. She hoped the spider that had made them was no longer here.

“Why are we back at mom’s house?” Nathaniel shook his head, imitating a dog who tries to dry his fur.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extra05.jpg

“… Motoko,” was all Rush murmured.

...

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extra06.jpg

“EH?!”

“Did I hear that right, dad?”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extra07.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extra08.jpg

Motoko, why were they here for her? And what did the house have to do with her in the first place? Ali grimaced in confusion; her pearly whites contrasting starkly against the ruby of her full lips. Rush pointed up the stairs, and took a moment to light a candlestick.

“You’ll see,” he then said again. “Just go up there, will you?”

The ascent was rather unnerving. Nathaniel went first, taking small and hesitant steps, every now and then looking over his shoulder towards his older sister. She only shrugged back at him ― neither of them knew a lot about their mother’s or Motoko’s past.

The dust-covered staircase lead to a dark and draughty attic. There was a bed inside it, with its bedding still intact, even though it had been wetted by the rain ― the roof was filled with holes. There was other furniture too, and many pictures on the wall, showing a young Mei-Lin with her friends.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extra09.jpg

“WHA?!” Nathaniel suddenly exclaimed.

Ali spun around, also startled by her brother’s shriek, and soon realised what he was watching so intently…

“Dad?!” she asked, her voice nothing but a hoarse whisper.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extra10.jpg

“I thought that,” Rush’s hollow words also entered the tiny attic space. “You might want to burn her.”

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/VermillionPhoenix/Sims/Mei-Lin/Sequel/Extra11.jpg

To be continued...