Papercut

Round 8 - October 2040

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Terrence Coners is 49, Tabitha is 50, Imani and Imara are 13

Why does it feel like night today?

Something in here's not right today

Why am I so uptight today?

Paranoia's all I got left

I don't know what stressed me out first

Or how the pressure was fed

But I know just what it feels like 

To have a voice in the back of my head

Linkin Park

Tabitha was having trouble finishing her latest novel. After the great success of Whispers in the Wind, she was nervous that Body Heat wouldn't live up to it. It was this fear that caused her to be very overcritical of every nuance of dialogue. It was driving her crazy. That, and the fact that she had been unable to convince Terrence to adopt a child........

Terrence understood why Tabitha wanted another child. Because of how late in life it was when they got together, the twins were the only children they were able to have. But he liked his family just the way it was. Their home was the perfect size for them. Another child would mean that the twins would have to share a room and with them being teenagers, that was a recipe for disaster. They were turning out to be so different. He and Imara spent hours sometimes playing chess. She was already able to beat him! Imani was more social and liked spending time with her friends. She was also very active and would often go for jogs around the neighborhood.

Yes, their family was perfect the way it was. Besides, now that Kenny and his wife had a new baby, Terrence was sure that babysitting Liam would soften the blow for Tabitha.........

Imani hated studying and doing her homework. But if she was ever going to convince her parents to let her throw a party, she would need better grades.........it was important for her and her sister to establish their coolness early on so that when they got licenses and could drive, they would be invited to all the best parties!

She just didn't get why her sister was so uptight all the time.
"Do you have to eat like a pig? You're throwing food over here!" Imara said.
"Oh get over it. We're eating the same thing, what's the big deal?"
"The big deal is that I don't want to eat food you've slobbered all over!"
"We're twins remember? Who cares," Imani said.
"Mom!"

"Imani stop aggravating your sister!" Tabitha said.
"So it's okay that she called me a pig?" Imani asked.
"I didn't say you WERE a pig. I said you were eating like one," Imara said with a smirk.
"Both of you hush and eat your food," Tabitha said.
"So you still want to add another kid to this circus?" Terrence asked laughing.
"You're having a baby?" Imara asked excitedly.
"No!" Tabitha and Terrence said at the same time.
"I'm going out to work on some blue prints. I'll be outside if you ladies need me," Terrence said.
"Don't stay out there all night like you did last night," Tabitha said.
"Yes, ma'am."

*********************************************************************************************************************************

He couldn't explain it.........he had been sitting at his drafting table when he saw a weird light in the sky. He got up to investigate it and..........well, he couldn't really remember much after that.........all he remembered was a bright red light and a sensation of floating......

Then he was standing at the front of the house next to the mailbox in the middle of a down pour of rain. And it was almost 3 in the morning.........what the hell had happened?

He struggled with whether or not he wanted to share this with Tabitha. She would be fitting him for a straight jacket! And he wasn't all together too sure that she shouldn't be............

"I realize that this is insane but.........I think something happened to me last night," he said over breakfast.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't really know......I was outside working on my blueprints......the last time I looked at my clock, it was just after 8. I saw this weird light in the sky, I got up to get a better look, and then........"
"And then what?" Tabitha asked.
"And then.......I don't know. I was standing next to the mailbox and it was almost three in the morning," he said.
"Maybe you fell asleep."
"Then how did I wind up at the mailbox? Why didn't the rain wake me up?" Terrence asked.
"Maybe you were sleep walking," Tabitha said.

"Yea, maybe........" he said. But he wasn't so sure. The whole thing was really creeping him out. There was something going on.......and he had a feeling that he wasn't going to like it at all. He didn't get the chance to say another word because the eggs and bacon he had eaten were making a reappearance.....

He never threw up.......something was definitely not right......he could feel it.....

"Are you okay?" Tabitha asked.
"Yea.........I guess the eggs just didn't agree with me this morning," he said.
"That's weird. I don't think I've ever seen you get sick to your stomach before."
"Yea.........it's definitely weird," Terrence said. Weird indeed.........

He wasn't going to think about it. It was all just a stupid dream. He was too old to be getting creeped out over nothing. And it was nothing. If he told himself that enough times, he just might start to believe it.

Once the girls were off to school and Terrence left for work, Tessa brought little Arwen over for a visit. Things around the de Muse household were still a bit tense. Gurth came by every now and then to check up on Arwen. Elvin still refused to have anything to do with her, which Tessa could kinda understand. But it just wasn't Arwen's fault.......

"So how have you been, sis?" Tessa asked.
"I've been good. My biological clock has been ticking, although at this point I guess it's more like an hourglass with no sand left," Tabitha said sadly.
"I have no idea why you would want to have another child! I'll be so glad when Arwen is off at school with Vanya," Tessa said.
"Well that's because your children were born under such weird circumstances. I still can't believe you're actually married to an elf.......it's crazy!" Tabitha said.
"Yea, tell me about it. Things are still so weird around the house. We're actually getting ready to move in a bigger house. Elvin has a problem with Vanya and Arwen sharing a room and our house has only two bedrooms," Tessa said.

"I can't believe he's still holding a grudge against her. Who could stay mad at you, sweet girl?" Tabitha said.
"Evin de Muse, that's who. I keep waiting for him to come around, but it's not looking like that's going to happen. It's all just such a mess," Tess said.
"It'll all work out sweetie. In it's own time, everything always works out," Tabitha said.

"Well we gotta get out of here. Arwen has a playdate with Kiara Ellison," Tess said.
"That's the daughter of the elementary school principal right?" Tabitha asked.
"Yep. She's an elf too."
"What? Seriously? Amazing........are there vampires and werewolves too?" Tabitha asked in awe.
"I don't know. It seems possible now, doesn't it? This whole situation has made me see that anything is possible," Tess said.
"Take care of yourself girl," Tabitha said.
"I will, you too. Love you."

Tabitha got a strange call right after Tessa left.
"No, Mr. Coners is at work. I'm his wife, is there something I can do for you? Well, he usually gets in around 4:30...........can I ask what this is about? Very well, I suppose I'll see you at four," Tabitha said.

Her name was Celeste Oros and she made Tabitha very uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Oros, I'm not sure what it is that you want with my husband," Tabitha said.
"Yes, I know it seems a bit strange. Has your husband mentioned anything.......weird......happening to him lately?" she asked.
"Well........there was a small incident last night, but he was just sleep walking........" Tabitha began. It was at that moment that Terrence walked into the house.
"Hey, is this her?" Terrence asked.
"Yes. Honey, this is Celeste Oros. She says that she has some important information for you," Tabitha said.
"Mr. Coners, won't you please join us?" Celeste asked.
"Sure. Now what is this all about?" Terrence asked.

"Well........I don't exactly know how to say this.......Your wife said you had a sleep walking episode last night?" Celeste asked.
"Yea, I guess. Why?" he asked.
"Have you ever had this problem before?"
"No. What the hell is going on?"
"Mr. Coners........you weren't sleep walking. Last night, some beings on a planet called Titusenera took you to their planet and pollinated you," Celeste said.

Tabitha and Terrence looked at each other and then burst into laughter.
"You let her in our house? It's obvious that she's unwell," Terrence said.
"She wouldn't tell me what it was about over the phone. I can see why," Tabitha said still laughing.
"I can assure you that this isn't a laughing matter. I am the ambassador for a city called Peragama. Titusenera is in danger of being destroyed. The king decided that pollinating humans and having the offspring raised among the humans would be the easiest way for our people to reside on this planet once ours is no more. I know that it is hard to believe, but it is true. The hours that you cannot account for is the time in which you were on our planet. The bright red light you remember seeing is a new prototype that they've been using to make the pollination process less painful. It is why you do not remember any of the details. In nine months, you will give birth to a baby, Mr. Coners," Celeste said.
"Get the hell out of my house!" Terrence said.
"Mr. Coners, I know that this is a shock. And I am in no way in favor of the actions of my people. The only reason I even agreed to be ambassador was so that I could help people like you," she said.

"Even if I were to believe this asinine story, what makes you think I would go through with this? I am a MAN. Men do not give birth!" Terrence said.
"We are aware of that. You will not give birth in the regular sense of the word. My mother will extract the child after the incubation period. It will be almost painless," Celeste said.
"Terrence.......I think I believe her," Tabitha said.
"Then you're just as crazy as she is. Aliens, Tabitha? Really?" Terrence asked.
"Who would have thought elves existed before what happened with Tessa?" she asked.
"Elves?" Celeste said.
"Disregard that! The point is, I'm not doing this! I'll go have this taken care of right now!" Terrence said.
"I'm afraid that's not possible, Mr. Coners. The king would never allow it. Not to mention what the humans would do to you," Celeste said.
"What are you talking about?"
"You'll be the first man ever recorded in the history of the Earth to be impregnated. With an alien child, no less. They will probe and poke and dissect you until you wished you were dead," Celeste said.
"What do you expect me to do? Walk around with a pregnant belly? Give birth to some green kid and play daddy to it? This is all insane!" Terrence said.

"I know that this is hard for you. There is nothing that I can say to you that would make this any better. I am truly sorry. You have no choices where incubating this child is concerned. If you try to abort it, there will be consequences. Our King does not take too kindly to the endangerment of our offspring."
"What? He doesn't take kindly to it? What about me?" Terrence said.
"Again, I know this is hard. I am here to make it as smooth as I can. Once the child is here, you have two options. You can keep him or her and raise them as your own. The child will in fact be a blood relative of yours as it will share half of your DNA. If you feel you cannot take on the responsibilities of raising the child, I am prepared to take them in," Celeste said.
"Well you better stay prepared, because that is what is going to happen. How the hell am I to explain walking around with a pregnant stomach? I am going to look pregnant aren't I?" Terrence asked.
"Yes."
"I cannot believe this!"

"Let's all just calm down," Tabitha yelled.
"YOU calm down! I'm the one who's been probed by damn aliens! Why me? Why did they choose me?" Terrence asked.
"I cannot say for certain. They must have seen something in you and your family that made them decide to use you. They want all the children to grow up in loving homes," Celeste said.
"Well, this is a loving home......" Tabitha began.
"You cannot be serious! Tabitha, I know you want another child, but this isn't the way. Do you know how hard it would be to keep this child? Do you even have any idea what it's going to look like? We're not keeping this kid!" Terrence shouted.

"I knew it! I always knew there was something wrong with that green kid! He's an alien! And now you want to turn my family into a bunch of freaks! No way!" Imani said as she came running down stairs. She had heard the entire conversation.
"What green kid?" Tabitha asked.
"At the elementary school! There's this green kid there that everyone kept saying had a skin disease, but I always knew that was crap!" Imani said.
"Imani! Watch your mouth! Is that true? Am I not the first person you've done this to?" Terrence asked.
"Yes, it's true. There is another family raising a half human, half Peragaman baby. He is currently attending the elementary school," Celeste said.
"So it's possible to do this, right?" Tabitha asked.
"Mom! You can't seriously be considering this! Do you know what kind of looks we'd get walking around with a green kid? You can't do this!" Imani said.
"Imani, go upstairs," Terrence said.
"But Daddy......"
"Upstairs!"

"I know this is hard. I can't apologize enough. I've tried talking sense into them, and I simply can't get through to them. Before you decide that you don't want to keep the child, please speak with Mr. and Mrs. Corbin Gray first. They can tell you about their experiences raising their son, Connor. I will completely understand if you decide that you can't do it. You have all of my information, please let me know if there is anything else you need," Celeste said.
"What if Earth just decided to go to war with your planet? Then what?" Terrence asked.
"It wouldn't end well. There would be a lot of blood shed and in the end, I'm afraid Earth would lose. Peragama is a very advanced city on a very advanced planet. Your military is not equipped to handle them. If that were the case, Mayor Brown would have done that long ago," Celeste said.
"He knows about this?!" Terrence asked.
"Yes. But he is just as helpless as you. Call the Grays before you make a decision. I'm sorry we had to meet under these conditions," Celeste said leaving.

"We should speak with the Grays before we decide," Tabitha said.
"We? We aren't going through this, Tabitha. I am!" Terrence said.
"This affects the whole family, Terrence. We should get all the facts and make a decision as a family," Tabitha said.
"Fine. Talk to them. But I don't care what they say. We aren't going to keep this child. I won't put my family through the public scrutiny. Can you imagine what would happen if Allison got a hold of this? No, Tabitha. I know you want a child. But not this way," Terrence said walking off.

"Is it true?" Imara asked Celeste as she was leaving.
"I'm afraid so."
"So I could have a brother or sister that would be from out of space?"
"Yes. They'll still be your brother or sister even if your parents decide to hand them over to me," Celeste said.
"If they do........can I come visit them?" Imara asked.
"Of course. I think they would like that."
"Mrs. Oros?"
"Yes, dear?"
"I hope they decide to keep them. Maybe I could even get to see your planet," Imara said.
"I hope they decide to keep them too," Celeste said with a smile.

* Terrence is the LAST sim I would have picked to roll this ROS. At least Amanda and Corbin were just starting their life. Terrence and Tabitha already have so many connections around LaQuest Beach. She's right, it will affect their whole family, Tessa and Kenny included.

* I really hope I didn't lose anyone. I did the best I could to make this as realistic as writing about aliens can be lol. I have no idea if they are going to keep this kid at this point. I ran the pregnancy scanner on Terrence so I know which one of my pollination techs is the other parent.......the kid won't have the same skin as Connor, but he or she is definitely going to stand out!!!!! I couldn't let Terrence get abducted the traditional way because he would never be gazing out of a telescope at night. So he simply got zapped up in a beam of red light lol. There just wasn't a way to fit in a normal sim abduction......and actually, I think I like doing it this way better anyway. Hopefully it will be another 7 sim years before I roll this ROS again lol

* Baby Coners will be here in July of 2041. Celeste's house is actually the next update so we'll get to hear more about this then. I may do a little mini-update before the birth showing them meeting with Amanda and Corbin. I can totally see Tabitha wanting to keep it, and since Imara is a science geek I can see her being intrigued as well. Imani would hate it because she's all about popularity and this would make her family look bad in her eyes. And Terrence would not want to keep the child either. I could see Kenny's mom finding out about this and using it against them. I don't know how Kenny would feel though.........I guess he would be the tie breaker huh? Opinions?