“The Letter” (Prologue) | Chapter 1.2

Caizey stared in disbelief at the letter she held. Was this guy serious? She gets kicked out of her foster home on her 18th birthday, and the last thing they give her is a letter that her foster care agent had apparently forwarded to her from her “family”. She didn’t have a family, so where did this come from? And that wasn’t even taking into consideration the contents of the letter. In a heartbeat, she had gone from wondering what she was going to do with the 100 bucks she had to her name, to furious at whoever this person mailing her was. How DARE they make fun of what she didn’t have by offering her a “way out of her situation”. I mean, sure, she felt completely suffocated by her job at the Gallery, but at least it gave some sort of income. How could she even consider quitting and moving at the drop of a .. letter .. when this job was the only stability left in her life. Frustrated, she stared at the diploma she’d just been awarded in one hand, and then glanced at the letter in the other hand. The bulk of her last paycheck had gone towards the cap and gown she now wore, and – while she had enough money to go out to dinner to celebrate with her high school friends – she certainly didn’t think that was the best use of her last hundred dollars.

Near tears, Caizey plopped down on the bench near the Oasis Springs community center’s doors, put the papers she held down, and dropped her head into her hands. People – mostly happy families headed out to celebrations or overly excited teenagers chatting loudly in groups – streamed past her, heedless of her emotional distress. The last week had been a whirlwind of final exams, and her friends all making college and career plans. Meanwhile, at the last minute, her foster family informed her she would have to find someplace else to be, because they had another new “kid” coming in. So now she was utterly homeless, and pretty much penniless, too. She had thought that, at least, she would have time to find a new place to live after her birthday and graduation. That was obviously not to be the case.

After a good cry, Caizey picked up the letter again, and this time, a paper fluttered out of the envelope that she hadn’t noticed before. She picked it up, and stared at it through her red-rimmed eyes. A ticket? On a train. To this Glimmerbrook place. … Was this guy actually serious? Was there any chance she could actually own her own place and have a new start waiting for her?

Caizey cursed, then looked around her. The place was practically empty now, and there certainly wasn’t anyone who was going to help her with her current predicament. The sun was not going to be up for much longer, and time was running out. She was going to have to spend a cold desert night completely alone and homeless. However, the train station wasn’t far away. Maybe she could just check when the next train to this Glimmerbrook was.

Mind made up for the moment, Caizey picked up her bags, stuffed her diploma and the letter inside a pocket, and began the walk to the train station.

A couple hours later, as the sun was setting, she drug herself and her bags into the train station, only to find the place completely deserted. She set down her bags near a bench, and tiptoed into the train office. Finding the scheduling book open on the desk, she sat down to look through it. There it was – Glimmerbrook. The next train didn’t leave until morning. Nearing complete exhaustion, Caizey set herself down on a bench inside the station, and re-read the letter. Then she read it again. A small bubble of hope started forming inside her. What if…??

No, this couldn’t be real. Could it?? How was she to know if it was real or not? At least the town on the ticket that came with the letter was real, and the ticket seemed completely valid. That was a start. A house all of her own – and a life of freedom. It was almost too good to be true. But, then, beggars can’t really be choosers, as the saying goes. She wasn’t particularly fond of the idea of ever having kids, but the letter did say she didn’t have to have them anytime soon. She read the letter a few more times… and finally, at a complete loss of what else to do, she laid down to take a nap on the bench.

Morning came, and with it, a sense of clarity. How could she refuse to take this .. quest – as the letter called it – seriously. She really didn’t have a whole lot of options at this point in her life. If it was just a cruel joke, she could cross that bridge when it came time. For now, she had a train to catch. Provided the ticket was real.

“The Letter” (Prologue) | Chapter 1.2

Welcome/Contents/Links | Chapter 1.1

My Dearest Caizey,

You do not know me, but I know you. You are a talented painter, and a strong young woman. I have watched you grow through the years, and I have waited. Now, as you become a young adult, it is time. I will not tell you who I am… but that is not something you need to know. Just call me your benefactor. For I have an.. inheritance.. of a sort – for you. It does not come without strings, however, so you are free to choose whether you will accept. 

First, the good news. I have found you a house. At least, it is four walls, a roof, a door or two. You know, the normal house things. It is on a beautiful lot in a small hamlet known as Glimmerbrook. The house was under construction for many years before the company building it went under bankruptcy and I acquired it. For you, it will become home. Should you accept, that is.

For your part, you must do several things. There is a portal near the waterfall behind your new home. Make use of it, and search out a woman named L Faba. She will train you in the ways of Spellcasting. Learn all you can from her. Become a master of Mischief Magic. Learn to duel other Spellcasters, and win. Her colleagues may also be of use to you, but that is your choice. You must also have at least one child, someone to raise in the way of a Spellcaster, someone to carry on your legacy. I would not presume as to tell you who you should pick out as a father for this child, nor will I tell you that you must marry them or even continue a relationship with them. You should avail yourself of the Transcendent Charmer potion to court this father at the Elixir’s and Brews Bar in Glimmerbrook. Timing on this is completely at your discretion.

I also ask that you grow a garden that your heir can harvest from to give them a grounded start to their new life as they set out on their own. For they will. You will remain behind, but they must set out on their own when they are old enough. When they are ready, I will offer them a quest much as I offer this one to you. This garden must contain at least two plants – a Mandrake that you originally took from the wilds, and a Money Tree. Anything else is, again, your decision.

My only other request is that you do not seek out employment. You are talented enough to make money through your paintings and garden. I believe that employment would chain you down far too much. You should be wild, and free to move about as you wish in your own time, not on someone else’s.

I do not believe these things are too much to ask, considering the dire straits you find yourself in, and the opportunity I am presenting you. However, should you choose to refuse, I will not contact you again. This must also be a timely decision, as I only will hold the home for you for the next week. I am enclosing directions to get to said home with this missive. I am not, however, enclosing any information as to who I am and how to contact me. There is no need, as if I need to contact you, I will know where you are, and I prefer to remain anonymous. This must also be your final decision. Once you have accepted this quest, there will be no backing out. The deed for your new home will be transferred and delivered to you in a timely manner. Fulfilling your side of the bargain will be your responsibility.

Choose Wisely. It is only the rest of your life.

Welcome/Contents/Links | Chapter 1.1

Welcome to my cleverly titled “Broomstick Files” challenge. *chuckles* I wanted to play around with the new “Realm of Magic” pack, and this was one of the first challenges I found that piqued my interest. I started the challenge, and continued with play.. and then I took my break from sims. When I came back, I re-read the rules to help re-familiarize myself with the challenge…. and I discovered something rather major. I’d already messed up. Instead of having the heir in the way the rules stated, I had gotten married and done things the way I usually would. I’d built a house that I adored, and had played for quite a while. Because of this, I considered just continuing, but I hate breaking challenge rules. So I thought about just using the sim I had saved from the start of my challenge and just starting over.. but that felt wrong, too. So, being addicted to starting challenges as I am, I made a new sim.. and started COMPLETELY over. Which meant a couple things. One, I needed a new house, because a starter sim couldn’t afford the one I had built for the other sim. And two, I had to change my new signature/header graphic to reflect the different sim. Oh, and it also meant all the pictures I had taken and organized for the beginning of the challenge were useless.

And – just because I’m a glutton for punishment, the threads of a story had already started dancing in the back of my head, and wouldn’t let me go. I had initially planned to just go commentary style, because it’s infinitely easier… but I couldn’t get the story out of my head, even while playing the beginning of the challenge. Everything my sim did just solidified the story, and made things more and more “real”. So… against my better judgement… and after hours and hours of deliberation and arguing with myself.. I’ve decided that this will become my fourth current challenge that’s done story-style.