OUaT Journal: My story - Part IV

This is the fourth portion of Cold-Blooded Companion. This was a collective effort between myself and some other Swap-Bot members. I began the story, another person added to it - each only being 5 pages long - and this is the fourth person's addition. I think she did a great job considering what she expanded on (for the first three parts of the story, look at previous posts - future parts will come as well).

    [Two years later we had another big surprise which was...] a freak snowstorm in July! Mack and Maria were so upset wen they woke up to snow on the Fourth of July.
    Our family tradition was always to go and watch the fireworks over the lake with our friends and their kids.
    But with the sudden snow, we were stranded in the middle of the woods!
    Thank goodness we were still able to use our TV - any one with small children know how important it is to be able to entertain them. So, while Mack and Maria watched TV in the back room. Luna and I stayed glued to the TV and our cell phones, trying to get over how the whole country had been covered in snow we watched report after report on people trying to make heads or tail out of it.
    After about two hours of watching the news, I turned the TV off and told Luna we needed to make plans - but this was a perfect time to spend some much needed time together as a family.
    Our world had been crazy with two kids, two jobs - it seemed like we were ships in the night.
    So we gathered the kids up and told them we were going to be doing family things and no TV. Each of us wrote down an activity we wanted to do.
    Luna being a man, wrote down what he wanted - an afternoon of "twister" with me in the bedroom. I laughed and said maybe but I think we'd be much too busy and tired to even think about that one.
    After we all wrote down our choices, we put them in a bowl and it was expressed and approved that we would do all four before anything else.
    The first paper we picked was from Maria. She drew a picture of playing hairdresser. She was thrilled when hers was the first chosen, and even more excited when Daddy was her first client.
    We sat Daddy on a chair and emptied out my make-up bag. Luna was a good sport about it all. The kids gave him bright blue eye shadow (I didn't even know that was in there) and the rosiest cheeks and hot red lipstick. Mack painted his dad's nails many colors. We laughed and I took lots of pictures.
    When we were done, we chose another paper, this time it was mine. I wanted to go out and build snowmen. Although we didn't have gloves or scarves, we used socks to keep our hands warm and off we went. Mack and I worked on a snowman together, and Maria and Luna did. Luna still looked like a downtown whore, but we were all having so much fun.
    Maria had wanted to make hers a "princess" so Luna found some twigs and made her a crown. Mack and I made a superhero.
    We each posed with the kids and took pictures. Mack said he wanted to write a story about the Ice Princess and the Frozen Superhero. I told him that was a great idea and would love to help him with it.
    We went inside to warm up and Luna made us hot chocolate and we sat around the table eating cookies.
    When we were done, we picked the next sheet of paper. The kids were giddy with excitement if it would be Luna's or Mack's.
    It was Mack's! Mack wanted to do science experiments. He loved science and always carried around a science pack - you never know when something might need explored.
    He went and got his science experiment book and we looked through some ideas. We were glad there were some cold weather ones.
    Mack had the idea of trying one in the house where it was warm and doing it again outside to see what differences if any there would be. His favorite was the mento in the soda bottle. Of course as the mom I saw it as the messiest one, and Luna would always say "they are only young once and it's easy to clean up."
    I suppose had it not been for the fact that Luna didn't mind and always was the first to grab towels or a broom to clean up the mess, I would have dragged my feet more.
    So we started in the house and timed how long it took for the soda to fizz up and out. Then we went outside and tried it again.
    Maria was getting tired so I took her in to lay her down for a nap.
    As I walked away, I could hear the boys gathering more data - how long it took to fizz, did the fizz go higher and further outside or inside.
    Maria layed down quickly. She was never a fussy sleeper, and I think she was asleep before I left the room.
    We agreed to spend some quiet time while Maria napped. The boys worked on more science stuff, while I curled up on the couch with our dog and looked out the window. I didn't realize how much I had missed seeing snow on trees and the ballet the sunlight performed as it danced around.
    Maria woke up about two hours later and after dinner, it was time to see what Luna wrote on his piece of paper.
    Mack reached for the paper and just as he started to open the paper, the lights went off!
    Both kids screamed as I scrambled to hold them. Luna got up to find the flashlight and some candles.
    Moments later the power came back on. I looked around for Luna but what I saw totally took me off guard...

OUaT Journal: My story - Part III

This is the third portion of Cold-Blooded Companion. This was a collective effort between myself and some other Swap-Bot members. I began the story, another person added to it - each only being 5 pages long - and this is the third person's addition. Be warned; you may want to rip your hair out. I have typed it as it appeared in my journal - flaws and all.

    ["I...] questioned him over and over trying to get him to reveal who he was and he finally said I am your Prince Charming. When I asked why the pet shop lady didn't tell me what the bearded dragon really was he laughed and said because she had hoped you wouldn't let me go in the light until you had finished college and had a good job and could support us both since I was disabled as it seemed to her since I had no legs but what she didn't know was when I found my true love my legs would grow and I would be a normal person and my snarley personality becomes a more loveable human the more that I am loved this was to only be revealed to the one that I know would truly love me. I have been returned to 5 different pet stores by ladies that didn't care for me thought I was just an ugly creature, but the day you first took me home after carefully placing me and my tank in the car with a seatbelt and feeding me my favorite meal of crickets. I knew you were different.

    I then asked Luna what happened to cause him to become a bearded dragon to begin with. He said he was born to a wicked woman and her wonderful husband the man asked his wife one day before Christmas what she wanted for Christmas and she said she wanted her son destroyed so that she could no longer have to take care of him. So her husband tried to please her but prayed and asked God to show him a way of getting rid of their son without actually killing him. God reminded him that she had always wanted a bearded dragon and assured him that if he wanted him to turn his son into a dragon that she would love him and cure for him and that when he found his true love then he would then turn into a handsome prince and that he would be loved and blessed with many children and grandchildren to carry on the family name and that unless they chose to tell him that there secret would be always safe as long as they loved and cared for their own children and grand children. So for the next 4 years while I went to college and finished my Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education every time she had visitors he turned back into a bearded dragon and as soon as they left he returned to being her handsome prince and kept her from being so lonely in her apartment and helped her study for test and do projects she was assigned especially chemistry which she hated and never understood but he made it so easy and fun to learn. But he always makes things funner than they normally are because he loves being with me.

    I got my first teaching job with a local school in Texas teaching third graders how to read and writing in cursive which was a challenge to me as well as to them. But most challenging was teaching them their multiplication tables they rather do any thing than sit down and memorize but by the end of the year they were excelling in all areas. We had a pet bearded dragon as a class pet in which no one not even the kids knew his true identity it was kept a secret. At the end of the year I announced my engagement to Luna and he no longer had to turn into a bearded dragon to conceal his true identity. He started college at the local Junior College in the fall where he studied to become a vetinarian of exotic animals (imagine that). He finished his two year degree in May of 2000 and we married in June of the same year. We then moved to another bigger town closer to the University of Texas where he could continue his studies to be a exotic animal veternarian in which he maintained a 9.0 Grade point average throughout his eight years of study while maintaining a full time job at the local rodeo arena caring for animals that are injured during a rodeo if their injuries wasn't to serious or if one of them became sick or needed some kind of medical attention. I taught third grade in the local school becoming the Teacher of the year my 6th year their which I didn't feel I deserved and was totally shocked when it was announced. Luna Graduated in may and started his exotic animal veternarian practice in San Antonio. He also cared for other animals to supplement his salary since their were few needs for an exotic animal veternarian.

    In May of 2004 I gave birth to Luna Mack Watson Junior an 8 pound 12 ounce healthy baby boy that looked a lot like his father and had a love for animals just like him. He even found a bearded dragon that I hoped would bring him as much enjoyment and pleasure as his father has brought me even though I knew it was different.

    He started pre K in August of 2008 and loved it. On Christmas day of 2008 I delivered a 3 pound baby girl which was 3 months premature and had to stay in the hospital for 3 extra weeks til her lungs and other organs became more developed. We sure had a big surprise for Christmas that year we named her Maria Anna Watson and she came home on January 28 and was a nice addition to our family.

    Two years later we had another big surprise which was...

So if you read the other entries then you may have realized how rushed and jam-packed this 5-page portion comes off. While the first two entries took place within the span of 24 hours, this entry seems to have a lubed up timeline and has packed (it seems) about 16 years in 5 pages. I suppose when you take out punctuation and don't bother spacing things out much, you have lots of room to put years of information in. :P

OUaT Journal: My story - Part II

Previously posted was the first part of my story, Cold-Blooded Companion. This is the second entry written by another member of swap-bot. I included with my journal a note explaining that my intentions for the story was to have the lizard revealed as a vampire. I think she did a good job and keeping with the mystery of the animal.

    "(But I...) I still have questions?! I don't... is there food in there?" I asked, still feeling bewildered. What type of shop owner doesn't really explain how to care for a pet beyond thrusting a pamphlet at you stressing the difference between day and night bulbs before nearly shoving you out the door?!

    "You'll be fine. Everything you need and need to know is right here," the owner replied, gesturing at the bag she held, a strained smile on her face again.

    I glanced at her for a long second before half-nodding, trying not to scowl. I don't normally scowl at people, but ever since I picked up the tank... I don't know, I'd begun to feel odd... on edge. I stepped past her, headed for my car and sat the tank on the top of the car before I headed back to her to get my bag. She handed it to me, strained smile still on her face. Her bracelets jangled as she moved, her voice fierce as she stepped back into her shop.

    "Remember - no longer than 9 hours. Ever."

    I glanced at her once more, half-nodding. Obviously the times to use the bulbs is pretty strict, so I'd better commit the instructions to memory.

    Once I reached my car again, I carefully opened the passenger's side door, trying not to jostle the tank. I didn't know much about bearded dragons but figured jostling them around was probably not for the best. The lizard never moved, however I suppose "Luna" is a heavy sleeper. I sat the bag of supplies on the floorboard and then carefully picked up the tank and sat it on the front seat. I stared at the tank for a moment, then reached for the seat belt and pulled it across the tank.

    OK, I felt a bit... well, more than a bit... ridiculous "belting" the reptile in, but... well... I didn't want the tank to fall off the seat...

    Shaking my head, I straightened and slammed the door. Walking around the car, I paused when I reached my door and glanced back at the pet shop. I think the owner was standing by the door but she moved as I glanced in the direction, the neon "open" sign flickering off. I frowned as I got in my car and buckled myself in before starting the car.

    It wasn't until I was pulling out of the parking lot that I realized the shop owner never charged me for the lizard or any of the supplies. Knowing what I know now... it must have been a sign.

    After getting groceries, I headed home and settled Luna into her new home and tossed some crickets into her tank. She slept through it all until I fed her. I don't know... maybe she smelled the crickets or whatever, but she rather lathargically wandered out from under her little rock/cave and eyed me for a moment before pursuing her dinner. It was a weird interaction. To be honest, because I swear it was almost like staring into the eyes of another human and the dragon sort of snorted disdainfully before slithering off. Like I said... bizarre.

    I read the brochure - it was a brief read, before putting the supplies away, along with my groceries before settling in for the night with a book about pixies or something from the library. Luna finished her dinner and slithered back under her rock - I guess to sleep again... bearded dragons must sleep a lot. Since I heard no more noise over from her corner, I sort of forgot about her until I decided to head for bed - I had to get up early to go pick up some things from my mom in the morning. I turned on the night light and set the timer for 7 hours and went to get my own sleep for the night.

    I overslept that next morning and cursed as I flew out of bed, already an hour late to begin my trek to my mom's. I threw another handful of crickets into Luna's tank before leaving, making sure that the day lamp had switched on, which it had. I broke multiple speed limits going to my mom's who told me not to freak out - it's not like she's a job or anything, and the rest of the day was spent getting the rest of my possessions from home. I had this nagging suspicion I'd forgotten something this morning, but couldn't remember what. I mentioned it to my mom who told me not to worry, it must not be important if I can't remember. My mom is like that - not up tight like me.

    I tried to banish it from my mind, but promptly remembered what it was about 15 minutes into my drive back to my apartment - I'd forgotten to set the timer for the day bulb and it was now going on hour 10 of the day light being on. Swearing again, I broke the speed limit going home too... running a few red lights too I think. I kept muttering this sort of mantra to myself on my way home... that 1 hour doesn't matter, but in the back of my mind, I knew it did.

    I had barely put the car in park in the parking garage at the apartment before I vacated the car, running through the garage and up the 3 flights of stairs to my apartment. If my neighbors had seen, they'd thought I was nuts. It took forever to get my door open, and I was huffing and wheezing when I opened it and glanced inside. Heading for the corner with Luna's cage, I noticed the top was snapped off the cage and I saw Luna nowhere. I started moving the supplies aside looking for her and was startled half out of my mind when a deep male voice spoke up behind me.

    "If you're looking for me... ah, "Luna"... over there, you're wasting your time."

    Whirling around, my jaw dropped as I took in the man sitting behind me - in my favorite chair, no less - in my tiny living room.

    "Wha... huh... who the heck are you? How'd you get in here?!" I screached as he smirked.

    "Who do you think I am?" He snarked off. I hate snarky guys.

    "I...

Just as I made an effort to not place a gender on the main character, neither did this entry and I'm glad it was picked up on. The next entry will be posted soon.