Generation 1, Chapter 56

After Vallari had threatened the hapless child in the cellar, she dragged a chair over the trap door in the floor. She considered gagging the boy but the less she interacted with the child the better. She relished the thought that she now had complete control over his father, her ex-husband through this child. With a cold, sinister glint in her eyes she turned the TV on and she laughed at the image of a distraught Peter, begging her to return his son safely. She eagerly watched, muting the sound of his nonsensical dribble. Speaking to his image on the screen "Beg all you want, Petey. You'll never see your son again, at least not alive."

As the evening turned to night Vallari wandered into the kitchen for a sandwich. Briefly she considered giving one to the boy, grumbling to herself "Let the little brat starve."

Grimly munching on her tasteless sandwich she caught her reflection in the mirror across the room. She could hardly believe that was her, she had aged badly and looked older than her fifty-one years. She grimaced at her reflection thinking it was one more injustice she could blame Peter for. Everything wrong in her life could be traced back to him and beyond. Her mind drifted back to the first time she had come to this cabin, her father's cabin.

She had spent the whole day with Daddy, while mommy had been working. She loved her golden haired blue-eyed Dad and loved the feel of his whiskers tickling her face when he kissed her.

As she ate, tears trickled down her cheeks as she remembered the day her world fell apart. A dark haired man showed up, demanding to talk to mommy. She had just turned five and she had hovered by the window listening to the man. "Elizabeth she's my daughter. I have a right to see her."

"Where were you for the last five years? You left the night I told you I was pregnant. You didn't really think I wouldn't move on did you?"

"As I recall you said you weren't sure who the father was. Just look at her, she looks just like me." Laughing mirthlessly he continued "I bet you told Henry she was his, didn't you?"

"So what if I did? He loves me. He doesn't need to know anything different."

"Oh I think he does. I've got a court order for a DNA test. After that proves I'm her father, I'm suing for custody. Then we'll see how long your Henry sticks around."

"Get out," her mommy screamed at the man. Vallari scrambled further into the bushes so that she wouldn't be seen. She wondered what that man was talking about. Was he talking about her? She knew her Daddy wouldn't let him take her away.

Things weren't the same after that. Daddy kept looking at her as if he were searching for something. He never smiled like he did before, it was like he was in pain and pretending he wasn't. Vallari didn't understand why she had suddenly lost her best friend.

A letter arrived late one evening by hand courier. She knew it wasn't good news as her parents grimly opened it and her mommy burst into tears as her Daddy said "She's not mine." Not understanding what was going on Vallari ran up to him saying "I'm yours always and always." Wrapping her small arms around his leg and squeezing tightly. He looked down at her with tears in his eyes, he pried her arms from around him and silently walked out into the cool night air.

Mommy cried after him "Henry please, I'm sorry. Please don't go." Daddy never came back, a few months later Mommy received divorce papers.

Vallari got up and threw her dishes into the sink. If it was the last thing she did, she would get her revenge. After the divorce her Mother started drinking heavily and one night she lost control of her car and wrapped it around a tree. She was killed instantly. The social worker assigned to Vallari's case had tried to get Henry to adopt her but he refused, telling the social worker to contact her biological father. Vallari had been ten years old when she was sent to live with Richard Chandra.

She learned later that Henry had remarried and hadn't wanted her to complicate things with his new family. They had everything she wanted but most importantly they had her Daddy. The same daddy who had rejected her and one day she vowed she would make him pay. The day she met Peter, had been no accident. She had been stalking him, learning his habits, his routine all in the name of research. She had been obsessed with Peter since before he left Bridgeport. She had watched him from afar since he was a small child. She waited for her chance to get him alone, away from his family. Her chance finally came when he moved to Appaloosa Plains, an outcast just like her, rejected by the same Father who had rejected her.

Vallari sat in the dark listening to the restrained sniffles of Elliot locked in the cellar. A wicked grin spread across her face as she listened to his choking sobs. Her smile faltered as she drifted back to being the child crying as her mother yelled at her in her drunken state. It was all Henry Van Winkles fault he destroyed her dreams, her mother, her life. He deserved to suffer for how he made her suffer.

She had lived with her biological father, who had tried to welcome her into his home. His wife had tried to bond with her but Vallari wouldn't allow them to become close. She fought with them at every turn and refused their attempts of love and affection. It broke their hearts as they had always wanted children but couldn't have any of their own together. Vallari couldn't see their love for her over her obsession and hared of her 'daddy'.

She hoarded every magazine she was able to find with articles about Henry. When she was twenty she found an article in Sim Science Digest that went into depth about Henry and his family. She seethed with hatred as she poured over pictures of the family. He had three sons, two young teenagers about 13 or 14 and one young son about 5 years old. As she stared at the pictures of that little boy, she ached to wipe that happy grin off his face, to replace it with one of fear and pain.

Sitting in the dark, deep in thought Vallari recalled the day she 'bumped' into Peter. It was his first day in Appaloosa Plains, he was so young and the spitting image of his father. When they were first married, Vallari had imagined her daddy had come home to her again It irked her that Peter had insisted on having children right away. She couldn't believe she had four worthless brats with him! Taking Peter's attention away from her, doing things with them that her 'daddy' used to do with her. As her jealousy grew, she obsessed about how she could get her hands on Peter's inheritance. It should have been hers not his, it never occurred to her that Henry would have disinherited Peter, his favorite child. She never expected Peter to stand up to her, to leave her, to fight for his kids, to actually want them above all else. Why couldn't Henry have wanted her that way?

She sighed loudly in the dark room, delighting in the sound. If only Windy would have kept to the plan. That worthless girl was supposed to have snuck Elliot out of the house and brought him to her. But she gave into fear and remorse, refusing to help. Now Vallari had to do it herself, getting her hands dirty by kidnapping the child herself.

It was a brilliant plan, bribing Galen into releasing his experimental dog as a diversion. Diverting everyone's attention into trying to save the victim, it was an added bonus that it was her daughter's boyfriend. Vallari knew that Galen would eventually break and admit to what he had done but by then it was too late to stop her. The only thing she hadn't counted on was for someone to try and stop her. That idiot principle deserved what he got.

Vallari laughed harshly in the dark, savoring the near completion of her long awaited revenge. She dialed the number, smiling at the sound of the strained voice saying "Hello."

"I have what you want."

"Vallari if you harm my son so help me I'll..."

"Temper, temper so unlike you Petey. If you hope to see your son alive follow my instructions exactly as I tell you."

"I'm listening."

"Good," Vallari laughed and licked her lips in anticipation. "First no police. I'll be watching. I see one and your son is dead."

Peter gripped the phone, his breathing was rapid and his heart pounded in his ears as he listened to Vallari's demands.

"Next follow the path that's behind the house until you find a package. Drink the contents of the vial. Drink it all, I'll be watching. If you don't your son is dead."

"What do you want? This makes no sense. If you want money, I'll give you all I have. Just don't hurt my son." Peter pleaded into the phone.

"Ah poor Petey," she said unsympatheticly. "How does it feel to be powerless to help those you love?" She shouted through the phone. "It's time you pay for the sins of your father."

"What does he have to do with this?"

"He has everything to do with this," Vallari spat at him "Once you drink the vial walk north through the woods. I'll be watching."

 

"What about my son?" Peter screamed at her.

"He'll be here when you arrive and if he's a smart boy he'll run home. If not he can stay and watch."  
      
 
 

Generation 1, Chapter 55

Note:  You'll notice in in the pictures that seasons changed.  Sorry by the time I went back into the game to take the pose I wanted I forgot the one's I took during game play were in winter and the poses are in spring. 

 

As Elliot was walking into school after everyone else had already gone in, he noticed the old lady from across the street coming towards him.

"Elliot, honey you have to come with me."

"Why?" he asked remembering what his Dad had told him about her. That she couldn't be trusted.

"There's been an accident at the lab and your parents asked me to get you."

"What about the others? Aren't they coming too?"

"They can take care of themselves. Now come along dear." Vallari said coming close enough to grab him.

"No I won't." Elliot said stepping away from her, turning to run he felt Vallari grab is arm. She dragged him down the steps towards a waiting car. "Help! Somebody help. Adam help!" He struggled and screamed but her grip on him was too strong.

The principle came out to investigate the commotion. Vallari threw Elliot into the backseat, throwing the child proof locks on as she slammed the door. Turning to the principle she calmly said "It's alright. His parents called and asked me to pick him up. There's been an accident at the lab and they needed someone in a hurry to watch him."

"He should be in school. Why don't you come into my office while I verify this."

"I'm in a hurry and have to get going." Vallari said trying to get around him.

"I can't let you take the boy. I've not received any notification to release him into your custody." Elliot watched as Vallari viciously swung her cane at his head. He went down and lay without moving on the sidewalk. Elliot screamed as Vallari got into the car. He tried to climb into the front seat, attempting to get out but Vallari swung the end of her cane around, clipping him on the forehead. He fell back stunned as she drove away.

 

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Peter was in the lab researching an antidote for Elias. The look on his little girls face motivated him to work round the clock. Jean was assisting him, along with several willing volunteers from other departments in the science facility. Time was of the essence due to the particular mutation the dog was injected with. It was a rapid mutation, going from infection to death in seven days. The normal series of shots would only buy them time, they needed the antidote if Elias was going to survive.

The police were questioning Galen in the hopes that he would tell them where he had put the antidote but so far he had refused talk. They searched everywhere they could think of, his home, his office all without results. The police were questioning his co-workers, friends and family in the hopes that they could provide an idea where he might hide something. They were rewarded for their diligent investigation by coming up with a lock box at the local bank. The police were in the process of gaining access to it after gaining a search warrant from a willing judge.

 

A few hours later the box was opened and it's contents being sent to the lab. They finally had Galen's notes on how to make the antidote. The problem they faced now was replicating his work in time to save Elias' life. Swaying from exhaustion Peter went to work on the antidote until his co-workers and wife insisted he rest for a while. Giving into their demands, Peter went to his office and lay exhausted on the couch. Several minutes later, Peter woke up to the insistent chiming of his cell phone.

Groaning as he fumbled to answer his phone he groggily said "Hello?"

"Mr. Van Winkle?"

"Speaking."

"This is Vice Principle Monroe from the elementary school.  I regret to have to inform you that your ex-wife took your son Elliot from school today."

"She what?" Peter stiffened as if prodded by an electric shock. "I did not give that woman permission to take my child."

"Principle Burke tried to stop her and was viciously attacked and is on the way to the hospital with a split skull. We have informed the police."

Breathing fast like he just ran a race Peter tried to digest what he was being told. "I'm on my way." He said into the phone. All thoughts of sleep vanished as he ran to get Jean.

"Honey something has happened, we've got to go. Now!"

"But what about Elias?" Jean said waving her hands towards the scientists in the room beyond.

"They can handle it," he said tersely grabbing her arm and leading her to the door.

 

"What's going on?" Jean asked as they got into the car. "Peter your scaring me," She turned to face Peter as he backed out of the parking slot and squealed the tires as he accelerated.

"The school called. Vallari attacked the principle who tried to stop her from taking Elliot."

"That woman took my son. Kidnapped my baby." Jean's voice dissolved into tears. "Oh Peter what are we going to do?"

Taking her hand he said "First we're not going to panic. Second we'll do whatever it takes to get our son back. Third we won't give up hope, not now not ever."

Sniffling Jean squeezed his hand "I know you're right but what could she possibly want?"

"Knowing Vallari she wants revenge of some sort and we can only hope her revenge takes the form of money and nothing else."

 

They arrived at the school and had to park a couple of blocks away due to the amount of Police vehicles surrounding the school. An officer escorted them through the growing mob of angry upset parents who had rushed to the school to ensure their children were safe.

"Ah Mr. and Mrs. Van Winkle we're doing everything possible to locate your son. We have undercover officers at your ex-wife's house and we have road blocks set up on the roads leading out of town. Have either of you been contacted by her?"

They both shook their heads and Peter wondered if the road blocks were set up in time and that Vallari was still somewhere in Appaloosa Plains. "Peter?" Jean's voice broke into his thoughts "Peter do you think we should round up the kids and tell them what's going on before some journalist asks them questions?"

"You're right, it'd be best to come from us."

Meanwhile Vallari had driven across Appaloosa Plains to a small cabin where she threw Elliot into a dank, cold cellar. He crawled into a corner and brought his knees to his chest, sobbing loudly.  Vallari ignored the frightened boy and his pleas. "I want my Mommy," "I want my Daddy," or "Let me out, I want to go home," Elliot cried from the dark corner he had crawled into. 

 

The only response he received was a cruel command "Shut up you stupid brat or I'll shut you up myself and I promise you, you won't like it." Elliot shoved his hands to his mouth to stifle his sobs, praying his Dad would find him soon.