Chapter 18.9 – June 2024 – The beaches we run to, part II

 -- Lost in the forest --

Oliver Freddys notes:

With these three new DNA samples, one from the kissing gouramis in my mothers office, and one from a watermelon plant and the third from my mother herself there was only one place for me to go while my mother was napping.

The research center to do some research....

I decided to try my luck with the water melon sample first to see what I can get out of it. I am hoping to be able to create a new and better version of a water melon – one that is more tasty, because lets be honest, though a water melon is both sweet and cool to enjoy on a hot summers day, it is not among the tastiest of our fruits. Atleast I do not think so. Or perhaps I could make a version that was more nutritious. One that has both more taste and is more nutritious would probably be to much to hope for.

Well, neither is what happened. My experirement with the water melon was a complete failure – I created a new version with less flavour and less nutritients instead! Hardly worth it to use as fish bait even...

Heh, well... if I couldn't catch any fish and, apparently, not do something so simple as to improve the quality of a basic water melon, then maybe I will have more luck experimenting with one of the computers in the lab here. Now let's see... if I take this screw driver and gently slide in between back there... hmm...
Ah, well, it didn't really do much to the computer I'm afraid.. but it did give me an idea for something I could try out on my mothers stove later – to possibly improve the qualities of the waffles to make them an even better breakfast next time. I can't be so unlucky to make her stove worse – or to break it, or set it on fire. No, that can't be – and in case Robert should want to give it another go at making waffles, it will reduce the likelihood of him burning them again. Or, well, it should.

After some tinkering on the computer without any further results, well, I had to brave it and examine my mothers DNA... Not to uncover any secrets of our family history. I mean, I am a curious person, but this is all about the science.. Specifically I was looking for the same nucleotides I had found earlier in both Samanthas and Ansgar the anchovys DNA, and they were all there, but again their order was different.

 

Well, of course.. it wasn't about the types of nucleotides. It was about their order in the string of DNA. All along I had been looking for the wrong thing! I had been walking through the forest with the wrong map...
So I was back to square one, kind of, but atleast now I knew what I should be doing.. I had to examine each sample of DNA all over again, and probably again and again, to find and map out which parts of the sequences were different, and which parts where similar. Then I would find the essence of each species – what makes a plant into a plant, a human into a human, and a werewolf into a werewolf – and from there..

        If only mermaids existed I could find what made a merman into a merman.. if I knew that, I would know which combinations would not work to make a plant-human into a plant-human. And then start the experimentation... oh boy. Well, all this would have to wait. It's been quite a long day already and I think it is time for me to follow my dear mothers example and go back home to take a nap.

-- Rest --

Ranveigs notes:

A little bit of rest always makes me feel better, so I went for spending some time keeping my chess skills from detoriating. Since Oliver Freddy was out of the house I'm sure he wouldn't mind using the computer in his room. Besides, it was I that paid for it.
        When I came home earlier I noticed Robert wasn't in the living room.. and he isn't upstairs either. Just as I expected.

I tried to call him to hear where he had gone, but he didn't answer. And somehow I'm ok with that. If I am to guess, he has probably gone somewhere with his girlfriend, and probably not very far. Not because he wouldn't want to, but I can't imagine her being one to hike up a mountain with those fancy shoes of hers...

A nap can only do so much, though, and after maintaining my chess skills for a couple of hours the best thing I could do for myself now was to simply go to bed and get a good nights sleep...

Even if it wasn't dark out, I was just to tired. So... good night.

Robert-Bråges notes:

I heard my phone ringing from the beach so I swam as fast as I could to try and reach it, but of course I was to late. I hoped it was dad, it's been to long since I've seen him, but.. it was mom. Probably wondering where I was at.. I didn't call back.

I saw the horses still hanging out inbetween the old rusty metal beams there, so I looked at them for a while before heading back out to continue swimming. Mom doesn't need to worry, I'll be back home in time.

When I got tired of swimming around I went back to the beach to practice chess.

 

I'll never be as good at it as mom, or even Oliver, but it's something I like to do.. sometimes.

Margrethes notes:

This isn't why I agreed to go to the beach, but I knew this was gonna happen.. He goes around swimming way out there all on his own, and I'm left here in the shallow waters all by myself...

Like I all of a sudden don't exist? And then when it looks like he is finally swimming in my direction.. he swims past me to go on shore and do what?? Look at horses? And sit down by a chess table... what!? He truely is something from another planet sometimes... Next time we're going shopping, and he's coming along whether he wants to or not... and if he refuses, I'll make HIM try on the make-up before I'm buying!

 

I'm out of here.. and if he sends me a message or tries to call me.. I'm NOT picking up the phone!

 Robert-Bråges notes:

I saw Margrethe running towards a taxi and I think she shouted something about almost forgetting she had to go to work.. well, that was weird when we were having such a good time here. I didn't know that painters worked this late in the evening, but what do I know.. and I was just about to have her watch the horses with me, but I guess I'm just gonna have to watch them on my own now.

Margrethes in game message and her information from the NRAAS mod. Apparently she works as a painter. Oliver Freddy is home and resting too, taking a nap on the couch. Not included in the chapter because what he did at home was not very interesting. 😛

 

There's a lot I don't understand about girls, and probably even less about horses.. I'll only admit this to myself, but standing next to a horse when it gets on its back legs like this is a little frightening. If dad was here right now he probably would've tamed it in an instant. But he's not, I just wish he would've called me a little more often...

Meh.. parents suck! I don't need them, I don't need anyone! I can handle myself and I'm not afraid of no horse! I'm not stupid either, so I'll just stand over here for a while and look at the horse from a safer distance.. it has to get used to me eventually or something.

        I don't know why some people always seem to have such an easy life.. with two normal parents and enough money to live in one of the nicest houses in town overlooking everything.. I don't want to think anything bad about mom.. I guess she's been doing her best, but it kinda sucked anyway how she kept denying that something wasn't right. I figured it must've had something to do with grandma.. like we weren't supposed to tell anyone or something. Some days it was just me and my brother, and other days it felt like it was just me.
        When mom was herself, she was the best mom anyone could wish for, but some days... ..it was hard.. I didn't know what to do, and I wasn't sure what would be waiting for me when I came back home from school... anyway.. things have been looking better for the past year now and she even renovated her house like she has always wanted to do..
        Finally I no longer live in a dump and I don't have to be embarassed to invite Margrethe over... but enough about her...

I've been standing here long enough. I don't know how you call for a horse when you don't know its name.. what am I thinking, it's a wild horse.. it doesn't even have a name... I guess I'll just call it "Horsey" and hope it understands...

It's not completely dumb, it somehow listened.. well, somehow as it came towards me walking backwards.. huh, well... it's a start, maybe? Uhh.. but then it walked away from me again.. of course it would do that. Wild things always do... but I couldn't give up yet so I followed it, gently, and tried to extend my hand to let it smell it or something.. but it just got up on its back feet again...

Horses, girls and parents.. I guess I'll never fully understand them. Dad would've figured it all out, even if he wouldn't have needed to! He literally grew up with the horses, he probably even left home riding one! Just like the horses, he could never stay to long in one spot.. 

I couldn't try to befriend the horse forever. It was getting chilly and I was getting hungry.. though I kept wondering if the smell of the hot dogs would attract the horse.. but probably not.. I mean, horses are vegetarians or something? I don't think horses eat hot dogs.. just like I won't eat carrots, because carrots suck!

Whatever. Of course hot dogs won't work to attract horses.. unless this weird guy that came over and drooled all over like hot dogs is is favourite meal or something is a horse.. For all I care he could just as well have been...

I didn't want to go home yet, because its summer and we got no school tomorrow so why would I? I wanted to spend more time on the beach, so I went to sit down next to this old grandma. She looked ancient and I wanted to know how she got that old. I kinda figured she must've been doing a lot of cardio because I remember learning in school that if we did a lot of cardio we would live longer and for once I was right.

She blessed the treadmill at the gym for keeping her body young and I would've been impressed, but come one.. the treadmill? Running in the same spot indoors is just the lamest thing ever... I hate that.. 

Then she just randomly got up from the chair and said she'd race me to the beach! Like what!? Come on granny, you can't beat me.. I thought.. but she did...

 

Then she challenged me to go swimming in the dark! How can this granny all of a sudden be so much cooler than anyone else!

If only Margrethe could've been this cool.. 

 I almost challenged her to compete in who could hold our breath the longest, but I didn't want to drown the old lady... I guess I have made a new friend, because just before she left she said her name was Holly and that maybe we should hang out again sometime.. so weird! My girlfriend left me, the horses hate me and now this granny wants to hang out!?

I needed to swim around a few more times while trying to make sense of this... before going home and sneaking in while mom and Oliver is asleep..


-- Splinters of tomorrow --

In Flames – Dawn of a new day

..or maybe not? The lights were still on downstairs when I came back home. I hoped they had just forgotten to turn them off... but as I got closer and hear the tv was still on.. If that was mom and not Oliver.. I knew I would be doomed...

If it was mom.. maybe, maybe I could sneak by her if I opened the door gently, gently and walked as silently as I could.. it should be possible now that the doors have all been greased up..
If my room hadn't been next to impossible to reach from the outside, I could've left open.. and hope my mom wouldn't have noticed and closed it..

 

Okay.... she hasn't seen me.. now I just have to walk incredibly silently to the stairs... and this could wo-

"Robert... really?"

Who was I kidding.. of course she would see me... now I might as well have been dead! I would never get to go to the beach again!

"It's five in the morning! Where have you been!?"

She wasn't shouting like I had expected, but she wasn't happy either. It took forever, or so it seemed, for her to get from her chair and up to where I was standing. I wanted to run to my room and close the door, but I couldn't – my feet, my arms, my body – it wasn't listening! I had never been out this late before, and now I was doomed! I might as well have been dead!

..and then the bombs exploded and war began!

        "Where have you been!? What do you mean showing up here at five in the morning!? Have you completely lost your mind!?"

        "Didn't I tell you to watch the house!? And you didn't even message or call me to tell me you were heading out! I even tried to call you! And when I call you, YOU ANSWER MY CALLS! Do you hear me!? DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

        "I.... I'm sorry mom, i-it w-won't happen aga-"

"It better not! It can not! You! You are GROUNDED! For a WEEK! And NO MORE VIDEO GAMES! If you so much as LOOK at the door I will SIT ON TOP OF YOU! Now GO TO BED! And don't come down for breakfast OR lunch!"

"Please, please mom! Please don't ground me! I was with...Holly! She's an adult so I wasn't alone and then we were barbecuing hot dogs and then we lost track of time trying to make friends with this horse and then she challenged me to go swimming and I didn't know how late it was mom I'm so sorry I won't do this again and - "

"Ok, slow down there! Holly you say? Hmm....."

"Please mom, please, if you know Holly you can call her she will tell you the truth it wasn't my fault I didn't mean to stay out this long we were just having so much fun I didn't know what time it was and when you tried to call me my phone was on the b- "

"Alright... I'll give this Holly a call later in the day, I think I know who she is... You're still grounded for the remainder of today, and maybe, maybe if you ask nicely I'll let you play some video games..."

"Thanks alot mom! You're the best! I swear, if you call Holly she will tell you everything!"

"Yeah, she had better... now, go to bed! You need to get some sleep..."

"Yes mom...."

That was awful! I don't think I've ever heard mom this angry, not even those times when I came home from school and she was shouting at the tv for interrupting her favourite romantic comedy show..
I didn't know mom knew this Holly lady, I wonder if she's really gonna call her.. and what she will say. I don't know, but she seemed cool enough for being an old granny, so maybe she'll cover for me... if not then I'll be in trouble again!

Narrators notes:

Yeah... lets all hope this ends well for Robert and that Holly is actually cool enough to not rat on him. ;) Anyway, this does it for now for this household. Come next update I will be in the household of Ranveigs brother Knut since there will be another birthday. It's soon time for Knuts youngest son Anton to age up and become a child.. and soon he will have his first day at school. Oh the kids, they grow up so fast. ;) But for now... good night. ;)

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