Fanon:Anticipation (Pleasantview Stories)

Anticipation is the first episode of the series Pleasantview Stories, written by SebasV96. It focuses mostly on the Goth family.

Synopsis
It was an unusually cold spring night, far colder than any spring Pleasantview had seen in many years. The cool, crisp air swirled around, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers everywhere it went as the moon made the flying petals glow. It really was beautiful.

Cassandra Goth lay on her bed, reaxing, deep in thought despite how late it was getting. The clock beeped 11.

Okay, it wasn't that late, but for the strict Mortimer Goth 11:00 was way past his children's bedtimes--even if one of them was 26 years old. Cassandra didn't care; she actually liked her father's strict rules andmoral codes. Cassandra herself was very mature for her age, a usually very serious and sullen, but that was to be expected after what had befallen the Goth family.

The aging Mortimer's wife, Bella, widely believed to be one of the most beautiful and charismatic Sims in SimNation, mysteriously vanished one night about three years ago. Why, no one could quite place their fingers on it, many Sims reported seeing strange lights over Pleasantview that night, and others claimed that electronics went hywire and that UFOs were seen zooming through the sky. Other rumors, yet, were far more troubling to Cassandra, and she couldn't help but think about them as she toyed with the engagement ring on her finger.

"Only two more days," she said, trying to change her mind to the upcoming wedding. She had actually bought the ring herself, since Don couldn't afford to do so, but her father was the fabulously wealthy Mortimer Goth, after all! Mortimer, however, was less than pleased about his only daughter's engagement to what he considered a rude, crude, slovenly, gross disgrace of a man. Still, Cassandra was willing to lay it all on the line for the love she felt for Don.

Cassandra lay there thinking when her sweet little brother, who was fifteen years younger than her, walked past her room.

"Alex," she called out, standing up. He returned into view. "Alex, what are you doing up so late?"

"Oh, I was just working on something," he assured her. "It's a new experiment that I hope can help re-evaluate the scientific and mathematical value of infinity. It's set up through a series of numerical equations that I theorize can be combined to find the root of the numerical order, thereby helping combine the numerous equations into one new mathematical format that can help figure out the answer. It's simple really, I don't know what to took so long."

Yes, Alexander was only a child. A brilliant one at that.

"Well, do you want me to read you a bedtime story?" Cassandra asked.

"Cassandra," young Alexander scoffed. "I can read at an 11th grade level." He noticed his motherly sister's frown. "But if it will make you happy, then sure," he added sweetly. Cassandra smiled.

She grabbed a book off the shelf--Shakespeare, of course--and read her brother until they were halfway through. It was at that point she decided to say goodnight and turn off the lights.

"Sleep tight, Alex," she said, kissing her little brother on the forehead.

"Cassandra?" he muttered.

"Yes"

"What happened to our mother?" Alexander asked.

Cassandra was taken back by this question. She honestly didn't know; all she had heard were rumors, but the rumors told many different things: alien abductions, possible rape and murder, affairs, and the probable involvement of Cassandra's own fianceé--one detail she refused to believe. She couldn't possibly relate all of that to an 11-year-old.

"I don't know, Alex," she said finally. "No one knows."

She was wrong about that last part--someone had to know, but wasn't saying anything.

The exhausted Alexander seemed content with her response and turned over, mumbling, "Good night." Cassandra went back to her room and lay down, thinking some more. Mortimer knocked on her door.

"Cassandra? It's me," he said, entering slowly. "You're up late."

"I'm just nervous about the big day," Cassandra said.

Mortimer made a face at the mentioning of the wedding. "Well, I brought you some tea. I'll just set it down here."

A thought came to Cassandra, and before her elderly father could mutter "good night" she blurted out, "What happened to our my mother?"

Mortimer's eyes widened and he staggered back. There was a long silence, and it was broken when he finally recomposed himself.

"Nothing," he said, suddenly furious. "Nothing at all. She was kidnapped, that's it. They've never found her, she's probably dead. Now don't you ever bring that up again, Cassandra. EVER!"

And with that, he stormed out of her room.

Cassandra was shocked. She had never thought to ask her father about Bella, but now that she did she saw an interesting reaction. So she lay on her bed, thinking. About Mortimer. About Bella. About the wedding. About Don...