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First off, I'll admit that I shouldn't have given up writing again. Quite a bit has happened...I bought Cindy earrings for Xmas, though I haven't seen her wear them much. Sally much preferred the cheap bracelet I bought her. And Louie Von Helson has apparently taken to pilfering my mother's possessions. More about that later.
Sally is mildly furious that I've taken a few new jobs...one of which is as a gambler. So? I'm good at cards, lots of rich people aren't, and if they want to hire me to win for them...mind you, they'd use bots if they were legal, but they aren't, so they don't. Sally, however, does not see "legal" as being the same as "right" and keeps threatening to tell Cindy. Like I care? Cindy will probably be glad I'm doing a bit more to get myself gold! Also, I've been doing a bit of random-stuff selling: Trash, bugs, flowers, even ink and the few fish Sally catches when she goes fishing. I'm not keen on doing so myself, what with my watery origins, but I might as well sell them for her. I do wish she'd be more careful going out though, what with the Animated...
Anyway, the reason I'm writing now is because I have a nasty feeling I'll be wanting to pour out my troubles to this diary soon. I've got no problems with the everyone-welcome prom starting tomorrow...what I do have problems with are that:
A. It's basically being run by the taxman, and I have no liking for that lot.
B. It's called Promageddon, for goodness sake! If that doesn't spell trouble...
C. Sally has apparently run away to Von Helson Manor!
I got into Barton a few days ago (harder than it once was, thanks to those nasty Animated things), not for any real reason, but wanting to see Ian. Perhaps it's the fangirl in me, but I worry about him when these things come up. Well, he didn't seem too worried, didn't ask me out, and...was almost a little dull. It had gotten dark, I was about to leave...then Louie walked in...and when he saw me, his face nearly split in an uncharacteristic grin.
"I'm pleased to see you, Dawna," he said, removing a package from his coat pocket. "I wanted to get these to you before the prom, and I didn't know if I could depend on Cindy."
I took the package, unsure whether to open it there. Curiosity got the better of me, and I did so. I was utterly stunned when I saw the pearl-and-ruby earring-and-choker set, and Ian said, "Louie!" quite loudly.
"Your late mother's," Louie said. "I noticed them when I filched the ring during that engagement fiasco. The earrings are for unpierced ears, and I figured you might prefer to get them, rather than having them go to your father's next wife, or worse yet, your brother's."
Ian was not looking pleased. "Been selling the family treasure to buy hers?" he said.
"Well, no," Louie said rather sheepishly. "I do have occasional access to the mansion, and it won't be noticed."
"You stole them?" I demanded.
"I'd say I retrieved your inheritance," he said. Lowering his voice, he looked me in the eye and said, "You don't want those things in your father's hands. If he treats them like he treats my mother's things, there's been more than a few of his lovers wearing them already." I instantly thought of the pearls around Cindy's slim neck, the rubies bright against her russet-black hair. Her sister's jewels... "Take them," Louie said. "Or if you chose not to, tell your father that I'm a thief. I'm sure he'll be proud of his little girl."
"Never!" I snapped, snatching up the jewellery. "I have about as much to do with my father..."
"...as I did with mine." Ian finished. "Louie, I hope we don't end up regretting this."
Now just why did that infuriating little sneak Sally have to take Gambino's side in the matter? She teased me enough about the jewellery that I told her where it came from...and then she began to demand that I return it to Gambino. I refused, we squabbled, and the fight got so loud that Cindy, working in her room, shouted at us to be quiet. We complied...for a while. Then Sally decided to claim I wasn't trustworthy with my mother's possessions, bringing up the dress Lady Luck shredded last year. Lady Luck, who until now had been looking disdainfully at us from Sally's pillow, leaped up and bit her hand. Sally yelped and swatted at the cat, I rescued my beloved pet from her, and then I pointed out that the necklace inside had almost certainly been hidden to be found someday. With Lady Luck purring happily beside my head, we fell sulkily asleep.
No more trouble occurred until today. I was working on some of the GAIA 9 computers, and Sally came into town with Cindy and me. I didn't really care what she was doing, so I didn't notice her talking to the bikers...so imagine my surprise as I walked out of the station to see her hopping onto the back of a large gold-and white motorbike. I did my share of shouting and running, but I couldn't catch them, and soon they were out the West Gate, on the road to Durem.
"She said she was going to see the old Von Helson place," a voice behind me said. I was looking at a blue-haired busker in a pink dress, who was idly fingering a guitar. "She's in good hands, I wouldn't worry about her. Those girls can handle any Animated around."
Not only was I furious, but I was incensed at Cindy's nonchalance. "She's a big girl, she'll be fine," was all she said, even as I agonized over Sally's safety. Not only do I not trust the bikers, but even if Sally got safely to Durem, there's still the graveyard to get across, then the expanse of wild terrain before the Von Helson Manor...and what creatures inhabit that place? I'm not going to get much sleep tonight...
To make matters worse, Sally not only stole the choker (idiot me, I should have locked it in the drawer!), but also left me an ultimatum in the form of a note. It reads:
"This is too pretty for you. I need to impress someone, but don't worry, I won't rat you and your vampire beau out to daddy. If you want it back, wear a Von Helson brooch to prom tomorrow!"
Now, I have a nice purple and black dress ready for prom this year, I have a mask to match, fancy white gloves, a nice headdress with red to match the set, flowers...I'll wear my mother's dancing boots, and I was going to wear the earring-and-choker set. Now it seems I'll have to wear the earrings and a silly brooch! My neck will be bare!
I'm both annoyed at Sally, and very, very, very worried about her. I smell doom in the air...