Chapter 15: Don't Go Into The Basement

When we last visited the Mars family the twins Mayana and Sydney had just turned into teenagers, and the whole family was learning to cope with living in a house haunted by ghosts from their pasts.



Now that Mayana was a teenager and had the Natural Cook trait she soon got to work building up her cooking skill. Her older brother, Reuben, spent his time doing schoolwork when he wasn't busy watching television.



Sydney continued with her computer hacking at night, and the money she received from this proved a very useful addition to the family funds.



Pandora also helped bring money in through selling her paintings- especially since she had mastered the painting skill.



Yes, life in the Mars household was nice and peaceful, except for at night that is.
Mayana would try to get to sleep but would often wake up thinking she could hear noises; perhaps voices. One night she decided to see what could be causing it...



As Mayana slowly crept downstairs she could still hear her older sister's warnings ringing in her ears. Pandora had told her to stay out of the basement many times, but Mayana couldn't seem to turn back. She felt as if she was meant to be here- something, or someone, was calling to her...



Mayana could barely breathe through fright as she surveyed the hostile darkness of the downstairs flat. She inched her way through the rooms then halted suddenly when she saw it. Him.



It was the same ghost that had frightened her as a child- how was he still here? Maybe it was true what they said about death- how you were bound to the place of your demise until you could sort out your 'unfinished business'. Mayana wondered what this ghost wanted, or needed.



She was afraid at first, it wasn't hard to be, but gradually Mayana found herself relaxing. This ghost- his name was Christian Lane. He couldn't remember anything about his life or even how he had died. Mayana thought to herself that maybe she knew...



She didn't have time to talk for much longer because as soon as dawn broke the man was gone. Mayana stayed in the same spot for a moment, trying to think- trying to rationalise what had happened. She couldn't though. She had seen a ghost, and she was pretty sure that his torment had been caused by none other than her own murderous mother.



Over the next few days Mayana tried to put all thoughts of the basement from her mind, but it wasn't easy. The earth turned as it always did but Mayana's mind remained still; fixed on one thing. The ghost. She just knew she had to see him again.



Elsewhere in the Mars house love was in the air. Pandora had invited her girlfriend Naomi round to the house and had asked her to move in, which she agreed to.



Naomi soon got a job in the political career and began to improve her charisma skill.



Sydney was also having some luck in the romance department. Over time she had become friends with a boy at school named Danny Thomas, and one day she invited him over to the house.



The two teenagers got on great, even despite the fact that Danny was Good and Sydney was Evil. I guess things like that don't seem so important when you've got the hots for someone ; )



After a bit of time their conversation turned more flirty...



...And by night's end Danny and Sydney shared their first kiss.
Sydney was so wrapped up in her new crush she didn't even notice her sister heading towards the basement...



As Mayana made her way down the stairs Christian seemed suprised to see her. I guess as a ghost he probably wasn't used to having too many visitors.




They talked for a bit as they usually did, but often Mayana would just take a break from speaking to stare at Christian. She was somehow transfixed by his visage, and she didn't understand why. What was it about him, this ghost, that captivated her so?



Over time the two became friends, and this made Mayana happier than she knew how to put into words. She hugged her ghostly new friend tightly as the sun came up and sighed deeply when he drifted away.



The following night it was Reuben's birthday to mark his transition into a Young Adult.



After he had grown up Reuben said a fond farewell to his sisters and headed for the door. As a Young Adult at last Reuben couldn't wait to begin a life full of fun and independence.



Elsewhere another Sim was thinking about the prospect of a new life...
Pandora felt it was time to take the next step in her relationship with Naomi, and swiftly popped the question.



I don't know why Naomi turned her down : (
I guess their relationship kind of fizzled out after that, and Naomi soon moved out.



At least other members of the family were doing better in their romantic endeavours. Sydney was becoming closer to Danny all the time and soon asked him to be her boyfriend, which he said yes to of course. Sydney even rolled the want to move in with Danny! Maybe when you're older, love...



As her love life was blossoming sweetly Sydney wanted to know what was going on with her sister's. She couldn't understand why her twin didn't have a boyfriend- why she wasn't even interested in any of the guys at school.



Mayana just smiled, said she hadn't met anyone she liked yet, changed the subject. Sydney seemed satisfied by her answer but Mayana felt troubled by it. She didn't even understand it herself- what was wrong with her?



As she made her way into the basement that night Mayana began to think that maybe she did know the answer...
But no, that was ridiculous. Or was it? No matter how hard she tried she couldn't put Christian far from her mind. He was her friend but... was that enough?



As the two friends talked Mayana was plagued by worries. She was only a teenager and she knew that nothing could ever happen between them, at least not until she was older. She couldn't help thinking though; wanting. She didn't even know if he felt the same way.



For a while after that Mayana stayed away from the basement. She just couldn't deal with the thoughts in her head.
Christian would appear as he always did and would wait for his friend to come racing down the stairs, but she never came. He felt sadder than he ever had before and just hoped that she Mayana would come see him soon.



It hurt her to stay away, of course it did, but Mayana believed she was doing the right thing for the two of them. It was just too hard to see him; too hard to spend time with someone she couldn't have. Mayana busied herself with cleaning, and counted the days til her birthday.



But, as they say, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. After a time Mayana found she couldn't stay away any longer, so she dressed her weak flesh up in her best dress and headed for the basement to see him again. She told herself that she wasn't a little girl- that she would go down those stairs and be poised; sophisticated.



Well that plan didn't exactly hold up...



Luckily though Christian was just as silly as her. They had so much in common it was no wonder they had become best friends.
Mayana felt closer to Christian than she had ever been to anyone else. Now all that she needed; all that she desperately wanted, was to become a Young Adult and have him tell her he felt the same. Please.



Of course Mayana had no idea that, at that very same moment, Christian was thinking exactly the same thing.



Not long after the dawn burned across the sky once again and ripped Mayana's best friend away from her. Each time he left it was getting more painful than the last.



Now that her younger sisters were not far from growing up Pandora began to think more about her own life. She was only a few days off becoming an Adult and she still had no stable relationship. Perhaps she didn't need one...



One phone call later and Pandora's life had changed forever. One phone call later and she was a mother.



Pandora had adopted a little boy named Theo, and as soon as she held him in her arms she knew that this was the right decision for her.



The little boy made Pandora's life seem so much brighter. She knew that she would be able to give Theo all the care he would ever need.



That night it was the twins' birthday. Pandora threw them a little party and invited some close friends over to celebrate.



Mayana was the first to blow out her birthday candles, and she knew exactly what to wish for...



Then Sydney followed not far behind.



As Young Adults Mayana gained the Childish trait and Sydney gained the Excitable trait.



Now that her younger siblings were all grown up and able to look after themselves Pandora packed a bag, grabbed Theo, and moved out to finally start a life on her own. She would miss the children she had brought up but she knew that she now had someone else just as important to focus her attention on.



Mayana spent the rest of the evening desperately pretending to be busy. She knew that if her sister said but one word to her she would just scream out the whole situation. She needed to be calm and ready; she needed to wait for him.



Before long it was time. Darkness slipped across the sky as Mayana headed for the basement feeling more terrified and excited than ever. She took a deep breath as she saw Christian waiting for her, and tried to retain her composure as she walked up to him.



How will Christian react to Mayana as a Young Adult? Will her birthday wish come true? And how will Sydney's relationship with Danny progress? Find out in the next chapter of The Mars Family Legacy, coming soon.


You can find the original on the story board here- feel free to rec that if you've enjoyed this : )