Chapter 13: There's Something Wrong With Harlow...

Following the death of her mother Scarlett, Harlow was understandably upset.



As usual she turned to Grim for comfort, hoping that maybe he'd be there for her in her time of need.



Harlow knew that he was unreliable- that he scared her sometimes- but there was just something so powerful about his prescence; so irrestistable. She couldn't help being draw into his sinister seduction every time.



Of course there were always arguments. Their past issues had never been resolved, instead they had just been painted over- forgotten until a new set of conflicts surfaced.



Pandora would often hear them yelling deep into the night. Sometimes she couldn't sleep through fear of what would happen, but for the most part she just painted- it helped to block out the bad times.



As Harlow and Grim had a tendency to fight and then passionately make up, eventually their ardor resulted in her becoming pregnant.



Once again Harlow got all the required books and read up on her pregnancy. She was so excited about a new baby coming into the family and the happiness it would hopefully bring her and the Grim.



In her free time Harlow continued to work on her garden. As she was a very experienced gardener Harlow was able to grow a variety of exotic things, from flame fruit to cheeseplants.



And Grim was often on hand to give Harlow the support she needed. In fact, during Harlow's pregnancy, the couple didn't argue once. Maybe this baby would finally present Harlow with the happy home-life she so desperately wanted?



When Harlow went into labour her daughter Pandora was by her side to offer support.



Well, maybe she was too busy freaking out to be supportive, but it's the thought that counts.



A few hours later and...



Ta-da! A new baby boy resided in the family- Reuben.



Harlow doted on Reuben from the start. She enjoyed the fact that this baby looked more like her than the last and made sure he was well looked after.



To her surprise Grim even looked in on the baby once in a while.



The next day it was Pandora's brthday and time for her to grow into a teenager.



As her parents were so busy with the new baby, Pandora celebrated her birthday alone in her room.



And here she is as a teenager. Err, well.......



There you go- you can see her a bit better now. You wouldn't know it from his cloak but she's the spitting image of her dad.



Speaking of which... Now that Grim was becoming more accustomed to life in Sunset Valley he began to go out and meet some of the neighbours.



One of the houses he happened to come across belonged to Jolie- Harlow's prisoner who had been released not too long ago. She seemed a little wary of Grim, which is understandable really.



The next day Harlow found out she was pregnant again. It wasn't exactly a surprise to her- Harlow had been hoping for more children as she was now convinced that this was the way to cement her relationship with the Grim.



They had fallen into a domestic bliss of sorts; the kind where the issues boil under the surface and threaten to erupt but with a fake smile and pleasant chat you can avoid all the drama.



One look at Harlow's life and you'd that think she was happy; you'd think she had everything, but really she was screaming without sound.



Distractions helped- they always do. By now Reuben had grown into a toddler, and a very cute one at that. He very closely resembled his grandmother, and this made Harlow all the more saddened by the fact that they would never meet.



The stress of being heavily pregnant with a small child to look after often got too much for Harlow. Luckily Pandora was around to help her out, and she got on very well with her younger brother. Besides, Grim wasn't exactly making himself particularly useful at the moment.



No, he was off 'getting socialised'.



Sadly Grim's absence meant Harlow went into labour with no one but little Reuben for company...



He amused himself playing with his toys whilst his mom screamed beside him. It was all very confusing for the young lad...
But soon the sparkles hit and the household welcomed another member.



It was a girl- Mayana.



And another girl! This is Sydney.



Taking care of three young kids was pretty much hellish. Pandora was roped in to help any time she wasn't at school.



Although Harlow loved her new children she had other things on her mind. Increasingly she could feel Grim slipping away from her and it reminded her only too bitterly of the problems they still had to resolve, and of his refusal to commit. That night she decided they should spend some quality time together in a last-ditch attempt to save their relationship.



Unfortunately Harlow wasn't to know what Grim was actually up to that night. Yes, he was out 'socialising' again, and had run into local Simlebrity Scarlett Johansson.



Evidently they got on rather well.



Perhaps a little too well...



Back at home, and none the wiser, Harlow got to work preparing a special meal for the Grim.



She laid the table with candles and flowers, and put on her most beautiful dress.



Then, with the food all ready on the table, she waited for her lover to return.



But Grim never came home that night...



Harlow stayed up all night waiting for Grim. She watched the sun come burning over the horizon and thought of her relationship. She felt cheated, hurt... vengeful.



When Grim finally returned Harlow was waiting for him. She made him a drink and waited for him to take a seat.



She watched as he took the first sip. She smiled. By the time Grim knew that something was wrong it was too late.



When Grim awoke in the dank cell Harlow was waiting for him. It seemed kind of funny to her- all the times she had stood in this very spot after torturing some poor victim, just waiting for him to come to her. Now she stood here again, this time preparing to destroy the man she had loved so deeply back then.



He didn't take long to die.



Harlow watched as her lover slumped to the floor in agony. She felt nothing... maybe cold. Just cold.



She watched as another Reaper came to collect her lover's soul. She tried not to laugh at the bitter irony of the situation.



She froze as his ghost drifted past her, that feeling of cold increasing until she trembled violently.



Only after his ghost was gone did she allow herself to cry.



After a burst of complete overwhelming emotion Harlow returned to her room. She walked without thinking; without feeling. Everything was just... numb. And cold.



She closed the door tightly behind her.



By the time Pandora found her, barely an hour later, Harlow was already dead.



So now the Mars children are alone- parentless. How will they cope without their mother and father to look after them?



How will Pandora deal with the shock of losing her parents so suddenly? Will she manage to keep the family together somehow? 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 : )