Generation Two—Chapter One: Insanity or Premonition?

Ayden felt confused, confounded. Ever since his father reappeared as an active force in his life, he was seeing dead Sims everywhere!

He was beginning to worry. Was he merely Gifted or insane? The last really wonderful time he had with Mom was at his birthday. Zoe had baked up her very best chocolate cake for him, topped it with candles, and even though they really couldn’t afford a party, she made it special for him. Dutifully, he blew out the wicks.

The day after he graduated, he headed to the Police Academy, something he could only dream about as a kid. Which was also why it was so important for him to keep up his grades. As a cadet, he was mostly on a drive-along, not able or trained enough to actually take on a case of his own. So, compliantly, he showed up at the crime scene. There was all kinds of evidence to be photographed and collected. He pulled out his camera and got right to work, after he’d taken a moment to rummage through the trash can out front, that is. He even interviewed a few Sims, as witnesses. What was really strange was how many ghosts he noticed about the place. What was going on? He never had this ability before now.

And just why was he the only officer there able to see and speak with these departed Sims? He ended up spending his entire shift at the crime scene, seemingly unable to get back to the station. The next day, he saw a ghost at the station. This was one of the ones he’d already interviewed. Had he been followed? Was this ghost attached to him, somehow and if so, why? The thing that stood out, too, what he found really strange about it, is the crime scene was the lot behind his house on the cliff. Was his father throwing a ghostly party while Ayden was at work? No wonder his mother had no qualms of inviting his deceased father to move in. What was one more haunted house in the neighborhood? 

Ayden realized after analyzing the evidence he had gathered and running a check through the police files, that he had enough to issue an All Points Bulletin.  After talking with the Chief, he did just that. Word came through the suspect, or at least a person resembling the suspect, had been seen in the vicinity of the gym. Ayden traveled there to interview a few of the patrons. The place was busy. While in the midst of an interview he again saw a very strange apparition. Glancing around he realized he was having a vision of some sort. No one else seemed perturbed in the least little bit by what he was witnessing. That’s when he realized he was the only one seeing it. The Grim Reaper, long-bladed sickle at the ready, fog swirling at the hem of his dark gray robes, suddenly appeared amidst the four Sims he was talking with. How could they not see this? Ayden suffered a chill. 

Oddly enough, Grimmie decided to run on the nearest treadmill. The sight was an odd one. At once, Ayden realized someone here must be in trouble. 

Looking around quickly again, for signs of anyone struggling, he thought surely someone was in some kind of life-threatening situation for Grimmie to just emerge like this. Someone over exerting themself, suffering a heart-attack. Seeing nothing out-of-place, however, he carried on with his assignment. Everyone around him seemed well. He found his suspect, made his very first arrest and headed back to the station. Doing his best to shake it off as utter nonsense. He was under undue stress, his father passing away such a short time ago. He had taken on such a load for one so young. Something. 

He walked into the station.  Again, with the ghost in the foyer. Ayden processed his prisoner. Searching him thoroughly, it was strange what one will find in another’s pockets. He quickly fingerprinted the fellow, a young adult, and locked him up before his shift ended.

Ayden was excited to get home and share his successful first full day as an policeman. Mom was at work, which was normal. Pretty soon Patrice was back from her job. Ayden shared his good news with his ghostly father and then his siblings. He was busy in the shower a bit later, trying to get the icky, dirty feeling off of himself from patting down his prisoner when an odd feeling engulfed him. Shutting off the water, he grabbed his towel and dried and dressed quickly.

When he left the bathroom, he could find no one in the house, which drew him quickly outside. 

There on the brick drive just beyond the front lawn his mother lay curled up on her side. His siblings and Erik were all standing over her weeping inconsolably. Immediately, Ayden was in cop-mode. He took a careful, studied look at the scene, ascertaining she had just returned home from work. Reaching down, he put his fingers to the sided of her throat. No pulse. Zoe was dead. Glancing at his watch, to note the time for his report,  it was a tad early for her to be here. She must have felt ill and decided to come home. He took out his cell phone and made the call he never wanted to make. 

Before long, the authorities arrived and his mother’s body was taken away. There would be an autopsy, of course. Standard procedure. Ayden was more than certain old age had taken his mother. She was over 120 days, after all. Had he seen this coming? Was that why Grimmie appeared at the gym while he was there on business? Ayden suffered another chill. He was going to have to talk to his Auntie Bree. The elderly lady had lived her whole life with her Gift. Maybe she had some words of encouragement for him. Some advice, or something to help him deal with this sudden ability.