Lifelines: A SC4 Storybook by RHF

[RadioheadFan 1]

Fairlane: Yeah, I know what you mean...that's why I stick to medium maps. Thanks for the comment!

All: Due to unexpected visits from friends, the update has been postponed until tomorrow. Sorry!

Jamie

[RadioheadFan 1]

     Well, here's the update! Sorry for the belatedness! 1 more chapter left after this...

---

 

Chapter 7: Rise and Fall

 

 

     Over the next 2 months, our young protagonists, Max and Emily, were inseparable. They were together all the time: at the Starbucks, along the railroad, pretty much everywhere. They changed their schedules so they had all the same classes. They actually got tables reserved for them at restaurants downtown, they were there so often.

 

     One day, they were walking home from school to Max's house, just strolling and enjoying each other's company, when Max got down on one knee on the front porch.

 

     Emily...obviously we're a little young to get engaged, but these have been the best 2 months of my life, and I want us to promise something to each other. Will we get married when we're ready, no matter what?

 

     Max! But what if something happens or we break up or something?

 

     I think you know we'll both never want to leave each other. I have no reason, and never will.

     Well, of course I'll make that promise! And they were happy in each other's arms, for the moment, anyways...

 

---

 

     Later that night, after Max and Emily parted ways, Max discovered a note stuck on the guardrail of his porch. Meet me at the lake at 8:00, we'll go for a swim. Love, Emily. Seeing as it was already 7:45, Max hurried to get ready, and raced down to Lake Kingston.

 

     Emily stood at the shore in her swimsuit, ready for her romantic encounter with Max. As soon as he got there, she planted a kiss on his cheek and they ran into the water, the sun setting on the far shore. Swimming around, they played happily until Emily stopped.

 

     What's up, Em? You're quitting?

 

     No, I'm not tired, but I can't move...

 

     Well, what's wrong then?

 

     Emily looked down into the water and noticed a tugging at her foot.

 

     No...It can't...that's not...

 

     What's wrong?

 

     My foot's stuck! It's wrapped around this heavy thing and I can't get it out! What if I'm stranded here?

 

     They both panicked, and after having a quick look down, Max broke Emily the news.

 

     ...We can't move your foot. It's stuck in an anchor, and it weighs a ton. I'm not sure what's going to happen...

 

     Could this be Max and Emily's last time together? Stay tuned to find out!

 

---

 

     As always, comments are welcome and encouraged. Thanks for all the support, and welcome to page 4!

 

Jamie

[SC4 meister 7]

WHY YOU LIL...    What's gonna happen?!?!?![:0]  UPDATE!!!!!  Good work dude, even if I did wish you would NOT BREAK THE POOR GUY'S HEART FOR ONCE!

[RadioheadFan 1]

Meister: Hehehe...it's an RHF CJ, what did you expect? Honestly though, the next story ends happily, so I suppose everyone can stop thinking about slitting their wrists. If any readers have seen the movie Sideways, with Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, and Sandra Oh, then you know what the inspiration for the next story is. Just no wine.

 

Jamie

[Fairlane500 8]

Quite interesting, if not, how to say it, abrubt. Though, I am wondering how an anchor came to be in the lake. (Of course there is a locomotive at the bottom of the lake near me)

Anyways, I can't wait to see how tragic this ends up, or maybe, just possibly, you'll pull a fst one on us at the last moment.

[PhilsCafe 8]

And I thought the proposal would be the end... An anchor, huh. Quite an unexpected twist in this story, I'm curious about what happens next.

Great writing again.

- Phil

[RadioheadFan 1]

Fairlane: Actually, long, long ago, Lake Kingston was linked by the Kingston River to the ocean, and when a trading post was established, freighters came in to pick up and drop off goods. One day, a ship hit a rather large rock protruding from the lake, and sank to the bottom. The anchor had never been found, and was suspected to have been carried away by the strong currents to the ocean, until Emily got her foot stuck. A great find for the historical community, not so good for Emily. Thanks for the comment, anyhow!

PhilsCafe: Hey, I still have some tricks up my sleeve... We'll see what happens in the last chapter, hopefully arriving tonight.

All: Thanks for all the support, and I sure love to see those comments, keep bringing them in!

Jamie

[Nardo69 51]

I knew somehow something like this would happen ... was all too nice ...

But now I am again hanging in the cliff and waiting for the next update!!!

Nardo

[Deathtoall 28]

The unpredictableness of RHF's cjs is back! But they seemed perfect for each other! You shouldn't go overboard here though!

 

Loving it all! Nice work, ok i guess i am more of option b

 

 

[Bookworm 1]

Must... follow... amazing... CJ...
Really, this is great! Don't kill Emily though, I liked her...
What happened to the parents and sister? Keep going!

[RadioheadFan 1]

Hey guys, sorry for no update, my Internet has been shot until now. Hopefully if homework doesn't get in the way I can answer your comments and update tonight!

Jamie

[Fairlane500 8]

Looking forward to it. I'll be doing homework for a while, so I might get to see it while I'm working.

[RadioheadFan 1]

Fairlane: I sure hope you do, I've got one final twist planned...

---

 

Chapter 8: Rise and Fall, Part 2

 

     Alright, I'm going to swim back for help. You just try to keep afloat with as little energy as possible. I love you! 15 year old Max Young's life had been full of mountains and valleys for the past 24 hours. Coming off a promise from his girlfriend to marry him in the future, all the way to her foot being stuck in an anchor in Lake Kingston.

 

     Anyone would have crumbled under the stress. But not unlike the burst of strength that allows anguished mothers to lift fallen trees off their children, Max received a burst of adrenaline coming with the urgency of Emily's situation. Sprinting in his swimming trunks down Main Street, Max arrived at the Fire Hall out of breath.

 

     Mrs. Lewis, the friendly receptionist, asked him, Max, why are you out of breath in your swimming trunks? After he explained the situation, she called for all the force on hand and advised him to get back to Emily as fast as possible, leaving him with the parting words, You stay with that girl, and hold her tight, Max Young!

 

---

 

     Within minutes, the siren came blaring towards Lake Kingston, and Emily, stranded in the water. Come on guys, let's move! They were doing their job; Max felt inclined to get out of the way. Wading in the lake with heavy equipment, trying to free Emily of her underwater prison, Max could only stand at the side and watch.

 

     30 minutes passed with no success. Axes couldn't chop, chainsaws couldn't saw, no machinery could operate. The men were left to try and weaken the anchor with their own hands, and it had only given way a little, when the Chief, Mr. Macintyre, got something to give. Guys, I think it's breaking. Give it your all, we might be able to get it off of her! After 5 more minutes, which to Max seemed like hours, the anchor finally broke, and Emily was free.

 

     OH, MAX! She rushed into his arms and stayed there forever, relishing the ground, and the air, and life in general.  After getting some blankets to warm up, they cuddled together in the back seat of Mr. Macintyre's car. Alright kids, I'll take you home. Where to?

 

     You can take us both to Max's house, by the Stratton Biotech warehouse.

 

     OK then, will do.

 

     They sat in the back, still not believing that everything was alright. A miracle, when suddenly-

 

CRASH! BOOM! BANG! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

 

     When pulling around the corner, a drunk driver had came barreling around into the front end of Mr. Macintyre's car at 150 miles an hour. Max and Emily were wearing their seatbelts in the backseat, but were pelted by broken glass and metal. Also, the impact flung them back in their seats, causing severe injury. Mr. Macintyre was killed.

 

     Within minutes, Kingston PD and an ambulance were on the scene. Max and Emily were brought to Kingston General, where doctors waited for a sign, a signal, anything that meant life. Laying there, survival hanging in the balance, both teenagers didn't even know what was going on.

 

     The clock noted every minute like a warning, you doctors better pull a rabbit out of your hats, because you're running out of time. All that remained of Max and Emily's lives were their carotid pulses, the last pulses you lose before you die, and even they were very faint. Shocking didn't work, and at 11:01 p.m., they were both pronouced dead, less than an hour after being pulled out of the lake.

 

     Looking back, you have to wonder if what happened was karma, coincidence, or just another random, senseless pair of casualties in the world. When you think about it, in reality, Max and Emily got what they both wanted: to be together forever.

 

---

 

     Comments? They'd be appreciated. Thanks for all the support, and thanks for helping Lifelines get to its 100th reply!

 

Jamie

[SC4 meister 7]

  AWESOME!  Pure RHF style!  Just when you think all is good, CRASH! BOOM! BANG! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! you realize that it's not, pure genious dude, sweetness!  At least you didn't break his heart, rofl.  I MUST say it again, AWESOME!

[RadioheadFan 1]

Meister: Hehe...I didn't realize I had developed a distinct style...but
I suppose at some point, all my stories have to feature a big CRASH! at one point or another. They're just so fun to type! Thanks for all those compliments, and I'll say it again, thanks!

All: Keep those comments comin'! BTW, forgot to mention this, next short story should start tomorrow or Tuesday. Hope you're excited!

Jamie

[Bookworm 1]

Do all your stories end like this? I don't understand why you had to kill them off this way. You spent all that time building up they're relationship, then you kill them? I think that's a mean way to end a story.

[RadioheadFan 1]

Bookworm: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Did you ever stop to consider that maybe all that time spent building the relationship was to make it come crashing down? I respect your opinion, but most of my stories end this way, yes, and you could have put it a little more nicely. Thanks for the comment, and I hope my response doesn't spin you the wrong way, I'm not trying to be mean.

Jamie

[Darmok 34]

Hummmm, I smell a sequel here!

The life of Max and Emily in heaven! Think about it! this could be a whole new concept!

It was fun reading it, after all this ain't a Tchekov novel, though sometimes you can be dramatic!

Stay true to your style Jamie!

[Fairlane500 8]

Definetely not what I expected, but then, who would expect the norm from you, RHF?

I can't wait to see what the next story is, at this point, I could care less if the next story was about a groundhog in a small New Hampshire community, you could still make it something worth reading.

 

In fact, you've inspired me to put some more emotional additions into Rolling Down the Railroad, which I am also finally updating again. Look for them coming soon.

[RadioheadFan 1]

Darmok: Hmmm...maybe...I'll think about it. It's actually a really good idea, but I'm not sure if I could creat heaven in SC4... Thanks for the comment, and although truth isn't always one of my strengths, I'll try!

Fairlane: What a coincidence, I was just checking out your latest update! (Nice touch with the World's Fair reference, BTW.) As for your actual comment, I thought the twist would be surprising enough...still ended like an RHF story though. Also, I think now that you've mentioned it, I'll have to include groundhogs somewhere in the first update of the new story...we'll see what I can do. Thanks for the comment, and I'll be sure to leave one in Rolling Down the Railroad, which everyone should go check out.

All: Here's a pic of the work I've done so far in the new region...hope you like!

 

Jamie  

[Fairlane500 8]

RHF: Thanks for the recommendation, I really appreciate it. And in response to trhe region picture, I have to say that it looks really good. Reminds me of somewhere in Northern Washington along Puget Sound. I'll be looking forward to seeing how you can fit that groundhog in.

[SC4 meister 7]

Date: 9/18/2005 8:43:37 PM Author: Bookworm Do all your stories end like this? I don't understand why you had to kill them off this way. You spent all that time building up they're relationship, then you kill them? I think that's a mean way to end a story.

quote>

 

You mean that, even with the title, and the fact that we are reading RHF you actualy expected this to end all happy-like?[:0]  He almost always does this, in fact, I know for a fact, his was going to end this much more heart-breaking, but becayse of private conversations between him and one of his fans, he changed it up a lil, but not much, lol.  One thing you must realize, writers get VERY boring if they always keep all the main charaters alive and happy, you need to kill them off now and then which, although it is heart wrenching, it adds a LOT more suspense, keep you glued to your seat.  Think of his stories as a play-action-pass, you have to run with it every now and then, even if it doesn't get you much of anywhere, otherwise you'll never fake the defense, running it keeps them, (or us in this example) on our toes, and closer to the ball, so that when he goes deep, he can go deeeeep, and we'll just sit here [:0][:0][:0]WOW, watching him complete the perfect touchdown.  So, KEEP UP THE AWESOME WRITING RHF!  Can't wait to see what you do with the groundhog!  Sweet region btw dude!

[PhilsCafe 8]

It was an RHF end indeed but still quite unexpected. Who would have thought that they both would die in a car crash...

But I must say, you have ended this story in the best way possible, Jamie. You didn't even have to break their hearts. Altgough they have all the bad luck in the end, it's still sort of a happy end...

The region looks nice so far too. Especially the mountains in the northern part of the map.

- Phil

[Nardo69 51]

Everlastaing love is always the not fulfilled one since RLS doesn't allow the great love for a lifetime ...
but it gives you a nice and warm feeling to be next to the one you love...

That was really a rollercoaster Jamie!!! Is this German paraphrase existing in english to drive on a rollercoaster with his/her feeling ...?

Great story! Now: what will follow?

Nardo

[Bookworm 1]

Sorry, RHF. I didn't mean to insult you or anything, I just think it was a bad way to end a story. It dosen't mean I don't like it or anything, it just seems sorta wrong. You never did say what happened to the parents though...

[dhoppeii 12]

Quite an enjoyable short story Jamie.  I look forward to the next.  I too, like many here, didn't expect the ending that you gave us, which I believe makes the story that much better.  Always a pleasure to read an RHF story....

[RadioheadFan 1]

Fairlane: No problem. Thanks for the comment, and although I've never been to Northern Washington, I'm glad to see that you think it looks good.

Meister: All I can say is thanks for the back-up. And the ideas.

Phil: Hehe...I'm happy it was unexpected. Glad you think it was the best way to end it, and thanks for the comments about the story and region!

Nardo: Thanks for the comment. What I think you mean might be a rollercoaster ride? I'm not sure, but understand what was implied, so thanks.

Bookworm: Hey, no need to apologize, I'm just trying to keep the negative energy out of here. I guess you mean dark and menacing, and you would be right, but you never know...the parents were just a side story for that update. Both recovered well, and were mourning the loss of Max and Emily.

Dan: Thanks for the comment. Glad to see that I bring some pleasure into your otherwise mundane day.

     But strangely enough, this one was such a favourite of mine, I couldn't bring myself to end it like that. So...

---

 

Chapter 9: Aftermath

 

     Looking back, you have to wonder if what happened was karma, coincidence, or just another random, senseless pair of casualties in the world. When you think about it, in reality, Max and Emily got what they both wanted: to be together forever.

 

forever...

 

forever...

 

forever...

 

(told from Max's point of view)

 

     I awoke under a bright light, surrounded in comfortable sheets and men in blue suits. For what had seemed like eternity, I had dreamed of Emily, and staying with her until we died. But now, as I looked around, I felt twinges of pain, and saw Emily beside me, bandaged up like an Egyptian mummy. Why were we in the hospital?

 

     A doctor came up to me and broke the news: I had been in a car crash, and pronouced legally dead, along with Emily. Feeling shocked, the first words out of my mouth were: How's Emily?

 

     She's OK, pretty much the same wounds as you. You both should be out of here within 2 weeks.

 

     He slipped me a muscle relaxant, and once again, I was drifting among the quilts, thinking of the future.

 

---

 

6 Years Later

    

     It was a lovely Sunday afternoon as I changed out of my jeans and into my Armani tuxedo. Hard to believe that I was now 21 years old, about to get married to the woman of my dreams, my high school sweetheart, and still bearing scars from the accident that had nearly stolen our lives.

 

     Without further ado, I walked out, down the aisle, and waited for Emily to come through the door in her gown. And she came, in all her beautiful glory. The sun reflected off her veil, and her eyes sparkled in the light. My eyes welled up with tears, but it was a wedding; did I really expect them to stay dry?

 

     The ceremony proceeded, my hand in hers, our new rings on each other's hands, when the moment I had been dreaming of since I had met her, kissed her, held her, lived with her and died with her. Max Young, do you take this woman to be your wife?

 

     I do.

 

FIN

 

---

 

     No parting comment this time. Thanks, guys.

 

Jamie

 

 

[dhoppeii 12]

Jamie, you are killin' me.....That was brilliant.....!

[RadioheadFan 1]

Dan: Hey, thanks, but I don't deserve all the credit...after a quick chat with a fellow ST member who will remain unnamed, Chapter 9 was born. Thanks for the comment!

Jamie

[Fairlane500 8]

Boy, what a surprise that was, you really had us going there. A classic RHF twist, again.

What a way to end an ending. Is that actually such a thing?

 

Anyways, I'll be eagerly looking forward to chapter one of the next story.

 

Oh, and before I go, good luck to Max and Emily on their life together, may no more incidents ruin their existance.