A Change in Heart: Part Two

      She looked over the bed next to hers and sighed, seeing Lesley's bed empty. Well, empty except for that annoying Mazzew of hers, who was sleeping comfortably on the pillow. Seeing the sleeping Dolly reminded Mimi of her own petpet, Snuggles. She looked over at her Snowbunny's petpet bed, and smiled, seeing him fast asleep.

      With that, the Wocky had turned and skipped down the stairs, ready for a good, hearty breakfast. Boy was she in for a surprise.

      Sitting at the kitchen table, eating what seemed to be the last of the Fried Eggs that had been breakfast, was Matt. He grinned, as he stuffed a gooey bite into his mouth. "Finally," he scoffed, rather rudely, at his sister.

      "Well, I was taking my time. What's the rush, anyway?" snapped Mimi in response. She was tired and hungry, and not in the mood to deal with Matt.

      "We didn't want to leave without you," Marsha explained. "In case you had changed your mind, you know, over night." Vaguely, Mimi remembered the family's plans to go to the Lost Desert, and how she had resented to going.

      Gruffly, she frowned. "No I have not changed my mind. I'm not going," snorted Mimi, quite smugly. She was sure this would put an end to Matt's fun.

      Lesley, who been silently finishing her breakfast, laughed. "Good," she commented. "One less passenger to pay for. We're going on the Eyrie Express, and it costs an awful lot. Ten-thousand neopoints per passenger for a trip to the Lost Desert and back!"

      "What?" croaked the pink Wocky, still astonished that her family would really leave her alone as they enjoyed themselves in the Lost Desert.

      "Are you really that slow? Look. The Eyries fly you where you want to go, and back, too, if you want. But they don't do it for free. Even they aren't that thick. So, if you don't go, that saves Marsha ten-thousand neopoints!" explained Lesley, in the matter-of-fact voice she used so often.

      Mimi shook her head. "You mean you're really going to leave me here, all alone?" she asked. Marsha nodded.

      "What Lesley said," Marsha said cheerfully. "It's expensive, and if you don't want to go, you don't have to. I can't force you to, after all. Especially as it's so costly. I actually am glad you can stay home and take care of Dolly and Snuggles. Can you imagine those two loose in the house…alone?"

      Mimi still didn't quite understand. Marsha, her owner Marsha, was going to leave her home ALONE with just a Mazzew and a Snowbunny? She wasn't worried that she'd wreck the house, or something along those lines?

      "You do still want to stay home, don't you?" asked Marsha, still smiling from ear to ear.

      "Yup," replied the Wocky, without a moment's hesitation. Upon hearing this, Lesley and Matt cheered quietly, and shared a suspicious looking grin.

      Marsha ran over to her pet and gave her a hug. "I trust you, Mimi," she said, proudly, hugging her pet so tightly she could barely breathe. "Now, listen closely. Make sure you feed Dolly and Snuggles. Their food is up in your room, like it always is. Now, there's food in the kitchen. Sandwiches, salad, fruit, even ice cream, if you like! Just don't go overboard."

      At the sound of that, Mimi giggled quietly as she imagined eating a giant ice cream for lunch. Marsha didn't notice, though, and continued her lecture. "We won't be back until after dinner, but there will still be plenty of food for you. We should be back no later than 9:30."

      Marsha's pink Wocky nodded in response. After the siblings exchanged hugs (forced to by Marsha, of course), Marsha, Lesley, and Matt left for the Eyrie Express. However, before they left, Mimi got a last joke at her sister.

      "Hey, Marsha," she said in a rather silly tone. "You'd save yourself thirty-thousand neopoints if you all flew on Lesley's back. Her pretty little wings are strong enough, aren't they?" The faerie Wocky blushed furiously, and quickly ran ahead of her owner and brother. It was a well known fact that Lesley was a terrible flyer.

      As she gave one last laugh, Mimi waved to her family and shut the door tightly behind them. She locked it, as Marsha had reminded her to before they left. She let out a sigh, and walked back to the kitchen to get herself some well-deserved breakfast.

      She looked through the cupboards and the fridge, and spotted some ice cream. "Hey," she thought aloud. "Maybe that's not such a bad idea." She grabbed the ice cream, and ran to the Living Room happily.

     --

      Several hours later, Mimi was laying on her bed, with quite a bad stomach ache. "I hate ice cream," she moaned, after she had finished all the ice cream in the Neohome. She clutched her pudgy belly and groaned.

      Although at the moment she wasn't feeling her best, she was enjoying being home alone. Her family still would not be home for several hours, so the day was hers.

      As soon as she had gotten over her stomach ache, Mimi decided to go outside. It was a nice day, although a few clouds seemed to be moving towards the sun. All the same, it was nice enough for Mimi.

      The pink Wocky looked around the yard until her eyes fell upon the bouncy ball Matt liked to play with. He wasn't there now, though, so she could use it all she wanted to. With this thought in mind, she picked up the ball and began to throw it in the air.

      She skipped around in circles, catching it and throwing it again. Although it was amusing for a minute or two, Mimi was still bored. "It's not the same to use Matt's stuff, if he isn't here to suffer for it," she sighed.

      Mimi looked around the yard again, but then felt a raindrop. She looked up to see a sky littered with clouds, and more raindrops on the way. The Wocky covered her head as she ran inside. She shut the backyard door tightly, and looked out the window as the sky darkened.

      As she shook the water off her fur, Mimi nervously shivered. It was cold, very cold. The pink Wocky's teeth chattered and she looked around to find a jacket. "Oh great," she mumbled, putting on a warm purple jacket of Marsha's.

      "They won't be back for…" Mimi paused, as she ran to the Living Room to get a look at the grandfather clock. "Six more hours," she howled, as she glared at the clock reading 3:00.

      "Why didn't I just go along?" she asked herself as she cuddled on the couch. Why did I have to be so selfish?" No one offered her a reply, and she sat in the Living Room in silence for a few minutes. Then, all of a sudden, the lights went out.

      Mimi let out a terrified screech. She reached her paws out, trying to find something to hold on to. She was unsuccessful and ended up falling onto the carpet floor.

      To her delight, the lights began to flicker on. They were dim, and barely illuminated the room, but she was grateful for them as they were. As she picked herself back onto the couch, she heard a wail from upstairs.

      For a moment, Mimi thought someone was in the Neohome. Then, she realized what she was hearing. "It must be Snuggles or Dolly," she thought out loud, as she carefully ran up the stairs.

      She pushed open the door to her bedroom as soon as she got up the stairs. Through the faded light, she could make out something on Lesley's bed. "Dolly?" Mimi asked softly. The Mazzew was crying, no doubt for Lesley. With a groan, Mimi waddled over to the petpet.

      "It's okay," said the Wocky, cradling the Mazzew in her arms as she lay on her sister's bed. "I'm here for you, Dolly, girl. It'll be alright." She couldn't help but smile as she reassured Dolly.

      Then Mimi heard her own petpet stir from his bed. "Snuggles?" she asked, looking over to Snuggles' bed. Still carrying Dolly, she walked over to her own bed. There, her Snowbunny hopped up and into her arms.

      The pink Wocky held the two petpets close to her, trying to keep them and herself warm. "I can't do this for six more hours," she told herself and the petpets. "I just can't." Dolly purred and Snuggles remained silent.

      "I know what I'll do," Mimi said, still talking to herself. "I'll go to the Lost Desert. Right now, right now," she mumbled as she rested her head on the pillow behind her. As she comforted Dolly and Snuggles, she began to develop her plan.

To be continued...