Chapter 1.3: Falling Leaves in Summer

In the early hours of the morning, Fern wakes up with a start. A terrible pain is clawing at her stomach, and I realize her hunger bar is practically empty. The apple and lime trees that are close by are bare of fruit.

I quickly send her into town on a taxi. There’s barely any Sims around, and the only sounds are the soft swishes of a few cars, and the rustle of the wind. With each minute that passes, her Plumbob deepens in shade.

Hogan’s Deep-Fried Diner is the cheapest place Fern can get a hot meal. Luckily, it’s open all day. I’m not a fan of getting Fern to dine out, because I want to save up for a proper house, but it’s necessary.

The light pink of dawn is beginning to seep into the sky when Fern finally appears, her hunger finally satisfied.

However, Fern only managed a couple hour’s sleep the night before and despite what I had vowed yesterday, I send her to the park. While she sleeps the morning away, I hope no one spots her.

Around midday, Fern arises with her stomach grumbling a little. I’ll remind you that Fern was always used to three meals a day in Moonlight Falls. A couple of random Sims look like they are about to have a picnic, so Fern makes a beeline towards them.

However, the guy packs up his picnic basket just as she’s about to grab a plate! Noooo. I think maybe the townies have heard of Fern’s food-kleptomaniac ways and are playing it safe.

A slightly hungry belly is not going to stop Fern, though. For the rest of the day, she works out at the gym. I admire her determination. Luckily for her, I see that during her shift at the bookstore, her hunger bar was filled. Perhaps someone has been giving out a treat to their fellow co-workers.

As evening sets in, Fern heads to the park again. I see that she is set on some late night fishing, perhaps the splashes of minnows in the ponds have reminded her of food.

Ouch. Looks like she’s taken a fall.

Before long, Fern manages to catch five minnows. I am actually quite surprised because she’s never been fishing before, as far as I can tell. It’s around ten now, and the lights of the stores glow nearby. It reminds me of how I’m not letting her buy any food, despite her having earned about 600 Simoleons so far, because I’m planning on Fern buying a tent.

However, when Fern tries to cook her fish at the park, the grills don’t seem to be working. So I send her back to the beach, which I think that Fern is developing a fondness for, even though she Hates the Outdoors. Maybe she’s changing.

Fern’s pretty exhausted from her little fishing trip, so I decide that she needs to have a lot of sleep, quick. Before I can do that, however, a certain someone decides to call with very inconvenient timing.

…

When Fern finishes chatting, I suddenly notice that her hygiene bar is very low. Since there’s no shower in close vicinity, Fern takes to the sea in an attempt to wash the grime off her.

The sea doesn’t exactly give Fern a bath, but I do notice that the hygiene bar has stopped dropping. I also see that she is happily swimming around, and her Plumbob has turned a nice shade of green! Is it possible that a love for the sea is beginning to awaken inside her?

Or perhaps it’s the beautiful full moon sinking to the west.

When morning arrives, I have to get Fern to a shower quickly. The nearest one is at the public pools.

Fern is so dirty, a green fume is wafting after her! I’m glad no one is around…

I’m happy when she finally gets to the shower, and all her hygiene goes up, but there’s another worry that has been showing up more frequently these days. Fern is starving.

Fern is thinking of the best place to go for food when a late-night conversation gives her an idea. She hops on a taxi to Xander Clavell’s house.

Upon arriving Fern sees that his home is a nice-sized two storey villa. Despite my misgivings about Xander, I have to admit his house is kind of pretty.

It seems that Xander did not expect Fern’s arrival, but to his credit he does invite her inside. From the look on his face, however, it’s clear he’s heard Fern’s stomach grumbling.

Fern heads straight towards the kitchen in search for a quick meal. It seems that Xander’s elderly parents have noticed. They tell her she’s being inappropriate, but Fern does not care. All she sees is the abundance of food in the fridge!

I think the elderly man is the one from the gym, whom Fern was rude to… uh oh. How bad luck. Let’s hope he does not remember that incident!

After a while, though, the Clavell family forget about the stranger in their house. Fern is relieved and enjoys some delicious bread and jam, while nearby Bessie Clavell chats about great white sharks, making Fern choke.

After she finishes, Fern looks at the mother-son pair as they talk away. Mrs. Clavell reminds her a little of her grandmother, who had the same type of warm energy before she fell sick and passed away.

I send her upstairs in the hope that she can catch a few Z’s without anyone noticing. However, it’s hard getting to sleep, with two neighbor Sims having a shouting match on the street outside.

Before Fern can even get a couple of minute’s slumber, Mr. Clavell deems her as too inappropriate and kicks Fern out. From the look on her face, she’s getting pretty cranky. But she doesn’t say a word.

As she leaves, Fern hopes that Xander will at least say goodbye to her. Her wish is not fufilled. He’s too engrossed in his book.

Today is a lovely day, and the beach is filled with kids playing in the sand and teens splashing each other in the water. Fern does try get a nap on one of the sun loungers, but the appearance of a creepy man jolts her awake.

At least the sunset is as breathtaking as always.

I try find something fun for Fern to do, as the whole town seems bent on keeping her awake. As she walks by the theater after work, she hears music pounding from behind the doors. I investigate and I see that there is a free concert going on, so I send her inside. Despite my multiple attempts at giving her a social evening, a crying baby keeps on driving her out.

Both of us are getting irritated by now, and I guess exhaustion is clouding her mind. So I’m not surprised when Fern walks to the big bin and proceeds with ‘Dumpster Diving’. Her hygiene instantly drops as she jumps in head-first into the stinking rubbish, and all she finds is some random rock, and a spider.

We both want Fern to sleep, but starvation and the terrible fumes curling off her keep her awake the whole night. Things are going downhill rapidly, and I think this is the worst Fern has felt so far.

Even a night swim in the ocean and the sighting of a mermaid does not help her.

The next morning I can see that my Sim is in a really, really bad state. So I’m ecstatic when I check out the park and see that lots of families have decided to have a picnic today!

Fern stuffs herself with hot dogs, watermelon and juice, but she’s still zombie-dead on her feet. The happy family playing and shouting excitedly in front of her is not helping.

She even smells so bad that other Sims cover their noses when they pass by!

I try make Fern brew a cup of double soy latte with sprinkles, but it also does not give her any energy.

Eventually, Fern just passes out.