MURKLAND - WEDNESDAY - CHAPTER 11

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Well, the next day, I was still disturbed by the events of the night before. And oh my plumbobs! That "thing" was still on the table when I got up. I wonder who left it there...if it wasn't Mad Mud, then who?

Before I have a chance to collect my thoughts, the Burner Campers come running over. Dusty is almost out of breath when she asks me what happened last night.

And Lavender Pink is staring at the voodoo doll on the table.
"Oh my gosh, you found it! Did Mad Mud have it? No...?
Jeep Girl is shaking her head.
"...and you just found it here? So creepy....I have to get rid of it!....."

And before I could stop her, Jeep Girl grabs the voodoo doll, runs over to the bonfire, and hurls the voodoo doll into the fire!

"Uh, Jeep Girl, there could have been a little part of me still in there. I could have been burned!"

"Ooopsies! My bad!"

Dusty chimes in, "Nah....it wasn't bound to you, Kate, it's eyes weren't green. I did some research at the library, too! But who cares now...it's gone...good riddance!"

I then tell them everything that happened at Mad Mud's place, including being eaten by a cowplant! 

They are shocked, and Lavender Pink tells me that cowplants are supposed to be extinct. Uhhh...how did Mad Mud get one? Who knows...strange things happen at the Mad Mud Abode!

But then they remember the REAL reason they came over. There is a dance competition on Saturday! Yes, the prestigious Freezer Bunny Dance Off! They have entered the competition, and since they needed four sims in the dance crew, they entered me, too!

What? But I can't dance! Jeep Girl, Lavender Pink and Dusty Boots are amazing dancers, but, me...well...I'm a klutz.

Dusty says that I am good. She has seen me dance. Plus, our friend Millennia is helping with the choreography and getting us awe-sim dance crew outfits.
"It'll be fun, Kate. And they'll be all these celebrities there and the prizes....oh wait until I tell you about the prizes. Come on we're going over to the Festival Grounds to practice."

And so Jeep Girl, Lavender Pink and Dusty Boots convince me that without me they can't enter the contest. 

"You'll be fantastic, Kate! And we picked out a really neat name ~ the Murky Fire Dancers! Isn't that so very murky?", Jeep Girl says enthusiastically.

So, I agree to join them in the dance competition and they all jump and shout for joy! We then go over and practice our "moves" at the Festival grounds. Millennia is already there and we practice nearly all day.

As the afternoon ticks away, I could tell Millennia was getting tired. She tells Dusty that her back is hurting her and she needs a break. Millennia has to head over to the Murkland Mercantile Co. store anyway to pick up our dance crew uniforms, so we all decide to head home.
"Practice, practice, practice, Kate," shouts Lavender Pink.

And so back at my lot, that is exactly what I do. I decide to practice one of the dance numbers first....

Ouwee...I poke myself right in the eye.

Then I decide to practice the baton light twirling. Seemed easy enough when Millennia showed me.

Oh murky...they make me dizzy. BONK right on the head!

 Next, the fire dance. Step, step, twirl... step, step, twirl... doing good so far....

One - two - three - throw and twirl ...and then....

I light my arm on fire....sheesh...

How am I ever going to do this? Why did they pick me to be in their dance crew with them? The dance competition is two days away! I am so NOT ready. Oh murky, murky me!

The next night, I get a surprise visit from the Burner campers.

They tell me that they had gone over to check out the Nukecrest Out Back Bar, to kind of get the layout of the bar, and they had some unsettling news to tell me.

I suddenly felt alarmed. 
"Everybody's alright aren't they? Nobody's injured. Right?"

"No, no, nothing like that", said Dusty Boots.
Then they were all talking at once and telling me that Partihaus had been there. I had no idea who Partihaus was. They told me that Partihaus were the reigning dance champs. They won the Freezer Bunny Dance Off last year, the year before that, and the year before that. Well, the truth is, they won every year.

"But, Kate, we found out something else," whispered Lavender Pink, "Paolo has joined Partihaus this year and he is the best dancer in Windenberg!"

"Paolo? Like, my worse date Paolo?"

"Kate, we came over to tell you, so you would be prepared. Are you ok? Kate?.... Kate?"

I guess I better practice some more then! Prepare to get murky Paolo! Woot!

MURKLAND - TUESDAY - CHAPTER 10

SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME

Do you ever get that weird feeling that no matter where you go, no matter what you do, that you are being watched? Well, ever since last night, when Karim told me about the voodoo spell on me, I have been on edge.

I had some time before I had to meet Karim at the gym, so I decided to call over Dusty Boots, Jeep Girl and Lavender Pink and tell them what happened on my date.

Of course, they were all pretty ecstatic about how great my date went with Karim and that it was SO amazing that I had brought Scar back to life! Totally awe-sim! I felt like a simhero!

However, Jeep Girl seemed more interested in my date with Karim..."So, um, Kate, I thought you had a crush on Veegan...is Paolo still in the picture...and did...well, did you and Karim smoocheroo...he chewed on your hat? Ok! Woot!"

But then I told them about the voodoo curse, and they got scared.
"Yikes, Kate, who would be mischievous enough to do that to you?"

"Is voodoo contagious? No?"

"Kate, I know what you have to do....I think I know who did it...and I have a plan to find out!"

Lavender Pink then goes into great detail on "the plan." Dusty almost drops her plate of food when she hears it.

[Flashback to the night before]

From the story that I told, Lavender Pink figures that it is one of two sims who put voodoo on me at The Puffer Dome. The first is Scar...but he was kind of dying, so nada on that choice. The second suspect, and most likely mischief maker, is Mad Mud (see him hiding behind the Grim Reaper)

"ummm....Kate did you do something to Mad Mud to have him do this to you?"

I had no idea. They talk about it further, and the three of them agree that I should go and visit Mad Mud at his house later...."you know, kind of drop in and say hi"...and look for clues.

You want me to do what? Alone? I really didn't like the idea, but agree to go. 

After chatting a bit further, they all head home. I still don't know much about voodoo and decide to do some research at the library.

When I arrive at the library, it's pretty quiet. This was probably a nice place once, but like everything in Murkland, it is overgrown.

 I enter the building and head up to the second floor...

But before I can even get started on finding a book on voodoo, the librarian comes up to me and says that to use the library, I have to contribute $100 simoleons towards the cost of a barrista.

$100 simoleons seems a bit steep to pay for a cup of java, but hey, what's a sim to do? I needed to find out about voodoo, and anyway, I hadn't had caffeine in a long time, so no problem.

I then chat up the librarian and ask if he has any books on voodoo.

Hmmm....he thinks he does and shows me the section on mischief.

He then tells me that voodoo is ancient and it is still practiced in Murkland!

While I am waiting for my cup of Joe, I find out that with a voodoo doll, any Sim who knows you can put a "binding spell" on a voodoo doll. This means that the mischief sim can do things to the voodoo doll that will affect the targeted sim's emotions in real life...but they both have to be on the same lot.

"Hmmm...well, that makes sense, it has to be Mad Mud. We both were at the Puffer Dome."

I keep reading and find out that you need a Level 5 in Mischief and then the mischief sim can "soak" the voodoo doll and the targeted sim will be put in a dazed state.

"OMG! that was me!" But where is this doll and what does it look like?

As I turn the page...right there...smack dab in the middle of the page was a picture of the voodoo doll. I now knew what I had to look for at Mad Mud's house!

I get so immersed in my reading....ok...and sipping my cafe, that I almost forget that I had to meet Karim at the gym! Oh my plumbobs! I have to get out of here!

Luckily the gym was right next door. Oh look, that must be where the librarian sleeps. I guess he has to guard the books.

I get there, and I must be early, because I don't see Karim anywhere. So, I decide to go inside and look around.

The first thing I see is a little box full of wonderful items, so I decide to root through it.

There is a bar area and I decide to mix some lemonade, which is the cheapest thing on the menu at $56 simoleons! Gee, this day is costing me - big time!

The place is called "What's Left of the Gym" and I can see why...grass growing all over the place...

and the restroom...well, you can't even use anything...back to the outhouse bush!

Karim is here! Yeah! And he shows me how to take some basketball shots. Of course Don is here, too, giving me advice. Go away Don, Karim is here to show me...sheesh!

Karim has hired a trainer to help me with my workout.

Joaquin and Forest Tree look at my technique and tell me that I am looking fit!

Avani comes over and tells me to get murky and hit it! I'm getting murky all right thinking about Mad Mud doing voodoo on me! My workout is so good that I increase my fitness level to 3 plus I make a new friend! Yes!

Oh my gosh! I had no idea it was so late! Karim comes over then, and even though I am tempted to tell him that I am going on a secret recon mission, we hug and say our goodbyes.

I run all the way and I am at Mad Mud's Abode in no time...and he is at home!
"Uhhh....hi Mad Mud...just came by to see how you are doing..."

Mad Mud invites me in, or rather, invites me to a balcony.

We chat a bit and I tell him I have been working out at the gym. He tells me I am looking very impressive.

He suddenly whirls around and tells me he will be right back. Do you think I scared him?

Well, he's gone...so now's my chance...I search everywhere, and open every trunk...ah shucks! Nothing!

I see some stairs going up and then I see Mad Mud....and...some type of plant...or animal..I don't know what it is.

"Oh Kate, I am so happy you came up. I want you to meet my pet....Cowie. He's a rare cowplant and he sure likes you..."

"Kate...I find you fascinating...you are not like the other Murklanders... I have always found you to be adventurous... join me... here... stay... stay with me..."

Uhhh....I think that Mad Mud is hitting on me, so I play it cool!
"Sure, for a little while..."

Mad Mud tells me he is going downstairs and that I should get acquainted with Cowie.

"ummm....Hi Cowie.....wanna play?" 

This Cowie is actually making me a bit nervous...

...I mean have you seen his mouth?

Oh....what's this? Chocolate cake?

"Hey Mad Mud...I think your Cowie likes me, he's offering me some chocolate cake...Oh yum!...."

And before I know what is happening...I get GULPED by Cowie. 

"Hey Mad.....Mad Mud....help...I need your help here....your Cowie just ate me...help!" 
Oh my gosh, what am I going to do? Am I going to die? I start beating my fists against Cowie's mouth...

And then....well, I guess you could say I was regurgitated and end up in a pile of green slime ....YUCK!

Oh my Gosh! This is MURKY! So Gross!

"Hey, Mad Mud...I'm ok...your Cowie is now giving me some milk..." Should I drink it?

I look all around and finally find Mad Mud swimming in the murk and he's giving me this creepy kind of smile. Mad Mud then starts talking lovingly about grilled cheese and I really, REALLY think it's time for me to go.

"Ummm...Mad Mud...I'll see you around..."

...and I run as fast as I can out of there...

When I get back to my lot....I see something lying on the picnic table, and it looks like....OMG....a voodoo doll...

How did this get here? Oh murky! It wasn't Mad Mud afterall!