A Gambler's Pet

by qt_gurl_30000

"Nope, we will try again. SingingLittleChia, please give me three more NPs, will you?" Mom said again, kicking a Scorchy Slot machine.

"Mom, we have to go to the Soup Kitchen! GreenApple, Shynie, and I are all hungry. C'mon Mom, we wanna go now," I told qt_gurl_30000, my mom, for the fifth time this evening.

"Yeah, Mom. The Blumaroo Giblet special is today!" said Shynie, a blue Kyrii whined while licking her lips.

"Please?! I want the Turnip and Beef stew!!" GreenApple said, stomping her feet.

"Girls! Such behavior, no theme parks tomorrow now," Mom yelled angrily. "These are the lucky Neopoints for sure, we will hit the jackpot tonight, girls!"

"Mom, we have been here all day!!" we all said together.

"Okay, just a minute. A few more slots and we'll be rich!"

"But..." GreenApple started.

"Why don't you three go play?" she said, raising her voice a little. "I told you, today we are gonna win, I can feel it!"

Mom was always like this. Everyday she would get us up at 5:30 A.M. to get to the Lucky/Chance part of the game room. We would spend all day there wasting NPs that our mother's shop brought us (usually about 20 NPs a week). She would promise to take us to a theme park afterward, or treat each one of us a game, but there usually wasn't an afterward. All day, everyday, it was either Scorchy Slots or Dice-A-Roo, she would play forever it seemed. Never having time to create a pet because of her gambling, we were all adopted.

We often plotted to run away back to the Abandon Center ourselves, forget about Mom taking us. But we were too scared because the scary looking Techo never fed us and yelled all day. So, the days remained like this all year round.

"OK, Mom, can we go to the Hide and Seek game for awhile?" I asked my mom.

Before she answered, she kicked the machine again and said, "Sure, SingingLittleChia, but please give me twelve more NPs? Just twelve more and I promise those will be lucky!"

"OK, right, here." I gave Mom the NPs My former owners taught me to be polite and obey, and I like the habit. That is why I kept giving Mom the NPs My sisters were fed up with my "bad" habit so they started not to care either.

The next day, while putting broken toys into our size 1 shop, Mom came into the shop with a tearstained, red blotchy face. We all looked at each other.

"Mama, what’s the problem?" I asked. Dr_Death came in behind her.

"Ahh, back to the Abandon Center, eeh?" Dr_Death said, still wearing that awful grin. I looked over at the beautiful red Uni. She was biting her lip. The Techo continued. "Come with me, I have a open cage just for you! MRS. WORLEY!!"

A fat, ugly woman came in and put a ball and chain on us all and threw us in a cage. I thought Mrs. Worley was fired, but it turned out she was just demoted. Oh well.

"I hope we get adopted," I said quietly.

"Shut up!" Shynie screamed. Then she burst into tears.

"What is the matter, Shynie!" GreenApple said worriedly.

"I miss Mom and I wish I had never come here!" Shynie replied, sobbing.

"Oh, Shynie, it’ll be okay, we will get adopted, I promise," I said, crossing my fingers.

The next day, GreenApple was adopted by someone. Shynie was more depressed than ever. I, on the other hand, had hope. I knew Shynie and I would be adopted someday, together or not. We would be in good NeoHomes with good meals and have PetPets and paintbrushes...the whole big Neopian picture. But Shynie kept telling me that she was going to stay here forever and starve. Maybe she was right; her ribs began to show.

We stayed at the Abandon Center for days. The days turned into months. And then, close to after a year, a sad and sullen Shynie, the tough and rough blue Kyrii died. I watched the hospital Gelert shook her head as nurses put her in a body bag and take her away. I was so surprised and depressed that I cried for days and days. But then, a miracle happened.

"Hey, SingingLittleChia, somebody is here to see you, and is thinking of adopting you!" the red Uni said, smiling sweetly. I smiled so big and I felt so happy that I ran into the interviewing room that they had for looking over pets. I looked at the owner and gasped.

"M...Mom?" I stuttered.

"Yes, darling, it’s me," she said. She looked at me with horribly guilty eyes.

"NO!" I screamed. "I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK WITH HER!"

"I know I have had a gambling problem, and I am seeing a therapist for it."

"Really?" I smiled.

"Yes, SingingLittleChia, I have seen the light and I am earning at least 2000 NPs a week," Mom said smiling right back.

"Oh, Mommy, I’ve missed you so much!" I ran into her open arms. We both started bawling with joy.

"I promise no more ‘lucky NPs’ or ‘lucky nights!’" She sobbed in a tissue.

"I love you Mommy," I breathed. "I'll give you another chance, just please get me out of here!"

"I love you too. Let's go."

The End

~AUTHOR’S NOTE:~ This is a completely true story. I had a gambling problem that was very, very bad. When I realized I couldn‘t support my pets, I dumped them off at the Abandon Center and I felt horrible. I knew that Shynie gone somewhere else because I frantically searched for her, and no such luck. I also knew that GreenApple was adopted because I found her with a different owner. I am trying to get over my gambling problem. Please, don’t do what I did to my NeoPets. Thank you.