Molly's Story: Part One

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     A few meowclops were sitting in a box, somewhere in a cupboard. They were discussing what they wanted to do with their lives. These meowclops didn’t have names. They didn’t even have an owner yet. They were going to be used as a very rare Test Your Strength prize. Because they were rare they had been sitting in a dusty box for a while, and all they could do was talk.

     “I want to explore the world!” said one, who was very adventurous.

     “Yes, you have said that before. Well, I have changed my mind. Instead of becoming a Maraquan meowclops and living underwater, I want to be a Pirate meowclops and sail the seas!” said the second meowclops, who could never make up his mind.

     “Well, I just want a nice cosy home with an owner who appreciates me and doesn’t just use me for the avatar I can get,” said the third meowclops.

     “Booorrrriiing!” said the first one and the second one at the same time.

     “Why don’t you want to have an adventure? Think of all the things out there that you could see and do!” added the second meowclops.

     “Hey, the box is a bit lighter; someone must have opened the cupboard door. Do you think one of us will finally be given out as a prize?” asked the first meowclops.

     All three went silent as the sound of tape being torn off the box was heard. They all blinked when the box was opened. A dirty and smelly brown hand reached in quickly and grabbed a meowclops at random. It happened to be the first one. The box was shut, and the sound of new tape being put on the lid could be heard. When their eyes had adjusted to the dark again, the two remaining meowclops began to talk.

     “Aww, I really wanted that to be me. I so badly wanted to be an explorer on Mystery Island!” whined the second meowclops.

     “I thought you wanted to be a pirate?” asked the third.

     “I changed my mind again. Exploring Mystery Island would be incredible.”

     “I wish you would make up your mind!” said the third meowclops, rolling her eye.

     “Well, at least I want to do something exciting, unlike you. Fancy wanting to just live in a neohome with a ‘caring’ owner. Where’s the excitement in that?”

     “It would be a happy life. I wouldn’t mind a bit of adventure, but the main adventure or excitement a meowclops can get is being lent out to people just so that they can get an avatar out of you. You don’t really get appreciated or anything. I don’t want that to happen to me.”

     “Pfft. You worry far too much,” grumbled the second meowclops, closing his eye.

     “Whatever. At least I can make up my mind,” replied the third meowclops, closing her eye and drifting off to sleep.

     ---

     “When do you think one of us will be given out?” whined the second meowclops.

     It was a few days after the first meowclops had been given out as a prize. Both of the meowclops were getting bored and a bit sick of each other. The box was old, dusty and cramped. There was nothing to do but talk and argue about who had the best plans for their future.

     “Hmmm... let me think. Oh, how about now?” replied the third meowclops, as a small bit of light shone through the box.

     The sound of tape being torn off the box could be heard, and soon the two meowclops were blinking in the bright light. A dirty hand reached down again and grabbed the second meowclops, leaving the first one alone.

     “Goodbye” came the excited voice of the second meowclops who was being held while the box was taped together again. “I am off to be a famous defender of Neopia!”

     The remaining meowclops rolled her eye before closing it, drifting off into sleep. Life was going to be quite boring until she was given out as a prize.

     ---

     The meowclops sleepily blinked her eye in the bright light. It was only a few hours later and the box had been opened again. The same dirty hand reached in and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck. For the first time she saw who the hand belonged to. It was a dirty looking Mynci with a green top and a red bow tie. He carried her out of the cupboard and she found herself in a small and dirty room with some random prizes lying about. Most of them were junk. But she didn’t stay in that room. She was carried outside where it was dark. A small Xweetok was standing next to a table, muttering.

     “This prize better be worth it. I have spent so much on this game. I’m sure it is rigged. I should never have come on this holiday to the Haunted Woods. I’m so glad I’m leaving tomorrow! Hey, what’s this? A meowclops? It looks like it. Excuse me, sir, is that my prize?”

     “Yes, it is. You scored 90. Congratulations. I never would have thought someone as small as you could hit so hard,” replied the Mynci, handing the meowclops over. Walking away, he could be heard muttering to himself. “I bet he cheated. Now I have to get hold of more meowclopses. That involves spending more neopoints. Oh dear. Note to self: make mallet heavier.”

     The Xweetok ignored the Mynci and picked up his new meowclops. “Hmm, I can get an avatar from you! I wonder how much you are worth. I will have to look it up at the trading post when I get home. Perhaps I could lend you out to people. But where can I keep you? I don’t want you getting fur all over my furniture. I know, you can live in the shed. It gets cold, but I am sure you will be okay with one blanket and a bit of food and water. I suppose I ought to name you. Hmmm. I will call you Molly. A simple name suits a simple creature like you eh?”

     By the time he had said all this, the Xweetok was back in the house he was staying at. Putting Molly in a small bathroom, he went up to bed.

     ---

     The sounds of her new owner bustling about the next morning woke her. She felt cold. The floor of the bathroom was made out of marble and the night hadn’t been warm. She wondered where she was heading. Hopefully her new life wouldn’t be as horrible as it sounded. But the Xweetok had said that she would be sleeping in a cold shed with only one blanket and a bit of food and water. He had also said he would get the avatar from her and lend her out. That definitely sounded bad. The kind of life she had never wanted to live.

     “I suppose I should feed that meowclops... what did I call her? Molly. That’s right. Well, I suppose I should feed her before I put her in a cage to take back home...” the sound of the Xweetok’s voice floated in from somewhere on the other side of the door.

     ‘Oh great,’ thought Molly. ‘Not only do I have a cruel owner, but he seems a bit crazy too. Why does he talk to himself so much? Doesn’t he have any friends to talk to? Wouldn’t be surprising I suppose. Well, I hope I can make some friends wherever I go.’

     The bathroom door opened and the Xweetok came in with a small bowl of what apparently was food, and a small bowl of water.

     “Hurry up and eat it. I don’t have much time. I am going to stop at Quickref on the way home to get the avatar and I don’t want to miss the boat after that.”

     Molly hungrily ate her food and messily slurped up some of the water. In her hurry she spilled some of it. The Xweetok glared at her.

     “Great. Now look at the mess you have made. I have to clean that up now.”

     He sighed and walked out of the room, returning a moment later with some paper towels. He quickly wiped up the spills and then stormed out with the bowls.

     A moment later he was back again with a cage, which he bundled Molly into. She let out a faint squeak of pain as he shut the door, catching the tip of her tail. He opened it again and she quickly pulled her tail away before it was shut twice as hard. Molly shut her eye and tried to block out all that was happening while her owner put her and all his other gear in a hand cart.

     ---

     ‘Something has happened!

     You are now eligible to use ‘Meowclops’ as an avatar on the neoboards!’

     “Finally! I have always wanted this avatar.”

     The Xweetok stuffed Molly back into her cage again and rushed off in the direction of the beach. He ran to a large boat and shoved a ticket into the paws of a shoyru who was standing guard. Finding a seat, he sat down and put Molly’s cage under the chair.

     The boat started moving a few minutes later and Molly fell asleep.

To be continued...

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