Cold fog has settled over a nondescript port town nestled into the Baltic seaside. This is where Amber Barimen can be found, doing what she does best.   Blending invisibly into the general population can be difficult and tricky under any circumstances. Attempting to do so in a foreign country, where the surreptitious sim does not look, act, or speak like the locals, is nearly impossible. With the  notable exception, perhaps, of a sim whose ability far exceeds normal sims. Amber Barimen would be one of these uncanny few.   Though she does not realize it, hers is not a learned skill; but … Continue reading Chapter 7.19 – Ancestor

Excited about her new idea for a new book, Amber immediately calls Wendell and asks if he will be able to meet her somewhere before leaving on her overseas trip.   Wendell sounds happy to hear from her, and insists that he has no other plans, outside of reading new manuscripts at the library. There must not be much going in his social life outside of work, if he has nothing else to do on a Friday night but proofread manuscripts. Actually, it seems kind of sad and a little bit pathetic. Surely, a good looking guy like Wendell has … Continue reading Chapter 7.18 – Obtuse

Word of Amber’s beat-down on Billy Jones quickly spreads through the murky, criminal underground in the months following his murder conviction.   Brand capitalized on the power vacuum left by the Joneses, establishing himself as the undisputed “boss” of the warehouse. Since then, the rumor mill has painted Amber as being Brand’s elite and deadly bodyguard/plaything. Obviously, there is absolutely no real truth to the rumors. All the same, there is not much to gain by dispelling the illusion.   It has afforded her the intimidation factor needed to bring an end to the blatantly criminal activity conducted at the warehouse. Along with … Continue reading Chapter 7.17 – Tools

Police swarm the warehouse with such numbers, that a passerby could easily liken them to angry hornets who’d just had their nest poked with a stick.   The packet of papers Amber lifted off of Judge Arlington contained falsified court documents. But they were not just any documents. Based upon her examination of these papers, Amber has discovered that, for the past few years, the Jones’ have been buying up small businesses and using them as fronts to sue the Barimen family. Normally, such frivolous cases would never see the light of day. However handwritten notes attached to each document contained instructions … Continue reading Chapter 7.16 – Revenge

An impending sense of danger had seized Amber’s chest as though it were a massive boa constrictor, soon after Billy answered her question regarding marriage.   And during that moment, she could almost feel somebody else speaking through her when she berated him; demanding a proper and elegant proposal in place of his woefully deficient effort. The glare he shot at her seethed with murderous indignation, and he retreated wordlessly from the estate wearing that same expression.   She could not get over her profound sense of fear that night, and slept at the foot of Peter’s bed in the sleeping bag … Continue reading Chapter 7.15 – Judge

Amber’s experience with Billy that afternoon rekindles their romance in much the same manner a bucket of water rekindles a campfire.   Her conscience steers her to visit a place normally reserved for Sunday mornings. She has never been very active in the church, but has always enjoyed the weekly sermon. Maybe guilt motivated her her to come here after the deed, or maybe not. Regardless, she has made this her destination almost every day after school since then. Talking to Billy about her feelings has proved frustrating. He has made pretty clear he’s not interested in her crazy beliefs. In his eyes, she’s … Continue reading Chapter 7.14 – Loyalty

Amber watches in disbelief as workers remove everything of value from the Barimen estate.   If the building itself were able to be sold and moved off the land, they would do it. She had hidden the portrait of Julian under a floorboard in the now-empty wine cellar just in time. It remains hidden with the box of old newspaper clippings and journals for now. Other than the property itself, the painting is the only thing of value she has remaining.   The family is broke. Paul, her younger brother, does not handle the realization well. He shouts at Ben, who seems … Continue reading Chapter 7.13 – Comforting

Billy fails every sparring match with Amber the afternoon he finally decides to visit the estate.   Amber shouts at him out of frustration over his lack of effort. But Billy just stares at her with an unimpressed expression, and states he did not come over for any flower-power training. But if she can show him how to break a sim’s neck, then he’ll be impressed. Amber grimaces at the morbid comment; and frets over the smile he wears on his face as he makes it.   Exasperated, Amber takes him on a walk around the estate. She shows him … Continue reading Chapter 7.12 – Anger

Confusion and fear win out over sadness and grief in the emotional gambit that plays out in Amber’s conscious after Mr. Dworkin’s unexpected death.   The timing of his death, coupled with the unusual circumstances of the accident that killed him, leave her with a dreadful feeling that Brand is somehow responsible. Mr. Dworkin’s chilling warning that night has left her feeling nervous and edgy.   He had mentioned that his role had been played out. Was it a foretelling of his own death? And what did he mean when he said that she was a prize?   Her second mystery novel … Continue reading Chapter 7.11 – Publisher

Amber has discussed the family’s growing legal and financial problems many times with her mother, but she had no idea things were this serious.   Moving boxes and furniture litter the foryer as movers load valuable family herilooms carefully into waiting cargo vans. Grandma Faith, the woman who raised her; and for the first few years of her life seemed more like a mother than grandmother, is moving away. She and Grandpa Jimmy make a special effort to talk to her alone about the move.   Amber is suprised by the sadness that overwhelms her when they break the news. … Continue reading Chapter 7.10 – Masterpiece

Amber stares at an old, dusty portrait she found at the warehouse, as though the subject could speak his name.   He is strikingly handsome, and exudes supreme confidence even through the dirt and grime his frame has accumulated over years inside the old warehouse. She spotted the small painting hanging askew on the wall, behind a stack of crates and shipping containers. There is no telling why it was hung there in the first place.   The man depicted in the painting smiles slyly at Amber, challenging her to learn more about him. She can almost hear him taunting; asking … Continue reading Chapter 7.9 – Checkmate

Lisa watches with discomfort as Amber hugs and kisses on Billy Jones, who is in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound.   Ben’s brother-in-law, Ricky Nava, had divulged that he was injured during a rival gang shoot out the previous evening. Billy was lucky to escape with his life, seeing how a number of other sims did not walk away from the gunfight. Lisa has tried her best to be understanding and respectful of her daughter’s choices. But to be romantically involved with a gang member crosses the line.   She had taken Amber to see him the moment news … Continue reading Chapter 7.8 – Billy

The pages of Amber’s book seem to almost write themselves, as she taps into her fascination with the mysterious activities going on at the warehouse.   Wendel Colt, Amber’s publisher, continues to praise the teen for her skillful and captivating writing. She has never actually met Wendel. Their business has been conducted mostly by phone or mail. Amber wonders how he would react, were he to learn the origin of her muse. Because of her age, Wendel has insisted that she publsh under the pen name Barbi Meerman, to protect her from potential weirdos. It has actually been a brilliant … Continue reading Chapter 7.7 – Evidence

Despite the feeling that she ought to know better, Amber begins to spend a lot more time with Billy Jones after their encounter at the warehouse.   She has been preoccupied, thinking about the possible consequences of getting caught by Brand inside the warehouse. Something in her gut says that he is an incredibly dangerous sim. The fact that Billy found her first may have just been a completely random coincidence; but it may have also saved her life.   Looking past the fact that Billy is a colossal jerk, she begins feel that he really isn’t all that bad. Thanks to … Continue reading Chapter 7.6 – Grudge

After submitting the first few chapters of a new mystery novel based on the school cheating scandal, Amber finds at least one publisher interested in purchasing the remaining chapters of her story.   Wendel Colt, the editor and owner of a small publishing house, comments that he has not seen such a purely entertaining sleuth story in quite some time. Amber laughs during her phone call with Wendel, when he suggests that the next teen-vampire-romance story he sees will promptly have a wooden stake put through it, before it gets tossed into the fireplace. But with kidding aside, he liked her story enough to pay her … Continue reading Chapter 7.5 – Misdirection