DISCLAIMERS:
- I DO NOT claim ownership of 'The Amazing World of Gumball'. I am using this intellectual property under 'Fair Use' as described in US code 17 section 107 (Copyright Act of 1976). I only claim ownership of the plot line.
- My work contains some mature language (I.E. swearing/cursing). If the occasional 'F' bomb really bothers you, then you might not want to read my writing.
Hello everyone! Fair warning: this is my very first Fanfic... actually it's my first piece of creative writing, so keep that in mind when reading. Any comments or criticism is welcome. If you have something to say about my writing, even if you think it sucks, please let me know! anyway, on to the story!
It was a cool, damp night on February 14th. The light pitter patter of rain bouncing off tree leaves, crickets loudly chirping, and a soft birdcall are just some of the peaceful sounds that could be heard along the windy country road. It seemed like nothing would dare disturb this relaxing scene, save for one familiar looking yellow wood-paneled station wagon thundering down the pavement. The six cylinders of its engine screaming for dear life (well, they would be if pistons could scream) as the driver commanded the vehicle down the road at unsafe speeds. Her foot pressed hard against the accelerator, hands griping the wheel to the point of discomfort, and a look of murderous rage in her eyes.
Beside the driver, a large man dressed in a white shirt, a clip-on tie, and white underwear sat uncomfortably. He glanced over at the driver – his wife – and saw that her scowl hadn't changed a bit since the restaurant. He shifted in his seat, trying desperately to think of something – anything at all – to break the tension with his wife. With a deep sigh, he finally opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by the woman.
"Not another word, Richard. I just want to drive home, go to bed and forget this train wreck of an evening ever happened" growled the driver.
"Honey, look… I'm sorry. It's just that… I just… I was so hungry!" replied Richard, nervously playing with his tie. He closed his eyes as tightly as he could, bracing for his wife's reply.
"So you thought it was a good idea to eat the table?!" she snapped back.
She down shifted the car's transmission with a swift angry snap of the wrist, causing the already pained engine to whine even louder. The car lurched onward, going even faster now. The light rain slamming against the windshield sounded like boulders punching the car as it whizzed along at upwards of 80 miles per hour.
"Nicole, you know how hungry I get! And besides, the waiter hadn't come to the table for like, 7 minutes!" Richard answered.
"Gee, I wonder why?! Was it the loud groans of hunger that drove him off? Or was it the massive drooling buffoon who ate their entire supply of bread in one sitting, only to demand more?!" Nicole retorted with an eye twitch. "Not to mention your lack of pants!"
"But I don't have any that fit me!" defended Richard "I ordered some pants off Shmamazon but they weren't delivered in time for th-"
"Damnit Richard!" interrupted Nicole, slamming her fist against the steering wheel, causing the horn to sound. "I mean for fuck's sake! Do you have any idea what this'll do to my reputation? No doubt someone recorded it on their phone, and it's only a matter of time until that video reaches my boss!"
The old 70's station wagon was really beginning to feel the strain of Nicole's aggressive driving habits. A dull rattling began to emanate from the engine compartment, but Nicole was far too wrapped up in her rant to notice.
"I've been pulling triple shifts for the past 5 weeks now! With our money problems you know damn well how much I need that promotion!" Nicole shouted.
"I-I'm sorry honey." Richard said meekly "I J-Just wa-"
"Is sorry gonna put our daughter through college?" she snapped back.
"Well… no..." Richard responded weakly.
"uuuggh! That was rhetorical!" Nicole said. Richard gave her a confused look, not knowing that last word his wife said.
"Just… please stop talking, okay?" Nicole said a little calmer.
Richard simply nodded his head, not wanting to enrage his wife any further. She could be downright terrifying when she was angry. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he could tell when his wife was about to tear him a new one. Her famous anger had earned her the title of 'the living embodiment of evil' amongst the townspeople. Angering her was bad enough, but on Valentine's Day at an upscale restaurant was a whole different story. On top of her ruined evening, she had a $500 charge to pay to replace the table, $200 for Richard's public indecency, and the indelible image of dozens of eyes glued to her and Richard as he devoured a solid oak dining table. She shuddered at that last thought.
About 10 minutes passed without either of them saying a word. Richard was deep in thought, trying to think of some way to make it up to his wife. He racked his brain for ideas, but most of them involved spending a large sum of money (which, considering the situation at Nicole's job would only make matters worse). A thought crossed his mind. He pulled out his phone and sent a text message to his son.
'Hey buddy. I kinda blew the date with mom. Think you could help me make a cake or something to apologize?'
'Alright dad. But not tonight, I got way too much homework' his son replied.
'Thanks bud. I owe you one!' Richard responded.
He put his phone away as he leaned back in the seat, finally able to let himself relax for the first time in nearly 20 minutes. It was only now that Richard noticed the rattling noise coming from the engine. Another few minutes passed and the noise only got louder. They were still a fairly long ways away from home, and there didn't seem to be anyone around who could help them incase their car broke down.
"Uh… Nicole? Do you hear that?" asked Richard.
"Hear what?" said Nicole.
"That thumping sound" answered Richard "it sounds like it's coming from the engine".
"I'll take it to the mechanic's tomorrow" Nicole said with a sigh. An expensive repair bill for the car was really the last thing she needed. The rattling noise was getting pretty loud. It sounded like something was slamming against the hood rapidly, but Nicole didn't give the poor engine a break. She just wanted to get home as quickly as possible and go to bed. However, as fate would demand, sleep would have to wait. A loud 'snap!' shook the car, startling both Richard and Nicole. As soon as they heard the snap, the rattling stopped. Both Richard and Nicole, neither being very handy with cars, simply shrugged assuming the problem fixed itself.
A few uneventful minutes passed as the car purred nicely along, still going quite fast. Richard was beginning the fall asleep when he was jolted awake by a loud pop, followed by a violent lurch from the car. A few seconds passed, and a loud bang came from the exhaust pipe. Then another bang, followed by a few other terrible sounding noises as the car quickly began to lose speed. The headlights dimmed and flickered rapidly, and after another half minute the car rolled to a stop perched halfway up a steep hill.
"You have got to be joking…" Nicole said flatly. She turned the key, trying to restart the engine. It revved weakly a few times, but didn't ignite. She tried again, but still the engine wouldn't start. The soft plinking of the rain as it hit the steel roof of the car was the only sound the two of them could hear. Without the illuminating glow of the car's headlights, the only source of light was the moon shining through the rain-soaked windshield.
"Richard, hand me your phone" she said, turning towards her husband. He reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out the glowing rectangle and handed it to Nicole. With a few taps of the screen, she opened up a browser to search for a tow truck service. 'Results unavailable: check signal' was the only thing that came up. "Great… no signal" she grumbled, handing the device back to her husband.
"M-maybe someone will come along and help?" offered Richard quietly, still a little wary of his wife's anger.
Before she could answer, a tap on the side of the glass window startled them both. Peering out of the car, a dimly lit set of blueish gray eyes stared back at the couple. As their eyes adjusted to the moonlight, they saw a large, dark figure standing next to Richard's window. It motioned for them to roll the window down.
