Mama Loves You Too
A Wreck-It Ralph Fanfiction
By Melissa E.M.
Chapter One: "Ralph's Mother"
Daisy Mae Hawkins had come from Badland, a small town in the middle of nowhere that had once been prosperous and full of happiness, and during the Great Depression its citizens were brought to its knees. Most families living there moved out to the city to find work, but there were ones too proud and stubborn to leave their property, even when there was nothing left. This especially went for the richer families, including Daisy's.
In happier times, Daisy had a close bond with her father, for she was his only child. It was when she was fifteen that this bond began to gradually slip away, like grains of sand through an hourglass. Losing his money had made Mr. Hawkins bitter and angry, and eventually obsessive over finding a way to make money without having to leave town. His wife, Daisy's mother, once suggested that they sell their belongings and find a home in the mountains. This earned Mrs. Hawkins a slap in the face and a long stream of insults, much to Daisy's horror. When Mrs. Hawkins ran crying out of the room, Daisy's father then turned to Daisy and said, "Don't you dare let that harlot mother of yours taint your intelligence, lest I disown you both." After that incident, Daisy knew that leaving town meant more than a new life; it meant escaping Hell itself.
Daisy ever afterwards kept her activities discreet as she prepared to make her getaway from Badland. She only ever left her room for meals, and only spoke when spoken to. In the privacy of her room, she packed a large suitcase full of her nicest clothes, a pair of dress shoes, a dressing gown for sleeping in, a hairbrush, bobby pins, hard candies, dried fruits, beef jerky, and a small bag of her own valuables for the purpose of selling. She also studied maps, where she plotted a path to the mountains. It was during one studying session that her mother walked in on her. Mrs. Hawkins did not need to ask what her daughter was up to. Rather than report Daisy to her husband, she gave her some of her own valuables and a compass, and told her to make her escape as soon as possible, while Mrs. Hawkins herself would stay behind and keep her husband busy.
The knowing glances between mother and daughter did not go unnoticed by Mr. Hawkins. He grew more and more suspicious of the two of them, and increasingly nastier towards them as well. One summer evening, Mrs. Hawkins made boiled ham and mashed potatoes for dinner. Throughout the entire meal, Mr. Hawkins kept berating his wife for buying an expensive ham. Much to his chagrin, she kept ignoring him and encouraged a distressed Daisy to finish her meal. Once she'd done so, Mrs. Hawkins got up from the table and asked Daisy to help her with their dishes in the kitchen while Mr. Hawkins continued eating. Once there, Mrs. Hawkins revealed that she'd brought Daisy's suitcase to the back door, which was right in the back of the kitchen. She then packed a satchel with a spoon, a can opener, and three cans of corned beef hash, and gave it to Daisy, along with a canteen filled with water from the boiled ham.
"Go," said Daisy's mother. "Go out this door and down the road. And whatever you do, don't look back, no matter what you hear."
Daisy silently picked up her belongings and obeyed, tears streaming down her young face. She didn't even turn to say goodbye to her mother, to tell her she loved her always. She was at the town's borders when she heard a woman screaming for her life. She paused only for a moment, cringing in fear, and it took all her courage to start running, following the only trail out of town as best she could in the darkness. She did not stop until the town was completely gone from the horizon. She was exhausted by then, but she knew she had to keep going. After she caught her breath, she scanned her surroundings under the light of the full moon and put her map studies to good use, determining where she was and what direction she had to take. It would be a long trek from the flatlands to the mountains by foot, but like her father told her during the happier days, Daisy Mae Hawkins was a strong, capable little lady who made most boys her age look like pansies. Before everyone left Badland, she successfully managed to let everyone know that. And now, like it or not, she was about to let the rest of world know that too.
Daisy took a deep breath and marched to the northeast. Hopefully, she would arrive in a forest by morning. She prayed her feet wouldn't give out before then.
Half the night was spent fighting sleep and struggling with the weight of her baggage. Eventually she got so tired she started to wobble over. She wasn't even aware that the dirt beneath her shoes had given way to grass, which cushioned her as she tripped over her own feet, falling asleep on the way down.
And so laid Daisy Mae, a satchel and suitcase on top of her, the moon and the stars her only guardians.