HEWOO! :D
Sorry this chapter's so short(and sucky XD) T_T writer's block sucks like a vaccume! plus I caught the cold from h-e- double-hockey-sticks and my mind's not all there today XD
To Chloe: I have the link to the preview in my profile :D yes, it will be on youtube.
because there's probably only going to be another one or two chapters, I'll give you guys a really big hint:
Hint#1- The song name starts with an "S"
Hint#2- It was made in 2005.
Hint#3- One word title.
Hint#4- it's from the Country genre
hehe! keep your reviews comin! I love hearing ya'lls thoughts :D
(Slouchy)
Nat and I sat around the bed, watching the big machine behind Sassette's bed. It seemed keep sort of a rhythm. One. Two. One. Two. Snappy was still sobbing a little in Papa smurf's arms. I looked at Farmer. He looked deep in thought, watching Sassette. There was a knock at the door. "C-come in…" Papa smurf called.
The door opened. Vanity and Smurfette were standing in the doorway. Once Smurfette looked in our direction, she froze. Her skin flushed to a light color. Her knees looked wobbly, she looked like she was about to collapse. "V-Vanity…" she said, then wrapped her arms around her friend.
Vanity didn't look much better. His eyes were fixed on the bed, and the big machine and stuff behind it. He tried comforting Smurfette, but to no real avail. Papa smurf noticed her sadness, and said quiet words to Snappy. Snappy sniffled a little, and nodded his head. Farmer sat him on his knee, next to Sassette. Papa smurf stood up and walked to Smurfette and Vanity. He hugged them both for a moment, talking to them quietly. It didn't seem like something to watch, so I sat next to Sassette on the bed. "I wonder wha' time it is." I thought out loud.
Farmer looked at the big grandfather clock in the corner. "It's 'bout a quarter t' seven, shug." He said.
Nat looked out the window, watching the darkening sky. "I guess those birds're prolly goin' on another trip by now." Snappy said, wiping his eyes and sitting next to Sassette on her other side.
"Naw, they've prolly migrated already." Nat said, "It's winter. They're prolly lon' gone south by now."
"Nuh-uh, Papa smurf said they stay all year round!" Snappy said, slowly being more like the Snappy we know.
"When hedgehogs fly!" Nat said, putting his hands on his hips. "All birds go south for th' winter, Snappy."
"Well, these ones don'!" Snappy folded his arms boldly
Just as their debate started to turn into a full out argument, Vanity and Smurfette came closer to the bed. Smurfette sat next to me, and took Sassette's hand. She looked worn out and sad, to say the least. Like the whole village was on her back. On the other side of the bed, Vanity walked up behind Farmer and put a hand on his shoulder. Farmer sighed a little and took Vanity's hand. "Farmer," Vanity said softly, "May I talk to you in private?"
Farmer nodded and ran his finger over Sassette's cheek. He looked sad and still deep in thought, like he had a lot to say, but didn't have the words to say it. He stood up from his chair, then walked upstairs to talk with Vanity. They weren't up there for more than a couple minutes before Snappy finally-well- snapped. "Okay, Mr. Smarty-smurf!" he said, standing up, "You think you're so smart, les' go ask Farmer who's right!"
"Bu' they're still talkin'…" I said, watching Nat stand up and start for the stairs.
They didn't listen to me. I shrugged my shoulders, then started after them. They tromped up the stairs, stepping up two at a time. Just before Snappy knocked on the door- "Dad GUM, Ah won' do it, Van'ty!" Farmer's voice boomed from behind the door.
Snappy looked at me with a confused look. I shrugged my shoulders, then walked up the stairs so I could peek in the keyhole. Nat and Snappy did the same. "Smurf over, Slouchy!" Snappy whispered at me, "I can't see!"
We fought for a minute for the best view through the keyhole. Not that it mattered. It only showed a corner of the room. And Vanity and Farmer weren't in that corner anyways. "Farmer, I know it's hard," I heard Vanity's voice, "But you're going to HAVE to do it sooner or later."
"Then Ah'll DO it later, shugah."
Farmer paced into our view, covering his eyes with his hand. Vanity approached him, putting his hand on his arm. "Farmer- honey, please, be realistic." Vanity said, "I know you don't want to do this… I don't either, I've got enough worry lines as it is… But if not now then you'll have to later."
"Van'ty, Ah'm not makin' funeral 'rangements for Sassette when she's not even dead," Farmer replied, shaking his head and moving Vanity's hand from his arm. "It jus' ain't right t' talk 'bout her like she's already dead."
I felt my heart practically stop. This… It's real… Sassette could really die… "Farmer…" Vanity said, turning Farmer towards him, "You heard what Papa smurf said. Sassette's not doing well… She's using a machine to breathe, for smurf's sake!" his voice seemed to catch in his throat, "I think it'd be better for everysmurf involved if we took care of this now, then when it actually does happen, we can grieve in peace."
Farmer covered his face and paced out of the keyhole's sight. "Tha's what's botherin' me, Van'ty!!" Farmer shouted. "You keep sayin' WHEN. Not if, but WHEN. Dad GUM, shugah! She ain't dead yet! It ain't 'when'! It's IF! Dag-nabbit, Van'ty, IF!"
"Farmer, honey, calm down!"
"Ah will NOT calm down, shugah!" Farmer shouted more, "Sassette ain't goin' down without a fight. It ain't over til th' Greedy smurf sings!"
Farmer's voice sounded broken, not the strong smurf we'd all come to know. It was scary hearing him sound so scared and sad… Even though it had been such a common tone lately… "Farmer…" Vanity's voice was soft, "Sassette's fought this as best as she could. But she's scared right now… You know as well as I do that she probably doesn't have much time left. "
He paused for a moment, "She needs her mentor, Farmer..." he continued softly, "She needs you to accept this… And I think it'd be easier to accept it if all of us eased into it… Believe you me, I don't want to do this any more than you do. Just thinking about it's given me stress acne. Just look at me! I look like a teensmurfer!" he whined a little.
He whined and fussed for a moment before getting back on track."My point smurfing," he said, softer, "I think it'll help us all have some closure wh—"he stopped himself- "IF… the time comes…"
Heavy sigh. "Van'ty…" Farmer said, his voice breaking, "Ah understand wha'you're tryin' t' do… Bu' Sassette's not dead yet… Ah'll plan for her funeral when an' when an' if the time comes, and not a second sooner."
I looked at Nat and Snappy. They both had tears rolling down their cheeks. I did too. Just the thought of having to plan a funeral at all, not even just for Sassette… It's a scary thought… I don't understand how the grown ups can do it… My heart nearly stopped when the door started rattling a little bit. Snappy and Nat both jumped and started going down the stairs. I don't know why, but I just stood there. This's real… Sassette's really dying… The door opened, and Farmer stood in the doorway. "Slouchy…" he said, sounding a lot calmer than he did a few minutes ago. "How much did you hear?"
I looked down and wiped my face with the backs of my hands. "P-pretty much everythin'…." I said plainly. "She's… She's really dying, isn't she, Farmer?"
Farmer sat down on the edge of the stairs and opened his arms. "Shugah… C'mere…" he said, his voice sounding broken again.
I blinked back more tears and sat next to him. He put his arm around my shoulder, moving me out of the way as Vanity sat on the step just below. "Nothin's set in stone, Slouchy," Farmer whispered to me, "Sassette's the strongest lil' smurflin' Ah know… She's fought this thin' this long, she sure as smurf ain't gon' give up now. If Ah know Sassette, she's gon' go down kickin' an' screamin'. Not like this."
I sniffled a little and nodded. "Chin up, lil' fella." He said, smiling a little bit, "It ain't over yet. She's not dead, an' Ah r'fuse t' let m'self, or anysmurf else think she is."
I sniffed a little, and hugged Farmer. Vanity watched us from his mirror, guilt in his face. I guess I understood what he was trying to do… But it really didn't feel right to think about it like that…or at ALL for that matter…
(Smurfette)
I had been so preoccupied with Sassette and the situation going on, I hardly even noticed the boys leave. Sassette looked so… So… Frail…. More of her hair would come out whenever somesmurf touched it… She looked like a living corpse… barely living at that. Her eyes were bloodshot and half open. Her lips were chapped and peeling. Her fingernails were brittle and breaking. Her skin was pale and pasty. I was so scared… Papa smurf had told Vanity and I that she might not be much longer for our world… I laid my head down on the bed and cried a little. No. A lot. I cried a LOT. Sassette can't die!
I felt a hand on my head, then looked up. Sassette was looking at me, a small smile in the corners of her lips and her eyes red and teary. She probably couldn't speak because of those unsmurfy tubes down her throat. But even without words I could understand her. Don't cry, Smurfette… I'm scared… But you shouldn't be…
I moved her hand from my head and held it to my face. Just a month ago I was teaching her how to fishtail- braid her hair… Now… Now at only 130 years old she's fighting for her life… In just a few short hours, she went from being okay to—this… It tore at my heart.
There was a loud knock on the door. Papa smurf had been absentmindedly mixing another potion with Brainy. "Come in." he called.
The door opened and Handy walked through the door. "H'lo, Papa smurf," he said solemnly, "Just came to check on Sassette and the Venismurfsion machine."
"Ah, yes." Papa smurf said, walking towards the machine with Handy. "Your machine is doing smurfily, Handy." His voice hushed to a mutter, "Although I'm afraid I can't say the same about poor Sassette."
Handy ducked his head a little, and looked at Sassette. "What good is it to make a machine that still won't save somesmurf you love…?" he muttered a little, taking a seat next to Sassette.
He looked like he'd lost all hope for the little smurfling… He ran his hand over her forehead and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "I… I haven't even been around…" he muttered, blinking and frowning, "She's been so sick, and I've been up to my smurfs in village repairs…" he shook his head. "I should've been here…"
I looked up at Handy. He had tears in his eyes watching the machine pump air. "It's not your fault, Handy," I said quietly, "That's your job, to make repairs in the village."
Handy nodded and tried to blink away more tears. "I know… B-but—I can't help but feel responsible for all this…" he said, "I should've gone with them that morning… I should've been watching them…"
He drew a jagged breath and wiped his eyes. "Smurf, Sassette, why couldn't you've just listened to me and stayed away from the Great Oak…?"
I was about to say something, when Snappy and Nat came barreling down the stairs. They ricocheted off the wall at the bottom of the stairs and darted right over to the bed, breathing a little heavily. "Almost caught us!" Nat said to Snappy.
"Almost caught you doing what, exactly?" Handy asked, wiping his eyes and turning away from Sassette and looking at the smurfling boys.
Snappy and Nat looked guilty for a second. "Umm.. Nothin'…" Snappy replied, putting his hands behind his back and looking around a little.
Handy arched his eyebrow. "Nothing? What kind of 'nothing'?" he asked.
The boys squirmed in place, "Jus—nothin', nothin'," Nat said, sitting down next to me.
Handy looked Snappy right in the eyes. "Then why were you running?"
Snappy shrugged "Uh- I dunno."
Handy gave him a look, "Snappyyyy…"
"Okay! Okay! We were listenin' t' Vanity n' Farmer talkin' an' they started coming out of Papa smurf's room, so we kinda ran…" Snappy sheepishly admitted.
"'Cept Slouchy. He jus' kinda stood there." Nat shrugged.
Handy made a tch noise and shook his head. "Boys… Hasn't Papa smurf ever told you it's wrong to eavesdrop?"
"Bu' Handy, they were talkin' bout Sassette!" Snappy defended himself, then looked at Sassette with sad eyes, "Th—they were talkin' bout funerals an' stuff…"
My heart froze a little in my chest. I should've known this was coming. The topic would've had to come up eventually… "I understand, Snappy…" Handy said, his tone more gentle, "But no matter what it's about, it's not right to eavesdrop."
Handy felt around his waistline for his tools so he could work on the machine like he'd originally set out to do, only to find them missing. He sighed a little. "I left my tool belt in my workshop… Nat, Snappy, could one of you go get it?"
"I'll get it, Handy," Nat said with a smile and started walking out the door.
"No fair! I wanna get it!" Snappy snapped, following him.
Even with everything going on, I couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. "You really have a way with those kids, Handy." I said.
He cracked a little smile, turning around back to Sassette. "Well, when you get smurf-sitting duty most days of the week, you pick up a few tricks." He said dryly.
He sat and waited for the smurflings to return. His sad face looked tired and worn out from all the work he did around the village. I wanted to hug him, tell him none of this was his fault. But somehow… I just couldn't find the words. There was sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. I looked up to see Farmer, Vanity, and Slouchy walking down the stairs, wiping their eyes a little. "'Lo, Handy," Farmer said, taking a seat next to him.
"H'lo, Farmer." Handy replied cordially.
Slouchy sat down right on the bed, next to me. He watched Sassette with half-closed eyes, a solemn look on his little face. Solemn—or tired maybe. It was almost the smurflings' bedtime.
Out of seemingly nowhere, the door opened and Snappy and Nat appeared, fighting over the tool belt in their hands. Handy stood up and plucked it from their grasp before the argument could progress any further. "Thanks, guys," he said to diffuse the situation.
He clipped it around his waist and set to work tightening loose bolts and making sure the machine was in working order. He looked more at ease working on the machine. Granted, he still looked on edge and guilty, but some of that seemed to be lifted from tending to the machine.
It wasn't long before he was done working on the Venismurfilation machine. Once he was, he seemed guilty and eager to leave. "I-it's doing just fine," he said, finding it hard to look at Sassette, "I-I have t' go now…"
Snappy looked back at him and walked up to him. "Bu' Handy!" he said, "Wha' bout Sassette?"
Handy seemed to freeze at the smurfling's question. But, slowly he turned around and sat again for a moment. "G-G- Good night, Sassette..." he said, blinking back tears of guilt. "I-I'm sorry there isn't more I can do now…"
Sassette smiled as best as she could. Handy retreated from her kind smile, and hid his face in shame. He hurried out of the lab, looking guiltier than ever. Papa smurf walked around from his table and approached the bed. "Poor Handy," he muttered, mostly to himself, "he shouldn't feel so guilty…"
He ran his hand over Sassette's forehead, moving what was left of her hair from her face. But when he retracted his hand… The rest of her hair came with it. He stared at it for a moment, eyes full of sadness. He tried as best as he could to hide it from Sassette's sight, and dropped it into a wastebasket nearby.
So that's it then. Sassette's lost all her hair. She's using a machine to breathe. It'd take a miracle for her to make it through this…
(Slouchy)
A little time passed before Brainy and Vanity left to go to bed. But Snappy, Nat, Farmer, Smurfette and I stayed. Papa smurf tried to get us to leave. But Snappy and Nat and I were pretty determined to stay. If tonight really WAS the night she was gonna die, we didn't want her to be alone. Smurfette and Farmer both understood that. They knew we weren't going to leave her til it was all over.
More time passed, and we were starting to get sleepy. But I kept my eyes open, and I sat up and pinched my arm when I felt myself trying to sleep. No way I'm letting Sassette go alone! "Slouchy… It's getting late," Papa smurf said quietly from across the room, "It's nearly midnight… At least TRY to smurf some sleep."
I shook my head. "Mm-mm, Papa smurf." I said, "I do'wan' Sassette t' feel alone."
I think he could tell I wasn't going to let myself fall asleep that easily. He turned down the burner on the potion he was working on, and sat next to Smurfette, who was falling asleep in her chair. He put a blanket over her shoulders and gave her a kiss on the forehead. She muttered in reply and slumped over on the bed. Nat and Snappy were both curled up at the foot of the bed, fast asleep. I can't say that I blamed them. It was a long day, and I really wanted to sleep too. But I didn't want to leave Sassette alone. Everyone except for me and Papa smurf was asleep now, and if she woke up in the night, I knew she'd be scared if everyone else was asleep. I sat up, leaning against the headboard, stubbornly not wanting to sleep. Papa smurf watched me with tired eyes, saying different things to get me to fall asleep. But I sure wouldn't! I refused to fall asleep.
Then, Papa smurf started humming a little, catching me off-guard. As he hummed a little more, I realized he was humming a lullaby he used to sing to us a long time ago. As the familiar notes and tune of the song buzzed in my ears, I felt my eyes harder and harder to keep open. I slumped a little against the headboard, settling down in an awkward half- sitting position next to Sassette. "Won' fall 'sleep…" I muttered, "I Won' fall 'sleep…"
Papa smurf seemed to half smile amused at my determination, and kept humming. I patted my cheeks, trying to wake myself up a little more. No way am I gonna fall asleep!
Papa smurf was relentless in humming the lullaby. I scooched to lie down now, still stubbornly trying to stay awake next to my sleeping friend. "No… Way…." I muttered, "Won'…. Fall…. 'Sleep…"
The chair Papa smurf was sitting in creaked a little bit as he stood up and walked to a green cupboard, still humming. He opened up the doors, and picked up a couple of blankets. He closed the doors quietly and walked back to the bed. I watched as he tucked a blanket around Farmer, who was leaning backwards in his chair with his hat tilted over his face. Farmer stirred a little bit, then subconsciously wrapped the blanket around himself and sighed. Papa smurf took another blanket he had on his arm and tucked Snappy and Nat underneath it. When he put one on top of me, I sorta half- heartedly moved it off. I don't need a blanket if I'm not going to sleep! But as he kept humming… sleep started sounding more and more like a better idea… I yawned a little, and covered my mouth with my hand. "Won'….. Fall…. 'Sleep….." I muttered.
Maybe I'll just rest my eyes for a minute… I thought, letting my head rest next to Sassette's. I felt Papa smurf tuck the blanket around me again, and I didn't fight as hard to kick it off. "Won'…. Won'….." I murmured tiredly.
Papa smurf soon interrupted me. "Shh… Shh… Goodnight, my stubborn little smurfling." He said softly, giving me a kiss on the forehead.
I couldn't fight it any more. I fell asleep right then and there before I could say anything else about it.
I didn't have any dreams or anything last night. In fact, I didn't even really remember anything from last night, Papa smurf told me what I did and what I was saying the next day. All I remembered was waking up next to Sassette, and noticing her eyes were still closed. I sat up a little and looked around. Snappy, Nat, Farmer and Smurfette were all awake. So why wasn't Sassette? Farmer looked at Smurfette with fear in his eyes. Fear? Wait. What's going on? I asked myself, Why does everysmurf look so scared? Nat moved more up where I was laying and poked Sassette in her tummy. "Sassette? Are you 'wake?"
She didn't answer. She didn't blink her eyes, or move, or nothing to let us know she heard. Snappy moved from where he sat at the foot of the bed. He shook Sassette a little. "Sassette... wake up!" He said. "It's… It's morning now! Y'gotta wake up!"
Immediately I was scared. Did she…? I shook her harder, desperately trying to wake her up. "Sassette… Sassette, PLEASE wake up!" I said in a voice that didn't even sound like mine, "wake up!"
She still didn't respond. Immediately I felt my heart drop in my stomach, and tears blur up my vision. "N-no…" I said, "S-she CAN'T be dead…"
Farmer bowed his head and took off his hat, using it to cover his face. Smurfette started crying. Snappy looked at Sassette, sniffing a little, trying to hold back tears. Nat started crying right then and there, gently hugging Sassette around the waist. I just held her hand, tears dribbling down my face shamelessly and loud sobs shaking my whole body. She can't be gone… She CAN'T be…
Then all at once, everysmurf's crying sorta… Stopped. Either that or I just couldn't hear them anymore. I paid no attention to them, just kept holding onto Sassette's hand, trying to get ahold of myself. What'll we do now that Sassette's gone?
I felt somesmurf's hand touch mine. At first I kinda shook it off, thinking it was Farmer, or Smurfette's trying to get me away from Sassette. But the hand still touched mine, and curled my hand into a fist with my pinkie sticking out. Confused, I opened my eyes to see who was doing this with my hand.
It wasn't Smurfette or Farmer.
And it wasn't Nat or Snappy either.
When I looked at the owner of the hand, I felt my breath freeze.
Sassette was looking up at me, her bloodshot eyes half open, a small smile on her face.
I was stunned. "S-Sassette?" I whispered, almost too shocked to speak.
She linked our pinkies and smiled as best as she could. Keeping a rhythm with the machine, she opened her mouth. "I…." the machine made her inhale, then on the exhale cycle she spoke again, "Promised…."
