Out Of The Shadows

By yours truly! *HamClover*

July 6th, 2003

Hamha! HamClover here! What's ^? Me? Well nothing much up with me. I just bought 2 Ranma ½ graphic novels, um, that's pretty much it! Well here is chapter 2 of Out Of The Shadows. It's more interesting that the 1st chapter and you'll meet Boss's messed up family!! *looks at Kraft Parmesan Cheese container* Um, Boun Appetito! (Translation- Enjoy!) ^__^

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Chapter 2- Beer Bottle

"You really want to hear this?" Boss asked Hamtaro. Hamtaro nodded. "Duh! That's why I'm here. Trust me. Laura said it makes you feel better to let out your feelings and she's rarely wrong!" "You said that already." "Oopsie." Boss takes a deep breathe. "Okay, well, um, it was when I was a baby."

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Boss's Flashback, a few years ago: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chibi Boss ran up to his mother, whose name was Melody. Melody was a small field hamster with a light brown color all over her body. She had an oddly shaped white spot on her forehead, which sort of, when looked at upside down, looked like a musical note. Chibi Boss (Just because I'm lazy, I wont call Boss chibi anymore, but you get the drift! ^^) had noticed that for the past few days, his whole family was acting strange. Melody rarely talked and always looked upset. Bandit, Boss's father, got furious very easily and would often take out his anger on Melody or someone else. Iris, Boss's older sister, avoided Bandit as much as she could and often became Melody's shadow. "Mom." Boss whined. Melody looked up from the bush from which she was picking acorns. "What is it," Melody murmured. "Where's Dad? I saw him yell and then he left?" Melody sighed. "I don't know," She returned to picking acorns. Iris, with her black spots all over, hung near Melody. She turned to Boss. "Don't worry about Dad." She whispered, as if making sure Bandit wasn't watching. "I don't care about that drunk bastard anymore!" Iris wiped a tear from her eye and returned to picking acorns. Boss cocked his head to a side and asked, "Heke?" No one answered. Boss sighed. "I'm going home, okay?" No answer. "Where there are broken pumpkin seed beer bottle everywhere!" (Note: Even though it's sort of an inside joke, pumpkin seeds will be the hamster equivalent to alcohol in this story. From now on it will be just called beer!) No answer. "I'm going ALONE! All the way home alone! Where cats and cars and humans are!" Silence. "Okay. *sniff* c-ya." Boss began to sulk back home. (Boss's childhood home was the Clubhouse. At that time, it was even messier with broken beer bottles and other crap all over.) When Boss got home, his eyes were full of tears. Everything had changed so suddenly, and he didn't know why. Why was Bandit so mean? Why was Melody so depressed? Why was Iris so timid? So many questions, so little answers. Boss made his way over the broken beer bottles to the big comfy brown chair. (That's the chair Boss always sits in at the Clubhouse) He crawled up into the chair and buried his muzzle in the chair's arm. Boss, at that time, didn't know what 'drunk' meant. He at first thought Bandit was sick, but he soon felt it was something worse. My birthday is in a few days. Boss thought to himself. And with the way everyone is acting, they'll prolly forget about it! Boss sobbed for about 5 minutes until a large field hamster burst through the door. It was Bandit. He looked very much like Boss, except for the fact that he had a dark patch running across his eyes like a Raccoon, hence the name Bandit. He clung onto the side of the door, holding a beer bottle. "WHERE'S YOUR MOTHER!?" Bandit shouted. Boss cowered in his chair. "I, um, I, I," He stuttered. "SPEAK UP BOY!" "Um, um, I, I, Um," "SHUT UP! DAMN IT! " Bandit stomped over to Boss, holding the empty bottle as if it where a deadly weapon. "YOU'RE WORTHLESS!" Bandit was just about to hit Boss with the bottle when they were interrupted by Melody. "Bandit!" She screamed. She rushed up and blocked Boss from Bandit. "Stop! Please, stop!" Melody begged. Bandit put down the bottle. "Why should I? I was giving the brat a spanking." "Well that's no way to discipline a child!" "IT'S MY WAY!" Seeing his chance, Boss snuck over to Iris, who was peeking through the door. As Melody and Bandit quarreled, Boss looked up at Iris with teary eyes. "Iris," Boss asked. Iris looked down. "What is it?" She asked. "What's wrong? I'm scared. I want things back to normal." Boss whined. Iris's eyes filled with tears. She knelt down and hugged her younger brother. "So do I Boss, I miss the old days too."

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Oh, if you thought that was sad, wait till later in the story! Chapter 3 coming soon!

Tootles,

HamClover @__@

**********Disclaimer- I don't own Hamtaro or it's characters, except for Mable, Celeste, Hitoshi, Karu, Sabra, Tiko, Midge, Melody, Bandit, Lexie, and Iris! ;)
*Oh and the humans count too! (Kari, Naomi, Sean, April, Ethel, Skylar, and Brittany, oh and of course their parents!)*************