Chapter 14: The Punishment
It was 8:30 in the morning when Dave walked into the boys' room. Alvin and Theodore woke up when they heard Dave walk in. They watched their dad marched past them and right up to Simon's bed. The two boys watched with astonishment as started waking up their long lost brother.
They couldn't believe that Simon stayed out all night and got drunk. Alvin and Theodore barely slept at all; they woke up with a surprise when Simon staggered into the room around 2:30am. It was defiantly a shock. The two brothers tried to lecture Simon, but their words fell on deaf ears. Simon just took off his jacket, shoes, and glasses then crawled onto his bed. He didn't even bother pulling back the covers. Before Alvin and Theodore could say anything else, Simon was asleep.
This concerned Alvin, Theodore, and especially Dave. What was happening to their family? The mystery to what happen to Simon on the Island was becoming more and more important. To Alvin all of this seemed to be a little backwards. He knew that he should be the one to get into trouble, but he isn't. With an intense look on his face, Alvin watched Dave angrily peer down at Simon's sleeping form.
"Simon, Get up!" Dave said sharply as he tapped hard on Simon's shoulder.
Simon growled he glared up at the intrusion of his slumber. Slowly he began to sit up. Clumsily reached for his glasses and slipped them on his face. He then sat with such sarcasm written on his face as he waited for Dave's instructions. Alvin and Theodore almost didn't recognize Simon with the way he looked up at Dave.
Dave handed Simon a piece of paper that has a long list of chores that had to be completed by the end of the day. Simon snatched the paper and read through it as Dave continued the usual list of rules that Simon remembers hearing when Alvin got into trouble. He couldn't help but to have a sarcastic smile forming in the corner of his mouth.
"…And there will be no TV! No music! And most importantly, no having your friends over, or going out to see them for the rest of the weekend! In fact, I think it might be best if you have as little contact with them as possible?"
Simon's smile finished immediately. He immediately stood up to protest. "You can't do that! You can't tell me that I'm not allowed to see my friends! That's not fair!!" He finished by slamming the paper on the bed.
Dave became so taken back with his son yelling at him that he let out a gasp. This never had happened before; Dave realized that Simon wasn't being himself. The look that he was getting made Dave quite uncomfortable it was like he was no longer talking to the boy he once raised. He then remembered who was in charge here and stood taller with his fists on his hips.
"This discussion is over!" He bellowed. "Now get changed and come down for breakfast and then I want you to start on your chores immediately afterwords!"
"I'm not hungry!!" Simon yelled as he stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Dave turned to see Alvin and Theodore sitting on their beds with their jaws hanging wide open. "All right you two, shows over! Get dressed and come down for breakfast!"
"Yes Dave!" The boys said in unison.
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HOUR AND A HALF LATER
Alvin and Theodore walked into the kitchen and noticed that Simon was just about to finish polishing the silver so they tried to start a conversation with him.
"So Simon since when have you become the party animal of the family? I thought that was my job?" Alvin asked with a smirk.
Simon didn't answer.
"Dave is really mad with you. I hadn't seen him that mad since the time Alvin had us go on that balloon race around the world." Theodore said with an innocent tone.
Simon began to look very annoyed and started to press his lips together. Then with a sigh he looked up at his brothers and replied, "Do you guys have to hover over me like a pair of vultures!"
Alvin and Theodore looked at each other in surprise. Then Alvin turned back towards Simon and said, "Suit yourself, we just wanted to have a brotherly chat with you. But it appears that you'd rather be alone. Come on Theodore; let's leave our brother to his misery."
Simon was about to say something to his annoying brothers when Dave came in. The bespectacled chipmunk quickly closed his mouth and turned away.
"I'm going out to get some groceries. I'll be back in an hour." Dave said.
"Ok Dave!" Theodore responded and he followed Alvin out of the kitchen.
Dave looked at Simon as he read the list to see what needed to be done next. He could tell that Simon was still angry at the fact he was not allowed to see his friends. It was a hard call to make, but Dave knew that his newly changed son had to learn not to go out and get drunk, especially at his age. Without saying a word, Dave shook his head then left the house and drove off.
Simon frowned to see what his next chore was to 'dust the piano'. With a heavy sigh he got up and got a fresh dust rag from one of the kitchen draws and walked into the living room. He stopped frozen in his tracks when he saw the instrument that he once loved playing, but now feared it. Simon pulled back his long sleeves and looked at his scars on the inside of his wrists. He instantly began to remember receiving his first punishment from the Founders.
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DURING THE FIRST YEAR ON THE ISLAND
It had been six months already since Simon was brought to the island. He and his newfound friends Tom, Renee, Brian and Brenda found out that they could sneak around the buildings at night after their daily lessons. Even though they are suppose to be in their quarters these five brave chipmunks just felt a little bit antsy. They are hopeful that they could find clues to why they have been brought to this crazy place. Also they are eager to see if they could find a way to get off the island and contact their families.
Their exploration took them to a secret room in the basement of one of the buildings further north of the Island. There they found all sorts of treasures, toys, and musical instruments. Everything was covered in dust and looked like they hadn't been touched in years. The five chipmunks started go through everything; Simon discovered a piano and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. 'As long as there is music, then maybe this place won't be so bad', he thought.
He walked over to the piano and pulled back the protective cover to the keys and brushed over them lightly with his fingers. Then he began to see if the instrument was in tune by testing a few of the keys.
Tom lifted his head towards the direction where the sound was coming from. "What are you doing, Simon?" He said in a worried tone.
"I'm performing surgery, what does look like?" Simon answered sarcastically.
"You better stop that before a patroller comes by." Brenda said grabbing Simon's arm.
Simon knew that being caught by a patrolman was bad. They came close more then once. It took a lot of fast-talking and lies to get past them. But that shouldn't stop him from playing music or singing right here. Since this was the furthest building, and that hardly anyone went here. There shouldn't be any trouble, should there be?
"I don't understand? Why can't I play music?"
"Because it's forbidden," Brian whispered from behind.
"That's absurd! No one should hear us here. This building is completely empty." Simon said before he jerked his arm away from Brenda's grip. He proceeded to continue playing the piano. The children listened to Simon's playing nervously. Shortly after they started to enjoy it, until they heard some one coming down the hall. All five of them ran and hid before the opened.
The Dean opened the door and looked around suspiciously. "I know you are in here my little wonderers." The Dean's voice brought chills down the chipmunk's spins. What could they do? They were trapped. "Better come out now, or you will all receive a major punishment." The Dean announced in a demanding voice.
It was obvious that the kids were found and slowly came out from hiding and stood very close together. Over the months the five young chipmunks found they felt safer together then when they were apart. As the Dean walked up to them, the kids slowly backed up against the wall with Tom in front trying to protect his friends.
"So, you kids think you could just wonder around campus without permission and causing mischief, hmm?" The Dean looks right at Simon and frowns. "You, you were playing the piano, weren't you?" He said in an angry tone.
"I-I-I–eh?" Simon couldn't think of what to say. His brain was going through a hundred thoughts and equations a minute and yet nothing came up to help get him out of this mess.
The Dean looked at Simon more closely and finally recognized him. "I know who you are. You use to be Simon Seville, a former member of Alvin and the Chipmunks! Well you are best to forget that part of your life, because it was a waste of time. And the only way for you to remember that is to punish you!"
Dean grabbed Simon's arm with great force. Tom and the others tried to protect their friend from the punishment he would soon receive. The Dean called in three patrollers to take Tom and the others back to their rooms. All the children were dragged away kicking and screaming.
Simon struggled in the Dean's grip. He tried to pull away, but found it futile to escape. The Dean dragged Simon into a dark room in the south building. They walked up to special table with wrist straps attached to it. The Dean tied Simon wrists to the table and rolls back his sleeves, then pulls out a short leather whip.
"One way or the other you will learn to respect authority around here, Simon!"
From outside of the closed door the sound of a whip snapping against Simon's fur covered skin and Simon's screams of pain and fear would be heard.
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Simon sat in the middle of the living room with tears in his eyes as he slowly came back to reality. He immediately wiped his eyes dry and stood up when he heard one of his brothers coming down the stairs.
Alvin stopped to see Simon dusting one of the lamps with one hand and the other wiping his eyes while sniffing. 'Is he crying?' Alvin thought.
"Simon, are you alright?"
As Simon was able to compose himself, he turns to his brother. "I'm fine. Now I believe I've finished in here. Excuse me, I need a break." With that Simon left before Alvin could say anything else to him. The one thing Alvin did notice though was that the piano wasn't even touched. This worried Alvin even more. Without thinking about it, Alvin quickly grabs the cloth Simon used and finished dusting the piano. Then he grabs a soda from the fridge and heads back upstairs.