Betrayal
It had been four years since the outbreak of the Michigan Flu. While leading authorities still had no answers as to the source of the virus, with no new cases reported since the initial incident, it was agreed that it had been successfully neutralised. While the CDC would have liked to have kept a sample for vaccine research, the fact that no-one else fell ill with it meant any inoculations would not be necessary. The CDC and National Guard pulled out of Royal Woods, and everything returned to normal.
On a more personal level, Shannon Tannenbaum had been through quite a bit since those distressing events. Her relationship with Ruby was stronger than ever, even with Ruby's well-intentioned, but ultimately controlling way to 'guide' Shannon through the intricacies of romance, making her just as bad as Spencer was while she was with him. The two looked past those unfortunate events and started anew, as equals, a sentiment shared when they had their first anniversary dinner. It didn't matter that they had to duck Shannon's parents, that Shannon had meatballs and sauce accidentally slathered onto her head, and that they had to eat in a back alley. As long as they had each other, they were content.
Not that the date after that went much better. When Ruby and Shannon took in a show being performed by other members of the drama club, Luan Loud's sister Lynn thought it would be a good idea to get Benny to strip off in front of Luan to 'excite' her. She then interrupted their dancing at the local dance hall to try and get Luan to pole-dance for Benny, to help get his 'little Stein' up and running. This culminated in Shannon doing something no-one thought her capable of doing. She punched Lynn straight across the jaw, having had enough of her antics. Wracked with guilt, Shannon ran home crying, and Ruby had to go after her. As comfort, Ruby and Shannon stargazed on the roof of her apartment building.
If it wasn't Lynn embarrassing them in front of whole crowds of people, it was Luan's other sister Luna peeping on them while they were playing strip games both in the Loud basement and in Shannon's new home in the suburbs. The latter incident got Luna and her co-voyeur Lynn arrested by the cops.
However, nothing could prepare Shannon for what happened beforehand. A few weeks before that slumber party, Shannon revealed both her bisexuality and her romance with Ruby to her parents, and eventually, her whole family. Daniel and Candice, Shannon's loving parents, were nothing but supportive. They even got a flag in the front yard displaying the bisexual colours. But when Shannon came out to her aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandparents, the reaction was far different. While the cousins did not mind, and even expressed curiosity about Ruby, the aunt, uncle, and grandparents had reactions ranging from aversion to outright hostility. Aunt Catherine and Uncle David had the misguided notion that cousins Lewis and Kimberley were too young to know about the LGBT, but Grandma Rhea and Grampa Jacob treated Shannon as if she had committed an unforgivable sin. Words like 'corruption' and 'taint' were used, which led to some really heated arguments.
Shannon did remain hopeful that they would come around, and was encouraged when one day, David and Catherine came to visit with apology and reconciliation gifts. To hear them tell it, Lewis and Kimberley kept asking questions, including the key query 'What makes Shannon different from the rest of us?'. This led David and Catherine to do some soul-searching and they soon realised they had no answer. Just because Shannon was romantically involved with a woman does not make her any less human. Touched by the gesture, Daniel forgave his brother. Energised by this development, Candice encouraged Daniel to face his parents, with David as back-up. The two brothers made the trip out of state to visit Jacob and Rhea. However, it became clear upon arrival that this was a fruitless endeavour.
"Ah, Daniel, David. Welcome. How are things?" Rhea greeted.
"How is….. your daughter, Daniel? Has she finally come to her senses and abandoned this ungodly, un-natural, impure frivolity she is in?" Jacob scoffed.
"Ugh! I told my wife this was a waste of time. Glad to see I was right," Daniel rebutted.
"Mother, father, that is enough. When we were last together as a family, I too implied that Shannon needed healing, but thanks to our kids, I know now that I was wrong. I, along with my wife, now fully support her relationship with Ruby. If we can see that, I had hoped you would as well," David asserted.
"Then the Devil has gotten into your head as well. We tried our best to raise you on traditional, Orthodox values, and yet, now you battle us. We had hoped that, since you became a doctor, Daniel, that you would be able to tell that your daughter has something wrong with her," Rhea countered. Now Daniel was well and truly enraged.
"The only sick ones here are the two of you! I don't know what's gotten into you, but I'll be damned if I let you condemn my beautiful daughter for being who she is! Shannon used to be shy and socially awkward, wouldn't interact with anyone! But now, thanks to Ruby, she's grown into a gorgeous butterfly! If that's wrong, I don't want to be right!" Daniel ranted.
"If you ask me, it's that Shakespeare she worships so much. Who would call someone who writes about forbidden loves, fairies and magic a genius? There's only one book she needs, and I suspect she hasn't been reading it. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this problem," Jacob posed. Now it was David's turn to argue.
"You wanna know something, father? I read my kids the Bible. It gave them nightmares. That's why Catherine and I gave Lewis and Kimberley the Harry Potter book collection for Christmas. They haven't been able to put them down since. That got them into reading more than that stuffy old text in serious need of a re-write ever did," David recalled.
"You WHAT?! How DARE you sully the word of the Lord! Next, you'll be telling us you're preparing for the deviant's nuptials!" Rhea argued.
"I welcome the day I get to walk my daughter down the aisle to marry her beloved Ruby, and don't you DARE call her a deviant!" Daniel rebuked. Jacob looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
"Sweet Lord in heaven, what is wrong with you two? What about our pure, Jewish bloodline?" Jacob questioned.
"Oh please, everyone knows that blood purity is pure crap. No race or creed survives in isolation. Diversifying the gene pool ensures survival," David lectured.
"I won't hear it! I will not condone the poisoning of our bloodline! You want to carry on like this, then fine! I disown the pair of you! Never set foot in this house again!" Jacob ordered.
"And I hope you realise this means we're never letting you see our kids again! No way would I expose them to this outdated, toxic and bigoted ideology!" David resolved.
"My daughter thought the world of you two. It broke her heart to hear you two say the things you did to her, so much so that she spent a week with Ruby partaking in her family's Diwali rituals. It is going to break her even more when I tell her what has transpired here. As you disown us, so do we disavow the pair of you. From now on, we're orphans," Daniel declared.
"Hear hear," David agreed. The two brothers left the house. Daniel hung back, just a little bit longer.
"I remember you telling Shannon to never stop being who she was on your near-death beds. Now, here you are, washing your hands of her because of who she is. Nice to know what hypocrites you really are," Daniel recollected, and with that, Daniel left, going back to the hotel they said to Shannon they'd stay at if things went south.
The next morning, Daniel made to call Shannon to tell them they would be returning, and also to break the bad news that Shannon had grandparents that didn't love her anymore. At the Tannenbaum house, on Shannon's bedside table, her phone rang, waking Shannon up from a long sleep. She felt around for her phone, then put it to her ear.
"Hello?" Shannon answered.
"Sorry, Shannon. Did I wake you?" Daniel replied.
"Only a little bit," Shannon lied to not make her father feel too bad. Daniel then sighed heavily.
"You should know, things went south between me, your uncle, and your grandparents. Uncle David, Aunt Catherine, and your cousins are still in your corner, but your grandparents haven't changed their tune. They've disowned us all," Daniel notified. Shannon was disappointed, but not surprised. Some part of her did hope that Jacob and Rhea could see the light, but they were notoriously stubborn and steadfast in their beliefs.
"At least you tried," Shannon consoled.
"Yeah, but the door is closed and locked now. We'll be coming back soon. You and your friends have a good time?" Daniel inquired.
"The best. We played some games, watched some movies, and just dozed off," Shannon summarised, careful to leave out the spirited love-making everyone had with their respective partners that night. In particular, Amy and Rex would never hear the end of it if Daniel and Candice found out they had sex in their bed.
"We might be a while, a few hours at best. Got any plans?" Daniel probed.
"Just a general outing, nothing too spectacular. Might take in a show," Shannon deflected. In truth, they all had one big plan; show up to court and see Luna and Lynn get their just desserts for spying on their strip game, but again, Daniel was not to know the drama club got their kit off in their house.
"Should be fun. Look, Shannon, it doesn't matter what my parents or anybody else says. You're my daughter, and we all love you just as you are. Don't let go of Ruby. She's the best thing that ever happened to you," Daniel assured. Even though her grandparents would never accept her, hearing that everyone else had her back was comforting to Shannon.
"I love you too, Dad, and Ruby sends her love as well," Shannon replied.
"I hope you and your friends enjoy your show," Daniel said before terminating the call. Ruby then stirred awake beside Shannon.
"I take it things didn't go well?" Ruby surmised.
"Nope, but at least my aunt, uncle, and cousins still support us," Shannon informed.
"It's your grandparents' loss. They lost out, like, on one awesome woman, and I'm not just saying that because we're, like, naked in bed together," Ruby complimented. Shannon chuckled affectionately, then thoughts raced through her mind.
"You know, we don't have to be at the courthouse for a few hours. There's still time for round two," Shannon flirted. She then planted kisses on Ruby's neck and got a little handsy on her chest area.
"Rounds two, three, four, and, like, every one after," Ruby accepted the invitation. The two then engaged in more intimate moments and also heard the others having the same idea. Luan and Benny, in particular, were very much enjoying each other's company.
"I love you, my radiating Ruby," Shannon said while massaging every inch of her that she could get her hands on.
"I love you, too, my shining Shannon," Ruby returned the sentiment, while making out with her girlfriend intensely and feeling Shannon's silky-smooth skin with her hands. This carried on for an hour before hunger pangs set in. The young lovers took this as a sign that they should eat something. Reluctantly, they got out of bed, dressed up, and Shannon, being the dutiful host, made pancakes for everybody.
"Did everybody enjoy themselves?" Shannon queried.
"Best sleep-over ever," Amy declared.
"We so need to do this again," Rex suggested.
"Definitely, but not at my house," Luan cautioned.
"I could talk my dad into getting us some rooms," Ruby offered. Everyone salivated at the thought of sleeping together with their respective loved ones in a hotel bed.
"That sounds fun, but I wouldn't want things to get messy in a fancy hotel," Benny replied.
"Don't worry, the housekeepers have seen their fair share," Ruby assured.
"Speaking of messy, we went ahead and changed the sheets in the master bedroom. Things got a little *too* intense with us," Amy notified.
"Yeah, so we heard," Shannon shot back.
"What? Our passion cannot be contained," Rex stated, his arm around Amy.
"I'm pretty sure they could hear your 'passion' from five blocks over," Mr. Coconuts interjected.
"Seriously, Luan, you brought Mr. Coconuts with you?" Amy asked.
"He insisted on spending time with Mrs. Appleblossom. What was I supposed to do? Leave him wanting?" Luan remarked. Benny then got out Mrs. Appleblossom.
"Oh yes. Right gentleman, he was, though it was pretty dark in that nightstand drawer," Mrs. Appleblossom commented.
"But not sound-proofed. I swear, I'll never get 'Oh Benny, you taste as sweet as you are' out of my wooden noggin," Mr. Coconuts joked.
"And with that, I am done with the pancakes," Rex responded, though he had pretty much eaten everything on his plate anyway.
"Time and place, Mr. C," Luan reprimanded. Speaking of empty plates, when everyone was done with their pancakes, Shannon gathered the plates up and put them in the sink.
"I can help with that," Ruby offered.
"Rubes, I'm the host," Shannon declined.
"Shans, you're not, like, a housewife or a servant. Besides, can't a girl, like, spend time with her beloved?" Ruby playfully argued.
"Even when doing dishes?" Shannon rebutted.
"Shans, every moment with you is, like, a blessing," Ruby complimented. Realising that she would not be able to persuade her otherwise, Shannon relented and allowed Ruby to help her clean the dishes. Ruby even found a way to make the chore fun. The two girls found themselves playing with the foam, giggling all the while. When the clean dishes were put on the rack, Ruby and Shannon were in each other's arms once again.
"Aside from sticking it to Luna and Lynn, what's next on the agenda?" Shannon inquired.
"I've got, like, a few ideas. We go to, like, Dairyland," Ruby suggested.
"I swear you're addicted to that place since you snuck in last year," Shannon teased.
"What can I say? I liked Heidi Heffer's udderstudy. Plus, I would, like, be willing to go through the Tunnel of Butter again with you. Even if it, like, smells of popcorn in there," Ruby hinted. Just then, Shannon could hear laughter coming from her shoulder.
"Now there's an idea, go through that long, dark tunnel and enjoy yourself some Indian take-out," Devil Shannon remarked, and then appeared on Shannon's right shoulder. Devil Shannon was dressed wholly in scantily clad red with a pitchfork and tail.
"You see what happens when you indulge your primal urges, dear child," Angel Shannon, the companion to Devil Shannon, appeared on Shannon's other shoulder. Angel Shannon took on a more modest garb, with a white robe and halo. "Besides, even you hated the odour of that tunnel," Angel Shannon reminded.
"Don't listen to her, you totally rocked it last night. Go to Dairyland with that hot Indian ass. It gets real dark in the Tunnel of Butter," Devil Shannon tempted.
"You. Are. Insufferable! Ruby is more than just her body!" Angel Shannon scolded.
"I'm not saying she wasn't, but oh baby, what a body!" Devil Shannon gushed.
"Sometimes I really hate sharing headspace with you!" Angel Shannon scoffed.
"Say what you want, but I got our girl laid," Devil Shannon bragged. Shannon hated it when these two showed up. It happened on prom night as well, and it was just as bad then. Angel Shannon chose to ignore Devil Shannon and turned to actual Shannon.
"By all means, go to Dairyland, but remember your principles this time, my child. Know the difference between love and lust," Angel Shannon counselled.
"No reason you can't have both," Devil Shannon butted in.
"Wasn't last night enough for you? Ruby is a precious bean that should be cherished," Angel Shannon cautioned.
"Oh, we'll cherish her alright. Her and those late blooming poppadoms of hers," Devil Shannon replied. At this point, Shannon was losing patience with these figments of her subconscious mind.
"Go away," Shannon thought to herself, and just like that, Angel and Devil Shannon disappeared in puffs of smoke. Ruby had noticed the annoyed look on Shannon's face.
"Your shoulder devil and angel, like, yammering in your ear again?" Ruby guessed.
"Yep," Shannon confirmed.
"Well, we all, like, have them. My angel kept telling me to, like, not tempt you away from your beliefs and my devil, like, egged me on," Ruby revealed. Shannon chuckled slightly.
"Same with me. Guess we're both crazy," Shannon replied.
"Only for each other, Shans," Ruby flirted. Before another make-out session could begin, Shannon caught the time on her watch.
"Court's in half an hour. We better move," Shannon pressed. Once everyone brushed their teeth, Luan drove them all in Vanzilla, which the cops let her keep at the house when they took Luna and Lynn away, to the courthouse.
Once they arrived, they found the rest of the Loud clan in the public galleries, with displeased and disapproving looks on their faces. While the Loud family often got into scraps with local bullies, regularly got kicked out of places, and more often than not, fought each other, never would they have imagined that any of the Loud family would ever appear in a court of law. Luan came close when she confessed to the near-lethal motel pranking spree she pulled on her family, but Judge Stein, Benny's mother, spared her by passing down a suspended sentence, which she has since cleared with no further infractions. However, Shannon was hoping these two would not get off so lightly, even with the reveal the drama club would inevitably spring.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that Luna and Lynn wrote down confessions and apologised to the whole club for their little games of Peeping Tina, but before Judge Stein could pass down judgment, Luan revealed that this was just a massive prank designed to put the fear of God into her two spying sisters, that the drama club knew all along that they were being watched, and that they had successfully strung Luna and Lynn along like the thespians they were. It was part of an initiative championed by Judge Stein herself aimed at scaring troubled youth away from a life of crime, by giving them a small taster of what they would be in for should they continue down the path. Needless to say, Luna and Lynn had learned their lesson and would not do this again. Luna said she did it the first time because things had been slow on the intimacy side between her and Sam, but there was no excusing the second time, which was just plain wrong, and Lynn did it because she had a curiosity about same-sex relations that she wanted to explore but vowed to do it the right way. This did not stop Judge Stein from handing them a community service order cleaning police cars for a month, partly due to her duty as a judge, and partly because she was dealing with two girls that tried to see her son in various stages of undress. This made Shannon and the rest of the drama club smirk with glee. Once everyone left the courthouse, the drama club assembled at the parking lot.
"I would've liked to have seen those two do a bid, but knowing they'll be cleaning cars feels just as good," Amy stated.
"Enough law talk, what's everyone up to today?" Rex asked.
"Ruby and I were thinking we could all go to Dairyland. You know, one last hurrah before we all go to college," Shannon suggested. This made everybody think for a moment.
"I completely forgot about that. It just seems so surreal, realising we're all going our separate ways," Rex realised.
"Awwwwww, don't say it like that. You'll make us sad," Luan cautioned.
"Besides, we can all, like, web chat and stuff," Ruby added.
"Not to mention we can all come back for the holidays. Christmas, Summer, not Easter though, we'd probably have exams to prepare for," Amy assured.
"Still, I'll miss the camaraderie we all share. Remember when we all helped pen each other's college applications?" Benny recalled. Everyone groaned at this memory.
"Why are they so long? I never knew selling myself would be so hard," Shannon complained.
"Good thing you had me to, like, highlight your best qualities," Ruby interjected.
"Yeah, and I also remember trying to fit in everything you said without going over the word limit. That was half the battle," Shannon replied.
"It, like, totally worked. ESU, like, couldn't say 'yes' fast enough," Ruby responded.
"I find it amazing that you two would continue trying to make a go of it on stage or on the big screen. Kinda jealous, to be honest," Amy admitted.
"Don't feel bad, Amy. If I make it big time, I'll get you to be my personal make-up artist once you've finished your Cosmetology degree," Shannon offered.
"What about your dentist? Will you need one of those?" Rex asked.
"Depends. Will you get your qualifications before I become a star?" Shannon posed.
"Oh, the race is on," Rex accepted the challenge. The group shared a good laugh before they departed for Dairyland. Once there, they were greeted by all the familiar sights and sounds of a dairy-themed amusement park. Each coupling went off to do their own thing. Amy and Rex would go through the Tunnel of Butter, with Amy remarking about how she would 'beat her personal best' (Shannon did NOT want to imagine what she could've meant), Luan and Benny would go feed calves at the petting zoo, and Ruby and Shannon would go on Fly Me to The Moo. Ruby never got to try this rollercoaster when she snuck in last year. From what she heard about the ride, it was supposed to be an experience you share with your significant other. When it was Ruby and Shannon's turn to get on, Ruby noticed that Shannon was shaking a little. Being a seasoned rollercoaster veteran, Ruby wrapped her arm around Shannon in comfort. Shannon leaned closer into Ruby for warmth, and they enjoyed the ride. It was quite exhilarating, her and Shannon having this experience together. Shannon, too, enjoyed herself and Ruby's company, proving to Angel Shannon that one did not need to be bare to have a good time.
"See, you can have fun with your clothes on," Angel Shannon gloated.
"Do you ever stop preaching?!" Devil Shannon rebutted. Once the ride was over, Ruby helped Shannon get off because she was about to keel over from dizziness.
"You have been on rollercoasters before, right?" Ruby probed.
"Not really, nope," Shannon responded.
"OK, then we are definitely not going on the Milk-Shaker. That will be messy. Maybe we can cool things down by seeing how the others got on," Ruby suggested.
"Good idea…..errrrrrrr, which Ruby am I talking to?" Shannon was seeing double from being hurled around on the rollercoaster and was having difficulty determining which Ruby was the real one. However, her double vision returned to normal, and she could make out her girlfriend without her head spinning. "Oh, there you are," Shannon remarked.
"Does that mean you're, like, good to eat now? We promised the others we'd meet them at the food court for lunch," Ruby reminded.
"Yeah, I should be able to keep it down, as long as it's not gouda-feta," Shannon informed. But just before they could make their way to the food court, a strange old man approached them bearing fliers.
"You must repent. Repent!" the old man started harassing the coupling. Shannon groaned upon the sight of him. She had seen this song and dance far too many times. It was obvious that this old git was another street preacher ordering same-gender couples to break off their 'sinful lifestyles or face eternal damnation'.
"Yeah, no thanks. My Hindu girlfriend and I need to go meet up with the rest of our friends," Shannon trolled.
"Fret not, for you can be healed. Our faith retreat will deliver you into salvation!" the preacher ranted and forcefully handed Shannon a flier before park officials turned up.
"How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?!" Dairyland security raised the alarm and chased the slimebag out of the park. Shannon inspected the flier without much interest.
"Right Path to Healing. Let God guide your way?" Shannon read, then turned to Ruby. "Hard pass!" Shannon and Ruby objected at once. They didn't need healing, as far as they were concerned. They were fine as they were. Shannon threw the flier in the trash and she and Ruby met up with the others at the food court. Once they all got a serving of cheese fries, talk began of how their day has gone so far. Amy, it turns out, did not make an attempt to beat her personal best in the Tunnel of Butter, due to park security's reminder that there were cameras in the Tunnel, newly installed due to similar incidents of 'overly amorous activities'. Benny had to drag Luan away from the petting zoo because she was getting too attached to one of the calves and wanted to take it home with her, and Ruby and Shannon told them all about their ride on the rollercoaster, and the unfortunate encounter they had with the old preacher afterwards.
"Why can't those people just leave young lovers alone?! What century is this? Rex and I had the same problem when we were last at Gus' Games 'n Grub," Amy ranted.
"Why would they bother you? You're as straight as a ruler," Shannon wondered.
"True, but we saw a wrinkly, old fart hassle Lainey and Alice non-stop. We got in the way, so he started hurling abuse at us, saying we were 'enablers of the dark times'. Gus got involved soon after, and he very nearly got into a fistfight with the guy before security chucked him out," Rex clarified.
"I've had a run-in with someone like that as well. During my sister Luna's first Pride parade with her girlfriend Sam, a group of old fogies brought out signs with Bible verses and started ranting and raving about they were 'going against God's vision' and that they were 'grooming kids into the Devil's lifestyle'. Well, you know us Louds, we don't take crap lying down, so we did what any normal Royal Woods resident would do, we ran them out of town, burned their signs, took recordings and posted them online. We got several people fired. Victory for us!" Luan relayed her glorious tale.
"Whatever, it doesn't, like, bother me, because they're, like, on the way out and we're, like, still in our prime," Ruby dismissed.
"Maybe that's why they're fighting so hard. One last desperate push to get things how they want before they fade into irrelevance," Shannon mused.
"Like that's going to work. You and Ruby are living proof that loves knows no creed, definition, or any conditions whatsoever. It just is," Benny complimented. Rex then raised his drink into the air.
"To the Sharuby Ship! May it sail long into the sunset!" Rex proposed the toast.
"Wait. What's the Sharuby Ship?" Shannon asked.
"It's the pet name we call you two. Some of us even did fan art," Luan answered. She then showed Ruby and Shannon pictures of the two of them role-playing as a queen and her lady-in-waiting, Shannon's prom-posal, trying on each other's clothes, and even one Ruby really enjoyed of her rubbing sunscreen onto Shannon's back as she lay on her stomach at the beach.
"Why does it look like I'm getting off on Ruby rubbing my back?" Shannon probed. Ruby, however, loved what she saw.
"Can you, like, send me copies?" Ruby requested.
"Oh sure, have them framed while you're at it," Shannon quipped. Once the group shared a good laugh, everyone raised their drinks into the air.
"Drama club for life!" everyone reiterated their most solemn oath, re-affirming that, no matter where life took them, they would always be friends and have each other's backs.
The rest of the day passed by without incident. Once Luan got everyone home, Shannon was telling her parents about the day they spent together, minus the part where she and Ruby had their first time together, along with the rest of the drama club's love-making in their house. While Daniel and Candice were a little bothered by Shannon and her girlfriend getting harassed by street preachers, Shannon was quick to remind them that Dairyland security made short work of him. Shannon went to bed exhausted, but hopeful for the future. Whatever life she would make for herself, it would have Ruby in it for sure, along with the rest of her friends. The next day, Shannon awoke to yet another call coming from her cell phone on the nightstand. After some fumbling around, Shannon answered.
"Hello?" Shannon greeted.
"Hey, Shannon, it's Grandma Rhea," Rhea replied. This was one voice Shannon could do without, especially after what she heard from her dad, as well as the words she used the last time they spoke in person.
"What do you want? And before you ask, no, I have not broken things off with Ruby! In fact, we're planning to go to college in New York together, far away from all this," Shannon ranted.
"I get it, you're mad. I've… done some thinking since we last saw each other. Maybe we can talk this out, get things back to how they were before," Rhea offered.
"The last time I saw you in person, you and Grampa Jacob called me a taint on the family and tried to get me into therapy I didn't need," Shannon recalled bitterly.
"Like I said, I've done some thinking. Look, there's this reconciliation retreat we can go to. It's in a calming, natural, stress-free environment where families go to mend ties. It may be too soon for us to fix things with your parents, but I'd still like to see my grand-daughter smiling and happy, no matter who she's with. Don't you think it's worth a try, for the sake of what we once had?" Rhea pleaded. Shannon had half a mind to just hang up on her there and then, but she seemed to be struggling with the decision. Unfortunately, whenever this happened, her shoulder angel and devil tended to make an appearance, and this was the case here.
"You're not actually considering this, are you?" Devil Shannon cautioned in sheer disbelief. "These are the people who called you a corruption and a taint. This is so obviously a trap. I mean, they did try to put you in therapy, after all," Devil Shannon reminded.
"Even so, they're still family. You can't just turn your back on them," Angel Shannon responded.
"Sure you can. It's easy, just do this," Devil Shannon then turned her back to illustrate her point. "See how easy that was? All you need to do is hang up the phone, block the number, tell your folks what they're trying to do, and go hang out with Ruby some more. Maybe take her camping in the woods," Devil Shannon instructed.
"You cannot just discard the bond you used to have with them. If there is any chance of reconciliation, you owe it to yourself and to them to try," Angel Shannon counselled.
"They discarded the bond first. You don't owe them squat," Devil Shannon scoffed.
"You also don't know what happened between then and now. It may be possible that their remorse is genuine," Angel Shannon urged.
"Did you not hear Dad's story? They disowned us! Put that phone down, Shannon!" Devil Shannon ordered.
"Remember the good times, my child. Isn't it worth fighting to get those back?" Angel Shannon pressed. At this point, Shannon had lost her patience with her angel and evil selves and willed them away. She then came to a decision.
"I'll hear you out, but no more than that," Shannon conceded.
"I'm so glad to hear that, Shannon. Don't tell your parents. I want this to be a surprise. A courtesy shuttle-bus will come by to pick you up. I'll send you co-ordinates. See you soon," Rhea responded and hung up. On cue, Shannon got the co-ordinates at which to meet the shuttle-bus. It wasn't too far, but she did find it odd that it never stopped near a local bus station. Still, a shot at reconciliation was worth it. However, she did have some misgivings, so she quickly texted Ruby about her grandparents reaching out to her hoping to mend ties. Instantly, Ruby replied.
"I don't know about this, Shans. It sounds like a trap. Why would they not want you telling your folks? That's, like, an instant red flag right there," Ruby warned.
"The whole time I've known them, they've never once lied to me. If there is a shot at patching things up, I have to try," Shannon insisted.
"Since I probably won't be able to talk you out of this, I'll just wish you good luck. Let me know how it goes. Love you," Ruby responded.
"Love you too," Shannon returned the sentiment. She made for the co-ordinates, and the shuttle-bus arrived to pick her up, but there was no sign of Jacob or Rhea anywhere. Shannon called them to ask where they were.
"Don't worry, we're coming on a separate senior bus. We'll meet you there," Jacob stated. Shannon started to have doubts. First, they didn't want her telling her parents, then they have her boarding a bus by herself. This was everything the teachers in elementary school warned kids about, but these were Shannon's grandparents. Surely, they wouldn't lead her into danger, right? Against her better judgment, Shannon got on. She took a seat by the window and noticed some other kids on the bus as well. At least she wasn't alone, but why did they all look so scared? And where were their parents? These kids looked like they were barely out of middle school. What's worse is that they weren't speaking to each other. If they were in some sort of friend group, they'd surely be talking to each other about something, but eerie silence accompanied them throughout the entire journey. Shannon was starting to get petrified. What had she gotten herself into? She made to call someone, but the phone was not getting any signal, and wi-fi was dead. Shannon was stuck on what to do, but before long, they had arrived at a retreat of sorts. It looked almost like a summer camp, complete with a lake and forest setting, which helped to calm Shannon's nerves. She then approached the driver.
"Do you know when the senior bus is coming? My grandparents said they were coming on one," Shannon inquired.
"Senior bus? Don't know anything about that," the driver answered evasively. This brought Shannon's nerves back. She took a deep breath and made to go inside to ask there. She found a receptionist at the front desk. She seemed nice enough, with a welcoming smile and friendly demeanour.
"Excuse me, do you know when the senior bus is due to arrive?" Shannon queried.
"Senior bus? We don't get those here. Can I take a name, please?" the receptionist responded.
"Errrr, Shannon Tannenbaum," Shannon replied, her nerves firing on all cylinders. The receptionist checked her computer.
"Let's see…. ah, here you are, Shannon Tannenbaum. You were checked in by Jacob and Rhea Tannenbaum, our founders. Just in time, too. First counselling session is in an hour. Plenty of time for you to get settled in. Don't worry, your grandparents will be here in no time. Someone will be along shortly to see you to your room," the receptionist informed. This helped to ease Shannon's nerves a tiny bit. A natural setting such as this would make this a perfect, calming place for mending broken bonds. Sure enough, two men that looked like camp councillors approached her and showed her to her room, but along the way, Shannon caught glimpses of kids stricken with fear, some were visibly shaking, and no mental health professional was in sight. She heard one muttering what sounded like Bible verses. It soon became clear where Shannon was when she saw one kid on their knees murmuring 'pray the gay away' over and over again. When Shannon saw her room, with a bed and one sole religious text on the bedside table, it was obvious what had happened. Her grandparents had tricked her into a conversion camp. She would make to run, but she had no idea where she was, and the councillors could overpower her easily. To make matters worse, they also took her phone off her so she couldn't call for help. Instead, she just sat on the bed, feeling betrayed, like a knife had stabbed her through the back, breaking her heart.
"You just had to trust those old fossils, didn't you?" Devil Shannon reprimanded.
"Shut up, you!" Shannon and Angel Shannon rebutted.
Author's note: Well, here we are. I had been alluding to this late last year, now we are finally at the conversion camp story. Those of you who thought 'Murphy and the Law' was dark, you haven't seen anything yet. It is worth noting that I have zero knowledge of how conversion camps actually work, but it is my understanding that it doesn't work, inflicts long-lasting physical and psychological harm, and almost always has religious motivations, which is probably why only 20 out of 50 US states have outlawed the practice. I also got stuck writing this, because I'm my own worst critic. Scenes got written, then re-written, then critiqued over and over. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. All properties belong to their respective owners. Enjoy.