The Sims 2 Presents: Foster's Valley!

[xxxClaire]

Wow, so Frankie does have an imaginary friend? Awesome!

[jekylljuice]

This is based upon something Craig told you, you say? Interesting, I'm looking forward to seeing what develops.

[Cassini90125]

Originally Posted by Lynnie

*gasp* Frankie had an imaginary friend?

Originally Posted by Mac-a-lacka

Could this "Miri" be a long-lost imaginary friend of Frankie's?

Originally Posted by xxxClaire

Wow, so Frankie does have an imaginary friend?

Originally Posted by jekylljuice

This is based upon something Craig told you, you say?

The answer that you seek can be found below. The story you are reading is mine but it was inspired by what Craig McCracken told me at Comic-Con 2008. Exactly what he told me will be posted in the Frankie Discussion Thread fairly soon.

Foster's Valley - "The Search Begins"

"Miri... Miri..." Frankie whispered. The description Tamara had given her was a perfect match. Could it really be her, after all this time?
"Miri... Miri..." The whisper turned to a scream. "MIRI!!!" She ran to catch up with a very startled Tamara Kalson. "Tamara! Where did you last see her? Where? When? Tell me!"



"Whoa, calm down," Tamara responded. "I saw her at Whitesand Hot Springs, about noon yesterday. How do you know her name is Miri?"
"Because she's my Imaginary Friend!" Frankie called out as she raced away.

Frankie returned to the hotel two hours later, exhausted from tearing Whitesand Hot Springs apart, desperately searching for any signs of Miri, any clue as to where she had gone. Nothing. She went to bed both excited and upset, vowing to start searching again the moment the sun rose. So close, she thought; so many years without a sign, so many futile searches by her and Wilt and Madame Foster, and now out of the blue Miri turns up on this island... "I won't lose you," Frankie whispered as she drifted off to sleep. Her voice was tinged with steely resolve. "Not again. Not this time."

True to her word, she was awake at dawn. A fast shower was followed by an even faster breakfast. Where to start searching? Where could Miri be hiding? She needed some advice from one of the residents, someone who knew the island a lot better than she did. Seawater Beach Paradise was nearby; she decided to start there, where she soon ran into Jim Reeves:



"Jim!" She called out. "Hey got a minute?"
"Of course," Jim replied. "This is about your missing Imaginary Friend, I presume?"
"Yes. How'd you know?"
"I stopped by the hotel with a delivery last night and spoke with Tamara. I missed you by only a few minutes."
"Oh. Look, I need to talk with someone who knows this place better than I do. You've lived here all your life, right?"
"True, but I travel frequently. Come; my friend Talin works with the archeological survey. He knows the island as well as anyone."
Frankie met Talin a few moments later and explained her problem to him.
"I've seen her a few times," Talin said. "She's been watching the archeologists dig, always from a distance, often hiding in the bushes. It's hard to approach her, no doubt because of the incident with the social worker."
"Huh? What incident?"
"It was a few days before you arrived. A social worker - I don't recall her name - tried to catch her and put her in foster care. Your Imaginary Friend bit her."
Frankie stared at Talin in wonder:



"Miri bit her??" She almost laughed. "Yeah, I can see her doing that. She was occasionally a little feisty." She grew serious again. "Where could she be hiding, thought?"
Talin thought for a moment. "Have you tried the wreck of the Emerald Gale?"
"Never heard of it. There was a shipwreck here?"
"Yes. It's an old pirate vessel that beached itself here after a storm dragged it up from the seafloor several years ago. It's in pretty good shape, all things considered. We use it as a tourist attraction but there are a lot of places onboard where a child-sized Imaginary Friend could hide."
"I'll look everywhere I can, anywhere I have to. Where is it?"
"South End Beach, less than a mile from here."
Okay. Thanks so much, I really appreciate this!" Frankie smiled as she left.

Frankie arrived at the beach soon thereafter and sure enough, there was indeed a wrecked ship on the beach:



"Sheesh, this thing is big," she muttered as she approached the centuries-old vessel:



She thought it might not be a bad idea to get a look at the surrounding area, see if there were other places that Miri might be hiding. The rope ladder leading to the crow's nest wasn't easy to climb and it swayed back and forth as she ascended but eventually she made it to the top and began to survey the land:



The view was spectacular, even moreso as the overcast skies cleared:



But this wasn't what she was looking for. A beautiful view, sure, but it would have to wait for another day. Back down the swaying ladder she went and she began to search the ship for signs of her Imaginary Friend. From stem to stern she searched but found nothing. Had she missed a spot? Not that she could see. Only the captain's cabin was left:



Into the darkness she went, exploring, searching... she heard a noise, turned, and a moment later everyone outside heard a loud shriek as Frankie ran out as fast as she could:



"What happened? What's going on?" asked the other tourists, alarmed by her screaming. Frankie paused to catch her breath. She turned, pointing wild-eyed back towards the captain's cabin, and shuddered. One word crossed her lips:



"Ghost."

(To be continued...)

[antgirl1]

Lol ghost pirate.

[Lynnie]

Ooooooooh, a ghost. Getting good! Actually, it was always good. But it's still getting good!

[Mac-a-lacka]

The ghost captain appears...

I wonder if he has something to do with Frankie"s imaginary friend.

[Frankie_Foster]

Frankie had an imaginary friend?

Eek! A ghost!

[xxxClaire]

Whoa, ghosts are scary.

This is really good, Cass! I'm really enjoying this even more.

[Cassini90125]

My thanks, as always, to those who commented. It's much appreciated. (Insert smiling Frankie smilie here.)

Foster's Valley - "Her name Is Miri"

"Ghost? What ghost? I don't see any ghost," the other tourists lied as they looked at the ghost and then their watches. "My, it's getting late, I really need to have lunch/see my hairdresser/hide under my bed/get the hell out of here. See ya!" With that, 15 brave tourists beat a hasty retreat to anywhere else, leaving Frankie alone on the deck of the Emerald Gale. Alone with the ghost of the ship's long-dead captain.
"Oh, you're real heroes, all of you!" she shouted after the departing tourists. Ghost or no ghost, Miri or some sign of her might be down in the captain's quarters; nothing was going to stop her from finding out. With all the courage she could muster, Frankie turned and faced the ghost.
"Arrr," he said as she approached. To her surprise, he appeared to be smirking.
"Have you seen my Imaginary Friend?" Frankie asked nervously:



The captain raised an eyebrow. "Your what?"
"My Imaginary Friend," she repeated.
The captain was silent for a moment, then continued. "I see the snack shop over yonder makes a very good pina colada."
"Huh? Waitaminute, I haven't been drinking! Look, when a child thinks of an Imaginary Friend..." and she repeated everything that CN had used as a premise for the series about Foster's.
"I see," the captain said. "You must be Frankie Foster, then, aye?"
"Yes. You know who I am? You must have talked to her! Captain, you've got to tell me what she said, tell me where she is, please!"
"And so I shall. Let it never be said that Captain Edward Dregg, Scourge of the Six seas, failed to aid a lady in distress!"
"Isn't it Seven Seas?"
"My map is old. Aye, I have the knowledge that you need, but first, we must sing!" With that, the captain whipped out an accordion:



"Sing with me, lassie! Sing!" He began to sing.
Frankie just stood there, dumbfounded. She began to suspect that she was dealing with the ghost of a retard.
"Captain, I really don't have time-"
"Oh, come on, sing with me!" he said petulantly. "Miri did."
The captain actually looked sad. "Fine," said Frankie. The captain perked up, smiled, and began his song again, teaching her as he went. They sang together for a good twenty minutes until he was satisfied that she had it down pat.
"Thank you, miss Foster," he said when they'd finished. "May I say that you have a lovely voice."
"Thanks. You mind if I ask what the point was of all this?"
"How do you feel right now?"
"Confused."
"Exactly. You're not afraid of me anymore." He grew serious. "It gets very lonely here, you know, and when people are afraid of you it gets lonlier still. You and Miri are the first people I've talked to in some time. Even the undead long for companionship now and then. Do you understand what I'm talking about, lassie?"
"I do," Frankie replied sympathetically. "Lonliness is one of the reasons I created Miri."
"So she told me. Yes, she stayed here with me for about a month. Quite a charmer, I must say. Bit of a thief, too, always trying to snatch bicycles and such. She did that to try to get to Foster's, to try to find you, until I explained to her that this is an island, and a bicycle wouldn't help. After that she got ahold of a shovel and started tearing up people's yards and digging near where the archeologists are working."
"She's digging for treasure, isn't she?" said Frankie. "She's trying to find enough old coins and stuff to buy passage to the mainland!"
"Aye, that she is, but I don't know how far along she is. Have you made an offering at the old temple?"
"Huh?" What was Dregg talking about now? she wondered.
"The Temple of Jumbok IV. Have you made an offering?"
"No, and I don't think I have the time to, captain."
"You will, and you will be impressed by it's wisdom, although the answer to your question will be over your head."
"Riddles, captain?"
Captain Dregg smiled as he shrugged. "I'm a ghost; it's what I do. Now go talk to the man with the hat; he'll send you where you need to go. Aye, another riddle." He laughed.
Frankie laughed too as she turned to leave. "Thank you, Captain Dregg.":



"My pleasure, lassie." A moment later, Frankie was off the ship and back on the beach. Sure enough, a few minutes later, a man with a hat approached her:



"Frankie Foster, right? You're the one looking for that kid with the antenna?"
"Yes, have you seen her?"
"Me? No. But my daughter did. Her name's Kim; she works at the food stand at Whitesand Hot Springs."
"Gotcha. And thanks!" Frankie hailed the next cab she saw and was on her way. She found Kim quickly:



"Yes, she was here maybe four hours ago," Kim told her. "Waltzed in here with an antique bowl she dug up, offered to sell it to my boss, and they argued about the price for a half-hour. She wouldn't take anything less than $500.00.
"The price of a plane ticket," Frankie realized. "Did she get the $500?"
"She did, and took off like a rocket right after."
"Oh, no. When is the next flight to Foster's Valley, do you know?"
"The next is in two days, but if you're hoping to catch her, you're too late; the flight before that left two hours ago."
"DAMN!!!" So close, Frankie thought, so very close. "Alright, thanks!" Back to the hotel she raced; time to call in the cavalry:



"Hello?" Madame Foster answered.
"Grandma? It's me, Frankie-" she heard a crash on the other end. "What was that?"
"Oh, nothing, Mac and Bloo came by to visit, that's just Bloo and Bendy playing cops and terro- er, robbers." Frankie heard Mac yell and the sound of running. "Mac and Berry are playing tag. Wilt? Would you please disarm Berry again? So, Frankie, how's the island? Comfy and quiet?"
"We'll talk about it when I get home."
"Looking forward to it. Dylan called, as did Samantha Bandrowsky; she had some questions for you about Imaginary Friends. That girl scares me."
"She scares everyone. Listen, grandma, I don't have time to explain everything but Miri's in the Valley! Her plane landed a little while ago; I need for you to to go to the airport and find her!"
There was a moment of silence. "Are the pina coladas good, dear?"
"I haven't been drinking! Sheesh! Grandma, she's there, I'm telling you! You've got to go find her!"
"You're serious? She's really here?
"Yes! Grandma, please-"
"Say no more, we're on our way! I'll call you when we have her. Mr Herriman! Wilt! To the bus!" With that she hung up and Frankie collapsed onto her bed, exhausted but exhilarated. After nearly 20 years, she'd finally found Miri. So long, hanging around that House, hoping she'd turn up, and now-
The phone rang soon thereafter but it wasn't Madame Foster or anyone else from the House.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Frankie, remember me?"
"All too well," was Frankie's annoyed reply:



"Look, Dylan, you had your chance with me, and you blew it. I don't like you and I don't want to talk right now. I need to keep this line free, kapish?"
"Aw, don't be like that, hon," said Dylan:



"I'm a changed guy, really!"
"Don't call me that," Frankie replied. "Don't call me hon, or babe, or sweetie, or anything. In fact, don't call me at all! I'm not interested in spending my time with a loser who thinks of me as 'property' and yells at children!"
"I know what I did that night but that was years ago. I'm great with kids now, seriously! As a matter of fact, I'm taking care of one right now. Poor thing was lost, wandering around the airport, so I took her in. Got her down in the basement. You want to meet her?"
Frankie was horrified:



"Dylan, you son of a..." she said in a low voice. "If you hurt her in any way-"
"Frankie, Frankie, I would never do such a thing," Dylan said smoothly. "Besides, she's not even a kid, she's an Imaginary Friend, and like I told you I love Imaginary Friends. I think you ought to come by and pick her up; she said she wants to go to Foster's. Nice kid; I'm sure you'd like her. Did I mention her name?"
Frankie knew what Dylan was going to say next. Knowing didn't soften the blow at all as he continued:



"Her name is Miri."

(To be continued...)

[Lynnie]

There she is! Aw, she's cute! Dylan'd better not hurt her!

Frankie was a loner when she was little? I'll be looking forward to that post in Frankie's thread to explain all this. What was Dylan doing at the airport? And do you think up all the names or does the game? Just curious, they're creative.

Haha, I liked Madame F on the phone, and telling Wilt to disarm Berry. She and Mac were playing "tag", huh? Poor Mac.