The Pearl Girls

Pumpkin's Scrapbook

DECEMBER 24th

Pumpkin was decorating the tree with the girls. Volleyball held him up to the top of the tree, letting him have the honor of putting the star on top of the tree. There was a small knock at the door. "Pumpkin, go answer for me, I'll get the next box of ornaments." Pumpkin trotted to the door and opened it with his tail. He was amazed at who it was.

"Hello my darling!" It was Sardonyx. "I've decided to spend Christmas with my favorite little animal friend Pumpkin, and his caretakers!"

Volleyball smiled. "Welcome Sardonyx. Let me get the guest room ready for you. It's just down the first floor hallway."

She kneeled down to Pumpkin. "Pumpkin, stay here and finish decorating the tree with the others. I'm going to help Sardonyx get settled in."

Pumpkin was excited for Christmas. They had gone and played in the snow, and they had even gone sledding. The trip was cut short by a blizzard.

That evening, Volleyball and the family were watching a Christmas special. It had just finished. "Oh, I just love the Christmas specials.", Pearl admitted joyfully. "Any particular favorites?", Yellow asked. "I like the one about the talking snowman.", Blue silently answered. "I quite like the one about the reindeer with the red nose."

Sardonyx looked in her lap. She handed the sleeping Pumpkin to Volleyball. "Your pumpkin pal's fallen asleep. Shall I put him to bed?", she asked. Volleyball nodded. "Goodnight Pumpkin.", Volleyball whispered.

"Pumpkin, you're excited for tomorrow, right?" He nodded. "And, look." She walked to the advent calendar, moving the ribbon to 0 days. "No more waiting, just one more night and it'll be time!", the celebrity joyfully announced. "Get some rest, you'll need that energy for tomorrow." She turned out the light. "Goodnight, my little Pumpkin."

2:00 AM

Volleyball was in a deep sleep. She was excited to see what Santa brought her for Christmas. Her sleep was interrupted when she heard crying from Pumpkin's room.

Sardonyx walked in to find him crying. "Pumpkin, did you have a nightmare?"

He nodded. "Oh, don't worry dear. Nightmares can't really happen." She wiped his tears, bringing him close. "I know, why don't I read you a story to help you sleep?", she suggested walking to his bookshelf.

The Noble History of Paper? No, she didn't want to bore him to sleep. A novel about the presidents? No, still boring. Okay, so there were mostly just historic books. "Let's see..."

She noticed a scrapbook in between two photos of him. "Oh? Now what's this?"

Pumpkin gasped and ran over, hiding the scrapbook. "It seems that you want to hide something from your friend Sardonyx?"

He nodded. "Oh, it's okay. Why don't we look at it together?"

She opened it. There was a photo of a much smaller him smiling at the camera. "Is that you?", she asked. Pumpkin hid under the covers, shameful. "Aw, you looked so cute!" Pumpkin seemed confused. "Not that you weren't already cute."

She turned to the next page. There were men in hazmat suits. "Were those your friends?" He shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

He walked to his drawing desk and illustrated for her.

So you were in a lab?

There were men. They wanted to do something to someone. Something?

He drew a pumpkin seed.

A seed. A... pumpkin seed?

He nodded and drew a barrel of toxic waste.

They put the seed... in a barrel... and filled it with radioactive waste.

He drew an empty barrel.

The seed absorbed the toxic waste? It was alive... it tipped over.

Something rolled out.

He drew a baby version of himself.

A baby pumpkin? Is that you?

He nodded as he flipped to a new page. "What happens next?"

You were in the lab. You find a camera.

You took a photo.

"The photo in your scrapbook?"

He barked joyfully. "Wow, you were so cute!"

He drew something.

But they didn't need you anymore?

They put you in a box.

And they put it on a train. You went to Beach City to be put in a pet shop.

Nobody wanted you?

You escaped through the back door.

Cars and strange people were everywhere. It was so scary for you. You wanted to go back, but you didn't want to be laughed at or forgotten. You... you found an alleyway. And you lived in it.

Soon, you decided to go back to at least be well-fed. So you returned, but the pet shop was gone.

A tear dropped onto his paper. Volleyball walked in and looked. She had heard the story.

So did Yellow. And Blue, and Pearl, and Steven. Pumpkin was crying, not wanting to go back to his alley, or the busy streets, or the pet store, or the train, or the laboratory, or the barrel.

Sardonyx pet him, trying to cheer him up. "Oh, there there Pumpkin... it's going to be okay... I'm so sorry you had to experience that. But what matters is you found the people who care about you."

"You're quite brave, do you know that?" Pumpkin barked in a curious tone. Volleyball looked to him.

"Of course you were brave. Pumpkin, that's what makes you... well, you. Without you, my life wouldn't be the same."

"It may be true that you're different than other animals or children.", Sardonyx explained.

"But that's one of the many reasons I love you.", the teenager whispered. Sardonyx winked as she handed Pumpkin to Volleyball.

Volleyball gave him a belly rub which made Pumpkin bark joyfully.

"Everyone, back to bed, we open presents at 9 sharp.", Volleyball called with a soft but still noticeable voice. The group went to their rooms.

"Let's try and get you back to bed. It's getting late."

She gave him an extra blanket, and a kiss on the forehead. "Good night Pumpkin."

Volleyball turned on his nightlight so he didn't have to be in the dark.

Just as she was about to leave... she heard noises from his mouth.

"Hm? Did you want to let me know anything else?"

Smiling, Pumpkin looked up to Volleyball as she sat next to him on the bed.

"Ma-ma..."

He fell asleep, leaning up to her. Volleyball gasped and softly embraced him. She sat there for a few moments before going to her room. Before she closed the door, she took one more look at Pumpkin.

"Goodnight, my baby.", Volleyball whispered, closing the door.

"Good night, Ma-ma..."