~💚~
We were now at a campsite by a beautiful lake. Gwen and I were reading. I was finishing Midnight Sun and Gwen was reading a spell book. "You know, Gwen. You don't have to read Charmcaster's spell book, I can teach you magic," I said to my friend. "Yeah. You're right, Paige. Besides, I want to learn light magic; not dark magic." She said, smiling.
~💚~
"You've got to love summer vacation, princess. Nothing to do all day long but sit around and... Hey! Grandpa, what gives?" Ben asked. "What gives is that I ran out of water in the shower... again. It's your job to keep the tank full, Ben," Max said. "I will, just later." "Sure. The same way you're going to make your bed or take out the trash?" She said.
~💚~
"Well, you're a fine one to talk, young lady. You think those dirty dishes are just going to wash themselves?" Max asked Gwen. "But it's summer vacation, Grandpa. What about Paige? How come she's not involved in this?" Gwen said. "Because she did her chores." "Yeah. If we wanted to do chores, we could've just stayed at home," Ben said.
~💚~
Then we heard something over the radio. "Y'all ready for a little fresh air? Want a chance to commune with the animals? You know someone who needs to learn the value of some good, old-fashioned hard work? Then sign your whole clan up for a week at Dairyville's Family Fun Farm Camp and experience life on a real working farm." My eyes lit up because before I moved to the city, I grew up in the country and lived on a farm.
~💚~
I don't regret leaving because leaving the country and the farm led me to Ben. "Max! Can we please go? I miss the country and my farm so much. Please? Pretty please?!" I begged. He chuckled, "OK, sweetheart. Anything for you," Max said. "Yes!" "Princess, why'd you do that?" Ben asked. "Yeah, Paige. Farm work sounds so boring," Gwen replied.
~💚~
"You know, you guys don't get it. I miss the country so much! I miss the peace and quiet. I miss working on the farm and taking care of the animals. Especially my baby cow Olivia. It was some of the happiest times of my life. Now will you please stop acting like spoiled brats?!" I yelled. Then I went to sit in the passenger seat next to Max. I crossed my arms over my chest and I could feel tears in my eyes. Rather than fight them, I let them fall.
~💚~
Max could tell that I was upset. He put his hand on mine and gave it a squeeze while sending me a comforting smile. I smiled back and wiped away my tears. We arrived at the farm and I got out of the Rust Bucket. Ben, Gwen and Max stayed in the RV so he could talk to his grandkids for a second. I could faintly hear what was said. "Now listen you two, what you said really hurt Paige. This trip is really important to her. She misses her home in the country. She doesn't regret leaving because she has us. But she wishes that she could experience that again. She has a chance here. Now, I want you two to smile and apologize to Paige. Understand?"
~💚~
Then I heard them exit the Rust Bucket. Ben came up to me and put arms around my waist and kissed my cheek. "I'm so sorry about how I acted. Please forgive me, princess," He said. "I'm sorry too, Paige. We shouldn't have acted the way we did. Just because we weren't raised on a farm doesn't mean we can't give it a chance," Gwen said. I smiled and gave her a hug. "Thank you so much. I accept your apologies. Now come on, we don't want to keep Max waiting."
~💚~
I walked over to Ben, he grabbed my hand and pulled me in for a kiss. I could feel how sorry he was and I could feel tears on his face. I wiped them away with my thumbs. "Benji, why are you crying?" "It kills me that I hurt you. I never want to do that but I did anyway and I hate myself for it," He said. I immediately brought him in for a hug. "Benji, shh; it's OK. I know that you didn't mean what you said. Calm down, it's OK. Think about it, if I didn't leave the country and my farm; I never would have met you," I said.
~💚~
"I love you so much, my beautiful princess," He said. I smiled, "I love you too, my handsome prince " Then I brought Ben in for a hug and I never wanted to let him go. We walked up to a woman with brown hair, wearing a pink shirt and blue overalls. "Welcome. I'm Joan Maplewood. This is my son, Todd. You must be the Tennysons," She said as she introduced herself.
~💚~
"Yes. Call me Max. And these tenderfoots are my grandkids, Ben and Gwen. This beautiful young lady is my future granddaughter, Paige," Max said. "Hi!" Todd said. "Hey," The three of us said in reply. "Well, enough chitchat. You're here to work. You can start by uploading that truck full of feed over there," Joan said. I ran over to it and started uploading the bags. "This reminds me so much of the days on my farm," I thought as a smile made it's way to my face.
~💚~
"That's my girl! I'm so proud of you," Max said. I smiled as I handed a bag to Ben. "Oh, man. There's got to be 1,000 of these bags. Looks a job for..." He was cut off by Max. "Ben 'I'm too lazy to fill a water tank' Tennyson and only him. If you know what I mean," Max said. "Why do I get the feeling that the fun part of our summer vacation is suddenly over?" Gwen said. Not in the mood for her comments, I stepped on her foot. That definitely kept her quiet.
~💚~
Finally, after I carried in the last bag of feed; the barn was full. Ben and Gwen looked exhausted but Max and I were up and ready for more. "Well, that's the last of it, Max." "Great job, Paige. Nothing like working up a good sweat, right, guys?" He said. I smiled but Ben and Gwen were on the ground, checking their breath. Suddenly, we heard Joan's voice, "Come and get it! Suppertime!"
~💚~
"Yay! Food!" I thought, happily as I ran toward the house. "Good grub, Joan," Max complimented. "Yeah, with no actual grubs in it for a change," Gwen said. "It's delicious, Mrs. Maplewood. Thank you so much," I said. "Oh, dear. Please call me Joan." "So, no TV, no video games, no malls. What do you guys do for excitement around here?" Ben asked. "You could read something besides comic books, Benji," I said. "Paige has a point, Ben."
~💚~
"Well, you won't believe what I saw last night," Todd said. Before he could tell us what he saw, Joan spoke up. "Now, none of that. No one's interested in your tall tales. Let's get these dishes washed and then hit the hay" "Here. Let me help you, Joan," I said, taking some of the dishes. "What? But it's still light out," Ben said. "Trust me. You'll be glad you got the sleep come morning," Max said. "Max is right, guys. When I lived on the farm, we had to wake up at 5 A.M." I said.
~💚~
After the dishes were done, Todd took us to where we were going to sleep. "OK, so spill it. What did you see last night?" He asked Todd. "Nothing. You wouldn't believe me, anyway," Todd said. "Try us. We've seen some pretty bizzaro stuff this summer. Right, Paige?" Gwen said. "Definitely." "Well, I was down in Old Man Johnson's pasture when right in front of me, bigger than life was... a mummy! A genuine Egyptian walking-dead mummy." Todd said, freaked out by the memory.
~💚~
"Really?" We said as we shared a look. Then we were brought into a room with bunk beds. From what I could tell, it was also the chicken coop. "Here it is. Home, sweet home for the next week." He said. "What's that smell?" Gwen asked. "This is the chicken coop, too," I said. "See you in the morning," Todd said. "Isn't that great? Nothing like the smell of country air," Max said. "Yeah. Just makes me realize how much I miss it." I said as I pulled a picture out of my pocket.
~💚~
It was of the farmhouse that I lived in before my father Neal died. I looked at it with a smile and fond memories of my dad.
~💚~
~💚~
"That's the farmhouse that you lived in, princess?" I nodded, "Yes it is, Ben. It was when my dad was still alive. I miss him so much." I could feel tears in my eyes. He brought me into a hug and kissed my forehead. "Shh. Don't cry, princess. It's OK, I'm right here," Ben said. Then we laid down on the bed and put our heads on the pillow. But then I heard a chicken cluck. "Guess we won't have to worry about fresh eyes in the morning," Max said.
~💚~
Ben woke me up and we snuck out of the chicken coop. Suddenly, we heard Gwen speak, "Going somewhere, lovebirds?" "Same place you are," I said. "Mummy hunt." Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me away. Suddenly, we saw a giant hole in the ground. "You think that's where his tomb was, princess?" He asked. "An Egyptian tomb in South Carolina? Impossible," I said. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw cows but they looked different. Definitely not like the ones that I had.
~💚~
"Princess, cows aren't supposed to look like that, right?" He said. I shook my head, "No they're not," I said, frightened. Suddenly, the cows came charging after us. "Split up!" Ben and I ran in one direction while Gwen went in another. When we were far enough away, Ben transformed into XLR8, he picked me up bridal style and we went to get Gwen. We found her and she got on Ben's back.
~💚~
"Thanks guys," She said. Then I noticed that the cows were coming back. Gwen grabbed my hand and we climbed a tree. While Ben went to confront the mutant cows. "Toro! Toro! Ole!" "Benji, look out behind you! Never mind," I said as he slammed into the tree. "First a mummy, now mutant cows? What's happening on this freaky farm?" Gwen said. "I wish I know." "Only one way to find out, Princess. Follow the glow trail," Ben said.
~💚~
He picked me up bridal style again, "Benjamin and Paige Tennyson, don't you two dare leave me here... alone," Gwen said before he raced off with me in his arms. "Looks like Todd was right, Benji." "Yeah, but why a mummy try to get back into the ground, princess?" Ben asked me. I didn't have time to answer because the mummy turned and looked at us.
~💚~
Before the mummy could get us, Ben moved out of the way. He let me go, "Princess, go find Gwen... now! I want you to be safe." Rather than argue, I just nodded and ran to find her. Finally, I found Gwen but then I saw that Ben was in trouble. The mummy was about to crush him with a silo. I ran as fast as I could and grabbed Ben before he could get hurt. "Benji, are you OK?" I asked, worriedly.
~💚~
"Princess, you saved me," Ben said, trying to catch his breath. I smiled, "I always will " Then I leaned in and kissed him. He put his hand on the back of my neck to hold me. I couldn't focus on anything else besides him. Suddenly, Gwen cleared her throat; "Come on, lovebirds. You two can be all loveydovey later," She said, annoyed. "Where's the mummy? Major monster movie," I said.
~💚~
"He was digging for something glowing at the bottom of the crater, but it's gone now," Ben said. Then we went back to the farm and went to bed. Ben and I snuggled as he held me in his arms. "Oh, man. I'm beat. I could sleep for a week, princess." Suddenly, the lights turned on and we heard Joan's voice. "Rise and shine, sheepsheads." "You've got to be kidding. It's five a.m.," Gwen said. "I told you guys that I always had to get up to 5 A.M. when I lived on my farm," I said.
~💚~
"And those cows aren't going to milk themselves," Joan said. "Now aren't you glad you went to bed early?" Max asked us. The three of us looked at each other and frowned. Now we were in the barn and Todd was showing us how to milk the cows. I wasn't really paying attention because I've done this before. "Just squeeze and pull. Squeeze and pull." "Don't they have machines for this?" Ben asked. "Ma doesn't believe in them. Says they spook the cows," Todd replied.
~💚~
"Isn't there something else we could do?" He asked. "Well, the manure needs to be shoveled." "Milking," The three of us replied. "Don't worry, guys. When I lived on my farm, I always preferred milking over shoveling manure," I said. "This is going to take forever... unless we get a little special help, princess," Ben said. "Benji, no," "Paige's right, Ben. Grandpa told you specifically not to go alien to do this work," Gwen said.
~💚~
"Yeah, I guess you're right. You wouldn't want to miss out on the experience of milking all of these cows," He said. "So what are you waiting for? Change already," She said. "Guys! When I lived on the farm, I never used my magic to do my chores. But, hey, if you want to use the Omnitrix to do everything and disobey Max; go right ahead. Just don't expect me to stick around," I said as I could feel my blood boiling.
~💚~
I left the barn and took a walk. I took a few steps and that's when I finally let the tears fall. I wasn't crying because I was sad, I was crying because I was frustrated. Ben and Gwen weren't taking this seriously whatsoever. They were taking the easy way out. I couldn't believe it! I wasn't just going to stand around and let them cheat at this. I was going to do something about this, right here, right now.
~💚~
I went back into the barn, saw Gwen laying on some hay and Ben was Four Arms. "Oh, yeah. This is working out great," She said. "Enough!" They both looked at me in shock. I conjured up a fireball in my hand. "You two will stop acting like spoiled brats and do this work or so help me... I will do something about it. Understand?!" I said, furiously. "Well, I'll start milking some cows. Paige, would you please help me?" Gwen asked. I nodded, "Yes, I will. Sorry if I seemed a little harsh. It's just that whenever I was working on my farm, people would expect me to do all of the work. I wouldn't get any help."
~💚~
"It's OK, princess. We understand," Ben said as Gwen nodded. I smiled and continued to work. Suddenly, we heard a voice, "How's it going in there?" "Benji, hide!" I whispered. "Just milking away," We said. "Where's that cousin of yours?" Joan asked. "He went to go get more buckets," I said. "Well, when you're done here, find Todd. And he'll show you your other chores for the day," She said.
~💚~
After we were done in the barn, we went to find Todd. First, we fed the pigs. Then, we harvested eggs, plowed a field and finally, we planted a fence. Before we knew it, all of our chores were done. "So, do you have to work like this every day?" Ben asked. "No. During planting and harvest seasons, we don't have it so easy. But, to tell you the truth, at least it keeps you busy. It's usually pretty boring around here. It's not like every day a mummy appears in a flash of purple lightning," He said.
~💚~
That caught our attention, "Purple lightning?" We said. Then we went to find Max and tell him. "Purple lightning?" He said. "Just like when we crossed paths with that alien werewolf. That's definitely a time I'd rather forget. That's when my princess left me," Ben said as I put my head on his shoulder. "No way that it's just a coincidence," Gwen said. "It can't be," I replied. "I'm not sure, but it can't be good. Come on. You guys can fill me in on the rest while I grab some gear," Max said.
~💚~
We took him to the pasture where we encountered the mutant cows. "Well, this would explain your mutant cows, but we've got an even bigger problem." "Bigger than a rampaging mummy and and monster cows?" Gwen said. "What is it, Max?" I asked. "I'm picking up trace readings of corrodium. It's a high-energy mineral not naturally found on Earth. My guess is a meteor must have crashed around here a few thousand years back, scattering debris all over the area," He said.
~💚~
"The mummy is a rock collector?" Ben asked. "I'm afraid not, Ben. It's a powerful energy source that's very unpredictable. That's what mutated those cattle," He said. "So if that mummy gets his hands on more of this stuff..." "He could turn every living thing on the eastern seaboard into the same kind of monsters," I said.
~💚~
We got in the Rust Bucket and rode around and tried to find traces of corrodium. "Scanner indicates that the corrodium readings are highest right over there," He said. "Digby Dairy? They make our favorite ice cream, princess!" Ben said, excitedly. "I'd say there's a big chunk of corrodium buried right here, beneath the concrete." "I'm on it," Ben said as he activated the Omnitrix. In a flash of green light, he was Diamondhead.
~💚~
"Ben, wait!" Max's warning fell on deaf ears as Ben smashed through the concrete. "Found it," He said. "That's great, Benji. You just did the mummy's work for him, my love." "Oh, yeah. My bad, princess," He said. Suddenly, the lights began to flicker and Max pushed Gwen and I behind him. "We've got company." He said as the mummy appeared. "Major horror show," I said, frightened.
~💚~
"I don't think he's here for the chocolate zoomies." "Now, that's got to hurt. Hey, let go. He said. "It's got the corrodium," Max said. "He's trying to expose us to the corrodium." Suddenly, a security guard appeared, "Hey! What in blazes..." "No! Get back!" Max warned but it was too late. The mummy exposed the man to the mineral and he mutated into a monster.
~💚~
Suddenly, Max put Gwen and I in suits. "Level ten hazmat suits. Don't think your parents would appreciate me bringing you home all mutated," He said. "Hey what about me?" "As long as you're in alien form, you should be safe from the mutation effects, Benji," I said. "Should be, princess?" "Run! Now!" "Well, here goes nothing; Gwen," I said as I could feel my magic coursing through my veins.
~💚~
I conjured up two huge fireballs and aimed them at the mutated security guard. The only thing that happened, was I swelled up like a balloon and bounced around before hitting the mutant. "OK, mental note. Never try to use my magic from inside a hazmat suit." Gwen extended her hand and helped me up. Suddenly, we were cornered by the monster. Max grabbed a piece of pipe to defend himself.
~💚~
"All right, now. I don't want to hurt you. So much for that idea," He said as the pipe was sliced in half. Then the mutant's attention turned to me. I ran as fast as I could. Then I came to the machine where they pack up the ice cream. "Let's wrap this up, Paige," Max and Gwen said. I pressed the button and the machine started up. Soon, the guard was all wrapped up in packing tape. "Mission accomplished!" I thought.
~💚~
Then we heard an explosion and went to go investigate. I saw Ben fighting the mummy, then the Omnitrix timed out. I ran to him, grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the danger. Then Max put a hazmat suit on Ben, "OK. Not exactly my style, but..." He was cut off when the mummy grabbed Max. "Benji, slop the hogs!" He grabbed a tub of ice cream and the mummy tripped and fell.
~💚~
"Hey, you're right, princess. Farm work really does pay off," He said. I smiled and thought, "I told you so!" "One of these has got to do something. There!" Gwen said, messing with a machine. "Eat marshmallow, mummy!" "Or maybe you'd prefer peanuts!" I said. Then I dumped some peanuts on the mummy and he was destroyed. "Yeah!" The three of us cheered and high-fived. Then Ben was pulled away from me by the mummy.
~💚~
"Yikes! Paige!" He yelled as he was tied up. "His suit is ripping. He'll be exposed to the corrodium," Gwen said as she saw the suit ripping. "The Omnitrix... it's sampling the mummy's alien DNA. Benji, go alien before you begin to mutate. It's your only hope," I said. "Time to fight mummy with mummy, princess. Upgrade? Oh, man!" "Be careful, Ben. That stuff is liquid nitrogen. It could freeze you solid in seconds," He warned his grandson.
~💚~
Then, I saw an idea on his face, "Just wanted to get you all fired up before cooling you way down... permanently. Anybody for an extra-large order of mummy ripple?" "Nice job, Ben. By the time the day shift begins, the concrete will be hard, and no one will ever know a mummy-sicle is buried under there," Max said. "The corrodium turned Ben into a hideous mutant! Oh, wait. That's how you always look," She said.
~💚~
"That's so funny I forgot to laugh. Speaking of mutants, what about the cows and the security guard?" "Yeah. What'll happen to them, Max?" I asked. "Don't worry about them. They weren't exposed long enough for it to be permanent. Guess we'd better head back to the farm. I'm sure Joan has more chores for us to do. Oh, before I forget; Paige. I mentioned to her how much you miss farm-fresh eggs. So, Joan gave me an entire basket of them for you," He said.
~💚~
I
was so touched by the kind gesture that I couldn't say anything. "Yeah, about that, Grandpa. Gwen and I just want to say.... We've learned our lesson! We'll do our chores from now on! Also, we'll never disrespect farm work or farm life again... Paige. We promise! Please forgive us!" Ben and Gwen said. "I don't know, I'll have to think about it. What do you think, Max?" I asked.
~💚~
"Oh, thank goodness. I had forgotten how much I hated working on Uncle Jedediah's farm when I was a kid. Now, let's get out of here before I get stuck with manure duty again," He said. "Paige and I'll be there in a second," Ben said. "Benji, what's wrong?" I asked. "Nothing. I just wanted to apologize again for being such a jerk. If you want to move here after we get married, we can do that."
~💚~
"You'd do that... for me?" He nodded, "I'd do anything for you, princess," Ben said. I was so happy that my words were lost. All I could do was jump into Ben's arms and kiss him.