The Old Mill Chapter 3

Chapter 3 A renovacy made by Jessabeans as a gift to SamelaRita for the Sims 3Amayzing gift exchange.
Link to the renovacy here: https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9309941
And a link to the renovacy rules in case anyone else wants to play it!
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/920867/the-renovacy-challenge-a-new-and-short-challenge/p1 This is new. I have never seen this before. Not the dog – dogs are an old story – but the yellow vehicle. And the joy child is swallowed up by it and carried off. But hope and strength are unconcerned, so there must be no harm in it. The garden is coming back to life again. Hope plants, in hope of growth, and strength waters the plants to strengthen them. The daybreak child plays, and watches, and plays. It is strange with joy gone. I miss her laughter. The yellow vehicle returns the joy child. She tells strength about her day. Her voice is happy. And then she plays with the daybreak child while strength works on. They only light the fire in the evening now. The days are warm enough. This is new. I have not seen hope and joy do this together before. The daybreak child sits where joy used to sit, and joy sits with her parents. They grow so fast – or so it seems, to me who am old, old, in years and seasons. The papers are only yellow, and that is good. But I know they want to change more things inside me, and they cannot. Now it is nearly summer though, maybe things will be different. Hope talks of putting more plants in the garden. Strength says he and joy will go fishing together, and joy's eyes brighten with pleasure. Who is this? He does not live here? And strength and hope sleep the sleep of the exhausted. I rattle my wheel, try to wake them, but this person is so quiet. I do not like his smile or the way he looks round. And what is that bag for? He is still sneaking round. But strength has woken, is speaking softly. He does not want to alarm hope or the children. The burglar flees before the police arrive. He stole their sink, and now they will have to replace it. But this time, this disaster, I do not fear that they will leave. The garden is larger and strength works on another sprinkler. He is being watched by a very ugly gnome. No-one knows where it came from, but the joy child loves it and will not let them get rid of it. She says it moves around by itself, but her parents do not believe her. They try not to look at it because it is so ugly. Nothing much has changed inside me for a long time, and I worry a little. But hope smiles as she goes to pick up the papers, and this time they are white papers, so I think things are all right really. I can hear singing too, from strength as he works. They are all happy. Now I see why they had been saving their money for so long! The daybreak child has grown older. She and her sister share a room, decorated in their favourite colours. They are delighted with the surprise. I hear hope and strength talk. There is still money-in-the-bank, and soon they will do more things. The wanted child is alone in the room all three of the children were sharing before. And hope and strength have moved back up to the top floor. The room looks shabby compared to the girls’ room. Strength wants to change that. He thinks hope should have beautiful.

The Old Mill Chapter 2

Chapter 2 The seasons turn and the year grows colder. The burnt-out cooker is gone, and they eat outside for now. Alone with the daybreak child, strength tells her of his plans for the day, the surprise he is going to give to hope and joy when they return. First he cleans. He works on my floor until all the marks from the fire are gone, but he doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t have the right sort of paint for the fridge, or the time for the windows as hope and joy will be home soon. But strength hopes that this will be enough to lift their hearts. It lifts mine. He cooks outside, in the last of the day’s light, to be ready for them when they return. Hope is so happy, she almost cries. I have seen this before, many times. The firelight warms the room, and strength smiles at hope, and joy drums a rhythm to her parents’ delight. And the red papers are dealt with again. I can feel the happiness coming back into the home. The sink sprays water everywhere, but they laugh as strength repairs it and hope mops the clean, clean floor. In the other room, joy plays with a new toy. She, too, laughs as her parents laugh. Upstairs, the daybreak child sleeps peacefully. You are my hero, hope says, and kisses strength. The daybreak child is no longer a baby. And her sister has grown taller, her hair longer. Winter is here, and they feel the cold. This time, the papers are only yellow. I think this is good, for hope smiles as she writes. They have a new cooker – no need to cook outside in this snow. The holes within me are being healed. The new wood smells clean and good. And new bedrooms are being built, above the fireplace against the warmth of the chimney stack. There is plenty of wood around to keep the fire burning. My old walls grow warm at that end of the room. The stone holds the heat and gently gives it back. The seasons turn and spring has come. Strength helps the daybreak child learn to walk. The joy child plays, talks, walks, will be grown older so soon now. And inside hope another child is forming, made from the love that grows ever stronger between hope and strength. Another child is coming into the world. Into my world. Into the embrace of his family and my strong walls. Another loved and wanted child. The wanted child is hugged and soothed. I hear hope’s voice singing a lullaby to him, telling him he is loved and cared for, and he doesn’t need to be afraid. I would sing too, if I had a voice.

The Old Mill Chapter 1

The Old Mill A renovacy made by Jessabeans as a gift to SamelaRita for the Sims 3Amayzing gift exchange.
Link to the renovacy here: https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9309941
And a link to the renovacy rules in case anyone else wants to play it!
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/920867/the-renovacy-challenge-a-new-and-short-challenge/p1 I satnd on a headland. The water rises here, turns my wheel so I can grind. I am old. Old and strong, and I have sheltered many, fed many. But time has turned like my wheel and I, who have protected others, have been abandoned to decay. Can buildings weep? you ask. I know I do. Gutted and alone, the seagulls’ harsh cries match my heart’s cry. Until, one day, hope walked through my doorway and up my stairs. And strength cast his line into my waters. And joy laughed in the empty chambers of my heart. And as strength attacked the filth of ages, and hope gave joy words to use, my heart lifted, my heart lifted. I know this story. I’ve seen it so many times before. My walls will shelter this new one too. The pieces of paper make hope sad. I wish I could comfort her. But strength enfolds her in his arms, assures her that all will be well. Daybreak, dawn, and a new life breaking into being as well. They worry. I hear them. Joy still laughs, secure and unafraid, but hope is losing hope and strength is doubting himself. The garden grows slowly, but inside nothing is better. Their daybreak daughter cries and hope is sadness. They are selling things – the curtains, some of the kitchen furniture. And I am sad too. I fear that they will leave. The pieces of paper make hope sad again. The weeds have gone from inside me. And joy makes music rise up through me. I hear their voices – hope uncertain at first, strength’s reassuring rumble. He caught many fish today, the garden grows well, they are getting by. They eat their food together and hope grows more cheerful. I wish I could speak. Meanwhile, joy gazes up, up, up, through the heart of me. I see them below me in a little island of light. I want them to stay. The red papers go back in the box. This is a victory, I know. They are holding their ground. Fire! Fire threatens me and those I shelter. While hope runs for the children, strength attacks the flames. The stove is ruined, the floor is blackened, and hope gazes sadly at the mess. I have survived and so have they, but this is not forwards. This is backwards. Will they give up now and leave? Will I be emptier than before?