SonnySkyez1541
Dirty Possum Boi
- Local time
- Today 12:23 AM
- Messages
- 500
- Age
- 30
- Location
- ✨The government owns my uterus✨
- Pronouns
- He/Him
"Fuck, it's so hot out here!"
"Penelope Anne Haggart, you watch your tongue!"
The stout redhead girl turned, shielding her eyes to look up to her mother with a crinkled nose and free arm out helplessly as if to ask 'what did I do?'
"Well it is, ma!"
Upon a warning glance from her mother, Pen decided it would be best to share her opinion with her father. Wandering down along their porch, she looked out over the corn field for that patch of green among the gold, smiling her gap toothed grin when she found that old faithful John Deere tractor slowly chugging along in the distance. Every summer, right around back to school time, Pen would watch her dad harvest the corn to sell and every year he would come back to the house after selling complaining about how the price never got higher, how with every passing day it just seemed to drop and how next year, definitely, he would sell at the first chance he got. It never happened, though Pen loved to see if she could predict his wording year after year. She'd just about gotten it down, the way he'd stomp into the house, throw down his ball cap and say 'Dammit, Melissa, I'm tired of always getting the short straw! Why can't the damn stocks work in my favor!? Every single year this happens but not next year! Next year I assure you I'm selling the harvest on the first damn day no matter who tells me what!' Pen would hear from her room and mimic him, stomping around her little feet and waving her gangly arms through the air as she stifled giggles out of fear of reprimand.
Being only 11, Penelope wasn't allowed to be on her father's tractor- at least not when it was running. In the off seasons she'd sneak into the barn and that monstrous green form would become a castle or a dragon or whatever else her overactive imagination could conjur up. One day that tractor was going to be hers and she would be the one to complain about the selling price of corn. She couldn't wait.
Days passed slowly and the guy on the TV was right- it was only getting hotter, even as school began. Penelope's mother had bought the girl plenty of sensible tank tops and shorts and it got to the point that she would apply thick layers of sun screen before even allowing her to walk to the bus! At night she would hear her parents talking, the topic of moving coming up but her father refused, saying their family had lived on this farm for over one hundred years and he wouldn't be ran out by a little heat.
Then the crying started.
At school everything seemed fine, the teachers taught as usual, the days dragged on, everything was normal. At home, however, things were far from the usual. Her mother spent all day in front of the television, watching the news and sniffling into a tissue. Father would be either consoling her or pacing through the house, muttering to himself. Travel pamphlets appeared on the kitchen table, but were soon found stuffing the kitchen garbage bin. Maps were laid out in their wake, but those too soon disappeared. The worst part of everything, though, was that every time Penelope walked into the room, everything changed. Her mother would quickly dry her eyes and put on a smile, her father would offer to make her a snack or take her out somewhere, all as if she hadn't clearly seen what was going on before. It confused her, angered her, but they would never answer her questions- only stating 'things are just hard right now, honey, it'll get better though.' Penelope began sitting beside the doorway in her room with the lights off and the door cracked, straining to hear the TV over her mother's muffled sobs and sniffs.
There was a man with a sad voice talking about the sun.
What is a 'trajectory'?
Something about two months? What was happening in two months?
Penelope had more questions now than she'd had before, but still no one would tell her what was going on. This became her normal life for a while until the funniest thing happened! One day about three weeks later, all of the corn in the field exploded! It all just went 'pop!' and there was popcorn all over the place! Pen's father was not happy, talking about the corn cobs drying up and the livestock feed being ruined, but her mother would interrupt him with something like 'really, Arnold? That's what you're focusing on right now?! THE CATTLE!?' She would yell and more tears would happen then she would find Penelope and hug her, petting her hair and crying. Penelope hated when her mother would cry, especially because she didn't know how to fix it, so she would just wrap her little arms around the woman's neck and mirror her actions, petting her mother's hair.
A couple of days after the popcorn field exploded, Penelope came home from school to find her mother in her room stuffing clothes into a suitcase. When Penelope asked, all her mother would say was 'we're moving, sweetie. Somewhere scary, but we'll be safe there, I promise.' What did she mean by safe? Penelope couldn't help but begin to cry, the confusion and now fear becoming all too much for the little girl. Her father came, lifting her into his arms and as they left the house and loaded into the pickup, he rubbed her back and hummed her a song to soothe her. Soon, the girl was emotionally exhausted and asleep in her father's arms. What she would not see in that moment, nor in any moment to come, were the silent tears streaming down her father's face as he held her close to him, a look of defeat written in his features.
Penelope awoke, but everything was dark. Looking around she called out first for her mother, then her father. A kind hand stroked her hair and her mother's voice came to her, telling her that they were safe now, that there would be nothing to worry about. A dull light lit the room and Penelope looked around, taking in the sight of families all around her. Children, grandmas grandpas moms and dads were everywhere and so many people were crying. Finally, her mother sat her down and told her what was happening as best as she could.
There had been some event in space and the sun had been hit with something big enough to throw off its 'trajectory' to send it hurtling toward Earth. In now only a little over a month's time, it would hit the Earth and a good amount of the world would be hurt. 'As long as we stay in here' her mother said, stroking her cheek, wiping away tears that now fell, 'we will be safe. We will be together.' Penelope believed her mother- how could she not? Her father was so quiet now, there was no more complaining about the corn, no more talking about the cattle, just... silence as he sat in a corner, carving at a stick with his knife.
Time passed, though no one could tell how much, and the once cool room they had been in had begun getting hotter and hotter. One night, through the sweat dripping into her eyes, she saw a couple embrace and heard their words.
I thought we would be safe underground.
The water is gone, the food is low, how much longer will we be here?
Penelope's father pulled the girl into his lap, cradling her and using his shirt to dry the sweat from her face, blowing lightly on her until she fell asleep. She did a lot of that these days- sleeping to pass the time.
"Daddy, it's so hot in here, can I have some water?"
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, there isn't any left."
"But I'm so thirsty..."
"I know, baby, we all are. I'm sorry. It... It won't be long now, just... try to rest."
"Daddy, are you crying?"
"No no, baby, just sweat that's all..."
"..."
"Daddy?"
"Yes baby?"
"When we... get out can... I... drive your... tra-"
The little girl fell asleep in her father's arms.
She dreamed of the tractor.
She dreamed of the great popcorn explosion.
She dreamed of water.
Her shallow, wheezing breaths stopped.
"Penelope Anne Haggart, you watch your tongue!"
The stout redhead girl turned, shielding her eyes to look up to her mother with a crinkled nose and free arm out helplessly as if to ask 'what did I do?'
"Well it is, ma!"
Upon a warning glance from her mother, Pen decided it would be best to share her opinion with her father. Wandering down along their porch, she looked out over the corn field for that patch of green among the gold, smiling her gap toothed grin when she found that old faithful John Deere tractor slowly chugging along in the distance. Every summer, right around back to school time, Pen would watch her dad harvest the corn to sell and every year he would come back to the house after selling complaining about how the price never got higher, how with every passing day it just seemed to drop and how next year, definitely, he would sell at the first chance he got. It never happened, though Pen loved to see if she could predict his wording year after year. She'd just about gotten it down, the way he'd stomp into the house, throw down his ball cap and say 'Dammit, Melissa, I'm tired of always getting the short straw! Why can't the damn stocks work in my favor!? Every single year this happens but not next year! Next year I assure you I'm selling the harvest on the first damn day no matter who tells me what!' Pen would hear from her room and mimic him, stomping around her little feet and waving her gangly arms through the air as she stifled giggles out of fear of reprimand.
Being only 11, Penelope wasn't allowed to be on her father's tractor- at least not when it was running. In the off seasons she'd sneak into the barn and that monstrous green form would become a castle or a dragon or whatever else her overactive imagination could conjur up. One day that tractor was going to be hers and she would be the one to complain about the selling price of corn. She couldn't wait.
Days passed slowly and the guy on the TV was right- it was only getting hotter, even as school began. Penelope's mother had bought the girl plenty of sensible tank tops and shorts and it got to the point that she would apply thick layers of sun screen before even allowing her to walk to the bus! At night she would hear her parents talking, the topic of moving coming up but her father refused, saying their family had lived on this farm for over one hundred years and he wouldn't be ran out by a little heat.
Then the crying started.
At school everything seemed fine, the teachers taught as usual, the days dragged on, everything was normal. At home, however, things were far from the usual. Her mother spent all day in front of the television, watching the news and sniffling into a tissue. Father would be either consoling her or pacing through the house, muttering to himself. Travel pamphlets appeared on the kitchen table, but were soon found stuffing the kitchen garbage bin. Maps were laid out in their wake, but those too soon disappeared. The worst part of everything, though, was that every time Penelope walked into the room, everything changed. Her mother would quickly dry her eyes and put on a smile, her father would offer to make her a snack or take her out somewhere, all as if she hadn't clearly seen what was going on before. It confused her, angered her, but they would never answer her questions- only stating 'things are just hard right now, honey, it'll get better though.' Penelope began sitting beside the doorway in her room with the lights off and the door cracked, straining to hear the TV over her mother's muffled sobs and sniffs.
There was a man with a sad voice talking about the sun.
What is a 'trajectory'?
Something about two months? What was happening in two months?
Penelope had more questions now than she'd had before, but still no one would tell her what was going on. This became her normal life for a while until the funniest thing happened! One day about three weeks later, all of the corn in the field exploded! It all just went 'pop!' and there was popcorn all over the place! Pen's father was not happy, talking about the corn cobs drying up and the livestock feed being ruined, but her mother would interrupt him with something like 'really, Arnold? That's what you're focusing on right now?! THE CATTLE!?' She would yell and more tears would happen then she would find Penelope and hug her, petting her hair and crying. Penelope hated when her mother would cry, especially because she didn't know how to fix it, so she would just wrap her little arms around the woman's neck and mirror her actions, petting her mother's hair.
A couple of days after the popcorn field exploded, Penelope came home from school to find her mother in her room stuffing clothes into a suitcase. When Penelope asked, all her mother would say was 'we're moving, sweetie. Somewhere scary, but we'll be safe there, I promise.' What did she mean by safe? Penelope couldn't help but begin to cry, the confusion and now fear becoming all too much for the little girl. Her father came, lifting her into his arms and as they left the house and loaded into the pickup, he rubbed her back and hummed her a song to soothe her. Soon, the girl was emotionally exhausted and asleep in her father's arms. What she would not see in that moment, nor in any moment to come, were the silent tears streaming down her father's face as he held her close to him, a look of defeat written in his features.
Penelope awoke, but everything was dark. Looking around she called out first for her mother, then her father. A kind hand stroked her hair and her mother's voice came to her, telling her that they were safe now, that there would be nothing to worry about. A dull light lit the room and Penelope looked around, taking in the sight of families all around her. Children, grandmas grandpas moms and dads were everywhere and so many people were crying. Finally, her mother sat her down and told her what was happening as best as she could.
There had been some event in space and the sun had been hit with something big enough to throw off its 'trajectory' to send it hurtling toward Earth. In now only a little over a month's time, it would hit the Earth and a good amount of the world would be hurt. 'As long as we stay in here' her mother said, stroking her cheek, wiping away tears that now fell, 'we will be safe. We will be together.' Penelope believed her mother- how could she not? Her father was so quiet now, there was no more complaining about the corn, no more talking about the cattle, just... silence as he sat in a corner, carving at a stick with his knife.
Time passed, though no one could tell how much, and the once cool room they had been in had begun getting hotter and hotter. One night, through the sweat dripping into her eyes, she saw a couple embrace and heard their words.
I thought we would be safe underground.
The water is gone, the food is low, how much longer will we be here?
Penelope's father pulled the girl into his lap, cradling her and using his shirt to dry the sweat from her face, blowing lightly on her until she fell asleep. She did a lot of that these days- sleeping to pass the time.
"Daddy, it's so hot in here, can I have some water?"
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, there isn't any left."
"But I'm so thirsty..."
"I know, baby, we all are. I'm sorry. It... It won't be long now, just... try to rest."
"Daddy, are you crying?"
"No no, baby, just sweat that's all..."
"..."
"Daddy?"
"Yes baby?"
"When we... get out can... I... drive your... tra-"
The little girl fell asleep in her father's arms.
She dreamed of the tractor.
She dreamed of the great popcorn explosion.
She dreamed of water.
Her shallow, wheezing breaths stopped.