Gemma and the Angel - A Christmas Story for 2010

“Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings” Oh how Gemma loved that old Christmas movie ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ starring James Stewart, she had sat watching it again last night as the child in the story quoted the famous line at the end; tears streamed down Gemma’s face, it got her every time! It was Christmas morning and she was up early to put the turkey in the oven as the rest of the house slept on. She had set the alarm for 5am to make sure that the large bird would be cooked through so she didn’t have to worry about it later in the day, especially if her guests arrived early. Gemma always felt a little bit uneasy this time of the day in her big Victorian home, there were cold spots in the house, and a few times in the past she thought she had seen a shadowy figure, just fleetingly, in the hall.

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Once again her parents and in-laws were coming over for Christmas dinner and although she looked forward to Christmas, sometimes she wished that someone else would volunteer to cook, just for once! It was the same every year, she had a house full, her elderly parents, her husband’s parents, her brother and sister with their partners, plus her brother-in-law and his girlfriend usually came too. Although Gemma was happy to greet them she seemed to spend the rest of the day in the kitchen whilst they sat chatting in the lounge, sipping their Pims and glasses of wine and having little digs at each other like families do. Her husband Mick and son Johnny weren’t much help either, they just got under her feet, so she packed them off to the lounge as well, telling Mick to make sure the guest’s drinks were topped up. Gemma hated to admit it, but deep down inside she resented the family coming to her house each year, she felt very taken for granted and would be glad when they finally went home, leaving her to chill for the rest of the night with her husband and son.

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Taking the prepared turkey from the fridge, she placed it into the hot oven and glanced at the clock. It was still early so she decided to log into Second Life to see if any of her friends were there so she could wish them a Happy Christmas. She logged straight into her SL home, a place where she felt safe and happy. She looked at her friends list and there was only one name highlighted as being on-line, it was her best friend Jo, so she was pleased to call her for a chat. Jo was busy at home in real life too, and she and Gemma only talked for a few minutes and then Jo had to log out.

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Not wanting to return to real life yet, Gemma thought she would have a look around SL’s New London Village, it was the ideal place at Christmas, a snowy London site with quaint little shops and beautiful town houses as well as all the famous capital’s landmarks. She teleported over and set her computer to midnight to make the most of the SL fairy lights in the sim. Gemma headed for the West End area of New London where she could look in all the shops, her friend had a gallery there selling fine art and another friend had a Christmas shop with colourful xmas trees and snowmen for sale. As she got there she noticed someone on the steps of one of the houses. The man whose name was Oscar Pembrose looked a little bit shabby and sad and Gemma decided to say hi.

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“Hello Gemma” he said, “I’ve been waiting for you” “You have?” Gemma answered, wondering what was going on. “Yes” he said “Can you help me please?” Gemma was curious now, why had this avatar been waiting for her, she had never seen him before, but there was something familiar about him. “How can I help you?” Gemma asked. “Well” the man said “I’m looking for my family, they always gathered here in this house for Christmas, but you seem to be living here now Gemma, and I don’t know where my family have gone!” He seemed very upset and in trouble, Gemma was taken aback at what he had said. “Oscar I’m sure you will find your SL family have just moved to another place” she said trying to console him. But he looked at her with sad eyes and said “Gemma I can’t find them, they were here and now they are gone, I wished I had told them how much I loved them all. I thought they were bothersome when we were together, always bickering and fooling around, but now I realise what a good time we had together and how special they are to me.”

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Gemma asked gently “Is this your real life you are talking about Oscar?” He didn’t answer, he just opened the door of the house and beckoned her to follow him inside. Gemma climbed the steps and entered a familiar room, the walls, the furniture, the carpets were a copy of her real home. Gemma shivered as she sat at her keyboard “what is this?” she asked Oscar. He turned and looked at her, “This is where they should be, my family, and I can’t find them, I miss them so much” he said, a tear rolling down his face. Gemma felt aware of someone standing behind her in real life, turning quickly she could see it was Oscar and she gasped in shock. Strangely enough she didn’t feel frightened, he was just unhappy and needed her help, somehow he had contacted her through SL and here he stood, a shadowy ghostly figure in her kitchen.

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Gemma was shaking, but managed to talk to him “What year is this Oscar?” she asked. Oscar replied “It’s 1950 of course Gemma” “But it isn’t Oscar, it’s 2010 and your family, just like you, must have passed on” Gemma had no idea where she had the strength from to talk to this ghost, but she felt so sorry for him, he must be the figure she thought she had glimpsed now and again since her family had moved here two years ago. “Passed on?” Oscar whispered. “Yes” Gemma said “Your family must be waiting for you to join them Oscar, you need to go to them” Oscar’s expression changed from a frown to astonishment as suddenly the room filled with an eerie light. Oscar started to fade from view and Gemma noticed that he looked younger and no longer seemed sad. In the blink of an eye Oscar and the light had gone leaving Gemma stunned and shaking. She looked back at her computer screen and Oscar’s avatar had vanished too, the SL house was empty, not a stick of virtual furniture remained. Gemma looked in the search menu for Oscar, but she couldn’t find him listed. She opened Google and searched for the 1901 census pages. Looking down the list she could see her street and house number and then she looked across to the occupants names. There it was, Pembrose, Mr Eric Pembrose, his wife Emily and their children Oscar and Elizabeth. Gemma made herself a coffee and sat wondering if she had just imagined it all. Then she remembered, she logged all her conversations from SL into one of her folders on her hard drive. Opening the chat folder she searched the bottom of the page and there he was, Oscar and everything he had said to her in-world.

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Later that day Gemma answered the front door to the first of her guests. As her Mum and Dad stepped into the hall she gave them a big hug and told them she loved them. The draft from the opened front door rustled the branches of the Christmas tree in the living room and Gemma could hear the ornamental bells softly tinkling. Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings, thought Gemma, “Happy Christmas Oscar” she whispered quietly to herself ………this will be the best Christmas ever for me with my family!

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Janey Bracken

WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Whitechapel 1888

Since we have been highlighting sims for the Halloween season, one that will certainly put you in the holiday mood is Whitechapel 1888. This sim, created and owned by Spooks Blackburn, brings the Whitechapel of Jack the Ripper back to life.
Jack the Ripper is probably the first serial killer to have attained celebrity status through the media. The nineteenth century, similar to our own, was a period of great societal change brought about through technological advances of the time. Cities grew at an enormous rate, because of immigration and a population shift from the country side to the city. Communications also improved, so that news spread quickly. Whitechapel was a poor, overcrowded area and into this mix Jack the Ripper made his appearance in 1888. To this day we are still fascinated by the murders of the five unfortunate women who were his victims.

Whitechapel 1888 tells the story of Jack the Ripper’s victims. Their bodies are found scattered around the sim, which is maze like, somewhat grimy and rat infested. But it is not sensationalistic. Next to the bodies is information describing the lives of the women and the struggles they endured before reaching their sad end. A church acts as a memorial, in its own way providing a place of commemoration which some, at least, never had.

However, Whitechapel 1888 is more than Jack the Ripper. There is plenty of information available on the way of life of the residents of East End London during the Victorian period. For instance, did you know the Liberty Bell and Big Ben were both cast in what is now known as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry? What a rag and bone man is? You can visit a market, learn about the early days of medical care,

enter a police station, step up on a soap box, and my favourite, have a meal in the Eel and Pie Shop.
In addition, some supernatural beings have decided to invade the sim for Halloween. (The owner’s name isn’t Spooks for nothing). While I was wandering around I was startled by two floating skeletons who seemed to have designs on me! I dashed inside the church but walls mean nothing to these creatures, they followed me inside. Being a little too close for comfort to the undertakers I decided that it was time for me to go, so I tp’d out unharmed.

If you like ghosts, crime stories or want to experience a bit of the life of the working classes in Victorian England, Whitechapel 1888 is the destination for you.

Hibiscus Hastings

Ghostly Fun At Willow Grove

As Halloween is getting closer I decided to look around the grid for some haunted places and I liked the sound of one called Willow Grove Haunted House, so I teleported over and landed in a space just outside the building. I took the offered notecard which advised me that this was not a house that you walked around, it was a ride, and you had to rez a pumpkin car by clicking the sign.

After clicking, the pumpkin car arrived, and there was room to take a few friends too, as each car holds 5 avatars, I should imagine a crowd would have a lot of fun at Willow Grove. The ride was quite amazing, I have no idea how long it took the owners to build this maze of rooms that you go through, but there is a lot to it. Set your environment settings to midnight and sit back and be terrified. I won’t go into too much about what you will see, as it would spoil it, the same with the pictures that I have here, there is much, much more going on and it’s very blood thirsty indeed in parts. I thought I had reached Hell in one room and just about managed to cross it without the car catching on fire. The noises are scary too!! All in all, a well-done haunted house if you don’t mind too much blood and gore!

Janey Bracken

Little Witch Prepares for Halloween

I felt like travelling around the grid a bit today and teleported over to a place with a few shops. I stood for a while and was then aware of a small figure who came and stood near to me. Suddenly I received a message from the little one who said “YAY Another Brit! :D”. I turned to face her and she was a tiny green witch with a pointed hat and cute face. “Hi Cerise, yes, lol” I said in agreement that I was indeed a Brit. ‘How are you?’ I asked, and Cerise told me that she had the flu and I told her that I had a cold too, but it couldn’t top her flu!! I wondered if witches could cast spells to get rid of colds and flu, but it seems even witches have to suffer.

Cerise told me that everyone called her Button or Brat (Cerise’s full name is Cerise Button!) and I asked how people treated her as the little green witch, she told me “I get trod on a lot....But I have a nastly bite. And a great lil wand that works wonders on nasties.” She told me that her wand casts spells and she had made it herself. Cerise had also made her green skin, and she had done a really good job with it too!

Cerise was very wise she told me she had already started preparing for Halloween. She said “I've got a month to prep my swamp for Halloween”. She asked if I wanted to go over and have a look and I agreed that I would love to.

Off we went to a sim full of shadows and ghostly things. Cerise said “My SL family own this Sim.” I could see lots of blood on the floor near the building next to us and Cerise told me “Which reminds me, I need to bring out my body under a sheet” she continued “Well I did tell my mom to clean up after the last guests we had here.” Cerise said that she had a big family, many brothers and sisters, and her mom likes to be a wolf and her dad likes to be an owl. She said “Well I look mostly like my uncle Bilbo who's a toad :P.” I suggested that Cerise was the same colour, only she would have less warts, “A lot less warts :P” she agreed!

Cerise, being a really mystical little witch had made herself a broomstick that really flies, she said she had not finished it yet, so I will find out later what else this clever broomstick will do!

Cerise greeted her Auntie Catface who was a little distance away from us, but Auntie Cat must have been away from her keyboard as she did not reply. I told Cerise I had to go and I’d really enjoyed meeting her. Cerise gave me a parting gift, the lovely green skin she had made!

Thank you for showing me around Cerise and also thank you for that skin. I’m sure Halloween will be very special with Cerise and her family having lots of fun!!

Janey Bracken