Claws of Rage

Chapter 9 - The threat

3.00PM

[The scene cuts to when the Watterson kids are back home. They are in their room and Darwin sits down next to his fishbowl. Gumball wants to grab a game from the closet, but notices Anais doing some intense research. She quickly types on the computer with an examining frown on her face.]

Gumball: What are you doing, sis?

Anais: Darwin? Gumball? Read this. Remember what Mom told us this morning? And we told you at lunch, Gumball.

Darwin: Ohw, yeah. The thing about Mrs. Mom's anger. Why?

Anais: Because I found something on the internet about it. I'm not fully sure if this applies to Mom too, but it could be.

Gumball: Is it a disorder?

Anais: The website says it is. It's a kind of Intermittent Explosive Disorder. But different from IED, it comes in stages. If the person who suffers from it ever reached an upper point in their anger, it can cause bad consequences. We all recovered after the supermarket incident, except Mom who is only suffering more. If she really is having a harder time to control herself or starts believing that she's a bad person; something worse than the supermarket incident has occurred.

[Gumball and Darwin gasp.]

Darwin: What could Mrs. Mom possibly have done...

Gumball: Our mother... is becoming a raging psycho?

Anais: Chill you both. There is a cure for this. The suffering of the person with the disorder will be dissolved overtime, as long as they've had enough rest for at least a month. So if Mom relaxes for a change, she'll get better.

Gumball: But what about in the meantime? And will the disorder be permanently gone?

Anais: The disorder won't be gone forever. But as long as Mom doesn't get pushed over her limit again, nothing is wrong. But now she has to get through it.

Darwin: Mr. Dad told that Mrs. Mom is going to the therapist Saturday. So everything will be fine, right?

Anais: Yeah, that's true. But at least we now have an idea of what she's dealing with.

Gumball: Nice info though, sis. But whaddaya say, Elmorepoly or cards?

[Darwin and Anais shrug and the three play a card game together. In the meantime, Richard is watching television with Nicole next to him. She tries to stay calm while reading a book, but shivers with a blanket wrapped around her. Richard gives her a glass of water as she checks her phone for a moment. She sips some of her water and suddenly gets called by an unknown number. She gets up from the couch and looks at Richard before picking up.]

Nicole: Hello?

Voice at the other side of the line: Hello, Watterson. I know this is you.

Nicole: ...Brandon?

[Her heart starts beating faster.]

Brandon: You ruined me, Nicole! My left eye is now permanently blind because of your darn claws! You psychotic beast. How are you still wandering on the streets.

[Nicole lowers her ears in grief.]

Nicole: What do you want from me? I already feel worse enough!

Brandon: I'm gonna break you, until you feel my revenge. I dare you to come to the alley in South Elmore. I will be waiting there for you.

Nicole: What? No way! I'm not getting into a fight. Leave me alone!

Brandon: You better come, kitty. Or else...

Nicole: Stop mocking me like this! I'm so done with you! Look what you made me do!

Brandon: Is that a yes or a no?

Nicole: A gosh darn NO, idiot!

Brandon: Bad choice, bad choice... You will regret this... But now, I have more important business to attend to.

[Brandon hangs up on Nicole. She freezes in disbelief of this call. He dares to threaten her? And he collected a group of people that are against her?]

Nicole: [Out loud] YOU GOSH DARN MANIPULATOR!

[Richard jumps from his wife's yelling and sees how she furiously crushes the glass in her paw with ease. Her eyes stare blankly at the floor while she's breathing heavily. Richard gets up from the couch and hugs her to calm her down. After a moment, she tells him what Brandon said on the phone call.]

Nicole: I don't know anymore, Richard... How am I going to deal with all this?

[She picks up the broken glass and throws it in the bin.]

Richard: We will find a way. We're visiting the therapist Saturday, so maybe he has a clue.

Nicole: [Sighs] Yeah, true...

Richard: Now come here again.

[Richard sits back down on the couch with Nicole next to him again. He hugs her and she calmly continues reading. The rest of the day and the next morning have been quite normal until that Friday afternoon...]

Friday 4.00PM

[Richard and Nicole are having coffee in the dining room. Nicole sees that it's four in the afternoon already and wonders why the kids aren't home yet. She and Richard share a worried expression and she calls Principle Brown. But after a short conversation with him, she starts to feel really stressed.]

Nicole: Richard? The kids aren't at school either. Brown said that they left with the school bus, like any other student.

Richard: Oh my goodness! Should we call the police?

[Nicole nods and wants to call the emergency helpline, but gets interrupted by Darwin storming into the house. He is panting, all tired out with eyes that have seen terror.]