Home Alone in Pure Heart Valley

Chapter 17: Day 5 - Snowfest Day

The light of the sun returned to Pure Heart Valley the following morning. Snow was falling from a radiant overcast sky in heavy amounts. It looked as though white feathers were being poured from a giant pillow up above or big white flakes dancing in the water of a snow globe. Either way, the packed clumps of snowflakes drifted down to the snow-covered ground, which was covered in a flawless and untouched layer of white like a blanket.

Adorabat was hanging from her spot on the bunk bed in the bedroom, gently and softly snoring away. But her slumber stopped soon enough as her eyes slowly opened, allowing her to drift awake and take in her surroundings. Seeing how quiet the place was and also the snow falling outside the window, she immediately realized what today was.

Releasing her hanging grip, Adorabat instantly flew out of the room to make her way to the living room, hoping to find who she wished for standing by the tree.

"Mao Mao?" she called happily. "Mao Mao? Dad? Badgerclops?"

She got the lit and decorated Snowfest tree in her line of sight with an anticipated smile, but the smile dropped when she saw none of the story. It looked exactly the same as she left it last night. She turned away from the tree and landed back on the floor with a tap. Going to the front door, she opened it to look outside, still hoping to find anyone out there. There was just snow. Disappointed, she closed the door. With nothing else left to hope and wait for, the little bat turned and walked back to the bedroom.

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As soon as the ground bus stopped in just within Pure Heart Valley's main border, Mao Mao and Eugene were already off it. Not stopping to notice that the bus left in the same second it took for them to get off, they sprinted with all their renewed energy in the direction of HQ.

Mao Mao ran and Eugene flew until they got to the elevator platform at the bottom of the cliff that HQ sat at the top of. Mao Mao twitched his legs as he felt progressively antsier from having to wait out the slow trip up, being the one riding the elevator after all. Eugene, on the other hand, flew up to the top of the cliff and waited for Mao Mao to arrive. As soon as both were together in front of HQ, they rushed to the front door. Being the one who was in charge of the residence, Mao Mao hurriedly unlocked the door and stepped into the main atrium. Upon re-entering the house for the first time, both the bat and cat were out of breath as they looked left and right.

"Adorabat!" Mao Mao called. "Adorabat?"

"Little gem!" Eugene called as well. "Are you here?"

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A little while before Mao Mao and Eugene got through the door, Adorabat was sitting in the bedroom, sitting on her bunk with a picture frame in her wings. She was looking at the photo – the family photo – that was taken of herself, Mao Mao, and Badgerclops, thinking of them and the memories she had of them the whole time. She kept her eyes on the photo until she heard noises, particularly a click from what she was certain was the front door. Then, it was when she heard two of the voices she longed to hear for the whole week. Her eyes widened, her ears perked up, and a gaping jaw-drop that soon turned into an anticipating smile once again graced her features, prompting her to put down the picture and fly back to the main atrium.

Before Adorabat came out, Mao Mao saw that the house still looked the same as when he left it a week ago. He would have started to worry again if it wasn't for Eugene tapping him to look over to the side of the living room. The sight of a little tree next to the window, decorated in ornaments and lights, and with a glass of milk and plate of cookies sitting at its side, warmed his heart as it did the bat's. It made him happy that Adorabat was still able to keep to the Snowfest spirit, but at the same time, he felt bad that she had to do all this alone, that she had to work that much because he wasn't around because of his oversight. The smile didn't leave his face regardless, same with Eugene.