The McEntire Legacy: 1.4

The children had all become adults, and Charlie and Liberty’s time was coming to an end.

“I’m so proud of you, son,” Charlie said hugging Zachary. Zachary had started a career in business but hated the starched collar and drab grey suit he had to wear. He could barely stand the paperwork, but had eventually gained a promotion to Assistant Manager.

“I know you don’t like your job right now, son,” Charlie said. “But I know you’ll eventually figure out what you really want to do. It’s funny. When you were a little boy, you always said you wanted to become a comedian like me.” Charlie chuckled. “Kids.” Charlie was one promotion away from making it to the top and regretted that he would probably not make it.

“Maybe I do want to be a comedian,” Zachary mused. “To tell you the truth, I was hoping this job would attract women...but I’m not happy…”

“Make people laugh, son” Charlie said with a hand on his shoulder.

Liberty was also encouraging.

“You’ve grown up so much like your father,” she said giving her son a squeeze.

“I completed my Aspiration,” Zachary told her proudly. “I’ll still keep collecting things, but it’s time for a new challenge.”

“What’s next?” Liberty asked.

“I want to be a comedian like Dad,” Zachary said proudly.

“Do what makes you happy, son,” Liberty said giving him another hug.

“You’re not going out in that outfit young lady!” Charlie said firmly. Kendall had grown into a very attractive but evil young lady, disappointing her parents with her mischief and her choice of career.

“I’m 23, Dad,” Kendall said rolling her eyes. “I can dress however I want.” Charlie sighed. His daughter was fully grown now, and he knew he couldn’t tell her what to wear.

“You look very attractive,” Charlie said resignedly.

“Thanks, Gramps.” Kendall said rudely. You look very…” Kendall smirked and walked away.

Caroline had grown up well. She and Liberty were very close since they both loved to read. Caroline had also developed a passion for fitness.

“I’ve gotten a job as an astronaut!” Caroline told Liberty excitedly.

“Are you sure that’s what you want, Caroline? That was my path, but this is your life.” Liberty said putting her hand on her daughter’s arm.

“I want to do this, Mom,” Caroline said.

“You have something I don’t Caroline,” Liberty said stroking Caroline’s red hair. “You’re very athletic. I spent most of my time playing chess. Maybe with your athleticism and logic skill, you can make it farther than I ever did. If that’s what you really want.”

“I’m going to finish what you started, Mom,” Caroline said hugging her mother and best friend of the last 20 or so years.

Liberty’s time came shortly after her conversation with Caroline. She collapsed right next to her beloved rocket ship. Zachary ran out of the house in his pajamas to plead with the grim reaper. Somehow, he managed to move him, and the grim reaper granted her more time.

Charlie died only a few weeks later, next to his microphone. Caroline tried to plead with the grim reaper, but she had no such luck. The reaper had done his good deed for the year and left her father to his death. He died with a smile on his face and laughter in his heart, but the family grieved him bitterly.

Liberty was devastated by the death of her husband and wished that she had gone first. Sometimes, she saw Charlie’s ghost at night and spoke to him.

“Why did you have to go first?” she asked sadly caressing his ghostly cheek. “You were so close to becoming the best comedian...Your career was so promising. You had so much more to live for than I.”

“Don’t say that, Liberty,” Charlie’s ghost said gently. “You may have not gotten very far into your career, but you raised three beautiful children and were the love of my life.” A single tear rolled down Liberty’s cheek. His words were a great comfort to her, and she looked back on her life with more appreciation than before.

Liberty spent her last days grieving the death of her husband, but speaking with him had changed the way she felt about her accomplishments. Liberty died peacefully, ready to be with her husband.

One evening Zachary, Caroline, and Kendall heard a voice coming from the golden statue of the knight. “The legacy continues…” It hissed.

Characters: 1.4

Zachary McEntire

Aspiration: The Curator / Joke Star

Traits:

• Geek
• Childish
• Appraiser
• Goofball
• Collector
• Physically Gifted

Caroline McEntire

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Traits:

• Bookworm
• Outgoing
• Active
• Gregarious

Kendall McEntire

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Traits:

• Lazy
• Evil
• Geek
• Business Saavy

The McEntire Legacy: 1.3

Charlie and Liberty’s careers were advancing despite their busy household. Charlie had become a Roast Master, and Liberty had become a Space Cadet, although she was not sure that was a compliment.

Liberty had always been fascinated with space, so she began building a rocket of her own. She was very handy, but it took a long time for her to finish. She added upgrades and was excited to eventually make it take off. Her first time was so exciting, and she managed to do so gracefully and with ease.

Zachary had become a teenager, and he showed a strong interest in collecting. He loved to explore the word and find precious metals and crystals. He hoped to one day perfect a large collection.

Zachary and the girls got along well most of the time, but he occasionally found them annoying. Sometimes when he was trying to study, they would pester him.

“How come you never play with us anymore?” Caroline asked.

“Yeah, how come?” Kendall echoed.

“I’m very busy,” Zachary said firmly, looking deeper into his textbook.

“Whenever you’re not doing homework, you’re out searching for collectibles,” Kendall whined.

“Collectibles are so geeky!” Caroline giggled.

“Go away!” Zachary yelled.

“Fine, we’ll go play somewhere else,” Kendall said with a melodramatic head toss and sniff to show that she was offended.

Most of the time, however, Zachary had a good relationship with his twin sisters. He was their older brother, and they looked up to him a lot. He secretly liked being admired by his younger sisters, and he had a special fondness for them too.

Caroline and Kendall were still inseparable. They would talk and giggle and share secrets.

“I heard that Billy Lewis picks his nose!” Caroline whispered.

“Eeeeww! Gross!” Kendall replied in disgust. The twins giggled at the secret, and looked around to make sure no one had heard, even though they were in their own yard.

“I think Jimmy Kimball is kind of cute!” Kendall whispered, blushing slightly.

“Oooooh, Kendall has a boyfriend!” Caroline said loudly.

“Be quiet!” Kendall said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Kendall has a boyfriend, Kendall has a boyfriend, lalalalalala” Caroline sand as she pranced around her sister.

“Mom! Caroline’s making fun of me!” Kendall called into the house.

Nonetheless, the twins were very close, and their special twin bond had cemented their friendship.

Zachary continued to explore. Sometimes he would even reach into empty logs, trying to find frogs. Liberty was less than pleased when he successfully brought one home, but Charlie laughed at his son’s unusual hobby.

Neither Caroline nor Kendall achieved their childhood Aspirations, but they were onto bigger and better things. Caroline always had her nose buried in a book. She had become a bookworm like her mother, and wanted to become a Friend of the World. Since she spent most of her time reading, it would be an amazing feat if she actually found time to socialize enough to complete her aspiration!

Unlike her sister, Kendall spent most of her time playing video games. She also loved to take naps. Her Aspiration was to become fabulously wealthy, and despite her laziness, she knew she would have to work for it, so she got a job as a barista.

Charlie has grown into an elder, and was getting closer to reaching the height of his comedy career. Unfortunately, he had a lot of days off from work, and he didn’t know how much time was left. He spent most of his free time reading books on charisma to improve his work performance. Liberty often came home from work exhausted, and he often stayed up reading while she slept.

Zachary, Caroline, and Kendall went to park on Sunday. Caroline made an effort to meet people and socialize, and Kendall ended up having an argument with a guy named Alvaro. Zachary, of course, was busy exploring.

“Ugh, can’t you do anything normal?” Kendall groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Quiet! I’m trying to catch a frog! You’ll scare it away!” Zachary said, reaching into the pond.

“You’re never going to catch it, you know,” Caroline said. “I’ve read that frogs are very difficult to catch because they’re so slippery.” Zachary groaned and stood up in frustration.

“Thanks a lot, you guys. You scared the frog away, and I lost my grip!”

“I bet you didn’t even have a frog,” Kendall said with a yawn to emphasize her boredom.

“Did too!” Zachary replied argumentatively. Kendall rolled her eyes again, and Caroline went over to a bench to read her book. Zachary continued exploring and tried to expand his collection.

Zachary’s collection was expanding rapidly. His parents had even renovated the house with a room for him to store his collectibles.

“You have a very unusual hobby, son” Charlie said with a smirk.

“I love collecting things!” Zachary said with excitement. That purple and yellow frog is my favorite! His name is Mr. Gurgles! Charlie laughed. They both had similar senses of humor and were both geeks, so they were the best of friends.

Kendall’s job as a barista was taxing, but she worked hard every morning before school and quickly got promoted.

Liberty had completed her Aspiration of Nerd Brain, so she spent some of her free time working on her athletic skill to improve her job performance. She liked to go for jogs often. On one occasion, she was jogging and an old man was walking behind her. She wasn’t sure why the grouchy old guy was following her, but she kept jogging and had fun.

Although Charlie was now an elder, he and Liberty still made time for passion and mischief. One afternoon while the kids were at school, Liberty beckoned him into the rocket ship, and they indulged themselves.

Charlie and Liberty loved each other very much. After raising three children together, completing both of their Aspirations, and working hard at their jobs, they were still as happy as ever.

In Liberty’s old age, she did not lose her funky style. She and Charlie both drank potions of youth, but they only took them back to the beginning of their days as elders. They hoped that the rest of their days would prove useful, and that by the end, they would be proud of their accomplishments.

Charlie and Liberty were both elders now, and they did not know how much time they had left. They tried to spend as much time together as possible. The kids were growing up, and they were growing old, but they knew it was almost their time.

Characters: 1.3

Caroline McEntire

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Traits:

• Outgoing
• Bookworm

Kendall McEntire

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Traits:

• Geek
• Lazy
• Business Saavy

Charlie McEntire

Aspiration: Joke Star

Traits:

• Outgoing
• Goofball
• Hilarious
• Geek
• Gregarious

Liberty Lee

Aspiration: Nerd Brain

Traits:

• Clumsy
• Geek
• Quick Learner
• Bookworm
• Handy

The McEntire Legacy: 1.2

Charlie and Liberty’s careers had both advanced, and they had both grown from young adults to adults. Charlie had been promoted to Opening Act and then finally joined the Comedian career track as a Joke Smith. Liberty had been promoted to the Command Center Lead. Charlie and Liberty both felt a little bit more financially secure now and were eagerly awaiting the baby.

“I know you’re in there!” Charlie said playfully, feeling Liberty’s expanded stomach. “You’re gonna have to come out and see daddy soon!” Liberty couldn’t help but laugh at Charlie’s silly high voice. She knew he was going to be a wonderful father, and she couldn’t wait to be a mother.

Charlie and Liberty were so excited when  Zachary was born. Liberty loved him dearly, and he was the apple of his father’s eye. Liberty spent the most time with Zachary since Charlie’s work schedule was more intense, and mother and baby formed a very special bond.

When Charlie did get to spend time with his baby boy, he was ecstatic. He knew his son was going to be just like him. Charlie loved to make silly faces at his son, and Zachary would giggle at his father’s antics. Although Liberty and Zachary had a special bond, Charlie and Zachary did too. Charlie and Zachary were father and son, and even though Zachary was only a baby, it was clear that they were two peas in a pod.

Zachary grew up to take after Charlie. He had flaming red hair like his father’s, and also had the goofball trait. He had Liberty’s eyes, but the resemblance to his father was uncanny. Liberty saw so much of her husband in Zachary, and loved him for that and for the person he was becoming. Zachary was active and mischievous, and she loved to tease him. She loved to kiss him on the cheek and watch him wipe it off in mock disgust.

“Ewww, Mom! Gross!” Zachary would whine as he wiped the spit off his face. Liberty would just laugh and ruffle his hair.

Soon Charlie and Liberty decided that they wanted to have another child. Liberty hoped for a girl, but knew she would love the child no matter what.

It was time to renovate the house again with Zachary having grown into a child and another baby presumably on the way. Charlie and Liberty finally had a house that actually resembled one!

Charlie and Zachary had so much fun together. Zachary loved to tell jokes, and Charlie loved to tell him all about his work as a comedian.

“What do you call a banana that people like?” Zachary asked.

“Hmm...I don’t know,” Charlie replied playing along.

“A banana with appeal!” Zachary shouted. Then he doubled over with laughter at his own joke, and Charlie laughed too.

“I want to be a comedian just like you when I grow up, Dad,” Zachary said earnestly.

“Being a comedian is hard work, son,” Charlie said. “You have to write jokes and make sure to keep the crowd entertained. Luckily for me, I have special techniques!” Charlie pulled a funny face, and Zachary laughed. Charlie began to tickle Zachary until he cried out for mercy. The two rough-housed and played and became the best of friends.

Soon, Liberty found out that she was expecting another baby. With financial worries mostly behind them and Charlie’s recent promotion to Solid Storyteller, the couple was overjoyed. The two embraced and looked forward to the birth of their second child.

“You’re going to have a little sibling!” Liberty told Zachary happily.

“Oh boy! A brother!” Zachary said with excitement.

“Or a sister!” Liberty said cheerfully.

“Eeeww! A girl?!” Zachary groaned.

“You could have a brother or a sister,” Liberty explained patiently. “You’re very lucky, you know. Lots of children don’t have siblings.”

“I don’t know if I want a sibling any more,” Zachary said pouting. Liberty sighed and left the room to read.

When Liberty gave birth, she and Charlie were surprised by twin girls! They named them Caroline and Kendall. They were ecstatic to have had twins, but they knew they had a lot of work ahead of them.

Caroline and Kendall cried at the same time, so the two parents would often have to rush into their room to take care of the babies together. If one parent was alone, he or she would struggle to keep one calm while the other was taken care of first. Charlie and Liberty were very tired, but they loved their baby girls and were so happy to have had the special surprise of twins!

“You have two baby sisters,” Charlie told Zachary.

“Two girls?! Yuck!” Zachary exclaimed theatrically.

“Remember, what I said, Zachary,” Liberty told him. “You’re lucky to have any siblings.”

“I didn’t want girls! Let alone two of them!” Zachary whined.

“I’m sure you’ll come to love your sisters,” Charlie said patiently. Zachary made a sour face.

“At least come meet them,” Liberty urged. So Zachary followed his parents into their bedroom where the two bassinets were.

“Girls,” he said under his breath as he followed, but when he entered the room, his eyes were wide with wonder.

Zachary was Charlie’s biggest fan. He loved to watch his father practice his routines, and he always applauded as loud as he could. Charlie practiced a lot and soon reached level 10 on the comedy skill and completed his Joke Star aspiration. He also got a promotion to Rising Comedian, but he knew he still had a way to go.

Liberty was very handy and began to craft things in her spare time. She liked to upgrade things, and hoped to one day be able to build a rocket. She also continued to work on her logic skill, but with twin girls, she was a busy mother.

Zachary was a very active child and loved to go to the park. He enjoyed climbing on the monkey bars and playing on the jungle gym. Charlie would often come with him and play too.

“URRRGHHH BOOGLE OOGLE OOGLE!” Charlie shouted, flailing his arms wildly. He always pretended to be a sea monster, and Zachary would always laugh at his silly display.

“I’M THE SEA MONSTERRR,” Charlie shouted in his most booming voice.

“All men to starboard!” Zachary would shout, stifling a laugh. Charlie loved to play with his son and couldn’t wait to be able to play with his daughters.

Caroline and Kendall grew into beautiful girls, Caroline with her father’s hair and mother’s eyes, and Kendall with her mother’s hair and her father’s eyes. They were very close, and had a special bond only shared by twins. They even liked to dress alike and do their hair in pigtails to match. They would spend hours sitting in the room they shared with their older brother just talking and laughing.

Caroline was very creative and wanted to be an Artistic Prodigy. She loved to draw on her activity table and dreamed of one day being a famous artist.

Kendall was less interested in artistic pursuits and more interested in learning. She loved it when her mother read to her, and she devoured all of the knowledge she could.

Even though Zachary was older and insisted that he thought girls were gross, he and his sisters got along well. He could never match the bond of twin girls, but his sisters were very affectionate towards him, and he secretly loved them too.

“Let’s play pretty princesses!” Kendall said one evening when they were playing outside.

“Zachary can be the handsome prince!” Caroline said with excitement. Zachary groaned.

“Why do I have to be a prince? Why can’t I be a dragon or something cool like that?”

“You’re a prince!” Kendall insisted.

“Zachary can be a prince dragon! Maybe he’s under a curse that makes him a dragon, but he’s really a prince, and he can only be turned back into a prince by having the friendship of two beautiful princesses!” Caroline said creatively.

“Fine,” Zachary grumbled.

Soon, Zachary would be a teenager, and he had developed his motor skills finely. He reached his aspiration of Rambunctious Scamp and had become very athletic. His birthday was approaching fast, and he couldn’t wait to grow up.