The Gem

Chapter 2

Nicole hummed to herself as she carried her several grocery bags in her arms, making her way to the exit.

Thunder crackled from outside, the rain seen hitting the pavement rather hard, as it was dark as ever. Several customers were heard groaning at the sight, upset by the sudden weather delaying their way home.

"Oh geez, it's awful out there." She muttered to herself, fumbling for her keys. "I should get these to the car quickly enough."

The doors soon slid open, letting in gushes of water onto the building carpet. A soaking wet Gumball quietly walked in.

"Gumball?!" Nicole came over, almost dropping her load of bags in surprise. "I thought you were at the arcade with-"

She paused, glancing around. It was just him. "Where's Darwin?"

"He left." Gumball looked up at her, rather miserable looking. A red fin shaped mark could be seen on his face, very much still stinging. "We found some stupid necklace and he got all weird with it on."

"Left? Where did he go? Did he do this?" His mother bent down, examining the red mark. She wasn't really sure how to react on it.

"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me. All I got was this slap for even bothering to ask."

Nicole stood up, worry in her expression. "Come on, we'll make it home, sort everything out, okay?"

"Wait what?! Mom we can't just go home we need to go find him!" Gumball dragged her towards the door. "For all we know he could get hurt out there!"

"I know sweetie, but we can't find him until this horrible weather clears up, it's too dangerous to go out in." She carried out her groceries, taking her eldest kid with her quickly. As if almost at the speed of light, they made it inside the car at record time, everything safely accounted for. She turned to face him in the passenger seat. "I'm sure he's alright out there. He's a fish, this is nothing for him. Maybe he's just having an off day and needs time to cool down."

"...Okay..." Gumball slumped in his seat, arms crossed. This wasn't right. They needed to be out searching everywhere! That gem was doing something, and he didn't like it one bit.

As soon as they got home, he entered rather glumly, and sat himself onto the couch. He didn't even bother to really see what was on TV, instead choosing to stare at the wall above it, almost zoning out to it.

"Where's Darwin?" Anais looked up from her book, raising one eyebrow. She had not moved from her spot that she had been in this morning.

"Off being a jerk somewhere." The cat replied, not looking at her. "Mom won't let me go find him, says that he's probably 'having an off day' and 'needs time to cool down' or whatever."

"Did something happen to set him off?" The young bunny sat beside him on the couch, her expression now concern. She pointed to her older brother's slap mark. "Because that isn't a thing I normally see him doing."

"I think it has something to do with that weird necklace he found on the sidewalk. It's like.. It's like it kicked his positivity out the window with a steel boot." Gumball was slightly hunched over, thinking over the memory as he spoke.

Anais once again raised her eyebrow. "Weird necklace?"

"Yeah. Weird purple diamond-y necklace thing." He laid back, letting out a sigh.

"Sounds like possession if anything, but I'm not a hundred percent certain, it could be a coincidence." She spoke. Her worry was very much increased. "If that's the case, the worst thing you can do is leave him outside to his own devices."