Ava Sinclair Prequel, 2020

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While Ava was sleeping, a zombie appeared to try to eat someones brains. Unfortunately, no one was outside so Ava's lonely mushroom got attacked.

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Ava woke up feeling much better than the night before. She didn't know why she was so upset last night over Susan Wainwrights death but she just felt bad for Boyd and Blair. Ava got a plate of autumn salad from the fridge for breakfast as she planned her morning out.

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The first thing on Ava's list was to take care of her one plant so she went outside only to discover what the zombie did. "Stupid raccoons!", Ava mumbled as she tossed it in the garbage. She didn't know that zombies existed so she figured it had to be some kind of animal. She went inside to wash her hands, then grabbed her gym bag and headed out the door.

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Ava went into the changing room to put on her gym clothes before heading upstairs to the equipment. Wow, I figured there'd be someone hear, she thought as she got on the treadmill. She started off slowly before upping the speed a bit. Luckily no one was there because she tripped a couple of times before she decided to give up for now. Just as she was leaving, Jamie Jolina showed up so Ava gave her a quick wave before heading over to the park.

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Ava was surprised by how many flowers there were in the park. She had been told that you could see them for a little extra cash so she spent some time collecting as many as possible.

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She was just about ready to leave for home when she saw her acquaintance, Leighton Sekemoto, show up. She decided to go over and say hello and see his cute little boy, Sam. "Hello, Leighton," she said, giving him a warm smile. Leighton looked up to see Ava and he smiled back. "Hey, how are you? It's Ava, right?" Ava nodded her head before turning her attention to Sam. "Well hello, cutie. Are you being a good boy for Daddy?" she asked. Sam looked at her before burying his head in his father's chest. "He's just a little bit shy," Leighton told her. "I've been trying to get him to socialize with others but I haven't had luck so far." He put Sam down so he could play nearby then continued his conversation with Ava. Soon they were talking about their favorite things and Leighton told her all about the great pancakes at the diner. "And they make them so big, they barely fit on the plate!" he said excitedly. "That sounds a bit too much for me but I'll definitely try them sometime." Then Leighton got an idea. "Hey, why don't we go to breakfast together this weekend?" he asked. Ava's eyes lit up at the suggestion as she had a small crush on Leighton to begin with. "I'd love to! How about we try for Saturday? Sunday would work too but I can't wait to try the pancakes." So Leighton and Ava agreed to meet at Hogan's Saturday morning. Ava gave him a hug and got ready to head home. But yet again, someone caught her eye and her mind went back to the conversation with Gus Hart about his theory on Susan's death.

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"Sir, sir?" Ava said as she rushed over to an elderly man. "Yes?" the man said as he turned to face her. "I'm Ava Sinclair and I was just wanting a moment of your time." she told him. The man shook her hand and introduced himself as Buster Clavell. "So what did you want, Ms. Sinclair?" Ava then asked him about the meteor's that hit the shopping center. She had read in the paper how Buster had been there and had witnessed the whole thing. "It was terrible, the darn thing just fell on top of ol' Susan." he said. "Of course, maybe if she and her husband weren't doing all those weird science experiments, maybe this wouldn't have happened." Ava was a bit surprised by this, she knew the Wainwrights were scientists but she didn't know how they could cause a meteor storm. "What do you mean, Mr. Clavell? You think Susan brought a meteor down on herself?" Buster shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I don't know if it's possible but who knows in this town. If Gus Hart is to be believed, it was aliens or Bigfoot. Gus is a little strange though, so I wouldn't take anything he says seriously. He keeps going on about being abducted by them or something." Ava kind of agree with Buster, although she liked Gus and thought he had a good sense of humor. "Well, Mr. Clavell, thank you for your time. I didn't mean to question you to death, I know the reporters did that." Buster rolled his eyes at the comment. "Yeah, Fiona wouldn't leave me alone about it. Anyway, I really need to go. My wife is waiting for me at the grocery store."

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Ava got ready for work then headed to the grocery store. She happened to notice Boyd Wainwright sitting on a bench near the site of Susan's tragic death. "Why, Susan? Why'd you have to leave me?" he cried as he looked to the sky. The citizens of Sunset Valley felt bad for him but they ignored him as they really didn't know what to do. Ava felt sorrow for him, she knew his heart must be broken. She rushed into work as it was a bit too much to bear, seeing him so grief stricken. Ava sorted more produce and by the time she had finished work, her boss promoted her to a Blue Light Specialist! With the money she earned, she bought a used car and went home.

***A few things connect to the previous updates. First of all, Ava had met Leighton on one of her first days. They had attraction so I decided they'll be together for a bit. Boyd is too upset right now and I need him and Ava to grow closer before anything happens there. Next, Buster gave a different reason for the meteor shower. He thinks the Wainwrights were doing experiments that caused it. They were up to some secretive things but they may or may not be the actual cause. Think of them more as targets, if anything. There will be an update or two before Leighton and Ava's first date but I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes. How will Yumi feel about Ava and will Sam get over his shyness? We'll find out soon enough.