Slowly - teekortez - Stardew Valley (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own] (2024)

Chapter 1: Strangers in the Dark

Chapter Text

Spring

The first time Shane saw the farmer, it was by the light of the moon one night in early spring as he stumbled home from the Stardrop Saloon

He was drunk (as usual), and most of the other bar patrons had long departed to their cozy little homes scattered throughout the valley much like the stars in the black sky above him that night. A few clouds floated by the moon lazily, occasionally passing over it entirely to cast the valley into a deeper shadow. Though his vision was blurred slightly and he had to concentrate more on walking without falling over than he normally had to, he nevertheless made the steady trek back to his aunt Marnie’s ranch, out towards the southern edge of Pelican Town that bordered Cindersap Forest.

The town, forest, and surrounding mountains made up Stardew Valley – a sparsely populated hamlet in the mountains that bordered the Gem Sea. The valley was usually just another sleepy rest stop on the road to Zuzu City, a large metropolis a couple hours away by highway. It boasted only a few dozen residents who were way too familiar with each other in the manner only people in small towns could be, and Shane personally wanted nothing to do with it. Ever since he moved to Pelican Town from Zuzu two years ago, he had kept his head down, worked at JojaMart five days a week, and drank his woes away at the town’s only real form of entertainment – the Stardrop Saloon - before staggering home each night just as he was doing now. The majority of townspeople had long ago stopped their wholesome attempts to befriend him. They were confused by his surly responses and rude attitude, but never once had anyone besides his aunt Marnie called him out on it. Instead, they slowly stopped trying, and little by little, Shane was left alone, just like he preferred.

Shane meandered his way along Willow Lane, walking near the trees on the edge of the dark forest. He was enjoying the numb buzz he was feeling in his extremities from the beer, warming him against the chilly spring night, while at the same time absolutely f*cking hating himself for, once again, having to arrive home sloppily drunk. He zipped up his old, tattered jacket against the cold air and silently prayed that Marnie would be asleep by now. He didn’t think he could stand to meet her disappointed gaze yet again, more concerned than angry, as he stumbled to his room while slurring a half-hearted apology. He felt the shame begin to pool in his stomach at the very thought.

Shane could still taste the last bitter beer he had finished off at the bar, almost tipping the mug over with his clumsy fingers as he set it down on the counter before looking up to meet the sympathetic eyes of Emily, the saloon’s bartender. He had hastily dug the overused credit card out of his wallet to pay and was out of the saloon with a slam of the door before she could begin her usual gentle poking and prodding of his mental state. On some nights, he would begrudgingly allow it, only because she was technically the only thing (besides Gus, the owner of the Stardrop Saloon) between him and his beloved beer. And, maybe, also because deep down he knew that Emily was sincerely a kind-hearted person who truly meant well and was probably the closest thing he had in this stupid town to a friend. But work had been more back-breaking and soul-crushing than usual lately, so tonight was not a night like that.

He brewed in this personal storm of self-pity when a sudden movement off to his left alerted him. He turned, stumbling a bit in his intoxication. To his surprise, he saw a girl making her way up from the path behind him that led down to the river that fed into the ocean. She started to make her way up the road back to town before stopping suddenly, and Shane saw her clearly for the first time as the clouds above finished another journey across the moon, illuminating her features in a clear silver light. Stepping back slightly into the trees, he watched her, intrigued by the fact that even in his drunk state, he was completely sure that he didn’t recognize her.

She was petite, dressed in jean shorts and tennis shoes, her oversized sweater falling down slightly to reveal a smooth, bare shoulder that made Shane feel a sudden rush of heat he would later try to attribute to the copious amounts of alcohol he drank that night. Her long, reddish-brown hair was tied up in a loose ponytail that she was trying to pull out from behind the huge backpack she was wearing. He could just barely hear her voice – a quiet, mumbled burst of words like a chime in the otherwise silent night that didn’t have any meaning to him given their distance. He heard her huff, setting the backpack on the ground with a surprisingly loud thunk and appeared to be looking for something in its seemingly infinite number of pockets. Shane lurked in the cover of the trees on the edge of the forest, feeling more and more like a creep as he watched her bend over to finally pull out what looked like some sort of a granola bar from the depths of her bag. Entranced, he saw her tear it open and shove it in her mouth before standing up straight and slinging her backpack over her bare shoulder to continue walking back towards town. Not once did she even seem to notice Shane, less than fifty feet away from her, who himself had just realized that he had been holding his breath almost the entire time he watched her.

He vaguely remembered something his aunt Marnie had mentioned to him almost three weeks ago, one early Saturday morning as he sat at the kitchen table nursing a mean hangover that was the result of a particularly rough night at the saloon. He had been picking at the scrambled eggs she made him, while Jas, his goddaughter, sat across the table, coloring some sort of fairy-unicorn in the cheap activity book he had bought her from JojaMart during one of his more generous moments.

“So, Mayor Lewis told me that someone is finally coming to take over that old farm to the north of us in the next few days or so,” she told him as she cut up Jas’ pancakes. Shane recalled feeling like he should probably be the one doing this for her, what with him being her godfather and all, but the dull pounding in his head and the queasy feeling in his stomach prevented him from budging from his chair at the time. Marnie continued, oblivious to his inner turmoil.

“You know, the one I told you used to belong to his old friend, James Abernathy? Apparently, his granddaughter is coming to take care of the place after he passed away a few months ago.” Shane just grunted in response, refusing to meet her eyes so that she wouldn’t see how bloodshot his own were. Marnie had just sighed quietly, turning her attention back to the goddaughter she was helping him raise.

Back in the trees, Shane shook his head and continued his walk to the ranch. That must be her, he thought, struggling to tie together his thoughts through the alcohol-induced haze he should have already been used to by now. He had been hearing whispers among the townspeople of a mysterious young woman who was now living in the tiny cabin on the sprawling farmland in the northern part of town. But what was she doing out by the river this late? And emerging so casually from the forest, of all places? Earlier, he thought he had seen what looked like the long, skinny outline of a pole strapped to her backpack. Could really she possibly have been out fishing at this hour?

It has to be her, Shane thought darkly as he saw the outline of Marnie’s ranch loom up ahead of him. I’ve already seen everyone in this sh*thole town a thousand times over by now.

He wasn’t sure what he had expected when Marnie mentioned that someone was moving to town to take over the farm up the road from them. He had moved to Pelican Town only out of necessity in order to have a better shot at raising Jas in the more affordable countryside and with the help of his only aunt, but he had no idea why anyone else would move here willingly. He had seen the farm many times over the past two years he had been living with Marnie – it was a rundown, unkempt property on a large piece of land littered with overgrown trees, weeds, and boulders. The surrounding forest appeared to have reclaimed parts of it in its many years of neglect. The place looked like it required way more work than what it was worth. It was only a ten-minute walk up the road from the ranch, and some nights Shane would make his way over to the southern edge of the property and drink by a small pond just beyond the rickety gate. It was one of the few places in the valley he ever actually felt at peace.

But that girl that had just emerged from the trees, confidently marching up the path into town with a backpack almost as big as she was, was certainly not what he would ever expect, and he wondered how she was possibly going to clear all the debris from her land to make it usable when it looked like she barely cleared the five-foot mark in height herself. The way she had ripped open the granola bar and aggressively bit down on it made Shane wonder if she was possibly starving up there on Abernathy Farm. He shook his head and, nearing the front door of the ranch, began to fumble through the pockets of his cargo shorts as he looked for the house keys. She must have known what she was getting herself into. Anyone with half a brain could see that “farm” would need an incredible amount of work before it could produce anything of value, and even then, she wouldn't’ exactly be selling to a population whose size promised lucrative profits. Whatever hole she had dug for herself was her own damn fault.

Somehow, Shane was able to find the correct key to let himself into his house, tiptoeing as he made his way past the front store where Marnie sold farm animals and supplies for a living. He entered the dark, quiet kitchen and saw that Jas had left some drawings on the table. On bright construction paper, she had drawn herself and Marnie holding hands underneath a rainbow. Shane felt his stomach turn as he saw a drawing on another paper that appeared to be of him, the dark-haired stick figure sporting the same ratty, blue JojaMart jacket he always wore. Jas had drawn them together, coloring him with a large, happy-face smile that couldn’t be further away from the frown that usually graced his features. Shane sighed and continued to make his way into his room, despising himself for continually failing her and her parents years after they entrusted her to his care on the slim chance that, one day, they couldn’t be there for her anymore.

It had been a little over two years since that stormy winter night, when their lives had been ripped away from them in a single, blinding moment. That night, Shane stood barefoot in their living room at three in the morning, holding a tearful and tired Jas with her head lolled on his shoulder and her thumb in her mouth, trying to blink his away his sleep as he struggled to comprehend the words coming from the mouth of the police officer that had awoken them with a loud pounding at the front door. It was only after the officer had departed, when he was left alone to desperately try to console the crying, confused toddler, that he truly understood that life as he knew it was over. His best friend since high school, Derek Mulligan, had been killed that night in a head-on collision with a drunk driver, along with his wife, Sasha. They had been on the way home when the rain increased suddenly and they had to get on the busier interstate due to flooding side roads. That night, their anniversary, Shane had offered to babysit Jas while they went out to dinner and a late movie. The news of rain that evening had almost canceled their plans, but Shane remembered Derek had insisted that his wife needed a fun night out.

She had been about four months pregnant at the time. This second pregnancy had been harder on her, but Shane remembered that, more than anything, she had been so excited to finally be able to give Jas a sibling after trying for the past two years without success. His goddaughter grew up to become the spitting image of her mother, which, in Shane’s selfish mind, was perfectly fine with him. He cared about Sasha too and all, but he didn’t know if he would be able to deal with looking at a miniature version of his dead best friend every day. He drank enough as it was.

Shane entered his room and closed the door silently. With a groan, he lay down on his bed and tried to stop his vision from spinning as he looked up at the ceiling. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to sleep, but all he could see was the farmer in profile – her delicate nose turned up slightly at the tip, her long, auburn hair swinging down to cover her face as she bent over to look through her backpack, the way her shapely legs disappeared up into her shorts, the curve of her naked shoulder as it met her neck. He had wanted her to turn around and look - really look - over at him so that he could see what color her eyes were.

He flopped over on his side, facing the wall, mentally slapping himself for his inappropriate thoughts. He felt embarrassed at this sudden rush of emotion, fueled no doubt by the amount of beer he had consumed that night. He had never even met the farmer, for Yoba’s sake, only hearing the news from his aunt that she officially moved in two weeks ago and scattered, whispered rumors ever since. But he never even saw her before tonight; it appeared that the elusive farmer was also someone who liked to keep to herself, and Shane certainly wasn’t interested in introducing himself to her. Besides, his schedule and daily route didn’t vary much besides home, work and the saloon. It didn’t exactly present many opportunities to head to the far side of town where Abernathy Farm was located. Once his aunt confirmed that the property was now occupied, Shane stopped his trips to the pond by the woods, finding over venues for his alcoholism.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the farmer from his memory. There was no reason for him to dwell any longer on her. He had to work the next morning, and, judging by the way the room still seemed to be spinning, he was going to have to deal with his asshole boss Morris through the foggy lens of yet another hangover. With a huff, Shane turned again, this time with his back to the wall so that he faced the window on the other side of his room, eventually falling asleep.

Outside, the moon, full for the first time in a month, was now uncovered by clouds as another night passed by in Stardew Valley. Pelican Town was peaceful and quiet, all its inhabitants asleep except for a lone farmer who was just arriving at her own home, exhausted after a long day of mining and fishing. The light croaking of frogs mixing with the shrill call of cicadas filled the air as she walked up the creaking stairs of her porch. Somewhere, a single owl hooted softly, as if trying to ask the farmer a gentle question. Before walking into her home, she looked up at the sky and smiled. The moon really was beautiful tonight.

Chapter 2: Fishy Business at JojaCorp

Chapter Text

2 weeks ago

Lana Abernathy swore on her grandfather’s grave that she didn’t know how the rotten fish had gotten into her supervisor’s desk drawer.

She was sitting on the couch in her dark apartment with most of her belongings packed up in brown boxes that were stacked up around her when she got the call from Margo, the supervisor in question. Or rather, she answered her cellphone and immediately had to tear it away from her ear, because Margo was screaming bloody murder on the other end.

“LANAAAAAAA!” She howled, drawing out the final syllable of her name in apparent agony. Wincing, Lana took a sip of the red wine she was holding in her other hand. "A FISH?! IN MY DESK?! ARE YOU SERIOUS, LANA?! I’LL CALL THE POLICE, JUST YOU WATCH –”

Lana dropped her cell phone face down on the couch, only slightly muffling the strangled-sounding yelps on the other line. She leaned forward to set her wine glass on the coffee table in front of her and held her face in her hands while she balanced her elbows on her knees. A wide-spread grin broke out on her face. She began to laugh, abruptly hysterical at the thought of Margo sniffing around her desk suspiciously in search of the offending odor.

“…LEAKED INTO EVERYTHING, THE SMELL WON’T – WHAT?! ” she heard Margo’s voice screech, loud enough to be heard even though the phone was pressed against the couch cushion. “ARE YOU LAUGHING ?! YOU ARE f*ckING CRAZY, LANA ABERNATHY, AND I WILL GET YOU BACK FOR THIS! I’M SO GLAD YOU ARE FINALLY GONE! YOBA, THE OFFICE IS SOOO MUCH BETTER WITHOUT –”

By this time, Lana had grown bored of Margo, so she swiftly picked up her phone, pressed the red “End Call” button, and threw her phone to the other end of her couch. She grabbed her wine glass again, saw that it was running low (Almost halfway gone? Yeah, I better fill up, she thought to herself wisely), and grabbed the near-empty bottle on the table to top off her glass. She leaned back and took a long sip, feeling almost dizzy with glee.

Regardless of the fish matter, Lana was trying very hard to make the best of a rather concerning situation. On that fateful day a week ago, she had awoken just as always did. Pressing snooze on the alarm, she dozed in bed for the next ten minutes, trying not to let the growing dread in her belly get out of control before the alarm rang again for the second time and it was really time to wake up. She showered and dressed and slapped some makeup on her face in her tiny bathroom, grabbing a protein shake out of the fridge as she ran out of the apartment. She only had ten minutes to get to the subway station before she would be late for her train.

She made it just in time (like she usually did), sweating slightly as she stood in the elevator taking her up to the seventh floor. She tried to not breathe too loudly so that she wouldn’t alarm the others in the elevator, begrudgingly thinking to herself that she was getting out of shape and should probably do something about it soon.

She arrived at her desk, a bland, metal thing with no decorations or personal touches whatsoever except for a single framed picture of her family by the lake in Midway Park. Lana dropped her purse on her desk as she sat down, turned on her desktop, and checked her emails, allowing her eyes to glaze over as she began yet another day of monotony.

And it probably would have continued that way, like it always did, if only Margo hadn’t stomped up to her desk during lunch time to demand that she immediately send her the finalized spreadsheets she had asked her for earlier that week. Lana stopped trying to open the stubborn protein shake in her hand and looked at her incredulously.

“Margo, I’m on lunch. Plus your email on Monday said that those were due for the board meeting next week,” she said slowly, as if speaking to a child. “I haven’t even started on them. It’ll take me a couple days at least.”

“That’s ridiculous," Margo had snapped at her. "I never said that."

"Yeah, you did, actually. Not my fault you forgot your own message."

Margo scowled. “You’re obviously just trying to cover yourself. Just admit you didn’t do the work, Lana. It’s better than trying to lie to me.”

Lana narrowed her eyes. In the next cubicle over, she saw her co-worker Ryan discretely tilt his head in their direction to listen.

Nosy prick.

“Lie to you?” Lana could feel her voice growing louder as she continued. “I can show you your email, if you want. It’s not my fault you sent me the wrong due date. Get your sh*t together, and, like I said, I’m on lunch, so please leave me the hell alone so I can drink my disgusting shake in peace, yeah?”

Margo’s heavily lined eyes widened in shock. “How dare you speak that way to me,” she said angrily, stepping closer to Lana’s desk. “I am your superior, and you will treat me with some respect, or else, or else –”

“Or else what?” Lana asked softly. She realized the office had gone completely silent. She also became acutely aware of the fact that she didn’t give a single f*ck.

She stood up and faced her supervisor, scoffing in Margo’s face, feeling a momentary twinge of regret when she saw the pinch-faced woman flinch. "What are you gonna do, Margo? Fire me? Don’t even bother, because I QUIT , and I am never dealing with you or this f*cking place ever again.”

Lana didn’t know what had gotten into herself. Looking back, it all felt like hazy red rage had suddenly descended upon her. For the past four years, she had been a diligent workhorse at JojaCorp, slowly making her way up the ladder until landing squarely where she was now, stagnating in the Accounting Department, in a grey cubicle on a floor with thirty other people she didn’t even know despite occupying the same space as them for the majority of her days. Only Ryan, in the cubicle next door, ever made an effort to speak to her, although she suspected this was only out of compulsion stemming from a desire to have gossip on everyone in the building. It was boring, tedious work with long hours and crap pay, and she hated the impersonal and almost sterile feel of the office and the company as a whole. She had never spoken out of turn to any of her coworkers (especially a manager), but recently a strange, cold feeling greeted her each morning when she woke up, and Margo’s incessant nagging and micromanaging was no longer bouncing off Lana’s once enthusiastic exterior like it had in the beginning. She had finally been worn down, and something inside her that had been getting pulled tauter and tauter each day had finally seemed to snap.

She had stridden past a spluttering Margo, straight into the bathroom next to the elevators, where she collapsed against the wall inside one of the stalls. What have I just done? Her eyes stung as they suddenly welled with tears. She had just quit her job on impulse with absolutely no plan or backup, and she had most likely just ruined any possible chance of getting a positive recommendation from the only real place of employment of her entire career. She had ruined everything, just like she always did.

But Lana knew she didn’t have much time to dwell on her sudden outburst. Fueled by adrenaline, she left the stall, slapped some water on her face, and walked out back into the office. Margo was gone, and in that moment, Lana didn’t particularly care where she had slunk off to. She grabbed the few, sparse belongings from her desk, and, ignoring the pointed stares and whispers around her, walked briskly past a gawking Ryan to press the button for the elevator, which mercifully arrived only a couple of seconds later to take her down and out of the building into the daylight.

That night, after a of bottle of wine, she cried alone in her apartment, still sometimes unable to contain herself from smiling through her tears at the thought of never having to step foot in JojaCorp again. Already quite tipsy, she had pulled open the top drawer of her kitchen counter, fumbling around in all the junk for those mini vodka bottles she bought from the liquor store a few months ago after a particularly nasty day at work. Instead, her hand touched a smooth piece of paper, pulling it out to reveal a thick envelope. She blinked and turned it around to read that it was addressed to a Ms. Lana Rose Abernathy from her grandfather, Jim. Her vision suddenly focused and, without hesitating, she tore open the seal that she had refused to open all those months ago when her grandfather’s lawyer had handed her the letter after his funeral. In her grief, she had tossed it aside and forgotten about it, choosing to throw herself into work in order to somehow get through the familiar heavy feeling that was beginning to settle into her soul like tar.

And now, a week after reading her grandfather’s words from beyond the grave that he was leaving her his beloved farm in Stardew Valley, she was almost done packing her things and was planning to depart for the farm the following morning. Lana recalled the farm from fond childhood memories, when she would travel there every summer with her dad and younger sister Ella to visit their grandfather. That was before tougher times came for them, propelled by the cancer that killed her brilliant, young father when Lana was just thirteen years old. She struggled to feel like the same person after the shock of losing him, and eventually her grades began to slip as she began to hang out with the kind of kids who liked to skip class to smoke weed behind the handball courts. The trips to the valley ceased that summer after her father died, with her grandfather ultimately closing the farm years later due to his failing health. Lana suspected the loss of his only son was the beginning of the end for him. He died from a heart attack eight months before she quit her job at Joja Corp, leaving behind some money that went to her mother and his granddaughters. But the farm - his prized possession - was reserved for her, bequeathed on her to bring back to life after years of neglect.

After their father died, Ella also suffered and lashed out in her own way as Lana lost herself to the drugs and alcohol that seemed to be so bountiful in the city. Their poor mother, already heartbroken herself having lost her husband so early in life, silently watched her family implode until Lana left for college and the pressure was lessened somewhat. Despite her frequent partying on weekends while in high school, she was still a good student at heart, managing to pull her grades up at the last minute to get accepted at Zuzu University on financial aid and a loan. In college, she calmed down somewhat, warily spending every other weekend back at home with her mother (who had remarried a bland, harmless man named Earl) and sister, now in high school. While studying, she lived in a small room near campus and worked part-time at JojaMart to pay rent, still partying on the weekends with a revolving door of acquaintances. When she could simply find nothing else she was even remotely interested in learning about, she majored in business on advice from her counselor and graduated four years later by the skin of her teeth.

After college, Lana wound up at JojaCorp only because no one else ever called her back, tired of filling out pointless job applications with information that could already be found on her resume. In the years since high school, she made and lost countless shallow friendships and let guys pick her up in dark, claustrophobic bars, eventually settling into a relationship with one of them named Adam before she found him balls deep in his engineering tutor one night after getting home early from visiting her family. A few years later, now at JojaCorp, Lana would catch her other ex-boyfriend, (Dan from Sales) at local dive bar sucking face with Rachel (from Marketing). She decided to swear off dating for a while after that.

Now in her living room, Lana was almost ready. She had no idea what she was doing, but a small voice in her head was whispering that this was what she was looking for, aware that a new life was awaiting her. She had sold a few belongings and used some of the extra money she had saved to buy a small, used truck to move her things to the valley and for later farm work. She only had to pack up the rest of the living room; her couch and other pieces of larger furniture were going to Ella in the morning, and a sleeping bag would be her bed for tonight. Lana downed the last of her wine and turned off the muted television, trying to summon the energy and sobriety to finish the last of her packing so her life could finally begin anew.

Chapter 3: Double Dilemma

Chapter Text

The next day

Shane’s alarm blared loudly in his ear as he was jolted awake the next morning. He had forgotten to close his curtains, but the sunlight coming in through his window hadn’t been enough to wake him from his beer-induced slumber. Now, finally awake, the glare of the sun hurt his eyes, and he grumbled angrily as he stood up to yank the curtains shut and bask in the sweet, sweet darkness.

His head felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. He remembered leaving the Stardrop Saloon last night – somewhat, anyway – and he remembered walking by the trees on the way home … but wait.

The farmer.

Had it been a hallucination? He couldn’t recall how many drinks he had last night. But no – he could almost hear the crunch of her footsteps as she emerged out of the forest, almost feel the way her dark, shiny hair would slip through his fingertips if he ever got the chance to touch it, and he knew that she had to be real.

f*ck.

He felt particularly stupid, hoping that she truly hadn’t seen him gawking at her from the shadows like some pervert. Shane sighed and began to look for a clean work uniform.

Twenty minutes later, after a quick shower and shave, he made his way into the kitchen to grab a pizza pocket for breakfast. He glanced at the clock on the wall, noting with a sigh he’d have to eat on the way if he wanted to make it work on time. Jas was already seated at the table with a bowl of cereal. Her curly hair was styled in two low pigtails with her favorite green bow pinned to the side of her head.

“Morning, Shane!” his aunt called out from in front of the stove, where she was making an omelet. “Care for some breakfast before work?”

“No thanks, Marnie, I’m running late,” Shane replied, throwing the pizza pocket he grabbed from the freezer into the microwave and setting the timer to three minutes while it heated up. He heard his aunt make a disapproving noise but didn’t answer her, zoning out as as he watched the pizza pocket turn round and round through the window in the door.

“Uncle Shane?” he heard a small voice behind him. Jas was looking up at him with those big, brown eyes (the only physical trait she had inherited from Derek), and instantly Shane knew he had to say yes to whatever she was about to ask him.

“Yes, Jas?” he asked gently, coming to stand closer to where she was sitting. She smiled sweetly up at him.

“Ms. Penny says we have to read some nights before we go to bed,” she said in a rush, almost as though she had been bursting to get this information out. “Can you read with me tonight, or maybe tomorrow? Maybe the book about the mouse that goes out for adventures?” Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his aunt was watching him closely.

“Of course, kiddo,” he smiled, tugging one of her pigtails gently. “Tomorrow for sure.”

Jas giggled and Shane felt a bit lighter in his step as he turned back to the microwave to wait for his food. He saw Marnie smile and look back down at her eggs.

****

Later that day at work, Shane was stocking the pet food aisle with canned cat food when he looked up and saw his coworker Sam standing over him, his usual bright smile on his face.

“Hey Shane!” he said, a broom in his hand and an earbud in his left ear, blasting away loud rock music. At 23, Sam Westbrook was six years younger than Shane and could be described only as the personification of a golden retriever in both looks and personality. He had thick blonde hair that was always artfully styled in spikes on his head, and his overwhelmingly cheerful demeanor exhausted and annoyed Shane to no end. Even though they were one of the few people from town that worked at Joja Mart, Shane couldn’t bring himself to befriend the eager young man.

“Have you met the new farmer yet?” Sam continued, oblivious to Shane’s obvious discomfort at his presence. “She’s supposed to meet us at the Stardrop tonight! Maybe you can join us this time? Sebastian swears he’s the best pool player in the valley, but I don’t think -”

“No thanks,” Shane mumbled, cutting him off. So Sam had already already cozied up to the farmer? It made sense that Pelican Town’s golden boy would have made it his mission to add her to his ragtag group of friends. When Shane first moved to town, Sam would ask him to join them at the Saloon to play pool almost every week to no success, glancing at Shane in the corner like a wounded puppy dog on Friday nights when he and his friends entered the bar and made their way to the adjacent billiards room. Eventually, that stopped too, much like everyone else’s efforts to include him. Sam was more persistent than others though, and every now and then he would make another hopeful attempt at getting a positive response out of Shane.

“You sure? It’ll be fun,” he tried, smiling at Shane with perfectly straight teeth. “We can play in teams, maybe you and the farmer versus me and Seb, you know how Abigail never wants to play and -”

“I said I’m good,” Shane said sharply, finishing with the cat food and standing up to face Sam. At 5’ 9”, Shane wasn’t exactly short, but Sam still had a few inches on him despite being younger. He saw his coworker’s bright blue eyes momentarily darken as Shane’s words cut him off yet again, but he was quickly back to his chipper self. Shane had to hand it to him - the kid was good at rolling with the punches.

“Alright, man, no worries,” he grinned and raised both of his hands in surrender, the handle of the broom now resting against his chest. “Maybe next time.”

And just like that, Sam was gone, and he was left alone again in the middle of the pet food aisle with an empty box of cat food next him and ten more boxes of dog food waiting for him back in the stock room. Above, a fluorescent light crackled and momentarily dimmed before spluttering itself back to life.

Shane really f*cking hated himself sometimes.

Later that evening

Lana’s dachshund glanced over at her from his place of rest (her bed), his stubby legs spread out on top of his her clean laundry. Apparently bored at the scene in front of him, he sighed loudly and set his head back down on her clothing.

“Well, I don’t know what you want from me, Winston!” Lana cried out in exasperation, throwing the blouse she had just whipped off her torso onto the floor. “Nothing is looking good on me right now, and this is the first time I’m going out in this damn town, so I want to look decent!”

Winston only regarded her gravely, and Lana felt suddenly ridiculous as she surveyed the huge mess she had made in the last half hour. Besides the clean clothes she had neglected to fold and put away, she had also thrown a bunch of random pieces of clothing around her bedroom in an attempt to find something to wear to the Stardrop Saloon tonight. She had finally given in to Sam’s relentless invitations and was set to join him and his friends for their Friday night pizza, beer, and pool.

Sam was one of the first people she met in Stardew Valley, after Mayor Lewis Arnold and Robin Simmons, the town’s carpenter, welcomed her on her first day in town. He had wandered over after his shift at the local JojaMart while she was unpacking that evening, apparently hearing the news of her arrival through the town grapevine, and started to help her with boxes despite her feeble attempts to dissuade him. He talked a mile a minute, not letting Lana get many words in edgewise while he spoke to her as if he had known her his entire life. She was overwhelmed at first, but she quickly warmed to his sunny demeanor.

That was a fortnight ago, and since then Lana rarely left her farm, especially during her first week. She had been utterly dismayed at first to see the dilapidated state that the property was in. Her first few days were spent looking through the old shed and using the equipment she found to begin to clear the land. Her poor, neglected muscles weren’t ready for the sudden increase in physical exertion that owning a farm required. She collapsed each night, exhausted and sore, into the stiff, double bed that her grandfather had left behind in the tiny cabin that was her new home, regretting more and more the decision to leave her old, much-more comfortable bed with Ella. After a few days, she had managed to clear enough land to plant the turnip seeds that Mayor Lewis had graciously left behind for her, and the next day she mustered up the courage to go into town to buy more seeds and groceries at the local general store, Pierre’s so that she wouldn’t starve.

She had met a few of the townsfolk inside the shop, including the eponymous Pierre Rénard, his wife, Caroline, and their daughter, Abigail. She had boldly held Lana’s gaze as she shook her hand and announced to everyone and no one in particular that she liked Lana’s "cool" nose piercing, brushing aside some stray locks of wavy violet hair that contrasted sharply against her pale skin. Lana had just grinned and touched her finger to the small, delicate, gold hoop that she wore in her left nostril, thanking Abigail and turning away before her cheeks could redden in embarrassment.

Besides Pierre and his family, she had also met George and Evelyn Mullner, an elderly couple that lived down the road from the store. Confined to a wheelchair, George was crotchety and cantankerous, constantly grumbling under his breath about “the good old days”, whatever the hell that even meant. Evelyn was a kind, sweet woman who possessed one of those rare personalities that allowed her to cheerfully tolerate someone like her husband day in and day out without complaint.

As she was leaving Pierre’s, she ran into Dr. Harvey Parker, the town’s surprisingly young-looking physician whose apartment and clinic was next door. A tall, somewhat nervous-looking man with windswept brown hair and a matching mustache, he had peered down at her through horn-rimmed glasses with kind, grey eyes that immediately put her at ease. He introduced himself, welcomed her to town, and wasted no time in scheduling her for an initial check-up at the clinic in a month’s time. Later that week on another visit to Pierre’s, she had the unfortunate experience of meeting Evelyn and George’s grandson, Alex, an admittingly handsome young man around her age who made no effort to hide the way his eyes checked her up and down before confidently letting her know that he was sure they “would get along great, farmer girl, don’t you worry”. Lana had ignored him and continued walking.

The following week, she had met more of the rest of the town as she would occasionally leave her farm. Maru, the nurse who worked with Harvey and also happened to be Robin’s stepdaughter, greeted her one afternoon from a bench in the town square, introducing herself and her timid friend Penny, the town’s schoolteacher. She had met the gorgeous Haley Hansen (who she later found out was dating Alex on-and-off) one morning by the fountain near the old, abandoned community center in the northern part of town. Haley’s eyes had flicked to her and then away impassively as though she couldn’t be bothered to give Lana a proper look. She turned away and continued to browse through the expensive-looking camera she was holding, informing her in a sweetly detached voice that she would actually be somewhat pretty if it weren’t for the horrendous clothes she was wearing. On another day, she had wandered down to the beach and met Willy McWilliams (or so he claimed was his name), a charming old man who taught her the basics of fishing and even gifted her a simple fishing pole so she could get started. A couple of days after that, Sam introduced her to the rest of his family, which included his tired-looking mother Jodi and younger brother, Vincent, a vivacious six-year-old with strawberry blonde hair who clearly took after his older brother. The boy had cheerfully let her know that their father was in the army, currently stationed on an army base across the sea way over in the Gotoro Empire.

Now, two weeks after she had first arrived to Stardew Valley, Lana was finally ready to go out for a night on the town, and a slight undercurrent of excitement was buzzing through her as she looked at herself in the mirror she had brought from her old apartment. In just the past two weeks of working out in the sun, she had already tanned somewhat, the constellation of freckles around her nose more prominent than before. She slipped on a pair of soft high-waisted ripped jeans and settled on a dark red crop top underneath a light flannel for the night. She tugged on her favorite sneakers, a beat-up old pair of black Converse that had followed her from college, and adjusted her hair nervously. Scrambling a bit, she looked inside her purse to find the lip-gloss she wanted to use, reapplying it somewhat clumsily before turning to leave her bedroom. Before leaving, Lana helped Winston down from the bed, the little dog’s tail wagging at the prospect of going for a walk like they always did around this time.

“No, I’m sorry, Winston, but I gotta go, remember?“ she asked him. “Tomorrow we’ll head down to the pond so you can sniff out some frogs, okay?”

He gave her a look of disappointment before huffing dramatically and heading into the living room ahead of her so he could settle down again on his own bed by the fireplace.

Lana absolutely adored Winston. She had adopted him during college and brought him with her to Stardew Valley, knowing that there was no way she was going to get through such an upheaval in her life without him. At first, she was worried that her spoiled city dog would have trouble adjusting to life in the countryside, but Winston had surprised her by taking to the farm like butter on corn, sniffing around happily while she worked and lying about lazily in the sun before evening descended upon the valley and they both moved inside for dinner. Some nights back in the city, when the darkness in her room would almost feel like a living, pulsating creature that sucked up the all oxygen she needed to breathe, Lana would pull the furry little creature closer to her and snuggle into him. That was the only way she could really fall asleep on nights like those.

She patted Winston’s head and made sure he had food and water in case he needed it before grabbing her keys to head out for the evening. It looked like it was going to be another beautiful spring night, the darkening sky now cloudless and getting ready to be full of twinkling stars that Lana was pretty sure she would never get tired of seeing. She locked the front door and walked down her porch steps, turning left to head down the road out of her farm and into town. It was only about a 20 minute walk from here to the saloon, and Lana didn't want to drive her truck in case she drank more than she planned. The last thing she needed was for the good people of Pelican Town to judge her for drunk driving.

****

Shane considered just heading straight home after work so that he could surprise Jas by being rested and ready to read with her tonight instead tomorrow like he had promised, but the interaction with Sam bothered him for the rest of the day. He had to admit to himself that he would be an idiot to miss a chance to see the mysterious farmer again so soon after apparently being so enchanted by her the night before. So, when it was time to leave JojaMart 5pm, he found himself mumbling a belated acceptance to Sam’s invitation as he hurried past him to clock out.

“What! SHANE! That’s great!” Sam exclaimed loudly. He clapped him on the back, causing Shane to wince slightly. “We’ll see you around 6 or so, yeah? Seb’s got to finish some programming for his job or whatever, but we should all be ready by then!”

“Sure, sure…” Shane hoped he sounded breezy and unbothered, sticking his hands in the pockets of his blue jacket and feeling incredibly awkward in his first real attempt at having a friendly conversation with Sam. “Eh...I’ll probably already be there anyway, in my usual spot. Next to the fireplace.”

He felt idiotic - of course Sam knew where Shane would be standing, always in the same dark corner of the saloon, right by the bar and the fireplace. It was far enough away from everyone that he could mope underneath his personal raincloud without being bothered, staring into the depths of his beer in silence while everyone else laughed and talked around him.

“Okay, cool!” Sam was all smiles as he started untangling the earbuds he pulled out of his pocket. “I’m gonna go hang with Seb until he’s ready, but see ya there!”

They departed JojaMart, crossing the bridge back into town. Sam waved to Shane as he took the road north to Sebastian’s home in the mountains, while Shane kept walking, regretting his decision more and more the closer he got to the Stardrop.

What had he been thinking? Sam and his friends were basically strangers. He didn’t know anything about Abigail besides the fact that her dad owned the only general store in town that, putting him squarely at odds with JojaMart, Shane’s place of employment. And Sebastian, with his brooding presence and habit of wearing all black regardless of the weather or occasion, rarely ever crossed paths with Shane besides the few times they saw each other at festivals or events the townspeople attended throughout the year. He always arrived straggling behind his mother and stepfather, Demetrius, who Shane suspected was not Sebastian’s favorite person, looking perpetually bored even when his friends Sam and Abigail arrived to pull him away. Shane sometimes saw him smoking by the river when he walked to the saloon after work, gazing out impassively at the water with a burning cigarette in his fingertips. Once, their gaze met for an instant as he was crossing over the bridge by JojaMart, and Shane could have sworn his eyes were puffy and red.

And the farmer. Shane groaned inwardly as he approached the town square, heading down the street past Pierre’s shop and Harvey’s clinic. She would be there. Would she want to be on his team when they all played pool? And why did he even give a sh*t about something like that?

He arrived at the saloon, one of the first people of the night. Only Pam, the mother of Jas’ teacher Penny, was there as he approached the bar. She already had a couple of empty glasses in front of her, winking at Shane over the top of her third as she raised it in greeting. Obnoxious whether she was sober or drunk (and she was usually the latter), Pamela Rogers was probably the only person in town that could outdrink Shane. He nodded in greeting to her, ignoring her blatant efforts to flirt with him from across the bar like he always did.

“Hey there, Shane!” Emily, the saloon’s bartender, burst from the swinging double doors leading to the kitchen, a plate of spaghetti in her hand. She placed it down in front of Pam and turned to face him. “The usual today? We got some pepper poppers in the oven too, if you want!”

“Uh, yeah, please,” he replied. He started to make his way to his corner of the bar, eager to sit down and take off his jacket. It was a bit hotter today, and the walk from work coupled with his nerves had made him sweat more than usual. “Just the beer.”

Shane had absolutely detested Emily when he first started going to the Stardrop Saloon after work. He would burn in silent rage whenever he would enter the doors and see her standing behind the bar, her short blue hair bouncing up and down as she spoke animatedly to the patrons while she prepared drinks and served food, never missing a beat. Despite being very busy some nights, she always found time and patience for Shane, bringing him his beers quickly, refilling his waters toward the end of the night, generally just being the best bartender he had ever experienced - and Shane had been to a lot of bars when he lived in Zuzu City. Even now, after a couple of years had passed, she was always kind and attentive to Shane.

That’s exactly why he was so repulsed by her at first.

Like Sam, she was constantly in a good mood, never seeming to take the hint from Shane’s curt replies or his clenched hands whenever she would pepper him in one-sided conversation. She was into crystals and auras and all that weird sh*t that was absolute nonsense to Shane. The first time they met, she had gently placed the beer he ordered down in front of him, not moving until Shane looked up at her in confusion. She had warm, hazel brown eyes that cut right through him.

“You have such a murky aura around you,” she told him softly, so quietly that he had to lean in closer to hear her better. “It must be so hard to breathe in there.”

Shane had f*cking hated her after that. It was truly a testament to his alcoholism that he would continue to frequent the saloon so often, praying each time that she wouldn’t be working that evening. Gus, the owner, was also always nice to him, but he seemed to more quickly grasp that all Shane desperately wanted was to be left alone to drown his sorrows each night after work. To his chagrin, she was usually there, always so chipper and genuinely happy to see him that he almost thought she was interested in him romantically for the first couple of months he knew her.

It wasn’t until he noticed that she was like that with everybody that he realized Emily was just one of those people that was intrinsically friendly. Shane didn’t believe that crap about gemstones or psychics that she did, but he slowly came to understand that she was someone who truly was naturally in tune with the energies of others. This irked him beyond belief at first, not just because she and her constant perceptiveness were downright annoying, but mainly because he was just so damn jealous of her. She moved about so easily, so comfortably around the townspeople, and even though Shane knew she had lived in the valley longer than he had, he also was pretty sure she would be like that even if it was her first day in town.

But he began to feel guilty each time he would be rude to her, knowing that he was only treating her that way out of a childish sense of spite and resentment. As the months passed, Shane eventually let more and more of his guard down, sometimes allowing her to engage him in small talk about his job or the ranch. One night, after a few strong beers, he had apologized to her for his past behavior, stuttering slightly at first as he struggled to form the words.

He longed to be like her, so easygoing and open, feeling like a mud-colored co*ckroach next to a vibrant butterfly whenever he was around her. It made him act like more of an asshole than he already was, and that night he apologized, he had looked up at Emily almost in tears, wishing that he could find the right words to properly explain the way he was feeling and how sorry he was. She had just smiled at him and gently placed her hand on his, telling him not to worry about it before being called away by another customer. Somehow, Shane felt like Emily already knew exactly what he wanted to say.

****

Sam and Sebastian were waiting for Lana outside of Pierre’s when she finally made it to the center of town. Sam introduced her to his friend, and she almost chuckled at the stark contrast between the two.

Sebastian, who apparently was Robin's son, was around Sam’s height but thinner and more angular, his jet-black hair straight and chin length, falling slightly over his eyes on one side of his head and buzzed short on the other. He was startlingly good-looking in a dark way, with an aloof air about him that compelled her to inconspicuously side-eye him as they waited for Abigail to come down from her family’s apartment above the store. Earlier, as he had leaned closer to her to shake her hand, she thought he smelled like cigarettes and peppermint and looked like the kind of guy she’d bend over backwards for (maybe even literally) back when she lived in the city. Now, after all the bullsh*t she had been through with men, she was content to simply admire someone like him from a distance.

Abigail - when she finally arrived - was the same firecracker that Lana remembered her being, trading jokes and insults with the guys at a rapid-fire pace that made her almost dizzy to keep up with. They were a funny, mismatched trio, and Lana’s shoulders eventually relaxed by the time they finally entered the Stardrop, laughing along at their jokes as they stepped into the large main room that was already loud and bustling for the evening.

She saw some familiar faces seated at a few of the tables, including Mayor Lewis, sitting with a kind-faced woman with bushy brown hair that was gazing into his face fervently. On the other side of the bar, she saw Robin with who she assumed was her husband, Demetrius, a serious looking man who looked just like their daughter Maru. Willy sat in a booth with a stocky, bearded man that had some coal smeared on his cheek who Lana suspected was the town’s blacksmith named Clive (or maybe Clint?) who offered his services on the community bulletin board outside of Pierre’s.

At another table, she saw a man who looked a bit older than she was with long, flowing red hair and a strong chin, his deep, booming laugh standing out among all the chatter. Seated in front of him was a pretty woman with matching ginger hair tied to the side in a thick braid. Her long fingers covered in an array of thin rings circled the rim of her almost-empty wine glass as she giggled along with whatever the long-haired man was saying.

It was only after Lana had glanced around the room a couple of times that she had noticed the scruffy, dark-haired man sitting at the edge of the bar near the fireplace, looking almost directly face down into the mug of beer he was clutching with both hands. He was sitting so still that he almost blended into the dark walls behind him. Intrigued, she was sure she hadn’t met or even seen him around town before tonight. Lana was about to ask Sam who he was, when, to her surprise, he called out in his direction and started walking towards him.

I guess it’s about time we’ve been introduced, then.

Chapter 4: The Stardrop Saloon

Chapter Text

Shane should have known better than to get his hopes up.

It was a little after 7pm, and he had been waiting almost two hours for Sam to arrive at the saloon with his friends and the farmer. He tried to pace himself with his drinks at first, but after the first hour passed by without Sam’s arrival, Shane began to panic. The feeling of regret that had begun while he was walking to the saloon slowly festered like a growth inside of him as the evening went on, and he began to get through his beers more quickly until the next thing he knew, he was almost done with his fifth. He stopped drinking to peer down into the pale lager inside, his thoughts brewing.

If Shane went home and Sam arrived later, he’d have to deal with Sam the next time he saw him at work and explain why he had accepted his invitation when he was just going to bail out later. Maybe Sam wouldn’t show up, and Shane would be free to continue drinking his way into another night of oblivion. He felt glued to the barstool he was sitting on as he fumed in irritation. It wasn’t Shane's fault that Sam was super late, so he had every right to be pissed off. If they arrived, how could he just forget his anger and go play pool with them like he had agreed to?

Shane wasn’t even remotely ready when he heard Sam’s voice ring out amid the saloon's chatter. Lost in his thoughts, he at first didn’t register that Sam was calling out his name in greeting as he made his way towards him through the bar. Eventually, he snapped his head up and came almost face-to-face with his grinning coworker. Behind him, he saw Pierre's daughter Abigail with her crazy, purple hair, giving him a look of curious amusem*nt as she chewed on a wad of gum. Sebastian stood next to her, already looking like he wanted to go home to the comfort of what was probably his dark, cave-like room. And behind him was the farmer.

The farmer. The Stardrop had dim lighting, but she was close enough for him to see her clearly for the first time, and Shane struggled somewhat as he did his best to focus on what Sam was saying instead of looking at her. But she was there, always in his peripheral vision, emitting what seemed to him a soft, glowing light that distracted him as he tried to listen to his coworker.

“...was taking forever, and then Abigail took her sweet ass time getting ready too!” Shane was finally able to sharpen his concentration and understand Sam properly. “We’re so late, I’m so, so sorry, dude. Please let me buy you a beer to make up for it?”

He looked so apologetic and genuine to Shane that his previous anger seemed to disappear with a blink, and, before he knew what he was doing, he mumbled out a quiet “no worries” and Sam’s grin grew even wider in relief. He turned back to his friends.

“I told you guys he’d be here!” he exclaimed to Abigail and Sebastian, who only nodded and raised their hands to him in greeting. Both around Sam’s age, they most likely had no interest in befriending Shane, who they probably only knew as the surly and unpleasant man who worked with Sam at JojaMart and whose goddaughter was best friends with his little brother Vincent. They were obviously wary of him, unlike the more naïve Sam, but he sure as hell didn’t blame them.

Sam turned again, this time to the farmer, and before Shane could prepare himself, he declared, “Lana, this is Shane. Shane, this is Lana Abernathy, the new farmer in town.”

She stepped out almost shyly from behind Sebastian, whose lanky figure towered over her. Even then, she was so small in stature that it looked like the top of her head would barely reach Shane’s own chin. She tucked a piece of her long hair behind her ear, revealing several rings and studs. He looked into her face, and their eyes met for the first time.

Green. Green like glowing emeralds, or maybe green like leaves that grew back to life on trees in the springtime. That was the only way he could describe the color of her irises in that pulsating, vivid moment. She had olive skin and large, cat-like eyes that were watching him curiously. The farmer - Lana - was so close that he could see that her nose had a light scattering of freckles, another tiny ring winking at him as it caught the light. Her lips were turned up in a soft smile, and Shane’s breath caught slightly in his throat as she stepped forward to shake his hand. He silently prayed that she would believe the sweaty palm against her own was just due to condescension from the beer he had just set down.

“Hey there, Shane,” she said, in that silvery, almost songlike way of speaking that he had only heard from a distance the night before. “It’s really nice to meet you.”

Shane tried to compose himself and respond as he discretely wiped his palms on the old pair of jeans he was wearing.

“Shane works with me at Joja Mart,” Sam interjected brightly. Lana smiled more widely, and Shane noticed she had a slight gap between her front teeth. “He stocks the aisles and stuff!”

“Oh, really ?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought as much, what with that jacket you're wearing. I used to work at that hellhole stocking too. Then after that, good ol' JojaCorp itself. Well, before I moved here, anyway.” She grinned more broadly and leaned in closer to Shane as if to conspire with him. “I’m thinking I should buy you that beer myself now. You know, in solidarity?”

He looked up at her. Despite the sudden pounding in his chest, Shane couldn’t help but crack a smirk himself.

“Well, I guess I can never say no to free beer,” he managed, raising his glass to her and taking a deep drink, never breaking eye contact. She giggled, her laugh musical and melodious like a bell, and Shane knew right then and there that he was a goner.

****

Lana was incredibly glad that she had finally made the decision to come out with Sam and his friends for a much needed night of fun. After ordering a round of drinks and a couple pizzas, they made their way to the other side of the bar to a smaller room that housed a pool table, a couple of couches, and a few ancient-looking arcade games. Shane, the man that Sam had introduced her to at the bar, had gone quiet after their initial meeting, but Sam and his friends more than made up for any lack of conversation on his part.

“Don’t f*cking sit there and tell me that pineapples on pizza are anything other than a crime against humanity.” Abigail promptly plopped herself down on a squashy, cozy-looking couch in the corner and wasted no time in criticizing Sam for his pizza choices. He had ordered half of one pizza with pineapple against cries of outrage from the rest of the group.

“Relax, Princess Abigail. I told Gus to make sure no pineapples touch the other side of the pizza like always,” Sam assured her, settling on the arm of the couch she was sitting on as Sebastian sat down next to her. From the corner of her eye, Lana noticed Shane uncomfortably hovering near the entrance to the room. She saw a smaller sofa on the other side of the pool table and sat down, patting the spot next to her gently as an invitation to him. He seemed to hesitate for an instant before walking over to sit down as far away from her as possible on the other end of the sofa with the beer Sam had bought him clutched in one hand.

Shane was a mystery to her. She had observed him as they initially approached where he was seated, noticing that he appeared almost startled to see them before seeming to catch himself and suavely shake her hand in introduction. The confidence that flowed so naturally out of him seemed to have sputtered out now that some time had passed. He had a shock of dark brown hair that was swept to the side messily as if he had a habit of running his hands through it. Shane met her gaze intensely with inky blue eyes the color of a stormy sea, smirking at her almost co*ckily over his mug of beer, but Lana had immediately noticed his prominent dark circles and the tired slump of his shoulders. She felt a sharp flicker somewhere deep in her core when they shook hands, but then Sam asked the group what type of pizza they should get, and Lana turned away to fervently argue her case for her personal favorite, extra pepperoni with mushrooms and jalapeños.

Now, sitting next to his sturdy frame on the couch, she couldn’t deny he was handsome in a rugged way, with a 5-o’clock shadow dusting his jaw and large, solid hands that had felt so warm in hers when they were introduced. She recognized the slightly glazed look in his eyes, and she could smell all the beer on him that he most likely had consumed before they arrived, but besides that, he didn’t appear to be drunk or even slightly tipsy. Lana sipped her own drink, debating to herself how intoxicated she wanted to get that night.

“So, who wants to play pool?” Sam asked, standing up to grab a pool stick from the rack on the wall. “One of you guys has to be able to beat Seb - I’m so tired of losing to his co*cky ass every week.”

“I’ll play,” Lana spoke up, shrugging off her flannel. The inside of the saloon was warm with all how crowded it was that night. It seemed like almost the entire town had turned up to mingle. She took another sip of her drink, almost finishing it completely this time.

“Me too,” she heard Shane’s deep voice respond next to her. She saw Sebastian and Abigail glance at him in surprise. A similar look crossed his features as if he, too, was bewildered by his sudden willingness to participate. There was a slight pause.

“...Fine, but you’re playing on my team, Lana,” Sebastian finally spoke up. He rose lazily from the couch he was sitting on and stretched his arms above his head, exposing some of his pale midriff as his hoodie pulled up slightly. “Sorry, Shane - hopefully Sam isn’t too terrible tonight.”

Amid Sam’s protests of indignation, she nodded in agreement and stood from the sofa with Shane quickly following her lead.

She bumped into him playfully. “Losers buy another round for everyone?”

“You’re on!” Sam called out, coming round the table to throw a friendly arm around them both. “Either way, it means more drinking. Am I right, Shane?”

Lana thought that Shane looked a bit uncomfortable with Sam’s arm around him, but he just nodded in agreement, frowning slightly. She smiled to herself, charmed by his grumpy demeanor.

Watching Shane as Sebastian moved to set up the pool table, Lana picked up on a slight buzz of nervousness emanating from him. She recalled something Sam had said earlier, sounding almost victorious as he called out his friends for not believing that Shane would join them tonight. She snuck another glance at him just as the game started. He looked a little older and more jaded than she was, but that could just be the general air of unkemptness about him or perhaps the way he guzzled his beer like it was water.

“Go easy on us guys,” she said, taking a pool cue almost as tall as she was from Sebastian. “It’s been a while since I last played, and even then I sucked pretty hard.”

“Don’t worry,” Sebastian told her, his low-pitched voice cool and calm. “You’re on my team.”

He bent over the pool table, balancing the end of his own cue stick lightly on top of his right hand and grabbing the other end firmly with his left. After what seemed to Lana only a millisecond of aiming, he moved the stick forward sharply, hitting the white cue ball in front of him into the colorful balls in formation at the center of the table. They scattered as the white ball perfectly struck the tip of the triangle, two striped balls eventually making their way into pockets.

“Stripes,” he said simply, straightening up to move around the table and continue. He sunk two more striped balls before it was the other team’s turn.

“You can go first, Shane,” Sam looked cheerful despite already being deep in the red so early in the game. With an amused sip of her drink, Lana suspected that this was a usual occurrence for him. “I’ll go grab us all some shots in the meantime.”

“Good luck,” Lana called out to Shane, who only nodded to her and downed the last of his beer, closing his eyes for a second as if relishing the way it felt going down his throat. Intrigued, she observed as he leaned forward and silently lined up his own cue stick on the pool table, furrowing his brows in concentration. Lana watched, mesmerized, as a small drop of sweat slowly made its way down his left temple.

Suddenly, his cue stick shot forward, propelling the white ball into the side of a solid, orange ball so that it shot diagonally into the left corner pocket. Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

Shane made quick work of three more pool balls, tying the game and eliciting a whoop from Sam once he arrived back with the shots. Even Abigail had stood up to watch more closely after Shane effortlessly sunk his second ball, clapping in praise and snickering at the way Sebastian could only gape at the sight. Gus, a jovial, mustached man who was introduced to Lana as the owner of the saloon, followed behind Sam to drop off the pizzas and more drinks that Sam apparently had taken the liberty of ordering for everyone.

“SHANE!” Sam exclaimed, almost spilling his own fruity concoction complete with an umbrella. “You never told me you were actually at this game! Ha! You better watch out Sebby! I think you’ve finally found a worthy opponent.”

The group gathered around Sam as he passed out the shots he had bought for everyone. Lana took a light sniff of the clear liquid and felt the inside of her nose burn slightly. Tequila, and a strong one at that, filled each glass to the brim.

“To tonight!” Sam toasted, holding up his shot glass highly. He lowered it slightly so that it was angled towards Lana, standing across from him in between Shane and Sebastian. She felt strangely giddy and light-headed, as if her first drink was already getting to her, which was ridiculous given her tolerance level. “And to Lana! Welcome to Pelican Town! I know it’s probably not much compared to Zuzu City, but I bet you’re gonna love it here just like I do. That old farm is gonna be back to its glory days in no time with you there!”

The rest of the group called out in agreement, raising their own glasses towards Lana. She felt her cheeks begin to redden, glancing around at everyone until she met Shane’s eyes. He smirked down at her, looking again like that confident, self-assured man she had first met at the bar. Her face broke out in an embarrassed smile before she turned and raised her own glass to the group.

“Thank you!” she laughed as a tiny bit of the tequila sloshed out and spilled on her fingers. “I can’t wait to see what this, uh, interesting new chapter of my life has in store for me. It's crazy how I ended up out here, but I think my grandpa would be happy with my impulsive choices, at least.” She had to stop for a moment in surprise as she felt her eyes begin to sting slightly with emotion. She cleared her throat and continued. “I honestly have no f*cking clue what I’m doing on that farm, but I guess all I can ask for at this point are edible vegetables.”

“To edible vegetables, then!” Abigail suggested enthusiastically, a solid third of her tequila already mysteriously missing from her glass. The group laughed and quickly agreed.

“To edible vegetables!” they chorused, and Lana laughed as everyone tossed back their shots and grabbed a lime slice from the plate that Gus had dropped off. She placed her own glass to her lips and tipped the cool liquid into her mouth, letting it slide smoothly past her tongue. She closed her eyes for a moment as she felt it warm her insides. The familiar taste of alcohol lingered on her tongue, biting and bitter, long after the group separated and the pool game continued.

****

Shane felt like two completely different people inhabited his body that night at the Stardrop Saloon.

He knew he was socially awkward. Years away from his old life in Zuzu City in pocket-sized Pelican Town had put him out of practice when it came to conversation. He felt especially rusty and robotic next to this fascinating group. They were all so witty and funny and relaxed - even Sebastian, who he begrudgingly had to admit exuded coolness as he slunk his way around the pool table, doing his best to keep up with Shane.

On the other hand, the alcohol in his system, now having reached its buzzing peak, made his tongue and body feel much looser than they had felt in a long time. This was different than the usual fog that descended upon him when he drank - the constant movements he had to make as he played had transformed the feeling into something more electric and lucid. They changed the teams up after another game, but it quickly turned into a one-way battle between Shane and Sebastian, Lana and Sam happy to take the backseat to cheer on their new respective teammates.

The truth was that Shane had often looked over into the billiards room during his many lonely nights at the saloon, watching Sam and his friends and even listening to the sound of pool balls banging around on some particularly quiet evenings. It was a bittersweet noise for him, bringing back memories of playing in murky bars in the city. He was always underestimated by everyone until he nailed his first shot, purposeful and precise, usually continuing on to sweep the rest of the game.

It had been one of his favorite things to do with his best friend, Derek, who had been just as deadly with a cue stick. They hustled quite a bit as a pair, calming down only when Derek met his future wife Sasha inside a jazz bar they had tipsily stumbled into one windy night in downtown Zuzu City. He had been enamored with her the moment he saw her saunter onstage, the lead singer of the band the bar had booked to play that night. She had been a curvaceous, striking woman with caramel-colored skin and long, curly hair who crooned into the microphone all night in a silky rasp. Shane had seen the awed way his friend looked at her, eventually making his way with him to the front of the crowd to better watch her band perform onstage.

After their final song, she had leaned down just as the stage lights dimmed and the music started to die out, reaching out to hand Derek the flower she had been wearing behind her ear. Sasha smiled serenely down at him, looking every bit to Derek like an angel surrounded by halo of golden light. His best friend had belonged to her ever since.

He stopped playing pool after Derek and Sasha died. In fact, he had stopped going out to bars or really anywhere besides work altogether for a while after that, until a couple months after he moved to Pelican Town with their daughter Jas. It had been difficult at first for Shane to see Sam and his friends playing pool in the next room. They reminded him of his old life back in Zuzu City, the life he had until some piece-of-sh*t asshole got behind the wheel after six too many drinks at the bar, tearing it away from him forever. Eventually, Shane grew numb to the sight and even the memories, turning away from the direction of the pool tables to drink himself into the less painful detached state of mind he preferred.

Now, here at the Stardrop Saloon with Sam and his friends, Shane played pool again for the first time in years. Sebastian’s usually disinterested façade had crumbled as he and Shane dueled. His jet-black hair stuck to his forehead with sweat as he swore under his breath through each turn.

Lana was in his corner all night, cheering him on and getting more and more tipsy as she continued to drink the alcohol that seemed to be flowing freely from the bar. They took turns buying rounds of drinks throughout the evening. She’d laugh and joke with him and the others too, seeming to blend in with their group effortlessly. Shane was surprised at how easy it was also for him to chime in every now and then when they all started to talk about something that piqued actually his interest.

At one point, the games ended as everyone got caught up in conversation. He stood near the farmer, holding his cue stick close to his body with one hand and his beer in another. Lana leaned against the pool table next to him, face flushed from all the drinks she had consumed. They had been making casual conversation sporadically throughout the evening, but this time she stayed next to him instead of being pulled away by one of the others. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Sebastian watching them over by the arcade games with Abigail and Sam.

“You gotta tell me where you learned to play like that,” she said wistfully, biting into her slice of pizza. Shane watched her, fascinated, as a piece of cheese pulled away and broke off as a long string that she swooped up into her mouth with an inhale.

“Uh, back when I lived in the city,” he answered, raising his voice slightly to be heard over all the ambient noise around them. “I used to play a lot when I’d go out to bars and stuff.”

“Oh, you used to live in Zuzu too?” she asked, placing the pizza back down on her plate that was balanced precariously on top of the pool table. “What part?”

“South part, near Arden. What about you?” he replied.

“Calgary Heights, but I was born in a smaller town upstate.”

“No sh*t, only a borough over? I'm surprised we never crossed paths.”

“Yeah! You guys were closer to the fancy part of town, huh?”

“f*ck, you mean Westhaven? I don’t think I could afford to even step foot in there. They’d throw me out for not meeting the designer clothing quota or whatever.”

She laughed loudly at his comment, just like she had been doing all night whenever he’d say something funny without even really meaning to. Shane also suspected she was one of those people whose threshold of humor was considerably lowered whenever they were intoxicated.

“I know what you mean,” she said. Her hair was swept over her shoulder in thick, glossy waves. The red gloss she had been wearing on her lips had rubbed off long ago, and her makeup was smeared slightly under her eyes almost as if she was ready for a punk concert. She reached toward him to take the pool stick from his hand and turned around as she continued talking.

Shane was having difficulty focusing on what she was talking about as she bent over the pool table, back arching slightly to expose more of her bare skin as her shirt pulled up. Some of her hair fell forward to cover her face, and Shane was reminded of the night before, when he had watched her in secret from the darkness of the trees. She looked up at him now with those striking green eyes, seemingly oblivious to everything else in the room.

“...Zuzu City can be a lot, you know?” she spoke in a softer voice. “You have people in Westhaven living it up in luxury, while people only a borough over are on the streets or at best living paycheck to paycheck, most barely managing to scrape by. But that's life in the big city, I guess. Millions of completely different people calling the same place home. I know it’s where I grew up and all, but sometimes it felt like everything was just rushing around me, and all I could do was try to keep my head above the water and breathe.”

Shane understood the feeling she was trying to describe. After all, family life for him growing up wasn’t exactly ideal. When he was ten, his father abandoned the family. He had been a horrible, crude man who would strike Shane and his mother with the back of hairy hands whenever they stepped out of line, always reeking of stale beer when he would get home late at night hours after he was supposed to be off his shift at a nearby auto repair shop. Shane grew up an only child, his mother doing her best to raise him on her own after his dad walked out on them, later developing an addiction to heroin that often left Shane home alone to fend for himself.

He started drinking and doing drugs himself at an early age, not really caring about his grades or classes but managing to at least graduate high school with the help of Derek, who he met in chemistry class their freshman year. Blonde, roguish, and charming, he quickly befriended the dark-haired, introverted Shane, taking him under his wing once the dire situation at his house was made evident. Derek’s own family was humble but hardworking, and Shane often was at their house after school to play video games and eat the snacks Derek’s mother would leave for them in the fridge while she worked late nights as a seamstress in a factory. They never made him feel unwanted or like a burden, and Shane felt more at home with the Mulligans than he did in the dreary old one-bedroom apartment he lived in with his mother. Eventually, he moved out after graduation, Derek attending the local community college and working part-time, while Shane worked various retail and fast food jobs to pay for the tiny studio he rented.

And that was how his life continued for the next few years. He endured tiring, dead-end jobs in anticipation of his time off, when he and Derek would go out and engage in whatever shenanigans they had planned. Derek had even started bringing around some of his rowdy college buddies to liven things up a bit, which Shane didn’t mind so much after a while.He could never seem to save enough money to move to a larger apartment, probably because he never seemed to progress from the sh*t-paying jobs he found. He drank often and abundantly but was mostly functional, abandoning all of the harder substances he had experimented with in his younger days in favor of his beloved (and more affordable) beer. Sometimes, Shane was reminded of his lack of planning or any sort of ambition, but he was young and too easily distracted by the freedom of adulthood and a steady paycheck to do anything meaningful about it.

Back then, Shane didn’t date much but often departed from bars an hour before closing time with a woman on his arm, bringing her back to his place for some drunk, messy sex that almost always ended with a disappointing org*sm into a condom. Every now and then, he’d lay in bed silently afterwards with one of the girls who wouldn’t take his hint about calling it a night, feeling unsatisfied and empty as he stared up at the ceiling until the sun rose and he finally could shake her awake to send her away with the excuse of needing to get ready for work.

There had been only a couple of standouts that he actually dated for more than a few weeks or so, the most recent being Stephanie, his girlfriend of about five months at the time Derek died. She had tried her best to be there for him in the months after the tragedy, but she had inevitably grown tired of his mood swings and his complete lack of effort when it came to their relationship. During his most bitter moments, Shane suspected that the prospect of having to act as a mother figure to Jas was the real breaking point for her. Their relationship ended less than a month before he moved to Pelican Town, Shane already having detached himself enough from her that he didn’t put up any sort of fight. Stephanie had looked at him with sympathetic eyes that turned cold and hard when he refused to give her a final kiss goodbye. He never saw or heard from again after she left his studio with her things that day.

Now at the Stardrop, Lana jerked her hand forward, the sudden motion bringing Shane back to the present. The cue stick she was holding struck the white ball on the table in front of her. She knocked it into a nearby striped ball, sending it into a pocket neatly.

“Hey,” she said brightly, straightening up. “I got one.” She faced Shane again and turned the pool stick upside-down, petite enough to place her hands on top and rest her chin on her interlocked fingers.

“Sorry,” she seemed embarrassed, or maybe it was just the flush from the half-finished drink that she had left on a side table. “I’m probably just rambling.”

“No, don’t be,” Shane replied quietly. “I honestly get what you’re saying. It’s kind of nice to know that someone else feels the same way. It’s, uh, comforting, I guess.”

He felt as though he were in a dream, all of his surroundings bathed in a soft filter, everything except for Lana, who stood out in front of him in sharp focus. He knew that tomorrow he’d have to wake up in his same old, crappy bed and have to go back to work at his same old, crappy job, and that life would drone on just like it always did. But something deep inside of him was bubbling in what suspiciously almost felt like excitement at the prospect of maybe catching a glimpse of her again on the way home one day, or possibly even hanging out with her at the Stardrop just like tonight. He had the wild, sudden desire to spend time with her without Sam or even anyone else around, especially that dickwad Sebastian, who was throwing what he probably thought were casual glances in Lana’s direction every now and then as she spoke to Shane.

They had played a number of quick-paced games of pool and were tied in amount of wins, Sebastian quickly regaining his footing after Shane revealed his hidden talent to the group. He didn’t speak much besides the occasional sarcastic remark, drinking steadily throughout the night from whatever dark liquid on the rocks he kept ordering, twice even heading out for a smoke break in between games. But Shane noticed the way he would always give a low chuckle wherever Lana would say something even remotely amusing, standing close to her when they were still playing in teams to give her tips on how to improve her form or whatever bullsh*t he was using as an excuse to be near her.

At one point earlier in the evening, he had rolled up the sleeves of his black hoodie while complaining about the heat, revealing intricate, colorful tattoos that completely enveloped his arms and drew Lana over immediately. Shane watched from across the pool table as she complimented the artwork on his skin, delicately pressed a slender fingertip to a blood-dripping rose inked on Sebastian’s forearm. He had turned away, loathing himself for the way the sight left a sour taste in his mouth.

The saloon was slowly emptying of people, the noise dying down to only a low buzz of conversation mingling with the country music playing from the jukebox. Shane glanced at the cuckoo clock on the wall to see that it was already past 11pm. Lana followed his gaze and winced.

“Ugh, I should probably get going, guys,” she said, raising her voice to be heard by the rest of the group. “I have an early day tomorrow with the crops. Farm life and all that, am I right?”

“Yeah, no worries Lana!” Sam replied from the other side of the room. “We’re probably gonna head home too. It’s getting pretty late.”

They finished the last of their drinks and left the bar. Outside, Shane stood slightly apart from the others, feeling a bit out of place among the group of younger people. The alcohol in his system was beginning to wear off, making him restless.

“It was great meeting you guys tonight,” Lana said, her flannel shirt now tied around her hips. A small belly button ring that Shane hadn’t noticed before glimmered from above the top of her jeans. “I had a lot of fun.”

“We definitely gotta do this again soon,” Abigail agreed, slurring her words slightly as she leaned against Sebastian. He wore his usual look of casual disinterest as he placed an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

“Let’s just worry about getting you home in one piece tonight,” he told her, his words muffled slightly as it wobbled up and down. “Lana, your farm is down the road past the bus top, right? I’ll walk you after we drop Abby off at her house.”

She agreed with a nod before Shane could protest.

As if you’d have the balls to say anything, anyway, he thought darkly to himself.

Lanaturned to say goodbye to a very tipsy Sam before looking at Shane with a small smirk on her face.

“See you later, Zuzu,” she teased, lightly punching his arm before spinning around to walk away with Sebastian and Abigail in the direction of Pierre’s.

“I guess that just leaves me and you, Shane, buddy.” Sam placed his hands behind his head and looked at him sideways, still drunk as a skunk. “Care to escort me home?”

Shane could only watch as Lana grew smaller and smaller the further she walked away with Sebastian’s tall figure beside her. He could barely make out the glow from the now-lit cigarette in Sebastian's mouth as he swiveled his neck to look down at the farmer, murmuring something out of earshot that earned him one of her tinkling laughs.

Shane turned around and began to walk away with Sam, barely listening to the drunken nonsense his coworker was rambling on about. At one point, he glanced back over his shoulder, heart twisting strangely in his chest, but by then, the farmer had already long disappeared into the night.

Chapter 5: Pieces of the Past

Chapter Text

The next day

Lana awoke to the feeling of her face being licked gently.

Her eyes shot open to see Winston giving her a solemn look of reproach, his long torso spread out on top of the empty pillow beside her. She groaned and grabbed her cell phone from the nightstand next to her bed. She clicked it on to reveal the time - 9:38am. She must have slept through her alarm.

“Ah, crap,” she mumbled, throwing her head back onto her pillow and closing her eyes again. She felt Winston rest his furry little paw lightly on her shoulder, and Lana knew that she had to get up for the day and take care of the farm she now apparently was responsible for. Getting up, she walked to the bathroom to start her day.

Last night, Sebastian had walked her home after they dropped off a giggling Abigail on Pierre’s doorstep. Lana had watched in amusem*nt as he grabbed the ring of keys from her hands, picking out the right one after only a moment as if this was something he had done several times before. Abigail gave them both a hug and sloppy kiss on the cheek in thanks before going inside.

They moved down the street to the country lane that led out of town and towards the farm, strolling in comfortable silence for the majority of the way. At one point, she had asked to bum a cigarette off of him, stopping in the middle of the dirt road by the bus stop near her house.

“I didn’t know you smoked,” he remarked, but made no further inquiries as he shook one out for her to take from the carton he kept in the back pocket of his jeans.

"I used to. Sometimes, anyway. When the urge struck."

She grabbed it gingerly and placed it in her mouth, patting her own pockets in an old habit. Before she could ask him for a light, he took out another cigarette from the carton and plucked the one she had from her mouth, placing both in his own lips and igniting them at the same time with a lighter that magically seemed to appear in his hand. He handed back her own lit cigarette wordlessly. Lana thanked him and accepted it to take a deep puff that she exhaled in a cloud of dissipating smoke. The gesture had felt surprisingly intimate, at odds with Sebastian’s chilly demeanor.

Later, when they had finally arrived at her farm, Lana walked up the creaking porch steps while Sebastian stayed below. She turned as she got to her front door and met his watchful gaze.

In another lifetime, Lana wouldn’t have hesitated to invite him in for “one more drink”, inevitably ending up tangled with him in between her sheets, bodies and lips pressed together in an alcohol-induced haze much like the one now mixed with nicotine that swirled inside her head. Her mind flashed with the memory of her cigarette next to his, nestled together in between his lips, the tips glowing red in unison as he puffed on them to get them burning. Lana had just contemplated him in silence as twin wisps of smoke floated up on either side of his head, disappearing into the black night.

Before, she would have had little regard for the consequences of any impulsive decisions she made, but tonight she was still coherent enough to remember that she wasn’t in Zuzu City anymore, where she could stay as anonymous and detached as she liked.

“Thanks for walking me home,” she called out softly instead, her house keys ready in her hand. “You need a ride to your place or anything?”

“No, I’m good,” he responded, impassive as ever, a new unlit cigarette now behind his ear. “You should get some sleep. Besides, I like going for a moonlit stroll some nights. See you around, farmer girl.”

And just like that, he was gone. Lana had just sighed and entered her darkened home so that she could finally go to bed.

Now in her bathroom, she quickly showered and got ready, making it outside in record time to make up for sleeping in. Standing in the small field she had cleared, she began watering her crops with the rusty can she found in her grandpa’s shed. A steaming, chipped coffee mug was clutched in her other hand, helping her nurse the growing hangover that was currently manifesting itself in the form of a dull, pounding headache.

She felt her phone vibrate in the pocket of the overalls she was wearing, setting down the watering can to pull it out in annoyance. To her surprise, it was a text from a number she didn’t recognize with a Zuzu City area code. She unlocked her phone in curiosity to read the message.

Hey Lana! How are you doing? Missing you here at the office!

She blinked in confusion, racking her brain to try and remember who she could have possibly given her number to back at JojaCorp. Her phone vibrated again.

It’s Ryan, btw! Misty at reception passed me your number so that I could see how things were going with you after that whole Margo debacle.

She felt a momentary twinge of exasperation at the fact that Misty had just given away her private information so easily, but she also couldn’t help feeling a bit flattered at Ryan's apparent concern with her wellbeing. She texted back a response with her free hand.

Hi Ryan. Thanks for reaching out. I’m doing fine, just moved out to the country to start over as a farmer, as one usually does.

A few minutes went by without a reply, and Lana had already put away her phone to continue watering her plants when it vibrated again, this time with a call. She rolled her eyes but answered, putting the watering can back on the ground.

“Lana!” she heard Ryan’s voice on the other end, slightly echoing as if he was in a bathroom. “Don’t tell me you moved out to the boonies?!”

She had to stifle a laugh, remembering the way he was prone to exaggeration, something that would admittedly amuse her every now and then during particularly boring days at work. He never seemed to be bothered by Lana’s curt responses or lack of reciprocity when it came to initiating conversation. She guiltily recalled how he would sometimes try to share workplace gossip with her to only elicit a grunt or grimace in response.

“Yeah, here I am, I guess!” she responded cheerfully, figuring she could at least try to make up for it now. “Living it up on a farm out here in Stardew Valley.”

“Stardew Valley?” Ryan asked incredulously. “What the f*ck are you doing all the way out there? And, honestly Lana, how are you doing, really?”

Lana hesitated, wondering if she should just fake some sort of farming emergency to end the conversation and avoid his question, but there was something incredibly sincere in the tone of Ryan’s voice that she picked up on. Suddenly, she couldn’t help but wonder if she had judged him too harshly in the past. She spent the rest of the morning watering her crops, telling Ryan a condensed version of why she had moved to Pelican Town. She felt pleasantly surprised at the easy conversation that seemed to flow between them. He seemed genuinely interested in her life, asking questions and giving his opinions in the same, brisk manner like she had seen him use with others in the office. Right before he had to hang up and go back to work, he lowered his voice and whispered into the phone.

“Margo’s desk still smells like fish by the way,” he said rather smugly. “I heard her call you a couple of weeks ago when she found it. Yoba, what a bitch! It’s such a shame how that nasty, rotten fish found its way into her desk ... maybe it grew legs and walked, am I right?”

Lana paused before bursting out into laughter.

“That was you?! ” she asked in astonishment. “Ryan, I can’t believe you’d do something like that for me.”

By this time, she had walked over to the small pond on the edge of her property, sitting down on a large log that had fallen over and settled into the mud long ago. She gazed out at the rest of her farm. It had improved considerably since she had moved to town but still needed a lot of work, her crop field the only fully cleared patch of land even after two weeks of labor. She was hoping to put in a chicken coop soon with Robin’s help.

“She deserved it,” Ryan told her firmly. “She had absolutely no right to come up to you like that during your lunch, and it wasn’t the first time she's pulled crap like that either. Besides, I wasn't really craving fish for lunch that day anyway. But don’t worry, your old boss is just fine and still as neurotic as ever. Although, I’m honestly not sure how much longer I can last here. You might have to make room on that farm of yours for another cowboy.”

She laughed, her headache finally fading away as the sun climbed higher into the sky. She softly thanked Ryan for checking on her and hung up the phone after promising to keep in touch.

Lana got up and stretched her arms above her, yawning as she considered what to do for the rest of the day. Maybe she’d head down to the mines on the edge of the hills that bordered the valley to look for some more copper ore - the tools she was using were oxidized and falling apart, and once she had enough resources, she planned to take them to the blacksmith for some much-needed improvements. She chuckled at the thought, already feeling an eternity away from her days back in the city.

****

Shane arrived home the night before feeling more stupid and bitter than usual. He had left Sam on his doorstep, halfway through another one of his soliloquies, and resumed walking down Willow Lane much like he had the night before. He couldn’t get the vision of the farmer walking away with Sebastian out of his head, acutely aware of the fact that he literally had just met her a few hours ago and whatever she did was none of his business.

By the time he entered his room, Shane could practically feel the resentment spreading through his blood, hating Sam for finally wearing him down and hating himself even more for actually having fun. He had observed the way the trio interacted, sometimes acting like immature teenagers, which made sense because Shane could vaguely recall Sam mentioning at work that they had met all in high school. He had to wonder to himself how their friendship even started, suspecting that Sam was the instigator much like Derek had been. In fact, as Shane lay in his dark room still fully clothed on his bed, he begrudgingly had to admit that the two men were quite similar, both fair-haired and friendly with an even temperament that was so unlike his own. He honestly had more in common with somber Sebastian. Shane groaned and flopped over in irritation at the very thought of the tattooed young man who had so smoothly slid himself into some alone time with the farmer.

Shane awoke the next day late for his extra shift in an even worse mood than usual, forgoing even grabbing something frozen for breakfast and rushing out the door with a hurried wave to Marnie, who called out to him to remind him of reading with Jas tonight. He spent his eight-hour shift at work in a dull tedium, stocking the endless shelves with boxes and cans and bottles, spending his lunch sitting in silence on a cracked chair in the breakroom. His boss Morris was in an even more disgruntled mood than usual - Mandy, the cashier, had called out, forcing him to pull Sam from his own duties to cover the register, neglecting the rest of the store. Shane had arrived to JojaMart ten minutes late to find Morris mopping a spill near the registers, his greying hair disheveled and the stupid red bowtie he always wore askew at the base of his throat. He barked at Shane for being tardy, the stress evident in his voice.

It was hard for Shane to feel sorry for Morris given the sh*tty way he usually treated his employees. He commuted to the valley every day to work from another town more inland, already there when Shane arrived each morning and still boarded up in his office when he left for the day. He appeared to be only a few years older than Shane, and once he heard him mention to Mandy that he used to work at a JojaMart in Zuzu City before being transferred to the new store in Pelican Town. He was known for being stingy with pay and inflexible when it came to approving time off. His bulky form stalked the aisles in search of something to critique whenever he emerged from whatever it was he did all day in his office. Even Shane of all people thought he was an unpleasant person.

With the staggered lunches and Sam stuck at the register, he was able to avoid his rather sluggish-looking coworker and any conversation about the night before. He made sure to hover near the entrance to the break room when 5pm came around, rushing in to clock out and leaving the building through a smaller exit for employees. Shane thought long and hard about dipping into the Stardrop for a quick beer or five, but the idea of looking over and envisioning the farmer bent over the pool table like the night before deterred him. He took the long way home instead to try and clear his head, along the river and away from the center of town. He reached the bridge that led to the small school house and museum next to Clint’s blacksmith shop. Feeling a bit of surprising inspiration, he crossed the bridge and entered the almost-empty museum. At the front desk, he saw Gunther, the museum’s curator and de facto town librarian. He was an eccentric man from out of town who had a propensity for wearing denim cowboy hats and sunglasses indoors.

“Howdy, Shane!” he called out from behind a large globe he was working on. Shane and Gunther were somewhat well-acquainted, with Shane having to pick up Jas some days when Penny couldn’t drop her off at home. The town’s tiny school house was located in a room towards the back of the museum, adjacent to a small library that only contained a few old bookcases. “What can I help you with? Ms. Penny took Jas home a couple of hours ago.”

“Uh, not that, actually,” Shane took his hands out from the pockets of his jacket, wiping them slightly against the soft fabric as he did so. “I’m actually just looking for a book for Jas.”

“Alright, no problem,” Gunther replied amiably. “You know where to go.” He gestured with his thumb to the back of the museum where the children’s books took up a single shelf.

Ten minutes later, Shane was back on his way home, a new book for his goddaughter clutched in his hand for them to read together before she went to bed. He knew she loved to bring home books now and then when her own hand-me-down collection at home got stale for her. At only six years old, she was precocious and as whip-smart as her mother had been, reserving her more outgoing nature for Marnie and Shane while becoming shy and nervous around strangers. She loved drawing and climbing the trees in the nearby forest under Shane’s anxious supervision, possessing an inherently gentle nature that made her popular with the animals on the ranch. She also had a crippling fear of thunder and stormy weather in general, which Shane knew was the heartbreaking result of the night the poor girl lost both her parents in one fell swoop.

Shane understood that he was a piece of sh*t for dropping the ball so often when it came to Jas. He became her guardian after Derek and Sasha’s death, when he was still struggling to deal with the void-like pit in his stomach every morning upon waking up, somehow still trapped in the nightmare of losing his best and only real friend in the entire world. Derek had been the one person there for him throughout his turbulent upbringing that truly understood Shane and accepted him as he was. There had been many nights that ended with Shane in despaired tears and Derek murmuring words of advice or simply comfort as they finished the last of a case of beer.

Despite how close they were, he was still surprised when Derek and Sasha chose him as Jas’ godfather, apparently their first choice from the very beginning. He had felt so huge and bumbling around her when she was first born, especially when her tiny hand wrapped around his pinky with surprising strength the day he first went to meet her in the hospital. Sasha herself had asked him the question, looking exhausted but in absolute heaven with her new daughter in her arms. Shane had said yes without any hesitation, and Derek came up behind to hug him around the shoulders, laughing with pure happiness and looking down at Jas’ sleeping form as if he never wanted to let her out of his sight ever again.

So, when the day finally came that Shane had to step up to the bat, he had every intention of doing right by his best friend. He picked up extra shifts at work and even found a larger apartment so that she could have her own room, bringing her furniture from the house she used to live in and buying new toys to add to her collection. He stopped drinking for a solid month before giving in one evening after work, mentally and physically drained after spending the prior night trying to soothe a sobbing Jas into fall asleep for the fourth time in a row.

The night that he finally broke his short-lived sobriety, Jas had been staying with Derek’s mother, who did her best to help but had her own problems to deal with at home. Two years or so before Derek’s death, her husband had fallen from a rooftop at work, paralyzing him from the waist down and leaving him with brain damage. Derek’s mother became his caretaker and sole breadwinner as he began the long road of physical therapy. Sasha’s parents lived overseas in the Gotoro Empire, and the only time Shane ever even met them was at the funeral, where they had sat apart from the rest of the group with strained, pinched looks on their faces. Not once had he ever heard Sasha mention them before she died. She would sometimes declare her bandmates and other friends (including Shane) as her real family along with Derek and Jas.

That night, Shane had wandered into the bar a couple of blocks down from work and drank until closing time. He drank for his best friend and his beloved wife, who had so much life and passion inside them that it seemed grotesquely ironic that they were cut down this early without any warning. He drank for Jas, barely four years old and already an orphan, saddled with a disaster like him for a godfather. And he drank for himself, furious at the way he just couldn’t get it f*cking together for her or for anyone and be the adult he already should have been, simultaneously disgusted with how much he enjoyed the beer.

He had lasted in the city with Jas for only three months before his aunt Marnie, the only family member he had, invited them to live on her ranch in Stardew Valley. His mother, Marnie’s younger sister, had brought Shane there a few times when he was younger, telling him that she used to live there as a child before moving to Zuzu City. After their parents’ deaths, Marnie had taken over the family business and lived in the ranch alone, never marrying or having any children of her own.

She stood now with one of the cows in the fenced yard at the front of her ranch, stroking its back softly as Shane approached from the road. The sound of his footsteps alerted her to his presence. There was a beaming smile on her face when she spun around to see that it was him.

“Shane! You’re home early today,” she said casually, coming up to the fence posts to meet him.

“Yeah, I'm kinda tired,” he told her. He held up the book in his hands. “I got a new book about that dumb mouse for Jas later tonight - think I’m gonna shower and rest a bit beforehand.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” she answered, her expression softening as Shane met her eyes. “She’ll love the surprise.”

Feeling his cheeks start to heat up, he cleared his throat and mumbled something about needing to use the restroom before he hurried inside, hiding the book inside his jacket in case Jas saw him.

Later that night, he knocked on the slightly ajar door to her room, where she was sitting in bed already dressed in her butterfly pajamas. He heard a tiny “come in!” and entered, holding the book he checked out for her behind his back. She squealed in excitement when she saw what he had gotten her, going on a small spiel of how it was the newest installment in the series, and how Vincent was just so mean because he kept trying to spoil the story for her whenever they played in the forest.

They sat together on her small bed, the book open in front of them as they took turns reading pages. She stumbled on some of the longer, more complex words, but otherwise read in a smooth and confident pace.

“When did you learn how to read so well, Jazzy?” Shane asked in disbelief."

"At school," she replied simply, turning the page. Shane gave no reply, feeling increasingly sh*tty as it seemed he had been missing vital parts of her growing up while he worked all day and wasted time getting drunk afterwards. He made the decision then and there to try and read with her at least a couple of times a week, deciding he could just cut back on his visits to the saloon on those days.

Eventually, she fell asleep against his shoulder, snoring lightly as he gently removed himself and lowered her head down onto the pillow. Shane covered her with her blanket and pressed a quick kiss to the curls on her head. As he was leaving the room, she shifted slightly under the covers and called out something to Shane, her voice groggy with sleep.

“Love you, Uncle Shane,” she said drowsily. He felt his heart stutter in his chest.

“I love you too, Jas,” he said gently, closing the door to her room and walking back to his own. He stood for a moment in the dark.

Abruptly, Shane opened his closet and grabbed a six-pack of Joja brand beer he had saved for nights he preferred to drink at home, when even his isolated corner in the saloon was too exposed. He tiptoed down the hall past Marnie’s room, already closed for the night, and left the ranch, taking care to close the noisy front door as quietly as possible. He couldn’t go to the little pond on the farmer’s property like before, but there was another small lake deeper inside the forest in the opposite direction. It was still early, and Shane figured he might as well make his way there and have a couple beers.

Just to kill the urge, he thought to himself as he walked through the darkened woods, shivering under the gaze of the silent, vigilant trees around him.

Chapter 6: Cindersap Lake

Chapter Text

Earlier that day

Lana swung her pickaxe once more, grunting loudly in exertion as she brought it down with both hands to hit sharply against the edge of the strange, spotted-looking rock she saw sticking out from behind a large boulder against the cavern wall. It dislodged and clattered to the ground a few feet away.

“YES! I got it!” Lana whooped, running over to pick it up in victory. She had been working diligently at the boulder for the past 10 minutes, intrigued after seeing a small glow in between a gap in the rocks. She held it up to inspect it, feeling the rough and bumpy edges against her fingers. It was a large jagged rock bigger than her fist peppered with colorful pieces of the different minerals that were trapped inside. It glittered in the light of her headlamp as she moved it closer, eyes wide with wonder.

She brought it over to her backpack on the ground by the boulder and put it safely in one of the zipped pockets. Swinging the backpack on, she decided to call it a night as she felt a trail of sweat heading down her jaw, already dreading how sore her arms would be tomorrow. She made her way up the narrow stairs that led up and out of the mine.

Lana took her time on her walk down the trail back to town. The path uphill from her farm to the mine was slightly arduous, but heading back home wasn’t so bad as the path sloped gently down, eventually running parallel to the mountain lake. A wide body of water nestled between a rock quarry and an expanse of cliffs, the lake sectioned off into a narrow river that flowed south through town until it emptied into the sea. Two tiny islands in the middle of the lake were accessible via a rickety bridge that Lana hadn’t decided to risk yet.

The sun was already low as it set, painting the sky in swatches of purple and orange as it cast a golden glow over the valley. Lana forwent listening to the music she had on her phone, instead enjoying the small symphony in the trees from the numerous birds that lived near the water. It was so different here from the city, where the only birds she really saw were the pigeons that eyed her hopefully whenever she used to eat lunch in the park near JojaCorp. She followed alongside the water until the trail split in two, taking the right fork that led to the backwoods that bordered the northern part of her farm. It would take her another 30 minutes from here to arrive home.

The path rose sharply at a sudden incline as she entered the clearing before the woods. She felt the tank top she was wearing sticking to her back with sweat, her shoulders stinging as her heavy backpack cut into her skin. The sun was now almost completely hidden behind the trees, causing the twittering of birds to quiet down as nighttime approached rapidly. Lana hurried into the shady trees, sheltered by the cool canopy of leaves and branches above. She would need to get home soon before it became too dark.

****

A couple of hours later, Lana walked through her almost pitch-black farm, thinking to herself that she really needed to think about putting in some sort of lighting system as soon as possible. She used her phone as a flashlight, holding a bottle of wine and plastic cup in her other hand as she made her way down to the gate at the southern end of her property.

She had showered as soon as she had gotten home from the mine, dozing with Winston on the couch afterwards for an hour or so before throwing on some shorts and one of her cozy hoodies to head down to the river and relax for a bit with a drink. The urge had popped in her head as she walked home from the mines, dreamily watching the way the sun reflected on the still, smooth surface of the lake.

Eventually, the road from her farm took her past Robinson Ranch, the building her only neighbor, before it continued east and eventually led to town where it turned into Willow Lane. She had yet to visit the establishment, which announced itself and its services on a quaint wooden sign that faced the road. She recalled Robin mentioning on her first day in the valley that she could buy chickens and other farm animals there from someone named Marnie.

She veered off the main road and into the trees of the Cindersap Forest through a narrower path, walking carefully as her phone’s light illuminated the ground in front of her. After a few minutes, she stopped, disoriented by the way the shadowy trees looked like identical, dark doppelgängers that seemed to continue on in every direction for miles. Determined, she continued to press forward, and to her relief she eventually saw a glimmer ahead through the trees and bushes, finally emerging through a gap in the thicket to recognize it as light from the moon’s reflection on a small lake.

Lana halted in her tracks, lowering her phone quickly as she noticed a dark hooded figure sitting at the end of a short dock that extended over the water. She saw them raise a can to their mouth, their hood falling down slightly as the person’s head tipped back to take a deep drink. She realized with a small jolt in her chest that it was Shane. His free hand rested lightly next to him on top of what she suspected was more beer.

Assuming he made his way all the way out to this isolated spot of the woods to be left alone, she decided to give him his privacy and retrace her steps until she found the river she had been originally looking for. As she tried to walk slowly backwards to leave, her foot slipped in the flip flops she unwisely chose to wear that night, twisting underneath her. She inhaled sharply in pain, wobbling for a second until the silence was suddenly broken when she stepped back onto a dried twig that broke with a loud SNAP.

She leaned against a nearby tree to support herself as Shane spun around at the noise, his dark eyes widening in surprise as he saw her.

“Lana?” he asked, looking at her in disbelief. “What the f*ck are you doing out here?”

“Oh, hey there, Shane,” she called, trying to sound nonchalant from against the tree trunk. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were already here. I’ll leave you alone, no worries.” She took a step and winced as she began to put weight on her ankle, the wine bottle and cup in her hand slipping slightly as she struggled to keep them in her grip.

“Wait,” he stood up quickly, leaving his can of beer on the dock. “You don’t have to go or anything. Did you hurt your leg?”

“I think I just twisted my ankle,” she admitted. She shifted her weight to her uninjured leg and so she could lean back into the tree again. She felt embarrassed and was starting to get annoyed that her plans to peacefully drink her wine by the river had gotten so derailed. “I’ll live - it’s honestly already happened a couple times since I started working on the farm. It’s probably helping build up my endurance, honestly.”

By this time, he had made his way up the dock and stood a few feet in front of her, regarding her with his hands in the pockets of his jacket. They looked at each other without speaking for a few seconds.

“At least come sit down for a while,” he said eventually. “Here, I’ll help you.”

He approached her, offering his hand out to her. She wavered for a moment, glancing at it warily before suddenly being reminded of the moment they were introduced at the Stardrop Saloon. She felt her cheeks heat up as she remembered the feeling of his fingers against her skin, lingering there long after he had let go. Lana flicked her eyes up to meet his unreadable gaze again. She sensed the sudden stillness in the air around them as though the forest was holding its breath in anticipation, until the silence was finally broken by the warbling trill of a whip-poor-will echoing from somewhere deep in the trees. Now, alone with him in the dark woods on the edge of a starry lake, she reached out to place her hand softly in his for the second time.

****

Shane honestly thought he had been hallucinating when he turned around, heart pounding at the thought of a bear or some other hungry animal in the woods, only to see the farmer, of all people, cozied up almost casually against a tree behind him. He had to blink a few times before he noticed that she shifted uncomfortably on her feet, her left knee buckling slightly as she put pressure on her leg. He had instinctively offered to help her, taking note of the cautious way her eyes trained on him for a few excruciatingly long seconds until she finally reached out and took his hand.

She leaned against him as they returned to the end of the dock. He felt a cold absence against his side where she had been touching him as he helped her down slowly. Her bare legs swung down over the edge, swinging slightly back and forth in relief. Shane sat down next to her, annoyed at how f*cking endearing he found the sight.

“Thanks,” she said. She took the wine bottle and cup he had been holding for her. He was about to ask her how exactly she planned to drink from her unopened bottle of wine when she suddenly dove her hand in the pockets of the hoodie she was wearing, emerging with a corkscrew. Shane watched in fascination as she uncorked the wine with deft precision and poured herself a generous serving. She held out the cup to him in offer.

“Woman after my own heart,” he said without thinking, chuckling slightly to lighten the statement a bit. “No thanks, I’m good. Got my beer right here.”

“Suit yourself,” she replied, taking a sip. There was pause as she stared out at the lake before continuing. “So, is this your usual spot?”

“No. Uh, well, sometimes." He picked up the beer he had been drinking before she arrived and took a sip. He didn’t want to tell her that he used to hang out around her once-abandoned farm like some sort of weirdo before she moved in. “If I’m not at the Stardrop.”

Her hair looked slightly damp, held back by a headband and falling down her back in waves. Shane made sure not to end up too close to her when he sat back down, but she was still near enough that he could smell the faint aroma of vanilla on her skin.

“It’s definitely a nicer view out here,” she observed with a soft smile.

“That’s for sure,” he agreed, taking a healthy sip of his beer. He felt like his lips weren’t loose enough to enunciate anything more than his customary short responses. He drained the rest of his beer as Lana continued, drinking as well.

“Yoba, I feel like I’d just get so lost in my head out here,” she said, her own wine already getting pretty low in her cup as well. “It’s so damn quiet, I’d go crazy with only my thoughts to listen to."

He gave her a skeptical look, wondering what could possibly be so weighing so heavily on her mind. Shane felt a crackle of energy between them as their eyes found each other again, the sensation tingling almost like electricity in the air.

“I know what you mean,” he responded after a moment, breaking their gaze. He felt a sudden rush of emotion that he couldn’t quite explain. “That’s life, though, right?”

Lana only nodded and hummed in response, looking out again over the water.

“Do you ever feel like - f*ck - I don’t know,” he asked her suddenly, having to pause in confusion at his outburst. Still, he felt the need to continue. “Like no matter what you do, it doesn’t matter, because you’re just gonna fail anyway?”

He could have slapped himself. What the hell was wrong with him? He was going to scare her off with his depressing attempt at conversation. But her eyes softened almost imperceptibly.

“All the time,” She answered him quietly. “Why do you think I said I’d go insane if left alone in my head too long?”

She gave him an affable smile, decreasing his mortification slightly. Unable to think about what else to say in the moment, he grabbed another beer out of the case and opened it, placing the empty one back inside. They sat together quietly for another few minutes or so, drinking and listening to the sounds of the forest at night. Shane cleared his throat to speak again, feeling a bit more relaxed as the alcohol started to kick in.

“It just feels like I’m in this deep hole sometimes,” he admitted. She said nothing but turned to to watch him, her expression encouraging him to go on. “And I’m trying so damn hard to just climb out of it, but nothing I do seems to be working. Nothing seems to be changing.”

“That’s exactly how I felt before I moved out here,” she told him. By this time, she had also refilled the wine in her cup. “f*ck, it was so suffocating, now that I think about it. You know what they say about frogs being boiled alive? About how the water is gradually heated so they won’t even notice until it’s too late, because by then they're already some asshole’s dinner? That’s how it felt. Every single day.”

“Did something happen that made you suddenly decide to come out here?”

“Well, my grandpa died a few months ago. I guess that affected me more than I realized at the time. Plus, as you probably know, working for JojaCorp is its own circle of Hell.”

“Yeah, I definitely know how that is.”

“My manager - Yoba, she was crazy! She’d always walk in with this look on her face like she just smelled someone rip a huge fart in the elevator. I remember this one time, she screamed at an intern for accidentally printing out one of her reports in black and white instead of color. Poor kid was chewed out over nothing. He quit the next day. Smart guy, honestly.”

“My manager is insane too, so trust me, I know how you feel.”

“I guess one day I just snapped,” she went on, looking down into her cup. “I basically told her to f*ck off and stormed out of the office. I found an envelope from my grandfather in one of my drawers at home later that night, and it turned out to be a letter and part of his will leaving me the farm. I made the choice to take it right then and there.”

“So how'd he die?” Shane asked her, realizing too late that this may be too personal a question. But Lana responded, obviously not offended.

“Heart attack,” she said simply. “I think his heart just gave out one day. After my dad died when I was younger, he just was never the same.”

“f*ck,” he said quietly. “Your dad too?”

“Yeah. Uh, from cancer, when I was thirteen. He used to bring my sister and me to the farm when we were younger. We’d stay for a few days every summer before he’d have to go back to the city for work. My sister and I never strayed too far from the farm, though. Now that I’m here, I feel like we didn’t appreciate it as much as we should have.” Shane noticed she didn’t mention her mom, but chose not to bring it up.

“Well sh*t. That really sucks,” he finally told her, wanting to say so much more. He wished he could tell her that he, too, no longer had his father in his life, and that while Shane knew his situation was probably much different from hers, he still understood the cavernous void her dad’s sudden and permanent absence must have left. She answered him before he could articulate the words.

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “It was a long time ago. I don’t know. I guess I wanna do this for him. And for grandpa. I don’t want the family farm to waste away and disappear without at least trying to save it.”

Around them, the leaves in the shadowy trees rustled every now and then as the wind picked up. Lana looked up, and Shane followed her gaze to see an array of stars in the obsidian-colored night. He stared in awe, enthralled for the first time by the way they diffused throughout the sky in a glistening archipelagos. He noticed his right hand was on the wooden surface of the dock, inches away from hers. She shifted her palm as she leaned back a bit more, moving her pinky closer to his while still looking up at the stars. Shane couldn’t remove his eyes from the profile of her face as she looked upward. Forcing himself to look away, he took a quiet intake of breath and gripped the beer he was holding in his other hand, noticing it was now empty again. This would be his fifth one for the night, leaving only one more in the case behind him. A familiar sensation had begun to spread through his limbs, warming him from the inside.

“I’m really happy I moved out here,” she said suddenly, before he could say anything more. “I know it's only been a couple weeks, but still. And last night! That was fun, huh? It must be a blast getting to hang out with Sam and the others, huh?”

Shane blinked at the swift change of topic, the pleasant vibration he had begun to feel in his head dying out suddenly.

“Oh, uh,” he struggled to compose his thoughts for a second. “I don’t really hang out with them. Not really my crowd.”

“Really?” she asked incredulously. He felt a momentary twinge of irritation at her tone, as if Shane not being interested in being their friend was somehow absurd to her. As if someone like him should aspire to be pals with people like Sam and his buddies.

“Yeah,” he said shortly. He grabbed the last beer from the case, this time tossing his old one to the side. Lana watched as it fell from the dock into the water but said nothing. “They're a little too chipper for my taste.”

“Sam can be a lot, that’s for sure,” she conceded, taking a drink from her wine cup. “But Abigail and Sebastian aren’t so, uh, overenthusiastic.”

“Abigail's dad hates my guts,” Shane replied curtly. “He owns the general store while we work for JojaMart. He gives me a dirty look whenever I go in there.”

“Oh,” Lana said, her lips forming a small o as she made the connection. She continued, her eyes narrowing slightly as if in anticipation. “What about Sebastian?”

That f*cking guy.

Before last night, Shane had barely paid any mind to the sullen young man who lived on the other side of the valley. He reminded Shane of the co*cky guys he’d play pool against at the bars in Zuzu City with Derek, ultimately faltering in their arrogance when it really came time to rack the balls. At the saloon, he certainly recognized the peeved look in Sebastian’s eyes as he struggled to keep up at the pool table, the expression later distorting into something more acidic as he watched Shane talk to Lana over from his dusty corner. But Shane’s smug feeling would quickly fade as his memory would inevitably lead to the recollection that the farmer had walked off with Sebastian afterwards and not with him, the pair looking pretty cozy together as they hurried to ditch Abigail at her house so they could continue their moonlit promenade. Now, Shane struggled to not contort his own face into something ugly and bitter, looking away from Lana as he did so.

He shrugged stiffly. “He’s alright, I guess. Kind of pessimistic.”

“Oh, wow," she said, rolling her eyes. "Now ain’t that the pot calling the kettle black.”

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, Shane. You're not exactly mister ray of sunshine over here."

“I’m just f*cking saying. The guy ain't exactly the most exciting person to be around. He always has this expression on like he thinks he's better than everyone.”

“Hey, that’s not fair." Lana put down her cup and crossed her arms. "You just told me you don’t even hang out with any of them, so how could you even know?”

"Because I just know.Why you asking me, anyway? You're being pretty damn nosy all of sudden.”

“You don’t gotta get hostile on me, dude." She held up a hand. "I’m just saying, I had a lot of fun hanging out with all of you last night. It’s been a while since I’ve been out with people like that. It’s a lot nicer than I remember. Way less drama than my old group of pals back in the city, anyway.”

Shane felt the anger that was rising up in him like magma fizzle out abruptly, the conciliatory tone in her voice making him feel ashamed at his abrasive attitude. The feeling continued to grow inside him as Lana stood up suddenly, looking a bit more stable on her injured ankle.

“I should probably get going,” she said stiffly. She held up the almost empty bottle of wine and made a weak attempt at a smile. “Don’t wanna have another hangover tomorrow when I have to get up to water my crops.”

Shane scrambled to his feet, accidentally kicking over the case of beer next to behind him, the empty cans inside tumbling out with a loud clatter.

“Yeah,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “Yeah, it’s getting late. I can almost feel my liver begging me to stop, anyway.”

Lana just laughed uneasily, refusing to meet his eyes, but she helped him clean up the beer cans he had spilled before walking back with him up the dock. She followed quietly next to him as he led their way out of the forest, her cell phone in his hand as a flashlight. Every now and then, she’d make a comment about the strange noises they sometimes heard in the trees or complain about the way the wine was already giving her a headache. Shane would respond with enthusiasm only for her to fall silent afterwards. They soon arrived at the crossroads outside of Marnie’s ranch on the dirt road that led to her farm and town.

“Uh, this is me,” he told her awkwardly, stopping almost directly in the middle of the intersection.

“You live here?” She perked up for the first time since they had left the lake, finally looking at him in interest. “I’ve passed by it so many times since I’ve moved here. It’s such a faster route to the beach. Wait, so who’s Marnie? Robin mentioned to me that I could buy chickens from her there.”

“Yeah, that’s my aunt,” he told her, stuffing his hands in his pockets like he often did when they started to feel like cumbersome weights at the end of his arms. “She sells chickens and other animals like cows and sheep. Hay and all that kind of sh*t too, if you need it.” He winced inwardly at his horrible sales pitch.

“Huh. Good to know...” Lana said as she looked towards the darkened silhouette of the ranch. “Well, I guess I’ll leave you here, then. It’s not too far to my farm.” She remained in place, standing a couple of feet away from him in the middle of the darkened road. Shane felt his heart pounding away almost painfully in his chest, unable to think of anything that could possibly get her to stay with him.

“Alright,” he eventually said, doing his best to sound unbothered. “Okay. Cool. Well, uh, good night Lana. See you around.”

“Good night, Shane. Thanks for the company.”

She turned away and began to walk up the road, her sandals crunching in the gravel and faltering every other step as she limped slightly, obviously still a bit injured. He could do nothing, paralyzed to the ground, while he watched her retreat and be swallowed up by the darkness once again. After a few seconds, he heard the cries of another whip-poor-will from somewhere in the direction of the forest, the oscillating croons almost sounding to Shane like laughter that mocked him from the trees. Something inside him couldn’t help but feel that he probably f*cking deserved it.

Chapter 7: Pepper Poppers

Chapter Text

Two months later

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anybody (especially himself) that Shane resumed his evening trips to the Stardrop Saloon after the disastrous ending to his night alone with the farmer. Still, every couple weeks or so, he’d make a half-hearted attempt to fulfill his promise to read with Jas some nights before she went to sleep. He’d come straight home after work and play video games for a few hours before he entered her room to sit listlessly with her on the bed, letting her take the lead as they read while he counted down the minutes until she started yawning. Then, once she was sound asleep, he always walked quietly back to his room, closing the door and opening his closet to grab the six-pack of lukewarm beer purchased from work before coming home. He’d finish the beers in quick succession until the buzzing in his ears finally died down enough to let him sleep.

He didn’t see Lana for a while after that night. Apparently, she had been making herself scarce around town too, Sam mentioning one day at work that he hadn’t seen her much since their evening out at the saloon. He also sadly informed Shane that the group had apparently been cutting down on their weekly visits to the Stardrop, Sebastian having taken on a programming client that required longer hours, while Sam was promoted to full-time at JojaMart once a couple of out-of-towners quit.

He also stopped going to the lake in the woods after encountering the farmer there on the chance it might happen again. Some nights after coming home from the bar, he’d face the wall in silence while he showered with the cold water flowing down his face, feeling like an absolute moron for the way he had spoken to her. Once, at work, Shane remembered the moment on the dock when her mouth had tightened coldly when he insulted the rest of the group, and he had to stop what he was doing to go into the staff bathroom and punch a stall door, infuriated with himself.

****

One clear-skied spring day, Shane was sitting in his corner of the near-empty saloon already three beers deep when he heard someone enter the front door. He glanced up and did a double-take when he saw that it was the farmer. She looked a bit tanner than the last time he had last seen her, wearing a yellow t-shirt and jeans with the same sneakers he had seen her wear at the saloon on the day they met. Her hair was tied in a loose braid down her back. Emily straightened up from looking for something in the cabinets behind the counter, a bright smile on her face.

“Hey Lana!” she greeted her. Shane startled a bit. Emily had never mentioned being so well-acquainted with the farmer to him, not that he had been answering her usual questions much lately. “You’re in here pretty late today.”

“Yeah, I finished early at the farm and got tired of all the frozen food I’ve been eating lately. Grabbing coffee here sometimes in the morning is honestly the best part of my diet.”

“Ha! I’m guessing no coffee tonight or - ?”

“No, I’ll take a glass of wine, please. And a pepperoni pizza.”

“Okay, coming right up!”

Lana’s eyes suddenly slid to Shane’s as if she had been aware of him watching their interaction all along. She raised an eyebrow at him in question. He hastily moved over his beer and JojaMart cap on the counter so that she’d have more space to sit down on the stool next to him. Her face broke into a small smile, his own mouth automatically following suit.

She made her way over and placed her small bag on the counter before plopping down on the stool. He noticed that her nails were painted a deep, blood red.

“Long time no see,” she spoke up after a few seconds of silence. Emily walked over to them to drop off Lana’s drink, giving Shane a questioning look at the sight of them sitting together that he pointedly ignored.

“Yeah." He did his best to sound nonchalent, swishing around the beer in this mug. “Busy at the farm, I’m guessing?”

“You can say that. Trying to get out and explore the all that nature around us too. There’s a lot to see out there.”

“I guess. But you should be careful. You could definitely get lost somewhere deep in the forest or up in those mountains.”

“Thanks for the warning." She took a sip of her wine. "What about you? How’s good ol’ JojaMart doing?”

“Uh, you know - same old crap as always. They moved the break room to a storage closet to make room for extra inventory for the upcoming summer season, so that’s been pretty fun. It's been super cool eating lunch with the spiders and sh*t.”

Her stony façade cracked for an instant, her mouth twitching before finally giving in to a wide grin. She leaned in closer to him.

“Still as sarcastic as ever, I see,” she teased. “But it suits you.”

He felt his cheeks start to redden. Was she flirting with him?

“So, how spicy do you like it?” she asked him suddenly, the question throwing him off as his mind twisted her words into something more suggestive than what she had probably intended.

“Um - what?” He blinked at her in confusion.

“Your food,” she said, smirking now. “How spicy do you like it? I’ve been wanting to get these pepper poppers on the menu. You ever try ‘em?”

“Oh,” he replied in relief. “Hell yeah, those are amazing. They're probably my favorite thing on the menu.”

“I’ll get us some then,” she said, nodding at Emily, who had been hovering near them polishing a glass that long ago sparkled clean. “Hey Emily - can we get some of these pepper poppers with my pizza?”

“You got it!” she said. She looked disgustingly thrilled as she hurried back to the kitchen to start on the farmer’s new order, blue hair bouncing in poorly-veiled excitement.

Lana redirected her attention to Shane. There was an awkward pause, then they both started to speak at the same time, laughing nervously together afterwards.

“You go first,” she said, sipping her wine.

“Okay. Um,” he started. He gulped some of his beer, swallowing it down quickly as he tried to not lose his nerve.

He had been aching to apologize to her from the moment they had left the lake together. It had felt so long ago to Shane that he had begun to wonder if it had all been a dream or perhaps another one of his drunken hallucinations. He practiced the words he wanted to say sometimes while he stocked the shelves at work, and some nights he’d even walk up to the gate at the southern edge of her farm after the sun went down, watching the lights from her cabin in the distance. He imagined her making dinner inside, tired after a long, honest day of farm work, maybe afterwards sitting down on the couch to watch TV or drink some wine. He wondered if she had friends or maybe even a boyfriend back in Zuzu City that she would talk to or text on her cell phone, which Shane remembered from back in the forest as a sleek smartphone in a much more advanced model than he could ever afford.

Shane would stay up some nights guiltily fantasizing about her lying in bed, with her smooth bare legs spread over the sheets and dark hair tangled in the pillows. He resisted touching himself to the thought of her for the first couple of weeks, but eventually one night he gave in with a quiet groan when the pressure became too great, grasping his hardened shaft roughly and stroking it until his breaths grew ragged and shallow. He came hard into his hand after a couple minutes, eyes closed as he envisioned the farmer naked on top of him, looking down at him with those intoxicating green eyes. Afterwards, he had lain in bed awake for a while, his stomach sticky with his cum and his hand still grasped loosely around his now-limp member, half-watching an old sitcom on his TV to distract himself. He fell asleep that night unable to shake the feeling of shame that had followed him home like a fly ever since he had last walked out of the woods with Lana.

Now, sitting so close to her in the darkened saloon, the words that he had rehearsed so often seem to disappear from his brain, his thoughts dispersing like balloons released into the sky. He cleared his throat, and Lana continued to watch him patiently, an amused glint in her eye.

Goddammit.

“Look, Lana,” he finally got the words out, shaking his head. “I’m just really sorry, okay? I was a real jerk last time we saw each other. It wasn't cool of me to say those things about Sam and his friends."

"Yeah, you were acting kind of lame," she replied with a tilt of her head.

“I don’t know - dammit," Shane cut himself off, huffing in frustration. "I guess I’m just so used to keeping to myself - as you’ve noticed, probably. It’s just hard to be around so much … energy like that. I don't know how to explain it. It makes me feel brighter while at the same time burning me out, if that even makes sense. But still, it wasn’t fair of me to talk sh*t like that about them like I did. I’ve felt like a complete asshole this entire time. I really wanted to apologize sooner than this.”

“So, why didn’t you?” she asked him. “It’s not like you don’t know where I live or anything.”

“Honestly? I couldn’t get the nerve up for the first couple weeks, and then after that it just felt like it was way too late for it to sound genuine anymore.” Shane shifted his eyes away from hers, looking into his beer. “And to tell you the truth, Lana, you’re way better off not even knowing me. I’m not exactly the nicest guy in town. I'm sure everyone you talk to can confirm that.”

Lana’s mouth curved into a scowl. She set down her glass and spun in her barstool so that she faced him directly.

“I don’t really appreciate the way you’ve already decided that for me,” she told him, her eyes seeming to spark with anger. “Look, Shane- thanks for the concern, but I’m a big girl. I can make my own decisions, so even if you were an axe murderer and I still wanted to be your friend, that’s my f*cking choice to make, not yours.”

“Oh? So you wanna be my friend, do you?” he interjected, raising his eyebrows up in jest. She blinked once before smiling up at him.

“Me? Yup, most definitely,” Lana said. She put her elbow up on the bar and placed her head into the palm of her hand, watching him intently. Hypnotized, he stared at her lips as they slowly slid up into a smile. When she spoke again, her voice was lower and softer, like velvet. “There’s really nothing else I’d like more in all of Stardew Valley.”

Shane felt a low fluttering in his abdomen, completely sure that she was flirting with him now. He felt the sudden, mad impulse to grasp the back of her head with his free hand and pull her to him so that he could finally find out what her lips tasted like, but he resisted, knowing she had to be exaggerating. Still, he felt almost drunk with the way she was looking at him, knowing somewhere deep inside himself that it couldn’t be coming from the alcohol this time. Shane felt bolder, throwing some of his self-doubt to the wind for once as he sat closely together with the farmer in his dark corner of the saloon.

“I guess that wouldn’t be so bad,” he told her, pretending to think about it for a moment. He turned in his stool, now facing her as well and mirroring the way she was sitting with his elbow on the counter. “It can’t be that horrible being my friend, I guess. Can't say I got much on an axe murderer, though. I'm way too boring for that.”

Lana giggled, the gap in her front teeth so adorable to Shane that it was almost painful to look at her.

“Oh! I’ve been wanting to ask,” she exclaimed, sitting up and taking her head out of her hand. “Robin finally was finally able to build a chicken coop on my farm, and I’m even getting a barn put in that should be done by the time summer comes around next month. I was hoping to come by your place to buy a couple chickens from your aunt and maybe get some advice in exchange for some honey from my farm... would you be able to help me if you have the time?”

Shane hesitated slightly. He usually didn’t like to get involved with his aunt’s business, only helping to load bales of hay sometimes for a customer or drop off a chicken here or there. Lana was looking up at him, eyes wide. He conceded, getting the feeling that she needed more assistance than she was letting on.

“Uh, yeah, okay,” he replied. “You can come by on a weekend, if you want, when I don’t have to work.”

“That’s perfect for me. I’ll probably come by this Saturday then.” She paused, looking down at her fingers now twisting idly in her lap.

“Thanks,” she said after a while. “For agreeing to help me later. And also for, you know, saying sorry and stuff. Apology accepted, by the way, in case it wasn’t obvious.”

“Don’t worry about it. Thanks for the reassurance,” Shane said, smirking slightly. He suddenly remembered that he had interrupted her before his apology. “Crap, I almost forgot. What did you want to tell me earlier? Was it about the chickens?”

“Oh,” she replied, suddenly distracted by something over Shane’s shoulder. “Yeah. Yeah, that was it.”

They were interrupted by Emily, who arrived and placed a hot pepperoni pizza and a basket of fried pepper poppers with extra plates in front of them.

“How are you guys doing? Another glass of wine, Lana? Shane? Refill on your beer?” she piped up, professional as ever, but Shane knew her well enough to know that she was having the time of her life and most likely was waiting in the kitchen for the perfect moment to drift in lackadaisically to drop off their food.

“Yes, please,” they both answered at the same time. Shane looked away intently to read the colorful Happy Hour menu written on a chalkboard behind the bar, avoiding the smug, knowing smile that was forming on Emily’s face.

“Alrighty then,” she called over her shoulder breezily, heading back into the kitchen. “Enjoy the food, you two.”

Lana picked up a slice of pizza, putting it onto her plate and adding a copious amount of parmesan cheese that was in a shaker on the bar counter. Shane chose a large pepper popper still sizzling with heat in his fingers when brought it up to his mouth to take a bite. Their eyes clicked together again before they both grinned and looked away hurriedly.

In the corner, the jukebox played an eerie melody that stayed in Shane’s head long after the night ended.

Chapter 8: The Community Center

Chapter Text

Lana certainly had been keeping busy in the couple of months since last encountering Shane late that night by Cindersap Lake.

She stayed out of Pelican Town for the most part, deciding instead to further venture into the mountains and surrounding forest that had so intrigued her whenever she’d find time to go for a walk after her growing responsibilities at the farm. Before, she hadn’t strayed too far from the river just outside of town, where she would fish in the afternoons or even at night, but now she often returned to the lake in the woods. She followed the shoreline until finding herself in a deeper part of the forest that was darker and denser, doing her best to not get lost amid the trees before heading home as the sun went down. She’d often rush through the trees, hood pulled up over her head and earphones in, trying to ignore the growing chorus of whispered twittering up in the canopies as though the birds were trying to speak with her.

For now, anything lower than the first few levels of the mines still stayed largely unexplored, the result of one particularly traumatizing day when she ventured down and got a nasty surprise as she bent over to pick up her backpack.

It was almost dinner time, and she had already been packing her things to leave, doing her best to ignore the rumblings of hunger in her stomach. Abundant in natural resources like coal and metal ore for her farm, the mines were a necessary venture as she worked to get the place off the ground. Still, she couldn't deny the place was creepy, filled with tight, twisting pathways and cavernous spaces alike that seemed to extend indefinitely. That day, her neck prickled with the distinctly sinister feeling of being watched the entire time down there. She would whip her head around, her ponytail swinging and senses on high alert, hearing something almost squelching every now and then from somewhere deeper in the mine.

When she grabbed her backpack to leave, a dark green gelatinous-looking blob launched itself at her, apparently having slithered underneath when she wasn’t looking. Lana screamed, falling backwards in surprise as the slime attached itself to her left forearm.

“What the f*ck!” she yelled, her voice echoing through the cave.

Her skin stung harshly in pain. She grasped the blob with her free hand, feeling it squish disgustingly in her fingers before ripping it off her arm with a cry. She threw it against the cavern wall, where it hit with a nasty SLAP and slid down slowly until it collapsed in a heap on the ground, apparently dead or at least unconscious. Lana gaped at it in horror, still panting slightly as she leaned back on her right hand, the palm now scraped and bleeding from the impact of the fall. Her other arm had a large red welt that was also starting to bleed slightly on the patch of skin the creature had latched on. She hadn’t returned to the mines since that day, fearful of what else could be waiting to attack her in the darkness.

Eventually, she met some of the other townspeople she still hadn’t been properly introduced to. One of them, Leah, the pretty red-haired woman with a braid she had first seen in the Stardrop Saloon, quickly became one of her closest confidants in the valley. She often would find her painting or even sculpting by the river outside her house, a gorgeous little cottage covered in flowers that was a bit further south down the hill from Robinson Ranch.

Lana had first met her one early morning when the air was still crisp. Just after the sunrise, she ventured down to the river with her fishing pole and saw her standing in front of an easel she had set up next to the water. She was taller than Lana by at least half a foot and wore her blazing orange hair in a thick braid over her shoulder. Leah had looked at Lana from around the side of her painting, her face breaking out in a sunny smile.

“Ah, the new farmer,” she said pleasantly. She stepped out from behind her easel to shake hands with Lana. Her palm was somehow both callused and smooth simultaneously. “I’m Leah Bennett. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I live back in that little cottage behind us a ways.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Lana answered, her voice still a big groggy from sleep. She had awoken early that morning to go fishing so that she could get it out of the way, already dreading a long day of watering crops and field-clearing ahead of her. She cleared her throat, rubbing her eyes. “My name’s Lana Abernathy.”

“And how are you enjoying Pelican Town so far, Lana?” Leah asked. Lana noticed that she had paint splattered across the front of the oversized white collared shirt she was wearing over her leggings. “I hope the move in process wasn’t too arduous.”

“You know,” Lana said, yawning a bit, stretching her arms over her head. “It was absolutely hell at first, but now, the place isn’t so bad, weeds and all.”

Leah laughed merrily. Her expression faded for a moment, taking in Lana’s face.

“My, but your eyes are certainly extraordinary,” she mused, looking pensive. She tilted her head like she was trying to look at Lana from another angle, almost as if to start sketching her. “What a stunning shade of green they are. Almost the color of malachite.” Lana blushed, playing with her disheveled hair sheepishly.

“Thanks - I got them from my dad,” she replied. Lana covered her mouth, trying to stifle another yawn. Leah immediately looked apologetic.

“Oh! I’m so very sorry. How rude of me. Would you like to come in for some tea? Or coffee, maybe?” she asked, stepping a bit closer optimistically. Lana looked up at her, noticing that she had a small yellow swipe of paint above her brow. Her large, slightly downturned eyes were the color of honey. Leah continued. “I made some salmonberry jam that is quite delicious, if I do say so myself.”

“Yes,” Lana answered, almost without thinking. “I think I’d like that very much.” Leah looked pleasantly surprised, her lips turning up in another smile.

“Splendid!” she said, her hands coming together, fingers intertwining momentarily. Lana noticed that they were still covered by the numerous rings she had noticed when she had first seen her sitting with the other red-haired man back at the saloon. “Let me get all this mess cleaned up, then we’ll head back.”

They had climbed up the slope towards her cottage, walking and talking together in easy conversation. Lana carried the easel under her arm, helping Leah out a bit so that she could carry her half-finished painting and supplies. Later, when Lana would think about the encounter, she decided that there was something about the charming artist that had distinctly reminded her of sunflowers.

****

On another day, almost a month later, Lana was spending the afternoon foraging for salmonberries in the clearing north of town when she ran into Mayor Lewis.

“Ah, Ms. Abernathy!” he greeted her with a nervous smile, encountering her crouched in the brush as he walked the trail that led up to the mountains. “It’s so… nice seeing you again so soon. You know, I have been meaning to ask - how are things going at the farm? Your shipping boxes have certainly been full lately!”

Lana straightened from the bush she was looking through and hitched up the handle of her basket full of berries in the crook of her arm. She closed it shut and moved up the brim of the large floppy straw hat that was covering her forehead. Judging from the nervous way he was wringing his hands, she suspected with amusem*nt that he was most likely remembering their most recent encounter.

Lana had been coming up from the beach a few nights before, electing to take Willow Lane and the road past Robinson Farm on the way home to save some time. She walked past the driveway that led to the ranch, set back a ways into the property. The night was overcast with heavy clouds dispersed throughout the sky, signaling rain coming soon. As she was crossing the gate, there was a loud crashing noise from the direction of the house, shattering the peaceful quiet around her. Lana turned her head sharply to see a shadowy figure stumbling off the front porch.

Heart pounding, she ducked behind the large wooden sign that read ROBINSON RANCH next to the gate. Her hand shot into the pocket of her hoodie to grasp her phone, suspicious of an intruder trying to break in. After a few tense seconds, she snuck a glance around the sign, hearing footsteps approaching and deciding with a sigh she might as well try to defend herself from whoever it was. To her immense surprise, she saw Mayor Lewis walking up the driveway, grumbling under his breath while he tucked his shirt into his pants. He froze suddenly when he reached the gate, looking up in alarm as he finally noticed Lana, who by now had stepped out from cover to better watch him with a large grin on her face illuminated by the light above the sign.

“Well, howdy there, Mayor,” she called lightly. “Late night at the ranch?”

“Oh my - Ms. Abernathy!” he spluttered, taking off his cap and walking closer to Lana with his hand on his chest. “You gave me quite the fright lurking out here in the dark!”

“I’d say the same for you, Lewis,” she answered, refusing to be deterred. “You know, I was walking home and heard some loud noises coming from over here, so I came to investigate - figured it was the neighborly thing to do. Is everything alright?”

“Ah, yes, uh-” He faltered a bit but gave Lana a resigned look with a loud sigh. “I accidentally kicked some buckets near the door on my way out. You see, today is the day that I have Marnie’s ranch scheduled for tax collection, and, uh, it got delayed quite a bit before I was able to even get here, and then once I was here it took, uh, more time than we thought to, uh, -”

“Gotcha, makes sense” Lana interrupted him, feeling a bit of sorry for him now that she gotten her entertainment. The mayor had turned an alarmingly bright shade of red as he spoke. Besides, for the sake of her farm, it was probably wise to remain on his good side. “Late night with Marnie. For taxes. I remember once you mentioned to me that your mayoral duties are seven days a week, right? Yoba, there must be so much you do for this town, Mayor Lewis. Like collecting my produce every day to sell for me. I don’t think I’ve ever properly thanked you.” She paused and raised an eyebrow at the mayor. Lewis blinked a few times, apparently bewildered at Lana’s transparent act of mercy.

“Oh, um, yes,” he managed after a bit, standing up a bit straighter with the same resolute glint she often saw in his eye when he would stride through town running errands. “Lots of tax questions, some friendly financial advice for the ranch, and so on. And no need to thank me, of course. All part of the job.”

“Right, right,” Lana said, looking back out at the house behind them. After a couple seconds, she turned her head and locked eyes with Lewis, who was now watching her nervously and playing with his cap in his hands. She smiled cheerfully at him. “Well, I should get going. Still got a bit of a walk back home.”

“Yes, indeed! So do I, but it’s a pleasant night out at least,” Lewis finally smiled at Lana, opening the gate and stepping through. He faced her and put his cap back on his head. “Have a safe walk and a good night, Ms. Abernathy.”

“Good night, Mayor Lewis,” she replied, starting to walk up the road. “It was really nice seeing you out here tonight.” He cleared his throat, beginning to turn slightly red again.

Lana had to stifle a laugh as she made her way up the road, feeling a bit scandalized that she had just caught the mayor of Pelican Town of all people leaving what appeared to be a late-night rendezvous with Shane's aunt.

She gave a quick wistful glance back at the ranch, now almost hidden behind the trees. Lana wondered if Shane knew about Marnie and Mayor Lewis. They had been avoiding each other since the lake, but something odd inside of her had been longing to find him out there again, sitting under the stars with a space next to him on the dock for her to sit down so they could try it all again. Annoyed at the memory now playing in her mind, she had only kicked a small rock in the middle of the road, sending it scattering away to disappear into the darkness ahead of her.

So, when Lana saw Mayor Lewis again that afternoon a few days later while out picking berries, she did her best to keep her cool composure while Lewis struggled himself to deal with the fact that the new farmer probably knew more about his sex life than he would prefer.

“Hey, Mayor Lewis,” Lana replied to his greeting, deciding that it was probably best to just act as though nothing had happened for both their sakes. “Taking a midday walk?”

“Good afternoon, Ms. Abernathy. Just had to visit Robin up the hill,” he said. “She’s fixing up my roof, and I wanted to pay the second half of my bill now that she’s almost done.”

“Sweet. I’m having her put in a chicken coop at the farm. Maybe even a barn eventually.”

“That’s great! It’s nice to see your farm is growing steadily. Your grandfather would be proud of you, my dear”

“Oh - well, thanks, Mayor Lewis,” Lana answered, feeling touched by his comment. It was true - her field had already more than doubled in size, now covering the majority of the western part of the property. She had expanded to numerous different crops, neatly sectioned and growing beautifully with the help of fertilizer and dutiful watering every morning. Her muscles didn’t hurt as much at the end of the day anymore, and her limbs had grown firmer and slender with muscle as she worked outside in the sun each day. She’d go to bed each night excited for the next day, already creating mental checklists and laying out her clothes on a chair in her room. Before, in the city, she’d toss and turn, dreading the next morning when she'd have to awaken and endure the tedium of her life all over again. Lana would always grab the first thing she found in her closet, unable to summon the mental energy to care enough to take five minutes to do it the night before.

Not wanting to get too sentimental with the leader of Pelican Town, she glanced to her left and noticed the dilapidated remains of a large building across the adjacent field of overgrown grass and weeds. She turned back to the mayor, suddenly remembering something she had been curious about since she had first moved here.

“Hey, what’s the deal with that old place?” she asked, tilting her head in the direction of the building. “No offense, but it’s pretty rundown compared to everything else in town.”

“Ugh, that eyesore…” Lewis began, wincing as he looked over at the structure. “That used to be the Pelican Town Community Center, but now, well - just look at it. Many years ago, people just stopped using it, and eventually funding to maintain the building trickled out until it made more sense to just close it up. Nature quickly took over the property, and as you can see, the building deteriorated heavily without any help to maintain it."

"It does look a little rough, I must admit," Lana agreed, peering over at the community center.

"I’d like to say it’s because the young people in town would rather watch TV or play video games than engage in the community like we used to,” Lewis continued, sighing as he smoothed his mustache. “But that would just make me sound like an old-fashioned fool. It started to decline long before that. And now, JojaCorp has been hounding me to buy the building so they can turn it into a darn warehouse, of all things. I just can’t bring myself to sell it, no matter how much the town needs the money.”

“JojaCorp?” Lana dropped her basket, putting her gloved hands on her hips. “I used to work for them. They're a bunch of lousy jerks. You’re right to not sell, Mayor Lewis. Especially since I’m sure they’re offering you a fraction of what that place could be worth at its heyday.”

“Yes, that’s true,” he replied, scowling a bit. “The offer was a bit insulting, to be frank.”

“That’s exactly how they are,” she nodded, remembering how ruthless they were in their business dealings. Time and time again, she’d sit in on financial meetings for some new expansions the company was planning, sick to her stomach at the glee from the higher ups whenever another piece of the Ferngill Republic became part of the behemoth that was JojaCorp. “They don’t give a damn about being fair or ethical. It’s all about the bottom line for them.”

“Yes, I think that’s been clear ever since they opened up a JojaMart in town.” the mayor said darkly. “But enough of that - would you like to accompany me to see inside? I do a check-in every couple of weeks to make sure the building is still standing, at least.”

“Sure, why not?” Lana shrugged. She took off her gloves and her hat, closing up her basket. Salmonberry season was about to end now that spring was close to summer, and Lana had been gathering berries every day so that she could begin jam-making in her new preserves jars. Her initial attempt with some juicy strawberries she had grown quickly became (to Lana’s embarrassment) a hit with Leah and Elliot, her wine-loving friend from the saloon that Lana was later introduced to. They had even suggested she sell it directly to Pierre’s as an artisan product if she could keep the supply up, which meant gathering as many berries as possible before the season ended.

She followed him across the wide expanse of grass that separated them from the community center until they arrived at a marked path that led directly up its front door. Lana looked up skeptically at the derelict building, a once-grand mountain lodge nestled into the cliffs and trees. Overgrown ivy and other flora crawled up the facades, winding their way to the roof to tangle with delicate tendrils of vines. At the very top of the building was a large, rusted clock with its hands perpetually stopped at 12:23.

Directly below the face of the clock was an ornate sign that read PELICAN TOWN COMMUNITY CENTER, some of the letters now faded away almost completely with time. Most of the windows had cracked or broken glass and shutters that hung off hinges. Lana waited for the mayor to find the correct key to let them in. She felt the back of her neck prickling slightly with a strange sense of anticipation.

“Here we go,” he finally said. He pushed open the double wooden doors with some difficulty. They swung slowly, creaking loudly with age, making way for him and Lana to venture inside the shadowy building.

Directly across the front entrance was a large stone fireplace that had a pile of dirt and leaves in lieu of crackling logs. Daylight entered the building sporadically in patches through holes in the high, cathedral ceiling and gaps in the windows, the majority of which were caked in a thick layer of dirt. A copious amount of dust swirled around in the air, visible in the rays of light scattered around them. Sections of the groaning wooden floor below their feet had completely deteriorated, and in the resulting gaps, weeds that were growing underneath popped up through the decayed slats that had long ago fallen into the dirt. Lana glanced around, spooked a bit by a sudden groaning of the wind coupled with the pieces of furniture hidden underneath white sheets like silent ghosts watching them from every corner of the room.

Berry basket still in her arm, she made her way to a cracked aquarium near the fireplace while Lewis hovered behind. Old algae stains left green splotches behind on the dingy glass, and an entire chunk was missing in the back of the tank, collapsed inward from unknown reasons. She looked around and saw two corridors on either side of the room, leading off to what looked like more sections of the building.

“Wow, uh,” she managed, after a while, coming back over to him. “It must have been really nice back in its day, at least.”

“Yes, it certainly was,” Lewis answered softly, and she noticed small tears in his eyes as he looked around the debris and disarray fondly. “Wait - what in the world is that over there?”

She followed his gaze to a strange collection of sticks and leaves in the other corner of the room. Curiously, it almost looked like a tiny hut, like for a rabbit or maybe a bird.

“Perhaps the children in town play in here sometimes,” he eventually surmised, looking a bit worried. “I should talk to the parents at the next town meeting. It’s certainly not safe in here for anyone to be running around.”

Lana was just about to nod in agreement when something over the mayor’s shoulder caught her attention suddenly. At first, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing as she watched what looked like a green apple scurrying around on tiny legs near the fireplace. It turned and looked at her with small, beady black eyes before waving enthusiastically and disappearing into thin air with a puff of dust. Lana’s mouth dropped open in shock.

I’ve officially lost my damn mind.

“I - uh, what was that?” she said, her tone sharp, moving past Lewis in the direction of where the mysterious creature had just been standing.

“Did you see something, Lana?” he turned to face her as she continued to swivel her neck around, looking for the little green apple again. “You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if this place was full of rats, especially after all these years ...”

“No. Not a rat,” she said intensely. Lana felt like a lunatic as the mayor gave her an apprehensive look. She had been about to drop the whole thing when the creature suddenly appeared again behind him, waving both of its stick-like arms at her now. She yelped as it vanished again with another silent poof. Lewis spun around, once again seeing nothing behind him. He turned back to her slowly with a look of alarm on his face.

“My dear, is everything alright?” he asked. “You’re starting to worry me. What on earth did you see?”

“It was just -,” she started to answer before growing silent as she realized how batsh*t crazy the entire thing would sound. A little green ball that could walk around and disappear into thin air? Waving at her? She wondered vaguely if one of the mushrooms she had found in the forest earlier and eaten as a snack was causing her hallucinate. “Yeah, you know, it was probably just a rat. Hah, sorry Mayor Lewis. It’s been kind of a long day.” She rubbed her eyes, and he nodded as if in understanding.

“Of course, Lana,” he said. He checked the watch on his wrist. “Darn, you're right. It's getting late. I think I’m going to head home for some lunch before running off to my other errands for the day. You should probably do the same, my dear. And don’t worry, those berries will still be there in those bushes when you’re done.” The mayor chortled and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.

He began to leave but stopped in the middle of the room when he noticed Lana wasn't following, looking back to see her still standing in front of the fireplace. She stood out to him in the dimly lit room, illuminated by a single beam of light from a hole in the ceiling above. The dust particles in the air seemed to almost glitter in the sun as they floated gently around her.

“You know, if you want to keep exploring, I can leave the door unlocked in the future,” he said after a pause. “Maybe you can even catch that dang rat if you find the time one day.”

“Maybe,” Lana smiled weakly in response. “Have a good lunch, Mayor Lewis. I think I’ll follow you out in a bit.”

“Have a good afternoon, Ms. Abernathy.” he responded, stepping outside and closing the door with a loud clunk that resounded throughout the building .

She explored the rest of the Community Center after he left, intent on finding the creature she was adamant she had seen. Instead, she discovered several rooms down the side corridors that were similarly ramshackle and in various states of disrepair. Eventually, she warily made her way down some narrow steps to the basem*nt, a small area made even more claustrophobic by its low ceiling. It was empty except for a huge, ancient boiler that took up a whole corner of the room, rusted and falling apart just like everything else in the building. Lana dropped her berry basket and crouched down, getting on her hands and knees to inspect something that had suddenly caught her attention on the ground. She blinked a few times in bafflement, her nose almost touching the floor.

Miniature pinpoints in the dust, scattered about in parallel straight lines. Just like footsteps, Lana thought, looking up to see that while some tracks led directly to holes in the wall, others just abruptly stopped, almost as if whoever (or whatever) had been making them just vanished in the middle of the floor. She rose hastily, looking around the room one more time before she picked up her basket and clutched it to her chest.

There was something about the darkened corners of the community center that reminded her of being watched, just like when she last visited the mines and was attacked by that slimy creature. Or sometimes even when she would walk through the Cindersap Forest after the sun went down. She shivered suddenly, clutching at her left forearm that still bore a crescent-shaped scar from her last trip underground.

Shaking her head to clear it, Lana made her way out of the cellar to leave the building, pausing in front of the double-doors leading outside. She swore she could hear delicate, almost child-like whispers coming from the rafters above, echoing back and forth in overlapping chatters, just like the birds she thought she sometimes heard calling out to her from the trees in the woods. The sounds faded slowly into nothing until Lana was just left with a high-pitched ringing in her ears, and she finally was able to tear her eyes away from the partially caved-in ceiling to push open the doors and step outside into the sun so she could hasten home.

Chapter 9: Roses

Chapter Text

The Friday morning after Shane apologized to her in the saloon, Lana was in the middle of harvesting honey from the couple of bee houses she had in her flower garden when the sound of her ringtone suddenly played loudly from her pocket.

“Who the -” Lana scowled, fumbling with the jar in her hands until she finally just gave up and placed it on the ground before it spilled. She tugged her cell phone out of her jeans and answered once she saw who it was.

“Ella,” she said, massaging her temple with her free hand. “Not a good time, sis.”

“Aw, come on, Lana!” her sister protested from the other end of the line. “It’s never a good time with you lately! Don’t you want an update on my super interesting life back here in Zuzu City?”

She had to grin. Ella, younger by three years, was sweet and patient and Lana’s complete opposite in mostly every way. She was obsessed with things like anime and comic books, currently working as a writer for a popular online magazine in the city. She took after their mother in both her appearance and rather naive outlook on life, whereas Lana took after their father in both her darker looks and strong sense of gumption. Her sister, unfortunately, shared her horrendous taste in men, often finding the worst kind of manipulators to break her heart over and over again. When they were younger, Lana would often be left to pick up the pieces, brokenhearted herself and furious for her sister who already had so much trouble dealing with loss after the death of their father at such a young age.

“Alright, alright,” she replied, laughing a bit. “Let me finish harvesting this honey, and I’ll call you right after? Maybe fifteen minutes?”

“Oh, my Yoba,” she heard Ella say in bewilderment. “I’m sorry, but who is this again? Is this really my sister I'm talking to right now? There’s no way in hell you’d be anywhere near bees, of all things.”

“You know, they’re actually not so bad,” she said, watching a few honey bees buzz happily around her colorful tulips. “They really dig the flowers in my little garden.”

“Uh huh,” Lana could practically hear the smirk her sister must have on her face. “But okay, fine. I’ll be waiting here, so you better call! I’ll set a timer!”

“I will, don’t worry,” she promised “Pinky swear?”

“Okay,” Ella said, a bit more quietly. Her little sister had a soft, breathy voice like their mother and often spoke without making eye contact. “Pinky swear.”

****

True to her word, Lana had called her sister as soon as she got back to her house with the honey. She sat at her small kitchen table and spent almost two hours on the phone with her, catching up on each others’ lives and laughing together at past memories. They had hung up with another promise, this time to talk on the phone at least once a week.

Lana and her sister were close as children, but when their father died, they drifted apart, both choosing vastly different methods of coping with the whole ordeal. Lana chose to act out, experimenting with drugs and alcohol while disregarding her education until pulling things off at the last possible moment. Her sister, on the other hand, threw herself into her books and computer, choosing fictional characters over real friends until she got to college and found people with similar interests who wouldn’t judge her. Now, Ella was more confident and self-assured, but she still retained some of the innocence and fragility that defined her growing up. When Lana moved out for college, they texted every few weeks or so, but sometimes months would go by before either of them reached out via a call.

The rest of the day went by in a rush. The cauliflower crop was finally ready, so Lana spent the rest of the afternoon harvesting the vegetables before checking on the jelly she was working on. She tasted some and, happy with the results, quickly packed it all into jars she had labeled the day before. She went inside for a quick bite to eat before heading out again, this time holding a box full of jelly jars that she placed in her truck. There were a few errands to run in town before she would finally be done for the day.

Lana first dropped off a few jars of salmonberry jelly to Pierre, who by now had already happily accepted her offer to start selling some of her goods in his store. Abigail was sitting behind the counter, chewing gum. She blew a large bubble as she looked up from the book she was reading.

“Hey, Lana,” she said cheerfully after she was done with her father. “Any more monster attacks in the mines lately?”

Lana snorted in amusem*nt, remembering how absolutely engrossed Abigail was when Lana first mentioned the incident to her a few days after it happened.

“Unfortunately, no,” she replied grimly. She turned her forearm so that the raised scar was visible. Abigail whistled in admiration as she leaned in closer. “Still trying to recover from the shock of the first one.”

“I could’ve told you those mines had some nasty creepy crawlies skulking around,” Abigail said. Her expression turned almost wistful. “Man, I used to go exploring there all the time when I was younger… I found some crazy sh*t down there, that’s for sure. Hey, if you ever do decide to go back, maybe I can go with you next time? We can protect each other.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Lana answered, actually taking a liking to the idea. She really didn’t want to face whatever was hiding in that darkness alone. “I’m gonna have to go back for supplies soon anyway - I can’t keep buying ore from Clint or I’ll go broke before summer.”

Before she could answer, Pierre called Abigail to the stockroom for help with some boxes that needed to be unpacked. She rolled her eyes but bid Lana a quick goodbye before leaving through the door behind the counter.

Lana grabbed the extra jar of jelly she brought and left the store, driving south through town until she reached the mayor’s manor on the outskirts of the community. It was a quaint, white and blue home with perfectly-maintained gardens lining the patio that clashed somewhat with the old, rusty truck parked in an open garage next door. Across the way from his property was the small town cemetery which Lana sometimes used as a shortcut on her way back from the beach. A couple of the gravestones bore inscriptions in a strange language she had never seen before.

There was no answer when she knocked, so she decided to leave the jar of jelly on the mayor’s porch where he could see it when he got home. She walked back to her truck and pulled out of his driveway to head down the road to the narrow bridge that led to Clint’s blacksmith shop.

She had first met Clint officially about a month ago, deciding to stop by his shop one afternoon to finally upgrade some of the old tools she was working with. Before, she had only seen him on her night out at the saloon with Sam and the gang, where he had been sitting with Willy in the corner booth. She would eventually visit his shop a few more times to buy ore for projects around her farm, growing fond of the shy way he’d meet her eyes and the gentle timbre of his baritone voice. He was a large man with a burly build who often had smears of coal on his face and hands as he spoke to Lana animatedly about blacksmithing, the only time she could get more than a few words out of him.

The bell rang as she entered his shop, a cozy but spacious cabin on the edge of the trees with a large, rumbling furnace that extended outdoors. Clint had once mentioned that he also lived there in a small studio attached behind. He stood now behind the front desk, filling out some paperwork on a clipboard but looking up as he heard the door ring.

“Hey, Ms. Abernathy,” he greeted her. “How can I help you today? Need some more ore already?”

“Lana, please, Clint,” she reminded him, smiling back with an eyebrow raised while placing her backpack on the counter. She began to look through the pockets until she found what she was looking for. “And no, I actually have this weird rock I found a while ago in the mine. I forgot about it until I found it in one of these pockets a couple of days ago - any idea what it could be?”

She pulled it out and showed it to him. The tiny rainbow-colored pieces dotting the surface glittered as they caught the light from his desk lamp.

“Ah,” Clint said, reaching out to inspect it more closely. “This is an Omni Geode! I can’t believe you found such a large one. It’s basically just a large chunk of broken rock with mineral deposits in it. They sometimes have ores or even some gemstones embedded in them if you get lucky! I can process it here for you, if you would like?”

“Eh, why not?” Lana shrugged. “Fingers crossed for a huge diamond, am I right?”

He took the geode to a large anvil in front of his furnace, donning his protective equipment before grabbing a large hammer from a rack on the wall. Lana watched in fascination as he brought it down on the rock, forming a crack on its surface. He continued for a few minutes until he picked out a few pieces from the rubble and brought them to her.

“Well, let’s see,” he said, taking off his face shield. “You got a few small minerals - looks like kyanite and maybe a bit of yellow calcite ... a chunk of copper ore and a small gold one too. You should double-check with Gunther next door on those minerals though. And, uh, this Frozen Tear.” He pulled out a small, teardrop shaped gemstone. It sparkled delicately in his broad, sooty palm and was a shade of blue so pale it almost looked like ice.

“Now that is pretty,” Lana said, placing a finger on its smooth surface that felt almost cool to the touch. “Not a diamond, but I’ll take it. What do I owe you for the geode?”

She paid and thanked Clint before leaving the shop and getting back into her car. Turning on the engine but not putting the car in drive, she sat for a while, looking through the contents of the geode in the small bag Clint had given her while contemplating her plans for the next day. It would be Saturday, and Shane had agreed to help her with the chickens she finally would be able to buy from his aunt’s shop.

Lana picked out a small, dark blue stone and fiddled with it in her hand. It slipped smoothly between her fingers as she thought about their last meeting at the Stardrop Saloon, when she had finally given in to her curiosity and let him power through an apology that surprised her in its sincerity. She held up the gem and observed the way it gleamed from each angle.

"Hey, look at that, Zuzu. It kind of looks like the color of your eyes, doesn't it?"

Lana imaging his reply and smiled, deciding to keep it for herself before putting it back in the bag and backing out of the parking space so she could head home for the day.

****

Later that night, Lana decided to go out exploring a bit, bored after her third episode of reality TV in a row. It was already a bit late, but tomorrow wouldn’t be such an early day as her main focus would be getting her chickens from Marnie’s, which Shane had told her didn’t open until 9am anyway. Instead of heading south as usual, she exited her farm through the northern gate closer to her home. The small path led to some backwoods that ran behind her farm until it converted into a clearing. These woods weren’t as dark as the Cindersap Forest could get in some of its deeper parts. The path that led to her farm also cut through the trees nicely and was framed by arching branches above. She made it to the clearing in no time, emerging from the forest into the field while looking up at the night sky. The moon was full tonight, round and glowing down at her as she stood in the grass. Instead of heading through the clearing in the direction of the lake, she instead followed the tree line until it led to a far corner of the field bordered by high cliffs. Lana was surprised to see a small path heading up through the hills, rounding a corner and disappearing from view before she could see where it led.

Might as well check it out, she thought. She made her way up the steep hill, feeling suddenly grateful for all the exercise she had been doing lately on her farm and walks around the valley.

Eventually, she made it to the top of the path, almost directly deposited into the front door of a large wooden building with high glass ceilings. Around her was another large clearing with patches of trees and bushes growing around fallen logs and small boulders. She could make out what looked like train tracks in the distance. Directly behind the tracks was a dark structure she suspected was a small train station set against the edge of the mountain.

“Since when has all this been here?” she asked aloud, talking to herself. She jumped when she heard a voice respond.

“Since forever ago. That path used to be blocked by a landslide, but it’s clear now.”

She spun around, instinctively reaching into her pockets for the pepper spray she used to always carry with her in Zuzu City. But even as she patted her jeans helplessly, she recognized the voice that called out from the darkness. He emerged from behind a tree next to the building with a lit cigarette stub in his hand. Sebastian. He threw it down and stepped on it before continuing.

“Sorry, farmer girl,” he said. “Didn’t mean to scare you. I heard you as you were coming up the hill, but I thought it was Lewis coming up here to nosy around the bath house.”

That's what that is?she thought, looking back at up the empty-looking building. The breeze picked up slightly, and the once-familiar smell of marijuana drifted into Lana’s nose.

“Oh, I see.” She surmised that what he had put out wasn’t a cigarette at all. Her heart no longer pounded in terror at the thought of a stranger in the night being the death of her. “I’m guessing the mayor doesn’t condone smoking weed in his town, even all the way up here?”

“You got it,” he replied. Sebastian had a rather flat way of speaking that made him very difficult to read. She had run into him a couple of times since their night out at the Stardrop, both times while out for an evening walk. The second time, they had shared his last cigarette before he insisted on walking her home through the woods behind her farm.

“I didn’t hear anyone coming up behind me, so you should be good,” she assured him, smirking. “Should’ve figured you partook in the devil’s lettuce.”

The elicited a small snort out of him. The left side of his mouth picked up in a lopsided smile.

“You look like someone who might also partake,” he responded, stepping a bit closer to her. “What are you doing out here so late, anyway?”

“Just felt like going out for a walk. You?

“Same here.”

“This is a usual occurrence for you, I see now.”

Sebastian shrugged. “Yeah, well, I don’t really like being home. My stepdad can be a douche sometimes. So, you wanna sit down and smoke another joint with me?”

The sudden change of topic threw her off for a second, especially because it was delivered in his usual solemn tone.

“Uh, yeah, sure. I haven’t smoked weed in months, now that I think about it.”

“Let’s go sit down by the tracks - there’s an old station there with benches that are way more comfortable than these boulders.”

They made their way across the clearing and over the train tracks until they reached a tiny station that wasn’t more than an open wooden platform covered by a roof with only a few benches for passengers to wait on.

“Do people still use this station?” she asked him as they sat down on one of the cleaner benches towards the middle. “It’s not exactly in the best shape.”

“No, I don’t think so,” Sebastian answered. “But every now and then you can hear a train as it runs through the valley. You can see the tunnels it disappears into from here. The tracks eventually lead to Zuzu City in one direction.”

“Pelican Town isn’t the most popular destination around these parts, from what I can tell.”

“You can say that again. Here, give me a second. I have an extra joint in here somewhere.” He pulled out a cigarette carton from his hoodie pocket, opening it to pull out the small joint from between the other slender white sticks inside. He lit it and put it to his mouth to take a deep inhale before passing to her.

She accepted it, feeling almost hungry as she brought it up to her own lips to take a long drag herself. She felt him eyeing her as she looked straight ahead and raised her head to exhale the smoke into the air.

“You look like you needed that,” he said, a hint of amusem*nt laced through his voice. “Rough day?”

“Rough few years, more like it,” Lana replied. She laughed. “Sorry, that was dramatic. But no. Just normal farm problems. Nothing I can’t handle. I just missed it, I guess.”

“I can get more for you if you want,” he offered. She turned her head now to look at him. His dark hair was messy and longer than usual, and he had dark circles under his eyes. “I have a contact in the city, I mean. He drives through here often, so I can usually order every couple of weeks.”

“Yeah, that would be great, actually,” she said, not believing her absolute luck. When she lived in Zuzu City, she smoked weed every now and then when the mood struck, one of the few carryovers from her wilder days. “Just let me know the next time he’s coming around, then.”

“Here, give me your phone,” he said, taking the joint from her for another puff. “I’ll put my number in there, and you can text me. I’ll message you once I know he's coming.”

Wordlessly, she exchanged her phone for the joint he was holding. She smoked it contentedly as he entered his information into her contacts list. A pleasant cloud had already begun to settle over her - and over him, she suspected, from the slow way he tapped at the letters and numbers on the screen.

“Thanks,” she finally said when he handed it back to her. She gave him back the joint, now more than halfway gone.

“No problem,” he replied. He didn’t smoke again, instead leaning back a bit on the bench they were sitting on. They sat in silence for a couple minutes.

“So, what’s the deal with your stepdad, if you don’t mind me asking?” Lana finally spoke up, feeling a bit emboldened by the THC. “You’ve mentioned a couple times now that you guys don’t exactly get along.”

He gave a curt, harsh laugh that was a stark contrast to his usual low, measured way of speaking

“That’s one way to put it,” Sebastian said, finally putting the joint up to his mouth to smoke from it again. He then handed it to her, their fingers brushing as she reached out to take it. “We’ve never been able to see eye-to-eye. Maru came along less than a year after they got married, when I was around 5 years old, and she’s been his favorite since.”

“But he’s been your dad for basically your entire life, then,” Lana said, confused. “I mean, I get that you’re not biologically his, but he’s the only father figure you’ve really had.”

“That doesn’t matter to him,” he replied, his tone both bitter and resigned. “She’s the golden child anyway - the brilliant scientist, just like him, who loves nothing more than spending her time almost blowing up the house with their crazy experiments. He doesn’t take what I do for a career seriously. Nobody ever f*cking does.”

“You’re a computer programmer, right?” she asked him, recalling him mentioning it to her back at the saloon. “That’s pretty cool. I don’t understand anything about computers besides how to type up half-assed essays and browse the internet. You must be pretty smart to understand how all that code works.”

“Freelance programming, yes,” he said, looking a bit surprised that she remembered this detail about him. “And I make good money doing it. Not that it matters to him. I choose to do it this way so I don’t have to deal with the whole corporate rat race bullsh*t.”

“I feel that. I’m guessing it beats having to deal with people face-to-face in some stuffy office, huh?” She smiled and put the joint to her lips to inhale, meeting his eyes suddenly as the smoke slowly escaped through her lips. He had a pensive look on his face as he watched her.

“Absolutely,” he replied in a low voice, looking away. “People can be the f*cking worst. That's why I prefer to be alone most of the time. It’s better than being around a lot of people I know. I don’t know… maybe that’s why I like computers so much. They’re the opposite of that - straightforward, engaging. Unselfish.”

Lana was quiet for a moment, passing him the burning-out joint that he finished off quickly.

“I get what you’re saying,” she responded eventually. And she meant it. She knew how deceiving and fake people could be in the name of their own self interest. Lana was aware that she wasn’t exactly a prime candidate for heaven or anything like that, but she at least tried to be honest and direct in her approach to life - no matter how bad it made her look. Sebastian looked up suddenly.

“But not you,” he said, somewhat hastily. “You’re not like them. I’m not as anxious around you, Lana.” She blinked a couple of times in wonder at the sentimentality of his statement.

“Hey, well, thanks,” she managed to reply, feeling a bit of apprehension at the turn the conversation had taken. “You’re not so bad yourself, Sebby.”

It was obvious now that he was into her, even if he did a good job of maintaining his stony façade most of the time. And while she couldn’t deny that she was attracted to him in an almost-curious way, Lana knew that their interest in each other was probably just physical and getting involved with him probably wasn’t the best idea. She had to remind herself for the second time that she couldn’t just hook up casually like she did back in the city. Here, she wasn’t another nameless girl with her drunk friends at the bar. She was Lana Rose Abernathy, granddaughter of James Abernathy and the sole inheritor of his farm and once-thriving family business. Her first and only priority should be reviving the farm, not chasing some mysterious bad boy.

Lana looked away from him before he could get any ideas. Sebastian threw the burnt out joint in front of him, stomping on it with his combat boots as he stood up.

“Come on, we should get going." His hair blew over his face as the wind picked up again. “It’s getting pretty late.”

She stood up to join him, fiddling with her braid as they stood together on the platform.

“For sure,” she replied, starting to make her way slowly backwards down the steps to the grass below. “Walk me home?”

“You know I always will,” he said, following her down with another tiny smile.

They began to make their way over the train tracks and across the patchy clearing towards the trail that led down the hill. Lana watched the moon high up above. The silver orb seemed to be glaring down at her with its unblinking gaze like a great big eye in the sky. She forced herself to look away, bumping into Sebastian with a mumbled apology. Suddenly, she found herself nostalgic for who she used to be in the city, no matter how sh*tty that person could sometimes be.

Chapter 10: Chicken Man

Chapter Text

The next day

Shane awoke Saturday morning with a nauseous feeling in his stomach and throat, dry heaving into the toilet while Jas and Marnie still slept in their rooms. He had gotten drunk at home the night before, alone in his room after another one of his attempts to read with his goddaughter. Groaning, he placed his arm over the rim of the bowl and rested his forehead against it, waiting for the typical headache that accompanied his hangovers. Surprisingly, the pounding in his temples never came, and with a relieved sigh he lifted himself up and started the shower. He would feel better after a few minutes under the cold water.

Everyone was still sleeping when he opened up the bathroom door fifteen minutes later and exited in a towel wrapped around his waist. He went back to his room and tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper before falling back onto his bed. Shane picked up the cell phone on his nightstand to check the time - 7:43 am. It was still early, and he didn’t know what time Lana would even be coming over for the chickens. His hand brushed the stubble on his jaw. It wasn’t too bushy yet, and he felt particularly lazy to shave for it to only grow back by the end of the day. His aunt had given him a haircut yesterday afternoon when he got home from work, luckily agreeing with him that it was getting long when he casually brought it during dinner the night before.

He dozed off in the middle of his thoughts and was jolted awake more than an hour later by the sound of Marnie banging pots and pans in the kitchen.

“sh*t,” he grumbled, jumping off his bed and looking through his closet for a clean shirt and pair of shorts. It was already a hot, stuffy morning in the valley, evident by the sun shining brightly through the gap in his curtains. He found a grey crew neck and dark green pair of cargo shorts that he hadn’t worn in a while, changing into them before returning to the bathroom to brush his teeth and fix his hair in the easy side-swept style he preferred. Before leaving, he looked at himself in the floor-length mirror his aunt had attached to the door. His body had softened somewhat since his days in the city, but he still had his solid form underneath, the muscles in his arms firm from all the heavy lifting he had to do at work while stocking. The shirt he chose did a decent job of hiding the beer belly that had popped up in the recent years. He sighed and opened the door, heading down the hall to the kitchen.

“Good morning, Uncle Shane,” Jas greeted him from the table. She was eating a small plate of scrambled eggs and hot dogs. “You’re up early today!”

“Mornin’, Jas,” he said, ruffling her hair as he walked by her to sit down. “Woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. I guess that book we read last night was really scary, huh?”

“Yeah!” she agreed enthusiastically, a piece of egg on her chin as she chewed. “That witch was really nefarious.”

“Nice word choice, dear,” Marnie said, placing a huge plate of eggs and bacon in front of him before he could protest. She wiped Jas’ face clean with her napkin. “Orange juice, Shane?”

“Uh, yes, please,” he said. Shane grabbed a fork on the table and began to eat, suddenly grateful for the way Marnie never skimped on the oil or butter when it came to her cooking. The tall glass of cold juice she placed in front of him was quickly finished seconds after it touched the table.

“Wow, you sure are hungry, Uncle Shane!” Jas observed. She was still wearing her pink mermaid pajamas, ready to watch her Saturday morning cartoons until Marnie would call her back to the kitchen for a snack. Some Saturdays, if she didn’t run off with Vincent after eating, Shane would take her to play in the forest or jump rope near the river before heading down to the saloon for the night.

“Oh, I’m starving, Jazzy,” he replied, winking at her as he chewed. “I bet I could eat a whole cow right now.”

“A whole cow?” she giggled. One of her front teeth had fallen out recently. He had gotten a bit emotional when it happened for the first time, pulling out a twenty dollar bill and handing it to Marnie to hide under Jas' pillow while she slept that night. His aunt had just smiled knowingly at him and let him bask in the glory of her delighted scream at finding the money the next morning. She had lost three more teeth in quick succession, and later complained to Shane about the Tooth Fairy when the reward had suspiciously decreased to five dollars a tooth.

“Okay, maybe just an entire goat, then,” he said, pretending to look disappointed as his goddaughter continued to laugh. She looked up at the clock and gasped.

“It’s almost time for my show!” she said, springing up from her seat and running down the hall to the living room. “I can’t miss the new episode, not after that cliffhanger last week!”

He and Marnie chuckled at her dedication. Shane finished his plate and went to hand it to his aunt, who was washing dishes at the sink.

“Thanks, Marnie,” he said, hesitating a bit before going back to his room.

He hadn’t mentioned that the farmer was coming yet, not really sure how to bring up the subject. While notoriously kind-hearted and friendly in the valley, his aunt also had a bit of an eye for gossip and would definitely want to know how Shane had come to know the mysterious farmer. Marie had mentioned her several times since Lana had moved to the farm, usually clucking sympathetically at the idea that she must want her privacy after losing her grandfather and taking on such a large responsibility. Many times she had wondered aloud if she should just drop off a quick basket of goodies (“Some bread and butter maybe - oh, and she’ll need a first aid kit too, look at the state of that land she has to work with”), before changing her mind at the last minute, her aversion to intruding on the farmer’s solitude overriding her curiosity.

Ah, f*ck it, Shane decided to himself.

“So, uh,” he began, running his hand through his hair. “The new farmer is coming today to buy a couple chickens from you. I think I'm gonna help her get settled with them afterwards, maybe, that way we can make sure they have a good transition at least. Yeah, so … is that cool?” He finished lamely, fizzling out at the end.

His aunt’s face rapidly morphed into a strange mixture of suspicion and delight. She stopped in the middle of scrubbing the large pot in the sink, pausing for a few seconds before answering.

“And how, may I ask, do you know that the new farmer is coming?” she asked, turning to face him now. She raised her eyebrow at him. He cleared his throat before he could respond.

“Well, uh, I met her at the Stardrop Saloon a while ago,” he managed, regretting his decision to speak up more and more. “I’ve seen her a couple times around the valley since then, and last time we met she brought it up. I guess Robin built her a coop and mentioned to her that you sell chickens.”

Marnie’s narrowed eyes softened slightly, glistening with a bit of happiness at the apparent referral from the carpenter, a longtime friend of hers. In that moment, Shane knew he had said the exact right thing.

“Well, then, I’ll make sure to have a few chicks ready for her to choose from,” she said, her hand continuing to scrub the pot with a soaking sponge. “Did she say what time she was coming? Maybe I’ll have time to throw together a quick basket for her, a late welcome-to-the-valley present, or perhaps I could even-”

Shane grinned and backed away from his aunt, letting her continue her planning.

“Thanks, Marnie,” he told her as he approached the hallway. “I think she could really use our help.”

“Oh, really?” she replied. The faint laugh lines around her eyes crinkled as she did her best to keep a straight face. “That’s very good to know. Thank you, Shane.”

He retreated to his room before the conversation could continue. Closing the door, he picked up his cell phone still on his nightstand and saw he had just gotten a text from a number with a Zuzu City area code. Surprised, he unlocked his screen and checked his messages, now alerting him with a bright red notification.

Hey Zuzu. It’s Lana. Sam gave me your number after I threatened his life for it.

A pause. The tiny speech bubble indicating that she was typing popped up, the ellipses fading in and out as the seconds went on. Another text appeared.

Jk, he immediately handed it over to me when I asked. He said you gave it to him one day a few months ago.

Shane remembered with a sigh - he had once needed to switch shifts to go to a dentist appointment in Zuzu for a root canal, and Sam had agreed after asking for his number in case something came up. He began to type out a response, his fingers hovering for a bit as he weighed out the words in his head.

Hi Lana.

No worries, I already figured you were stalking me ever since you found out where I lived.

Lol just kidding.

What’s up?

He paced impatiently around his room for the next few minutes until she responded.

Lol. Just wondering what would be a good time to pick up the chickens? Your aunt opens at 9, right?

Shane’s heart rate picked up as he typed out his reply.

Yeah, 9am sharp.

We close at 4pm.

After that, she didn’t respond for a while. He saved her name and number in his contacts list. Shane had already given up on waiting anxiously by his phone and didn’t check it for almost an hour later when he paused the video game he had started to play. There was a message from Lana that popped up on his screen as having arrived 12 minutes ago. He unlocked his phone.

Okay, cool! I’m just finishing up over here at the farm. Probably will head there around 11 if that’s cool?

He considered delaying responding to her in retribution for making him wait, feeling idiotically childish as he opened his phone and replied.

Works for me.

See you then.

A pause, then her reply seconds later:

See ya later, Zuzu :)

****

At 10:55am, Shane turned off his game console and stood up from his bed, stretching his arms over his head as he looked out the window. He wondered if the farmer was someone who was actually punctual in her plans.

Five minutes later, he was casually hanging around the kitchen looking for a snack when he heard the front door of the shop open with a ring of the bell. He felt the sensation of his stomach dropping in anticipation as though he were on a roller coaster that had just hit the first big drop. Shane pushed open the slightly ajar door that connected the kitchen and the shop to see Lana standing in the middle of the room, looking around at the numerous animal pictures and information posters on the walls.

She was in a pair of jean shorts today with frayed edges that stopped high up on her thighs. The red tank top she wore revealed her tanned, toned arms. Her auburn hair was up in a ponytail, a few stray locks curled over her brow. He felt the abrupt urge to go over to her and brush them behind her ear. Her eyes caught his, and a smile lit up her face.

“Shane!” Lana greeted him. They both started walking to each other, stopping with a couple feet in between them.

“Lana,” he said, suddenly feeling naked without his blue jacket on. He didn’t know what to do with his hands, and shoving them into the pockets of his shorts somehow didn’t feel as authentic. In the end, he just crossed them over his chest awkwardly. “I’m glad you found the place okay.”

“Thanks, it was a bit of a walk but I made it eventually.”

They smirked at each other.

A small cough was heard from behind them. Marnie had appeared through the door that led out to the barn, wiping her hands lightly on the apron she wore.

“Good morning!” Lana walked toward her with her hand outstretched. “My name’s Lana Abernathy. Sorry I haven’t come down to introduce myself sooner. It’s been a crazy couple of months.”

Shane saw the joy on his aunt’s eyes as she finally reached out to shake the farmer’s hand. She placed both her hands around Lana’s, which he saw had shiny black nail polish today.

“Oh, don’t you worry, dear,” she said, looking into her face, easy for her as they were similar in stature. “I know that losing your granddad must have been very difficult for you. I grew close to him when I took over the ranch after my own parents died. I was sosad when he told me he was closing the farm and moving away a few years ago. And even more so when news came that he had passed. He was such a great man - everyone here in town loved him, that’s for sure. Oh! I’m Marnie, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet you, dear. Shane here had mentioned that you would be stopping by today for some chickens. I have some ready for you to choose from, if you’d like to step over here into the barn?”

Lana’s eyelashes fluttered as she blinked a few times, processing all the information, but her mouth soon lifted into a smile.

“Nice to meet you too,” she said. Marnie let go of her hand, and she immediately started playing with the ends of her hair. “And yes, please, I’m ready for the chickens. You ready too, Shane?”

Both women turned to look at him expectantly, and Shane was just left to nod and follow them out of the shop and into the barn. It was a wide, open building with a row of cow pens on one side and smaller pens on the other where Marnie kept her sheep and goats. The chickens lived in another separate enclosure on the other side of the barn. All of the animals were currently grazing in the grass outside except for the tiny yellow chicks still in their pen.

“Well, here they are,” Marnie said as they walked up to look down at the fluffy little things waddling around in the hay.

The change in Lana was instantaneous. She cooed softly, her usual veiled expression melting into something softer as she bent down over the enclosure with her hand outreached to the chick closest to her. It approached her cautiously until its beak tapped on her fingers. Fluffing itself, the bird cuddled into Lana’s palm as she began scratching its feathers.

“Hey there, little one,” she said. Her melodic voice was quieter and lower in pitch, almost as if she was trying to lull the tiny creature to sleep. It seemed to be working. The chick settled contentedly into her hand as she gently brought it up to her face. “Aren’t you all just the cutest things I’ve ever seen?”

Her eyes found Shane’s, and she smiled happily up at him. He felt something stir in his chest, like a gasp echoing from somewhere deep within.

****

An hour later, Lana and Shane were walking down the driveway with a crate of baby chickens and a few bags of feed. She had finally been able to choose three females, including the one who had initially approached her. They twittered from within the box that the farmer held as she waved goodbye to Marnie waiting at the front door.

“Thank you again for the gift, Marnie!” she called. Shane held the gift basket in his free hand, his other arm occupied with the hefty bags of feed. “I’ll definitely make good use of that first aid kit.”

“You’re welcome, Lana!” she raised her voice to be heard from the porch as they approached the gate. “Take care of Shane for me!”

He rolled his eyes, hitching up the bags on his shoulder so that he could have a more solid grip on them. He and the farmer went through the gate and walked down the dirt road until it turned right in the direction of her farm.

“Your aunt might be the nicest person I’ve ever met,” she said, grinning at him as they walked. “A gift basket? I really gotta bring her some of my homemade jelly soon. I didn’t know she knew my grandpa so well. Why didn’t you tell me so I could have come down to meet her sooner? I feel like an asshole now.”

“Nah, she understands,” he replied. It was proving to be a sweltering day as summer was just around the corner. He felt sweat begin to slide down his back. “She knows that you’ve been busy trying to get things going at the farm.”

“That’s good to know at least. I guess I forget that Grandpa must have known some of the people in town. Especially the older ones.”

“Well, my aunt probably knows everyone in the valley. But she’s really happy to have another neighbor up there at the farm again.”

“And you?”

“What about me?”

“You happy to have a new neighbor, or do you hate that you can’t go drink by my pond anymore?”

“I - what?" He stopped walking. "How did you know that?”

“Chill." Lana shook her head amiably. "I found an old empty beer can buried in the dirt a while ago. It was the same brand I saw you drinking on the pier that night out by the lake. And you know it’s cool for you to keep using my pond, right? As long as you invite me for a drink, of course.”

He was flabbergasted to found out that she knew about his old stomping grounds on her property, but she had an easygoing smile on her face as she teased him. His mortification melted away as he laughed with her and began walking again.

“Okay, you got me,” he said. By now, they were almost behind the trees, and the ranch was no longer in view. “I used to go every now and then. It’s easier to find than the lake in the woods, anyway. But, hey, if you’re offering - why not?”

“It’ll be nice in summertime,” she said, nodding serenely. “It feels so good in the shade under the trees.”

Her skin was a bit flushed from the heat, and she had a laid-back look about her that helped to relax him as well. They continued their walk until they reached the gate at the edge of Lana’s farm. She unlatched it and walked through, holding it open for Shane. It closed shut with a loud clang as they made their way through the property. They passed the pond, part of the smooth, murky water darkened further by the shadows of the trees encircling half of the shoreline. Passing the pond, they encountered another gate made out of hardwood that divided her land. Beyond the gate, the grass was neater and patches of crops were growing. Most were almost ready for harvest as the season was about to come to a close.

“Wow, this place is actually looking pretty good,” he commented as they walked through her field. In the corner, just before another fence, was a small coop. Lana’s cabin was beyond, set against another group of oak trees. He could see what looked like a small flower garden next to house. Lana led the way in front of him to the chicken coop. As they approached it, he noticed that she had fenced off yet another small area full of grass in front of it.

“Here we are, girls,” she said to the chicks. She set the crate down on the ground so she could open the gate.

Shane peered around at Robin’s handiwork as he crossed into the coop and had to admit that he was impressed. It was a small wooden building with low ceilings and room for maybe four or five chickens. There was a small feeding trough for them in one of the corners. Hay was strewn about the floor, and there was already a cleared section near a pan of water where Lana motioned for Shane to drop the feed bags.

“Bring me one here, please,” Lana called from the feeding trough. He carried one over to her, and she grabbed it and placed it on the ground. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small black utility knife. Shane leaned against the wall and watched as she squatted down and used the blade to cut open the bag. She stood and ripped the bag further so that she could spill the feed into the trough.

“Perfect,” she said, balling up the bag and stuffing it into her pocket along with the knife. She turned to look at Shane. “How long should that last?”

“With them this young?” He tilted his head as he thought for a second. “I’d say about a week or so. Longer if you let them roam around outside in the grass. But maybe wait for them to get used to the area before you do that.”

“Okay, that makes sense,” she replied, nodding. The chicks were chirping loudly from the box they were waiting in. “Um, should we- ?”

“Yeah, let’s get them out so they can explore a bit,” he said, moving closer to her. They both got down on their knees next to the crate.

“Okay, so should I just… ah- ?” she hesitated and grew silent. Shane saw her fingers squirming slightly as they rested on her thighs.

“Just go ahead and grab one gently and slowly lift it out,” he responded. He was more upright than Lana, who rested back on her heels, and in this position he was above her in such a way that he could see straight down her tank top. He felt his face heat up and averted his eyes to look back inside the box of baby chickens.

“Okay, here I go,” she said, reaching gingerly into the box. She cupped one of the chicks and made sure she was firmly in her palm before she raised her out and onto a small pile of hay nearby. The other two were also placed next to their sister, and the three of them began to chirp noisily as they hopped down to totter around the coop. They all inevitably found their way to the feed, where they happily began pecking away. Every now and then, one would wander to Lana to cuddle into her palm.

“They seem to like you," Shane spoke up eventually. "You have a way with animals or something?”

“I love them,” Lana answered him. “I’d live with a whole zoo on my farm if I could. Right now I just have my dog, though. I have enough sh*t going on as it is.”

“We don’t have any pets at the ranch. Unless you count the cows and goats. Jas really wants a cat though, but maybe something smaller for her would be better first.”

“Who’s Jas?” Lana asked him curiously. The chicks were still peeping away as they ate their fill of the feed. Shane closed his eyes momentarily as he pushed down his annoyance at himself for bringing up the topic.

“She’s my goddaughter,” he answered her after a second’s pause. “We both moved here from Zuzu City a couple years ago to live with my aunt Marnie. She’s six.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied, still watching him impassively. “Didn’t exactly peg you as the ‘dad’ type. Not that there is a type, I guess.”

“Yeah, most people usually don’t,” he responded shortly.

And it was true. Ms. Penny, Jas’ teacher, would almost exclusively speak to Marnie on any issues she was having in school. It was painfully obvious to everyone in the valley that she was basically the girl’s de facto mother now, while he remained “Uncle Shane”. It helped a bit that he knew Marnie absolutely loved Jas like the daughter she never could have, but he still knew he was a failure as a guardian in every shape and form. Lana seemed to sense his discomfort and changed the subject.

“Hey, do you think it’s okay to leave the chicks here for now?” she asked, nudging him softly. “I’m getting hungry, and I wanna go inside for some lunch. You coming with?”

“Sure,” he answered, relieved at how easily she dropped the subject. "I could eat."

Lana stood and dusted the hay off of her legs. “Let’s go, then."

She held out her hand to help him stand. Shane reached up and grabbed her hand in his, letting her pull him up with surprising strength. They made sure the chicks were settled before exiting the coop in the direction of her cabin.

****

Hidden away in the trees near the pond, a shadowy figure watched the pair walk up the porch steps. The farmer said something that caused the man to turn his neck to look at her and laugh. They entered the home, closing the door behind them. The figure chuckled softly, then retreated back into the trees and melted into the darkness, invisible once again.

Chapter 11: M. Rasmodius

Chapter Text

Two weeks later

On Friday night, Lana found herself in her living room cozied up on the couch with Winston as reruns of her favorite game show played in the background. A half empty glass of lukewarm wine sat on the new coffee table in front of her, which she bought from Robin at a discount after giving her a down payment for her new barn yesterday. Next to her fireplace hung a painting from Leah, a watercolor of a single raven on a branch set against the twilight sky. She had stopped by her cabin in the morning for some coffee and to drop off the art.

Lana was about to doze off when her phone rang. She raised her cheek from the palm of her hand, where it had been resting as her eyes slowly drifted shut. Without looking at who it was, she hit the green answer button and put it to her ear.

“Hello?” she mumbled sleepily, wiping a bit of drool from her jaw. She recognized the other voice on the phone immediately.

“Lana! Are you already in bed? It’s barely 10:30!” Ryan said, his husky voice sharp in her ear. “I don’t wanna make assumptions, but you don’t strike me as the type to be asleep so early on a Friday night.”

“Maybe not the old me,” she said, still a bit groggy. She rubbed her eyes and sat up straight. Winston gave a huff of disapproval and jumped off her lap to lay in his bed by the fireplace. “Farm life changes a girl, you know.”

“I can just imagine,” he said dryly. “Anyway, what’s new with you? As you can see, I also don’t have any plans tonight. Had a date, but he canceled, so decided to treat myself to a large pizza and some video games.”

“Thats sounds more fun, honestly. And not much new over here in the boonies, just trying to keep this place afloat. The crops are all done until summer hits next week, so I’ve been focusing on my new chickens.”

“You finally got them! So? Does that mean there are new developments with that dark, mysterious man you keep bumping into?”

Lana rolled her eyes. Ryan had taken to calling her every now and then to update her on gossip at JojaCorp and hound Lana for details about her personal life. She had made the mistake of mentioning Shane to him the day after their last meeting in the saloon.

“No, Ryan. I already told you- Shane and I have just run into each other a few of times since we first met. It's nothing, really.”

“Was he there when you went to buy the chickens like he said?”

“Yes, he was.”

“...And?”

“And what?”

“And what?! What happened, that's what!"

"Nothing much really. It was strictly business between us, after all."

"Lana, I’m sorry, but I call bullsh*t. You sure sounded pretty interested when you described him to me the last time we spoke.”

“I really don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, stop it. You were going on and on about how badass at pool he was the first time you met, and how he puts jalapeños on top of his pizza and drenches it with hot sauce but still doesn't break a sweat, and also the way -”

“So what, now I can’t talk about people that I meet?”

“Please. You didn’t just describe him vaguely like you did with that Saul guy, or whatever his name was. Remember - the blonde one you said never stops talking?”

“Sam, and I still don’t know what you mean. Shane’s just a cool guy, I guess. There’s like this vibe around him that always strikes me as as kind of sad, or even angry sometimes. But I can tell he’s not that bad underneath. Kind of a big softie, honestly.”

“See! There you go again. What the hell was all that you just said? You have a crush on this guy. Trust me, I know these things.”

Lana grabbed her wine and drank until the glass was empty. Ryan was bringing up a point that had honestly been nagging at her ever since that night by the lake.

It wasn’t a crush, exactly. That sounded so juvenile, at least to her, anyway. It wasn’t like she wrote his name all over her journal or looked through pictures on his social media every night before bed (she had checked - no online presence for Shane Robinson, apparently). But she had to admit to herself that there had been times she had caught herself thinking about the way his lips curved into a frown whenever he was deep in thought. The way he had sat close to her in the chicken coop had shot an instant warmth through her insides. Later that night, she touched herself in bed, unable to stop thinking about the entire encounter. Lana had climaxed with a loud cry as she imagined his fingers inside of her instead.

Not that she would ever tell Ryan any of this, anyway.

“He has a kid, you know,” she said to him finally, now pouring herself more wine. “Well, a goddaughter, but I found out he's her legal guardian. He didn’t say how she came to be in his care or anything.”

“Hmmm....interesting,” Ryan mused. “Daddy, huh? Didn’t really strike me that way, from how you described him to me.”

“That’s what I said,” she replied. “Seemed like kind of a touchy subject, so I dropped it.”

“Didn’t you say he spends all his free time at the saloon?” Ryan asked. Annoyed at how much she apparently divulged during their last chat, Lana was also no longer surprised by his encyclopedic knowledge of everything she told him. “It doesn’t sounds like he’s around much to take care of her.”

“It takes a lot to raise a kid. I’m guessing his aunt helps him,” Lana answered, feeling a twinge of defensiveness at what Ryan was implying about Shane. “Yoba, that lady was so freaking nice. Can you believe she made me a gift basket? I need to remember to pack her some jam as a thank you."

"Getting on his family's good side, huh? I'm liking the idea."

"Shut up. It's the least I can do. Hopefully I can find some time to stop by. It’s been getting so busy with summer coming around." She paused, debating revealing the next tidbit of info. "I think I can actually afford some help around the farm now that I have a good system in place, so I asked Shane's going to come over on weekends to help me around the farm."

“Now that is news,” Ryan piped up, snickering softly. “Holding out on me, I see. It looks like you two are getting closer after all. Obviously you need to tell me how that goes.”

“Fine, but you better not be telling anyone at back the office about my personal life, Ryan,” she chided him. “That would be super uncool.”

“You know I’d never do that,” Ryan scolded her back, sounding genuinely offended. “I’m just trying to live vicariously through you. Who knew moving out to the country would be so exciting?”

They laughed together as Lana took another sip of her wine.

“Hey, gotta go - that guy who stood me up is calling me,” Ryan said suddenly. “I’m going to ignore his call and go online so he can see that I’m still awake.”

“Let me guess, if he calls you a second time, you’ll answer and invite him over?”

“You already know me so well. I knew you'd be a kindred soul if you just let me in. If you weren't so obviously into this Shane guy, I'd be packing my bags to go live happily ever after with you in the boonies.”

Lana rolled her eyes again, but she smiled softly as swirled the dark liquid in her glass. As annoyingly nosy and intrusive as he could be sometimes, Ryan really did offer good advice and always was willing to lend her an ear to vent.

“Alright, well, good luck with whatever-his-name-is,” she said, picking up the remote to change the channel. “And yes, before you ask again, I’ll keep you updated on the whole Shane thing. Not that there is a thing, by the way.”

“Can’t wait to hear,” Ryan replied cheerfully. “Have a good night, Lana.”

“Good night, Ryan.”

She hung up the phone and finally settled on an old movie that was halfway through playing. She pulled up her messages and opened up the conversation with Shane. Her fingers were about to tap out a message before she stopped, struggling internally.

He was already coming over on Sunday for the first time to help with the chickens and clear some of the rest of her land while she got her fields ready for the summer crops. There was no point in inviting him over now, so late at night when it would be blatantly obvious what her offer really was. But what was she offering, really? Lana pondered this question as she finished her wine and watched the TV screen without really listening.

Just watching this movie together would be nice, she thought. Maybe I could throw a pizza in the oven, and we can finish that tub of ice cream I have in the freezer.

Her fingers wavered over the keyboard at the bottom of her screen. There was no way Shane would interpret an invitation at this hour as anything other than a sexual proposition. She sighed as she locked her phone and moved her eyes back to the screen to finish watching the movie in silence for the rest of the night until she turned off the TV, walked to her bedroom, and went to sleep.

****

The next morning, Lana decided to take the day off from her farm to explore the forest a bit more. She put on a purple top and some shorts before shoving her feet into her favorite sneakers. Her unruly wavy hair was tied back into a low ponytail before she slathered her face with sunscreen and threw on a floppy straw hat for more protection. Grabbing her backpack next to her bed, she began to rifle through it, making sure she had enough supplies for the day. She took Winston for a quick walk and fed him before shrugging her bag on her shoulders and heading back out the front door.

The sun was already high overhead by the time she managed to make it around the lake in Cindersap Forest. Sweat was starting to drip down her brow, so she stopped in the shade of a tree by the lake and drank some water from her bottle. Lana sat for a while, contentedly listening to the peaceful sounds of the forest.

Suddenly, the quiet around her was broken by a series of high-pitched giggles that rang out in the trees above. She shot up and looked around for the source of the sounds but saw nothing.

Then, it happened again, this time in the trees behind her, further back in the woods.

I’ve had enough of this, she thought angrily, throwing on her backpack to follow the source of the familiar chatter. It continued as she walked through the bushes and trees, always overhead and just out of her reach. The only thing she could see as her pace quickened was the rustling of leaves above in the direction the noises were coming from. She stepped briskly, almost jogging at some points, for what seemed like a long time until she stopped in her tracks, perplexed at what she now saw in the distance peeking through the treetops.

A large, grey-stoned tower that extended into the sky. As she got closer, she could see a golden telescope protruding from a top window. At the very tip of the tower, there was a rusty-looking weather vane that spun around despite no breeze in the air. Thick green vines twisted their way up the length of the tower, much like those she saw covering the community center back in town.

Lana emerged from the trees, the voices overhead now silent, and walked up a series of narrow steps until she reached a large, mahogany door with a heavy brass knocker. She put her hands on her hips as she looked at it skeptically, not moving from where she stood. After a few seconds, the chattering began to ring out again from the trees surrounding the tower.

“Damn it - fine!” she conceded, raising her hand to knock three times. The door immediately swung open slowly, and Lana stepped through with a wary glance behind her.

She walked into a darkened chamber, her footsteps creaking on the wooden floor beneath her sneakers. She cautiously moved closer to the center of the room, where she saw a large circle with intricate symbols painted in white on the floor. A few red candles were lit around the circumference.

This can't be good, Lana thought grimly, nonetheless too intrigued to run away now. She looked to her left and saw an immense black cauldron with a bubbling, green liquid inside. A pale smoke rose from the surface. Lana backed away from it.

“YOU ARE FINALLY HERE, ” a voice boomed out from one of the dim corners. She jumped and turned to see a tall man materialize out of the shadows at the top of a twisting staircase. He had striking purple hair, thick and wavy underneath a black hat with a strange gold symbol pinned to the band. He sported a matching mustache and goatee, and as he descended, she could do nothing but take in his appearance with her mouth slightly agape. The long, high-collared black cloak fastened around his shoulders swished around behind him while the leather pointed boots on his feet clacked loudly with each step he took. Underneath the cloak, he donned a maroon tunic with black leggings, the same gold symbol hanging on a pendant from his neck.

“I’m sorry.” Lana managed to compose herself from the shock of what she was witnessing. “But who the hellare you, exactly?”

“I am the wizard, M. Rasmodius,” he answered her grandly, with a deep bow. “Seeker of the Arcane Truths. Master of the Seven Elementals. Mediary between the physical world and the ethereal realms, entrusted as the Keeper of the Sacred Cha- uh, well, you get the point.”

He had seen the unimpressed look on her face and stopped talking, now appearing a bit flustered in his oversized cloak. He cleared his throat and continued.

“And you are Lana Rose Abernathy,” he continued in his baritone voice. “I have long foreseen your arrival, my dear.”

“Can’t say the same about you, I’m afraid,” she replied nonchalantly. She began to edge her way closer to the door.

“Wait - before you make your escape,” he called out. She stopped and looked at him with a dubious expression. “Let me show you something. To explain all of this.” He stepped back and raised both arms towards the circle on the floor. It began to glow softly.

“Appearus Junimus!” he cried out an incantation, and in the middle of the pattern a trio of white lights rose from the floor. They began to multiply rapidly into more spheres that danced together like fireflies in the air before coming together in a blinding flash. Lana opened her eyes to see a familiar tiny green creature hopping up and down in the middle of the lights.

“You’ve seen one before, haven’t you?” he asked her smugly as she gasped.

“The little apple! It’s real!” she cried out, pointing at it. It waved cheerfully back at her. “I knew I wasn’t going insane!”

“They’re called ‘Junimos’,” he explained to her. “And they have been a mystery to humans for many, many years. For some reason, they refuse to speak with me.”

He turned to glance at the creature sharply. It took one look at him and crossed its skinny arms as it looked away before disappearing with another flash of light. Rasmodius ignored it and continued.

“They are harmless little beings for the most part - you have no reason to fear them. But I’ve no clue why they have moved into the community center in town.”

“Are they the ones who built that little hut in the corner?” she asked him, walking closer to the circle now that the Junimo was gone.

“A hut? Strange. They usually live within walls if they choose buildings - it’s safer and more covered for them,” he said as he stroked his goatee, deep in thought. “I have never seen them create nests out in the open except back in their jungled homeland overseas.”

“I saw their tiny footsteps going into the walls,” Lana persisted. “But there was this little house-thing made out of sticks and leaves in the corner. The mayor said it must have come from some kids in town, but it looked too small for that.”

Rasmodius said nothing for a moment before moving suddenly inside the white circle on the floor.

“Stay here,” he told her, turning away. “I shall go investigate for myself. Please do not leave - I’ll return shortly.” He spun and began to glow brightly before he dissipated into air as silvery molecules. The wizard was gone.

“What the hell?” Lana gaped after him. She took off her hat and threw it in exasperation on a nearby table covered in stacks of thick books. Out of curiosity, shewalked over and opened one - it was written in some bizarre unknown language, so she slammed it shut. Before she could do anything else, the purple-haired man returned, strutting in through the front door with his cape fluttering around his ankles.

“Look, Mr. Wizard, or whatever the hell your name is,” she started angrily. “I don’t really know who you think you are, but-"

She stopped talking as he brandished a golden scroll in front of her face. It was covered in another strange language she had never seen before.

“What’s this?” she said, looking at him with her eyes narrowed.

“This was inside that hut you mentioned,” Rasmodius answered. He lowered the note and sat down at the table. She joined him warily after a few seconds. “I’m assuming they left it for you to find. Their language is ancient and obscure - but I believe that I am able to decipher it."

He unrolled the scroll and began to read dramtically:

"Farmer - We, the Junimos, are happy to aid you. In return, we ask for gifts of the valley. If you are one with the forest, then you will see the true nature of this scroll."

He looked up at Lana with a pensive look on his face. She watched nervously as his purple mustache drooped. He stood up suddenly, knocking over an empty goblet on the table near him. Mumbling to himself, he walked over to the bubbling cauldron, now smoking more heavily. Sighing, Lana got up and joined him, standing a couple of feet away from the pot.

“‘One with the forest’,” he repeated, looking into the depths of the opaque green liquid. “Whatever could those little bastards mean?” He began sniffing loudly as he leaned in to whatever was boiling inside the cauldron.

“Come here!” he cried out, grabbing Lana by the arm and pulling her closer. A green glow seemed to be emitting from the liquid, illuminating her face in an eerie light as she looked at it, transfixed. The wizard continued speaking, his own eyes wide and wild. “This potion in my cauldron has been brewing with ingredients from the forest. So many potent items I found! Baby fern, moss grub, caramel-top toadstool … Can you smell the trees? The flowers growing from the earth?”

Lana was pulled even closer to the smoke, not really sure if the wizard was moving her or if she was moving herself. She felt dizzy as the fumes drifted into her nose, hit with vivid memories of walking through the forest and smelling the very things he was describing.

Rasmodius spoke more quietly now. "Tell me, why did they choose you?"

“I … uh,” she couldn’t speak, looking up at the wizard, helpless. There was a look in his dark eyes that she couldn’t quite place, but for some reason, no alarms were set off in her head as he produced a small cup and dipped into the green potion bubbling below.

“Here - drink this,” he handed it to her. She took it wordlessly with both of her hands. “This is the very essence of the forest. This must be what the Junimos are referring to. Let it permeate your body so that you can become one with the trees.”

Lana could barely think through the fog beginning to grow in her head. For a reason she couldn't explain, she obeyed the wizard anddrank from the cup as though she was taking a shot of liquor - in one single, smooth swallow down her throat.

Lana had done her share of drugs before. She had gladly experimented with a variety of substances as a teenager and later in college for the first couple of years- powdery cocaine in the girls’ bathroom at nightclubs, the occasional pill her wealthier connections in Westhaven were able to rustle up for her. Her personal favorite was marijuana, but hallucinogens, like LSD or mushrooms, were also sometimes used in the past, mainly at the handful of music festivals she had attended while she was hooking up with a DJ in her first year of college.

But this was like absolutely nothing she had ever experienced in the past. The walls of the chamber around her seemed to melt away before her very eyes, and Rasmodius himself vanished from beside her. Everything turned a hazy shade of green, as though the heavy smoke from the potion suddenly engulfed the area. Lana felt a chill as a breeze started to sweep through the room, gasping as glittering leaves appeared and began swirling around in the wind.

But she wasn’t in the tower anymore - she was on top of a green cloud, looking towards a towering tree in the distance. Something compelled her to walk toward it, getting closer and closer until it detached from the cloud. It began to drift around in her vision before multiplying itself into more trees that all began dancing suspended in the air together, roots swinging in time with their movements. Lana looked down, feeling as though time was moving in slow-motion as she stared at her hands. Her skin had a faint glimmer to it, almost like a bioluminescence emanating from within.

She gasped and stumbled back, more confused than ever. Crouching down with her eyes shut tight, Lana felt herself beginning to panic, a rush of fear starting to pump through her veins. There was a gentle tap on her head. She looked up to see a small tree floating near her with its long roots outstretched towards her like arms. She hesitated, lowering her hands and looking up at the tree in disbelief. A now-familiar gentle chattering had begun to rise in volume around her, sounding as though it was coming from within the trees and green haze and even from inside her own head. The giggles ringing out like hundreds of little bells began to slip and morph into a happy babbling, almost like children talking, and she slowly began to understand the words that the voices were calling out.

“Farmer, we can help you!”

“It’s really her!”

“She’s here, she’s finally here!”

“The trees! The trees!”

“Farmer! The roots! Touch the roots!”

“Touch the roots!”

They all began to chorus that same phrase. Before she could change her mind, Lana abruptly raised up her arm, her hand outstretched towards the roots of the same small tree now dancing above her. It stopped moving and lowered itself gently, stopping with a long, curling tendril an inch away from her fingers. She raised herself up to touch a fingertip to the end of the root.

A green light appeared at the connection, growing in size as the wind picked up suddenly and those strange, shimmering leaves began to whip around her. The green glow began to engulf her, and then her vision turned a bright, blinding chartreuse. She waved her arms in panic in front of her, no longer able to see or hear anything at all except solid green.

“Lana!” Rasmodius had now appeared beside her. He grabbed her by the arm and the room suddenly faded back into view. She was back in the tower.

He quickly helped her sit back down. She still felt slightly woozy as she drank deeply from the water bottle she grabbed from her backpack.

“I probably should have warned you about the effects of that potion beforehand,” he said meekly, sitting down next to her. “How do you feel?” She gave him a dirty look but just sighed as she replied.

“I’m okay now,” she said, rubbing her face. Her vision still swam with swirling leaves. “What the hell was all that? I feel like I’ve been drugged.”

“I’m very sorry,” he apologized, wringing his hands together. “That potion allows me to immerse myself within the forest whenever I go out foraging or on other … personal quests. It simply allows me to more easily navigate through the woods. But it seems to have affected you differently - tell me, what did you see?”

“It was all just… green,” Lana began. She closed her eyes again. “Then these trees appeared, and they began to float around in the air around me, and then I heard all these little voices telling me to touch the roots. So, I did.”

Lana paused, trying to calm her breathing. She looked at her hands.

“I understood them, Rasmodius,” she whispered, her eyes now wide. She felt the flash of fear squeeze her heart suddenly. “They spoke to me - those creatures I heard at the community center and keep hearing whenever I’m in the woods. What did they and that tree do to me?”

The wizard regarded her with his brow furrowed as though deep in thought.

Then, he told her, “You have been granted the power of the ancient magic that lives within this forest. Stardew Valley has long been the home to many magical creatures such as the ones you've seen. It's only recently that it's settled into the peace we see today. From what it seems, the Junimos have chosen you, so you can now understand their language. It looks like they want to help you fix that old community center in return for something.”

“But why me?” she asked him, dumbstruck. “And why would they care about that old building?”

“I’m not sure,” he pondered darkly. There was a veiled look of confusion on his face. “As I mentioned before, they no longer speak with me, so I can’t exactly ask them. Perhaps you can figure it out? They will be waiting for you there, inside the community center.”

“As much as I would prefer not to, I feel like I’m kind of obligated to at this point after that crazy vision your potion gave me. Which is another point. How the hell am I suppose to just deal with the fact that magic is real? This whole thing is insane."

“I know it's a lot to take in, but I am here to assist you,” the wizard assured her.

"You better, because technically you're the one who roped me into this whole mess, o mighty wizard M. Rasmodius." She shook her head. "In the meantime, I think I need a good, long nap before I can even begin processing all of this."

“I will help you in whichever way I can, Ms. Abernathy.” he responded in his deep voice, rising to escort her to the front door. "This I swear to you."

Lana stood, putting on her hat and slinging her backpack over her shoulders. She exited his tower, walking down the steps. At the bottom, she stopped, turning around and calling out before he went back inside. “Hey! What’s the M. stand for, anyway?”

He hesitated before giving her a peeved look through his narrowed eyes.

“Malachai,” he responded curtly. With a swing of his black cloak, he retreated back into his tower, loudly slamming the dark wooden door shut behind him.

Chapter 12: Some Like It Hot

Chapter Text

Summer

Shane sweated profusely as he swung down the axe, splitting the log in two easily. The pieces fell away with a clatter. He heard a low whistle behind him.

“Impressive work, Mr. Robinson,” Lana said, sauntering up next to him. She was wearing a green shirt under her overalls today that would show a sliver of skin whenever she’d reach up or bend over for something. Her bare legs were covered in soil. She had just been planting more radish seeds as an addition to her already in-progress summer crops. Lana reached into her pockets and pulled out a handful of red peppers. “Want one?”

“Pepper me,” he said, opening his mouth. She lobbed it up with expert accuracy, and it sailed straight into her target. Shane closed his mouth and began to chew. He suspected that Lana would be a frightening opponent in beer pong. The pepper crunched in his mouth, and he moaned as his eyes rolled back into his head. “f*ck, these are so good. You really outdid yourself with these, farmer.”

“Wait ‘til you try the pepper jelly I’m making,” she replied, popping one into her own mouth. Lana walked ahead of him, looking at the pond he was chopping wood next to. He watched her from behind as her long braid swung down her back when she brushed the dirt off her legs. She had taken to wearing it in that style while working on the farm, and he developed the habit of tugging it softly whenever he approached her while her back was turned. He did so now, coming up next to Lana to look out at the water.

“Should we call it a day?” he asked her, wiping some sweat from his forehead. “It’s getting pretty late. How do you not ever seem tired?”

“Pure adrenaline, I think,” she replied, smirking at him. “But yes, I’m all done, and it looks like you are too.”

They began to walk back to her house so that they could eat whatever Lana had prepared for them. It had been a few weekends now that he had been staying over for lunch or even dinner on some longer days at the farm. A few times, he and the farmer walked over to the Stardrop Saloon for a drink before heading home their separate ways. Shane would have to tear himself away to head home so he could read to Jas before she went to sleep. Some nights, he’d lay in bed with his phone open to Lana’s last text, deeply frustrated with himself and trying to convince his fingers to send her a message and ask her if he could maybe come back over so they could have a drink by her pond like she had offered before. Not once had he been able to summon up the courage, always just grabbing a six-pack from his closet to continue drinking alone, feeling like the biggest puss* in the entire world.

The first time he had stayed to eat, after Lana first got her chickens, it was a bit awkward as she had to scurry around to clear the table of all her empty jelly jars and rustle up some sparse sandwiches for them while Shane waited on her couch. Winston, her little wiener dog with squat legs and a low-hanging belly, had sniffed him suspiciously before settling down onto his lap for a nap. Apparently, he had passed some sort of unknown test.

Now, he would enter her home with more familiarity, sitting with Winston on the couch or playing with him on the floor while Lana made the food. She’d always make a little side plate for the dog, patting him on the head gently after she set it down for him to eat beside them.

Eating with Lana and Winston quickly became the best part of Shane’s week. He’d fantasize about it (and her) endlessly while he stocked the shelves at work. Lately, he had been having to deal with Morris being in a worse mood than usual. He often heard him grumbling about the old community center JojaCorp wanted to purchase at the edge of town, which apparently was rumored to be repairing itself slowly overnight by an unknown benefactor. Working at Lana’s once a week not only earned him some extra cash but also won him some alone time with the farmer not many others in town seemed to get.

Now that they were well over a month into summer, Shane had recently been racking his brain for a casual way to ask her if she would be going to the annual Pelican Town Luau that would be taking place tomorrow by the beach. He had never seen her attend any event in town before. Lana was standing at her kitchen counter looking through a cabinet for some plates when he decided to throw caution to the wind and just outright ask her.

“So, uh,” he began, running his hand through his hair, still somewhat wet from his sweat. It was getting pretty long again. “You going to that luau tomorrow? The one by the beach?”

She walked over to the table he was sitting at and set a cold beer down in front of him. There was an empty wine glass in her other hand, ready for the unopened bottle that was on the table.

“You know, the mayor sent me a letter about that,” she said, setting down the glass to walk back to the oven and take out the pizza she had thrown in from the freezer when they had first arrived. She began to cut it as she kept talking. “Now that I think about it, I don’t know why he didn’t just text me - he has my number. It seems like he really loves sending letters. But anyway, I wasn’t really planning on going. Why? Are you going?”

“Not sure. Maybe,” he lied, knowing full well that Marnie dragged him along every year. She was in charge of the large potluck soup that the townspeople could contribute to with an ingredient of their choice. “The governor goes too, so the mayor likes to spend that whole day kissing his ass. Pretty fun to watch after a few drinks.”

“And I bet your aunt always does her best to help him,” she teased him as she brought the pizza and plates to the table. He rolled his eyes at her while she giggled at his mortification. A couple of weekends ago, she had brought up catching Lewis sneaking out of the ranch one midnight, and he had to admit his knowledge of his aunt’s affair with the mayor to her while she cackled in glee.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, feeling his cheeks heat slightly. “But Jas likes it too. She gets to play with Vincent in the sand and stuff. Everyone in town goes. It's kind of the event of the summer, for those who give a sh*t.”

“I think Sam and Abigail also mentioned it to me a couple of weeks ago when I went over to watch their band practice. You know, they’re actually not so bad? You should come listen to them with me one of these days.” He felt a bit flustered at her sudden invitation. She opened her wine bottle and poured a generous portion into her glass, sitting down to take a long sip.

“Um, sure,” he managed, after taking a swig of his beer. “If they’re cool with it. Sebastian’s in the band too, right?” Shane felt a momentary twinge of jealousy at the thought of her spending time with him, even if it was with the others in the room.

“Yeah, he plays the keyboard. Sam does vocals and guitar, and Abigail’s on the drums and does backup vocals. They actually asked me to help pick their new genre last week. I told them to try out some high-energy dance music as a joke, but I think Sam took it seriously.”

“That’ll be interesting to see.”

“It will be. But anyway, this luau. I changed my mind. I’ll go if you go. It’ll probably make Sam’s day too, now that I think about it. Maybe we can all go to the saloon afterwards. It's been so long since the last time we all hung out.”

“That might be fun.” He did his best to maintain his cool façade as he drank from his beer and took a few bites of his pizza. Lana had let down her hair from its braid, and it settled in glossy waves over one shoulder. The now-familiar smell of vanilla that always seemed to follow her around wafted into his nose. Distracted by how startling pretty she looked in the light from the kitchen window, he did his best to focus on what she was asking him.

“What time are you going then?” Lana was already halfway through her first slice of pizza. “Should I just meet you there?”

“Uh, yeah, I’ll probably just head down with Marnie and Jas beforehand to help her set up. I think it starts at 10am.”

“Okay, I’ll be there. The beach, right? People just wear their bathing suits, or what?”

“Typically yeah. Especially tomorrow, I heard it’s gonna be f*cking hot - over 90 degrees or something.”

“Ugh. Good to know.”

“Yup. So, I’ll see you there.”

“You’ll see me there.”

There was a few seconds of silence as they both ate and drank. Winston gave a sad whine from beside Shane’s feet. His bowl was empty, and he was now eyeing the pepperoni on Shane’s slice of pizza with a rather frenzied glint in his eye. They both laughed.

“Winston,” Lana scolded lightly. Her dog stood back on his hind legs and placed a paw on Shane’s thigh, looking up at him pitifully. “Did you even chew the food I gave you before inhaling it? Stop begging for pepperoni.”

He gave an irked huff, dropping back down to the floor to curl up a couple of feet away with his eyes rolled up to the ceiling in exasperation. Shane and Lana continued to eat, now debating about what she should bring for the potluck soup tomorrow.

Later, Shane picked a piece of pepperoni off of his pizza and snuck it to Winston when he thought Lana wasn’t looking. He looked up suddenly and caught her eye. There was an amused smile on her face that settled into something softer and shyer when he grinned back guiltily at her.

****

The next morning went by in a bit of a blur for Shane, who woke up early to help load some extra tables and chairs Marnie had offered to bring. He spent almost half an hour trying to get Jas dressed - the little girl couldn’t decide on which frilly bathing suit to wear to the beach. She had a small tantrum later when they couldn’t find her favorite sandcastle set, calming down only when Shane managed to find it under Marnie's bed. By then, he already knew it was going to be a long day.

They arrived at the beach halfway past 9. There were already a handful of other townspeople helping to get things ready for the luau, including a nervous-looking Mayor Lewis. His aunt tutted to herself as she made her way over to snap him out of his funk so that they could set up the large pot that would be used for the soup. Meanwhile, Shane made his way over to where he had seen Sam setting up some tables next to Harvey and Elliot.

“Hey Shane!” Sam waved enthusiastically at him. He looked particularly young next to the older men with his loud, neon orange swim trunks and blue sunglasses pushed up in his hair. Next to him, the town doctor had a smear of sunscreen on his nose and a large hat covering his head. He wore a white t-shirt and dark green swim trunks that seemed to fit his tall frame a bit too short. Elliot, a man who Shane knew lived in a shack on the other side of the beach, was standing with his arms crossed over an admittedly impressive physique, his long red hair tied up in a knot at the top of his head.

“Sam,” Shane greeted him while also nodding to the others, who responded with their own hello’s. “Looks like you guys already got started.”

“Yeah, my mom wanted to get an early start so Vincent can get tired out by noon, that way she can day-drink with Caroline,” he replied in his usual cheerful manner, folding open a couple more chairs from a stack he had next to him.

“He certainly is a precocious little tyke,” Elliot chortled. “I often see him and Jas running around near the library. Always with a book in her hand, that one. Does she get that affinity for reading from you, Shane?”

“Oh, no way,” he responded. He wondered if he had ever had a single conversation with the man he only knew to be an aspiring writer who had moved to town from across the country a year or so before Shane had. “Not sure where she gets that from, but it was a smart habit to pick up, I guess.”

“Always good to start young,” Harvey piped up from next to Sam. “I often like to frequent the library here in town, although it’s much smaller than the one from where I grew up.”

Shane had been surprised to learn from Marnie once that the town doctor was only in his mid-30’s. He also was a relative newcomer to the valley, relocating a few years before from a town outside of Zuzu City to take over the practice from the previous doctor, who was retiring. He often heard about Harvey from Marnie as he was a constant topic that arose in her conversations with Robin. Apparently, her husband Demetrius was hoping that Maru would take a shine to her older boss and settle down with him one day.

“Ah, look who else is joining us!” Elliot called out to someone behind Shane. He turned to see Leah approaching, the artist who lived alone down the hill from the ranch.

“Good morning, everybody,” she said merrily. She wore a simple yellow bikini with a matching floral-print sarong tied around her waist. He noticed her eyes were trained on Elliot even though she addressed the entire group. “Wow, it’s already a scorcher out, isn’t it? Good thing I'm not late. I paid a visit to Lana this morning for some tea and got a bit sidetracked. May I have a seat on one of these chairs?”

Elliot clambered to get a seat for her, opening it and making sure it was clean before motioning with his hand for her to sit down. Shane never paid much attention to the tall, red-haired woman who sometimes came by to chat with Marnie with that peculiar accent of hers. But now, looking at her smiling widely as the group chattered around her, he could see why Elliot was so obviously taken with her. The painter and the writer seemed to be made for each other.

“So did Lana say if she was coming?” Harvey asked her, rubbing some sunscreen off his nose as he scratched it.

“I believe so. She said she had an errand to do beforehand,” Leah replied. Shane stood on the other side of Sam, looking at his over-chewed fingernails and trying to act uninterested in the mention of the farmer.

“Man, I hope she does! She never comes out to events like this,” Sam spoke up, stretching his arms over his head.

“She said she would come,” Shane said, before he could think about stopping himself. The entire group turned to look at him.

“Really?” Harvey asked him, looking surprised. “You talk to her?”

“Uh, a bit. I help her out on her farm some weekends for the extra cash,” he answered, his discomfort growing more and more as the seconds passed. The incredulous look on the doctor's face bothered him in a way that cut more deeply than he liked.

“Yes, I remember her mentioning that,” Leah added in her typical polite manner. She smiled at him. “Lana always does tell me how much she appreciates your assistance.”

Shane’s mouth dropped open for a second before he cleared his throat in embarrassment.

“Beats JojaMart, anyway,” he managed to reply.

"You can say that again." Sam nodded eagerly in agreement.

Prompt as ever, the rest of the people from town began to trickle in to the beach. He finished helping Sam and the others set up before escaping with the excuse of looking for his goddaughter. For a while, he kept an eye out for Lana from where Jas and Vincent playing in the sand, but over an hour passed by and he still didn’t see her crossing the bridge that led back to town.

“I like your swim trunks, Shane,” he heard a voice from behind him. He turned to see Haley standing next to Alex, who had his back turned to them as he got ready to throw the gridball in his hand to a friend down the beach. She smiled sweetly at him, wearing a tiny pink bikini that seemed to be held up only by a few thin strings. He grew suspicious immediately, as Emily’s vain little sister never graced him with so much as a glance, much less any sort of compliment.

“Thanks,” he replied warily. He began to turn back to the kids, but she spoke up again.

“So, how’s the farmer doing?” Haley asked, twirling a finger around one of her blonde locks. “Lana, right? I heard you two are spending a lot of time together. I’m surprised she didn’t come with you today.”

Haley was extremely beautiful in a rather cold way that never appealed to him, although he had to admit to himself that in his past life in Zuzu City, he would have definitely tried taking her home from the bar one night in one of his more confidently buzzed moments. He saw Alex tilt his head in their direction, now listening to their conversation.

“Yeah, well, I bet everyone hears a lot of things around here,” Shane took a swig of the beer he was holding loosely in his hand. He saw Haley’s eyes dart down to the empty bottle at his feet.

“Really, Shane? Around the kids?” She wrinkled her nose. Next to her, Alex called out goodbye to his friend, who took the gridball with him. He walked over to his girlfriend and threw a heavily-muscled arm around her petite shoulders.

“Yeah, ain’t it a bit early to be hitting the sauce, man?” he added to Shane. He was already deeply tan from all the time he probably spent training at the beach for gridball tryouts for the Tunnelers in the fall.

“I don’t really see how that’s any of your business,” Shane replied, turning away to ignore them. “Besides, isn’t this a party, or whatever?"

"So?" Haley's eyes narrowed.

"So, see that punch over there? It's been spiked, and not by yours truly, either. Most people here are already well on their way to getting wasted by noon anyway, so lighten up a bit.”

“I'm just saying,” Alex threw up his hands, grinning at Shane amiably. Haley continued to glare at him from beside her boyfriend. “I always see you going into the saloon when I’m outside practicing or hanging with my dog. Might be wise to give it a rest every now and then, yeah?”

“f*ck off, man,” Shane muttered. He heard Vincent give a delighted gasp from playing below in the sand.

“Oh! Bad word!” he called out loudly, pointing a finger at Shane. Jas rolled her eyes at the dramatics of her friend, who continued to gleefully announce to the nearest beachgoers that Shane had cussed in front of young children.

“Shh, Vincent - okay, I’m sorry,” he ran his hands through his hair, feeling increasingly agitated as Alex’s easy smile seemed to dissolve into a wicked sneer. “Look, just leave us alone, yeah? I’m not trying to cause trouble or anything. I’m just trying to watch these kids and have a beer by the water. So sue me.”

“Yeah, okay, whatever,” Alex said, putting his hand on the small of Haley’s back to lead her away from him. “It’s your life, Shane. See you around.” She threw him one last dirty look over her shoulder as they walked back towards the luau. He sighed deeply and looked down at his niece, who was sitting quietly as she built her sandcastle.

“I’m sorry you had to see that Jas,” he told her, his heart feeling like a stone in his chest from how the day was going. “I know it’s not nice to say that to someone, no matter how angry I was.”

“That’s okay, Uncle Shane,” she told him, smiling at him softly. He went over to her and ruffled up her hair, tied up in a curly ponytail today. She patted his leg gently. “Everyone makes mistakes.”

The kids finished playing in the sand, and they ran off to find Marnie while Shane made his way over to the buffet table set up near the huge pot. It was already almost midday, and his stomach was rumbling in hunger. The table was covered in an array of dishes, from golden fried chicken and potato salad to a huge vanilla cake and a gooey platter of brownies. He helped himself to a hefty cupful of the purple punch from the large bowl on the center of the table. Surreptitiously, he brought it up to his nose to take a sniff and recoiled almost immediately from the strong smell of alcohol. He gave a low chuckle and happily swallowed a good portion of the liquid before topping off his cup, now making his way down the table to grab some food. He was in the middle of loading up his plate with some of Gus’s pizza and poppers when he heard her voice from just behind him.

“Jeez, save some for the rest of us, will you?” Lana teased, sounding silky in his ear as she snuck up on him. He turned around, and his eyes widened when he saw how incredible she looked.

She was wearing a green bikini with a halter top that tied up behind her neck. Shane took in her belly-button ring glittering in the sun and the bow-tied strings holding up the bottom of her bathing suit, peeking out at him over the jean shorts she was wearing. She held a large Tupperware full of peppers in her hand.

Yoba, she's incredible, he thought, feeling an almost-primal hunger for her that he knew had only been painfully increasing since they had started spending so much time together. He had to suppress the mad impulse to cover her from view of the other beachgoers, including Alex, who he saw leering at her from the other buffet table while Haley’s back was turned.

“Hey there, Lana,” Shane said to her, closing his mouth that he just realized had dropped slightly as he regarded her in front of him. “You gotta try this hot pepper chutney here … they don’t make it like this back in the city, I sh*t you not.”

“Good to know,” she gave him a cheeky smile as she held up the Tupperware. “Any idea where I should leave this?” He pointed over to his aunt, who was standing on the other side of the soup pot with Lewis.

“Marnie’s in charge of all that, so just give them to her,” he replied. “Want me to get you a drink?”

“No thanks, I’m good for now. Gonna give these to Marnie and say hi to a few people first.”

“Oh, okay. But you should definitely try the punch. Pam really outdid herself this year with how much she spiked it with her stash of booze.”

“Oh, don’t you worry,” she gave him a small wink. “I know good jungle juice when I see it.” She began to walk away before stopping abruptly and turning back to him.

“Hey, so are you still up for the saloon later?” she asked. “I’m planning to ask Sam and the others when I see them.”

Shane fidgeted with the collar of the sleeveless shirt he was wearing. He knew he was kidding himself by hesitating - he could never say no to spending more time with her.

“Yeah, sure,” he said, taking a drink of his punch. “Sounds like fun.” She giggled, the sound musical in his ear.

“Okay, I’ll come find you later. I have extra clothes with me, so maybe we can just head over from here.”

“That works for me.”

“Cool. It looks like I need to catch up - you’ve already got a head start on me with that ‘punch’ of yours.”

She grinned and turned away from again, walking over to his aunt and the mayor. He watched her as she retreated, unable to take his eyes off of the swaying movement of her hips. Shane sighed and took a long swallow of the strong juice in his cup. He turned around to help himself to another refill.

****

Lana had returned sometime later, a large plate of food now in one hand and an equally full cup of punch in the other. She stayed with Shane for a while before being pulled away to play volleyball with Sam and Abigail. He saw Sebastian also watching the group from his dark corner under the shade of some trees. Shane was surprised to see him dressed in a white t-shirt and black swim trunks - miles away from his usual completely covered attire.

The farmer would periodically return to him over the next hour or so in between mingling with some of the other townspeople like Harvey, Leah and Elliot. She’d always come back with a large smile on her face, her cheeks getting progressively redder as she drank more and more of the fruity punch. Finally, the mayor had everyone in attendance gather around the buffet tables and giant pot. Marnie ladled out a sizable portion to the governor by his side. Shane recognized the smug look on his aunt’s face and knew the soup was going to be a hit this year. The governor had one spoonful before his face broke out in a wide grin, Lewis’ own relieved expression following suit.

“Looks like you were right,” Lana said from next to him. The rest of the town moved forward to try some of the soup, curious at the governor’s rare positive reaction. “Those peppers added some much-needed spice.”

“Yeah, I remembered hearing him mentioning something to the mayor about the soup being too bland last year,” he replied.

A bit insecure, he had elected to not take off his shirt despite the heat. His old swim trunks, dark grey with a pattern of blue palm trees, were still dry, unlike Lana who had braved the water at one point.

“So, that’s it, right?” Lana asked him. She rubbed her shoulder with a grimace. It was beginning to look a bit sunburnt. “Luau’s over? Should we get going to the saloon, then? Sam and the others said they’d meet us there.”

“Yeah, let’s get the hell out of here,” he agreed. “I just need to change into some extra shorts I brought.”

“You got it, Zuzu,” she said airily, putting another potato chip from the plate she was holding into her mouth with a loud crunch.

Ten minutes later, they made their way up the bridge from the beach along with some of the townspeople who also were departing now that the luau was over. They took the shortcut through the small cemetery until they emerged at the road that led to the town square, where the Stardrop Saloon was located.

Right before they were going to enter the saloon, Lana stopped and spun around to face Shane.

“What? What is it?” he asked, dazzled slightly by how close to him she was.

“Afterwards,” Lana began, looking around shiftily. “When we leave the saloon. Can you go with me somewhere? I’ll just say you’re walking me home so we can be alone. I want to show you something.” There was a cagey look in her eyes as they bore into his, imploring him to say yes.

“Okay, yeah,” he said, putting his hands up. To his immense disappointment, she backed away from him. “Kinda weird, but I’ll go with you.”

“Thanks,” she replied, smiling now. “Let’s go inside.”

He followed her as she entered the saloon, feeling a mixture of amusem*nt at Lana’s suspicious behavior and anxious apprehension at what he had just agreed to.

****

By the time he and Lana left the saloon, the sun had already set beneath the horizon and the sky was beginning to darken as nighttime set in. The air around them was still humid as they made their way up the street. Shane was still basking in the small high that he had received earlier when Lana looped her arm through his in front of everyone and proclaimed to them all that she’d love for Shane to walk her home safely. The ugly look he caught in Sebastian’s eyes before they turned away to leave together had almost felt as good as beating him again at pool back inside the bar.

He felt a nice buzz in his head from all the beer he had earlier, but he was clear-headed enough to curiously wonder what on earth Lana was up to as she led him out of town. They ended up on the trail that he knew ended at the small park with a playground that Jas liked going to sometimes. To his surprise, the farmer kept right on the trail, crossing instead into a wide, grassy field. He hurried to keep up with her as she strode through the clearing.

“Uh, sorry, but where are we going, exactly?” he asked her anxiously. “You’re not really giving me much to go on here.”

“Up ahead,” she answered, looking straight with a determined glint in her eyes. “Do you see it? The old community center.”

He followed her gaze and saw that she was right - through the patches of tall grass and trees, he could see the derelict building that he knew as the bane of his aunt’s existence. She often complained to him about it, alternating between nostalgia at her past memories of it as a child and anger at Lewis for letting it go to such complete sh*t on his watch.

“Why the f*ck are we going there?” He was dumbstruck, having no clue what Lana would want to show him in a place like that. Even from here, he could see that it was falling apart and was probably a dangerous place to be in. He slowed down, shaking his head.

“Come on, Shane - there’s just something inside I want to show you," Lana insisted.

“You’re not gonna kill me, are you? Wait, are you the axe-murderer? Is this why you wanted me to be one so badly?”

“Oh, ha ha, so funny. I’m being serious here. I just … I can’t really explain it to you. You just need to see it.”

“Alright, alright.” His resolve weakened at the look on her face. “If it’s that important to you. How we getting inside, anyway?”

“Mayor Lewis actually leaves it open for me.”

“Huh? But why would- hold on, are you that mysterious person fixing everything that I heard Marnie whispering to Robin about? How the hell are you even doing all that?”

“Shh! Don’t talk so loud!”

“There’s no one out here, dummy. It’s just you and me.”

They stopped now in the middle of the field, the community center looming in the distance. She looked up at him with a strange, intense look in her eyes. Impulsively, he enveloped her in his arms and pulled her to his chest, easily seeing the fear that she was trying to hide beneath her stony facade. Shane heard her gasp quietly and stiffen. He was about to let her go when her arms came up around his back and returned the embrace with a shaky sigh. They hugged for what felt like eternity to him out there underneath the stars but was probably more like a few seconds in reality. He let go of her apprehensively, but she seemed to have composed herself.

“Thanks,” she said, her cheeks and eyes were a bit red. “I really want to show you what’s inside. There’s no one else I trust with this, Shane. I mean it.” He felt his heart stutter at her words.

“Okay, Lana,” he said, putting a hand on her bare shoulder. She had covered her bathing suit up with a thin white sundress that reached mid-thigh and was wearing her usual pair of sneakers. Her sunburned skin felt hot under his touch. “Lead the way.”

He and the farmer picked their way through the bumpy field until they finally arrived at the small path that led up to the building. He hovered behind, feeling protective of her even though there was no hesitation in her gait as she strode forward to haul open the heavy front doors. She looked back at him, an unspoken question hanging in the air between the two of them. Her hair was loose and dry now that time had passed since she had last been in the ocean. It waved in a breeze that seemed to have suddenly risen around them. He nodded at her. Her mouth set into a grim, resolute line as she turned away from him and walked through the door. He followed her, closing it behind him as they stepped into the building.

The inside was even worse than he had imagined. The ceiling was caving in partially, large gaps in the roof above them letting in some sparse chunks of moonlight that were their only source of vision. He had never been in here before, only seeing old pictures of the place that his aunt would pull out sometimes.

“This way,” Lana called to him. She was already making her way to one of the darkened corridors that extended further into the building. He quickly caught up to her. She paused at a door halfway down the hall, her hand tightly gripping the knob, before speaking again to Shane, not meeting his eyes.

“So, uh,” she began, looking almost embarrassed. “This is really weird. Like really, really weird. So, please - don’t freak out. I promise that I will explain everything if you give me the chance. Okay?”

“Dammit, Lana, you’re starting to scare me." He shivered, wishing he had his jacket. The inside of the community center was strangely chilly compared to outside. “Just open the door and show me.”

“Okay, fine,” she conceded with a sigh. Her hand turned the knob and pushed the door open. She walked in and turned on a nearby lamp that illuminated the room. They entered what appeared to be some sort of arts and crafts room. A bunch of squashy looking bean bags lined the walls along with shelves of supplies, and there were several small tables in the middle stacked with things like construction paper and unsharpened colored pencils. A large, new-looking sewing machine was in one corner. Striped yellow wallpaper covered the walls, fresh and smooth without a single tear or hole.

“How the hell did you do all of this?” he asked her in amazement as he looked around the room. It was in perfect condition. She walked over to one of the tables and sat down. Shane followed her, sitting down with a bit of difficulty in the small chairs. Dumbstruck, he picked up a cup full of pencils and markers. “Lana, what the f*ck is going on here? How are you getting the money and time to do all this?"

She held up a hand to stop him.

“Okay, look,” she said. “A while ago, I came in here with Mayor Lewis, just to check up on things. When he left me alone, I went to look for this, uh, thing I had seen before while we looked around together. He said it was a rat, but I knew it wasn’t."

Shane said nothing, only listening to her story. She continued.

“So, I looked everywhere, but I couldn’t find it. I go home and kind of forget about the whole thing as time passes by - I’m busy, right? I don’t really have time to worry about all the weird crap I see on my little adventures around the valley.”

“... Right,” Shane answered her after a pause when she looked at him expectantly as though awaiting a response. She barreled on.

“But then, on one of my walks in Cindersap Forest, I hear these little giggles, or chattering - I’m not really sure how to describe it. It's a sound I've heard a few times before, but I just always thought it was birds or something. Anyway, I’m walking through the forest, following these damn birds - or so that's what I think they are - until I see a freaking tower in the distance.”

“You mean the wizard’s tower,” Shane interjected. “At the edge of the woods, right?”

She looked up at him in disbelief as he shrugged.

“You already know about the Rasmodius?” she asked him in astonishment. “How the hell are you so chill about a wizard living in the forest next to town?”

“There’s no wizard, Lana. That's just what people around here call the place. It’s an urban legend. That tower has been abandoned for decades. Apparently, it used to be part of some sort of military base. Isn’t it falling apart, just like this place?”

“Let me just finish my story. You interrupted me. What was I saying?”

“You saw the tower in the forest.”

“Okay, yes! So, I walk up the stairs and knock, and I go inside when the door swings open mysteriously by itself. Can you believe me? What kind of dumbass just does that? But then, inside, that’s where I meet him - the wizard.”

“You met the actual wizard?” he asked her in amusem*nt. She returned his smirk with a glare of her own.

“Yes, Shane, he’s real,” she insisted. “And he explained to me who the Junimos were.”

“The Junimos?”

“ Yes! Don’t tell me you know what those are too?”

“I’ve read about them, I think. In some of Jas’ fairytale books. They’re these little magical animals or something that supposedly live in the woods, right?”

She didn’t answer him for a moment. It seemed almost as though she had been holding her breath, releasing it with a sigh after a few seconds.

“Okay,” she said finally. “Here goes nothing.”

She stood up suddenly and began to call around the room in a soft, firm tone of voice, almost like a mother speaking to her children. “Okay, it's time to come out! He’s a nice guy, I swear! He only looks mean!”

Shane gaped at Lana in bewilderment.

“Who are you talking to?” he asked her. He stood up with her and placed the back of his hand against her forehead. “Are you feeling okay? Did someone put something in your drink back at the saloon?”

She grabbed his hand and tugged it away in exasperation. Shane noticed that she didn’t let go but said nothing, enjoying the way her hand felt in his.He began to hear a strange twittering around them, sounding as though it was coming from inside of the walls. The stuttering, chime-like noises increased in volume and echoed throughout the room.

“I promise you’ll be okay,” he heard Lana say gently from beside him. He looked down at her, completely confused. She wasn’t talking to him, but to whatever was making those sounds in the walls. The noises stopped abruptly.

Through a hole hidden behind view under the sewing machine emerged a small orange creature, completely round and with a thin antennae bopping around on top of its body. It tottered over to them on skinny legs, hiding behind Lana when it noticed him. Shane’s mouth dropped almost to the floor.

“Lana,” he said quietly, frozen to the spot. He squeezed her hand in fright. “What is that?”

“That’s a Junimo,” she told him. She grabbed his other hand and squeezed it back while looking up at him. “They’re real Shane, just like the wizard is real. They’re magical spirits of the forest, and this is where they live now. They’ve been the ones restoring the community center.”

Lana let go of his hands to reach down and gently scoop the Junimo up. She held it in her palms as Shane leaned in closer, astounded. It said something in whatever weird language it spoke in. Lana responded to it in English.

“No, he isn’t from JojaCorp,” she told it. “Well, I mean, he does work for them, but I promise you he’s on our side, okay? You need to trust me.”

The Junimo replied with a small chime. It looked up at him with small, black eyes widened in curiosity. Shane slowly raised a finger to it. The little creature reciprocated with a tap from its own twig-like arm. He couldn’t help but smile at it despite still trying to process everything the farmer had just told him.

“You ... talk to them?” he asked Lana. She put the Junimo down, and it scurried back to the hole it had emerged from. A few seconds later, more began to appear from inside, a dozen or so eventually making their way into the room. She smiled fondly around at them.

“Yes, well, I was going to get to that,” she said. “I know it sounds f*cking crazy, but Rasmodius - the wizard - gave me this potion that somehow gave me the power to talk to these guys. Among other things.”

“Wait,” he interrupted, giving her a stern look. “You just drank some weird drink this wizard guy gave you?”

“Yes - again, not the best choices were made that day,” she said, waving his concern away. “But it really did work. It changed me somehow, and put their magic inside me. And it’s because the Junimos chose me, for some reason. They need my help and offered to do something for me in return. I'm trying to get things fixed here before Mayor Lewis caves to stupid JojaCorp. They want to snatch this land up for another one of their huge warehouses.”

He was suddenly reminded of his boss Morris and his fixation on the very building they were standing in.

“Why would they need your help?” he asked her, looking around at the Juminos. They were chattering quietly amongst themselves around their feet.

“There are monsters in the forest,” she told him darkly. He saw a flash of the same look of fear in her eyes that he had seen before, back outside in the field. “Just like there’s monsters living inside the mines. I’ve seen them - look.” She raised her arm to show him a faint scar a few inches long on her forearm.

“What happened?” he whispered, touching it with his fingers lightly. He felt a surge of anger at the thought of anything trying to hurt her.

“This is from a slimy goo monster that attacked me a while ago when I was down there looking for ore. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Junimos told me that all these monsters have started to escape from the mines - apparently they’ve been skulking around down there for centuries now, but they've never breeched the surface. Something riled them all up. And whatever it is, they’re scared sh*tless of it. I think that's what scared the Junimos out of the woods.”

“And so they can’t live in the forest anymore,” Shane said, now understanding. “They came to hide here. But how exactly do you help them?”

“They ask me for random things around the valley, like different types of fish or flowers, sometimes even crops I have on my farm. I actually went down to the mine this morning to find some more ore so I could make them this in a small furnace Clint sold me.”

She reached into the small crossbody bag she was wearing and pulled out a small silver bar. The Junimos around them cheered happily when they saw it shine in her hand.

“Oh, calm down!” she chided them. They quieted down immediately. “I don’t really know what you all need with something like this, but here you go. As was promised.” She leaned down and handed it to the nearest Jumino. It grasped the bar in its arms and began to lead the way back into the wall. The rest of them followed behind single-file, chanting merrily as they all made their way inside the hole. Shane’s mouth dropped open again as the last one disappeared from view.

“I don’t really know what to say,” he told Lana weakly. He went to sit back down at the table, and she followed suit right after. “I mean, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. Damnit - they’re real. And magic is real? Like, really really real?” He asked while looking up at her sharply. She nodded grimly in affirmation. He gave a low groan and ran his hands through his hair.

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” she rubbed his shoulder. He leaned into her touch, and she left her hand there even after she stopped moving it. “Trust me, I couldn’t sleep for days after I found out about all of this.”

“You haven’t told anyone else?” he asked her. She shook her head.

“No. I don’t know - people would probably think that I’m crazy or something if I go around talking about what’s going on. I might tell my sister or someone back home if I’m drunk enough one day.”

“And you didn’t think I’d call you crazy?" He couldn't help but feel flattered by her trust. "I'm not exactly known for being the most understanding guy in town."

“No, honestly,” she admitted. “You never seem to judge me for anything stupid I do or say.”

She smiled sheepishly, the small gap in her front teeth showing. He was tempted to kiss her right then and there - her lips, always so damn inviting to him, were stained a berry red from the dark wine she had back at the bar while she cheered him by the pool table. Shane wasn’t stupid. He knew he was falling for her - in fact, he probably fell a long time ago, maybe even way back during their first meeting at the Stardrop Saloon a few months ago. There were times he even thought she might feel the same way, especially when she would look at him intensely with those mesmerizing eyes of hers like she was doing right now. But these hopes, like his self-confidence, were usually short-lived. Deep down, he knew the ugly truth: she was way too good for him, just as he was woefully inadequate for her.

Later, after they had walked home in the darkness, he lay alone in his bed, tipsy from a few cans of lukewarm beer and horny as hell. Visions of the farmer swam behind his closed eyelids no matter how hard he tried to sleep. As much as he had spent his entire life detached from emotion, building walls of self-hatred to hide behind, it appeared that somebody had finally broken through.

Chapter 13: Rain & Sun

Chapter Text

If there was one thing Lana absolutely hated about summertime, it was the insufferable heat.

She detested feeling hot and sweaty, preferring the chill of autumn or even the snow that would fall over the city in the winter. Spring was tolerable, but only because nights were typically cooler and more bearable. But not summer.

Here in Stardew Valley, the temperatures climbed to almost triple digits on some days and stayed that way well into the evenings. She was on the verge of coughing up the money so that Robin would install a sprinkler system for her crops, even with Shane’s help on weekends. All that time she spent watering under the sun was draining, no matter how early she started. Despite how backbreaking the work could be sometimes, her farm was thriving and expanding nicely as the season progressed.

But even with how busy her life had become in between work and the Junimos, Lana just couldn’t get Shane out of her mind, and it was driving her crazy. Whenever he was coming over to work on the farm, she’d get up early to prepare some coffee for him and spend a little extra time in the restroom getting ready. She often watched him from the corner of her eye as he worked around her farm, noticing as time went on that he seemed to blossom outdoors after the first couple of awkward weekends. He split wood and cleared the extra rubble around her farm with ease, and she sometimes found herself making excuses to wander over to wherever he was working and strike up a conversation with him.

It almost physically ached her how attracted she was to him. It was like nothing she had ever experienced, which quite honestly was starting to spook her. From the way he would mess with his dark hair whenever he was nervous, to how solid his body felt that night he hugged her on the way to show him in Junimos, everything about him struck the perfect chord. She begrudgingly admitted to Ryan one day that he was right - she had a crush, and a huge one. He had immediately whooped in triumph.

It was a strange feeling for her in that it felt so full of lust while at the same time so incredibly innocent. Often, Lana fantasized about asking him to come back after he left her farm so they could stay up all night watching those scary movies they both loved. Her reveries inevitably would morph into something dirtier and more carnal as she began to think about how he’d feel inside of her if he were to f*ck her on the couch in her living room. She pictured wrapping her legs around his hips and moaning into his mouth, the TV still playing on in the background, long forgotten as they lost themselves in each other instead.

She was so damn terrified of messing up the entire thing. Lana hadn’t had a single healthy relationship in her entire life, always falling victim to her partner's infidelity or her own self-sabotaging behavior. She was wary and skittish when confronted with someone who wanted to move forward too quickly or was too possessive of her. The feeling of being trapped, in a relationship or otherwise, was one of her biggest fears, and her preferred manner of dealing with developing feelings too quickly was to cleanly cut things off by detaching herself completely. For everyone’s own good.

Even when it came to friends or anyone else, Lana was forever wary of getting too close. Sure, she’d laugh and have fun with people her age and always made sure to be polite to her elders, but she also had been burned one too many times with people she had trusted with her deepest secrets or thoughts. The friendships that she was developing (to her initial irritation) with Shane and others in the valley were catching her off-guard.

Lana would go over to watch their Sam's band practice every now and then at his house, and Abigail, true to her word, now eagerly accompanied her whenever she needed to go down into the mines. She had found them a couple of swords to carry at their sides, casually evading an explanation as to where exactly they had come from. Nevertheless, Lana had grown quite attached to hers and often cleaned it at night before going to bed, Winston watching over things with a careful eye.

Sebastian, sullen as ever, would occasionally drop by her farm during the week after work to smoke with her and drop off some weed from his friend in the city. They had settled into a companionship that typically required few words, but Lana sometimes caught him looking at her with a ruminative expression on his sharp features. She had firmly decided a while ago that her allure to him purely physical, amplified only by his mysterious nature and cool demeanor. While he was usually the first to text her or ask if he could swing by the farm to visit, he never once tried to make a move on her. Nevertheless, he always kept up his aloof and unreadable charm, and she was annoyed at how he was able to unnerve her so easily, even now.

With Shane, the feeling was different - more confusing and intense, yet at the same time so familiar to her. She often would see him with his brow furrowed in thought as he ran around her farm, and even though it had been almost half a year already that they had known each other, he still maintained his same gruff personality around her and would only relax when there was alcohol in his system. Still, she could always count on his wryly sarcasm. He was honestly one of the funniest people she had ever met. Lana was constantly laughing at the deadpan little comments he’d interject into their conversation. She loved the way his cheeks would redden whenever she’d giggle at something he said. Even though he was coming out of shell little by little as they spent more time together, Lana still noticed the way he would often arrive to work at her farm sullen-faced and suffering from an obvious hangover. On those days, she would give him extra-strong coffee and a little more space than usual. More than once, she caught him looking down into the black liquid with a solemn stare, his dark under eye circles more pronounced than ever and his scruffy 5 o’clock shadow longer than he usually kept it. There was a deep fatigue inside his eyes that stood out to her despite the dimpled smile that brightened his face when he had looked up at her.

He obviously had a problem with alcohol, an issue that Lana had seen in a few old friends of hers back in the city. Not that she could speak for herself on that topic, given how much wine she drank some evenings at home. While she did feel that she deserved to treat herself every now and then (or several nights in a row, if she was being honest), she hadn’t gotten blackout drunk in a long time. Sometimes she even grew sick of alcohol, abstaining from drinking for weeks or even months in the past until the craving randomly returned. She suspected it wouldn’t be as easy to put aside for someone like Shane.

The truth was, Lana had let herself grow attached to him. She had developed feelings for him without even realizing it and then trusted him blindly with knowledge of the insanity that was her life now with the Junimos and wizard involved. And he had just accepted it, just like he accepted everything else about her without judgement or condescension besides the occasional snarky remark here and there that she knew was all bark and no bite. Now, he would accompany her on some nights to visit the Junimos, always making sure to bring a few extra treats for them in the pockets of the JojaMart jacket he always wore. The little creatures had come to love him and cheered wildly whenever they saw him enter the community center at her side. Lana knew she was in much too deep to lose him now, even if that meant they had to stay as friends so that she couldn’t ruin the whole thing like she always did.

And so friends they remained, but still, they grew closer as the season went on. They came to understand each other’s moods and developed inside jokes they’d exchange with shared smirks. Shane began to send her funny memes nights before bed, and she would sometimes call him on evenings during the week as she walked Winston through the backwoods behind her house.

One balmy day in the middle of summer, she had even met his goddaughter as she came across them in the shade of a large tree on the edge of the forest. He introduced the shy young girl to her as Jas, and she hid behind his legs much like the orange Junimo had done with Lana when Shane first accompanied her to the community center. She crouched down and smiled softly.

“Oh, my gosh - I love your bow,” she complimented her. Jas peaked out a bit more and looked up at the farmer with her wide brown eyes. She was holding the jump rope she had just been playing with tightly in her little hand. “It’s so glittery! And green is my favorite color. You really have great taste.”

His goddaughter had finally smiled back, revealing a couple missing teeth.

“Green is my favorite too,” she responded with a small voice, now coming out from behind Shane’s legs. With her gaze trained on the grass, Jas bashfully asked if Lana wanted to play with them. She had been absolutely enamored with the sweet little girl ever since.

****

One hot, rainy Friday afternoon a few weeks after the luau, she made her way down to the beach with her fishing pole, intent on catching a red snapper for the Junimos. For some reason, they were insisting on this specific variety of fish, which Lana later learned from Willy only appeared during rainy days by the ocean. By the time she had passed Shane’s ranch and made it to Willow Lane, she was starting to realize she had made a grave mistake as the rain continued to hammer down without showing any sign of stopping.

She ran down the bridge that led to the beach until she reached the cover of trees that extended between the beach and the town on the other side of the river. Lana leaned against a tall oak tree, out of breath from the sudden sprint she had to break into. Luckily, she had worn her work boots instead of her sneakers, so her feet remained dry.

A rustling in the bushes behind her alerted her to someone walking through the patch of woods in her direction. She felt a jolt of fear shoot through her body as she pushed herself off the tree and turned around. Sebastian’s tall form emerged from the brush.

“We really do need to stop meeting this way,” she observed to him, relaxing now. She raised an eyebrow and he responded with one of his small, crooked smiles. Sebastian was wearing his usual black hoodie and skinny jeans, and his hair was cut a little shorter on the side it fell over his brow. Lana noticed an unlit blunt tucked behind his ear along with a new pair of black plugs.

“Hey, you’re the one who seems to be following me everywhere,” he responded dryly. “I always come to the beach to smoke when it rains. It’s a little too heavy for me today though, so I’m staying back here.”

“You can say that again,” Lana looked out, astounded at the sheer amount of rain that was coming down now in torrential drops around them. The heavy tree cover they were under was doing a good job of catching the water, but he still pulled out a small, gray umbrella from inside his hoodie pocket and opened it above him. He motioned for Lana to join him under the extra shelter. She agreed, eager to dry herself off somewhat.

“Here, hold this so I can light the blunt I brought,” he said to her, handing her the handle of the umbrella. He began to fumble in the back pockets of his jeans until he found a lighter. Holding the lighter in one hand and his blunt in the other, he brought them both up in tandem to his mouth before igniting it with a flick of his wrist so quick and subtle that it was almost imperceptible. Everything about his movements felt so smooth. Lana also loved watching him aptly roll up for them, his long, slender fingers moving skillfully around the paper until it emerged as the most perfectly tight stick of marijuana she had ever had the pleasure of smoking.

He took a deep inhale before passing the blunt to Lana. They smoked in silence for a long while, the dwindling stick moving back and forth between them until it burned down to a tiny, glowing red stub.

“Damn,” she asked him, deliciously lightheaded. “That's some good sh*t right there.”

By now, they had sat down on a flat group of boulders further back in the trees, hidden behind the cover of overgrown bushes. The rain continued around them sitting together under Sebastian’s umbrella.

“It's a new strain, or so my friend says,” he answered her, his eyes red and sleepy. He had a small, content smile on his face as they leaned back on the large boulder behind them. “But I agree, I’m definitely going to get some more for myself.”

“I wanted to fish today, but this is much better.”

“You were going to fish? In this rain?”

“Yeah well, I didn’t think it was going to be this bad by the time I made it here. And there’s some fish that only come out in this kind of weather, too.”

“Right. Frogs love this weather too, you know. Damn, I love frogs. Have I ever told you that? They’re so cool. Have you ever seen a frog up close?”

She noticed with amusem*nt that he always became much more talkative than usual after smoking weed.

“Can’t say I have yet,” she replied. “Maybe you can show me one next time it rains.”

“For sure. There’s a lot up on the mountain near my house.”

“I go fishing up there at the lake too sometimes.”

“Even in the rain?”

“Even in the rain. It’s hard to work on the farm in this weather. Plus, it waters my crops, which saves me a lot of time, so I’ll go out fishing or down in the mine where it's at least dry.”

“So I’ve heard. From Abigail, I mean. Nice pair of adventurers, you two are.”

The topic of the mine reminded her of something suddenly.

“Oh! I almost forgot!” she said, grabbing her backpack and starting to look through it. “I mentioned finding this to your mom last week when I went to give her the final payment for my barn, and she told me it's your favorite. Figured it be better off in your hands.”

From inside a small bag, she pulled out the small, pale blue gemstone that Clint had processed for her from the Omni Geode she had once found inside the mine. His eyes widened in surprise, and from how close they were sitting, she could see that they were the exact color of ground coffee with a dark halo of amber around the pupil.

“You actually found a Frozen Tear?” he asked her in awe. “I’ve never been able to find one! They’re usually way too deep in the mine, where the ice already begins to set in.”

He accepted the gem from Lana’s hand and brought it up to his face more closely to inspect it. She watched him smile more widely than she had ever seen before.

“Looks like I got lucky then,” she replied. He looked up at her, and for a heart-pounding moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he leaned in and gave her a tight hug. He was still much taller than her even though they were sitting down, so her face was pressed into his chest. She could smell the weed they were smoking mixed with the smell of peppermint.

“Thanks, farmer girl,” he said softly before letting her go. He looked again at the frozen tear clutched in his hand. He put it safely back in the bag and placed it in the pocket of his jeans. “This means a lot.”

“No problem, Sebastian."

The rain started pattering less frequently on the umbrella, and they could see that the sky was starting to clear overhead.

“The rain is starting to go away,” he said, looking up and sticking his hand out to catch a drop in his palm. Lana mimicked him, catching only a couple droplets herself. She was about to tell him that she was going to go down to the water to try to get some fishing in for the day when he spoke up again.

“Hey, do you want to come watch us play a small gig in the city this Saturday night?” he asked her. “Sam, Abby, and I are heading up in the afternoon, but the show we booked doesn’t start until 8pm. Well, we didn’t book it exactly - Sam’s mom recommended us for her cousin’s new bar that opened downtown.”

“Oh, well yeah, sure,” she replied. Lana hadn’t returned to the city since she moved to Stardew Valley, not even to visit her family. “Can I bring someone? Like my sister?”

He nodded.

“Of course, bring whoever you want,” he said. “They want as many people there as possible to create more buzz for the place.”

“Alright, cool,” she said, nodding. “I’ll see who else I can bring, then. Thanks for the invite.”

“No problem,” he replied. “But I gotta get going - there’s this strict deadline I need to abide by with this new client I have, and I have a bunch more to do for work before I take this weekend off. Want me to walk you home?”

“No thanks, I think I’ll stay and fish now that the rain is letting up.”

“Suit yourself. Try to not get too wet out there by the water.”

“Oh, I’ll try, don’t you worry.”

“Here, keep my umbrella. You can give it back to me later.”

“Are you sure? Don’t you need it to walk home?”

“Nah, I’m fine. You can keep it for now. Talk to you later?”

“Yeah, I’ll text you for more details about this Saturday.”

“Cool. Good luck with the fish, or whatever weird sh*t you’re really doing out here.”

She had laughed and they hopped off the boulders they were sitting on to make their way out of the trees. He headed north in the direction of town and his home while she crossed the sand to the pier at the end of the beach.

By now, the heavy rain was almost completely gone, and only a light sprinkle descended upon her that felt like a pleasantly cool mist on her skin. She set up her fishing gear at the end of the pier but paused before she cast out her line. Reaching into her back pocket, Lana pulled out her cell phone and unlocked it to type a quick text before sending it and slipping the phone back into her jeans. Settling in, she hummed quietly to herself as her line swung out over the water and plopped into the waves below.

****

Shane was f*cking furious. He had just spent almost half an hour in a “meeting” with Morris, where his boss had spent the entire time interrogating Shane about the community center and Abigail’s father, Pierre.

“I’m telling you, sir,” Shane had told him angrily as he finally just cut off the man, frustrated and fed up. “I don’t know anything about any of that. I don’t know who’s fixing up that old piece of crap community center, and I really don’t know anything about Pierre, of all people. I’m not buddies with everyone in town, Morris. I barely have any friends here as it is.” He winced inwardly at his choice of words but was too annoyed to dwell on it for long.

“Someone in this Yoba-forsaken town is up to something,” his boss responded with a sour look out his window. “I was just about to get the mayor to crack on selling me the place, and now, all of a sudden, it’s getting magically fixed up by some mysterious person no one in town has ever even seen? No, something smells fishy here, that’s for sure.”

Shane’s stomach did a little nervous flip at his boss’ figurative use of the word “magically”, but he just stood up from the chair he was sitting in and placed both hands on Morris’ desk, leaning over it a bit.

“Like I said, I don’t know anything,” he told him with a frosty look into his eyes. Morris gulped and blinked a few times but said nothing. “Now, if you excuse me, I need to go back to work to stock the entire baby aisle before I’m off like you asked me to.” Without waiting for a response, he turned around and walked out the office, leaving a spluttering, angry Morris behind him.

“Make sure the entire aisle looks perfect, Shane!” his boss called out to him before the door swung shut. Shane grumbled a "f*ck you" as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Feeling his phone, he pulled it out and saw he had a message from Lana. Smiling, his mood suddenly uplifted, he unlocked his screen and read the text:

Hey, Shane! Wanna go with me to the city this weekend? Sam’s band is gonna play in a bar downtown! You in?

Before he could overthink it like he did with everything else in his life, he tapped out a quick response to her, the incident with Morris now dissolved completely out of his mind.

I’m down.

A few seconds of pause, then her reply:

f*ck yeah. Zuzu City, here we come ;)

Chapter 14: Electric City

Chapter Text

Act I

The rest of the week flew by in a blur for Shane.

He did his best to avoid Morris at work, who thankfully didn’t mention the community center again despite operating on a shorter fuse than usual. Not that Shane wasn't entertained as he stocked the aisles - now that Sam knew that he was going to the concert with Lana and her sister, he would constantly stop by to talk to him about the music set they had planned and how excited he was for the whole ordeal.

“I didn’t think we’d be performing in front of a crowd this soon,” he admitted to Shane the Friday afternoon before the concert. “We only formed the band a few months ago, but at least Abby and I already have some experience from another band we were in for a while in high school.”

“Why not Sebastian?”

Sam shook his head. “We actually only met Seb the second half of our junior year when he moved to Stardew Valley, and by then we had already broken up the band. But Abigail and I have been friends since we were in elementary school.”

“Long time then.”

“Yup! She’s an incredible drummer - wait ‘til you get to see her onstage. And her voice? Freaking amazing, dude. I tried to convince her to be on lead vocals for this band, but she doesn’t really like the limelight, so the job usually falls to me. She’ll get a little brave now and then and take the mic herself, though.”

“Maybe she can try some of that good ol’ liquid courage," Shane offered, not knowing what else to say. "It usually works for me.”

“Hah! You’re probably right. Not that Abigail isn’t brave, or anything. In fact, she can honestly be a little reckless sometimes. Did you know she and Lana go down inside the mine looking for gemstones and stuff? They even take swords with them now!”

“Oh, trust me,” Shane said, feeling the vein in his temple start to pound in irritation. “I know.”

The first time the farmer had casually mentioned to him that she was going back to the mine, he hadn’t spoken to her for three whole days. When he was with her, Shane would sometimes stare at the scar on her forearm from the creature that had attacked her, feeling furiously helpless that he wasn’t there for her then and couldn't be there to protect her now. She always would staunchly refuse to allow him to accompany her down into the dark depths and twisting caverns that he had only heard about from others but never seen for himself. Lana always just reassured him that she would be okay, citing her newly enhanced senses and abilities from the wizard’s potion along with Abigail’s own experience from a prior habit of spelunking down there when she was a teenager. Not only did she need to gather resources for her farm like ore and coal, she also had told Shane one evening over drinks at the Stardrop that she suspected there was something down in those mines that could help them with the Junimos and whatever was out to get them.

“Call it a sixth sense,” she had mused to him, her cheeks flushed from a couple glasses of wine. Those vibrant eyes of hers darted around pensively as she leaned in closer to him to speak in a low, silky voice. “But I think that the key to all of this is down there. Somewhere in those mines. I just know it, Zuzu.”

He absolutely hated the idea of her navigating the darkness down there with only a headlamp and a old sword to defend herself with, even if he did see her wielding it quite handily one Saturday morning when he arrived early for work and caught her practicing with a scarecrow in her field. She had hacked off its head and then stabbed her blade into the poor thing’s heart straight through to the other side. Shane had never felt so terrified and aroused at once.

Back in JojaMart, Sam was continuing to talk about the upcoming weekend while Shane fantasized about Lana, which had become his new favorite pastime in the recent weeks.

“I’m really curious about meeting Lana's sister,” Sam said as he swept the floor near Shane. “Lana told me she works as a writer back in the city or something. She sounds super interesting!”

“Yeah, she talks about her sometimes at the farm,” Shane replied as he put the final soup can from the box at his feet onto the shelf. He stood up and stretched a bit, feeling his joints crack from all the kneeling he had been doing. Instinctively, he moved to put his hands in his JojaMart jacket, but just clutched at air. He sighed, remembering that he had misplaced it sometime ago and had yet to find it.

Shane cleared his throat and continued. “Uh, but I guess we’ll find out tomorrow. I gotta go finish the rest of this aisle and the next one before I’m off for the day.”

“Okay! Morris has me covering the front for the rest of my shift, so I’ll probably just see you in the city then,” Sam replied breezily, grinning at him while his head bobbed slightly in time with the music playing from the single bud in his ear. Perplexed at how the guy always seemed to be both the perfect mix of amped-up and laid-back, Shane just gave him a nod goodbye and slunk back into the stockroom. Only two more hours to go before he would finally be free for the weekend.

****

After a night of tossing and turning, Shane woke up the next morning sweating in his bed and with his stomach twisting in anticipation. With a tired groan, he picked up his phone next to his pillow to check the time and saw it was still very early. He wasn't due to meet Lana at her house until midday so they could drive up to the city in her truck. Their plan was to pick up her sister from her office and grab dinner before heading to the bar for the concert. He heard Jas already watching cartoons in the living room and walked out of his room to talk to her.

“Hey Jas?” he called out from the doorway. She was sprawled out on the rug on her stomach in her pajamas watching a colorful cartoon play on the TV. “You want to go play outside for a bit before I have to leave later?”

“Yes!” She jumped up on her feet. “Can Vincent come over and play with us too?”

Shane shrugged. “Why not? Tell him to bring some of those muffins his mom always makes. But don’t tell him I told you to tell him.”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Westbrook won’t know you’re the one who secretly eats them all. I can keep it covert .”

“Hah, covert. I like that. You’re getting way too smart for your own good, kid." He felt himself smiling despite the cloud of anxiety hovering over him. "Okay - after your cartoons? I’ll ask Marnie to give Jodi a call to see if Vincent can come over.”

“Okay!” She ran over and gave him a hug, her face squished against his stomach as he squeezed her small frame back. Her words were muffled against the fabric of his t-shirt. “I can’t wait!”

“Me neither, “ he replied softly. She let go and went to lay back down on the rug to finish watching her show, leaving him to turn away to find his aunt, who he heard washing dishes in the kitchen.

She was able to get a hold of Jodie, who wouldn’t be going to the city tonight to see Sam because she found the drive too long and winding for her taste. Vincent arrived at the ranch 30 minutes later, and Shane took him and Jas down by the river to play for a couple of hours before they all made their way back home so he could get ready and head over to Lana’s. He left the kids with Marnie to eat some lunch, while he took a shower and spent the extra time he had left on shaving his face carefully and styling his hair more neatly than usual.

Looking at himself more closely in the mirror, he was pleasantly reminded of the fact that he had lost a decent amount of weight since starting to work on the farm with Lana. As an added perk, he was also building more muscle from all the heavy lifting he needed to do to clear her land, and the size of the property made it easy for him to get plenty of cardio in as he finished his tasks. His face even looked thinner and less bloated than usual. Shane rubbed his jaw, noticing how more defined it felt now that he had cut back a bit on the booze.

Shane hadn’t exactly stopped drinking cold turkey, but that constant craving for a beer that always seemed to nip at him had decreased somewhat now that he was devoting his time and energy to other things. He continued to frequent the saloon a few times a week for a few beers to relax when he wasn’t home spending time with Jas or working with Lana. No matter how hard he tried, he had his weaker moments where he would give in to the despondent thoughts slowly building to a crescendo inside his head, prodding and poking him until he needed a drink - just one drink - which then turned into two and then three, and then inevitably an entire six-pack and maybe even a tall can or two before he collapsed into bed in a drunken daze as self-loathing burned through his body like acid.

He changed into the clothes he had already chosen the night before - a dark pair of jeans and a light blue collared-shirt with the sleeves rolled up under a rather snug-fitting black bomber jacket Marnie had rustled up for him from her father’s old stash of clothes. He slipped his nicer pair of shoes and sprayed himself with a faded cologne bottle he kept in his closet that luckily still smelled fine despite its age and disuse. Shane made sure he had his keys, wallet, and phone in his pockets and gave himself one last look in the bathroom mirror before shrugging in acceptance and leaving to walk down the hall. He called out a quick goodbye to Marnie in her bedroom and hastened to get to the front door before she could start up her nosy interrogation. She already knew why he would be coming home late tonight, somehow hearing the news from Jodi before Shane even got home from the saloon that day the farmer had invited him.

The walk to Lana’s was pleasant as the day wasn’t too hot despite it already being the middle of summer. Still, he ended up taking off his jacket and carrying it so that he wouldn’t sweat through his shirt before he even got to her farm. He passed her fields and stopped by the coop to say hi to the chickens before finally crossing the hardwood gate to approach her house. As he was walking up, she opened the front door from inside, giving him a dazzling smile when she noticed him. She opted for some black combat boots today instead of her usual sneakers, giving her a couple of inches of extra height. The black top she wore was tucked into a fitted red plaid skirt that ended a few inches above her knees. Like him, she carried her own leather jacket in her arms as she stepped outside and locked her door.

“Hey Zuzu!” she called out to him as she stepped down her porch. He never tired of seeing her walking towards him, looking especially spellbinding today with her auburn hair swept over to one side in messy waves. “Ready to get going? I was so excited I could barely sleep. I can’t believe I’m so eager to go back to the city.”

“Yeah, it’s been a long while since I’ve been back,” he replied, walking closer to meet her at the bottom of her porch. “But I guess even I can get nostalgic for that hellhole every now and then too.”

“Come on, let’s head out then,” she said with a smile, her car keys already in her hand. “We got a bit of a drive ahead of us before we get to my sister’s office.”

“Dibs on the radio,” he told her as they started to walk over to her truck parked nearby. “Not sure if I trust your music taste for an entire two hours.”

“Okay, I’ll respect the dibs. But I get it on the way back. We got a deal, Zuzu?” Lana bumped her shoulder into his and smirked up at him. He could do nothing but nod in agreement, feeling the anxious nerves in his stomach simmer down to a burning, buzzing thrill.

****

“How much farther away are we again?”

“Are you serious, Shane? I told you already when we stopped to go to the bathroom at that gas station ten minutes ago - we still have more than an hour to go.”

“f*ck, I forgot how little there is between Pelican Town and Zuzu City. I feel like I’ve been staring at green grass and cows so long I’ll see them in my sleep.”

“There’s worse things to see in your dreams, drama queen. You wanna drive instead? Maybe the view of the distant car in front of us will entertain you a bit more.”

“Nah, I’m good, thanks. I’m enjoying my gig here as your copilot. Makes it easier to snack or maybe even take a nap if I need to. And you’re already doing such a great job, anyway.”

Lana just rolled her eyes and kept her gaze trained on the road ahead of them, but a small smile tugged on the corners of her lips.

Despite his complaints, the way to Zuzu City was actually pretty scenic and nicer than he remembered. The first half of the trip went through the mountains that bordered the valley, up a meandering single-lane road flanked by dense forest until it emerged to sparser, more craggy terrain. The road then climbed even higher for a bit before dropping, the view to his right slowly morphing into a wide panorama of the green woodland below.

Most of the area around Stardew Valley was mountainous and sparsely populated, save for a few small communities like Pelican Town dotting the landscape and larger settlements as one got closer to the city and out of the hills. The final stretch of the road out of the valley was all downhill and surrounded on one side by steep, rocky cliffs that eventually leveled out to the flat farmlands they were driving through now. Here, the road converted to a wider highway that continued on until they would reach the city, which, according to Lana, was still an hour away. Signs finally reappeared on the side of the road, alerting them of the distance to a few of the smaller towns more inland that were part of the larger Zuzu City metropolitan area.

“You should’ve asked Marnie if she wanted to come,” Lana said teasingly after a few minutes of quiet, still looking ahead at the road as she drove. “Maybe she could’ve brought her boyfriend - oh, sorry - I mean, Mayor Lewis.” Shane threw one of the potato chips from the bag in his hand at her.

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” he said, putting a few more chips into his mouth before crumpling the now-empty bag and stuffing it into the cup holder to throw away later.

"Maybe I would." She glanced at him. “What about Jas? Does she like the city?”

“She used to. Uh, but now, I don’t know. She doesn’t really mention it anymore.”

Lana nodded. “That makes sense. Probably not the best memories for her back there.”

“Yeah, exactly. But I do remember she loved going to the zoo and the aquarium - well, before everything happened, anyway. She always was better with animals than with people, even then.”

“I get that. She’s a sweet kid. And super smart. You’re doing a great job with her. As her godfather, I mean.”

At that, Shane looked up at her sharply. She met his eyes for a couple of seconds before looking away to stare back out at the road. There appeared to be no sarcasm in her voice or any mocking undertone to her compliment.

He looked out the window for a moment, struggling within himself to really believe what she was saying. In the past, he would have warily cut off any conversation like this immediately. But now that Lana had become essentially his closest friend since Derek died, he was keenly aware of the fact that he needed - wanted - to trust her and be able to talk to her about difficult things like this without shutting down. No matter how hard that could be for him sometimes.

“Thanks, but I feel like all I do is keep f*cking up with her, to be honest,” Shane said after a moment. He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up slightly in the process. “Like I can’t do anything right when it comes to raising her. She honestly deserves better than being saddled with me as a guardian.”

“Don't be so hard on yourself. Besides, I heard all parents feel that way,” she replied, glancing over at him. “It’s easy to think you’re constantly messing things up when you have this whole other tiny life you’re now suddenly responsible for.”

“Yeah, well, Marnie helps me a lot with her,” he admitted begrudgingly. “When I’m not at home and stuff.”

“True. But I’ve also heard you mention that you read with her some nights before she goes to bed, and I see you guys sometimes playing in the forest or down by the river. She always looks like she’s having so much fun with you. And that’s when you’re not busy working full-time at JojaMart or at the farm helping me." Lana shrugged, now staring out at the road. "I don’t know, but it seems like you’re trying to be there for her more often, which is one of the first things you’d need to do anyway if you want to be a good parent, right?”

“Hmm. I guess that makes sense. “

“And the fact you’re even worried so much about being a good godfather to Jas just shows that you really care about what happens to her. That’s a great start, honestly. Some people couldn’t give a sh*t about how they do as parents.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I think you’re right. All I can do is keep trying.”

“Exactly. So cut yourself some slack, please?”

He was suddenly reminded of his own mother and father, the latter long gone from his life as if he had been swallowed up by the earth, never to return. As for his mother, Cassandra Robinson - Shane hadn’t spoken to her in years, not since he had tearfully called her the morning after Derek and Sasha’s death to inform her of the horrible news. Despite not having contacted each other for months, she had still comforted him and promised him that she’d be at the funeral, even offering to help him with Jas later on. When the day came, her spot on the pew next to him was empty, and his many calls to her remained unanswered. Shane deleted her number from his phone the next day and hadn’t heard from her since.

“Hey,” Lana spoke up from beside him. She took her right hand off the steering wheel and gave his own a squeeze on the seat in between them. “Everything okay? You zoned out there for a bit.”

He felt his stomach drop at the contact of her skin, looking down in surprise. She had never grabbed his hand like this before, only punching him on the arm playfully sometimes or touching his shoulder when she needed to get his attention. To his dismay, she began to move her hand to take it out of his, but he tightened his hold and intertwined their fingers together, not wanting to lose the feeling of her hand in his. He noticed she too gave a startled glance down but said nothing and didn’t try to pull away.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” he responded after a moment, feeling his mouth twitch with a small smile. “It’s just … no one’s ever told me anything like that before. It’s nice to hear, I guess. So, thank you. Uh, for what you said. Just now. About me and Jas and - well, you know what I mean.”

“I meant every word of it,” she replied, tapping her thumb lightly on top of his. “Really, Shane. No need to thank me. Just promise me one thing?”

For you, anything and everything.

The thought passed wildly through his head. Shane felt almost deliriously alive in the moment. He could vaguely hear soft rock music playing from the radio in the background. Outside, the clear sky and verdant pastures continued to pass them by in a sea of blue and green.

“What’s that?” he said to her instead, unable to bring himself to say what he truly felt about her and how much he appreciated what she had just told him about Jas.

“Share some nachos with me later from the restaurant my sister is taking us to for dinner? She hates anything spicy, and those ones are full of jalapeños and other delicious sh*t she won’t ever try.”

He blinked. “Oh. Uh, yeah. Abso-f*cking-lutely. Anything with jalapeños, I’m in.”

“Great,” she replied brightly. He caught another one of her wicked little smiles before she looked away. “I think they’ll be right up your alley.”

Her cell phone rang before he could reply. She gently pulled her hand away from his to pick it up from the center console and answer once she saw it was her sister. As the two began to talk about the plans for later, Shane looked out the window to admire the view. He was acutely aware of still feeling the pressure of her hand against his, now present only as a soft tingle lingering throughout his skin.

****

Later in Zuzu City

It was by his fourth tortilla chip that Shane finally realized he might have made a mistake agreeing to share the aptly named “Inferno” Nachos with Lana, which turned out to be an enormous plate stacked high with tortilla chips, melted cheeses, three types of salsas, peppers, beans, and sour cream at the restaurant she and her sister had chosen for dinner tonight. His tongue was simultaneously turning numb and beginning to prickle intensely with how spicy the dish was. He tried not to choke and drank from the mug of beer he ordered, already having downed half of the extra water Lana had inconspicuously asked the waitress to bring the last time she came by to check on them. She sat across from him and next to her sister in the booth they were now sharing.

Ella Ivy Abernathy, as she had introduced herself when they had finally arrived in Zuzu City to pick her up from the tall office building where she worked, looked enough like her older sister for Shane to immediately see the similarities in their bright, green eyes and straight, slightly upturned noses. Beyond that though, the resemblances quickly ended. She was taller and more willowy than Lana, with fair, lightly-freckled skin, large, wire-framed glasses, and a small gold septum piercing sticking out from between her nostrils. Her straight, blonde hair, so light it almost looked silver, was cut short and held up partially by a messy bun on the top of her head. It would flip around her neck whenever she would turn in her seat in between Shane and Lana to enthusiastically point out various city landmarks as though they were tourists and not people who up until recently had lived there for their entire lives. Ella had given her sister a long hug when Lana first stepped outside to meet her, holding onto her tightly before letting go and bounding up to the car to poke her head in to introduce herself to a startled Shane in the passenger seat.

“I can’t believe you tricked him into trying those crazy nachos, Lana,” she said now sitting inside the booth, giving him a sympathetic look from beside her sister. Lana took a nonchalant sip of her frosty margarita.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied, twirling around the little pink umbrella that came with her drink. “He loves spicy food. Right, Shane? How are you liking them?”

He could feel himself beginning to sweat slightly from the heat of the food and the direct attention of both Abernathy sisters on him.

“Oh, uh, yeah. They’re really good,” he responded after clearing his throat. “Perfect amount of heat.” Despite how scorching the nachos were, he had to admit they were delicious as long as he had a steady flow of water and beer to calm his burning throat and tongue.

Ella looked skeptical and took a drink of her iced tea.

“You two are so weird,” she said. “How can you actually like it when your food hurts you as you’re eating it? Very strange.”

“Aw, whatever, Ella,” Lana replied good-naturedly, grabbing some more nachos off the plate in front of them. “At least I don’t eat whole pickles from a jar like you do.”

“Wait, what’s wrong with pickles?” Shane interjected just to mess with her, knowing damn well that the farmer detested them in any shape or form. She threw him a dirty look as Ella’s cell phone pinged on the table, alerting her to a new text message. She picked it up and smiled softly at the screen as she started to reply.

“Who’s that?” Lana asked, leaning sideways to peek at the screen, but her sister pulled her phone away from view. “Don’t tell me it’s that guy from online you were talking to me about last week. Didn’t you find out he already had a girlfriend or whatever?”

“A wife - and that’s neither here nor there - but no. I told you I blocked him the second I found out. This is someone else,” she replied testily. “My coworker - remember, the one that I mentioned a while ago who brings me coffee sometimes? He said he’s probably going to come out tonight to the bar with some friends to check out the scene.”

“Wait, wait - you mean Eddie? Isn’t he Adam’s cousin?" Lana slammed down her margarita. "He better not bring that asshole tonight, Ella, I swear to Yoba. I’m not responsible for any drinks thrown into his face if he’s there. Or any knees jammed into his crotch.”

“Who’s Adam?” asked Shane, feeling a ridiculous flicker of envy rise at the mere mention of another man in Lana’s life.

“My ex,” she answered with a grimace. “From years ago in college. I caught him cheating on me one day, and he spent the next few months desperately trying to win me back. Drove me crazy for a while, but I finally got him to f*ck off.”

“I don’t think he’ll bring him,” Ella said, chewing quietly on some of the fries she had ordered. A half-eaten club sandwich was still on her plate. “He never mentions him at the office, anyway.”

“He better not,” Lana replied shortly. She took a long drink of her margarita as the group sat without talking for a while.

Shane ate some more of the nachos as he peeked at her, intrigued despite his jealousy. In his own sordid past, Shane never cheated on any of the girls he dated, but he also wasn’t above hooking up with the occasional chick with a boyfriend who he knew was only looking for some fun on the side. He drank deeply from his beer, recalling what she had mentioned about this Adam guy trying to win her back afterwards and sulkily admitting to himself that if he was ever lucky enough to be with someone like Lana, he’d never want to let her go either.

“So, what time did Sam say we should get to the bar?” Shane eventually asked her to break the uneasy silence that had formed between the sisters.

“The show’s at 8, but he said we should get there an hour early to ‘save a good spot before the crowd shows up’,” she replied, air-quoting his words. “I’m assuming he’s thinking it’s going to be a full house tonight.”

“We should get going soon then,” Ella said, checking the time on her watch. “It’s already past 6, and when I checked my map app earlier, it said it would take almost half an hour to get to the bar all the way downtown given the current traffic conditions.”

“Should we just get a taxi, then?” Lana suggested. She eyed the now watered-down liquid in her sister’s glass. “And can you please just loosen up a bit for once and have a few drinks with me tonight?

“I don’t know, Lana,” Ella said, looking away in that shifty manner Shane often saw the farmer herself use sometimes. “I’m not a huge fan of alcohol. You know that.”

“I know, I know,” she held up her hands. Her own margarita was now almost empty on the table in front of her. “But, I mean - it’s been a while since I’ve last seen you, and I just want to have some shots with my little sister at least one time before I finally kick the bucket in what most likely will be a tragic but heroic farming accident that will be spoken about for generations to come.”

Ella’s mouth twitched as Lana finished speaking. Shane snorted with amusem*nt into his beer.

“Just a couple drinks, then,” Ella conceded finally. He noticed she and Lana also shared the nervous habit of fidgeting with their hands. “It would probably be best to get a ride then, as any amount of alcohol in someone’s system can impair them to the point of being a danger to themselves and others while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. The assistant manager here also works part-time as a writer with me, so let me see if she’s working today. Maybe I can ask her to make sure they don’t tow your truck if we leave it parked here in the meantime.”

“Sounds like a plan to me, sis,” Lana replied cheerfully, indicating to Shane to pass them the drink menu near his elbow. “But I’d recommend taking advantage of the happy hour deals they got going on here right now. You know, in the interest of being fiscally responsible, right, Ella?”

Shane grabbed the menu and opened it in front of Ella, who apprehensively looked over the table to read it and find something to order. He and Lana also leaned forward at the same time to help her choose, and their eyes met for a brief moment in the dim lamp light illuminating the booth. The rest of the restaurant was dark except for the glow from a few TVs mounted on the walls and small lamps from other tables around them. The farmer smiled playfully at him, and he was profoundly tempted to just say f*ck it and close the small distance left between them to finally just kiss her, sister be damned.

Act II

Despite all its faults, Zuzu City was certainly magical at night.

Lana was already feeling a pleasant alcohol-induced buzz by the time they arrived at the bar downtown a little after 7pm. She looked out the window of the taxi at the multitude of skyscrapers rising up into the sky around them, most still brightly lit despite how late in the day it already was. Colorful neon signs advertised the plethora of shops, nightclubs, bars, and restaurants all located in the shadow of the giant buildings, lining streets filled with honking traffic. People moved easily around the sidewalks and quickly crossed the busy streets as yet another Saturday night got started in the city. The atmosphere around them felt wired and almost sizzling with electricity as Lana, Shane, and Ella stepped out of the car, now finally at their destination.

“Looks like there’s already a bit of a line,” she heard Shane say from beside her, and she followed his gaze to see a long queue of people extending out from the front door of the bar down the sidewalk. “Maybe Sam was right when he said it would get crowded.”

“Do you think we’ll be able to get in before the concert starts?” Ella asked anxiously, standing slightly pigeon-toed in the pink boots she was wearing, a habit that stuck with her since childhood.

“Yeah, we should be fine,” Lana said. She pulled her phone out from her purse that she had just been using to text with Sam on their ride to the club. She checked her new messages and smiled. “Especially since we're not gonna have to wait in that long-ass line.”

Almost as if on cue, a small door opened on the side of the building near the sidewalk they were standing on. Sam poked his blonde head outside.

“Hey guys!” he called to them, stepping out from behind the door. “Over here!”

“Guess it pays to know the band,” Shane remarked dryly to her as they made their way over to the side entrance.

“Yeah, that’s for sure,” she replied, fondly remembering some of the concerts she had attended in her younger years. They were one of the rare things that she and her sister bonded over, growing up with a similar taste in music despite all of their other differences.

The trio accompanied Sam into the building, stepping into a dingy, grey corridor lit dimly with sparse fluorescent lights. Lana could see a blank door at the end of the hallway.

“This way - sorry, it’s not nearly as shady as it looks,” he told them, looking over his shoulder as he walked ahead. “This is just the employee entrance. The room they have set up for us to get ready in is just down another hallway once we get out of here.”

He reached the door and pushed it open, holding it so they could all walk through. They reached another corridor, this one more brightly lit than the one before. Following Sam, she noticed they passed what looked like a break room and a small office behind a couple of the open doors that lined one side of the hallway. At the end of the corridor, across from a final closed door, they could see into the kitchen of the bar, bustling with cooks preparing orders and waiters popping in and out to grab trays of food.

“The main area of the bar is through there,” Sam pointed to a swinging door at the far end of the kitchen. He had his other hand on the door across the hall, ready to open it “They also serve food here during the day, but I think that’s about to end once the band starts playing. It’s a lot roomier out there than I expected. There’s a pretty big turnout of people tonight, too.”

Lana could tell he was nervous as he led them into the room, his typical perky demeanor a bit deflated as they walked in to see Abigail lounging on a couch and Sebastian working on his keyboard.

“Hey, you guys made it!” Abigail said, standing up to greet them. Her violet hair was up in a high ponytail today to keep away from her face as she drummed. “And here I was about to make a bet with Seb to see if you would make it in time or not - on your side, of course.”

“Looks like I would have lost,” Sebastian remarked, unbothered as ever from behind his keyboard.

Lana felt him eyeing her as they walked over to the coffee table in the middle of the room near him and Abigail. The room appeared to be some sort of lounging area, with a few squishy couches and sofas along with a small TV mounted to the wall and a fridge in the corner.

“We got stuck in traffic, but my sister luckily found an alternate route the driver apparently wasn’t aware of,” Lana said. She moved aside so that she could introduce her. Lana knew her sister well enough to notice that she was uncomfortable with meeting so many new people at once but doing her best to not let it show. “Ella, this is Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian, my other friends from Pelican Town. They’re the ones in the band playing tonight, if it wasn’t already obvious. Guys, this is my sister, Ella.”

She stepped forward, giving them all a small wave as she did so.

“Hi everyone,” Ella said in her soft voice. “It’s nice to meet you all.”

“Is that a Lunesta tattoo on your wrist?” Abigail said suddenly. “Do you play Solarian Chronicles?” Ella looked a bit caught off-guard from the abrupt questions, not accustomed to Abigail’s sometimes-brash way of coming across. Still, she held up her hand palm-side up to allow her to more closely inspect the tattoo, an intricate angular symbol shaped like a crescent moon. Lana noticed Sebastian perk up noticeably, also stepping a bit closer with Abigail to look.

“Um, yes,” Ella said. “Well, I enjoy the novels a bit more - they build upon the world in a way the game never seems to quite be able to. But the game still can be pretty fun.” Her sister’s already fair skin was starting to turn even paler instead of getting red like other people’s did when they were embarrassed, a curious trait she had inherited from their mother.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Sebastian spoke up. He nodded at her tattoo in approval. Lana was suddenly reminded of his own inked arms hidden underneath the black collared shirt he was wearing. “The books are much better, especially compared to that TV special they tried to pull off a few years ago.”

“Oh, that was horrible!” Ella agreed vehemently. Lana could see she was already beginning to get riled up when it came to the topic of one of her favorite fantasy novel series of all time. “Don’t get me started on how they tried to portray the Grand Wizard as some sort of megalomaniac, chauvinistic jerk. Completely at odds with the source material.”

At the mention of a wizard, she and Shane caught each other’s eye, smirking at one another as they shared a private moment as the only ones in the room with knowledge of all the real magic that was alive and well back in Stardew Valley. Ella and Sebastian continued to talk animatedly about Solarian Chronicles while Sam and Abigail listened in with interest. Lana turned to Shane.

“Wanna come with me to grab drinks for everyone?” she asked him. “I told them I’d buy a round before the show for good luck.”

“Sure,” he replied, shrugging.

She interjected into the group’s conversation to let them know where they were going before leading Shane out of the room and across the hallway into the kitchen. They made their way through the bustling staff working around them until they emerged through a swinging door into the bar itself.The place was decorated as an old-fashioned pub mixed with the amenities of an upscale lounge. The dark chestnut wood that lined the walls and the grand bar in the middle of the room went nicely with the charming sconces illuminating the area in dim light. Behind the main bar area ahead of them was a dance floor and small stage for Sam’s band to perform later. The place was already full of people mingling around the small tables set up around the bar or ordering drinks and food from one of the many bartenders moving around like acrobats behind the wide counter. Even from here, she could tell the dance floor was already starting to get packed, where a DJ was currently playing loud remixed hip hop music.

“Well, looks like they got enough buzz going for the place,” Shane said, looking at her sideways. She nodded in agreement.

“Let’s order before it gets any busier,” she said, and began to walk across the floor to the bar. He followed her, keeping close behind. She could faintly smell his cologne on him, an intoxicating scent that had been coming and going all day whenever he’d get near her.

Lana placed her elbows on the counter while he leaned against it, waiting for one of the hustling bartenders to notice them. Stealthily, she looked at Shane as she pretended to read the drink specials written on a sign behind his head.

He had obviously cleaned up for the night, his dark hair neatly swept to the side and the usual scruff on his face shorter than usual. He had put on the black jacket he brought with him once they got out of their taxi, pulling it over his wide chest in a firm motion that was much sexier to her than it needed to be. She watched him in profile as he read a beer menu in his hands, scanning the slightly curved bridge of his nose down to the dip between his upper and lower lip. His strong jaw looked sharp where it connected to his neck, an intersection that Lana often daydreamed about placing her lips upon and maybe even licking in one of her more steamier fantasies.

Elle had given her a knowing look earlier at the restaurant when she saw the sneaky glances her older sister would often give Shane. Still, she hadn't mentioned anything to her - not yet, anyway. Lana had kept her descriptions of Shane to her sister to a bare minimum, already feeling she had given Ryan too much information as it was. She knew she’d most likely need to answer for this later, perhaps after the concert, when Ella could pull her into the bathroom for an interrogation.

“Anything looking good?” she asked him now, finally catching the eye of a bartender. Shane slid his eyes from the menu to hers, looking her up and down in a way that would have almost been imperceptive if Lana wasn’t so familiar with the move herself.

“A lot’s looking good right to me now,” he replied, maintaining their gaze for a couple of seconds before turning his head to look at the bartender that was now approaching them. She felt a sharp pang of desire low in her abdomen.

Lana ordered a round of shots for the group while Shane got themselves a couple of extra drinks to take back to the room. She watched as he ordered from the young man behind the counter with such a relaxed and confident demeanor that it made her wistfully wonder what it would have been like to have known him in the city before moving to Stardew Valley, when they were both younger and less cynical. The bartender brought them back their drinks quickly. Shane handed her drink he had bought for her.

“Thanks,” she said to him, their hands grazing as she grabbed the glass. He held onto it for a moment before letting go, his fingertips still against her skin.

“Let’s hang out here a bit, before we go back to the others,” he leaned in and asked her in a quiet voice just loud enough for her to hear among all the ambient noise. “Just you and me?”

The crowded room around them, loud and lively as it was, faded away as she nodded shyly and got closer to Shane, physically unable to keep herself away from him. He looked down at her with a peculiar look across his features, and she could see her own reflection in his eyes, mirroring his own ardent expression. Something inside Lana shifted in that moment as she realized with a jolt that she most definitely and without warning had fallen for Shane - hook, line and sinker.

****

After the concert

“That was f*cking incredible!” Lana called out loudly from against the bar to Sam and the others as they made their way over to them once the show was over. From the moment they had walked onstage, “The Pink Pelicans” - as Sam announced them - had commanded the crowd, easily connecting with his confident and easygoing manner. Once the music started, an electronic-rock blend that always seemed to beat with the perfect tempo, and Sam started to sing, it seemed like everyone at the bar was quickly enraptured with the band.

Abigail’s strong backup vocals went along smoothly with Sam’s, which Lana attributed not only to the copious amount of practice they had done for the concert but also the familiarity they seemed to have around each other onstage in general. Sebastian also played nimbly along on the keyboard, his sleeves now rolled up as his fingers deftly carved out melodies to accompany Sam’s guitar and Abigail’s drums, actually appearing to be enjoying himself up onstage along with the others. She had caught him looking over in their direction a few times during the show, obviously distracted but never once faltering in the notes he was playing.

At one point, Abigail had taken over a song without even realizing it, Sam discretely fading into the background as she continued singing until it was over and the crowd was on its feet, cheering louder than ever. She had frozen, her hair now down and tumbled around her shoulders, locking eyes with a cheering Lana standing at the front of the crowd next to Shane and Ella. Abigail had just grinned back at her with an embarrassed shrug as the crowd in the bar continued to applaud. Lana saw Sam standing a few feet behind her with his guitar held loosely in hand, staring at her in reverence as she gave a small bow to the people below.

Sam smiled bashfully to Lana now as they approached the rest of the group. Ella was next to her, trying to save Shane’s place after he left to use the restroom a few minutes ago. Some of the other people in the bar around them congratulated the group as they walked up, Abigail seeming pleasantly embarrassed and Sebastian’s aloof demeanor even cracking a bit as people clapped him on the back and complimented him. Sam, however, was reveling in the attention, laughing and even stopping to take a picture with a couple of young women who looked up at him in adoration the entire time.

“Hey, Lana!” Sam said to her once they reached the bar. He enveloped her in a strong bearhug that took the wind out of her, but still, she laughed along with him as she was swept up in his contagious enthusiasm. Ella also bid him congratulations and was also quickly added to the hug, looking a bit mortified in the process.

“That really was an amazing performance,” she said, giggling a bit now that he let them go. She had already had a couple of shots prior to the show in addition to the drink she ordered at the restaurant, and for someone like her sister who rarely-to-never drank, it was already starting to show.

“Yeah, you guys knocked it out of the park,” Lana added. She caught Sebastian’s eye as he and Abigail also made their way up to the bar next to them. She grinned at him, and he returned it back with a surprisingly matching fervor.

“Drinks on me,” he told everyone, eyes still only on her. “To celebrate how much ass we kicked tonight onstage.”

They all cheered at his generosity, and as they all crowded around the bar to order their drinks, Lana ended up towards the edge of the group, making sure to leave room for Shane once he returned. Her sister, now next to Sebastian, looked back at her anxiously.

“What should I order?” Ella asked. “I don’t remember what I got at the restaurant. A sex-on-the-beach? Was that it?” Her hair, cut this time into a layered, platinum-blonde bob, was sticking up slightly in some places from when she got jostled in the crowd during the concert.

“Get a Long Island,” Lana said, her poker face up. “That one tastes really good. You’ll love it.”

“You mean like the island across the bridge? Okay, I’ll tell him to get two of those for us then,” Ella responded thoughtfully, turning back to speak to Sebastian. She felt someone tug her hair softly. Lana tensed up and looked sharply over her shoulder, relaxing once she saw it was Shane.

“Hey,” she said, a bit breathlessly. He looked at her with a content expression, appearing in his element in this dark, crowded bar, especially now that he had more than a few drinks to loosen him up a bit. Shane leaned down to hear her better through all the noise around them. “Seb’s getting drinks for everyone. What do you want so we can tell him?”

“Oh, well, I guess I’ll have a whiskey on the rocks,” he said. She thought she noticed his mouth tighten slightly as though he wasn’t too happy with the idea, but it disappeared after a millisecond, an easy smile now on his face.

“Okay, I’ll let him know, “ she said, turning around to tell Sebastian. He was in deep conversation with Ella about some new graphic novel series that had just been released. Lana had to raise her voice to almost a yell to make them notice her so she could give them Shane’s order.

Afterwards, she turned back to him. They waited for the drinks as they listened to the loud music now playing again from the DJ. She looked up and saw Shane watching her as he leaned against the bar, just like she had done when they had first come out here before the concert.

“Gold for your thoughts?” she said to him, tilting her head to one side.

“It’s just been a really fun night so far,” he replied. “The Pink Pelicans really did do an amazing job up there. I’m honestly super impressed.”

He had taken off his jacket, leaving it back in the band’s room along with the rest of their things. The blue collared shirt he was wearing fit his wide shoulders perfectly, crisp and clean against the dark denim of his jeans. Lana could hear the rest of the group talking behind them, but she didn’t want to break their little bubble just yet.

“I’m glad you’re having a good time,” she said, moving her hair back behind her shoulders to cool off a bit. As the night progressed, it was starting to get hotter as it got more and more crowded around them. “We all needed a break from work and sh*t back home.”

“Yeah, my manager has really been on my ass lately,” he responded, looking a bit harried at the thought. “But it's easier working with you on the farm, at least. And it gives me the chance to see Winston and all the chickens.”

“Those chickens really do love you. I’m jealous, honestly.”

“Oh, please. You know they’re all crazy about you too. I see the way they follow you around the farm.”

“That’s because I feed them,” Lana laughed, eliciting a chuckle out of him too. “You’re clearly their real favorite. But that’s okay. I can see why they like you so much.”

She knew she was being bold, but she also was also quite tipsy and honestly just tired of acting like there wasn’t something magnetic between that hadn't been multiplying as time went on. He seemed to be of a similar mind, moving a bit closer to her in the tiny space they had so that their torsos were almost touching.

“You wanna know a secret?” he murmured almost in her ear, just loud enough for her to hear. She nodded, almost transfixed at the sound and vibration of his voice against the delicate skin behind her ear. “You’re my favorite.”

Lana wanted to tell him that he was hers too, that and so much more if she really was being honest. Somehow, this surly man had shattered her own fortified exterior, purposely thick so that her guard could be up at all times. Lana had recognized the wary, cagey look he sometimes had in his eyes, even when he seemed relaxed, because it was the same look she’d see looking back at herself in every mirror, no matter how much her life had improved since moving away from Zuzu City. There was no denying that she had felt a special connection to him from the very first moment they met. Before she could get any words out, her sister bumped into her, two drinks now in her hand.

“Oops, sorry, Lana,” Ella giggled, holding the glasses up so that they wouldn’t spill. “One Long Island, and one whiskey.” She handed them the drinks.

“Thanks, El,” Lana said, taking a sip and finding it pleasantly strong. Shane did the same with his drink, moving away from her a bit as she turned around to talk to her sister.

“So, we’re all going to this booth they have reserved for the band,” Ella continued, grabbing her own drink from the counter. “Maybe dance a bit once we’re settled, but I probably won’t be partaking in that activity.”

“We’ll see about that,” Lana said, teasing her. Her sister was notoriously shy when it came to dancing or anything else where attention might fall solely on her. “But okay, lead the way.”

Ella and the rest of the group began to make their way to the booth on the other side of the bar near the dance floor. Before she could take a step, Shane grabbed her arm gently to stop her. She turned to look at him, a bemused eyebrow raised in question.

“Hey, uh, can I talk to you about something later?” he asked her in response. “When we get home, or maybe on the drive back even?” He had a determined look in his eyes, unblinking as they looked into hers. An unspoken message passed in the air between them like static.

“Yes,” she replied, not wanting to ever look away from him. “I think I’d like that.”

Shane’s mouth pulled up into a small, lopsided smile. He looked absolutely deadly to Lana with his hair mussed up from the concert and the shadow of a beard darkening his jaw. Head spinning, she turned around and to join her sister across the bar, sensing his presence following behind her closely the entire way there as though it were an open flame.

****

An hour later, everyone was gathered around the booth that was reserved for them for yet another round of shots. This time was Ella’s idea, to the immense amusem*nt of the group. Lana was observing her carefully throughout the night, making sure that she didn't ingest too much alcohol too fast for her own good. The glazed look in her sister’s eyes after throwing back this most recent shot of tequila alerted her that maybe it was time for a break, and she surreptitiously moved Ella’s half-finished drink away from her.

“I’m gonna grab some water for us - be right back,” she told her, starting to get up. Ella looked up after a second of delay.

“Okay, have fun!” she yelled, bumping shoulders with Abigail next to her in the booth, who was equally as tipsy. The two girls had bonded through the night over their shared love of video games. Her sister even followed Abigail and Sam out on the dance floor, joining the other two in a series of dorky moves that vastly entertained the rest of the group for a while.

Lana slid out of her seat and smoothed her skirt as she got ready to walk to the bar. The booth now just contained Ella and Abigail - Sam and Sebastian were talking with some old friends from high school they had found in the next table over. Shane had gone to the restroom again again a while ago, all the alcohol he was drinking apparently going right through him.

Somehow, she had convinced him earlier to dance with her at one point after a few more drinks. He had resisted her fervently at first, shaking his head and laughing nervously in protest as she tried to pull him out with her whenever a good song came on. Eventually, she wore him down, and he followed her out into the crowded dance floor to get lost in the horde of people moving with the music around them. Quickly, they had been closely pressed together in the small space, suddenly shy with each other under the colorful lights flashing from the DJ booth. Slowly, the atmosphere shifted as they began to move together in tempo with the beat. At one point, he had placed his hands on her hips to pull her closer to him as they danced, and she almost lost control of herself at the feeling of him pressed against her, absolutely sure that he was going to finally kiss her later tonight when they would get a chance to be alone. The feeling of anticipation had fluttered around inside her stomach like a trapped moth for the rest of the night.

Lana daydreamed about the moment as she made her way to the bar, weaving through the crowd of people until she made it to the counter to squeeze her way in. As she stood on her tiptoes trying to get a bartender to notice her, she felt a hard, painful grip on her shoulder and spun around thinking that it was Shane again, surprised even in her intoxicated state that he would ever grab her so roughly. Shocked, instead she saw her ex Adam standing in front of her, along with someone who looked suspiciously like his cousin Eddie guiltily hanging around behind him next to a small group of guys who resembled overgrown fraternity brothers.

“Well, well, well. If it isn't Lana Rose Abernathy,” he said, no doubt trying to be smooth and suave as he leered at her from behind the lens of his stylish black eyeglasses.

“Adam,” she said simply and turned back to face the counter, refusing to give him the dignity of another glance.

At one more-naïve point in her life, back when she first met him as an undergraduate in one of her classes as a college student, she had thought he was dangerously attractive, with his dark, flashing eyes and thick, dirty-blonde hair that he always kept freshly cut and styled. Looking at him now, she wondered what she ever saw in him, feeling only disgust as she was reminded of all the hell he had put her through all those years ago.

The recap she hd given Shane earlier at the restaurant hadn't been entirely accurate. Truthfully, after she caught him cheating and broke up with him, he harassed her heavily afterwards, calling her incessantly and even bothering her at JojaMart on some days he knew she was scheduled. The first few months or so, Lana had given in and had sex with him a few times, feeling tremendously guilty and confused from all his tears and pleas coupled with gestures of love and adoration while at the same time reeling from the insults he would hurl at her afterwards, berating her for ever leaving him in the first place.

Back in the bar, Lana could feel the embers of resentment beginning to flicker and flare up inside of her as she thought of the whole experience and how sh*tty it had made her feel.

As if he wasn’t the one who cheated on me throughout our entire year-long relationship, she thought darkly, staring at the counter below below her.

It was Ella who had pulled her aside one day and quietly told her she was being gaslighted, a concept new to her that she didn’t realize was an actual form of manipulation people used and not just Adam’s own spoiled way of always making sure he got what he wanted from her and everyone else in his life. Furious with herself for falling for it for so long, she had cut all contact with him and blocked him from her social media before leaving the internet entirely herself once the harassment intensified. He persisted for another month, until Lana finally threatened to get the cops involved one late night after she found him once again waiting for her after work. Since then, she hadn’t heard from him at all, a welcome blessing that she had taken for granted up until right now.

“You look amazing,” Adam said now at the bar, moving closer to her. “But I’m not surprised to see that.”

Lana instinctively stepped backwards, noticing with disgust that he had grown a stupid, patchy beard in the years since she had last seen him lurking in that dark alley next to her apartment.

“You know, I can’t say the same about you, unfortunately,” she replied, trying to stay calm as she finally got the attention of a nearby bartender and ordered a couple of waters. Lana continued trying to ignore Adam as she waited for the woman to come back with her water, eager to just get the f*ck away from him.

By now, he had inserted himself into the small space between Lana and the group of people next to her. He was standing way too close, and she recoiled from the strong smell of alcohol on his breath, turning her face sharply away from him as he persisted in trying to talk to her.

“Eddie let slip that your sister invited him tonight to your friend’s little show here, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to come with him and see you again after all this time. I’m just gonna say it. I’ve missed you, Lana. So damn much .”

“You better f*ck right off, Adam,” she retorted angrily at his words, finally whipping her head around to look him in the eye. “What makes you think I’d ever want anything to do with you after everything you’ve put me through?”

Adam gave her a simpering smile that twisted into an ugly sneer when she tried to turn away again. He put an arm around her waist to pull her roughly to him. Despite how strong she had gotten from working on her farm, she could only struggle fruitlessly against his iron grip. He lowered his face until it was inches away from hers, and she could see how blood-shot his eyes were and realized how badly he had been slurring his words this entire time. He was quite clearly very, very drunk. Her own head was swimming in all the alcohol she herself had consumed that night, the sudden turn of events knocking her off-kilter and his proximity and odor completely disorienting her. She struggled to gather her thoughts while locked in his grip.

“Let me go,” she said, shoving away from him to no avail. “I f*cking mean it, Adam, you better get your hands off me, or else I’ll- ”

The heel of her boot slid on a puddle of spilled beer on the floor behind her as she tried to move away, and she fell forward into him slightly as her ankle rolled underneath her. Lana winced from the sudden rush of pain, not noticing Adam sliding his hand from her waist down to her ass until he squeezed her harshly. She yelped in pain as his fingers dug deeply into her skin.

“f*ck, you’ve always been so goddamn sexy,” he slurred in her ear. She froze with her gaze transfixed on his sneering face, still unable to move as she was trapped between his vice-like hold and the drunk group of people trying to order more drinks behind her. He continued to talk, his voice bringing up memories that she had long ago pushed down and far away. “Stop acting like you haven’t been thinking of me this entire time too. I know you miss the way I used to f*ck you - it drove you crazy, didn’t it? You never could get enough of me. Even after you broke up with me, you still kept coming whenever I called. I bet you’d even come home with me now if I asked, wouldn’t you? You little slu*t.”

“Get the f*ck away from her,” Lana heard Shane’s deep voice cut through all the noise around them, his tone cold and furious and unlike anything she had ever heard him use before. She and Adam both turned to see him standing a few feet away from them in a gap in the crowd. Lana could see his fist balled up at his side, shaking in anger.

“Who the hell are you?” Adam asked, finally releasing Lana to face Shane. “We’re a little busy here. Lana and I go way back, don’t we, babe?”

“No, actually, we don’t. And don’t ever f*cking call me ‘babe’ again,” she said, finally snapping out of her daze now that he had released her. Her backside was already sore from his rough grip. The physical pain coupled with the shock of seeing Shane appearing out of nowhere had now sobered her up immediately. She stepped away from her ex, fury flaring up abruptly within her at what had just occurred. “I was just about to remind Adam here that we will never have any sort of relationship ever again.”

"Never say never, babe. Now, stop being so difficult, and let's just get out of here, yeah? Me and you have a lot of catching up to do."

"I'd rather die than go anywhere with you, you crazy piece of sh*t," Lana spat the words at him, almost blinded by her anger.

“Aw, come on, Adam,” his cousin Eddie now finally jumped in, more than likely getting worried about how the situation was beginning to escalate. Adam had a drunk scowl on his face but was also looking around nervously at the crowd around them. Lana could tell he was already regretting his impulsive decision to manhandle her now that all this drama had ensued. By now, people near the bar were turning around to look at them curiously. Eddie grabbed Adam’s arm, trying to pull him away. “Let’s go, man. I don’t want to get kicked out of another bar, yeah? The cover charge for this place was expensive.” The guys with him grumbled their agreement.

“Fine, whatever,” Adam conceded, putting his hands up as though he had done nothing wrong. He began to stumble after his cousin. “I’ll see you later, Lana. I’ll find your number, babe, and we can connect again like we should have done long ago. I know you’ve missed me all this time just like I’ve missed you.”

“f*ck off, Adam,” she told him again quietly, turning away from him to face the bar again. “Just f*ck right off.”

Eddie led him away hurriedly into the crowd, calling out apologies to Lana until his voice faded away into the pounding music around them. She and Shane we left alone as people finally turned their attention away now that the scene in front of them was over.

“I’m gonna kill Ella,” she said, feeling incredibly antsy. She wondered vaguely if Sebastian had brought any weed with him tonight, suddenly sick with the craving. “f*ck, I can’t believe that happened. I hate that guy so much, Shane. He put me through such hell.”

“You sure looked pretty cozy together to me,” she heard Shane grumble. She snapped her head back up to look at him, bewildered by his comment. He continued, seemingly oblivious. “Sorry if I interrupted anything.”

“Interrupted anything?” she repeated in confusion, her anger beginning to swell up again. “What are you talking about? Did you not just hear me tell him to f*ck off? That was Adam, remember? The ex I mentioned earlier that cheated on me? I don’t want anything to do with him. He’s f*cking crazy.”

“Well, alright. If that's what you say.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you trying to imply something?”

“I’m just saying, Lana. He seemed pretty confident you’d go home with him tonight. Apparently it’s happened before, even after you guys ended things, from what I heard just now.”

“Wow." She shook her head heatedly. "Are you being serious right now?”

Shane shrugged. “What?”

“You have no idea how bad things were when everything with Adam happened. This was years ago, when I was in college. I was a different person back then. And he kept playing mind games with me, even after the whole cheating thing.”

“Sure, whatever. I guess you just fell into his arms back then too, like you did now.”

“What the hell are you talking about? I was trying to get away from him. Yoba, you’re being such an jerk right now.”

“That’s not what it looked like to me. But whatever, Lana. I just came to look for you after your sister told me you left to get water. I didn’t want you to be by yourself, but maybe that’s exactly what you wanted.”

Her head was still spinning a bit from the effects of all the alcohol in her system, but her vision was now becoming tinged with red at Shane’s words.

“Oh, well thanks for the concern,” she told him sarcastically, ignoring the last thing he said and stepping closer to him as her temper flared up like a fire doused in gasoline. “But I was handling things just fine until my foot slipped and I stumbled into him for a second. And I would have kept on handling things afterwards, even if you hadn’t shown up.”

“Maybe you should watch where you’re stepping, huh?” he retorted, almost in her face now. Lana could see him starting to turn red as their conversation got more and more heated. “You’re pretty clumsy when you need to be. And why the hell are you getting mad at me? I was just trying to save you from that asshole.”

“I don’t need anyone to save me from anything, especially idiots like Adam Garcia,” she snapped at him. Lana hadn’t felt an anger this intense in a while, feeling almost separate from her body as she continued to speak in a louder and louder voice. “And I’m not sure how you’ve helped people in the past, but sitting there and judging them isn’t really the right way to go. Yoba, you’re really acting like such a piece of sh*t right now, just like everyone else.”

“Now what are you going on about?

“All high and mighty, inserting your opinion as if you have any right to judge me for my past. As if you’re so goddamn perfect yourself." She felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes but blinked them away angrily. "I thought you were my friend. But the first thing you do after I’m cornered by my crazy ex in a bar is berate me for falling for his bullsh*t manipulations, and maybe sleeping with him a few times after we broke up because of it? All those years ago back when I was still in college? What the f*ck is your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem, I’m just- ,” he was starting to get flustered, and Lana could see regret and guilt beginning to flicker in his eyes. But it was too late, at least for her in that moment. She had already shut down.

“You know what? I don’t care,” she cut him off abruptly, turning away from him. “You don’t have any f*cking clue what happened between me and Adam all those years ago, but that shouldn’t even matter, honestly. All that should matter is who I am now, and I thought that maybe you would agree with that idea. But I guess I was wrong.”

“Wait, Lana, that’s not what I- ,”

“Because I’m just a slu*t, right? That’s what he called me just now, yeah? Isn’t that what guys like you and Adam think about me?”

“No, of course not, please, let me just- ,”

“I thought I told you - I don’t care anymore. Now, if you excuse me, I need to get back to my sister with this water so we can both sober up before I have to drive us all home later.” She grabbed the two cups of water the bartender had left on the counter for her and pushed past him. He stayed in place for a moment, looking dumbfounded and desperate before following her hurriedly.

“Lana, wait - please. Just let me explain." He grabbed her gently by the arm to stop her, but she pulled away, spilling some of the water in the process.

“I don’t really want to listen to anything you have to say right now.”

“I’m sorry, I just - seeing you with him like that drove me f*cking crazy. How he was touching you? I saw red, I swear. I just didn’t like seeing that, especially when it's your ex, regardless of how you two ended things in the past. I was honestly out of my damn mind with jealousy, added to the fact that I’m f*cking drunk, Lana. Not that that’s new, or anything.”

At this, she stopped in the middle of the floor, forcing people to walk around them as she squared up to look him in the eye finally and speak.

“I don’t get you,” she said, feeling the pain of his earlier words wash over her suddenly, easily eclipsing the ache of her twisted ankle and bruised bottom. Lana shook her head, feeling drunk again and more stupid than ever but flooded with the desire to finish what she had already started to say.

“What do you want from me, Shane? You can’t sit there and tell me things like that, and dance with me the way you did earlier, and f*cking look at me the way you always do, and then turn around the next minute to make me feel like sh*t for something that happened in my past. Something that you’re clearly misinterpreting now, even after I told you the truth about what really happened. That’s a slap to my face. You don’t get to do things like that with me if you can’t even give me the respect to believe the things I trust you with."

He looked at her blankly, the ensuing silence feeling stretched out as the seconds ticked by without his response. Lana felt all her anger slowly fizzle out, replaced instead by a cold chill spreading through her insides like fog.

“Lana,” Shane said finally. “I’m really sorry. I just … I f*cked up. Please, what can I do to fix this?” She refused to meet his eyes, saying nothing for a moment.

“I don’t know, Shane,” she replied dully. Her head was beginning to pound with a headache. “I’m gonna go with Ella, okay? I have to give her this water and sober up so I can drive us home later.”

He nodded, looking completely miserable, and Lana felt her heart crack at how the night she had been so excited for had turned out. But she held her ground, turning away from him for the second time to walk back to her sister. This time, he didn’t follow her.

****

The ride home was as awkward as could be expected.

Ella was luckily too drunk to notice the huge shift in tension between Lana and Shane for the remainder of the night. She happily chatted away as she accompanied the two into the taxi they eventually called to take them back to Lana’s truck in the restaurant’s parking lot. The rest of the group, however, had easily detected the newfound animosity between the two, mainly coming from Lana’s direction as soon as she had returned to the booth from the bar.

She had pointedly ignored Shane for the rest of the night, sitting as far away from him as possible next to her sister until it was time for them all to head back to Stardew Valley before it got too late to make the drive. Abigail and Sam’s curious stares bore into her skull when they noticed she and Shane were no longer speaking to each other, but she kept quiet and just stayed on her phone until an hour or so had passed and she had sobered up completely to be able to drive. Sebastian, the first one who seemed to notice that something was off, also said nothing to her for the rest of the night, but she felt his gaze upon her a couple of times while he talked to Ella and his friends.

Shane stopped trying to apologize to her, not reappearing at the table after their fight for another twenty minutes with two bottles of beer clutched in his hands. He drank them in his corner of the booth away from the rest of the group, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. Lana dryly observed to herself that they must have made quite the pleasant pair as the group’s night wound down in Zuzu City.

After they picked up the truck and dropped off Ella at her apartment, Lana turned her truck towards the highway that would take them back home, preparing herself for the almost two-hour drive ahead of them. They soon reached the flat farmlands just outside the city, headed in the direction of the mountains on the horizon.

A couple of times, Shane tried to speak up to apologize again, but she would just turn up the volume on the radio to drown him out. Lana kept her gaze straight ahead at the road for the entire ride, still ignoring him, and eventually he gave up and looked outside his window in silence for the remainder of the trip.

They finally made it through the hills that surrounded Stardew Valley. Lana followed the winding, narrow road that broke off from the main highway that led them right past the bus stop outside of town. Shane shifted in his seat as she began to turn down the street that led to the main part of town and then beyond to Willow Lane. The motion distracted her, and she looked at him, noticing the black bomber jacket on his lap. Suddenly reminded of something, she turned right instead in the direction of her farm.

“Where are you going?” Shane finally spoke up again, looking confused. “You’re not dropping me off?”

“I have your JojaMart jacket from a couple weeks ago,” she replied, the first thing she said to him in hours. “Remember, you walked me home from the saloon one night after we finished late at the farm. It was a chilly night and you offered to let me borrow it. You were a bit drunk.”

“Oh,” he said simply, appearing pensive. She didn’t respond, just continuing to drive down the dark country road that led to her property.

They arrived a couple minutes later in front of her farmhouse, parking in a spot right off to the side.

“Be right back,” she said as she turned off the car and opened her car door. Without waiting for a response, she slammed it shut and ran up her porch steps. Unlocking her front door, she stepped inside and closed it quickly.

Lana took a few deep breaths to calm herself with her back against the door. Cursing the predicament she had created for herself, she began to look for his stupid jacket, not knowing what possessed her to mention it at a time like this when she knew she could just throw it in the general direction of the ranch some other day on her way to the beach or something.

She luckily found it deep within her large pile of dirty laundry, remembering that she had thrown it in there to wash for him and drop off later. She had clearly forgotten about it with everything else going on in her life. Lana grabbed it with a huff and walked through her bedroom door into the living room, where Winston was asleep in his bed near the fireplace. Pausing with her hand on the knob, she took another deep breath before opening her front door and walking out onto her porch. Shane stood at the very bottom of the steps, waiting for her.

She had almost given in a few times on the ride home, her fingers twitching in the direction of the damn radio to just shut it off so they could sit down and talk like adults about what had happened back at the bar. But the way he had spoken to her after her already-harrowing encounter with Adam would flash stubbornly in her mind, gutting her more deeply each time. She was reminded of the moment again as she walked down the steps, ready to hand him his jacket from a distance.

“Thanks,” he said, taking it from her outstretched arm. They stood apart for a while without saying anything, both looking away at their surroundings instead of at each other. Lana felt as though her feet were glued to the hard ground below them, unable to take a single step away from him, much less march back up her porch to her front door and make him walk home like she had planned.

Then, Shane started to move closer towards her, and Lana looked up sharply in warning, meeting his own wary gaze. He stopped, now only a foot or so away. The pain in his eyes stood out starkly to her, and she felt her own heart ache in return.

“Lana,” he said her name and nothing else, obviously struggling to get any more words out. She stayed quiet but still couldn’t bring herself to look away from him now. Around them, the eerie sounds of crickets and cicadas in the night filled the silence until Shane spoke again. “I … I don’t know what I’m doing here. This is uncharted territory for me. And I feel like I’m sinking. Fast.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing either,” she said quietly. She was overcome with the sudden urge to wrap her arms around him, just to feel him against her again, but she resisted. “I really don’t care about Adam or what happened earlier at the bar with him anymore. But it wasn’t cool what you said to me afterwards. That was what really hurt me.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Yoba, Shane - what are we even doing here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, me and you?" She gestured between them. "What is this? And what was that back at the bar?”"

“I just - f*ck, I don’t know,” he said, looking away now as though suddenly uncomfortable. Lana’s temper threatened to boil over again at his deflection, and her old fiery ways quickly set in again.

“What is it that you want from me, Shane? You want to f*ck me? Is that it? Is that all you’ve wanted this entire time?”

“No! I mean, I do want that, but I also want … I want more. I just - I just don’t think - dammit,Lana! You know that that’s not how I feel about you.”

“Then what, Shane? How do you feel, then? Because I sure as sh*t don’t know. Especially after the way you treated me tonight.”

“Lana, I… ” he faltered, looking at her with an almost pleading look in his eyes

“You what?” she shot back, stepping closer in challenge. “You what, Shane? Just spit it -”

Suddenly, several things happened all at once. The first, and most important, was that Shane grabbed the back of her head and pulled it to his own, kissing her deeply and shutting her up mid-sentence. For a wild second, she brought up her hand, ready to slap him for his gall, but the feeling of his soft lips moving against hers flooded her system almost immediately with a dizzying bliss. Her arm dropped instead around his neck to pull him closer and deepen the kiss, opening her mouth for his tongue to dart in and begin playing with hers.

The second thing that happened at exactly the same time Shane kissed her was an abrupt darkening and silencing of the night around them. The insects and other wildlife suddenly stopped making noise, while a large group of clouds above suddenly moved to block out the moon, throwing the sleeping valley into shadow. The third and final thing that occurred was a quiet rustling that began somewhere inside the brush and trees in the backwoods directly behind her house, a sound so muted that Lana was only able to detect it because she was so in tune with the forest from the power the Junimos granted her.

Regardless of the last two things that also just happened, Lana was much more focused on the first, as she and Shane now began to move towards her nearby truck until Lana’s back hit the driver side door. Shane’s hands were now on her hips, pulling her closer to him like he did on the dance floor back in Zuzu City, which already felt to Lana like a lifetime ago. She continued to match the movements of his lips on hers. They kissed with an-almost frenzied pace. She had her hands in his hair, messing it up even more than it already was. He moved his own hand down to her thigh under her skirt, pulling her leg up so that Lana could wrap it around and press her closer to him. She ground her hips against him, eliciting a delicious groan out of him.

Lana felt like her synapses were firing all at once. She was completely overwhelmed by what was going on but never, ever wanted it to stop. She had pictured kissing Shane many times over the past few months, sometimes imaging the moment as tender and romantic, and other times as the lustful make out session that was occurring now. But nothing could have prepared her for the absolutely raw feeling of his lips on hers, or the pressure of his hands on her skin, firmly gripping her thigh and waist, and Lana was acutely made aware of the small moans coming from her throat, loud in the absolute silence of the night around them -

Wait. The silence. What happened to the insects? Lana’s thoughts blared back into her head like a honking semi truck. She finally opened her eyes. Why is it so f*cking dark and quiet all of a sudden?

Winston’s abrupt barks from inside her house shattered the quiet before Lana could ponder it any further. She and Shane separated abruptly as he began to whine loudly and scratch frantically at the inside of the front door. The rustling in the woods directly behind her house grew loud enough that even Shane could hear it now, sharply looking up at the leaves with an alert frown on his face.

“What is that?” he said, moving her behind him as he turned to face the brush. Lana sighed and walked around him, annoyed at how the moment was broken and even more frustrated that she let it get this far in the first place.

Nice job holding your ground, Lana, she thought to herself as she approached the cluster of maple trees the noise was coming from. She shivered a bit, as it was already well past midnight and no longer appropriate weather for the skirt she was wearing. The rustling suddenly stopped when she reached the particularly thick patch of bushes.

“Come on out,” she said to whatever was lurking within the trees. “I know you’re in there. I heard you moving around since you got here.”

“Lana!” Shane hissed, now by her side next to the trees. “What the hell are you doing?”

Before she could answer, a small, dark figure emerged from the bushes, materializing out of the very shadows themselves. The creature in front of them was pitch black, about three feet tall and armless, stepping forward slowly on two stocky legs. It had white, glowing eyes and a mouth that opened up like a ripped seam as it stared up at the two of them with a guilty expression on its face, caught in the act of spying on them.

“Who are you?” Lana demanded, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She grabbed at her side for her sword, cursing as she realized it was back inside her house.

She had seen monsters just like the one standing in front of her a few times before, deep down in the mines - they were aggressive, stupid brutes that would charge at her from the darkness, flailing at her with soulless grins on their blank faces. She remembered the first time she had encountered one, on a day that Abigail was too busy at her dad’s shop to accompany her. Lana had easily killed it when it sprung at her, slashing it with her sword until it gave a dying screech and dissipated with a dark grey puff of smoke. It was yet another in a series of monsters that she had encountered down there, a worrying trend she knew was connected some way to what was scaring the Junimos.

This creature that emerged from the woods was a bit smaller than the ones she had encountered in the mines, and it had an intelligent glint in its eyes that led her to believe it actually understood what she was saying. Her suspicions were confirmed as it stepped forward towards her. She could only describe its skin as liquid-shadow, somehow moving and rolling underneath its inky surface as two small arms began to grow out from the creature’s torso. Its strange mouth split open as it began to speak to them.

“Hello, farmer Lana,” it said in a bizarrely human-sounding voice. Next to her, Shane was frozen in place, his jaw dropped in shock. “My name is Krobus, and I'm a merchant of rare and exotic goods. The wizard M. Rasmodius has sent me for you. We’ve just made an important discovery in regards to the situation with the Junimos. I’ll explain everything, but you should come with me now. He stated it was quite urgent.”

Lana’s gut instincts, already sharpened from experience even before her encounter with the wizard’s potion, did not immediately go off as Krobus spoke to her. She said nothing for a moment, only regarding the little monster with an even gaze as she contemplated what to do next.

“Lana,” Shane whispered to her. She jumped a bit at his voice, almost forgetting he was there. “You can’t possibly be thinking about actually going with this thing, are you?”

“Excuse me,” Krobus spoke up, now popping up right next to him. Shane gave a startled cry and backed away. “My apologies. Technically, I’m a ‘shadow person’. We've existed deep down in the mine outside of town for centuries. Although, if I’m being honest, I don’t really socialize with the rest of them much anymore. Too, uh, crude for my taste. I'm sorry if they've been hostile towards you. You see, we've learned to fear humans over time. There have been too many... unpleasant encounters.”

Shane’s mouth opened and closed a few times as he attempted to form a reply to the well-spoken monster standing before him. Krobus’ arms retreated back into his body as he awaited a response from either of them.

“So, you said that you and Rasmodius finally found something about the Junimos?” Lana spoke up, watching Krobus with a hand on her hip. He turned his bright white eyes on her.

“Yes, we believe so, and I also have news from below the surface that may also be linked to all this,” he replied.

She said nothing to him, only looking at Shane, who was fervently shaking his head at her.

“No. Absolutely not, Lana,” he told her angrily. “You can’t go. I won’t let you.”

“Excuse me? You won’t let me?” She gave a snort at his words. “You don’t exactly get to decide what I can or can’t do, Shane.”

“You know that’s not what I’m trying to say, Lana.”

“Then what are you trying to say?”

“That this is crazy!" He shook his head. "What if it’s a trap?”

“No, this isn’t a trap,” Krobus materialized again up from the ground in between them, his quivering black form almost blending into the night. They both jumped in surprise. “My apologies, again. But I promise, Ms. Lana, I’m not trying to deceive you. The wizard just sent me because he’s very deep in his research at the moment. Although, now that I think about it, you may have been more receptive if he came instead...”

“He knows what time it is, right?” Lana asked, rolling her eyes in annoyance. Rasmodius could be quite tactless sometimes, but she knew he also wouldn’t have called for her unless it was very important. “Fine, I’ll go. For the Junimos.”

“Lana, please.” Shane stepped in front of her as she started to move with Krobus back into the dark trees. “Please, just - just stay here. Stay with me.”

“I have to go, Shane,” she said firmly, moving past him. Ahead of them, Krobus skittered on his stumpy legs to lead them as they walked through the woods. “I have a feeling this is important. It’s worth the risk of checking out.”

“But what about us? What about what just happened, right now, and earlier tonight in the city? Can’t you just -”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t worry about that right now. This is more important. The Junimos need me, and I can’t abandon them, not after everything they’ve done for the community center. Despite what you seem to believe, I actually can make my own decisions and take care of my own damn self. So, go home, Shane.”

He stopped now at her words. They had reached a small clearing hidden in between the brush. Lana saw a strange wooden pyramid-shaped box with a golden sun at the top sitting on the ground in front of them.

“We can use this obelisk to return to Rasmodius,” Krobus said. An arm stretched out to her from within his pitch-black body. “Grab hold, please. Once I touch it, it’ll teleport us both to his tower.”

Lana looked back at Shane one more time, who still hadn’t moved from his spot since Lana told him to leave. His eyes implored her to stay with him, and for a millisecond Lana remembered the electrifying moment earlier when his lips had finally touched hers, almost giving in to his pleas for her to stay.

“Please don't go,” he begged her again now, his voice cracking with emotion. But Lana had already made up her mind.

Saying nothing, she only shook her head, turning around to grab hold of Krobus’ arm, which felt unexpectedly warm in her hand. His other arm began extending out, growing in length until it touched the sun at the tip of the obelisk. It began to glow brilliantly, enveloping the pair in a golden light that grew to a dazzling flash, illuminating the forest around them for only a few seconds. Shane covered his eyes, blinded by how bright everything had suddenly become. The light disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, and when he opened his eyes again, the spot where Lana and Krobus once stood with the obelisk was now empty, only the footprints of her combat boots still imprinted on the forest floor.

Chapter 15: Something Wicked This Way Comes

Chapter Text

No matter what happened in her life, Lana knew that she would always be okay as long as she just kept running.

Early on, she realized that there was something ominous constantly following her, always looming on the horizon, approaching slowly and getting closer and closer until one day she knew it would be upon her to finally devour her whole. It almost caught up to her a few times as she grew up, the most catalytic being the death of her father just after her thirteenth birthday. Lana had first felt its presence when she looked down at the casket holding his dead body as it was being lowered into its grave at his funeral, when despair and hopelessness began to settle down upon her like a thick, frigid fog. It turned her cold and made her ugly in spirit and soul, so she decided one day to simply run from it instead of letting it take her. She pushed away the memories of her father, the memories of the farm in Stardew Valley in the summertime, and finally, what was left of her fractured family in an attempt to lessen the blow should the universe decide to one day feel the need to wrench them away from her too.

In substitute, she turned to partying, alcohol, and drugs as she grew up - none of it ever being enough to fill the emptiness she still felt inside her, even if it worked for a while to keep at bay whatever was out there, always pursuing her. Later on, when the whole Adam catastrophe occurred, she realized it had returned without warning after Ella finally knocked some sense into her. Lana was reminded once again that she couldn’t afford to sit still and let her guard down at any moment, or else it would grab hold of her and never let her go.

Years after Adam, she found out that yet another boyfriend was being unfaithful to her - this time, dorky Dan from Sales at JojaCorp, who would hold the car door open for her on dates and leave flowers on her desk. That breakup was easier, punctuated with the upturning of his Diet Joja Cola onto his head right after Lana caught him making out with their coworker Rachel in a dark booth at her favorite restaurant. Both of them simply ceased to exist to her after that.

She retaliated further by also distancing herself from the rest of the small group of people she considered her “friends”, mainly out of distrust and precaution just like had done with her old college acquaintances years before. There had been many instances over the years where she was reminded how shallow her relationships with all these people truly were, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to stick around for them and risk falling victim to her melancholia after managing to outrun it all this time. Lana actually preferred solitude anyway - at least up until very recently, anyway. Stardew Valley was changing her in more ways than one without her even realizing it, and she was beginning to get unnerved with the entire place.

When Krobus suddenly appeared that wild and confusing night after they returned from Zuzu City, Lana knew that, once again, she was choosing to run away from her problems with her decision to follow him back to the wizard’s tower. She fled from Shane after what was probably the best kiss of her life, recklessly and impulsively leaving him alone in the woods for a creature that had appeared out of the darkness. Lana knew Shane well enough to know that he’d be extremely angry and upset with her. In fact, she was counting on it.

But even so, she ran. This time, from the person who had become her closest and most trusted friend in the valley in addition to being the man who she was pretty sure she was falling in love with despite her best efforts. No matter how hard she tried to put it out of her mind, the incident back at the bar had left a sour taste in her mouth as Shane’s words continued to echo on repeat in her mind. She would close her eyes and see the disappointed look in his eyes when he found her with Adam as though he had just caught her doing something wrong or shameful. Even after they had kissed outside her house, Lana still felt the open wound that Shane's words had left. And despite how much she longed to stay so they could talk until the sunrise or maybe even just fall asleep together, her natural impulse at a moment like that was to flee. The appearance of Krobus and his news from the wizard at least gave her something to distract herself with.

Still, Lana was only thinking of Shane when her vision was suddenly blinded by the glow from the obelisk Krobus had touched. When she reopened her eyes, she was in Rasmodius’ tower. Krobus had been true to his word. She shook her head, trying to clear what had just happened between her and Shane out of her head so she could focus on the reason she supposedly left him in the first place - the Junimos. From the corner of her eye, she saw the wizard enter the candlelit room through a small door next to the spiral staircase. His usually neat beard and goatee were sticking up in places, and he looked strange to Lana only wearing his tunic and leggings along with some fuzzy slippers.

“Ms. Abernathy! It is a pleasure to see you again,” he called out to her when he saw her standing in the middle of the room. Most likely noticing the peeved expression on her face, he quickly continued. “I apologize for the sudden and rather late summons, but as Krobus here most likely told you, I believe I’ve found some key information about your friends, the Junimos.”

“My friends,” Lana repeated, amused with the notion of being pals with the little creatures. She actually felt a fierce protectiveness over them that she assumed would be what motherhood might feel like one day, if that was in the cards for her. “Go on, then. I’m listening.”

“Perhaps a bit of... backstory first may be wise,” Rasmodius said, leading Lana to his table stacked with books and paper. She winced as she put weight on her twisted ankle, praying that her injury wasn't too bad this time. Krobus followed behind them, blending in with the darkened room in some places where the weakened candlelight didn’t quite reach. She sighed but sat down in a cozy chair in front of the wizard as he cleared some of the mess on the table to the side.

“Well, let’s see - where to even begin?” he mused, stroking his handlebar mustache, apparently deep in thought. “It is such a complex and convoluted issue, as it were…”

Lana mentally strapped herself in, knowing that she was about to get caught up in another of Rasmodius’ long-winded tales. He had talked her ear off before with stories about his past life of adventure that she suspected were a bit embellished in his favor during the few times she returned to his tower for a visit or a chat about the Junimos.

“I’d say right at the beginning, sir,” Krobus spoke up, seated next to him. “That would probably be most helpful for Ms. Lana, if she agrees with my suggestion?”

“Yeah, Malachai,” she replied with a smirk, calling him by his first name just to irk him. “Just start at the beginning.” He rolled his eyes at her but sighed and began to speak.

“A very long time ago, I was married,” he said. Lana raised her eyebrows, definitely not expecting him to start off in this manner. The wizard continued. “Things… didn’t work out, and my ex-wife, who was magically gifted in Elemental magic like myself, didn’t handle the split very well. Her once-benevolent power turned inward and mutated into something darker. She became a dark witch.”

“A witch? ” Lana interjected. “Wait, so now there’s witches involved, like the ones that fly around on brooms?”

“Actually, it’s a myth that witches use cleaning equipment as their preferred method of transport,” Krobus responded before the wizard could answer. “If she is using flight to travel, it most likely is without the use of anything besides her magical abilities.”

“Can I finish my story, or are you two going to keep interrupting me before I can even really begin?” Rasmodius said grumpily, obviously not appreciating the spotlight being taken away from him.

“Okay, okay - keep going, sorry,” Lana said, settling back into her chair.

“As I was saying - since we separated all those years ago, she comes and goes from the valley as she pleases. Well, that’s what appears to be, anyway. She usually casts an enchantment around her so I can’t locate her whereabouts, but I can still sense whenever she’s nearby. Our bond was - is that deep.” The wizard cleared his throat and looked away dramatically for a moment.

“Can I just ask?” Lana said, holding her hands up in apology. “Because it might be important. Why aren’t you two together anymore?”

“Now that is quite the thrilling tale,” he responded darkly, a faraway look now in his eyes as they stared into the candle in front of them. The dancing red and orange flame reflected back in his pitch black irises. He was silent for a few seconds, apparently deep in thought. “Perhaps for another day. Just know that it didn’t end well, and now, well- she detests me. Which is exactly why I was so surprised to see her again a few nights ago, while I was in the Secret Woods.”

Lana herself had found this mysterious section of forest a couple of weeks after her first visit to the wizard’s power, following the path through some hanging moss after stepping over a large, fallen log she had never noticed before. At the very end of the narrow trail, there was a clearing with a small pond and the ruins of what looked like some kind of ancient altar. It was a tranquil and secluded patch of trees that she often thought of showing Shane one day if it hadn’t become so overrun with monsters as of late. Her heart twisted painfully in her chest as she thought of him now. She wondered if he had already made it home and hoped that he wasn’t out there looking for her in the night.

Rasmodius continued his story. “I was in need of some fiddlehead fern for this potion I was brewing, and there’s usually plenty in there around this time of year, despite all the new, nasty creatures to extinguish along the way. So, as I was searching, I began to feel it - her presence. Samara."

He paused, no doubt reveling in the spellbound look on Lana's face.

“Or so that was my ex-wife’s name," he continued. "I don’t know what she goes by now. It’s been so long since our last meeting… but she was as beautiful as the day I last saw her. I turned around, and there she was in front of me, materializing out of the very air itself. I could only ask her what she was doing here, of all places. Alone, with me in the woods. She told me she was there to warn me - things were beginning to get out of hand, even for her.”

“Warn you from what?” Lana asked, totally engrossed now that this extra element of tragic romance was thrown into the mix. Krobus also appeared very interested in the wizard’s words, gazing up at him with those startling white eyes.

“The Void,” the wizard said, pausing no doubt for dramatic emphasis. He leaned forward a bit, his eyes wide and fearful. “It is alive and well, and someone is working with it to take over Pelican Town.”

“Excuse me?” Lana responded in shock. “So now the entire town is in danger?"

"I'm afraid so, my dear. The entire valley, most likely. Pelican Town is just a small part of it, after all."

"But why would this Void-thing want to do that? Wait, what is the Void, anyway? I've never head of it before."

Her head was spinning with all her questions as she tried to take in this distressing piece of news. Before, she was just working to help the Junimos and rebuild the community center in the process. Things had escalated exponentially now that the safety of the townspeople were also in peril.

“I apologize - it never seemed pertinent to bring up such a sordid subject. But perhaps Krobus can shed more light?” Rasmodius said, turning slightly to face the little monster. He blinked up at them politely.

“Of course,” Krobus said. “The Void is an extremely powerful shadow person that emerged during the Elemental Wars against the Dwarves over a hundred years ago. Many among my people still argue that its methods were necessary, as the Dwarfish army was quickly overtaking our own down in the mines in an attempt to expand their territory.

“The violence was beginning to spill into the village of humans down the mountain, and something needed to be done before they also fell victims to the war. Rasmodius and Samara intervened when the Void grew too powerful and too greedy, and he was defeated and banished to the very bottom of the mines as punishment. Ultimately, the war between Shadow People and Dwarves ended with a peace treaty wherein they agreed to share the underground for the sake of everyone in the valley. The humans in the village were enchanted to forget what had transpired, for their own sake. In this way, curiosity was abated so no one would venture too deeply down in the mine. We all live there to this day - well, minus myself - and as long as we leave each other and the humans alone, peace is upheld.”

“So let me get this straight,” Lana said slowly, still processing all of the information Krobus had just neatly summarized for her. “This Void thing was defeated in your war one hundred years ago against the Dwarves - which are also real apparently, but whatever - and now it's back? And it wants to destroy the town?”

“The Void just wants to come into power again,” Rasmodius interjected now, his expression grim. “For its own nefarious purposes, whatever those may be. I don’t believe Pelican Town is its end goal. According to Samara, it’s working with someone that wants control of the town, starting with the community center."

“Wait, wait, wait- you don’t mean JojaCorp?” she asked, bewildered. “They’re evil bastards alright, but I don’t exactly see them teaming up with some magical creature at the bottom of the mine outside of town. How would they even know about it down there?”

“This is precisely what Samara came to explain to me that night in the Secret Woods,” he replied. “You're aware of the JojaMart here in town, correct?”

“I know of it. Some of my friends work there. Never been myself, actually. I told myself I’d never step foot into one again after I quit my job and moved here.”

“Regardless. The manager there - his name is Morris. Apparently, Samara helped him once before a few months ago, after she stumbled upon him alone in town one night. She was always good at finding people drowning in desperation that she could have her fun with. Once he understood who she was and what she could do, he inquired about a way to use magic to drive the people out of town so that JojaCorp could buy the land dirt cheap for some new lineup of factories and warehouses.”

“Why the hell would your ex-wife help Morris and JojaCorp take control of Pelican Town?”

“Ah, well - the thing is, she was a bit upset with me around the time Morris found her. It just so happened that I was in the middle of writing down some notes when I realized that, somehow, she had enchanted her way into stealing my stock of Magic Ink she was always so fond of. I sent Krobus to retrieve it for me, knowing he is quite familiar with all the nooks and crannies in the valley. I’m unable to locate her due to her spell, if you recall. He managed to find her hideout and return the ink to me, so I suspect that she was acting out of spite when she chose to assist Morris. In the Secret Woods, she informed me that in exchange for a hefty fee, she gave him the Dark Talisman I had once gifted to her when we were together, no doubt betting its power in Morris’ hands would cause trouble that I’d have to clean up as the valley’s designated protector.”

“Nice going, Rasmodius." Lana scowled. "And what the hell is a Dark Talisman anyway?”

“It’s a pendant that is bewitched to amplify dark magic. However, uh - the one that I gave to Samara all those years ago wasn’t quite as sophisticated as what I would be able to construct now. On Samara's advice, Morris was only able to rile some monsters out of the mine and into the surrounding woods, but he didn’t know about the treaty that required them to stay away from the humans. Samara neglected to mention that fact to him, which is quite in character for her, now that I think about it."

“So they stuck to the forest, and started attacking the Junimos that lived there. And that’s why they’re now hiding at the community center?”

“Precisely. And his plan double backfired, as the Junimos then found you and started to rebuild the building with your help. Morris grew desperate to please his superiors. Samara claims he summoned her recently with an unhinged look in his eyes, begging her for another way to drive away the townspeople and give his bosses what they wanted before they fired him. Apparently, he’s under a lot of pressure to secure more land for JojaCorp, the only reason they sent him to manage the store in town in the first place. But my ex-wife declined, and he grew angry and let slip some alarming information, if it really is to be believed. But after Krobus confirmed some things today, it unfortunately appears to be true.”

“What? What did he tell her?”

“That he had found the Void. Or rather, I suspect that it found him. He ventured again down into the mine in search of an answer to his predicament, perhaps to see if the talisman would work. Although the Void is confined to the very bottom floors, the remnants of its power still echo throughout the stone walls. When it was sealed away, its dark essence created the hordes of monsters you see down there, infesting the place with danger as a last show of strength. It's for precisely this reason that humans were discouraged from ever entering the mines. Not only is it powerful, but the Void can also be very .... persuasive in gaining sympathy for its cause, let's just say that."

"It's creepy down there, that's for sure," Lana agreed. "And not just because the lower floors are crawling with monsters waiting to attack you. I just get the feeling like like I'm being watched sometimes, so I try to get in and out as quickly as possible."

"A wise decision, my dear. As for Morris, he was most likely lured deeper and deeper using the talisman as protection from the monsters the Void created until it took hold of him and offered him a solution to his woes. He told Samara that it was going to help him get what he wanted, as long as he helped it in return." He gave her a curious look and fiddled with his mustache. "It's strange that you don't seem to be affected much by its power when you're deep down there, though ...”

“The shadow people still in the mines have confirmed at least some of this to be true,” Krobus spoke up now. Lana jumped slightly, almost forgetting that he was there as she was so enthralled by what Rasmodius was saying. He flickered in and out of view as the candelabra in front of them started to die out. “I was able to speak with some of my people at the request of Rasmodius. It’s true - a human was recently seen descending to the bottom. There are even rumors about it among the Dwarves, apparently.”

“Holy sh*t,” Lana said, rubbing her forehead. This was way too much knowledge for her to try and digest all at once, especially after the already-tumultuous night she had earlier with Shane. “What are we going to do?”

“We must proceed with caution,” Rasmodius said, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. It was surprisingly comforting at a moment like this. “We don’t know the extent of Morris’ interaction with the Void, but I’m also quite sure that whatever it asked of him won’t be an easy task. In fact, I think that he reached out to Samara out of fear, or perhaps desperation. She told me he even offered her the Dark Talisman back in return for her help, which she denied. But I suspect we have time to do some digging and find a solution if one is needed. I will monitor Morris from afar. And you can continue rebuilding the community center with the Junimos in the meantime. We mustn't let this deter you from that goal, at least. Now you are aware of what we are facing, which was my only goal for tonight. And to advise you to stay out of the mine for the time being.”

“Maybe I can ask around town, too,” Lana said reluctantly, knowing that enlisting Shane’s help would probably be wise. Her pride prevented her from giving the idea further thought, pushing it away for the time being. She just felt exhausted, completely overwhelmed from the entirety of events that had transpired just within the last few hours. Lana’s eyes began to sting from the sudden rush of emotion and fatigue that hit her like a train.

“Of course, but for tonight, perhaps it’s best to go to bed,” the wizard said, smiling kindly at her. “I know this is a lot for you to take in. I can arrange for you to be teleported home, if you wish.”

“Yeah, that would be nice,” she replied, already fantasizing about the moment her head would hit the pillow so she could rest.

“Come along then,” Rasmodius said, helping her out of her chair. Krobus leapt to his feet too, walking beside them as they made their way to the teleportation circle. By this time, she knew the drill, already having been sent home this way in the past. She stepped in the middle and turned to look at the wizard and Krobus standing a few feet away.

“We gotta do something, Rasmodius,” she told him emphatically. “If this Void thing really is as bad as you say, the last thing we need is JojaCorp getting involved.”

“Of course, Ms. Abernathy,” he responded with a stern nod. “I saved the valley once before, and I won’t let anything happen to it without a fight. We just need to lie low for a while and do our research. If it does return, the Void shall be defeated again, mark my words.”

The ground below her began to glow with a golden light as Rasmodius prepared his spell to send her home. Wind picked up around her as bright orbs appeared out of the ground and began to intensify around her. Silently, she imagined something as dangerous as the Void befalling anyone in town - it didn’t sit right with her, not while there was something she could do to stop it. She thought of the friends she had made in the valley and the farm she had worked so hard to revive. Lana suddenly recalled the feeling of Shane’s lips against hers, and her fist clenched in preemptive fury at the thought of any harm coming to him.

Not on my watch, she thought, determination glinting in her eyes.

“See you later - Krobus, Rasmodius,” she said to them quietly just before the dozens of balls of light that were now whipping around her encircled her completely. They whisked her away and she was gone, just like before - in a flash of golden, blinding light.

Chapter 16: Heat Waves

Chapter Text

One week later

Shane was watching the clock on the wall in the breakroom, silently willing it to hurry up and hit five so he could finally leave and be done with work for the week.

He really wasn’t quite sure how he had gotten through the past few days - it all felt like a dream to him, starting from the moment he and the farmer departed to Zuzu City last Saturday afternoon. The final, forlorn look on her face before she had disappeared with that shadow creature Krobus had been carved deeply into his memory and burned onto the back of his eyelids whenever he’d close his eyes to try to sleep. Despite knowing it would have been idiotic or maybe even suicidal to try, Shane’s first instinct at that moment was to run through her farm and then Cindersap Forest to find the wizard’s tower so that he could help in case this really had all been some horrible trap.

That was the plan - for a while, anyway, until he fizzled out of courage just as he made it down the road past the dark shape of Marnie's ranch house. Instead, his determination was knocked askew and displaced with an intense rush of anger at the stupidity of Lana’s decision to trust some monster in the woods and leave him behind, especially after what had just happened between them. Shane had stopped dead in his tracks, conflicted. He thought of Lana back at the bar, dancing with him amid the pulsing lights and thumping music, before the image suddenly flashed to her again - this time, pressed up against her ex, his hand gripping her ass and nose in her ear while Shane could only look on in a helpless rage. Like polaroid pictures in his mind, the final memory was of Lana in the woods the moment before she disappeared, the pain from his earlier words still reflected in the impassive way she glanced back at him. In the end, he had just gone home, laying motionless but awake in bed until the sun rose the next morning and the day continued on into the afternoon without any word from her.

When he couldn’t stand not knowing what had happened anymore, he ran - well, jogged, really - in his pajama shorts and t-shirt all the way to the gate at the southern edge of Lana’s farm, apprehension causing his heart to pound almost double-time in his chest. But after everything, there she was - sitting a fallen log next to her pond with her back to him, looking pretty damn relaxed as she tossed a tennis ball for Winston to fetch in the tall grass. The sight of her beautiful smile in profile had left him almost breathless with relief. Without thinking, he began to push the gate open so he could walk through and call out to her, but grim reality quickly pulled him back to Earth as the mean little voice inside his head started up again.

She would have at least texted you by now if you wanted to talk to you, it whispered in his ear. And why would she even want anything to do with you after that stunt you pulled last night?

Once again, self-doubt flooded his mind and prevented him from moving. Looking down, Shane saw that his hand was gripping the wooden gate so hard his knuckles were beginning to turn white. He let go and turned away, choosing to give her space.

But he didn’t hear from her for the rest of that day, or the next day, or the day after that. Every morning, he walked to JojaMart in a fog, working like a drone and blatantly ignoring Sam’s sympathetic attempts at conversation whenever they’d pass each other in an aisle. The only noteworthy thing he could remember happening was the curiously sudden leave of absence taken by Morris that was announced by the new interim manager on Monday morning. He had heard Sam and a couple of the cashiers gossiping about it, but it was swiftly pushed out of his own mind in his desire to make it through the next few days on autopilot. True to form, Shane went to the saloon after work every evening to try and drink himself into a hasty oblivion, sometimes even continuing in his room after he returned home with his best sober impression plastered on his face to get past an increasingly suspicious Marnie.

Now, as he sat in the tiny break room at JojaMart for the last ten minutes of his shift on Friday evening, Shane did his best to push Lana out of his mind. He had yet to hear from her, and while his outrage with the entire situation had certainly waned in the week since he last saw her, he still couldn’t help but feel like she was trying to send a message to him with her silence. Maybe he had misinterpreted things between them, and the kiss they shared was just some elaborate fantasy he had made up in his mind from all the alcohol he had consumed that night. And despite how f*cking perfect it had been to finally feel her body in his hands and her lips against his own, that memory was now tinged with a bitter aftertaste that he couldn’t quite shake. She vanished before he could tell her how he felt about her and show her that he wasn’t the person she thought he was. And now, she was apparently ignoring him, or at least not even trying to reach out to him to at least explain what the hell happened last Saturday night. He sighed and placed his head in his hands, imploring the minute hand on the clock to tick by faster. The moment the clock turned five, he jumped out of the chair, punching his timecard and pushing open the exit doors to freedom before thirty seconds had even passed.

Shane was already well on his way to the saloon before he was struck with the sudden recollection that he had promised Jas yesterday that he would go with her and Marnie to the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies that would be taking place at the beach later that night. The nocturnal festival was one of their favorite activities to do together since they had moved to the valley, and he knew he couldn’t disappoint her on this despite the absolute sh*t he currently felt like. He hadn’t drunk this abundantly and frequently for at least a couple of months now, ever since he started to help Lana on the farm, and the recent week-long binge he had been on was certainly already starting to affect him.

With a deep sigh, he turned to head home instead, glad that he would at least have time to pound a few beers he stashed in the fridge before he had to sober up and shower so he could take Jas down to the docks to watch the annual migration of glowing jellyfish. He knew had been a particularly poor godfather for the past few days, ignoring her each night to rush into his room when he returned home late from the saloon - but he could at least come through for her tonight.

Plus, he could always finish off the last six-pack of beer in his closet in solitude when they all came back home after the jellyfish. Shane swallowed the sour taste in his throat, detesting how much comfort the thought brought him.

****

The night was humid and unseasonably warm despite it being late in summer as Shane, Jas, and Marnie began to make their way down to Willow Lane in the direction of the beach. He discretely glanced around for Lana while they crossed the bridge and started walking across the sand to the shoreline but wasn’t surprised to see that she wasn’t there among the growing crowd. He mentally lambasted himself for getting his hopes up, knowing that she hadn’t come to any other events in town except the recent luau, which technically was only because he had personally invited her. Sneakers digging into the sand, he continued to walk towards the docks and grimly attempted to set aside the sharp pang in his heart that arose at the memory of them laughing together in her kitchen.

“So, is Lana coming out to see the jellyfish tonight?” Marnie asked him as though reading his thoughts from beside him. He glanced at her to see a gentle smile on her face, looking sharply away before he responded.

“No idea, but I doubt it,” he said, his tone short. “How the hell should I know, anyway? I just work for her.”

“I was just wondering,” she replied, her tone still conciliatory. “I know you two hang out sometimes after working at her farm. It was so nice seeing her at the luau - I still haven’t thanked her properly for bringing those delicious peppers for the soup.”

“She’s really nice!” Jas spoke up now. Her hand was clutching Shane’s, and she swung it back and forth in her excitement. “Last time we saw her by the river, Ms. Lana said that I could go visit her chickens and dog whenever I wanted. Remember, Uncle Shane? Can you take me next time you go to her farm?”

“Maybe, Jas,” Shane said, still avoiding Marnie’s eye. He gave a tired smile to the little girl at his side. “We have chickens at the ranch too, you know.”

“I know,” she said, nodding sagely as though this was something she had given much thought. “But I love meeting new chickens. And Winston sounds so cute. Oh, I really wish we had a dog, Aunt Marnie.”

“I know you do, honey,” Marnie chuckled at the innocently wide eyes Jas was now giving her. “And may I just say, you certainly are persistent. One day, when you’re older. They’re a whole lot of responsibility.”

They arrived at the wide expanse of docks that extended out over the ocean. Townspeople were already gathered in prime lookout spots, ready for the luminescent jellyfish to appear in the dark waves below. As always, Marnie chose to stay behind on the sand with a few other people from town who were also wary of the creaking wooden structure. He and Jas made their way to their favorite spot at the far side of the docks near Willy’s fish shop.

Eventually, Mayor Lewis arrived to light the ceremonial torch that would attract the jellyfish right up against the shore in clear view for everyone. A hush grew over the crowd as the fire started. For a couple minutes, nothing happened. Then, a multitude of tiny pinpoints of glowing lights appeared on the horizon and slowly began to increase in size as the flock of jellyfish approached the fire’s beacon. Their bioluminescence was clearly visible even through the dark water. He heard Jas gasp from beside him as their iridescent skin began to flash in glimmering waves as they got closer to the light. He remembered the first time he had experienced The Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, back during a particularly homesick patch of time for him as a new transplant to the valley. Their glowing forms, slowly moving through the water in perfect time with the waves, were a surprisingly comforting sight for him.

The jellyfish remained in the surrounding water for a short while after that, and the townspeople and visiting tourists marveled at the natural wonder until the incandescent blobs slowly began to fade away as they continued on their journey to their final destination further south. By now, Jas had already run off to find Vincent, and he could see the two of them with Jodi and Marnie on the sand from where he was still standing near Willy’s shop.

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his blue JojaMart jacket and looked out over the water at the sparsely remaining jellyfish still bobbing about. The night was now quiet with most of the remaining people away from the docks on the sand. Despite it almost being midnight, the sea air around him remained warm and balmy. He listened to the sound of the waves below, ruminating about sneaking home to get started on his beer before Marnie and Jas got back. A ball of self-pity began to form in his chest at the very idea.

“You know they’re actually called Lunaloos?” A familiar voice from behind him suddenly spoke up in a low tone, startling him out of his thoughts. He turned around, already anticipating who he would find because there was no way in hell he wouldn’t recognize the melodious pitch of the farmer’s voice. It was a sound he doubted he could ever forget.

She stood before him with her arms crossed and her hair loose and flowing down her back. The thin sweater she was wearing was almost the exact color of her eyes, low on her shoulders and loose on her small frame.

“The jellyfish, I mean,” Lana continued, when he didn’t respond. She stepped forward as she spoke so that she was now only a few feet away from him. “At least, that’s what Rasmodius said, earlier today. Apparently they have a ‘potent magical aura’ around them, or whatever. Who would’ve guessed, huh?”

Shane still said nothing, mainly because he was in shock to see her out here, trying to talk to him about jellyfish after a week of complete radio-silence. He saw her fingers were now nervously fidgeting together, and before he could stop himself, he closed the gap between them to grab her hand in one of his own to calm her. She looked up at him, her expression hooded but curious.

“Lunaloos, eh?” he said, smiling softly. “Well, I’m not surprised they’re magical. Seems like everything in Stardew Valley is magical, now that I think about it.”

“Boy, you can say that again,” she replied, a grin forming on her face. Her gaze then turned out towards the dark horizon. She whistled quietly. “What a sight. I’m so glad I decided to come out tonight. I would’ve kicked myself to have missed something like this.”

“Yeah, it’s incredible. Jas really loves it. Besides Spirit’s Eve, it’s her favorite time of the year.”

“I can definitely see why.”

They both said nothing for a while, looking out together at the few globes of light floating away back towards the horizon. The area around them was now almost completely dark except for a dim lamp hung up on the outside of Willy’s shop. She squeezed his hand and turned back towards him.

“Hey, uh - I just want to say that I’m sorry,” she said. “For dipping out on you like that last week. I know it wasn’t very smart or nice of me. Krobus was telling the truth, by the way. But I’ll tell you about all that later. I wanted to apologize first.”

“No, Lana, please - I’m sorry,” he said emphatically. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marnie discretely glancing back towards them as she led Jas away along with the rest of the people leaving the beach for the night. Now that most of the jellyfish were gone, only he and Lana remained on the docks.

He swallowed a growing lump in his throat before going on. “I was way out of line at the bar. Those things I said to you were horrible, and you didn’t deserve any of that.”

Shane had realized how deeply he f*cked up almost immediately after he began to admonish Lana back at the bar like the world’s biggest jerk, right after she freed herself from the clutches of her evil ex-boyfriend. The sight of them together had filled him with a drunken rage that erupted in vile, jealous remarks at her expense. No matter how many times he tried to apologize during the drive home, she refused to even listen to him. And afterwards, back at the farm, he had just kissed her impulsively when she finally gave him the chance to explain, manhandling her and slamming her against the door of her truck in a lustful daze like some sort of horny caveman. It was no wonder that she had been avoiding him up until this point. He felt his thoughts rushing through his head, almost too loud and garbled to comprehend. His voice cracked slightly as he went on.

“You didn’t deserve that at all,” he repeated after a pause. “And I’m a piece of sh*t for talking to you like I did.”

“Hey, stop that. You’re not a piece of sh*t,” she said, bumping into him lightly with her shoulder when she saw his head drop in shame. She gave his hand another squeeze, and he looked up at her again. “Look, those were sh*tty things you said. But after I had time to sit down and really think about everything, I realized that it wasn’t fair of me to just run off like that. Because I know you’re not a bad person, Shane. I wouldn’t still be here if I thought you were.”

“I feel like I am, sometimes. This whole week especially. f*ck- I was so worried about you, Lana. I even went to your farm the next day to see if you were okay. But I saw that you were fine outside with Winston, so then I thought that maybe you didn’t want to talk to me anymore because I overstepped things that night… I convinced myself it was best to just leave it up to you. I chickened out, honestly.”

“I really did need the space after everything. But I should have reached out sooner. I just - I don’t know. It just felt like I needed time to process everything before I said or did something dumb and impulsive like I always do.”

“No, I understand. I think it actually helped me think more clearly about things too.”

“Yeah, it does help. And I realized that I really missed talking to you, Shane. I assumed that you wouldn’t be coming over to work on the farm this weekend, and the thought of not being able to see you... it just really didn’t sit well with me. I wanted to see you again. Talk to you again. Those things you said to me - they hurt me because they were coming from you. From someone I - someone I care about.”

Her voice wavered somewhat as she looked away, and Shane felt his blood go cold with the knowledge that he had hurt her that night with his words.

“I swear to Yoba that I didn’t mean any of it,” he implored. “I was drunk and jealous. I was so pissed off, I couldn’t see straight. But I know that’s not an excuse.”

“Yeah, it's not an excuse. I could give two sh*ts if Adam calls me a slu*t. I’ve heard that and worse from him and others before. Things like that don't bother me anymore. But from you - it just felt like you just didn’t believe me or didn’t even care to try. It just cut deeper.”

“I say stupid sh*t when I’m drunk. I lash out at people, or I let things fall through and then just end up disappointing them, and I’m so tired of it. I really am, Lana, because look what happens - the messes I cause.” He bitterly remembered the numerous times he’d been rude to Marnie from being drunk or hungover, and the copious other instances where he’d failed Jas as a guardian because of his drinking.

“I know how that can be. You just… you need to catch yourself before those unhealthy words or ideas come out, I think. Like, trap them in your head and let them flutter around in there a bit before you decide what you want to do with them.” She tilted her head and shrugged. Her hand felt warm and snug in his, and he hung onto her every word as she continued.

“Ella actually told me about that little technique, actually, a few years ago. She said it helps us 'visualize the implications of our words', which makes me think she got it from her school counselor or something.” She rolled her eyes and made air quotes as she spoke, but the nostalgic look on her face exposed the fondness she had for her sister.

“Hey, it’s solid advice, though,” Shane said, nodding. “I always end up drinking too much and then saying or doing stupid sh*t. And I feel like sh*t the next morning, without fail.” His throat suddenly closed up as he tried to get the words out, needing to hear them out loud so that maybe they could resonate more.

“I need to stop, Lana. I’m just digging myself an early grave and making myself and everyone else around me miserable in the process. The truth is that I’m an alcoholic, and I can’t ignore it anymore. I know that it’s probably already obvious to you and everyone else in the valley, but I needed to just f*cking say it out-loud to myself so I can finally do something about it.”

Lana nodded. “Well, the good thing is that there’s a lot of help out there for that. We can always look to see if there’s something maybe in the city or maybe even in a nearby town if you don’t want to talk to Harvey. Although I have to say, he's always super helpful.” She motioned to her ankle, bandages peeking out over her sandals.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

“And Shane? I'm always here, too, if you want to talk or need a distraction, or anything. I know I haven’t exactly been the best influence when it comes to drinking, but I’ll do whatever I can to support you. You mean a lot to me. I just want you to be happy… You know that, right? Even if I suck at showing it sometimes?”

“I do. And I suck at it too, don’t worry.”

His head was swimming in a sea of thoughts that all seemed to be fighting to reach the surface first. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but he knew that his drinking was an issue he long needed to address.

He looked down at his feet as spoke again, staring hard at a fixed spot engrained in the wood. “I’ve tried to quit before. Like, cold turkey - no more trips to the saloon, no more beer, and I even tried the whole sparkling water sh*t. I just… I always just seem to fall back into it. It’s like - I’ll be okay for a while, and then one day, I’ll open a door I was so sure led somewhere nice and safe, and suddenly I’m back in the saloon with a beer in my hand already halfway finished and no idea how I even got there.”

“It’s going to be hard at first, but I’m sure you already know that. You just need to remember that it’s up to you to follow through with it despite all the hard stuff, so that you don’t ever open that wrong door again. And it’s way easier said than done, I know. But you have me here to help. And Marnie and Jas - I’m sure they’ll always be in your corner too. I know you can do this, Shane. I believe in you.” She grasped his hands in both of hers now, looking so earnest and determined that he felt his breath hitch in his throat.

Do this for her, he thought, feeling completely resolute for the first time in his life. And Marnie. And Jas. So that you can finally do it for yourself.

“You’re right. I need to do this,” he said. Apprehension began to crawl up his neck as he thought about what happened last week again. “f*ck, Lana - I don’t want to lose you over this- lose anyone over this. It scares the sh*t out of me to even think about it. I just really like hanging out with you. You're the first person I've gotten close to since I moved to this damn place.”

“I really like hanging out with you too. That’s why I’m so afraid of all this, I think. Of how I feel." Lana's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "And of how you feel about me.”

He felt his heart beginning to pound in his chest. “Well, you know how I feel about you now. Or at least I think you do. I kind of suck at communicating sh*t like that. But you had to have known that I was into you before, right? I feel like it was obvious.”

She smirked at him as he nervously rambled on. She leaned forward and looked up at him teasingly before replying.

“Well, that impromptu make-out session we had last Saturday night was pretty self-explanatory.”

He ran his hand through his hair, looking away from her. His face began to heat up in mortification.

“Yeah, hah - I’m really sorry about that,” he said, laughing nervously. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a while, honestly. Probably wasn’t the best moment.”

“Oh, shut up. Don’t ever apologize for kissing me. In fact… wanna know a secret?” She continued to peer up at him with a devilish look now glinting in her eyes.

“Yeah?" he replied. "What’s that?”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about kissing you this entire week.”

For a second, the only sound came from the rolling waves lapping up against the shore. He moved closer to her, but before he could answer, a bright green light suddenly appeared from behind a large rock out at sea about a fifty feet or so away from where they were standing. The abrupt glow broke their attention away from each other as they turned their heads in its direction. Lana leaned forward slightly as it came into clear view, and eventually they were able to see it was a large jellyfish approaching the docks.

“A green jellyfish?” she asked, her eyes open wide in wonder. “I was watching them all earlier from the other end of the shore. But I never saw one like that.”

“They're really rare,” Shane replied in a hushed tone, also observing it in awe. He had heard about green jellyfish from Marnie before, but he had never seen one for himself until now. “Apparently they’re like that from a mutation that only occurs in every few ten thousand of them or so.”

“Well, aren’t we lucky, then?” Lana mused quietly, eyes still locked on the green orb that was now swimming in their direction.

They moved to the edge of the dock and sat down to be closer to the jellyfish as it approached. Shane watched it as it began to float around dreamily in the waves below them. After a minute he managed to tear his own gaze away from the jellyfish and turn his head to look back at Lana. The emerald glimmer underneath the surface of the water was now close enough to illuminate her face as she watched in the jellyfish in fascination. Some of her hair fell over her face as she swiveled her neck around to give him an excited giggle.

Before he knew what he was doing, he cautiously raised a hand to move her hair back behind her ear. He trailed down his fingers to cup her cheek. He ran his thumb lightly over her smooth skin, unable to take his eyes off of her parted lips. Her expression was unreadable as his thumb moved over her mouth and then under her chin to bring her face closer to his. With a quick intake of breath, she glanced down at his lips, and he saw her pupils dilate in the sparse moonlight before he closed the gap between them to kiss her.

A sudden spark. The flick of a lighter to give life to a flame. That's what it felt like to press his lips to hers again.

He moved his mouth almost impatiently against hers in an effort to taste as much of her as possible. To his relief, she kissed him back with an equal fervor that perfectly clicked with his own. He groaned quietly when he felt her tongue running over his lower lip and hastily opened his mouth to grant her access. Lana brought her arms up around him as she slipped her tongue inside to slide against his. She moved closer to him on the dock with one of her legs now bent underneath her.

His mouth left hers and began kissing down her neck. She whimpered a breathy moan in his ear that hardened him inside his shorts almost instantly. Shane felt something deep inside of him stir as he licked the dip between her neck and her shoulder, savoring the way her skin tasted like vanilla mixed with sea salt. Her fingers began moving up and down his back until they finally became entangled in his hair. He moved his hand down around her waist to pull her to him and then snuck his other under her sweater, slowly inching up until he cupped one of her breasts and squeezed firmly.

A small sighescaped her lips when he brushed her nipple poking through the soft fabric of her bra. A thrill shot through him at the sound. He pinched it lightly, and he heard Lana whine quietly and continue to make those delicious little moans in the back of her throat until he moved back up to her lips and began to kiss her again. Shane felt aroused beyond belief, unable to keep his hands and mouth off of her.

Suddenly, she broke away from him, and he felt his insides clench in dread for a second before she smiled in reassurance at him. Lana leaned back slightly, her lips red and swollen and chest rising up and down in an attempt to regain her breath. With a content smile, she looked up at him with her eyes half-lidded. He could see the green glow from the jellyfish still faint against the side of her face.

“Shane… come home with me?” she asked him, and he felt his heart do a black-flip in his chest at her words. “And stay the night, if you want?”

His response escaped him so quickly it would have been embarrassing had it not been for the dazzlingly happy look that appeared on her face immediately afterwards.

Heart hammering in his chest, he brushed his thumb over her lower lip and told her, “Yes.”

****

They arrived back at her house ten minutes later, leaving her truck parked haphazardly outside and moving quickly up her porch steps. Lana opened the front door for them to enter, fumbling somewhat with her keychain with a nervous giggle. Once inside, she locked it and turned around to face him. There was a blazing look on her face that gave him all the confirmation he needed.

He pulled her to him and pressed his mouth to hers again, eager to begin where they left off and no longer afraid to show it. She kissed him back, moving him backwards until he hit the back of her sofa with the side of his hip. A mischievous smile formed on her face. She jumped over the sofa and landed on the soft cushions below. Lana tilted her head back and raised her eyebrows in invitation to him. He took in her flushed cheeks and disheveled hair as she grinned up at him with her legs already slightly spread as if to leave space for him to slip in between.

“You're killing me, you know that?” He shook his head at her with a smirk, taking off his jacket and placing it on the armchair nearby before moving around the sofa to the other side so he could get on top of her properly. Shane put his knees on either side of her on the couch and hitched her down so that she was directly beneath him with her head now flat on the cushions. She looked up at him, flushed and wide-eyed. He leaned down over her and began to kiss her deeply again, moving the palm of his right hand under her thigh to grip her ass, grunting softly at the sensation of his fingers digging into her skin. She grabbed at his shirt and began to lift it over his head.

“Off. Take this off,” she demanded breathily in between kissing him. He straightened up and began to remove the offending article of clothing, hesitating as he thought of the total lack of shape he was currently in. But the way she was looking at him infused him with a surprising burst of confidence, and he stood up to quickly pull it off to join his jacket on the armchair. She sat up to remove her own sweater, dropping it on the floor below. He stared wordlessly at the soft expanse of her bare stomach and breasts heaving underneath her black cotton bra. He swore under his breath as he placed a palm on her hip, gripping her, and something inside of him snapped. Any reluctance he had about himself or her or anything at all in his life slipped away simultaneously as he let go and lost himself in her - just her.

With a low groan, he lowered himself over her, trailing one hand up her body from her thigh to her chest as he continued to savor the way her skin felt hot to the touch under his fingertips. Pulling down the fabric of her bra to expose her nipple, he kissed lightly around it, relishing the way Lana whimpered at the contact. She began to run her fingers through his hair, pulling softly. He made a mental note to always keep it long enough for her to grasp onto like she was doing now before closing his lips over the tight bud of her erect nipple and swirling his tongue over it. Lana gasped sharply.

“f*ck, Shane,” she moaned, her fingers tightening on his scalp. He continued to lick her, kneading her other breast with his free hand. Small whimpers were escaping her lips, and Shane felt his co*ck growing so hard against her it was almost painful. The intense desire for her that had slowly been building up inside of him over time had finally reached a breaking point, and he couldn’t believe that he was really here, on top of her in her dark living room as she lay spread beneath him.

He moved back up from her breasts to kiss her again, and she slipped a hand in between them to grasp his stiff bulge straining through his shorts. He inhaled sharply at her touch. Lana began undoing his fly, struggling to pull them down with an impatient tug. He managed to get them off of him as she peeled off her own tight black shorts, pulling them down her thighs with a wiggle. A hot rush shot through him at the sight of her panties sitting low on her shapely hips.

“f*ck,” he said quietly. Bringing his mouth to her nipple again, he slowly began to slide his lips down her body, sucking and kissing until they were pressed against the silky skin of her inner thigh. He heard her breaths grow shallow and looked up to see her sitting up to watch him. Her eyes were dark and clouded with lust, and something inside of him felt almost buoyant at the fact that she was looking at him like that, that she really did want him. He nuzzled the soft mound through her underwear, completely intoxicated with her warm scent.

“Shane,” she said, a breathless plea released into the sweltering air left to hang between them. Desire was pooled in her eyes as she watched him smile against her skin, just before he slowly moved aside the fabric of her panties to spread her wet slit apart. He placed his lips delicately on her cl*t and licked.

Immediately, she gave a long, low moan, bucking her hips once and throwing her head back on the couch. Her breathing grew shallow as he began to lick her with a growing intensity. She moved a hand up from his hair to play with her breasts as his tongue continued to swirl around her. Shane used his fingers to open her slit further, moving his mouth deftly against the sensitive nub.

“Oh god,” she whispered as he slipped a finger inside of her, moving it in and out of her in time with his tongue still licking her cl*t. Her hand returned to his hair as she arched her back to grind feverishly against his face. “Oh god - Shane - yes, please, right there - Oh, f*ck.”

Her right leg dropped off the sofa as Shane continued to eat her out with gusto, eventually adding another finger into her wet opening. He pumped his fingers out of her and added more pressure with his tongue before slowing down to lap languidly at her folds until she was writhing with need underneath him. He removed his lips from her slit to look up at her. His co*ck twitched as he saw the heavy desire laced through her features. Slowly, with a couple fingers inside her, he began to rub her cl*t with his thumb, causing her to cry out and roll her eyes back.

“I want you to come for me,” he said to her, feeling more emboldened than ever before. He was by no means a prude when it came to sex, but there was something extremely erotic and carnal about watching Lana come undone that awoke a need inside of him he had never felt with anyone else before. Her body felt so responsive to his touch, and for the first time in his life Shane didn’t have to double-think his next move. He knew exactly what to do.

He repeated his previous sentiment, almost crooning as he moved his hand against her.

“Come for me, Lana.”

She could only give a breathless, incoherent response as he continued to rub her cl*t in slow, deliberate circles. Her moans began to grow louder as his thumb began to move faster and faster, sliding smoothly over the nub from how wet she was.

“Yes, yes - please . Please, Shane, I -” Lana was speaking frantically as she locked eyes with him again. “Keep going, I’m going to come - please - f*ck .” Her words cut off as she gave another low moan, closing her eyes momentarily as her hips sputtered against his fingers. He groaned softly at the sight of her flushed cheeks and chest, and without pausing the movement of his fingers, he moved up over her body to kiss her mouth deeply. She cried out sharply with her lips still pressed to his and climaxed into his hand. He felt his head spin as he heard her call out his name as she moved her hips with each wave of pleasure that came over her body.

“Oh, my Yoba,” she sighed when her org*sm subsided. Her breathing was still shallow as she glanced up at him with one eye open and giggled. “That was incredible.”

“Glad you enjoyed it,” he said with a sardonic smile. He felt a low thrill in his stomach at her compliment and kissed her again, so enthralled by her that he almost didn’t notice her hands trying to pull down his boxer-briefs.

“I don’t have any protection on me,” he began, but she held up her hand to stop him.

“Don't worry, I’m on the pill,” she said to him before he could ask her if she had condoms. His own were stashed away in an old box in his dresser drawer at home, a far cry from the days he used to carry a couple in his wallet. “And I got tested at Harvey’s clinic a couple months ago, so I’m clean.”

Despite always being cautious in the past, he felt no hesitation in trusting her and nodded.

“So am I. I get tested every year during my physical at the clinic here in town too, but uh - well, I haven’t been with anyone since my ex, and that was before I moved here from the city. So it’s been a couple of years for me.”

Her own thin panties were quickly discarded on the floor next to them along with her bra. Shane blinked, distracted by the incredibly spellbinding view of her bare breasts and nipples in the lamplight.

“It’s been a while for me too. But I trust you. And I want this. I want you. Now, please - can you take off your boxers so you can finally get inside of me?”

She raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. He chuckled at her impatience and sat up to remove his boxers, also impatient to feel her skin against his again. Another wave of self-consciousness came over him as Lana looked down at his erect member now in full, plain view, but any insecurities that arose in his mind were quickly quelled by the hungry look in her eyes.

He grabbed his hard co*ck in one hand, stroking himself once before positioning himself at her wet entrance. Slipping slowly inside of her, the sudden friction of his swollen head against her sensitive cl*t made her gasp out sharply. The pressure around his shaft felt incredible as he sunk into her as deep as he could, pausing only to give a low groan before beginning to move in and out of her.

“f*ck. f*ck, ” he whispered through gritted teeth. He grabbed her firmly around her hips to leverage her as he thrusted into her. “You feel so f*cking amazing. So wet. So tight.”

He was faintly aware of how frantic he probably sounded but was far too turned on to care. Slipping his hands under her ass, he began to pound more urgently into her.

“Yes, like that - just like that,” she panted, wrapping her legs around his waist and raising her hips to meet his thrusts. “That feels so good.”

Her breasts were bouncing up and down in time with his movements, and he was having a difficult time choosing between watching them or focusing on the ridiculously sexy look on her face. He began to f*ck her with increasing abandon, completely delirious with how incredible she felt. Glancing down, he watched his wet co*ck glide in and out of her, groaning harshly as she clenched herself around him after a particularly deep stroke. He felt utterly at home buried to the hilt inside of her and couldn’t possibly ever imagine leaving her side again. In that moment, he’d quit his job with no hesitation to stay like this with her forever. With a deep breath, he slowed down his thrusts to ward off his impending org*sm and met her wide-eyed gaze.

“Let me get on top of you,” she whispered. He gave her a tender kiss before complying, pulling out of her gently before sitting down on her couch. Lana straddled him, pressing her naked breasts against his chest. His dick was still rock-hard as she took it in her palm to position him at her opening. She slid down on his thick shaft, whimpering quietly as she lowered herself onto him. He moaned and grabbed her around the waist with both hands as she began to ride him, moving up and down. She kissed the delicate skin on his neck before sucking hard and licking up his throat.

“f*ck, Lana,” he murmured. The pressure inside of him was already beginning to increase in intensity as her movements quickened in tempo. Beads of sweat were falling down the side of his face as the hot weather mixed with their own heated sex. He wiped his forehead and closed his eyes, focusing on the pleasure that was continuing to build in his groin. His hands moved down to the firm curve of her ass and squeezed sharply. Fingers digging into her skin, he could feel his breathing began to grow more and more ragged.

“Come for me, Shane,” Lana said, now biting his ear softly before returning her lips to his for a kiss. He opened his eyes to see her watching him intently with her brow furrowed and mouth slightly open. “Please - I want to feel you come inside me.”

At her words, he crashed his lips to hers again and began to move his hips in tandem with the feverish way she was currently sliding up and down on his co*ck. He gripped her harder and slammed her down on him with each of his upward thrusts. She continued to ride him, moaning incoherently against his lips, and soon, her fingers were delicately caressing his cheek and then running through his hair until they stopped moving abruptly. He felt her suddenly tense up around him as she climaxed again with a loud cry. His brain was going haywire with pleasure as he continued to buck into her, and as he kissed her mouth fervidly, he was hit with the sudden, overwhelming awareness that he was utterly and completely in love with her.

Shane’s own impending org*sm threatened to burst inside of him, and he could only last a few more short thrusts before letting go and coming undone beneath her.

“Oh f*ck - I’m coming,” he managed to choke out just as the tension broke inside of him. He came hard with a low groan, pulling her closer to him so he could bury his face in her neck. Lana kissed his hair softly as he emptied himself inside of her.

Afterwards, they removed the back cushions on the couch to lay down more comfortably, opting to stay in the living room instead of the bedroom so they could watch TV before going to bed. Shane skimmed his fingers over her bare stomach as the horror movie she chose played in the background. She was settled with her back comfortably against him, and they were both now just in their underwear with the night as warm as it was.

Halfway through the movie, she glanced back at him with a sleepy smile, murmuring something about being happy to see him that night. He leaned forward to kiss her again, whispering against her mouth that he was too. Her eyelids slipped shut just as his lips began to move softly against hers, and they fell asleep together before the movie ended and the credits rolled. For the first time in a long time, he felt utterly at peace.

Chapter 17: Both of Us

Chapter Text

Autumn

Summer slowly slipped into fall.

One early Sunday morning, Lana awoke to a tangle of limbs and bedsheets, opening her eyes suddenly as she was pulled out of her slumber by the loud twittering of birds outside of her window. Next to her, sleeping on his side and snoring lightly, was Shane. He had thrown an arm over her torso and wrapped his leg around one of hers. She looked over at him and felt her annoyance at being awoken so prematurely on her day off immediately soften when she saw the tranquil expression resting on his face. Reaching out, she gently brushed away a lock of dark hair that had fallen over his brow. He stirred at her touch, mumbling something in his sleep while tightening his grip around her waist.

He spent the night at her house sometimes on weekends, when he’d come over to help her work on the farm and stay for dinner afterwards. They typically worked late into the afternoon or sometimes even the evening with all that needed to be done around the farm. Her field was currently full with an array of growing crops, and she recently bought a pair of cows and a goat from Marnie now that Robin had finished construction on her new barn. Her chickens were also thriving, clucking away in their coop and pecking around the yard on warmer days she let them roam. Yesterday was a particularly busy day with the birth of a new baby chick and all the yams and bok choy that needed to be harvested to make room for a new batch of wheat seeds she’d plant on Monday. They had collapsed onto the couch for some TV right after a quick dinner before later moving to her bedroom. She fell asleep on his chest almost immediately after he had made her come with those tantalizing fingers and mouth of his.

Shane grunted faintly in his sleep, pulling her out of her thoughts to look back over at him asleep in her bed. His five o’clock shadow was dark and stubbly on his jaw, and she recalled with a thrill how it had felt rubbing against the inside of her thighs last night. The memory was interrupted by her bladder twinging in irritation. With a sigh, she gently extracted herself from his grip to go to the bathroom, tiptoeing across her cold, wood floor and closing the door with a soft click behind her. Sitting on the freezing toilet, Lana sighed as she relieved herself. She yawned widely, still feeling drowsy from sleep. Afterwards, she flushed the toilet and washed her hands in the sink, looking up at her reflection with tired eyes.

Her auburn hair was tousled and frizzy. It stuck up from behind her head and tangled around itself as it fell over her shoulders and down her back. There were bags under her eyes from how exhausted she had been lately with all the new work to be done on her farm. She was only wearing a pair of panties and nothing else, having fallen asleep last night after sex. Her breasts felt heavy on her chest as her nipples hardened in the chilly air. She crossed her arms over them and turned away, observing the softness she still held around her hips and belly. She let go of her breasts and ran her hands over her abdomen. Nonetheless, her arms and legs looked and felt toned, strengthened from months of farm work and mining. She was honestly in the best shape of her life.

Her eyes traveled down to a bruise that darkened her thigh from another slime attack in the Secret Woods a few days ago. With another tired sigh, she swirled some mouthwash to ward off any morning breath. Today would be a much needed rest day, hopefully spent entirely in bed.

She reentered her room to see Shane now sprawled on his back, still asleep. Struck with a sudden idea, Lana slithered into bed under the covers, moving down until she was settled on her stomach in between his legs. The thin pair of boxer briefs he wore did little to hide his morning wood hidden underneath. She placed her hand on him and felt him twitch slightly. Her fingers pressed down, wrapping around him through the fabric. He moaned in his sleep, hardening further. He had awoken her just like this a couple of weeks ago, when she opened her eyes to the sight of him nestled between her thighs, somehow already halfway to an org*sm.

She moved down his boxers until his erection sprung free. With a hum of pleasure, she grabbed it and placed her mouth around the tip, swirling her tongue around. His hips jerked up, and he began to stir awake with another groan.

“Lana...?” he called out sleepily, and his arm shot out to her empty pillow beside him, feeling around for her. Ignoring him, she continued to move her lips down and up his length, relishing the way he tasted in her mouth. His hands moved up to his face to rub his eyes, grumbling as he tried to dig himself out of this slumber.

“Well, good morning to you, too,” Lana finally heard him say after a few more moments, now awake.

Sunlight was streaming in through her window as she looked up from his lap. She released him with a small pop and grinned up at him guiltily. He had propped himself up to watch her with a lustfully amused expression on his face.

“Oh, hey there, Zuzu. Just thought I’d surprise you as a thank you for last night.” She licked up his shaft languidly, teasingly slow. His eyes glazed over as he gave a low moan.

This man, she thought, never feeling so attracted to anyone else in her life. This man is dangerous.

He was so receptive to everything she did - it heightened her own nerves around him. She fell apart in his hands and loved how he seemed to come alive in hers. He was absolutely perfect.

She wanted to hear him moan like that every single day of her life.

“Don’t let me get in your way, then,” he replied with a chuckle, laying back down on the pillow with his hands now behind his head. “f*ck. That feels incredible.”

They were splayed out in the large king size that she had ordered via express shipping from the city a couple weeks ago. When it arrived, he offered to help her assemble it, dropping by after work one evening with a pizza from the saloon and a pack of soda for them to drink. He had sat cross-legged on her floor as he built it, looking absolutely adorable with his face scrunched up from trying to decipher the lengthy instructions.

The wide expanse of her new bed was certainly coming in handy now on this lazy Sunday morning. The air outside her cabin was chilly as the leaves on the trees were well on their way to turning dazzling shades of yellow, orange, and red. The cold air that was seeping in brought goosebumps to her exposed skin, but she didn’t care. Inside, she was on fire.

Lana felt deliciously impish as she took him in her mouth again, not stopping until she hit the base of his shaft with her lips. He inhaled sharply at the impact. She began to bob up and down his co*ck, and a low thrill resonated in her abdomen as he started to move his hips in time with her mouth. He relocated his hands to the top of her head, tangling his fingers in her messy hair and settling them there contentedly as she sucked him.

After a while, she heard him mutter something unintelligible under his breath and looked up at him. His mouth dropped open slightly as she began to move her mouth more quickly around him, sucking deeply. He looked up, eyes now trained on the ceiling before they shut again with a sigh.

“sh*t. sh*t. That feels so good.”

Lana had never gotten so desperately turned on from pleasuring someone else before like she did with Shane. Her only desire at the moment was to make him feel good, so she could hear those content sighs, feel him squirm underneath her, so he could make more of those delicious moans that pervaded her daydreams. There was a calmness that spread over his face after they had sex that she rarely saw on him otherwise. It stirred something within the deep recesses of her heart that she might be the cause of it.

Shane looked back down at her, gathering the hair that was tumbling over her face into a ponytail that he held back loosely in his fist. He raised up his eyebrows as she swirled her tongue over his tip again, not breaking their gaze. She sucked it lightly and began to move her hand up and down his shaft in tandem with her mouth. He hissed and pulled her hair harder.

“Yessss. Yoba, just like that. f*ck -”

His hips began to move more erratically, and she knew he was getting close. He came in her mouth a few moments later with a soft groan, throwing his head back on the pillow as he spilled himself down her throat. She took her mouth off of him and kissed his thigh before looking back up. He was laying back now, breathing rapidly from his org*sm. He sat up and gave her a lazy smile before pulling her up to him, catching her off guard. Without saying anything, he kissed her deeply, slowly, profoundly - as if he was trying to memorize the taste and feel of her lips. His kisses turned feather-light as he began brushing her mouth with his own in soft, little nibbles. She lay on top of him, feeling the warmth of his body along her entire torso, almost dizzy from how tenderly he was kissing her and the the firm way he was holding her around the waist so that she was pressed flush against his chest.

Before she could react, he flipped her over and got behind her, pulling her up by the hips so that she was now on her hands and knees. She could only moan in pleasure as he pressed against her wet entrance, somehow hard again.

“I want you so f*cking bad,” he said quietly, grinding his hips into her wetness.

“The feeling’s mutual,” she said, her words muffled from her face being suddenly pressed into the pillow. He chuckled and pulled her hair into another loose ponytail and tugged, eliciting a giggle out of her.

His hands traveled down to grope her ass, squeezing a little as his breath began to grow ragged in desire. He skimmed the contours of her body, teasing her with his fingertips and leaving blazing trails of heat across her skin. She looked back with an antsy huff to see his dark eyes clouded with lust as he stared down at her, now moving his hands up and down her hips as though in reverence. She blushed from the way he unabashedly admired her body. With some effort, she’d always been able to momentarily push aside the self-consciousness about her body when it came to being intimate with other people. But somehow, with Shane, those negative thoughts never seemed to arise to darken her doorstep in the first place.

There was something ridiculously sexy about the soft, faded t-shirt he was currently wearing mixed in with the way his hair was all mussed up from sleep. She could see his bare thighs lightly covered in hair as they tapped against the back of her own legs. Her eyes slid back to his face, and she grinned, caught and unashamed at her own ogling. He raised an eyebrow at her and smirked in reply.

Without warning, he pushed his co*ck into her, sliding in easily from her wetness.

She moaned loudly. The feeling of him suddenly filling her was almost too much to bear. He began to pulse, maddeningly slow, in and out of her as his grip on her ass tightened. His movements were deliberate, precise. She could hear her own wetness as his hips rocked into her at a rhythmic pace, pressing her into her mattress with each thrust. Then, without saying a word, he flipped her over on her back and entered her again swiftly in a single fluid motion. He leaned down to kiss her deeply before moving to her neck, sucking on her collarbone. The movements of his hips slowed down in pace, and he began to slowly slide himself almost entirely out of her before slamming back into her sharply.

It was almost overwhelming. She was breathless, putty in his hands, absolutely mesmerized by the self-assured way he maneuvered her body. There was something so comfortable and confident about him during sex, as if he was able to drop his many insecurities and worries along with his clothes to wrap himself around her like he was now.

His hands moved down to grip her ass again, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he continued to pump into her. She held his face in her hands with her eyes fixed on his intently. He hit something deep inside her with each thrust, and soon a familiar pressure began to grow inside of her.

“Come for me, Lana,” he murmured, reading her immediately. “You’re close, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I - f*ck . I’m going to come. Shane, I - yes, yes, please -”

Before, with all the others, dirty talk had done basically nothing for her. She had endured her fair share of awkward guys who tried to speak monologues during sex in an attempt to spice things up, never quite sticking the landing. And whenever she took a stab at it, it felt forced or fake and not-at-all sexy. But not with Shane. His voice did something to her that lowered her inhibitions more than ever before and aroused her beyond belief.

He was murmuring to her now as the feeling building inside of her climbed higher and higher, building and spiraling until it reached a crescendo and burst inside of her. Ecstasy surged through her body, and for a moment she felt weightless, suspended in midair. She climaxed with a loud moan into the crook of his neck, gripping his back tightly. He bucked his hips deeply into her through it all, coming again inside her a few moments after.

“ That was really something,” Lana mumbled, slightly dazed from her org*sm. He pulled out of her slowly before kissing her deeply and lying back down beside her. They both simultaneously turned their heads to look at each other, chests rising as they tried to catch their breaths. Shane grinned at her sleepily.

He was absolutely intoxicating.

****

She wasn’t exactly sure how much time had passed since they had made up back at the docks during The Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, because everything afterwards had felt like a whirlwind of just him, just Shane. Lana felt like she was in an inverted free fall through the clouds, climbing higher and higher, unable to see exactly where she was going but too exhilarated to care.

And it wasn’t just the amazing sex they were constantly having. He was sweet and gentle, playing with her hair as they watched TV and always remembering to bring Winston his favorite treats from the store. He’d listen to her rants with a patient ear, his usual sarcastic tongue in tow, and could always calm her with his voice or touch whenever anxiety would begin to creep and crawl underneath her skin. The soft, fragile core within him that she long suspected existed beneath his grumpy exterior was confirmed with each affectionate glance he’d sneak at her, even as he spouted his typical wisecrack and rolled his eyes at her dumb jokes.

He was at her house more often now, sometimes even coming over for dinner during the week after clocking out from work. She knew it helped him stay away from the saloon, and she made sure now to always have her fridge stocked up with sparkling water and soda for him to drink instead. They’d watch movies nestled together on her couch or go sit outside by the pond with some sodas, lighting a bonfire and talking long into the night.

They settled into a routine that was at once both simple and obscure. She quickly had to admit to herself that didn’t know what the f*ck they were doing, and apparently neither did he. Neither of them had brought up the topic of being in an official relationship or even dating, and Lana often found herself wondering why that was. She knew she had feelings for him that already had spiraled into something completely out of her control. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if it might not just be easier for everybody to keep things moving along the way they already were. She hadn’t told anyone in town about them, not even Leah or Abigail, and she was sure Shane hadn’t mentioned anything to Marnie either. Not that it was anybody else’s business, anyway. Her friendship with Shane was something she was hesitant to gamble on, so she was keeping her cards close to her chest. She knew that if things went south, she’d not only lose him, but also the piece of herself that was now permanently tethered to him.

But she often wondered what it would feel like to kiss him in public, to hear him call her his girlfriend around everyone else. To go over for dinner at the ranch and tell Marnie the truth about their relationship and see her be happy for them. To spend time with him and Jas, playing in the forest or going to the library to read some books. Maybe she could even introduce her to the Junimos if everything turned out to be okay with Morris and the Void.

A couple weeks after their lazy Sunday morning in bed, she was in the kitchen washing dishes before bed when Shane arrived at her front porch drenched from the rain that was pouring outside. He had kissed her passionately the moment she opened the front door, and they had messy sex on her kitchen counter before moving to lie down on her bed.

“Jas asked about her parents again today” he told her as they lay facing each other in the dark. “I think it’s because they’re doing some sort of project at school about her family tree or something.”

“What did she say?” Lana observed the fatigue in his eyes, that same heavy look that she noticed on that fateful day they first met in the saloon.

“She just wanted to know about any cousins or other family she might have. I already told her that her mom’s family is overseas, and that Derek was an only child like me. I guess her tree’s looking a little sparse.”

“And it’s probably hard for her to know where to place everyone on the branches.”

“Exactly. I don’t know how to help her sometimes, Lana. The poor kid has been through so much, but she still always tries to be so happy and positive. Although, I’ve noticed that she’s been throwing a lot more tantrums lately." He signed deeply. "I know she misses her parents. More than I do, probably. They were her entire world.”

He had told her about Jas’ parents, Derek and Sasha, and the horrific circ*mstances of their death that led to him becoming her legal guardian one summer humid night as they sat close together around her fire pit. She remembered vividly how he had stared into the depths of the dancing fire in front of him, how his eyes looked almost the color of obsidian from how flat and glassy they had gone. Lana understood that Derek had been his best friend since childhood, and that losing him had become a defining moment in his life just as her father’s death had been for her. The timelines of their lives were permanently divided into before and after the moment they both lost the person closest to them, and nothing could ever change that. She knew how powerless the feeling could be.

In her bed, Lana reached out to rub Shane's shoulder, feeling him eventually relax at her touch.

“And her other grandparents? They live back in Zuzu City, right?”

“Yeah, well, just outside of it. Her grandma came to the valley to visit Jas for the Feast of the Winter Star last year, but hasn’t really been able to make it back out here since. It’s hard for them to travel with how much care Derek’s dad needs. They call to talk to her every now and then.”

“Yeah, I remember you telling me what happened to him. Poor man.”

“And I can’t exactly drive up there myself without, uh, well, you know - a car. Marnie sometimes offers to let me use her truck, but I doubt that old thing could make it past the bus stop at the edge of town. Plus that damn bus has been out of commission for over a year now, anyway, so I can’t even take that anymore. Lewis keeps saying they’re going to get it fixed soon, but it’s all bullsh*t.”

“Hmm. Well, if the bus can’t get fixed, then maybe we can take my truck and drive up to the city one of these days for a visit. She’ll definitely make it up there, as we saw for Sam's concert.”

He blinked in surprise and averted his eyes from hers before answering.

“Oh, uh - yeah. Yeah, that would be nice. Jas would like that, probably.”

She knew that his lack of a car was a sore topic for him, along with the subject of money in general. JojaMart paid sh*t wages back when she worked there, and she was certain things hadn’t changed now. The amount he was getting paid at JojaMart was probably paltry in comparison to what her farm was currently pulling in now that she had a good system in place. She had found a niche in artisan goods, selling cheese, jellies, and even her own beer and wine to Pierre in addition to taking care of her crops and animals. Even though he never said it, she knew that he constantly was overthinking and always coming up short compared to others in his own mind. It was exasperating to hear him talk negatively about himself because it was so far away from what she thought about him.

Clearing her throat, she decided to change the topic before the mood soured more than it already was.

“But anyway. Jas. Besides that dumb family tree project - did she end up winning that award at school you mentioned last week?”

“Yeah, for reading. And another one for spelling.”

“What! That’s great! From the moment I met the kid, I knew she was destined for great things. When I was a kid, I never won an award for reading or anything like that, and she already has two at six years old? Incredible.”

He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling in the darkness. “She’s super proud of herself. And so am I. I think she’s already read more than double the books I have in my entire life, and that’s counting the ones they forced me to read at school.”

“I think her vocabulary is already bigger than mine too. What did she say - last time she mentioned her book? ‘Gargantuan’?”

“Uh, I think it was ‘gregarious’.”

“Either way - that’s really cool. Hey! If we go to the city again, there’s this bookshop Ella loves that Jas would probably like too. I remember they have a pretty big kids’ section.”

“Oh, uh - yeah. That would be awesome. I’m sure she’d be in heaven if she got new books to read.”

“Okay. We’ll do that, then. If we go." She nodded resolutely. "Oh! And don’t forget to tell her I named the new baby chick Daisy. She kept asking me what I was going to name it last week when I was over at your house.”

“For sure. Not that she even lets me forget about it. You’re gonna make her day with all this news, by the way.”

Lana remembered the evening she had gone over to the ranch fondly. She had run in to buy some last minute chicken feed, tired and hungry after a long day of work, when Marnie aburptly invited her to stay for dinner. She had accepted, a bit red in face, much like Shane had gotten when he walked in twenty minutes later from his own day at work to find them both sitting at the kitchen table. Afterwards, Marnie went out for a "meeting" with Mayor Lewis while they played video games and watched princess movies with Jas until the girl fell asleep in Shane's lap a couple of hours later. Lana watched as Shane carried her to her bedroom and tucked her in while she hovered in the doorway. The sight of his bulky form leaning over to place a kiss on her head had melted something down deep inside of her. Back in his room, they had slow, sweaty sex on top of his bed, laying together sleepily afterwards with the window open to let in a breeze. It was a memory often on repeat in the days that followed.

Back in her room, Shane spoke up after a lull in their conversation.

“I think the rain is finally letting up.”

Lana listened and found that he was right - it no longer was beating like a thousand tiny drums against her windows and roof. The sound had trickled down into something more quiet, more peaceful.

Shane’s ears bore into hers, and she felt herself floating upwards once again.

****

On another day, she and Shane were in her barn when she asked him a question that had been on her mind.

“Any news on Morris?”

Shane looked up from the cow he was brushing before replying. She moo’d loudly in disapproval. Lana had named her and her sister currently eating hay across the barn Nellie and Rosie respectively at Jas’ suggestion.

“No, he’s still on leave, supposedly,” he said. His hand began moving again, and Nellie calmed down and closed her eyes happily again. “The new manager ain’t so bad, at least.”

“Rasmodius told me he was last able to detect him near Zuzu City, of all places. What the f*ck could he be doing out there?”

“Maybe he finally lost his sh*t and fled back home?" Shane shrugged. "He was already so neurotic, anyway. I wouldn’t be surprised if he finally cracked and is on some extended spa trip or something.”

Lana stopped moving hay bales and faced him with her hands on her hips.

“It’s just suspicious that this happened right after he last talked to the witch about everything. He must have applied for leave from JojaMart right after that, or even before, because it needs to be approved by the higher-ups before going through.”

“Probably. It was all really sudden, I remember.”

“And they didn’t even say how long he’d be gone, right? That’s definitely suspicious. He’s up to something, I know it.”

She was pacing around the barn, trying to keep her thoughts straight from all the uncertainty about the situation.

“Well, it’s been over a month, and there’s no word yet on when or if he'll even be back,” Shane said. “Maybe we can relax a bit. There’s no use worrying if nothing can be done for now.”

“I just know he’s up to something, Shane. The monsters are still all riled up down in the mines. Luckily, the ones that managed to escape stick to the deeper parts of the woods so the townspeople can’t run into them. Although there's supposedly a peace treaty in place, I do worry about Leah sometimes, with all the foraging she does.”

“I’m sure she’ll be okay. And the community center is still being fixed up, right?”

“Yeah. Little by little. I’m hoping I can have the place ready by the time winter comes around. Lewis told me JojaCorp is still hounding him about it, even with Morris gone.”

“It’s probably those same suits from corporate that visit the store sometimes too. What a bunch of sleazebags. Did your friend in the city have any luck?”

“Ryan tries to poke around back at the office when he gets the chance, but nothing so far. He told me there’s a rumor that Morris was actually fired - but he’s still in the system as being out on indefinite leave. So who knows if that’s true.”

Shane finished brushing Nellie, smacking her side lightly. She gave him a cheeky moo before heading over to join Rosie for some hay. Lucy, her little goat, was napping in the corner next to the cows. She was stil too young to give milk yet. He dropped the brush in a nearby bin and turned back to face Lana, who had stopped pacing by now and was standing quietly by the water trough.

“Hey,” he said, placing both hands on her shoulders. “Relax, aright? It’s gonna be okay. I'm sure that wizard guy won’t let Morris or the Void get away with whatever they’re planning. Just focus on the Junimos and your farm, and keep a careful eye out in the meantime. And I’m always here for you, remember? Uh, to help out, I mean. Around the farm, or however else I can.”

She moved her hand up and placed it over one of his. There was a concerned look brewing in those stormy eyes of his as he regarded her. It was strange sometimes to see him in this mode, far from the sullen man she had first met.

“You’re right," she replied, smiling. "And thank you. I just worry too much. This is all just so crazy.”

“Super crazy. But it’ll be okay. I promise.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead, and she felt her heart stutter. He always seemed to know the right things to do or say.

“If not, there’s always my sword right?” she said, grinning up at him. She knew he hadn’t been a fan of her using the weapon at first but was slowly coming on board with the whole idea now that he had seen her skill with it.

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes. There’s always your sword.”

He poked his finger into her cheek teasingly before continuing. “Hey, maybe Abigail can rustle up one for me too. Can’t let you do all the work if it comes time to save the day from my boss and the evil entity that he’s joined forces with. I gotta be there by your side, don’t I?”

She couldn't help but snort at the thought of him wielding a sword, fighting off monsters with her deep down in that dark mine. He chuckled in return, no doubt reading her mind, and moved his head back down to kiss her on the lips. She giggled against his mouth. He tasted like the minty gum he was always chewing now that he had stopped drinking.

“Oh, Shane. So brave. So gallant. My hero.”

One windy afternoon in the middle of autumn, Lana decided to go fishing up near the mountain lake, craving a change of scenery from her usual spots down by the beach or the river near Leah’s house. The water was smooth and placid despite the breeze that shook the leaves in the trees. She threw her line in the water and waited for a fish to bite. The minutes ticked by without any luck. With a sigh, she grabbed her earbuds to listen to some music in the meantime. Across the lake, she could see the towering mountain that held the entrance to the mines and quarry. Her mind wandered to the monsters that lurked there, deep beneath the surface, so close to sleepy little Pelican Town.

Looking out over the water, she noticed that the sun was already low in the sky as the afternoon dragged on without a single inkling of a fish. The entire week seemed to be oozing by with the same sluggish energy, and despite it barely being Wednesday, she was already ready for it to be over so that she could begin harvesting more crops the upcoming week. Her mind wandered to the rest of the tasks she needed to finish before the weekend came along, hoping to be able to take a well-deserved break.

Taking out her phone to change the playlist she was listening to, she saw that an entire hour had passed without a bite. Resignation began to set in as she looked back up to see how low the sun was already getting in the trees. She decided to pack it up for the day, definitely not inclined to make this unsuccessful fishing trip extend into the even chillier evening. She had a long walk back home and a date with a weenie dog and some wine planned for later.

Before she could put it away, her phone pinged with a text from Shane.

Hey, almost off work...

Only a twenty minutes to go!

What are you up to?

She felt like a schoolgirl with a crush as she eagerly tapped out a reply with a stupid grin on her face.

Hey Zuzu! Not much. Was trying to fish but had absolutely zero luck. Heading home now.

An idea popped up in her head as she remembered that she could follow the river that stemmed off from the lake all the way to town to surprise him as he got off work. She recalled that it flowed south until it ran underneath the bridge that connected the center of town with the more remote eastern section where JojaMart was located. Her phone pinged again.

Cheer up buttercup.

There’s plenty of fish out there in the sea

Lana heard herself chuckling at his dumb joke. Checking the sun again, she decided she had enough time to walk downstream to surprise him to meet him just as he clocked out. She put her phone away and slipped her earbuds back in, taking off quickly along the trail so she could make it in time.

As she walked, her mind wandered to Ella when a song from one of their favorite bands came on. She guiltily recalled how she hadn’t found much time lately to call her like she had during the summertime. There was also that unanswered text from her mother a few days ago currently sitting in her phone that she kept forgetting about. In fact, most of the texts and calls in her phone remained unanswered - not that she received many besides those from Shane. The group chat she was still a part of with Sam, Sebastian, and Abigail was once again muted, checked only once every couple of days and responded to even less frequently. Every now and then, she'd join them for a Friday night pool session, but most nights she was too tired to even get up from her couch. Even Ryan had stopped reaching out as much besides the occasional call to talk about Morris and JojaCorp office gossip. To her amusem*nt, he had started seriously dating the guy that initially stood him up and had made himself a bit scarce since.

She could see the bridge in the distance and quickened her pace, eager to see Shane again. As she approached it, she noticed a hooded figure standing on the bank of the river with a cigarette in their hand. They turned slightly in her direction, and she could see their features more clearly now. She instantly recognized the jet black hair and angular cheekbones as the man brought the cigarette up to his mouth to take an inhale.

“Hey there, Sebby,” she called out. At her words, his head swiveled sharply around to look at her. He was wearing a large, black hoodie and dark jeans along with his usual solemn expression. Exhaling the smoke, he gave her a wary glance before replying.

“Lana. Hi.” The dark circles under his eyes almost looked like bruises against his pale skin. He looked absolutely drained. She felt a flicker of worry in her chest, recognizing that expression well."

“How’ve you been?” she asked casually, moving closer to him. His expression remained blank as he replied.

“Not bad. Busy with work. The usual sh*t.”

“Well, I guess that makes both of us,” she said, smiling weakly. “Barely getting time to breathe, am I right? Even with all this extra air blowing around.”

His lips pulled up in a ghost of a smile that she felt a little too proud to have been the cause of.

“Yup. I figured you were busy too. We rarely hear from you on the chat anymore.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I’ve been super slammed with the farm and, uh - other stuff I currently got going on.”

“No worries. I know exactly what you mean. There’s times I stop replying to everyone too. To take a break from it all. Sam and Abigail are the opposite, actually. They go crazy if left alone for too long. Not me though. I need the balance.”

“I’ve never been really big on that kind of stuff too, honestly. I mean, I like social interaction as much as the next person and all that crap, but it can be kind of draining sometimes, you know?”

He smiled more widely at her, the hollow look in his brown eyes now less pronounced.

“Yeah. I know.” He took another drag of his cigarette.

“Oh, that reminds me,” she said, watching the smoke dissipate quickly in the breeze. “When’s your weed guy coming to town? My stash is getting a bit low since I last bought some a few weeks ago.”

“Next week, I think. I’ll let you know. But I have some extra in my room you can take, if you want. We just need to go back to my place to pick it up.”

She paused, conflicted for only a moment. “No, it’s okay, I’m on my way home, actually. Plus I don’t wanna use up your own supply. If he’s coming next week, I’ll just wait. You can let me know when.”

“Alright then. I’ll do that.”

“Cool.”

There was a long pause in the conversation as they both looked out over the water. The setting sun was reflected on its surface, golden and gleaming on the flowing water. She noticed Sebastian glancing over at her now and then in her peripheral vision, but she kept staring straight ahead. A small nudge of concern for him still picked at her.

“But… you’re really okay?” she asked him, pulling her gaze away from the view to face him now. “I remember you telling me things with Demetrius at home were kind of rough the last time we spoke. And you haven’t come around the farm to visit in a while, either, now that I think about it. Be honest - is it because I always smell like a mix of fertilizer and hay?”

He snorted, surprising her. "You don’t smell like fertilizer and hay. You always smell really good, actually.”

He took another inhale of his cigarette before throwing the finished butt down in the ground, stomping it out. She felt her face heat up at his sudden and casual compliment. Sebastian continued. “But yeah, things haven’t been going that great between us. Mom’s up to her neck about it. I hear them arguing a lot about me. I really f*cking hate it.”

“What’s his problem now?”

“No clue. But I know he still thinks I’m wasting my time with my freelancing job, with all the passive-aggressive comments I hear from him. He says I’m ‘rude’ and ‘ungrateful’. Probably tells my mom I’m wasting that college degree they barely helped pay for. I had to get loans for most of it, but whatever. I'm paying those off just fine.”

“That’s not fair of him. And it’s your life, anyway. You’re an adult and can do what you want with it.”

“That’s what I tell him. But that isn’t what he wants to hear, I guess. We just end up arguing, and then I’ll typically storm out of the house for a while just so I don’t go completely insane. Like today, I was just minding my business in my room, and he just came in to berate me about some bullsh*t about rent I had already paid. I’m tired of it. My job is stressful enough as it is. And I know he doesn’t do this to Maru. She barely pays a dime at the house despite that cushy job with Harvey at the clinic.”

“What about the city?”

“What about it?”

“Well, weren’t you planning to move there one day? If you have enough money saved and jobs lined up, why don’t you just do it? There’s bound to be a lot of coding work out there, too. Sometimes you just need to take the leap, even if it means leaving everything behind. Trust me, I’d know. It might be just what you need.”

He peered down at her. For a moment, she thought that the vacant look had returned, but then he blinked, and it was gone.

“Yeah. Well, I’ve been seriously thinking about it. I still have to see how things go with the next few clients I have in the pipeline.”

“Good. With your coding-prowess, I’m sure you’ll take over Zuzu City in no time. And don't be such a stranger anymore. You can come visit me at the farm if you ever need to talk, okay?”

He maintained his cool expression, but his eyes betrayed his amusem*nt.

“Okay. Thanks, farmer girl.”

“Lana?” She heard her name being called from behind them. She turned and saw Shane standing in the middle of the bridge, looking at her with his hands on the railing. His dark hair was blown over his forehead after a particularly forceful gust of wind.

“Hey Shane!” she shouted, feeling herself smile automatically at the sight of him. Sebastian hesitated for a couple of seconds before following her as she walked up the embankment of the river. They reached Shane just as he made it across the bridge to meet them.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here,” he said to her, one hand shoved in his blue jacket and the other holding a paper JojaMart shopping bag. There was an uneasy look on his face as he looked between her and Sebastian. “Everything okay? You never texted me back.”

“Yeah, I was just fishing up by the lake,” she replied, gesturing to her backpack with part of a fishing pole sticking out. “Sorry. I got your message, but then thought I’d surprise you as you got off work on my way home. I found Sebastian here before I reached the bridge.”

Shane’s eyes flickered to Sebastian behind her.

“Hey, man,” she heard him say coolly. She turned back around to see Sebastian regarding Shane with a similarly guarded expression. “Long time no see.”

“Yep. Long time for sure,” Shane muttered out a gruff reply. He spoke to Lana again. “So, you’re going home now? Want me to walk you, or what?”

“That was the plan,” she said, raising her eyebrow at his short tone. “If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. Let’s head out? I promised Jas I’d help her with some schoolwork before bed along with some other stuff I need to do.” He turned and began to walk in the direction of town before she could reply.

“Oh, uh - okay, yeah. Let’s go,” she responded, feeling a bit flustered at his hurry to leave. She turned to Sebastian. “Are you coming this way too, or …?”

“No, I’m gonna stick around here for a bit before heading home. But I’ll see you around.”

“Okay then. See you later, Sebastian.”

He nodded goodbye before turning around and walking back down to the river where Lana had first found him.

Lana glanced back at Shane, who was now watching Sebastian's retreating form. She made her way over to him and bumped her shoulder into him gently to get his attention.

“So. How was work?” she said. “I mean, it’s JojaMart, so it’s practically a given that it was sh*tty. But not too sh*tty, I hope?”

He seemed almost distracted by something, wavering a bit before he replied.

“On a scale of 1 to 10,” he said finally, sliding his eyes back at her with a tiny smile. “I’d say it was solid 8, in terms of the amount of sh*t I had to endure. Literally - someone flooded the men’s bathroom.”

“Ah, just one flooded toilet? Not too bad then. Don’t let your boss hear that, or he’ll really start cracking the whip.”

“Mmm, now you got me thinking about whips. And chains, if you’re into that. Wait, are you, though? Because I’d be down if you are.” He raised an eyebrow at her suggestively. She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help laughing.

“Down, boy. And maybe I am, maybe I’m not. That’s for you to find out.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior then, “ he replied, playfully tugging her hair. She giggled at this flirty side of him that rarely emerged when they were in public, usually reserved for whenever they were alone.

They had begun walking towards town, ambling along the sidewalk in easy conversation until they passed the area where Pierre’s store and Harvey’s clinic were located. Pelican Town was somewhat busy for a late weekday afternoon, even with the chilly weather in the air. People passed by them occasionally on their trek to the center of town.

“Hey, uh,” Shane said, stopping suddenly just as they made it to the only intersection in town with traffic lights. Here, he’d have to head south in the direction of Marnie’s ranch while she continued on straight to her farm. He adjusted his grip on the bag clutched in his hand, moving it closer to his body. “This Friday I’m getting off early from work because I have to be in by 6am to cover someone. I was thinking I could try to make us some dinner at your place if you aren’t going to be busy or anything?”

He ran his hands through his hair with his free hand as he asked her, rushing out the words. That little furrow in his brow that appeared whenever he was nervous was one of the cutest things she had ever seen. She pictured him trying to cook, clad in only an apron in her kitchen (in her fantasy, anyway), and knew there was no way in hell she could miss this even if she wanted to.

“I’d love that,” she replied quietly, suddenly feeling shy herself from the blissfully relieved smile that broke out over his face. “It’s a date, then.”

She didn’t know what provoked her to utter those words aloud. They had never referred to any of the times they were together as ‘dates’, those that ended in sex or otherwise. A surprised look briefly crossed his face, but it quickly relaxed back into the happy expression he had on before.

“Yeah. It’s a date.”

The breeze began to pick up again as the sun finally commenced its final journey beneath the horizon. Fallen leaves littered the street and sidewalk as they stood together. She could feel it again - that tingle in the air, the vibrations that hinted at all the magic that could be found in Stardew Valley that she had often felt ever since she drank that green potion back in the wizard’s tower. Lana sensed it pulsing in the air around her and Shane, concentrated and brilliant. The fallen leaves were sliding around on the pavement underneath, moving merrily in the breeze like playing children pulled by gusts of wind into spirals around their feet.

She almost said to hell with discretion and kissed him there, right in the center of town with all those people walking around them, but something inside of her held her back, inundating her with trepidation instead.

****

Later that night

“Hello?”

“Ella - you awake?” Lana had her cell phone held up to her ear with one hand and a glass of wine in the other.

“Now I am. Ugh, what time is it?”

“It’s barely 9pm. Sorry if I woke you up.”

“That’s okay. I’m working from home tomorrow, anyway. Got a bit of a cold.” Lana could hear the congestion in her sister's voice.

“I’d tell you to drink some tea and eat lots of soup, but something tells me you already got that covered.”

“Hah, yeah. Got my big ol’ mug clutched here in my hand as we speak.”

Lana smiled, picturing the sight quite clearly.

“Well, I just wanted to call you to catch up, and stuff, but we can talk another time if you’re not feeling good. I know I’ve been kind of M.I.A. lately.”

“Everything okay?”

She paused before replying. The events of the past couple months were swimming around in her mind, her thoughts and worries constantly circling around like sharks in the open sea.

“Yeah. I’ve just been really busy and tired lately.”

Liar, the little voice in her head whispered.

She could almost hear the dishonesty seeping out of her words, and she knew Ella probably heard it too. But her sister didn’t call her out on it, only pausing for a second before replying enthusiastically.

“Farm life, eh? Not that I’d know anything about that - the city is definitely more my cup of tea, thank you very much.”

“Yeah, I know, Ella.”

“Hey Lana?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you ever miss it?

“What? The city?”

“Uh huh.”

“Sometimes I do. But honestly, I'm pretty happy with the life I’ve managed to make for myself here now. It's almost like something was waiting for me out here without me ever knowing it. I don’t really know how to describe it.”

She felt good saying the words aloud, felt like it somehow gave this idea life, something that could be willed into existence.

“Okay, good," Ella responded sleepily. "That makes me happy then. Even if I do miss you. And I know it would make Mom happy too, honestly. She’s been asking about you a lot more, you know. She says that we should all try to have dinner one of these days when you can make it back to the city."

“Maybe," she replied, suddenly remembering that there was also a text from her mother that she had yet to answer. "Unless Earl is making that gross meatloaf he thinks everyone loves. Then I’ll pass.”

“He’s not so bad. Is he a horrible cook? Yes. And is he ridiculously boring? Also yes. But he’s harmless. And Mom likes him, for whatever reason.”

“Yeah, yeah I know. Tell her I’ll see when I can head up there.”

“Hey, maybe I can go visit you soon too. I haven't seen the farm in years, and I bet the valley looks so pretty right now in fall. Hmm… I can try to get the days off from work, maybe in a few weeks or so? I've been slammed lately with this new editor position I'm going for.”

“Sure. That sounds fun, actually. If you’re okay with sleeping on the couch, that is. You remember how small Grandpa’s cabin is, right? I’m planning to renovate it next year and add another room, but it’s still a lot more spruced up now than it used to be. So don’t worry. I got all the amenities, baby sis.”

“Thank Yoba. I don’t know what I’d do without running water. Or Wi-Fi.”

Lana laughed. “I’m sure you’d live.”

“I’m not quite sure. No water, maybe - but no Wi-Fi? Absolutely not.”

Lana heard her sister yawn loudly before speaking up again. “Hey, but I’ll call you later, okay? I think this cold medicine I took is finally starting to kick in. Slumber calls out to me like a siren as we speak.”

“Okay. This weekend, maybe? I’m going to be busy tomorrow all day.”

“Works for me. Goodnight, Lana Banana.”

“Wow, that medicine must be pretty strong. You haven’t called me that since we were kids. Bring me some of that when you come over, yeah?”

“Oh, shut up. And I don’t know - it just came out like that. Lana Banana. Hah. Ba-na-na. Oh man, I think I do feel kind of loopy. You think I took too much cough syrup?”

“You’ll be fine. Now go to sleep. Sweet dreams, Ella.”

“Okey dokey. Nighty night, Llama Banama.”

Lana ended the call and chuckled to herself before downing the last of her wine, savoring the way it slid coolly down her throat. She scrolled through her phone, pausing on the last text message she got from Shane. She smiled as she re-read it for what felt like the hundredth time today.

Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.

****

The following evening couldn’t come soon enough for Lana.

She watched as Shane attempted to dice up some onions for the spaghetti sauce he was currently cooking on her stove. Her eyes moved from his large hand clenched around the knife to the rest of his body and then up to his handsome face, taking him in silently.

He had styled his usually messy dark hair into smoother, swept-aside waves. The black button-up shirt he was wearing fit nicely across his broad shoulders. Observing him still, Lana couldn’t decide if she preferred him clean-shaven like he was now or scruffy with his typical five o'clock shadow dusting his jaw - not that it mattered to her anyway. He craned his neck to check out his onions more closely, and she was hit with the sudden desire to press her lips to his throat but begrudgingly resisted. Muttering something to himself, he seemingly deemed the onions approved and began to add them to his sauce now beginning to bubble softly on the stove.

“That smells really good,” she called over from her spot on her armchair.

He had refused to let her help him, arriving at her house with a bunch of bags from Pierre’s with a rather frantic, nervous energy that only served to endear him all the more to her. Shane looked up from stirring.

“Thanks,” he said before peering down into the pan as though a bit unsure of what he was looking at exactly. “The Queen of Sauce was really particular with how you’re supposed to cut up the onions. Apparently every little thing you do can alter a dish greatly without you even realizing it.”

“That makes sense. You’re really taking an interest in all this cooking stuff, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I mean - it keeps me distracted and sh*t. But I guess it can be fun too. Plus, some of those other shows on the Cooking Channel are actually pretty entertaining. Who would’ve thought there could be so much drama between little old ladies that love to bake?”

"You'd be surprised at how dramatic old ladies can be." She sighed, leaning back. “Ugh, I wish I could bake like all those people. They make it look so easy. Do you remember the last time I tried to make us some cookies? I thought I was gonna burn down the cabin. I could feel my grandpa’s ghost judging me from beyond the grave. He was always pretty good in the kitchen, from what I can remember.”

“You just need to keep practicing. And uh, maybe just be a little bit more mindful of things you put into the oven. I heard about these things called 'timers' that could help.”

He shot her a playful smirk before beginning to add the ground meat he had previously cooked in another pan to the sauce. The aromatic scent of tomatoes, onions, and garlic mixing in with the cooked meat filled the air as Lana sat back in the armchair. She adjusted the tight, green sweater she had opted for this evening, nervously picking at the sleeves. Occasionally, her hands would wander to her straightened hair, playing with it instead.

Still, she felt edgy. And it was maddening because she couldn’t quite exactly place her finger on why.

She had kissed him as soon as he set the bags down on her counter, taking him by surprise and quickly tasting his minty gum mixed in with the strong taste of mouthwash. The slightly overpowering smell of his cologne hit her nose as she pulled away. At first, she had paid no mind to it or the tension that seemed to radiate from him despite his attempts to act like nothing was wrong. Lana figured it was just nerves - after all, she was a bit uptight herself from apprehension at how the evening would turn out.

“So,” she said, breaking the silence that had formed as he finished up stirring the sauce with his back turned to her. “Excited for the weekend? This week seriously seemed to drag on and on. I’m so glad it’s almost over.”

She stood up as he replied, walking over to lean against the counter as he put the finished sauce on top of the cooked pasta he had already added to two shallow bowls.

“Yeah, it was a bit of a rough week,” he said, looking up at her. The smile he gave her didn’t quite reach his eyes. “But like you said. It’s almost over.”

“Almost. I’m really digging the weather, at least. It’s been so spooky lately with all the wind blowing through the valley.”

“Yeah, the trees outside my window scare the sh*t out of me sometimes.”

She moved closer to him abruptly, placing her hand on his cheek. He peered down at her, his expression thawing into something warmer.

“I’ll save you from those big, bad trees, Shane.”

His eyes crinkled at the corners, lighting up with a spark of joy momentarily. “Then I guess it’s my turn now to call you my hero.”

She hummed in approval and pressed her lips against his, and he immediately began kissing her back hungrily. The plates in each hand prevented him from embracing her before she pulled back, breaking the kiss. She tapped her index finger on his parted lips.

“You know I’ll always protect you. Spooky trees or otherwise. I got magic and a sword on my side now, remember?”

She turned around before he could answer and walked over to the fridge, opening it and sticking her head inside. “Soda or sparkling water?”

“Uh, sparkling water. Please.”

He was still standing in front of the stove with the pasta plates in his hand, watching her grab the drinks and walk back over to the table to set them down. There was a slightly disoriented look on his face. Clearing his throat, he made his way over to the table just as she sat back down. Garlic bread and a bowl of salad were already in the center, prepared just before the pasta was ready. He placed her plate in front of her, standing back to hover by her chair as she smiled up at him.

“Thank you.” The words sounded small coming from her mouth, almost in a whisper. Looking at the table in front of her, she was suddenly overcome with a wave of affection for him, the emotion making it difficult to speak for a moment.

“You’re welcome,” he said. He leaned down to kiss her on top of her head. “I hope you like it.”

You love him, don't you? The voice inside her head hissed the undeniable truth. Just tell him how you feel.

He walked over to his chair and sat down, looking at the final dish in front of him. His mouth pulled up at the corners as a look of pride briefly crossed his features.

Just tell him.

Lana watched as he grabbed the shaker of parmesan he also bought from the store and began to add a copious amount of cheese to his pasta.

Tell him you want to be his girlfriend. Stop being such a puss*.

Shane twirled spaghetti around his fork, bringing it up to his mouth to take a bite. A bewildered expression appeared on his face as he tasted it. He grinned up at her, the pride even now more prevalent in his eyes. Her heart palpitated faintly.

f*cking tell him. You’re in love with him. Tell him you want to be with him all day, every day, and hold his stupid hand, and get into dumb arguments with him, and do everything in the world with him. Tell. Him.

“ Eat, before it gets cold,” he said, pointing with his fork at her plate. “You haven’t been eating enough lately, I’ve noticed. It’s worrying me. Don’t make me come over here and cook dinner for you every single day.”

Tell him you love him. Tell him, tell him -

It felt like the oxygen was slowly draining from the room as she was locked in her silent, internal strife. Her breathing hitched noiselessly in her throat as his concerned face became the only thing in focus.

Tell him that all you want is for him to love you back. Even just a little bit.

She suddenly snapped out of it. The air rushed back into her lungs. Startled by her thoughts, she grabbed her own fork and took a mouthful of pasta, hurriedly pushing them away.

“Sorry,” she said, her mouth full of spaghetti. She swallowed and immediately dug her fork back in her plate for some more. It was really delicious. “Mmm, Shane - this is really good! I mean it. The Queen of Sauce has some competition on her hands. Hey, pass me the cheese, will ya?”

She stuck out her hand for it. Shane looked thrilled at her compliment, blushing and clearing his throat before handing her the parmesan shaker and replying.

“Thanks, Lana. Not too bad for my first try, huh?”

“Not bad at all. I think you might have a gift. I might just take you up on that offer to cook for me every day.”

She twirled spaghetti onto her fork and placed it in her mouth, slurping up the pasta in a way she hoped wasn’t too unattractive.

“You’d just get tired of me.”

The words came out almost too quietly for her to catch. But they hung in the air as though caught in a speech bubble. Lana paused mid-bite. She lowered her fork, looking up at him in surprise.

“What did you say? That I would get tired of you?”

He averted his eyes. “Yeah. It was just a joke.”

“Was it, though? It didn’t really sound like it.”

For a few seconds that felt like hours, the only noise she could hear was the sound of the wind rippling through the leaves in the trees behind her house. Shane stuck his fork into his pasta, letting it go to clench his hand into a fist on the table.

“No. I guess it wasn’t.”

She set down her silverware too. “Where is this coming from, Shane?”

“I don’t know, Lana. It was a dumb thing to say. Just forget I ever said it.”

“I’ll forget about it if you promise me you don’t really feel that way. Do you really think that I’d get tired of you?”

“Everyone usually does. But it’s not a big deal. I get tired of them too.”

Her chair scraped against her wood floor as she pushed it back suddenly. She moved to the other side of the table to stand in front of him with her arms crossed.

“Well, I wouldn’t. And I don’t like you just assuming that I would. Give me some f*cking credit. And what are you saying - that you’re going to get tired of me and already know it? What’s the point of all this, then?”

“Dammit, that’s not what I’m saying. Look, I’m sorry. I stuck my foot in my mouth, and now I’m making this night even weirder than it probably already is.”

“Yeah." She narrowed her eyes at him. "It’s definitely been a little weird.”

“I’m sorry. f*ck, I just - I just get in my head. I’ve felt knocked off course for the last couple of days. I don’t want you to think that I’m going to just lose interest in you. Or that I don’t want to be here with you.”

She was silent, willing herself to meet his eyes to no avail.

Shane continued, moving his hand up to intertwine his fingers with hers. “I really care about you, Lana. You make me feel better about myself, and I don’t even know how to begin to thank you for that.”

Tell him now. He’s practically begging for you to tell him. The voice in her head had snuck back to whisper again in her ear.

“Shane, I …” She trailed off, not able to put the confusing jumble of words in her head into anything resembling a coherent sentence to reply for a few moments. She finally was able to fix back onto his gaze. “I really care about you too. I just want you to be happy.”

Coward.

“I am happy. At least, I am when I’m with you.”

The voice in her head was now silent, apparently resigned.

“So am I, Shane.”

“Can I tell you something, Lana?” Her heart did a somersault in her chest in anticipation. She squeezed his hand.

“Of course.”

He looked down at his lap, shoulders slumped over, saying nothing for a few long seconds.

“I failed. I drank again. I drank before coming here. And I’ve been drinking for at least a couple of weeks now.”

“Oh, Shane.”

She abruptly leaned down to embrace him. His face was pressed into her chest as her arms wrapped around him tightly. He hesitated but soon hugged her back firmly.

“You’re not mad? I f*cking failed, Lana. I failed myself, Jas, Marnie. I failed you.”

“You’re so dumb. Is that what this is all about? Did you really think I’d hate you for stumbling a bit?”

He moved his face so that he could speak without his words being muffled.

“It was so f*cking easy to crack open that first beer after a really, really sh*tty day at work. I walked my ass to the alcohol section and bought a tall can with my crappy little 5% employee discount before I even noticed what I was doing. And then I made the choice to keep it instead of throwing it away on my walk back to the ranch, and then I made the choice to drink it in my room when I got home. And the whole time, I was scolding myself as if I was a child.”

“Well, you just need to get back on track then. Catch yourself before it happens again.”

“It has been happening a lot more lately. I don’t want to spiral, Lana. I already recognize the feeling. I’m so f*cking scared.”

“Did something happen recently?”

He said nothing, nuzzling his cheek into her chest and squeezing her more closely to him. Lana rested her head on top of his and let him have the silence he seemed to be craving. They were quiet for a few moments, both lost in thought.

Then, she suddenly felt his hands slipping underneath her sweater and moving up her body, cupping her breasts. He hooked his thumbs into her bra and pulled it down so that her nipples were exposed. Lana inhaled sharply at the sensation of his cold fingers on her skin.

“Shane…?” She struggled to suppress a moan when he pinched a nipple lightly. “Hey, don’t try to distract me with sex. That’s not cool.”

“I’m not trying to distract you. If anything, you’re distracting me.” He pulled a hand out from under her sweater and used it to pull down the neckline of her sweater, kissing her bare breasts before continuing “And nothing happened. It’s just like I said - I get in my own head sometimes."

"Are you sure that's it?"

"Yes." She had to stifle her moans as he kissed her neck in between sentences. "It caught me at a weak moment and made me drink again after a good month and a half of being able to stick to it. It's happened before.”

“Well, okay. And if that’s the case, all you can do is try again. Learn from your mistakes. Cliché, I know. But it’s true. And don’t forget I’m here for you, dummy. Next time you want a drink, bring your sexy butt over here and cook me this delicious spaghetti. Okay?”

“Okay." Shane stopped and looked up at her. "You’re way too good for me, you know that?”

She rolled her eyes at his self-deprecating comment. He began to move his lips up, sucking now on the dip between her shoulder and neck.

“The food’s gonna get cold,” she said, laughing. His feather-light kisses were making her more ticklish than usual. “I want to enjoy it without having to warm it up in the microwave.”

“Fine, fine,” he grumbled against her skin. He looked up at her, brow furrowed adorably in disapproval. She ran her hand through his hair, smiling down at him affectionately.

As she walked back to her seat to continue dinner, she couldn't help but feel irritated at herself for her inability to tell him how she felt, further filled with doubt after his adamant insistence to drop the conversation entirely.

****

“Ouch - sh*t.”

The face wash stung Lana’s eyes the second she accidentally opened them to peak at her reflection in her bathroom mirror. She splashed water on her face, rubbing her eyes until the burn went away. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a wipe to use after rinsing away the cleanser so she could remove any last remnants of her makeup.

Unsurprisingly, she and Shane had sex right after dinner. He walked her backwards into her bedroom, making out with her before they could even put the dishes in the sink. She had been debating it again during dinner, still trying to summon up the courage to bring up the status of their relationship like she meant to. But the second she felt his lips on hers, her willpower flew out the window, swallowed up by the gusts of wind that were beginning to howl loudly outside.

They lay together for a while afterwards before he had to head home early for the night, much too soon for her liking. He was helping Marnie load up a large order for an out-of-town customer that would be arriving just after dawn. She had walked him down the gate at the southern edge of the farm like she often did.

“I’ll see you tomorrow? And stay the night, if that’s okay with you?” Shane told her as he stood on the other side of the fence.

“Okay. Remember, no work. Just a lazy day.”

“Perfect.” He reached over the fence to pull her face up to his, kissing her softly. With one final smile, he turned around to walk down the road toward Marnie’s ranch. She had watched his retreating form long after he turned the corner and disappeared into the trees.

Afterwards, she hurried back to her house, propelled forward by the wind. Pulling out a bottle of wine she had hidden in the back of her cabinet, she threw herself on the couch with a full glass and a discouraged sigh. With a click of the remote, she turned on the TV in an attempt to clear her mind of the confusing night she just had. A reality show marathon helped distract her for another couple of hours before she suddenly shut it off, walking to her bedroom so she could take off her makeup and get some sleep. The almost-empty bottle of wine currently sat on her coffee table along with her glass that still held the last blood-red remnants of the merlot she had been drinking.

Back in her bathroom, she cleaned her face with the wipe, running it over her eyes until there was only a smudge of black from her mascara underneath. She sighed and used a finger to attempt to clean it up to no avail. Her hair was now frizzy and dented with irregular waves from lying down haphazardly on the couch. Lana gave up on trying to clean her face and walked back outside to sit on her bed in the dark. She rolled her neck until she heard a small crack. Rubbing her shoulders, she could still feel the wine slugging through her system, making her body feel loose and relaxed.

The fact that Shane had started drinking again worried her despite the unflinching way she responded to the news. The constant gum chewing and overly-strong cologne tonight were now starting to make sense in a different light. But still, she would have never known if he hadn’t confessed to her, which was concerning. It had been so easy for him to hide falling off the wagon. With a dull throbbing beginning in her temples, she reasoned that Shane most likely had had a lot of practice concealing his alcoholism before. She felt powerless, unable to shake the nauseating suspicion that she could do little to help him beyond the physical comfort of sex. Maybe that was why they could never be more than friends-with-benefits, or whatever the hell they were now.

Standing, she hastily walked into the kitchen for a glass of water to help shake away the sinking feeling in her chest. She poured some from the filtered pitcher in her fridge into a mug and drank it down quickly, hoping the hydration would also ward off any potential hangover tomorrow.

Suddenly, her front door pounded with three heavy knocks. Startled, she felt her heart racing as she set the glass down, stepping anxiously closer to the door.

“Who is it?” she called out, trying to keep the frightened waver out of her voice. "Shane, is that you?"

Outside, the wind was howling loudly in the trees, drowning out any reply from the person outside. Fueled by adrenaline and fear, she quickly crossed her living room to unlock the front door, expecting to see Shane as she pulled it open and turned on the porch light outside. The words she had been wanting to tell him the entire night were caught in her throat, aching to finally be released.

Her eyebrows raised up in surprise when the bulb flickered on, illuminating the person standing beyond her door.

“Sebastian?”

Chapter 18: The Pit

Chapter Text

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Shane watched as water droplets fell from the faucet in front of him. He was standing in front of the sink in the men’s restroom at the Stardrop Saloon, inevitably finding himself here instead of going home after leaving Lana's house. The faucet was turned off, but still, the drips continued. He wearily looked down at his hands resting on the edge of the sink.

He knew why he was here, back in the saloon, already five beers deep by the time Gus announced last call about ten minutes ago. Before stumbling over to the restroom to take a leak, he had ordered one more drink from Emily, who by now already knew the routine. He thought he had seen her mouth set into a grim line as she filled up another pint glass, but she was all smiles when she set it down in front of him.

Glancing up, he saw his reflection in the mirror staring defeatedly back at him. Of course he knew why he was here.

Even after admitting to Lana that he had broken his sobriety and promising to her that he’d get back on track, he still couldn’t stop himself from coming to the saloon for old time’s sake. He kissed her goodbye and then walked down the road, past Marnie’s ranch, down Willow Lane, past Sam’s house, and finally up the main street in town until he reached the all too familiar doorstep of the Stardrop Saloon. And he had walked in, sat down in his usual corner, and ordered two beers to start without any hesitation. It had all been so damn easy. Like always.

Suddenly feeling nauseous, Shane moved his eyes away from his reflection. He knew that he was here because he had no self-control, no self-discipline. Because he was weak.

He smiled with derision, knowing Lana would absolutely hate to hear him think about himself that way.

Lana. His head was swimming, but he could see her face clearly. Lana, standing among her crops with a water can in her hand, smiling at him in the sunlight. Looking pensively at him over the bonfire near the pond on her farm with a JojaCola in her hand, green eyes almost glowing in the dark. Nuzzling her cheek into the feathers of one of her happily clucking chickens. Straddling him naked in her bed as he gazed up at her in awe.

She was way too good for him. He told her so earlier in her kitchen. The way she had rolled her eyes and quickly changed the subject hit a sore spot deep inside of him that was already bruised from seeing her so chummy with Sebastian only a couple of days ago. The vision in his head now morphed into her standing by the river outside of JojaMart, looking up at Sebastian with that same smile Shane thought she reserved only for him. He rubbed his eyes, trying to oust the thought from his mind while at the same time feeling incredibly selfish.

“As if you own the right to make her happy,” he said bitterly to his reflection, who only stared dully back at him.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Water continued to leak from the faucet. Shane shook his head at the noise, trying to sober up. All he needed to do was walk outside to drink the beer he ordered so he could go home like he should have done in the first place. Beating himself up in the restroom wouldn’t help anything now. He sighed and pressed a fingertip firmly to the opening of the faucet to try and stop the annoying dripping. Removing his hand, he waited for a second, and seeing no more droplets forming at the spout, turned to leave the restroom.

Tomorrow, he thought wearily as he opened the door to the saloon. Tomorrow I’ll start again. I just need this last drink. Just one last drink.

Just as he stepped through, he heard the distinct sound of water plinking sharply once again against the ceramic sink.

****

“Want me to close up your tab?” Emily asked him as he returned back to his seat at the bar.

“Yes, please,” he mumbled, taking a sip of his beer.

Emily hovered near him, and he could see the indecision playing out on her face. He knew her well enough to recognize that she was about to try and have another heart-to-heart chat with him. Averting his eyes, he took another long drink, praying that one of the few customers still left in the bar would distract her.

“Hey, Shane?” she spoke up at last. He sighed inwardly.

“Yeah, Emily?” He could hear the fatigue laced through his voice and knew it must be glaringly obvious to her.

“What’s your favorite color?”

He paused mid-drink, looking up at her in surprise. He tried to comb his mind to remember if she had ever asked him this question in almost the three years of knowing him but came up empty. The fact seemed strange to him, for some reason.

“Uh, I don’t know,” he replied, being honest. “Blue, I guess?”

She nodded wisely, as if this had been the answer she was expecting. “That makes sense. It is the color of your aura, after all.”

He had to admit his interest was piqued. Despite his disbelief in the power of crystals or meditation and basically all of her other interests, he had always been kind of curious to hear what color his aura was. Emily performed a “reading” for everyone else in town that asked for one, a spectacle for which Shane was often in the audience given his prime seat right at the bar.

“My aura is blue?”

She looked up from the glass she had started polishing casually before replying, speaking in an offhand manner that was betrayed by the enthusiasm sparkling in her eyes.

“Oh yes. A very dark blue. Almost the exact color of your eyes, actually. It reminds me a bit of indigo, which happens to be one of my favorite color of dyes to use.”

“I see." He took another sip, intrigued. "I mean, I guess I like the color blue. I’ve never really thought about it."

“Well, it certainly suits you.”

Shane might be drunk but he wasn’t stupid - she was baiting him, pulling and teasing the conversation out of him with comments she knew would entice him to reply. The alcohol in his system decided for him that he would go along with it for now.

“And why’s that?” he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, there are a lot of reasons. But to put it simply, blue is the color of loyalty and responsibility,” she answered. “It seeks calm and tranquility and infuses us with a sense of peace.”

Shane snorted into his beer. “Yeah, sorry to tell you Emily, but I think your aura radar is a little off tonight. That doesn’t sound anything like me.”

She laughed lightly, scrunching up her eyes.“I can see why you’d think that. But our auras are physical manifestations of our spiritual energy. They can sometimes get cloudy and distorted if there’s something blocking our chakras or negatively impacting our energy. Fundamentally, however, your aura is blue.”

“Right.” He was quickly beginning to lose interest with all this nonsense about manifesting and chakras. “Good to know.”

Swirling around the beer in his pint glass, he looked away from her, hoping she’d catch the drift this time and leave him alone to finish his damn beer.

She persisted. “You wanna know whose aura has been really murky lately?”

He sighed out loud this time. “Let me guess - mine?”

“No, not yours. Although it’s a lot more cloudy today than I’ve seen in a while… ”

He took another sip of his beer, saying nothing for a few seconds.

“So who then?” His reply came out more gruffly than he intended.

“Lana.”

Shane huffed in exasperation. He should have known Emily would bring up the farmer. Before he began his most recent failed attempt at sobriety, she’d always find some way to mention her whenever Shane would inevitably darken the saloon’s doorstep. He was painfully aware of the fact that she had read him like a book (as usual), catching on to his infatuation with her from the very first day she had seen them sitting at the bar together, way back in springtime.

“How very interesting,” he replied, giving her a pointedly annoyed look. “So, you gonna close my tab soon, or what? I need to get going. Got an early day tomorrow.”

“Oh, sure! Just give me one sec,” Emily said before hurrying over to the nearby register to settle his tab. She returned a minute later to hand him his card and the receipt to sign before continuing right where she left off, apparently not taking the hint about dropping the matter.

“I really hope Lana’s doing okay,” she said thoughtfully, putting her elbows on the bar counter so she could rest her chin in her hands. “She hasn’t come in for her usual morning coffee in a while. I only see her running around town sometimes. Probably really busy at the farm with fall now in full swing.”

“Yeah, it’s been pretty hectic lately,” Shane replied before he could realize what he was saying. He silently cursed the beer in his hand, already more than halfway gone, for his loose lips.

“Oh, are you still working over there on weekends?” Emily asked, catching on instantly. “I remember Lana would always mention you whenever she’d come in for a chat.”

“She would talk about me?”

“Oh, yes. Pretty often, too.” She was playing coy now, moving an arm to look down at her rainbow-painted nails, apparently refusing to elaborate any further.

“... And? What did she say?”

She looked up and smiled sweetly at him.

“That’s girl talk. You know I can’t tell you that.”

“Gee, thanks, Emily,” he scoffed. “As interesting as this conversation was, I’d like to finish my beer in some peace and quiet now, if that’s okay with you. And don’t worry - Lana is just fine. Clogged chakras or otherwise.”

He held out her pen and signed receipt to take.

“Well, alright. I trust your judgement.” Emily stuck the pencil above her ear and tucked the receipt into her apron pocket. “Lana certainly seems to, after all.”

She gave him a wink and turned around to begin walking away.

Don’t answer her, he thought sternly to himself. Don’t f*cking fall for it -

“Really? She told you that?”

sh*t.

Emily only turned back halfway and shrugged, raising up her eyebrows in mock ignorance. He sighed in resignation and set down his glass with a loud thunk.

“ Come on, Emily. I know why you always bring up the farmer, okay? I know you know that I like her. We can be adults about this whole thing.”

She faced him now with both hands in the air in mock surrender.

“Fine, fine. You got me. And I didn’t know anything for sure until Haley told me she saw you kissing her by the gate to her property late one night a few weeks ago. I just thought you had a crush on her up until that point.”

His cheeks instantly warmed in embarrassment at the thought of Haley spying on them as they made out like teenagers against Lana’s wooden gate.

“Wow - your sister sure is nosy, isn't she?” he asked with a scowl.

“I know, I’m sorry,” she said, having the decency to look sincere despite the sh*t-eating grin on her face. “She said she was out taking pictures of the full moon by Cindersap Forest, which I suspect is sometimes code for ‘quickie with Alex in the woods’.”

“Ugh, gross. Whatever. But Lana and I aren’t, like, together, or anything. We’re just … really close friends.”

“Really close friends that kiss each other goodbye?” Her tone wasn’t accusatory, just curious.

He still wasn’t exactly sure that he wanted to go down this route with Emily. The events of earlier tonight were still spinning around in his mind, bumping into each other and never quite in focus. Shane glanced up from the counter to meet her eyes hesitantly.

“... It’s complicated.”

“Hey,” Emily said firmly, crossing her arms. “I’m in a committed relationship with a woman who refuses to introduce me to her parents or even her friends because they don’t know that she’s gay. I know complicated. So try me.”

Shane’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. While he knew Emily was bisexual, he wasn’t aware that she was currently dating anyone.

“That really sucks ass,” he responded, not knowing what else to say. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Emily replied. “She tells me she’s planning to come out later this year, but I don’t want to put any pressure on her. We’ve only been together for a few months now.”

“I’m sure she will. Just give her some more time.”

“Yeah, I’m hoping that’s all she needs. And honestly? At times, it’s not easy, because neither of us is perfect. Matters of the heart can all honestly feel so fragile - so uncertain, you know? But at the end of the day, I know in my heart that I don’t have any doubts about how I feel about her. So, it’s okay. I’ve learned that as long as you have faith in what you’re feeling, the rest will slowly fall into place.”

Shane felt as though a spotlight was suddenly shining down on him as she gave her speech. He picked up his beer again and took a long drink.

Ah, f*ck it.

“Something tells me you’re not just talking about you and your girlfriend here,” he muttered.

He suspected it wasn’t purely the alcohol that was making him so willing to talk to Emily now, especially about his feelings for Lana. There was a melancholy tint to her kind gaze that he had never noticed before. He guiltily thought to himself that he had never really taken the time to notice much about her at all.

“I mean, I feel like that can apply to a lot of things in life,” she answered. Her eyes narrowed at him sharply. “But yes, if you’re feeling uncertain about something with Lana, then I’m talking about you. I know there’s something on your mind, Shane - I can read it on your face.”

He rubbed his cheek, suddenly feeling bashful.

“I mean, I wouldn’t say that I’m uncertain about her,” he said slowly. “ I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about anyone in my entire life, actually.”

The beam that appeared on Emily’s face could have illuminated all of Zuzu City. He cleared his throat and looked away, flustered and annoyed with himself for admitting this to her before he could admit it to Lana.

“So what’s the problem, then?” she prodded, raising an eyebrow.

As he began to think about how to answer her, Shane couldn’t help but feel like a magician, reaching into his sleeve to pull out a never-ending stream of red flags. How could he even begin to explain to Emily that it seemed like everything was the problem with him? And Lana - strong, smart, stubborn Lana - was everything he wasn’t, everything he had always aspired to be, ever since he was a grubby kid in the city watching his deadbeat dad walk out one day to never return. She was so confident, so fearless, taking all the unbelievable curve balls that life had thrown at her to survive and prosper in a place that was once abandoned and decayed. He had meant what he said, earlier in her kitchen, even if he was only able to tell her half of what he really wanted to confess to her - she was his hero, and he was in love with her.

And he was - Shane. Just Shane: full-time employee at JojaMart, making minimum wage despite years of experience and effort. Godfather to his dead best friend’s daughter, an intelligent, beautiful little girl that he was failing miserably more and more each day. An alcoholic despite his countless efforts to change. A stagnant, dead-end loser. He had ruined every single relationship he ever had, and he had done it willingly, without hesitation even. There was something deeply embedded in him that slowly fed to him throughout his life the idea that he was a failure and would always be a failure, so what point was there, anyway? Why should he even try?

And Lana. He would only bring her down. She deserved someone better in the long run, someone with a future still ahead of them and less baggage weighing them down. Eventually, she would see through his bullsh*t and drop him, moving onto better things. She’d climb up away from him and into the light, and he’d be left behind, standing alone in the pit. Just where he belonged.

Emily was watching him with patient eyes as he did mental gymnastics in his head. He cleared his throat before finally responding.

“I just can’t shake off the feeling that I’m not good enough for her,” he said quietly.

That I’m not good enough for anything.

“Why do you feel like that, Shane?” Emily asked. There was sorrow in her voice.

“I mean - look at her,” he said, shaking his head. “Look at all she’s accomplished in this short time. f*ck, in her entire life. She got past the death of her father, went to college, graduated, got a good job at JojaCorp with a cozy apartment in the city, then her grandpa died, and she gave all that up to move out here to the middle of nowhere and still kick ass at everything she tries. She’s barely 26 - did you know that? Yoba. Compared to her, I’m a joke. I’ll be 31 next year. What do I even have to show for it?”

“I don’t think you’re a joke, and I doubt that Lana does either. You put yourself down a lot, I’ve noticed. That’s not very helpful, nor is any of it true anyway.”

“It is true, Emily. I haven’t accomplished sh*t in life. I hate my job and barely make any money, but there’s nothing else I can do to support myself right now. Jas needs me. So I’m stuck. And even then, I’m failing her too. I have no idea what the f*ck I’m doing when it comes to raising her. It’s only a matter of time before she gets old enough to finally see me for the hopeless case that I am. And I know she’ll hate me.”

Shane felt himself suddenly overwhelmed with emotion at the thought of his goddaughter, back home in bed after being put to sleep by his aunt Marnie who always stepped in when he came up short (which was more often than not). Kind, patient Marnie, who took him and Jas in with open arms and never once complained or shown him any resentment. After everything that had happened to him in his miserable life, they were the only family he had left.

He looked down into his beer to try and ward off any errant tears before he continued speaking. “And Lana. She doesn’t see me that way, for some reason. She looks at me like I’m - like I'm the greatest person in the world, you know?”

Emily smiled softly in understanding. “Yeah. I know.”

“I don’t know what she sees in me. But, whatever it is, she’s so adamant that it’s there. How can I tell her that I think she’s wrong? I didn’t come to the saloon for over a month, didn’t drink a single drop of beer because I promised her that I wouldn’t. And look at me - what am I doing right now? What do I always do when I try to finally get my sh*t together? Just disappoint myself and everyone around me. It just goes to show that I’ll keep failing her. She deserves better than me. It won’t be long before she finally realizes that.”

“Well, damn, Shane. When you put it that way, you’re doomed to fail." Emily shook her head. "Don’t you know that the universe recognizes the energy that you release into it? And Lana also will pick up on those negative vibrations, which won’t help anything either. You’re shooting yourself in the foot here, pal.”

“I just can’t help but feel that way. I’m so scared that she’s going to want more that I can give her. More than I’m capable of. And if we even get to that point, an actual relationship - what if things just end badly? I don’t want to lose her, Emily. She’s my best friend.”

He heard the crack in his voice as he finished talking. Clearing his throat, he glanced back down into his beer, quiet again. There was a long pause as Emily said nothing, just regarding him with a peculiar expression on her face.

Finally, she spoke up.

“Do you want to know what color Lana’s aura is?”

Like before, he looked up in surprise at her question.

“What the hell does that have to do with anything?” he asked her, inwardly wincing at his rude tone.

“Didn’t you hear what I told you earlier?” she scolded him. “A person’s aura can tell you everything you need to know about them. At the very least, it can be the start of understanding who they are. I think that’s pretty important.”

“Yeah, yeah - I remember. Alright then, if you think it’s important for me to know," he conceded. "Let me guess - is it red? I swear, she can be so intense and impulsive sometimes.”

“A good guess, but no. Hmm.”

She just chuckled quietly, looking away from him for a moment before glancing back at him with a suspiciously knowing look.

“You two are so similar,” she said, still smirking. “You’re always just yourselves, damned be the consequences. It doesn’t win you many friends, being that way. I’m sure you know that. But the ones you do find - they’re special. And the fact that you two found each other all the way out here? You could have met her any time back in the city. So many chances for your paths to converge one night under those neon lights. But for whatever reason, the universe chose right here, right now, as the moment in time you two were destined to meet. That’s fate, my friend. The universe is trying to tell you something.”

At first, he could only blink a few times in reply to her spiel, still unable to completely allow himself to believe what she was saying.

“You think so?” he asked.

“I know so,” Emily said, nodding calmly. “The universe knows what it’s doing. You just need to trust its timing.”

His mind flashed back to the night he had first seen Lana all those months ago underneath the moonlight. The sound of her voice at a distance had immediately attracted him like a moth to a flame.

“There was just something about her,” he spoke up, the memory of that night still at the forefront in his mind. “From the very first moment I saw her, I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to know who she was. Where she was going. Why she was here. It was really weird, at least for me, anyway. I typically don't give a single sh*t about stuff like that.”

“It makes sense that you’d be so drawn to her,” Emily replied. “People with auras like Lana's are typically very magnetic. They’re natural healers, providing a sense of balance and comfort without even trying because it just radiates around them. But they can also be prideful and guarded, and not very forthcoming with their feelings.”

“Yeah,” he scoffed. “Pretty accurate. That last part sounds like the farmer, alright.”

“See? So I understand why you might be hesitant, especially if she’s not being clear about where you two stand either. Have you tried just asking her what she wants?”

“Just asking her? What - like, if she wants to date me, or whatever?”

“Yes. If that’s what you want. Or if it’s something she’d be open to, later down the road if she isn’t ready right now. Who knows - you might be pleasantly surprised with the answer.”

“I mean, we technically had a date today, I guess. I made dinner for us at her house, and she even called it a date when I asked her a couple of days ago.”

“See! There you go. That’s already progress,” Emily exclaimed. But she quickly grew serious, furrowing her brow at him. She poked him in the shoulder with a finger. “And you need to trust what she tells you, Shane. Stop doubting yourself so much. If she tells you she’s happy with you, believe her. Lana’s a smart girl - it’s her decision too, right?”

Shane knew Emily was right, as usual. On the slim chance of it happening, he couldn’t decide for Lana if she wanted to be with him, no matter how little confidence he had in himself to be the man she deserved. He nodded in agreement, but inside, he was nothing but flustered. His cheeks went red at the very idea of talking to her about it. He couldn’t remember the last time he had asked someone to be his girlfriend. Stephanie, his most recent ex, had been the one to approach and pursue him when they first got together, which was also the case for most of the other girls he dated before that. He was definitely out of his element, and Lana was already intimidating enough as it was.

But dammit - he wanted to be with her so badly. Wanted to bring her over for dinner at Marnie’s and introduce her as his girlfriend. To take her out on dates and give her flowers every day just because he could. To sit with her in his corner of the Stardrop Saloon, lonely no more.He said nothing for a while, preferring to finish the last of his beer before sliding the empty pint glass over to Emily.

Meeting her eyes finally, he said, “Huh. Me and Lana. Together. You really think it could happen?”

You really think that I can finally be happy?

Emily was all smiles as she replied. “There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s possible, Shane. Keep your mind open and some interesting things might take root.”

He felt the corners of his mouth lifting up as he regarded the blue-haired bartender. Surprisingly, he felt better. Standing up, he shrugged on his jacket and put his hands in his pockets.

“Thanks Emily. I mean it. So? Are you finally going to tell me what it is, then? The color of her aura?”

“Oh! I already told you, kinda. Earlier, when I said you two were very similar, that was a clue. Although hers is much, much stronger than most people's, for some weird reason...”

“What, it’s blue, too?”

“No, not blue.”

He only raised an eyebrow, still clueless. The buzz in his brain wasn’t helping him try to decipher her cryptic way of speaking today.

Emily chuckled but leaned closer to him to answer.

“Lana’s aura is the exact same color of her eyes, just like yours - a brilliant emerald green.”

****

Shane entered his house on tiptoe, bound for the kitchen. It was already well past midnight, and the ranch was quiet and still as Marnie and Jas slumbered in their rooms. There was one small thing he wanted to do before heading over to Lana’s house.

He fumbled for his cell phone in his pocket, taking it out to turn on the flashlight so he could see where he was going. The light shined on the walls for a moment before finding the door he needed. Still walking slowly, he walked across the room to enter the kitchen as quietly as possible.

His talk earlier with Emily had shifted something into place, and immediately upon leaving the saloon, he knew what he had to do. He was filled with a sense of urgency to confess how he felt to Lana now, while the momentum was still going. He just hoped that she would still be up at this time of night. She could get a bit grumpy when half-asleep, and there was a lot he needed to tell her.

“Where the f*ck did Marnie put it?” he muttered to himself, moving the light around the kitchen. It wasn’t in its place at the center of the table, where it always was. The light swung to the other side of the wide room, settling on the far counter.

“Aha,” he whispered.

In the center of the spotlight was the vase Marnie always kept full of fresh flowers from her garden outside. He walked to the counter quickly, freezing in place when he heard a loud cough in the direction of Marnie’s room. Hearing nothing further for the next few seconds, he grabbed the vase and gently pulled out the colorful bouquet of flowers resting in water inside. He picked out a few of the smaller buds that were already beginning to wilt and rearranged some stems until he was happy with the results. Bundling them together more firmly in his fist, he turned around to exit the kitchen. Marnie would understand in the morning when she awoke to find her beloved flowers missing. Hopefully, anyway.

Shane made it to the front door in record time, wincing at the loud creak it made upon opening but quickly stepping through and shutting it closed with a soft click. The wind was still howling in the trees like it was when he left the saloon about a half hour earlier. He stopped so he could hide the flowers inside his jacket to protect them from the strong gusts of air, gently pulling up the zipper so they were completely covered. Patting his chest, he mumbled to himself, hoping they weren’t too smashed in there.

Shane smirked at the thought of what he was doing. The flowers were a cheesy addition, maybe, but he didn’t care. There was something about Lana that made him want to act like that for the first way in his life. He could picture Derek’s delightedly shocked expression if he were to ever see how besotted he was with her. Something told him that in a different lifetime, he and Sasha would have absolutely loved her.

But Shane didn’t really want to think about how things might have been. He had to keep going, keep moving forward.

He set off down the driveway and turned right at the road in the direction of Lana’s farm. The night was cloudless and clear despite the harsh weather ripping through the valley. He began to suspect it might have been wiser to just wait until tomorrow as the wind threatened to blow him off course several times. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as he nervously glanced in the direction of the dark trees around him, remembering the monsters that were currently lurking out there. Lana had said that they couldn’t touch humans due to some old pact, but still he made sure to not let Jas go anywhere near the forest without him or Marnie by her side.

The road to Lana’s farm eventually became covered with leafy canopies, which provided him some shelter from the harrowing wind. He unzipped his jacket to check on the flowers.

Not too squished, luckily.

The thought of seeing Lana’s surprised face when he whipped them out from his jacket prompted his lips to slide up into a smile. Her own small garden next to her house was currently covered in sunflowers and fairy roses, attracting a plethora of bees to the row of bee houses she had set up to collect honey. Shane would often find her out there among the flowers, wearing her big floppy hat and overalls and talking to the bees like they were her friends. He’d set down his axe or bag of fertilizer and watch her for a few moments, absolutely transfixed.

A mixture of dread and excitement was bubbling in his stomach as he approached the gate to her property, pausing for a moment before opening the latch. Emily’s words from earlier were still repeating in his head. He wondered what else Lana had told her on those days she’d go to the saloon for one of Gus’ famous expressos. The thought of her bringing him up when talking to others filled him with a strange sense of pride. Shaking his head to try and clear it, he pushed open the gate before he could change his mind.

The farm was eerily quiet as he walked in the direction of her house. He crossed over to a small path on the far side of her field to not disturb any of her crops. Looking around, he saw the plump outlines of growing pumpkins and a small field of corn in the far corner. The usual cacophony of clucking and mooing that was present during the day was now silent, all the animals fast asleep. The weather also seemed to have driven off the cicadas and whip-poor-wills in the trees that were often heard around the valley at this time of night.

He arrived at the small fence that divided her land and got a closer look at her cabin. There was a faint light glowing through the curtains that blocked the windows looking into her living room. His heart stuttered in anticipation as he detected some movement inside. She was awake.

Suddenly, a shadow crossed the window. And then another.

Wait. Who else is in there with her?

His imagination was flooded with visions of burglars and shadow creatures that could be hurting her inside at this very moment. He hesitated, debating with himself on the merits of charging up to her house to see what the hell was going on. He took a few steps forward but then halted, conflicted. If it was something to do with magic or any of that other crazy stuff that seemed to follow Lana around, he’d stand absolutely no chance.

The front door swung open before he could make a decision. Swearing under his breath, Shane moved back into the cover of the nearby chicken coop, pressing his back to the side of the building to try to make himself less visible.

Soon after he managed to hide, Lana stepped out onto her porch, followed closely by a tall, hooded figure. They stood together in the dark for a moment. Shane saw her stick her hand back inside to flip the switch he knew was next to the door, turning on the bright porch light. The front of her house was now lit by the warm glow of the bulb.

Shane inhaled sharply in anticipation. Finally, he could see who else was with her. The hooded person turned toward him as if on cue.

“You’ve got to be f*cking kidding me,” he said aloud, not believing his eyes.

Sebastian’s pale face was a stark contrast under his ebony hair and black hoodie. His stony gaze was trained on Lana, who was saying something to him that Shane couldn’t hear. Her back was now turned to Shane as they spoke, making it impossible for her to see him hiding in the shadows in her chicken coop. Sebastian, on the other hand, had a clear view of him. Shane slid himself a bit further down the wall until he was completely blocked by a large bush on the other side of the fence. He found a small gap in the leaves to look through, feeling more and more like a creep as each second ticked by.

She was wearing the same sweater she had on during dinner but had changed into some loose-fitting grey sweats that suspiciously looked like the pair that Shane had left behind the last time he had spent the night. Sebastian replied to whatever she was saying, tilting his head to the side as he did so. Without warning, she turned around and began walking down the porch steps. Shane ducked down a bit, grateful for the thick cover of the tall bushes. Sebastian walked slowly behind her until he landed at the bottom step, looking down at Lana who was now standing on the dirt road with her arms crossed.

They had to be less than thirty feet away from him, but the wind was still making it difficult to hear anything they were saying. The alarm in his head was going off, telling him that he should just leave, because Lana would be absolutely pissed at him if she found out he was spying on her like this. Still, he was frozen to the spot, unable to look away.

“...don’t mind,” he could make out her voice as she stood with her back to Shane again, oblivious to his presence. He was suddenly reminded again of that fateful night back in spring, when he lurked in the shadows as he watched her for the first time, much like he was doing now.

Sebastian shook his head. He mumbled something to Lana, who uncrossed her arms to put her hands on her hips. Her reply was lost to the wind as well. The porch light above them was bright enough to partially illuminate his face now pulling up into a tight smile.

“... say no to you,” he told Lana. “... make it any easier...”

What? Shane strained his ears to hear what Sebastian was saying. What the hell does that mean?

Lana moved backwards to make room as Sebastian finally stepped forward off the porch. She turned her head slightly, and he saw her grin before replying.

“... can’t deny that you did earlier,” she said, her words a bit more discernible before the wind howled in the trees again, shaking the leaves and drowning out anything else she might have said. Sebastian’s mouth moved as he responded, his words also silent.

It was infuriating that they were so close, having a casual conversation together while he could do nothing but lie low and wait. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Stomp out there, hand Lana the flowers, beat his chest, and tell Sebastian, “f*ck off bro, she’s mine” in some macho display of power? As enticing it would be to break up their little chat, he knew the situation would be incredibly awkward and most likely would end with Lana furious and himself miserable.

Shane groaned quietly. This was not at all how he wanted this night to turn out. He racked his brain for an innocent explanation for why Sebastian might be at Lana’s house this late. They were friends, sure - seeing them talking by the river had reminded him of that. He knew that she bought weed from him sometimes, but she hadn’t never mentioned him coming over and hanging out at her house before. Just how close were they? And how friendly were they that it was apparently cool for him to be at her house like this, alone, past midnight?

He scrutinized Sebastian’s outfit - black hoodie with the sleeves pushed up, black sweats haphazardly tucked into some combat boots. His hand was wrapped up in a thick bandage that Shane hadn’t noticed before. He seemed exhausted and paler than usual. Even from his hiding spot, he could tell that the guy looked worse for wear. So what was he doing all the way over here at Abernathy Farm on such a windy night?

A thousand questions seemed to be forming in his mind at an exponential rate. How long had Sebastian been there? Why didn’t Lana bring up the fact that she’d be hanging out with him earlier, at dinner? Did he come over like this often without Shane even knowing? Was he really just a friend or had he managed to worm his way into something more?

The sound of their voices pulled him out of his whirlwind of thoughts. With a jolt, he saw that they had walked closer to a motorcycle parked on the side of the house that he hadn’t noticed before.

Of course he has a f*cking motorcycle. Shane stared at the bike despondently. Even from here, he could see it was an expensive model.

Sebastian was now leaning on the bike with his arms crossed. He was facing Lana, who was now standing next to her mailbox and still had her back partially turned to Shane. Overheard, the moon bathed the scene in a silver light.

“... just want you to be okay,” he heard Lana say. Even from here, he could see that her hands were fidgeting with her hair, loose and wavy over her shoulder. She was nervous - but why?

Sebastian shook his head. “You know I always am.”

Lana replied in a quiet voice that was lost to the wind.

Eyes narrowing, Sebastian responded in a curt tone that was too low to make out clearly. From this distance, it only sounded something like “might be too difficult”.

They were a bit farther now, and Lana was speaking so quietly that Shane couldn’t hear anything at all. Much too invested now, he moved a bit closer, taking care to not step on any twigs or leaves. He was still covered by the bushes next to the coop.

“... need to do ... that’s all I’m saying.” Lana’s voice was finally distinct again as she spoke more loudly.

“... would miss you and … not so bad,” Sebastian’s words were drowned out at first from a particularly strong gust of wind that rattled the leaves in the woods behind them. “It really can be beautiful.”

What the f*ck are they talking about?!

The pair continued their conversation out of earshot. Frustrated and annoyed, Shane quietly zipped open his jacket to check on the flowers inside. They were beginning to wilt.

“sh*t,” he muttered, feeling utterly helpless in his current predicament.

The rational part of him was still urging him to just go home, to come back tomorrow morning and talk to Lana about everything, Sebastian and all. They could get everything on the table and move forward from there. Spying on her private conversation like he was currently doing was invasive and wrong. She had every right to do as she pleased when Shane wasn’t there - after all, what he told Emily was true, right? They weren’t together. And until they could talk about it, things would stay that way. The other more selfish part of him only glared in their direction, wanting her all to himself regardless.

With a sigh, he pulled up his hood over his head and tightened the drawstring. Tomorrow. Tomorrow would be the day.

Just as he was about to step away, the wind altered sharply in direction, shaking the bushes that were covering his hiding spot next to the chicken coop. The leaves shuddered and the branches lifted with the gusts of air, momentarily making him visible through a gap in the brush. He froze, and for a horrifying millisecond, he thought he locked eyes with Sebastian, who had been looking over Lana’s shoulder right at that very moment. But in a blink, his eyes were back on her, intently focused again like they had been before. Shane released the breath he had been holding when he saw him slowly begin speaking to her again, apparently not seeing him. Moving sideways slowly back into cover, Shane couldn’t help but notice the smirk that was now on Sebastian’s face, or the way he was leering down at Lana, who looked tiny next to his tall, lanky form.

He wasn’t ready for what happened next. It happened too quickly, too suddenly for it to make any sense at first. He had just been about to turn around - one more second, and he would have missed it. But it seemed that the universe Emily so often talked about had a different plan in mind for him that night.

Without a word, Sebastian pushed himself off of his motorcycle, moving forward. He closed the space between him and Lana to press his lips to hers.

Shane felt his vision go red. He found that he was still paralyzed in place, forced to watch this new horrifying turn of events. Fury flooded his system at the sight of Sebastian kissing Lana, confidently putting his mouth on her, grabbing her by the face to pull her to him without hesitation. As if she belonged to him.

He felt something already deeply-cracked inside of him shatter, the pieces scattering to the cold, hard ground below.

The kiss lasted only a couple of seconds, but to Shane, it felt like an eternity before Sebastian pulled away from her. Now holding her by the upper arms, he said something that Shane couldn’t hear before letting her go. He tipped his head to the side and smiled before stepping back to get on his motorcycle. Shane could see Lana with her arms now limply hanging at her side, silently watching him as the loud engine revved on, audible even against the heavy wind. She still said and did nothing even as he put on his helmet and turned around his bike to leave her farm via the road that led back toward town.

Lana stood in the same spot, hugging herself and looking in the direction that Sebastian departed. Ten seconds passed before she quickly turned around and she stomped back up her porch step with a downtrodden gaze. Getting to the top, she pulled open her front door and disappeared inside, shutting it closed with a loud slam. Another minute passed. The porch light turned off, as did the one in her living room. The house now sat dark and still.

And the wailing of the wind was all Shane could hear anymore.

****

If he wasn’t spiraling before, he sure as f*ck was now.

He had walked home after Lana went inside as though he were in a trance. The flowers were discarded somewhere along the road to his ranch, their sagging petals and leaves quickly blown away by the wind. Once in his room, he lay in bed with his eyes trained on the ceiling blankly. His thoughts spun and tumbled over each other until he finally succumbed to a couple of hours of restless sleep.

Marnie woke him up early the next morning, knocking loudly on his door so he could get up and help her with her out-of-town customer like he had promised. Immediately after finishing, he slunk back to his room, doing his best to ignore the concerned look that flashed in his aunt’s eyes. After that, he only left his room once, hours later to heat up a pizza pocket when his stomach growled at him from hunger. With Marnie busy at the shop and Jas out with Vincent for the day, he luckily didn’t have to risk too much interaction. Shane didn’t think he would be able to handle it.

Around midday, he brought out the old, half-empty whisky bottle he kept on the top shelf of his closet for “special occasions”. It stayed close by his side as he immersed himself in video games, sipping from it as he attempted to distract himself from the hollow feeling in his chest. So that he could forget what he had seen. And how brutally it hurt.

A cold anger had seeped into his system as they day crept by, mixing in with the whisky slugging through his veins. And while he was furious at everyone and everything in his life, the brunt of his resentment was directed at himself, as usual. After all, it was his own damn fault. That’s what he got for allowing himself to get his hopes up. For falling in love with Lana in the first place.

You didn’t even try to keep away from her, he chastised himself sullenly, mashing the buttons on his controller. You let yourself get too quickly attached to her. And then you lost sight of what you are, and what you always will be. Which is nothing. A nobody. Someone like you doesn’t deserve someone like her. And you’ve always known it.

Closing his eyes, Shane chugged the last of the whisky, going pleasantly numb.

He looked up at his window and saw that it had gotten dark outside without him even realizing it. Leaving his game on pause, he lay back on his bed and took out his phone to open up the last messages he sent to Lana in the morning.

Hey.

Can’t hang out, not feeling good today

Ttyl

She had replied only a couple minutes after:

Oh okay. I hope you feel better. Let me know if you need anything!

And as the day went on, he received a few more messages from her along with one missed call an hour ago at 9:43 pm, all of which he ignored.

I’m probably gonna make some soup later if you want me to drop off some for you after dinner?

Hey, how are you feeling?

Everything ok? Have you really been sleeping this whole time, lazy ass?

Have a good night. I hope you’re doing okay.

He felt like absolute sh*t, but he couldn’t bring himself to answer her, much less confront her about what he saw last night. What was the point? He knew what he saw. There was apparently more to Lana and Sebastian’s relationship than she had ever let on. And there was no way Shane could compete with someone like that. He heard from Sam a few times before that the guy had some sort of advanced degree in computers or something and made ridiculously good money just working freelance at home. Not to mention the fact that he was taller, younger, thinner - certainly better-looking, and definitely suaver at the very least. What did Shane have to offer Lana that Sebastian didn’t?

Alcoholism and sh*t-ton of baggage, that’s what, he thought sullenly. It’s probably for the best that I leave them alone to be happy together. It’s better for everyone that way.

Shane locked his phone and set it back down on the bed, unpausing his game. His character on the screen once again began blasting his way through a horde of aliens. He stewed in a haze of self-pity as he played long into the early hours of the next morning.

He didn’t answer Lana the next day, or even on Monday morning when he trudged his way through fallen leaves on the sidewalk on his way to work. He spent his shift stocking the shelves mindlessly, doing his best to not think about her. Adding to his torture, the itch to drink again prickled constantly under his skin. He’d pass the refrigerated beer section in the back of the store, already anticipating the couple of six-packs he planned to buy once he clocked out. Across the aisle, another bottle of whisky also called out to him, ready to burn a hole through his already withered wallet.

His phone vibrated in his jacket pocket just as walked out of work with a heavy shopping bag in arm. He reached inside his jacket pocket with his free hand and pulled it out, glancing at the screen. It was another text from Lana.

You alive, Zuzu? Haven’t heard from you since Saturday morning …

Call me when you can!!!

A few seconds later, another text came through, this time with a picture. He held his breath and opened it before he could help himself.

It was an image of Lana on the docks with her back to the sunset. The small gap between her two front teeth was visible as she smiled widely at the camera. Her heavy backpack was just visible over her shoulder. She must be fishing at the beach right now, unless this was an older picture. But even from here, Shane could see that same sunset on the horizon. So, she was out there, only a couple miles away down at the beach, looking up at the very same sky. The thought sent a dagger through his already splintered heart.

He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and willed himself to not think about it, to just put it all out of his mind. But just as he arrived home, he couldn’t stop himself from checking his messages one last time. He felt a flutter in his stomach when he saw another text from her, sent only a couple minutes before.

I really missed you this weekend.

Yoba, he was such an asshole.

****

The next few days passed almost identically to Monday, except this time there was no word from Lana.

On Friday evening, Shane picked up the bottle of the whisky he had been eyeing and a couple of six-packs of beer for good measure right after clocking out from work. Pelican Town was quiet and near-empty as he walked home bundled up in an extra sweatshirt under his jacket. The weather had turned increasingly colder as the days went by, with the heavy wind being replaced by a constant sharpness in the air that signaled the arrival of the final few weeks of fall before winter.

He made it to the ranch in record time and hurried past the kitchen with a mumbled greeting to Marnie and Jas seated at the table eating dinner.

“Shane!” He heard his aunt calling him as he crossed into the hallway that led to his bedroom. Sighing, he stopped and turned around to answer her.

“Yes, Marnie?” he said warily.

“I made some of my famous chicken noodle soup for dinner,” she asked him, quickly standing up. Walking a bit closer, she offered him a tentative smile. “Jas told me it came out especially delicious today... Would you like a bowl before it gets too cold?”

“No thanks,” he replied, trying to sound nonchalant as he took a few casual steps toward his room. “It’s been a long day, so I think I just want to rest right now. Maybe later.”

“Oh, alright. Sure,” she said. “Maybe later.”

There was a strong look of concern as she looked over Shane and the brown paper grocery bag he was clutching. Her eyes flashed up to his face.

“Are you okay, Shane?” she asked him uneasily. His stomach sank at her inevitable question.

No. I’m not okay. Not one f*cking bit.

“Yeah, I’m alright.” He gave her a weak smile.

Looking over her shoulder, he saw Jas sitting quietly at the dinner table. Last night, she knocked on his door and asked if he wanted to read with her before bedtime, but he quickly shot her down too. Just like he had the week before. The guilt was still burning through him like acid, amplified further by the slouch he could see in her shoulders as she picked at her soup, but still, he couldn't shake the numbness muddying up his head.

Turning away from them, Shane continued walking down the hall until he reached his bedroom at the end. Entering, he shut the door quickly after him and sat on his bed with his head in his hands.

What the f*ck is wrong with me?

He knew that he was neglecting Jas even more than usual, leaving Marnie to shoulder most of the brunt. And he knew he should just call Lana back - or better yet, go to her farm and talk to her like an adult about everything. It wasn’t fair to her what he was doing, no matter how angry he was. She deserved an explanation, at least. But most of all, he knew that he should stop drinking, should throw away the whisky bottle he was now taking out of the grocery bag, should dump it down the drain instead of opening it and taking a long swig like he actually did.

Wiping his mouth, he choked back a sob that appeared in his throat. Tears began to slide down his face as he sat down on his bed. With shaky hands, he screwed the cap back onto the whisky and threw it on his pillow in favor of cracking open a can of beer instead. Bringing it to his lips, he drank deeply. The beer was quickly finished and another can was grabbed immediately after. He had to drown it all out somehow. And this was the only way he knew.

Another night of numbness was exactly what he needed right now.

****

“Shane?”

He could hear the farmer calling out to him. Opening his eyes, he saw her standing across a wide, grassy field. Even from here, he could see the huge smile on her beautiful face as she waved to him.

“Shane!” She was laughing now, signaling for him to come to her.

This was a dream, right? There was no way this could be happening right now. He squinted into the bright sun, trying to focus. The last thing he could remember was finishing one six-pack in his dark bedroom and getting halfway through the second before everything went fuzzy and black. But now he could see her - Lana. She was so close. If he could just cross this field, he would reach her.

He began walking quickly to her. The glare from the sun blocked his view. But he could see that no matter how much he progressed, she was still the same distance away.

What the hell?

“Lana!” he cried out, increasing his pace to a jog. Somehow, she appeared to be getting even further away on the horizon with each stride he took. What the f*ck was going on?

“Shane!” Now her voice was much louder, almost as she was right beside him. He stopped in his tracks and looked around. He heard her voice again. Wait. Was she …?

Before he could finish his thought, cold water hit his face, slapping him awake. With a groan, he blinked his eyes open, spluttering as water dripped down his hair and onto his face. His cheek was smashed against his dirty carpet, and there was a dull throbbing in his temples that signaled the start of yet another brutal hangover. The first thing he saw when he was able to focus his vision was a pair of well-worn sneakers in front of him. There was no mistaking who they belonged to.

Lifting his head gingerly, he followed the toned legs up until he met eyes with Lana, who was glaring down at him. Behind her, Marnie was hovering by the doorway. Her lower lip was quivering slightly as she watched the scene in front of her. Shane tried to get up, managing to shakily stand before he noticed the rattling of cans around him. Looking down, he saw the empty remnants of last night’s binge scattered all over his floor. One particularly squashed can had even been even hiding underneath him as he lay passed out.

“What the hell, Shane?” Lana asked him angrily. Looking back up at her, he saw a half-filled water bottle clutched in her hand. “Is this what you’ve been doing this whole time? You told me that you weren’t feeling good! I thought you were sick!”

“I wasn’t feeling good,” he muttered, rubbing his forehead in pain. “So, I decided to self-medicate.”

The stare that Lana shot him was deadly.

“That’s not funny. What’s wrong? We literally had just talked about … all of this last Friday night." She gestured to all the empty beer cans around them. “Then you just disappear on me for a week, and this is how I find you?”

He said nothing, only averting his gaze to look back down at the mess on his floor.

“What’s the matter with you, Shane?” He looked up sharply at the sound of Marnie’s voice. She had stepped a couple of feet closer to them and looked absolutely furious. His eyes widened in surprise - he had never heard her speak to him like that in the past.

“All you’ve been doing for the past few days is moping around in your room!” she scolded him. “And now I find out you've been ignoring Lana too? I knew you were drinking again, but I didn’t think it was this bad.”

He heard her voice break as she finished speaking.

“I’m fine, Marnie. This isn’t new for me, remember?” he muttered, turning away from her with a shrug. “But you wouldn’t understand, anyway.”

“No, you’re not fine,” she said with a shake of her head. “I know you well enough to see that very clearly. And you’re right - maybe I won’t understand. But I am worried about you, Shane. I’m worried about your future, especially if you keep things up like this. Don’t you have goals? A plan? This can’t be how you want to spend the rest of your life!”

Something inside of him snapped at her lecture, despite knowing that she was right.

“A plan ?” He laughed bitterly, before he could stop himself. “Hopefully I won’t be around here long enough to need any sort of a plan.”

Marnie gasped at his words. Lana raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

A tiny sob was heard from the doorway. He managed to catch a glimpse of dark curly hair and a green bow before he heard the sound of small footsteps running down the hall and then the slam of a door. A sinking feeling appeared in his stomach as he realized what had just happened. Jas must have been hiding out there, listening in from outside out of view while they were all speaking, and she just heard him basically admit to wanting to die. After all the loss she had endured, how could he do that to her?

He could do nothing but stare blankly at the empty doorway and repeat the mantra in his head.

I’m such a piece of sh*t.

“Jas!” Marnie called out to the little girl before taking off hurriedly after her. She gave him one last fuming glance before closing the door behind her.

Shane turned to look back at Lana hopelessly, who by now was watching him with her arms crossed.

“Well,” she said after a few more tense seconds of silence. “That was certainly something.”

“Yeah, it really was,” he replied, not trusting himself to say anything more at the moment.

He ran his hand through his disheveled hair, trying to calm down. Looking down, he saw he was still wearing the same wrinkled clothes from last night, including his ratty old JojaMart jacket. He hadn’t shaved in days, and was probably way overdue for a haircut. Being found passed out on the floor probably didn’t help, either. He kicked a beer can next to his feet in despair.

Lana, on the other hand, was looking incredible as usual. She smelled of vanilla and wore tight, black jeans with a cozy-looking red sweatshirt. A beanie sat on top of her loose, wavy hair. Her eyes were impassive as they regarded him quietly. After a while, she sighed and uncrossed her arms.

“I gave you a week,” Lana said, sitting down on the edge of his bed. With another sigh, she looked down at her hands in her lap, brow furrowed. “After the first couple of days with no answer, I figured that something must have happened at work, or maybe at home with Jas. I figured that you must just need some space or something. But I just didn’t know why you suddenly cut me off like that without an explanation at least. So, I came here today to get some answers.”

She looked up at him now with a determined expression, and he saw tears welling up in her eyes. “You know, if you don’t like me anymore, you could have just told me.”

Even though he was still bruised from his last memory of her with Sebastian, he felt as though his heart was being slowly ripped apart at the seams at the sight of her crying.

“You think that I don’t like you anymore?” he asked her incredulously, sitting down next to her. “Are you f*cking kidding me?”

“Then what is it? Why have you been ignoring me this whole week?”

“I was going to answer you, I just - I just didn’t know what to say to you." Shane shook his head. "Yoba, Lana. You think I’m like this because I don’t like you? I’m like this because I like you way too much for my own good.”

“That’s what this is about? Is the idea of having feelings for me that much of a problem for you?”

“Oh, shut up. You know that that’s not f*cking true.”

He knew he was being callous. The subtle flinch in her tearful gaze made it clear to him at least that she was hurt by how he was acting. But he felt almost out-of-body. What just happened with Jas and Marnie had dealt the knockout blow. All of the anger, all the pain of the last week - f*ck it, his entire life- that had been bubbling and brewing deep down inside of him was now surfacing, erupting out of him like molten lava, and Lana was directly in its path.

“Then what, Shane?” she insisted. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t really want to do this right now,” he said curtly. His headache was ramping up with each word they exchanged, and the whole situation with Sebastian was the last thing he wanted to talk about at the moment.

“No, I’m not letting you cop out. You avoided me for a whole week, and now it’s time for you to talk. Tell me. Was it something that I did?"

Another wave of anger surged through him as he vividly remembered the sight of Sebastian with his lips on her And while from his angle he hadn’t been able to see if she kissed him back, he also knew that she didn’t pull away or make any attempt to stop him. It was a detail that had been eating at him more than anything else about that night.

“No,” he answered, avoiding her eyes. “You didn’t do anything at all.”

Lana’s forehead wrinkled in confusion.

“Please,” she said, standing up. “I just want to help you, Shane. I’m worried about you.”

Her oblivious face peering at him now just served to piss him off further. And while he knew that she truly was clueless to the fact that he had seen her with Sebastian, it still didn’t change what happened. There was no way he could tell her the truth. And if they kept talking, he’d only say more and more things to hurt her. He already knew where this was headed. The best thing would be to bow out now, ungracefully as it was turning out so far. He had enough pride for that, at least.

“Well, don’t be,” he replied, backing away from her and stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets. “There’s plenty of other things for you to worry about out there besides someone like me.”

“Don’t say that. You know that I care about you. You’re … really special to me. Shane.”

He scoffed at her words. “Don’t tell me that. That doesn't change anything or make any of this easier.”

“But it’s the truth! Why won’t you accept it? Why won’t you accept what I’m telling you about how I feel?”

Shane said nothing, looking out the window as tried to gather his thoughts to reply. He could see it was beginning to rain, the droplets tapping quietly against the glass as storm clouds filled up the sky.

“This is really hard for me,” she spoke up quietly. He looked back at her when he heard the waver in her voice. Tears were falling down her face now. “Opening up about … about my feelings. I don’t do this kind of sh*t with everyone I know. I’m trying to tell you that you’re different. I’m trying to tell you that - that I -”

She stopped to wipe her cheeks but didn’t speak again, only looking down at the ground. Neither of them spoke. His head was killing him, and he was pretty sure he needed to throw up from all the alcohol and anxiety currently in his system. A flurry of emotions had been flying through him, but now everything was blanketed in a thick, heavy fog of exhaustion.

Shane sighed.

“Look, this was fun, but I just can’t do this anymore, Lana - me and you. Whatever this is.” He gestured between them. “We should just stop … hanging out. Trust me, it'll be better that way.”

It was as though he had just slapped her in the face.

“This was fun? ” Her voice rose up in pitch. “Wait - so what? You don’t want anything to do with me anymore? And for what reason, may I f*cking ask?”

“Look, remember how I once told you that you were better off not knowing me, not having me in your life, back in the saloon when you first moved here? I meant it. I’m sure you’ll be just fine without me.”

“Where is all of this coming from? Is this like when you told me last Friday that I’d get tired of you? I thought I told you to stop with that bullsh*t.”

He was lost for words at first, never seeing her this upset before.

“Well, it’s not bullsh*t. It’s the f*cking truth, and if you don’t want to accept it, then I don’t know what else to tell you.”

“No, it’s not the truth. That’s not how I feel at all. Shane, I -”

She had begun to move forward as though to embrace him, but he held up his hands to stop her.

“Stop, Lana.” He cut her off. “I really just don’t want this anymore. Right now, all I want is for you to leave so I can get some sleep on my day off. So please, can you just f*ck off and leave me alone?”

He regretted the words as soon as he said them, hell, the entire conversation, even - but all he could do was squeeze the bridge of his nose in pain from his headache, desperately craving some water (or another beer, if he was being honest) to ease the sudden dryness in his throat. His brain couldn’t even possibly fathom the right words to say at that moment.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked him in disbelief, backing away.

She was no longer holding back tears. Instead, her eyes had taken on that cold, hard look that he had first seen back in Zuzu City, or even way back during that first night by Cindersap Lake, when he spoke to her much like he was doing now. In his current mental state, he could only shrug and chuckle aloud at the irony of it all.

“This is who I am, Lana. I think I’ve shown you plenty of times just what kind of person you were dealing with. Don’t act surprised by what you’re seeing now.”

It was silent for a few long moments. She met his eyes for a split second before looking away, crossing her arms over her chest. Without another word, she turned and walked to his door, stopping with her hand on the doorknob. She glanced back at him over her shoulder with one final icy look before leaving his room.

“Goodbye, Shane,” she said, and just like that, she was gone.

And he was finally broken.

****

I need to get the f*ck out of here.

The thought echoed in his head as the day went on. No matter how hard he tried to get Jas to talk to him, to coax her out of her room, she still refused him. He’d return to his own bedroom to ruminate in self-pity before going outside to halfheartedly try again, each time to no avail.

Marnie had no luck as well. She just watched his attempts silently from the kitchen for a while before attempting once again to talk to him with a quiet knock on his door. Shane had only snapped at her to leave him alone, sitting on his bed inside trying to deal with a pain that felt like someone had just taken a sledgehammer to his head. After that, she stopped trying and stayed in her room for the rest of the day. And when he was denied by Jas for the fifth time, so did he.

I need to get the f*ck out of here.

Shane was pacing around on his shaggy carpet like a caged tiger, trying to relax and failing miserably. He tore the last can of beer from the six-pack he didn’t finish last night and drained it within a couple of minutes in a few, desperate gulps. It was crumpled in his fist and thrown against the wall. Outside his window, he could see a storm was brewing. Soon, it would start raining harder. Plus, the weather app on his phone was predicting a chance of thunder. Jas would no doubt be terrified, but she was stubborn and wouldn’t budge in her refusal to see him. Failure as a godfather he was, Shane knew her well enough to know that all she needed right now was space. She’d probably allow Marnie to come to her rescue, at least.

He ripped open his closet, searching through it in hopes of finding a forgotten case of beer he had stashed away.

“f*ck!” he yelled, coming up empty and sliding the door shut with a slam. He whirled around, and his eyes landed on the remaining whisky bottle strewn halfway under his bed. Only a second passed before he made his decision.

I need to get the f*ck out of here.

Without hesitating, Shane grabbed the bottle and slipped it into his jacket. He quietly made his way through the ranch to exit through the front door, bound for the nearby woods. The retreating house behind him lay silent and obscure in the mist as he walked down the dark, empty road.

It was already well past twilight by the time he made it into the cover of the trees. Rain was still lightly falling from the darkening sky. He wasn’t even sure where he was going, only heading deeper and deeper into the forest. At one point, lost and wet from the drizzle, he unscrewed the cap from the whisky and took a long swig.

It was all too f*cking much.

All he did was hurt people. And get hurt in return. Every single single person he grew close to in his life always found their way out of it, whether willingly or not. His father, his mother, Stephanie, even Derek. And now Lana. Soon, Jas and Marnie would follow, right? It was only a matter of time before he completely tarnished those relationships too. There was only so much they all could take. And he’d end up right where he belonged, alone in the middle of the deep hole he had dug for himself.

Another long swig of whisky. He glanced up. All of the trees around him were beginning to look the same. Shane stumbled his way through the lightless woods, not quite sure what he was looking for. It was only after another ten minutes of aimless walking and drinking that the forest finally thinned out. With his visibility increased, he made his way over a fallen log and realized with a start that he was fast approaching the edge of some steep cliffs that dropped off into the ocean below. He had reached the end of Cindersap Woods. Peering over, he saw waves below crashing forcefully against the rocks. He backed away woozily on the uneven ground and sat down on the log, looking out over the stormy water extending to the horizon and beyond.

What was the point of all of this? Why did he even try to be happy when it was inevitable that it would all just come crashing down eventually? He grabbed a large pebble on the dirt next to him and threw it over the edge of the cliff. Putting the bottle to his lips again, he drank deeply, pulling it away to see that it was already almost halfway empty. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. His arms began to warm up as the alcohol traveled through his system. He hazily recalled how he had shotgunned the last of his beers back in his room each time Jas would scream at him to leave her alone.

“So please, can you just f*ck off and leave me alone?”

But it was his own earlier words to Lana that reverberated in his head instead, cutting off the memory of Jas. The farmer’s reply had sliced through him like a razor blade.

“Why are you doing this?”

The anguish in her eyes had been so stark. Shane closed his eyes and drank again from the bottle. He didn’t want to think about this anymore, didn’t want to think about her anymore. Didn’t want to think about anything anymore.

It was getting darker and the rain was getting heavier. He was starting to get soaked but didn’t care. The forest behind him was eerily silent as he tried to traverse through his thoughts, but they were winding and weaving just out of his reach. Feeling dizzy from the booze, he was suddenly reminded of the time he had gotten himself lost in a mirror maze at the fair as a kid. It had been one of the few times his mother took him out for a day of fun, having come into some extra money from overtime at her job cleaning motel rooms at the time. At one point, he had lost her and eventually wandered into the funhouse with his last ticket. He had been so terrified when he reached the labyrinth of mirrors at the end, running and bumping into the glass in each desperate attempt to escape, only to always come face-to-face with his reflection instead.

Cracked. And shattered. Pieces of himself were dropped behind him as he found his way here to these cliffs, to what felt like the very edge of the world with only the company of the rain above and surf below.

Shane was really rucking tired.

As the whisky bottle got emptier and emptier, he felt as though he was sinking deeper into a bog. At one point, he thought he heard something in the bushes and almost fell off the log in his intoxication as he whirled around to see what it was. But there was nothing there. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He brought up the bottle to eye level and squinted at it. There were about a finger or two of amber liquid left. In such a short amount of time, Shane had almost finished the entire thing.

He shifted on the log and felt his cell phone in his back pocket. Surprised he still had it, he pulled it out and saw that he only had four percent left of battery. Impulsively, he opened his contact lists and scrolled down to Lana’s name, tapping on the phone icon next to her name so he could call her. His heart palpitated in his chest in anticipation as he held it up to his ear.

It went straight to voicemail.

Hang up, he thought, willing himself to end the call. But the automated recording played, and before he knew it, it beeped to indicate it was time for him to leave a message.

“Lana - uh, hey,” he said, clearing his throat. “It’s me. Shane. Oh, but you probably know that. Because of the uh - uh, the caller ID, and whatever. Um. But yeah.”

He was slurring and could barely put together a sentence. But something very inebriated inside of him told him that he had to keep talking.

“I - I’m calling to say that I’m sorry. I’m so f*cking sorry. I -” He tried to stifle the tears he felt welling up in his eyes. “I’m such a pathetic joke. My life was so miserable, before I met you. I couldn’t do anything r-right.”

He stood up from where he was sitting. “I don’t even know why you like me. Y-you say you like me. But w-why? I mean, look at me. I have nothing going for myself. I’m a f*cking f-failure. Why do I even try? I-I’ve been trying to take control of my life for so long. Especially when - when Derek and Sasha died, and I got Jas, I really f*cking tried to get it together. But I’m too - too small, too scared to ever succeed at it. Or maybe just too s-stupid. f*ck. I don’t know why I’m telling you this. Why I’m even calling y-you.”

He walked forward towards the cliff edge, eyes trained on the slate-colored sky.

“The truth is - I really wanted to be with you. And I thought y-you wanted me like that too. But I -I know that it can't be like that with us, and that I should just be h-happy for you. You’re my best friend and you deserve at least that from me.”

Shane looked down at the crashing waves below. He put the whisky bottle to his chapped lips and swallowed the last of the whisky. The bottle was tossed out into the surf.

“Hah. Wouldn’t you know it. Here’s a chance to finally take control of my life." He flung out his free arm out wide as he faced the ocean. "Right now… these cliffs… it would be easy. All I do is work, sleep and drink. H-how else can I drown out this feeling of self-hatred? It’s like I can’t do anything else right. Tell...tell me, tell me - why? Why should I even go on when all I do is fail everyone around me? Tell me why I shouldn’t just roll off the edge of all this right now, dammit -”

He went quiet for a moment, irrationally hoping for her to reply on the other end. The resounding silence was so loud it almost frightened him.

“I know w-what you might say. Probably something like, ‘You can’t do that to Jas! She needs you!’. B-because of course you’re right. I could never do that to her, to you. Or maybe you’d tell me it’s my d-decision to make and that you’d be there for me either way. Supportive like always. Either way.... I feel like you’d say exactly the right thing. L-Like you always do.”

His words were tumbling together, so he wasn’t sure if she would even understand the slurring that was coming out of his mouth. He was beyond drunk now - the whisky was making his vision spin as he struggled to step away from the precarious ledge. An intense need to vomit was beginning to form in his chest. It had been a mistake to drink so much so quickly.

“Lana, I - ugh.” He closed his eyes and tried to focus, but everything was starting to slowly slip away from him. “I’m sorry for everything. You’re amazing, and I don’t - I don’t deserve you. But, I'll always -”

His phone powered down with a sad little jingle.

He held the black screen up to his face. “f*ck!”

Mashing some of the buttons in hopes of turning it back on, Shane looked up and saw that the rain was coming down heavily now. The bile rose up in his throat. Before he could stop himself, he began throwing up on the dirt in front of him. He turned around to try and get back under the cover of the trees but tripped on an uplifted root, falling on his face. His head hit the hard ground and everything went black for a moment - an eternity? - before he awoke to the feeling of rain on his cheek and someone shaking his shoulder. He thought he heard his name, but his eyes closed again as another wave of nausea hit him like a charging bull. Opening them again, he thought he could see the blurry outline of the forest in front of him, but everything appeared to be lurching and tilting in his vision. He coughed up more vomit and dropped his head back down to once again slip back into the black void of unconsciousness. The last thing he remembered was the sound of raindrops hitting against the side of his bruised face.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Chapter 19: Retrograde

Chapter Text

One week ago

“Lana. Hey.”

She blinked once, twice, at the sight of tall, lanky Sebastian standing on her porch, looking more frazzled than she had ever seen him before. While not completely drunk, she still felt the wine from earlier muddling through her brain. She casually leaned against her door frame to steady herself as she took him in. He was wearing a pair of dingy sweats and a faded black sweatshirt with the hood pulled low over his eyes. One of his fists was covered in dried blood. Her eyes moved up from his injury to his face, eyebrows knitted in concern.

“What are you doing here? And what happened ?” she replied, shaking her head at him in disbelief. “Wait, come inside first - this wind is f*cking crazy tonight.”

She moved to the side to let him in. He stepped through her doorway and stood by as she closed the door and locked it behind him, turning off the porch light in habit. There was a pause as they both stood together in her entryway in silence. Sebastian pulled down his hood and moved his long, windswept hair out of his face. Shuffling awkwardly on his feet, he glanced down at the floor before speaking.

“Lana, I’m sorry to just show up so late like this, but I just - I just had a bad day and -” He stopped and cleared his throat, clearly struggling. She felt a sharp pang of sympathy as she saw the forlorn look that flitted over his features.

“Here, sit down,” she said, beckoning with a nod of her head for him to follow her to the couch. He followed quickly behind her and collapsed back into the cushions while she remained standing. She heard him chuckle as she worked to quickly clear away the empty bottle of wine and glass on her coffee table to the kitchen.

“Fun night?” he asked her. “... Or should I say rough night?”

Her mind flashed back to Shane and their dinner earlier that evening. She swallowed the lump in her throat that arose as she recalled the anxiety that had hung around her ominously like a storm cloud all evening. Even so, her heart swelled at the thought of seeing him again tomorrow.

Focus, Lana. Go find some Band-Aidsor something.

“Hah - yeah, you could say a bit of both,” she replied to Sebastian with a nervous laugh. “But give me one second - I’m gonna grab my first aid kit for your hand. I'll be right back.”

She hurried over to her bedroom and then into her bathroom, dropping to her knees to dig through the mess that was cluttered under her sink. Eventually, her fingers grazed the familiar plastic box she was looking for, pulling it out victoriously. A throb of wooziness shot through her as she rose to her feet. She leaned over the sink, closing her eyes and sighing in irritation.

“Stupid wine,” Lana muttered, shaking her head to clear it. She splashed some water on her face, drying it on a towel next to her sink. Looking up into the mirror, she groaned quietly as she saw a small hickey Shane had left on the side of her neck. Her makeup somewhere in the depths of the jumble under her sink, so she resorted to fluffing her hair forward hastily to cover it instead. Nodding to herself in the mirror with firm resolve, she hurried back to the living room and sat on the couch next to Sebastian, who only watched her warily as she began rifling through the kit to find what she needed to patch up his hand. His eyes were bloodshot from the weed she could smell on his hoodie, or maybe from crying - she didn’t know which one. Something told her that it was probably both.

Outside, the wind continued to howl.

“So,” she muttered as she pulled out some antiseptic wipes and a tube of ointment. The task at hand was slightly pulling her out of her buzzed state as she focused her attention on helping him. Rolling up her sleeves, she snapped on a pair of latex gloves. “Tell me. What happened?”

“Demetrius,” he said in a dark tone, wincing as she began to clean the cuts and scrapes on the knuckles of his hand. “We got into another argument.”

She looked up at him sharply, eyebrows raised. “Don’t tell me you beat the sh*t out of him?”

“No. This is from the wall I punched,” he responded sullenly. His cheeks reddened as he looked away from her. “It was in my room. I was just so f*cking pissed off at him. I swear I saw red, I - I’m just so done with the whole thing.”

Lana maintained her gaze evenly on him. “Did he hurt you?”

“No, it’s not like that. I hit the wall because he wouldn’t let me walk out of my own house to get some f*cking air. I was just trying to leave, but he wasn’t letting me, and then he just pushed me back a bit so I couldn’t get past him to go up the stairs. That’s when I had enough.” He huffed in irritation, cheeks turning even more red. “They finally found out that I smoke weed. He found my stash while looking through my sh*t for an extra phone charger cable. Or so he says.”

“Ah yes, I remember when that happened with my mom. Your parents weren’t too happy about it either, I’m guessing.”

“Ouch - yeah, not one bit.” She was dabbing ointment on his wound now. “My mom was calmer about the whole thing, but Demetrius was being the self-righteous prick he usually is. Lecturing me as though I were a child. And Maru was just standing there, hiding at the top of the stairs, saying nothing, like always. As if she and Penny don't dip into my stash every now and then. But I’d never throw her under the bus like that.” He sighed in consternation.

“Wait, Penny?” Lana glanced up at him with an eyebrow raised. “Vincent and Jas’ teacher? I would’ve never guessed she smoked.”

“Yeah, you’d be surprised. She’s pretty cool.” He glanced at her sideways, looking guilty. “She used to have a crush on me, you know. When she first became Maru’s friend a few years ago.”

Her ears perked up to the surprising piece of gossip. “Ooh - tell me more.”

“There’s not much to say, honestly. It was a year or so after we met that I finally realized that she was into me, and one night we all got drunk after the annual luau, and she and I ended up hooking up in the woods next to the beach after everyone went home. She started dating this guy from out of town a few weeks later and has been with him since. I heard from Maru they might even get engaged soon.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Nope. Yoba’s honest truth.” He held up his uninjured hand as if taking an oath. “And we never spoke about it again after that night. Now we're still pretty cool, but we don't talk much anymore besides the times she's over at the house for Maru.”

Lana whistled low in amazement. “I’m quite honestly shocked. Wait, so does that mean that you guys -” She mimed intercourse with her fingers, smirking at him. There was something amusing about the thought of sweet, innocent Penny and gloomy, mysterious Sebastian together like that.

He rolled his eyes at her. “I’m not usually one to kiss and tell, but seeing as I’ve already told you this much - yes, we did.”

She could only giggle at the whole idea, wondering what other secrets Pelican Town hid among its close-knit pool of residents. Besides the occaisonal she got from Leah, there wasn’t much she knew about her neighbors despite already living here for almost three seasons. She snuck a glance back at Sebastian, who was looking down moodily at his injury. His hand felt cool in hers as she finished applying the ointment to his knuckles. Acutely aware of how loose and lightheaded the wine was still making her feel, she cleared her throat and let go of his hand so that she could take off her gloves.

“This cut isn’t so bad, actually,” she reassured him. “And I don’t think anything is broken. Just some abrasions and stuff. Probably will leave you with a nasty bruise, but you’ll live. You still got a good chunk of your hand, so let me wrap it up for you.”

Lana began to look through the kit again, this time for some gauze pads, bandages, and tape.

“You do this often, I’m guessing?” he said quietly, amusem*nt threaded through his voice. Despite the glum look in his eyes, Sebastian smiled at her as she peered up at him to reply, grinning back guiltily.

“Yeah, well, when I first moved here, I hurt myself pretty often just working around the farm. Then I started going to the mine and getting pretty scraped up down there too, so I figured I should probably learn how to at least patch myself up. Doctor Harvey takes care of the rest, if I ever need it.”

“Is that where you got this from?” He touched a pale, slender fingertip to the scar the aggressive slime monster left on her exposed forearm a few months ago. It felt almost ice-cold against her skin, warmed up from the wine. “I’ve noticed it before but never got a chance to ask.”

“Oh, uh - yeah, a while ago. Fell against some rocks,” she lied, averting her eyes from his. “It’s pretty easy to get banged up down there.”

“I bet.”

She finished bandaging up his hand in silence. While he didn’t seem suspicious about anything, she wasn’t sure how much Abigail had told Sebastian about the monsters that existed underground, and she certainly wasn’t about to be his introduction to the wonderful world of magic. Especially not tonight, knee-deep in a bottle of Merlot and when it already appeared that there was so much on his mind.

Securing the final loop around his palm, she gave his hand a friendly tap with her own and sat back.

“But anyway,” she said as began to pack up the first aid kit and place it on the coffee table. “About Demetrius. I don’t really know how much longer this can keep going on, Seb. It seems to be getting worse and worse each time you mention it to me.”

“He threatened to kick me out for real,” he said quietly, rubbing the raised bumps of his bandaged knuckles delicately with his other hand. “I believed him this time.”

“And what did you say?” she asked, standing up to walk over to the kitchen to grab them a couple of glasses of water. Her throat felt dry as sand from the Calico Desert as she poured from the pitcher in her fridge.

“To not even bother, because I was planning on moving out anyway.”

“I bet he didn’t like that comment either.”

“Hah - yeah, it shocked the hell out of him when I told him that I already found a place in the city along with an extended contract with a client I’ve worked with in the past. He was so goddamn surprised that I already had a plan and everything all figured out.”

“Wait wait - that’s news to me too. When did this happen?” She walked back over and handed him his water, but he made no move to drink from it as he answered.

“Earlier this week,” he replied, looking embarrassed. “Sorry. I was going to tell you this weekend once everything settled down a bit. I got the offer that day we spoke by the river after I went home, actually. Found a bunch of apartments within my budget that night and even drove up to Zuzu the next day to look at a few places I already had my eye on.”

“That’s freaking awesome. This’ll be a really good opportunity for you, career-wise and all that. Plus, it’ll give you and Demetrius a much-needed break from each other. I remember that helped things between me and my mom when I moved out in college.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Sebastian replied quietly.

She felt a twinge of regret that was no doubt sharpened by the wine. As they sat in comfortable silence, she was once again reminded of her lack of effort when it came to keeping in touch with her mother. They hadn’t spoken in months, and while she knew that her mom had come to respect her solitary and distant ways, she was also aware that it saddened her that they weren’t close as she and Ella were. Before he died, Lana had always been more attached to her father, who seemed to understand her more easily than did anyone else in her life. Her mother eventually dropped her constant lambasting, and in the months before Lana moved to Stardew Valley, she always tried to reach out every now and then and was never outwardly unkind, even while retaining that sometimes judgmental and passive-aggressive way of hers. Her last phone call with Ella further had cemented her growing remorse into place. She was planning on making a trip up to Zuzu City one day to visit her mom and bland, old Earl for that family dinner her sister had mentioned. All she had to do was muster up the courage to call her mother and schedule it first, which was easier said than done.

Lana cleared her throat and smiled at him.

“Well, that’s great news then,” she said, tapping her fingers against the glass in her hands. “Have you told Sam and Abigail yet?”

“No, not yet,” he admitted. “Something tells me they won't take it as well as you are. They can be pretty clingy sometimes.”

“I’m sure they’ll come around. I know they’ll be happy for you. I certainly am.”

“You’re really nice to me,” he said hastily, as if in one breath. “But not like Sam is, or even Abby. Just, I don’t know - in a different way. You’ve always been so easy to talk to, Lana.”

She was a bit taken aback at his suddenly emotional change of conversation and didn’t know what to say at first. Taking another drink of her water, she laughed weakly, averting her eyes.

“Hah - well, I mean, I guess I try to be a nice person in general,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I used to be really bitter and mean without even realizing it, so I slowly made the decision to try to at least be kind whenever possible. It was kind of hard at first to break out of old habits. Still is sometimes, honestly.”

“Huh. That’s really mature,” he replied, looking down at her with a peculiar expression across his features. “I don’t think I’ve been able to do that yet myself. Especially when it comes to my family.”

“It just takes lots of conscious effort. If I can do it, anyone can.”

“Still, that’s pretty cool of you.”

He was getting closer to her on the couch, but Lana was already moving away, standing up and sloshing around the water left in the condensation-covered glass that was clutched in her hand. This wasn’t a road that she wanted to go down with him. She knew the real reason why he was here tonight, but it had become clear recently that her feelings for him were purely platonic, completely different to what she felt in turn with Shane. Even so, she had to admit to harboring a soft spot for him and honestly did consider him one of her closest friends in town, which she suspected was partially because she recognized the sadness in him that also existed within her. They understood each other, in a way, but they were also on different paths, and she knew it. Hurting him wasn’t something she really wanted to have to do, but there was nothing she could offer him beyond friendship and well wishes for the future.

Another sapling of guilt took root in the pit of her stomach as she glanced over at her kitchen table to see the two stacked dirty plates and glasses from dinner earlier that she had yet to clear. She felt a chilly draft around her stomach and peeked down to see that Shane’s own baggy sweats were slipping down her hips, exposing some of her abdomen under her wrinkled sweater. She had recently taken to pulling them on to sleep after he forgot them on her bedroom floor one night a week or so ago. Glancing back up, she saw Sebastian sprawled on her couch, looking dangerously roguish with his moody eyes and disheveled hair and faint stubble shadowing his straight jaw. She recognized the hungry way he was watching her but could think of nothing but Shane and how the scene would look to him if he were to suddenly walk in. Judging from his frosty greeting back outside of JojaMart, she suspected that he wasn’t very fond of Sebastian for what were probably obvious reasons.And even though a tiny, part of her deep down reminded her adamantly that technically she and Shane were nothing but friends and it shouldn’t matter what he’d think about who she had over late at night, she still pulled down her sweater and cleared her throat to take another drink from her glass before changing the subject.

“You don’t want your water?” she said, breaking the silence as she moved around the coffee table and into the kitchen. “I have other drinks too, if you’d prefer. Or something to eat?”

“No, water's fine. Sorry,” he said, finally taking a small sip from his glass before setting it down on the table in front of him. “Just got a lot on my mind.”

She placed her own glass in the sink and turned around to lean back against her counter as she replied, trying to break the tension that she could feel forming in the air.

“I get it. You’re rejecting me because you don’t trust my cooking.”

He rolled his eyes at her, shaking his head and chuckling before growing quiet again. Without warning, he stood and walked over to her, stopping a couple of feet away with his hands in the pocket of his fitted hoodie. His face was impassive as their eyes met. She felt a strange, foreboding in her chest but didn’t move away from him again, sensing that he had something important he wanted to tell her.

“I’m not entirely sure that I’m going to take the job and move to the city,” he confessed. “I have until next week to give them my answer. And also to give a deposit for the apartment. But I’m having a lot of trouble making the decision.”

“Okay. So what’s holding you back?”

“Before, I’d say nothing at all. I’d take this offer in a heartbeat. But now I’m not so sure.”

Only the wind outside could be heard for a few long seconds, wailing and moaning as it ripped through the valley. Sebastian stepped a bit closer to her, and she felt her heart palpitate faintly in her chest. She said nothing at first, flushed from the alcohol.

“Sebastian, look, I -” She started to move her arm up between them, but then stopped as he stood back suddenly. His gaze had fallen down to the left, distracted by the two sets of dirty dishes and silverware that were on the nearby table. Looking back at her, she saw him taking in the overly-large pair of men's sweats slung low on her hips and then the bruise on her neck, now exposed from how nervously she was fidgeting with her hair.

“You had company over earlier?” he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

She straightened up to narrow her eyes up at him, irked by his tone.

“And if I did?” she responded, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

“Relax. That’s just my indirect way of trying to ask if you’re seeing someone. Which I’m pretty sure you are.”

“Well, I’m not. Seeing anyone, I mean. Well, I guess I am, but it’s just kind of - hey, wait! I don’t need to answer that either.” Flustered, she moved away now, back toward the living room, but he followed behind her.

“Fine,” he said, sounding almost bored. “But you’re getting pretty defensive.”

“What? No, I’m not.”

"You are."

"Am not!" She stopped and turned around, catching herself from saying anything else that would make her sound like a petulant toddler. Rubbing her temples in consternation, she continued. “Look, it’s just really complicated between me and … this person. I don’t really want to talk about it right now.”

“Okay. I’m sorry.” He stepped back from her, bringing up his bandaged hand to move some of his long bangs out of his face. There was a hint of regret in his eyes.

She immediately felt guilty. Looking off to the side, her gaze fell upon the persistently dirty dishes once more.

You should really clean those soon, the annoying voice in her head whispered.

Lana sighed.

“No, I’m sorry,” she said to Sebastian, shrugging. “You’re right. I did get defensive. It was just a question, after all.”

“You don’t need to answer anything. It’s okay.”

“No, I just -” She sighed and slumped forward slightly. “Things between me and this person are... good. But there’s this - I don't know, this dread inside of me that's telling me it’s all going to come crashing down if we try to add anything more to this stacked-up house of cards we built. It just all feels really fragile.”

Sebastian said nothing, only looking at her as though deep in thought. He moved his uninjured hand up towards her. She tensed, but he only brought it down on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

“Look, I don’t know what problems you two have,” he murmured. “But if what you two have is real, then it might not be as fragile as you think. Sometimes you gotta take the leap, remember?”

She smiled, remembering her own words to him earlier. “Yeah, that sounds like pretty solid advice.”

“And if you really like … this person, then you should probably act on it before it’s too late.” He let go of her and brought his hand back to his side. “Trust me on that.”

The spot on her shoulder where his hand once was felt cold compared to the rest of her body.

“I really do like him,” she replied, meeting his eyes resolutely. The words felt strangely heavy despite her quiet voice. “He makes me happy. I don’t want to lose him or what we have together. That’s why it’s so hard. That’s why sometimes I think it might be better off keeping things the way they are. But at this point, I have no idea.”

Sebastian only smiled sadly.

“I know exactly what you mean.” He put his hood up and tilted his head to the side. “But I should get going. I think I’ve kept you up long enough, plus I’m sure my mom is worried.”

She nodded. He was right, it was getting late, and she could sense the fatigue creeping into her bones with each tick of the clock on her wall. They moved to her front door, where she fumbled a bit with the locks before opening it to step out onto her porch. Sebastian followed after a couple of seconds.

“Crap, it’s dark out here,” she said. “Hold on.” Still feeling jittery for some reason, she reached inside her house to feel around on the adjacent wall for the light switch so that they could see the steps below. Finding it, she flicked it on. The bulb turned on to illuminate the area.

“This wind is ridiculous, isn’t it?” she asked, wincing as a strong gust shook the trees behind her house. “I hope my crops will be okay. All this crazy weather lately has been really hard to work with. I’m doing my best to not let everything go to sh*t on this farm before the year is up, a least. Hah.”

She was rambling now, her guilt increasing in breadth from the pained look on Sebastian’s face that she knew he was doing his best to conceal from her

“Well, let’s get going,” she said before he could reply, spinning around to hurry down her porch steps. Stopping at the bottom, she turned back to look at him, struck suddenly with a thought. “Wait, did you walk here? Do you need a ride?”

“No, I brought my bike,” he said, and she looked over his shoulder to see his motorcycle parked next to her house, hidden in the dark with its black paint job.

“It’s gonna be a bitch to drive that home right now,” she said, a bit worried. “Really, let me drive you. You can pick up the bike later. I don’t mind.”

“It’s fine.”

“Aw, come on, Sebastian. You’ll get blown away into the ocean, motorcycle and all.”

“I’ll take my chances,” he replied with a smirk. “Just know that it’s pretty hard to say no to you, especially with that pouty look on your face. It doesn’t make it any easier that you’re probably right about me most likely becoming anchovy food before I make it home.”

Was he really flirting with her right now? She suspected he was doing his best to swagger through the hurt. She smiled weakly, not wanting to sour the end of their conversation.

“Well you can’t deny that you did that earlier,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “What with my generous offer of food and beverage.”

“You got me there. Just was a bit too sad to have any appetite.”

“That’s not good. You need to eat.”

“Okay, Mom.”

She rolled her eyes at him. The gusts of wind were still blowing strongly around them.

“Come on,” she said, nodding toward his bike. “Let’s get under the tree at least. Before a tornado touches down on us.”

They walked over to his motorcycle, and he leaned against it, crossing his arms. He said nothing as she stood in front of him, also quiet. Uncomfortable in the silence, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Look, Sebastian. I think you’re a really good person and a great friend. I know you’ll find what you’re looking for one day. And I just want you to be okay.”

He only shrugged. “You know I always am.”

“Are you really, though?” she said, stepping forward a bit. “Look, I just want you to know that my offer still stands. You can come over whenever you need to talk, if you don’t end up moving to the city. Or even if you do.”

“I don’t know about that, Lana,” he replied, looking away from her. “I’m starting to think that might be too difficult for me now.”

She didn’t ask for clarification, knowing full well what he was trying to say.

“Well, alright. Just … do what you need to do. With this whole Zuzu City and Demetrius thing, I mean. Just do what’s best for you. Do what will make you happy.”

Sebastian gave her a gloomy tilt of the head.

“I know. I have a lot to think about. It’s an incredible opportunity. But I honestly would really miss you. And all the others.” He leaned back a bit more on his bike and looked up at the night sky. “You know, I used to f*cking hate it here. Counted down the days until I could get out. But now I see it’s not so bad. The people genuinely care about you. And the valley really can be beautiful.”

Lana nodded silently. There was a strange, bittersweet taste that had lingered on her tongue all night. She wasn’t entirely sure that it was coming from the wine. A forceful gale blew through the farm, rustling all the trees and bushes loudly. Her hair whipped around her face, tickling her cheeks and eliciting a giggle out of her.

“Woah,” Sebastian said, also getting buffeted by the gusts of wind.

“I know!” she laughed, trying to move her hair out of her face. “This weather is insane!”

He said nothing, only smirking at her in return. The look he was now giving her was cryptic and almost calculating.

“But I don’t mind it, honestly,” she continued. “I really do love spooky weather like this.”

And then he kissed her.

His hands pulled her face up to his and lips were on hers before she could even register what was happening. His mouth felt soft and cool, and he tasted like peppermint and tobacco, just like she expected. It couldn’t have been more than a couple of seconds - a firm peck, intense but abbreviated. The boldness of it shocked her into immobilization, even after his lips separated from hers. He let go of her face to slide his hands down to her arms. He leaned down again, whispering in her ear.

“Had to do that at least once. Couldn’t have lived with myself if I didn’t.”

He moved backwards to his bike and waved at her before grabbing his helmet to put on.

“Farewell, farmer girl.”

The roar of his engine coming alive mixed with the wind, and before she could even get a word out, Sebastian was gone.

****

The day of the storm

“Dammit!”

Lana grabbed hold of her pickaxe and pulled, using all her weight to try one last time to dislodge the pointed end from the crevice of the boulder she had managed to get it lodged into. Letting go of the handle, she leaned forward with her hands on her knees, breathing hard from the past few minutes of exertion. It was no good - the thing was stuck. She yanked off her headlamp in frustration and threw it aside. It clattered on the ground, and after tumbling around a few times, the light fell upon the adjacent cavern wall in front of her, illuminating the rough, craggy surface.

She was f*cking furious. Earlier that morning, she had walked over to Marnie’s ranch to confront Shane once and for all about the silent treatment he had been giving her all week. The day after their dinner date, he cancelled on her with a lame excuse about not feeling well and had gone radio silent on her ever since. At first, she’d been worried that something had happened to him, or maybe even to Marnie or Jas, but as the days went on without any word from him, a sinking feeling had emerged in the pit of her stomach that derailed her thoughts in an entirely different direction.

Alarm bells that she tried to ignore continued to go off in her head, and after a text on Wednesday night from Sam confirmed that he had indeed been into work the entire week, fine as can be, her concern had morphed into a shocked outrage. The entire situation with Sebastian was quickly pushed out of her mind as she grappled with what could have possibly happened for Shane to just cut all contact with her. Her pride prevented her from reaching out to him past the first few days, but still, she’d constantly check her phone over the rest of the week, hoping to see a text from him with some sort of explanation.

By the time Friday night rolled around without any word from him, Lana decided enough was enough. After work, she pulled out a bottle of her homemade cranberry wine from her fridge to mull it all over while curled up on the couch with Winston in her lap and one of her favorite horror movies on the TV. By the time the credits rolled, she had come to the begrudging conclusion that she’d have to be the one to take initiative if she really wanted some answers. So, she made the plan to go the next day to Shane’s house and confront him once and for all, to put an end to the dumb little waiting game he was making her play.

There was no way that she could have anticipated the absolute fiasco that was awaiting her the next day when she finally steeled herself to make her way over to Marnie's ranch to talk to him a before midday rolled around. Finding him passed out drunk on the floor of his room should have been an early indicator of just what was to follow. The conversation had ended with him breaking things off with her and telling her quite clearly to "f*ck off". His words blindsided her completely and crumbled any resolve she had left, wounding her like nothing she had ever experienced before. She felt almost hollow inside as she stomped out of Marnie’s ranch and went straight home, absolutely fuming, to pick up her backpack. With a loud slam of her front door, she left her house again to march her way to the mines with the intention of pounding away her anger with a pointed end of a pickaxe, forgetting in her haste an umbrella or anything to eat for the day. By the time she made it to the mountain lake, it was steadily raining down upon Stardew Valley. The next few hours of monster-fighting and treasure-hunting did nothing to quell her anger, and now she was just exhausted in addition to still feeling heated and heartbroken about how Shane had treated her over this past week, culminating with the mess of this morning.

I should have known, she told herself. The signs were there, after all, just like he said. Right?

Lana sat down against the cavern wall next to the spotlight from her lamp. Exhaling through her mouth as her muscles finally relaxed, she felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes and wiped them angrily away. She had already cried enough earlier in front of Shane. Stubbornly, she cleared her throat and shook her head to deter herself from breaking down any further. Even so, her father’s words to her once as a child rang out in her head, eclipsing all other thought.

That warm summer day many years ago, she had fallen hard on the playground in the park down the block from their apartment, scraping her knee and tearing up the new pair of pants her mother bought her just the day before. Her dad had taken her home in his arms and sat her down on their scruffy, squashy living room couch to bandage her up. In pain, Lana had done her best to not cry, to not show that she was frightened at the sight of all the blood and sad at the fact that her pretty, brand new pair of pants were already ruined, which would no doubt get her in trouble with her mom. Her father looked up at her with his sympathetic green eyes and that reassuring smile that he always managed to sport, even in his final days.

“It’s okay to cry, honey,” he had told her, no doubt noticing her sniffling nose and quivering lower lip. She could see little Ella over his shoulder, listening by the doorway with her thumb in her mouth, only five years old at the time. Looking away from her, her tearful gaze met her father’s once again. “There’s nothing wrong with it. It doesn’t make you weak or a baby. Grown-ups do it too.”

“You told me that we h-have to be s-strong,” she told him. Dismayed, she could feel tears now freely falling down her cheeks. A small sob escaped her as she hung her head in shame. “E-Even when we’re scared or sad. I have to be t-tough.”

“Well, yes. That’s true. We have to be strong whenever hard things happen so that we don’t let them keep us down, and so that we can get through them and learn from them. But sometimes we also need to cry, to let some of our feelings out. It’s not good to keep it all inside, because then it’ll just end up hurting us more instead. So don’t ever think you have to hide how you feel, okay? Especially from me, or your mom.”

She sniffed, nodding solemnly. “Okay, Dad.”

“That’s my girl.”

He playfully ruffled her hair like he always used to do. Ella had wandered over in her pink overalls to give her a hug, and she had only sniffled for a little bit more on the couch before running back outside to play, carefree once more. The memory would sometimes float up in her mind like a bubble, but just like all her other recollections of her father, eventually they’d vanish at her fingertips with a pop, gone and forever out of reach, just like he was.

After his death, she reverted back behind her stubborn and stoic ways, but his little life lessons always remained, drifting around in a place hidden in the back of her mind that she didn’t often visit voluntarily. So, while there was little that Lana allowed herself to cry about, on her most despondent days, she always eventually thought back to what her father had told her that day she had been so upset as a child.

Back in the mine, she curled up with her knees to her chest, letting the tears fall down her nose and cheeks as small sobs escaped her throat. There was no holding it in now.

“Okay, Dad,” she whispered into the darkness, repeating her words as a child.

The silence rang back to her almost as loudly as bells in a cathedral. She cried, and the sadness that she had been trying to hold back washed over her in breaking crests, knocking her back but dispersing itself over her skin in a way that relieved the tight pressure she had feeling in her chest. With only the rocks and bats to keep her company, Lana lamented the events of earlier that day, still baffled as to what the hell even happened. A small part of her was sure that there was some other explanation, because it wasn’t like Shane to treat her as callously as he did today. He wasn’t that type of person, no matter how much he protested otherwise. But she had been hurt by her high hopes before, so what was to say this wasn’t just another disappointment to add to the list?

With a sigh, she managed a grim smile as she leaned her head back against the cavern wall. If only her dad could see her now, face covered in soot and tears, toiling away underground with a backpack full of coal and gemstones, seemingly right at home in the valley he once lived in. College-graduate and ex-JojaCorp drone. The proud owner of her grandfather's treasured farm, brought back from the dead with her hard work and callused hands. Heartbreak or not, she damn sure could say that she had earned it all herself.

Exhilarated, she stood on her feet and grabbed her headlamp before walking back to her pickaxe, still stuck in the crevice of the boulder. She grasped the handle with both hands and pulled again, planting a foot solidly against the rock. Still not getting it to budge, she brandished her sword from her hip, sticking it forcefully into the crevice to use it as leverage so she could try and pry out the pickaxe from underneath the tight fissure in the rock. After a bit of struggle, it started to wiggle, moving it bit by bit, until it was finally dislodged with a loud scraping noise. She grasped the sword and pickaxe tightly in each hand and raised them over her head with a triumphant victory whoop that echoed throughout the cave.

Glancing around, she was grateful for the light from her headlamp and the couple of lit torches further up by the elevator. Even though she had made sure to clear the floor of monsters before beginning to mine for ore, she still kept her guard up at all times. Besides the looming threat of the Void at the bottom, there were still plenty of creepy crawlies wandering around down here, She looked down and saw a splotchy bruise from a charging rock crab on her shinbone, a souvenir from earlier. Sighing, she wiped her face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. It would probably be wise to go home and get some much-needed rest.

She trudged to her farm through the puddles in the hillside trails, getting her socks wet and irritated at herself because she had been too angry to remember to put on her rain boots in addition to bringing an umbrella or even a coat. The sun slipped under the horizon long before she made it to the backwoods behind her farm. She got to her house just before the steady, persistent rain began to pour down more heavily. Grumpy and soaked, she immediately jumped into a long, hot shower in the hopes that it would calm her down and warm her up. Even though the water washed away all the grime and soot that had accumulated while she was working underground, the raw sting of Shane’s earlier words remained. She stayed under the water long after it stopped feeling warm against her skin.

Afterwards, she stood naked in her bathroom, observing herself impassively in the mirror and absolutely forbidding herself to cry any more despite her father's old words. Turning around, she sternly reasoned with herself (and his ghost, if he was haunting her like she sometimes suspected he was) that she had done quite enough of that already, and her eyes were puffy enough as it was. She changed into some thick leggings and another one of her oversized sweatshirts, bringing a towel into the living room so she could dry her hair while watching the first thing that popped up when she turned on the television. Her stomach grumbled in hunger, and she suddenly remembered that all she had eaten in that entire day was a measly bowl of cereal in the morning before heading over to Shane’s. She was about to move in the direction of the kitchen to heat up something in the microwave when there was a soft knock on the door, almost too quiet to catch. Her body tensed up in trepidation. Lana turned around slowly, wary of yet another unknown visitor in the night.

“Who’s there?” she called out, moving closer to the door. Pulling the towel off her head, she heard a familiar voice on the other side of the door.

“It’s me, Ms. Lana. Krobus.”

What the hell?

She yanked open the door, revealing the little monster standing out on her porch. Raising her hand to turn on the porch light, she flicked it on, but the bulb didn’t illuminate. She recalled then that light wasn’t much good around a shadow person like Krobus. Before she could stutter out a surprised greeting, he spoke up again in that calm, even manner of his.

“I apologize for the late visit, but I needed to urgently inform you that I found your friend Shane incapacitated on the cliffs at the edge of Cindersap Woods. I was out foraging for dinner when I first observed him from the trees, looking quite upset. I left him alone to give him some privacy, but when I went back to check on him a while later, he was passed out on the ground. I was unable to revive or carry him anywhere myself, so I thought perhaps you could help with your vehicle.”

She just stared vacantly at him at first, not processing what he was telling her.

“Your friend,” he insisted patiently. His opaque body was almost blending into the heavy rain outside. “I believe he’s incapacitated and may require immediate medical assistance.”

“Oh sh*t!” she said, the meaning of his words finally clicked into place. She sprung into action, this time remembering to put on her rain boots and raincoat before bursting out into the night, car keys in hand. Krobus assured her that he would keep an eye on Shane, unable to teleport her to his location with him without the assistance of an obelisk. Her truck wouldn’t make it through the small gate at the southern end of her property, so she headed out of her farm towards town to go the long way, driving like a maniac.

She pulled out her cell phone that she had shoved into her jacket pocket before leaving and cursed aloud when she saw that it was dead. Keeping her eyes on the road, she indignantly took the charger cable out from where it was currently trapped underneath her thighs to plug into her phone. The screen lit up with a bright green battery symbol. Lana put the phone down to charge, now approaching the empty main intersection of town. Without waiting for the light to turn green, she turned right sharply, heading down past the Stardrop Saloon and toward the beach.

A million thoughts were sprinting through her head as she thought about what Krobus had told her, doing her best to avoid the flooding that was affecting some areas of the narrow street. Just what the hell was Shane doing, passed out all the way out there at the edge of the woods? She had the sneaking suspicion that alcohol had something to do with it. Worry and confusion surged through her body, but she did her best to keep calm as she drove through the slick, vacant streets of town, now headed west in the direction of the river and forest. Heavy raindrops pounded urgently against her windshield as she passed Sam’s house and then finally Marnie’s ranch to arrive at the beginning of Cindersap Forest. She parked next to a trail she knew would lead directly to the cliffs, shutting off the engine and leaving her keys in the ignition as she jumped out of the truck. Her cellphone remained plugged in, sitting in her cup holder.

Lana hurried through the trees she had become so familiar with since moving to Stardew Valley. Still, the atmosphere was eerie as she sensed eyes watching her from the darkness, hidden among the foliage. It had been lucky that Krobus had been the one to find Shane and not some of the other curious creatures that hid in the woods. Moving quickly from how well she knew the trees, she soon arrived at the expanse of cliffs that overlooked the ocean where she sometimes went to think during her hikes. There, she found Shane sprawled out facedown on the ground, precariously close to the edge just as Krobus described. Walking tentatively closer to him, she realized with relief that he appeared to only be unconscious, breathing slowly but reeking of whisky even from this distance.

“Dammit - Shane!” She ran over to him and dropped down to her knees to try and shake him awake. “Wake up! Shane!”

He only moaned and mumbled something against the dirt, turning his head away from her. Looking around, she could see that he had vomited on the ground sometime before she arrived. She gently pushed back some of the wet hair that was sticking to his forehead, heart fluttering in panic when she saw that he was already quite pale and clammy. She stood up and tried to lift him to his feet, but it was no use - he was out cold and much too heavy, especially with his soaking wet clothes. Even with Krobus’ help, there was no way she could carry him all the way back to the truck if he wasn’t conscious.

“Krobus!” she yelled back over her shoulder to where he was standing behind her in the trees. “If you can get an obelisk from Rasmodius, can you transport us both to my truck? Or even to the clinic in town?”

The little monster blinked once.

“Yes, I believe so,” he answered. “I should be able to transport both of you at the same time. I don’t think I can make it to town with both of you, but if your car is parked just outside of the forest, we’ll be okay.”

“Go then - please, hurry,” she said, dropping back down to her knees so she could cradle Shane’s head in her lap. Feeling desperation setting in, she took off her drenched raincoat and used it to cover him. “Krobus, please -”

But he was already gone.

The next few minutes were some of the longest of her life as she did her best to keep calm. Shane was still breathing, albeit a bit shallowly, which was a good sign. Years ago, a friend of hers, a sweet exchange student by the name of Talia from the Gotoro Empire overseas, died this way after a night of extreme over-drinking. Lana had been the one sober enough to drive their group of panicked friends to the ER, only for the poor girl’s heart to stop as soon as medics got her on a stretcher and through the automatic doors. The experience had turned her off alcohol entirely for months, and she refused to ever go out again with that same group of friends who so casually returned to the party scene only a week later. She looked down at Shane, cupping his face as she struggled to hold back her tears.

“You’re going to be okay, alright?” she whispered to him. He looked almost asleep in her lap, mouth slightly open as though mid-snore. “We just need to get you to the clinic. Harvey will help. I know he will.”

She could hear the crack in her voice but held fast, knowing this wasn’t the time to break down crying. That time had long passed.

Finally, Krobus materialized again in front of her. A wiggling, shadow-like arm snaked out from his torso, holding a small, golden obelisk

“The other is near your vehicle,” he said, placing it between them. Another arm appeared and extended toward her. “Please keep a firm hold on your friend so that you both are included within the radius of the obelisk when I touch it. Are you ready, Ms. Lana?”

She nodded, grasping Shane more tightly to her with both arms. Krobus’ hands reached out to grab first her shoulder and then the tip of the obelisk, activating its magic. Once again, her vision went gold as it transported them all to their desired location. She felt herself and Shane lift from the ground for a moment before settling back down gently. When she opened her eyes again, they were now next to her truck.

“Perfect!” she called out just as a bright flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed closely by the loud crack of thunder. “Now we just need to get him inside so I can drive him to the clinic in town. Come on, Krobus - help me, please. Before we get electrocuted in this damn storm.”

They were able to drag Shane the short distance to the passenger side of her truck, propping him up once Lana got the door open so that she could pull him up to the seat. Once he was safely inside, she thanked Krobus fervently as she jumped into the driver’s seat, turning on the engine with a flick of the key in the ignition.

"You're not like the other humans, are you?” the little monster asked her, white eyes glowing in the night.

She could only give him a wave goodbye before turning the truck around back in the direction of town. Secured by his seat belt, Shane sat slumped against the door, still unconscious and soaking wet but covered with her raincoat and hopefully getting warmed by her heater, now cranked up to the max. Her windshield wipers worked furiously to clear the heavy water droplets that were falling. Another flash of lightning lit up the sky just as she drove past Sam’s house, already dark for the night.

In record time, she made it back to the main street in town, turning into the small parking lot in front of Harvey’s clinic. A lone sedan sat parked in the corner, no doubt the doctor’s own vehicle. She parked in front of the entrance and ran up to the locked door, knocking loudly.

“Doctor!” she yelled up to the lit window of his apartment above the clinic. “Harvey, it’s Lana! Please, I need your help!”

His mustachioed face popped up in between the pulled-apart curtains, looking down at her with a bewildered expression as she stood in the rain before disappearing back inside just as quickly as it appeared. She saw the light downstairs in the clinic turn on, and within a few seconds, he opened the door, wearing only a thin, white t-shirt and a pair of striped pajama pants along with some slippers.

“Lana?” he asked, squinting at her before he put on his horn-rimmed glasses. A dark five o’clock shadow dusted his jaw, while his wavy hair was mussed up on one side as though he had just woken up. “Yoba, it’s raining cats and dogs out there. What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

She was speechless at first, still in a bit of a frenzied state from the drive, but also somewhat jarred by the doctor’s overly-casual appearance. It was strange seeing him so dressed down when she was so used to him in the usual neat slacks and collared shirt he always wore whenever she’d visit the clinic or see him at the saloon when she used to make her daily coffee runs. He had always been friendly with her, taking the time to chat with her whenever they happened to sit together at the bar as they waited for their espressos. Acutely aware of what a mess she must look like at the moment, she realized that she didn’t even know what time it was and had probably interrupted his sleep. She cleared her throat and finally composed herself enough to reply to his question.

“No, it’s not me. I’m fine. It’s Shane,” she said hurriedly. “I’m sorry, did I wake you up? It’s an emergency.”

“No, no - well, I had just dozed off in my armchair with a favorite book of mine,” he admitted, blushing lightly. “But it’s no problem at all! I am the town physician, after all. You can come to me whenever you need, no matter what time it is. I told you that when I treated your ankle a couple of months ago, remember?” He placed a consoling hand on her shoulder, smiling at her with his kind eyes.

She nodded, vaguely recalling how she drove herself over to the clinic the day after she had twisted her ankle while trying to get away from Adam at the bar in Zuzu City. It had swelled up to the size of a small melon by the time she was even able to hobble inside and check in with Maru. Doing her best to paste her scrambled thoughts together, she shivered and moved away some of the wet hair that was stuck to her cheek.

“Yes, I remember,” she mumbled.

“So, where is Shane? Is he in your truck back there?” he asked, reading her mind. He let go of her and gestured over her shoulder with his chin, now in full professional mode.

“Yeah, uh, I need your help to carry him,” she said, unsticking her feet from the ground to walk backwards as she explained. “He’s unconscious and too heavy for me alone.”

Without a word, Harvey began moving with her toward the passenger side door, where Shane was visible through the window. His head was now against the headrest as part of her bright purple rain coat slipped down his torso, exposing his muddy clothes. He must have shifted while she was inside the clinic, still looking peacefully asleep. She could now see a bruise visible on his forehead, most likely from where he had fallen hard in the gravelly dirt.

“He d-drank a bit too much,” Lana managed, shuddering from the cold. She felt dumb even saying the words aloud, knowing Harvey was smart enough to immediately know the situation was probably a bit more dire than that. He opened the door and immediately listened to Shane’s chest with the stethoscope she just noticed was thrown around his neck. She kept talking, agitated by the concerned knitting of the doctor’s brows. “I found him passed out by - out by Cindersap Woods, near Marnie’s ranch. Smelling like whisky. I t-think he fell and hit his head, too. And he threw up. I’m not really sure what happened.”

“Yes, that all sounds about right,” Harvey muttered, giving her a sad, knowing look before leaning down to unbuckle Shane’s seat belt. “Well. Quickly then. Let’s get both of you inside. Can you grab the gurney that’s parked by the front desk for me and bring it out here?”

She hurried back inside to do as she was told. With difficulty, she got the gurney outside and next to her truck. She stood back as Harvey lowered it and then grabbed Shane from under his arms and lifted him with surprising strength on top of it, managing to also pull his legs up so that he was lying down safely in the middle. Lana watched as Harvey expertly maneuvered the gurney back up, noting that while the doctor wasn’t especially bulky, he was tall and lean, most likely used to dealing with less-than-mobile patients in his years of experience. It wasn’t a secret in town that he was a notorious health nut, even rumored (to her immense amusem*nt) to join the group of ladies who did aerobics in the back of Pierre’s store every week. It made sense that he would at least be in good shape.

Lana followed closely behind as he quickly wheeled Shane back into the clinic, stopping only to grab a blanket for her from behind the front desk before disappearing past the swinging double-doors with a reassuring wave and a promise to be back to update her as soon as possible. She sat out in the waiting room with the thick blanket wrapped around her, nervously jiggling her leg up and down in a small state of shock for the first hour or so.

Antsy beyond belief, she stood up abruptly, remembering her cell phone still in her truck. She ran outside quickly to grab it, doing her best to avoid a couple of huge puddles on the sidewalk, not taking it out from where she shielded it under her sweatshirt until she got back inside where it was safely dry. Sitting back down, she turned it on. The tiny battery symbol at the top was barely filled in, next to a red “8%”. Before she could even unlock it, a notification popped up on the screen:

SHANE:

(1) New Missed Call & Voicemail

“When did you call me, Zuzu?” she whispered, tapping it to open her screen. It automatically took her to her voicemail inbox, where his message began playing. She put it up to her ear to listen and could immediately detect the heavy slur in his voice, set to the background noise of crashing waves and rain. He must have tried to contact her just before he passed out. And even though she had promised herself she wouldn’t cry, she couldn't help the tear that escaped to trail down her cheek as she listened to him, hearing the pain in his voice with every word. The voicemail cut off abruptly mid-sentence, leaving behind a hollow ringing in her ear. Lowering the phone, she put it back in her pocket and reached down to grab the blanket she had dropped on the floor earlier, wrapping herself in it as she sunk down lower into her seat. One thing he said in particular stood out, only because of its vagueness.

“The truth is - I really wanted to be with you. And I thought you wanted me like that too. But I - I know that it can't be like that with us, and that I should just be h-happy for you.”

“Not like what? ” she repeated, still under her breath. “What the hell are you saying, Shane?”

Before she could even begin to process everything in his voicemail, Harvey walked out of the double doors, prompting her to stand and meet him. He looked tired and frazzled but still gave her shoulder another reassuring squeeze.

“I’ve pumped his stomach and re-hydrated him,” he told her quietly. “He seems to be recovering well, so I don’t think I’ll need to have him transferred to Zuzu Memorial. He also isn’t showing any signs of a head injury or other more serious symptoms. But honestly, Lana, he’s lucky to have a friend like you. You saved him tonight. If you hadn’t brought him in when you did …” He shook his head, not elaborating further. “But he’s going to be okay. He just needs plenty of rest. I’m going to write him a note to excuse him from work this upcoming week, too.”

“That’ll really help,” Lana replied, exhaling in relief. “Thank you, doctor. He really can’t be worried about stupid JojaMart right now, after all this.”

“Please, call me Harvey,” he said, giving her a warm smile. “And most definitely. Alcohol poisoning really takes its toll on the body. To be frank, he was quite … heavily intoxicated. I’d say he must have ingested at least an entire bottle of that whisky he smelled like before you found him, and most likely within a short period of time. I know he’s had problems with alcohol in the past, but I didn’t think it had progressed to this extent. He seemed to be doing a lot better lately. I hadn’t seen him in the saloon as often, anyway.”

“I just spoke to him earlier this morning,” Lana said, looking down at her rain boots, which had left a trails of mud on the clean, tiled floor. “He didn’t seem to be doing so well anymore. He said something kind of troubling too.” She hesitated, not feeling it was her place to talk about the matter. But Harvey just nodded in understanding, encouraging her to keep going. “I guess I just had never heard him talk like that before. And then I find him like this, hours later … I don’t know what happened, Harvey. I’m really worried about him.”

“I understand. He made it through this, but I’m more concerned about his mental health. I see now that this incident may be linked to some deeper problems that I may not be able to solve here with my limited resources. I may have to refer him to a specialist when he finally comes to.”

“What, you mean like a therapist?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “There’s one here in town?”

“Unfortunately, no. But I know of a few excellent options back in Zuzu City, which I’m aware may be a bit difficult for him to manage, given his current lack of transportation…” Harvey trailed off, looking pensive.

Man, Lana thought sourly. Everybody really does know your business in this town.

“I’ll take him,” she spoke up emphatically, pulling the blanket more snugly around herself. She ignored the small voice in the back of her head that reminded her Shane had made it quite clear only a few hours ago that he didn’t want anything to do with her anymore. “I have my truck, and I can drive him to Zuzu wherever he needs to go. Whatever he needs. I’ll help him.”

Harvey gave her a surprised look, his eyebrows disappearing into the messy brown waves of hair falling over his forehead.

“That’s very kind of you. I’ll let him know that’s an option,” he said, adjusting his glasses to peer down at her. “Uh … you two must be pretty close, then. For you to offer your help like that, I mean.”

“Yeah, we’re ... we've become good friends,” Lana said, doing her best to mask the sadness that shot through her at his question, knowing that this morning’s conversation may have changed that fact permanently. "Both outsiders to the valley, and all that."

Harvey smiled brightly, which emphasized the laugh lines around his grey eyes. “Well, it’s like I said, then. He’s lucky to have someone like you in his life. I know firsthand how difficult it can be to deal with our demons, so to speak - especially when it feels like our mind is working against us at the same time. We need all the help we can get. Good friends can be hard to come by.”

“He’s just been through a lot.” She sighed and rubbed her eyes in fatigue. “Especially with his goddaughter. I don’t know if something happened with her, if that’s why he drank so much tonight.”

“I’m aware of the situation. You know, Lana - well, normally, I wouldn’t be confiding in you like this about another patient, but it’s hard to remain impersonal when working in such a small town. And Marnie’s become a rather close friend of mine. She confided in me the circ*mstances of how he came into guardianship of Jas. I don’t blame him for struggling with something like that.”

“Neither do I. It’s really rough losing somebody the way he did.”

“I take it you’ve also lost someone?” His voice was low and comforting, heavy with empathy, a trait she was sure came in hand-in-and with his profession.

“Yeah,” she replied, looking at him sideways. Her distrust of doctors had worn off sometime in college, but still, she had an almost-Pavlovian reaction of instant wariness to his calm, soothing tone. “My dad.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that. I once lost someone really close to me too. I still struggle with it at times. In my line of work - well, you learn pretty quickly that life can be painful sometimes. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have hope for a better future. No matter how bad it gets, we have to at least believe in that, I think. That there’s something better out there waiting for us. It’s what keeps us sane, I think.”

“You’re probably right about that.”

She couldn’t help but be brightened by his optimism. This was the first time they had spoken about something besides the injury on her body he was treating, or one of his many books he’d always bring up when they used to cross paths in the saloon for coffee. She could easily see why everyone else in town spoke so highly of him. He was more charming than she thought.

Harvey gave her another smile but soon slipped into a concerned expression again.

“And how are you doing? Did you get warmed up enough? Are you sure there aren’t any injuries you want me to take a look at? Here, if you come back to my exam room -”

“Really, Harvey, I’m fine,” she said, holding up a hand to stop him. “The blanket was enough. I just needed to warm up from all the damn rain outside. Which doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.” As if on cue, another rumble of thunder was heard in the distance.

“You’re welcome to stay the night, if you need,” he offered, looking around anxiously at the sound. “We have another empty room available. The roads often flood whenever we get a storm of this magnitude.”

“No thanks. I need to go check on my animals. And probably call Marnie to tell her what happened, once I get settled in.”

“Okay, I understand. But please be careful, Lana.”

“I will, Harvey. Can I see him first? Before I go?”

“Of course. He’s asleep, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind the company.”

She followed him back inside the swinging doors and down the hall, coming to a room at the end, where Shane was currently recovering. Holding her breath as she walked inside, Lana felt her skin prickling, still working to get reacclimatized to the once-familiar atmosphere of a hospital. Even Pelican Town’s small clinic seem to contain a trace of the same sterile taste that always seemed to be present in the air back at Zuzu Memorial. It was the same taste that had settled onto her tongue during the last few months before her father died, when their days were riddled with doctor visits and in-patient treatments, and finally, that last hospitalization, the one he never made it through.

Harvey moved the curtain, and she saw Shane lying down on a bed with an IV in his arm and beeping vital sign monitors next to him that were keeping close watch on his heart rate. Half of his forehead and parts of the side of his face were covered in purple bruises. She sensed Harvey moving past her and looked over at him, once again in full-doctor mode as he briskly walked forward to examine Shane and write something on a chart hanging from the wall. In her slight daze, she just noticed that he had thrown on a white coat over his pajamas and now sported sneakers instead of his slippers.

“He took quite a spill, but luckily it’s just a contusion,” he assured her, giving the bump of Shane’s blanket-covered leg a friendly pat. “And everything is looking promising so far. No signs of hypothermia, either. We’ll let him sleep through the night, but he should be feeling well enough tomorrow to go home unless an issue arises.”

“Okay, that’s good. I’ll let Marnie know to not worry too much, then,” she replied, sighing. “And I’m hopeful he’s going to be okay with giving the whole therapy thing you mentioned a try. When you get the chance to bring it up, you just gotta be firm with him, okay? He’ll come around. I know he will.”

“Hey," Harvey said with a grin. “Is that some of my optimism rubbing off on you?”

She chuckled, rolling her eyes. “It might just be.” She looked back at Shane’s sleeping form. “Um, can I get a minute alone with him before I leave?”

“Of course. I’ll be down the hall in my office if you need me - last door to the right before you get back to the waiting room. Oh, and I’ll leave your raincoat out by the front desk for you to grab on on your way out.”

“Great. Thanks so much Harvey. Really. I mean it.”

“No need to thank me, Lana." He nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. “But please, reach out if there’s anything I can help with, alright?”

“Will do.”

He left the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. She approached Shane, who was now breathing deeply in sleep and no longer pale and sweaty like when she found him. Standing over his bed, she placed a hand on his forehead lightly, taking care to not press on the area that was bruised. She closed her eyes and sighed, absolutely exhausted.

“You’re so dumb, you know that?” she whispered, looking back down at Shane. “How could you do this to yourself? What were you thinking?”

Unsurprisingly, he said nothing, the noise of his heart rate monitor her only reply, punctuating the quiet in the room with each beep.

“But I can’t be mad at you when I’m so f*cking worried at the same time.” She moved her hand down to his shoulder, resting it there lightly. “I’m not gonna pretend I know what you’re going through. But when you wake up - if you want to talk to me again, anyway - I’m gonna tell you that all I want... all I want is to help you. To be there for you as you work through this. Because I know you can do it, Shane. I don’t have a single doubt in my bones about it. So don’t you dare have any.”

Leaning down, she placed a kiss on top of his head, keeping her mouth there for a moment before moving back with a shaky exhale.

“Okay, I’m going to leave now,” she said before beginning to walk backwards to the door. “I-I hope you feel better soon. Ugh, I’m sorry. That sounds so lame. But you can’t even hear me, anyway, so I guess it’s okay.”

She turned around to grab the door handle but paused before opening it, experiencing a strange little wiggle of her heart. Looking back over her shoulder, she spoke softly, before she could chicken out like she had done once with him before.

“I heard your voicemail. I just want you to know that … I'd tell you to live, Shane. I’d say that you need to go on, because happiness is out there, somewhere on the other side of all this bullsh*t we gotta wade through first. And if I got the chance to answer your call, I’d also tell you... that you’re my best friend too. There’s a lot of people out there that love you too much for you to even think about doing something like that. And I’m … I’m one of them. Okay?”

She opened the door and walked down to hall to exit the clinic, leaving him behind to grab her coat and venture back into the torrential downpour. Another jagged bolt of lightning lit up the night as she went outside to stand underneath the awning over the front entrance, steeling herself for the journey home ahead. Running to her truck, she stopped outside the passenger door to pull out her keys from somewhere in her jacket pocket.

Looking up at the thundering sky with her raincoat in hand, she suddenly noticed Harvey standing behind the glass doors, giving her a wave goodbye. A warm expression lit up his face as she waved back briefly in reply before he turned off the lights and locked up again for the night.

Turning back to the truck, Lana opened her door and sat inside for another moment without turning on the engine, not bothering to wipe away the water droplets on her face that were rolling down her cheeks like tears.

Chapter 20: Dark Horse

Chapter Text

One Month Later

Shane picked at the nail of his left thumb with his right one, both covered in chipped glitter nail polish courtesy of Jas.

He was currently in the middle of his third session with Dr. Kenza, his new therapist in Zuzu City, leaning back on a comfortable sofa next to a window in her office which looked out at the panoramic view of other skyscrapers and the streets below. Her practice was on the fifth floor of a sleek, modern building in the borough of Westhaven, the affluent heart of Zuzu City. It was a crisp and clear day, and from up here he could see the trees in nearby Midway Park were beginning to getbare now that autumn was almost over. Even with the chill from approaching winter in the air, he could see the city was still full of people, bustling as ever.

Dr. Wendi Kenza first introduced herself to him a few weeks ago with a firm handshake and an offer of macarons, which he quickly learned were a fixture in her office thanks to the baking talents of her receptionist, a kind-faced man named Reggie. She was currently seated across from Shane in a cozy-looking armchair of her own and had come at the recommendation of both his insurance and Harvey, who happened to be an old friend of hers from college. Slim, mousy haired, and petite, Dr. Kenza had a distinct, bug-like appearance due to large, round glasses that magnified her already wide eyes. She appeared quite young for her age, which he assumed to be close to Harvey’s. There was a soothing quality to her voice and demeanor that put him at ease the minute he walked into her office for his first appointment, which took place about a week after he woke up in the clinic in town with an IV in his arm and bruises up the side of his face. She also offered appointments on Saturdays, which worked perfectly with his schedule now that he was back at JojaMart on weekdays, as well as Lana’s, who was currently sitting outside in the waiting room. He could picture her now with a magazine in hand, scrunching her nose at those celebrity gossip articles he knew she secretly enjoyed, maybe playing with some loose locks of her hair that he knew was piled up on top of her head in the messy bun she often sported recently.

“Sorry again for the short notice,” he had apologized to her from the passenger seat of her truck when they first got onto the highway. “I barely saw Dr. Kenza’s email asking if we could change the time from 12 to 10am last night when I texted you.”

“It’s no problem. Luckily I woke up early enough to see it this morning,” Lana replied, brushing her hair up with one hand with the other still on the wheel, the long strands still damp and smelling like strawberry shampoo from the quick shower she took before picking him up. She smiled at him in that elfin way of hers before looking away back out at the road. “Besides, what are friends for?”

Back in Dr. Kenza’s office, Shane glanced back down at his thumb, which was now halfway free of polish thanks to his persistent picking. He sighed and tried to remember what his therapist had just asked him before he had gotten distracted by the view outside and his usual wayward thoughts of the farmer.

“I’m sorry, doctor,” he said finally, looking up at her guiltily. “I’m just feeling a little off today. What did you say again?”

“That’s alright,” she replied, smiling. “I can tell that something’s been bothering you since we’ve arrived. I had hoped we'd arrive at it eventually as we spoke about your week. We can return to what I asked later, but I think we should speak about this first. Can you elaborate? You said you’re feeling ‘off’?”

“Yeah, uh,” Shane said, pausing because he wasn't quite sure how to describe the strange mixture of emotions inside of him. “I don’t know. I just feel kind of tired, I guess. And really craving a beer, if I’m being honest."

"Any particular reason for the craving?"

"Not really. But it might just be from all the pumpkin ale they have in town around this time of year. I stack cases of it all day at work. This morning, I woke up and it was all I could think about. But the drive up here helped. Cleared my head, at least.”

“I’m glad to hear that at least then.” Dr. Kenza nodded as she wrote something down in the notebook that was always in her hand. “Some days will be worse than others, especially in the beginning. You have been sticking to your sobriety, though?”

“Yes, I have,” he confirmed, meeting her gaze resolutely as he felt a flicker of pride in his chest. “I’ve just been trying to keep busy, uh, like you told me. I haven’t craved one like this for a while, now that I think about it. Not much room for it with everything I have going now.”

“It helps to keep our mind occupied. And I see your goddaughter has certainly been keeping you busy.” She gestured to his hands with a smile.

“Hah - yeah, this was from last night.” He held up a hand, some of his fingernails still coated in glittery blue polish. “She said this color would go nicely with my eyes. I promised her that I’d keep it on for a day, at least. Not doing too good so far, though.”

“Well, I quite like the sparkles. I’m sure you made her very happy by just agreeing to it in the first place. Plus, she’ll probably be more than eager to repaint them for you, if you ask.”

“That’s true. It’s been … really nice spending more time with her. She even came with me last time to Lana’s farm to help me with the chickens. She’s crazy about animals, that kid. Won’t shut up about getting a dog.”

“Lana - that’s your friend that’s waiting for you outside, correct? The one that found you on the night of the storm?”

“Yes, that’s her.”

He had avoided up until that point talking much about that night in question to Dr. Kenza and was wary to begin now, but there was an expectant look on his therapist’s face that let him know that it was finally time to open up more about what led up to his incident by the cliffs.

“She saved you, if I remember correctly,” she said when he didn’t elaborate further, looking down into her notebook pensively. He half expected her to begin flipping through the pages to search for the sparse details he knew she had written down somewhere, no doubt to psychoanalyze later. “Drove you to the clinic in town in the middle of that terrible storm that hit the valley, before you could succumb to alcohol poisoning and hypothermia out there in the woods. And now she accompanies you here to these weekly appointments, two hours away from your home. That certainly sounds like the type of friend that I’d want in my life.”

“... Yes.” He wasn’t sure what else to say, once again reminded of all Lana had done for him. And how little he had done for her. “I owe her a lot.”

“Shane, would you go as far to say that Lana is your best friend?” Dr. Kenza asked, leaning forward a bit. Her bug-like eyes widened slightly, the hazel irises magnified even further under the lenses. “I only ask this because the times you’ve mentioned her in previous sessions have all been very positive and allude to a deep companionship. In fact, besides your goddaughter, she’s the person you speak about here the most.”

“Uh - yeah,” he answered, not sure where she was going with the conversation. “Yeah, I’d say that. We’re pretty close, anyway.”

“Okay, and is that the only way you see her? As a close friend?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.” He averted his eyes now back to his nails but knew Dr. Kenza would persist in that mellow way of hers.

“Well, from what I remember you telling me on your first day, you two only met earlier this year, and yet you already seem quite attached to her. You’ve confirmed that you see her as your closest friend, so you must care very deeply about her, as I’m sure she does about you, judging from what I’ve heard. But are those the only feelings you have for her? Is the relationship you two share purely a platonic one?”

“Uh.” He hesitated a bit, uncomfortable but figuring it was best to be honest like he had been with his therapist so far. There was no point in lying to her, after all. “Well, I haven’t told you this yet, but we used to - uh, I mean, it wasn’t really dating, if you want to call it that, but we just … uh - we used to have, uh -”

“May I interject?” she asked, no doubt noticing the intense flush that was beginning to spread over his face. He nodded gratefully. “Would it be safe for me to assume you two had a bit of a ‘friends-with-benefits’ relationship at one time, perhaps?” She made air quotes around the phrase.

He hated to think of what he had with Lana in that way, even if he knew deep down in his core that fundamentally that’s what it was. Sure, they became close as friends before anything physical even happened, and yes, he may still be insanely in love with her, but they never got past the threshold of becoming anything past that. He made damn sure of that with the decisive way he ended things the morning of the storm, and now, a month later, it seemed that Lana agreed that things were indeed better off this way. He lied to her the first and only time she ever asked him about what happened, using Jas and work as an excuse for this initial distance and the subsequent binge that resulted in his hospitalization. She had only nodded and accepted his word at face value, never mentioning it again.

It had taken him a couple days to muster up the courage to go to her in the first place and apologize. He had been accompanied on his walk to her farm by the few dark, heavy clouds that still remained in the sky now that the worst of the downpour had passed, arriving just as she was walking back from her field with a basket of yams in hand. There was a wary look on her face as he approached her, but she only let him get a minute into an empathic apology before dropping the yams to hug him to her tightly. His arms had hesitated only a moment before coming up to embrace her too, pulling her closer so that he could nestle the unbruised side of his face in her hair.

“Shane,” she had just said, her own cheek pressed against his shoulder. “It’s okay. After everything, I’m just happy that you’re still here. That’s all that matters to me. I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you. You’re kind of my favorite person around here, dummy.”

Hearing the story from Harvey of how he had ended up in the hospital had been a bit of a shock to him, not to mention embarrassing beyond belief. Lana’s later additional details further cemented the fact that it was high time he got it the f*ck together, because he damn sure was through with being a burden to everyone. He had told Lana so the day he showed up to apologize, and it was a topic that had already come up a couple times in the few therapy sessions he had so far, especially whenever he brought up Jas or Marnie. There was no way he’d drag Lana into his mess, not when he was still floundering to keep above the surface. And now, as Dr. Kenza asked him point-blank about what the deal was with their relationship, he realized that he hadn’t even been able to even say the words aloud before, even to himself. He and Lana had reverted back to platonic friends in an unspoken agreement when neither of them ever initiated anything physical beyond that final hug outside her house the day he came over to apologize - no more touching, no kissing or flirting, and certainly no more sex.

“I guess that’s somewhat accurate,” he begrudgingly answered Dr. Kenza's previous question. “But not anymore. We’re just friends now.”

His therapist said nothing for a moment, perhaps allowing him time to digest his turbulent thoughts before delivering that classic line he’d heard her use already several times before.

“And how does that make you feel?” Dr. Kenza asked, adjusting her glasses. “That you two no longer have that kind of relationship?”

“Really f*cking sad,” Shane muttered, looking back out the window. His eyes followed a yellow taxi that was currently making its way down the street in front of their building until it disappeared around the corner. “But things are better like this. I’ve got way too much weighing me down right now to put on her too. No matter how I feel about her.”

“Was it mutual, this decision? To revert to being just friends?”

“After … what happened, I don’t know, we just - we just kind of went back to the way things were. She made it really clear that she wants to help me out with getting sober, and that this should be my first priority. That’s why she’s so willing to drive me here every Saturday. And she’s right. Bettering myself is what I need to focus on.” He wavered a bit, unsure if he wanted to tell Dr. Kenza the truth of why he first pushed her away, when he hadn’t yet mustered up the balls to tell Lana herself. With a sigh, he continued, deciding to at least tell someone else what he’d seen.

“And there’s something else, too. The week before … everything happened, I went over to her house one night to make her dinner. It was an actual date, for once. But I had broken my sobriety a little while before that, on yet another of my failed attempts to get it together... she didn’t know about it yet. I was nervous she’d smell the beer I shotgunned before getting there, plus I’d never cooked for anyone besides me and Jas before, so I had no clue if the whole thing was just going to be a huge disaster. But the night didn’t go as bad as I thought it would, even when I confessed to her that I had started drinking again. She was really understanding about it, actually. I ended up going back to her house later on to tell her how I felt about her, that I wanted to be with her.” He stopped for a moment, remembering the night well as he looked off into space before continuing. “But instead, I found her there with another guy. I actually know the jerk, too. It’s hard not to be acquainted with everyone in that tiny ass town we live in.”

“Wait, you saw them together?” Dr. Kenza asked, raising her eyebrows. “As in, romantically? How did this occur?”

“Yeah. Outside of her house. Neither of them saw me, I think, because I got there right before they walked out. I was too chickensh*t to move from my hiding spot behind this bush. Can you believe that? Hiding inside a goddamn bush like some sort of criminal?" He scowled and shook his head. "Anyway, they were just talking at first. But then right before he takes off, I see him - he kisses her, and she doesn’t make a move to stop him. Not to mention the fact that it was way past midnight at this point. I just assumed that they also had a thing going on, if he was at her place that late and kissing her goodbye or whatever.”

He had to pause again to clear his throat, catching Dr. Kenza’s eye as she listened to him speak. “It really messed me up seeing that. I started drinking pretty heavily afterwards, and I ignored her calls and texts for an entire week until she showed up at my house, rightly pissed off.”

“And did you tell her the reason why you were so upset?”

“No. And I still haven’t been able to. Like I said - chickensh*t.” He gestured at himself with a derisive smirk. “Besides, what right did I have to be upset? We weren’t together like that. I was never her boyfriend. And you know what? That guy, Sebastian - the one that kissed her? He doesn't even live in town anymore.” He fell back against the couch with an exasperated sigh. “I heard later on from my aunt that his mom told her he had taken a job here in the city and moved to some apartment downtown. And he and Lana aren’t together or anything, from what I can tell. She never mentions him anymore.”

“Well, no matter what you saw, without asking her about that night, you’ll never know the true nature of their relationship.” Dr. Kenza replied. “Regardless, I think it’s important that you be honest with her about what happened, that way maybe you can also get some clarity. But first, let me ask you this: do you think you may have jumped to conclusions? About what you saw that night?”

“I mean, it’s possible, but at this point, what does it matter? I know what I saw. And either way, I’m still not in a good place to be with her right now. I thought that maybe she liked this other guy, and that’s why I had to let her go - so she could be happy with him, someone who’s better for her, someone who actually has sh*t going for them, unlike me. But I don’t know what’s true or what’s not at this point.”

“Well, I can’t comment on what happened the night you saw them together. But I would like to say that I agree with you - if you aren’t in a good headspace mentally, then there’s often no room for you to allow healthy romantic relationships to prosper and grow. It was probably wise for you two to remain as friends, at least until you’re able to address some of the issues you’re grappling with internally.”

Hearing his therapist confirm his torturous decision was strangely comforting. He had lost a lot of sleep over the fact that he could no longer look forward to waking up with Lana again, that he had lost the privilege to have access to her in that intimate way. But as time went on, he realized that he was appreciating more and more the fact that despite all the bullsh*t he’d put her though, at least he was still able to do things like watch her walk among the sunflowers in her garden and meet eyes with her over the flames of a bonfire on a chilly night. He knew that there was no way he could lose moments like those too, not when they were all he had left. At least this way, he could keep her in his life, selfish as it was.

With a shrug, he replied, “I don’t know if she’s going to be with Sebastian, or maybe even someone else entirely. Or no one at all, because Lana doesn’t need anyone. She’s one of the most independent people I’ve ever met. She's incredible.” Shane shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I just want her to be happy. I don’t want my problems to seep into hers, because she has enough going on without my extra weight added on.”

“That’s quite the selfless thought,” Dr. Kenza replied, now leaning back into her armchair. “And yet you choose to keep her in your life, where she remains a prevalent figure. That must be difficult for you both, emotionally as well as physically. Is that because you have hope that you two might be able to try again in the future?”

“I don’t know. I want to say yes, obviously. But I don’t really know how this is going to go. I’ve never … succeeded at it before.”

“Overcoming your alcoholism, you mean?”

“Yeah. Or just getting it together in general. I've always been a bit of a mess.”

“You’ve mentioned to me before that you thought drinking too much was the root of all of your problems. Do you think that your sobriety will open up the possibility of a real relationship with Lana, or anyone else for that matter?”

“... I don’t know.”

Shane faltered as he thought of the few shallow relationships he’d had in the past, even before his drinking problem developed into what it was today. Unable to find a meaningful connection, he stopped putting in effort and grew accustomed to casual sex and the bachelor lifestyle he lived where the only person he ever had to worry about was himself. Sure, there had been the final try with Stephanie before he got custody of Jas and all thought of romance flew out the window, but he was pretty sure that relationship was inevitably set on course to implode anyway, just like they all did in the end.

“It’s certainly important to overcome your addiction, as I’m sure it will also positively impact other aspects of your life as well,” Dr. Kenza offered. “But there are other things that we need to work on emotionally and mentally before we truly can allow ourselves to connect with others. Like those negative thoughts that I know constantly cycle through your head. Aren’t you tired of hearing those?”

Shane said nothing for a while, only directing his gaze back down to his thumb, now down to a single, tiny chip of polish at the tip.

“I had a dream last night,” he confessed, not sure why he felt the need to tell her about it. “It’s one I have every now and then - when I dream at all, anyway. I’m in the middle of this race, almost like that big marathon they have here each spring? The one that starts in Midway Park down there?” Dr. Kenza nodded in recognition. “I’m just running for my f*cking life it seems, but I have no idea why I’m there, or how I even got there in the first place. I’m not a runner, doctor. The most exercise I get is splitting logs on Lana’s farm, or picking up heavy boxes at work. But in my dream, it doesn’t matter, because ready or not, I’m in the race, struggling to keep up and definitely nowhere near the front.”

It was quiet in Dr. Kenza’s office, the only noise coming from the scratching of her pencil against the paper of her notebook every now and then as he spoke.

Shane looked up at her as he continued. “But I’m trying, you know? I’m out of shape and sweating and don’t know the first thing about running a marathon, but I need to see it through. That’s a constant feeling in these dreams. There’s always little variations here and there, but that’s always the same - this intense desire to make it to the end. And even though I know that I probably won’t ever make it to the finish line, a part of me still hopes that maybe, somehow, I’ll end up winning the whole thing. Get to the end and see the trophy there waiting for me. Feel like something other than a failure for once.”

“Do you ever make it?” Dr. Kenza asked him, furrowing her brow a bit. “First place or otherwise?”

“Not once,” he said quietly. “I always wake up before I find out. But I’m never anywhere near the front, always just wheezing around somewhere in the middle or way behind at the back.”

“Hmm. Well, you shouldn’t look so glum about that, I think.” She smiled widely at him, and for the first time since meeting her he noticed that she had clear braces on her teeth. “I don’t usually put much stock into the symbolism of dreams or so on, but sometimes they can provide intrinsic lessons for us to learn. Perhaps you can see it this way: you’re still in the middle of that marathon, Shane. It’s not over yet. You don’t know how it ends, but whether or not you win isn’t the important part to focus on here. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in life or like you’re falling behind - like maybe we can’t quite keep up with everyone else’s pace." She straightened up and pointed her pencil at him. "But never let that prevent you from persisting on towards your goal. Everyone will be at the front or the back of the pack at some point in their lives, and most people are too preoccupied with their own position to worry too much about anyone else's anyway. You will make it to the other side, on your own time. Just keep going.”

There was a quiet knock on the door before Shane could respond.

“Come in!” she called out.

The door opened, and Reggie peaked his head in, looking at him apologetically.

“I’m so sorry, but your 11:10 appointment is here. Should I tell them to wait?” he asked the doctor.

“Oops - looks like we went a little over our time today." She looked up at the clock on the wall before closing up her notebook. “Give me five minutes before sending them in, please.”

“Okay, will do, Dr. K,” he replied, throwing one more apologetic look in Shane’s direction before closing the door again.

“Sorry,” he said, getting up from the reclined position he was seated in. “I didn’t realize we had passed the time limit.”

“Don’t worry about it, Shane,” Dr. Kenza said, standing up too. “It happens. I feel like we made some really good progress today.”

“Yeah, I think so too. Thank you,” he replied. A sudden thought crossed his mind. “Uh, will my insurance cover the - uh, I mean, will this be extra or -?”

“Don’t worry about it. I won’t tell if you won’t.” She smiled at him again and began walking him to the door. “As long as you remember to think about everything we spoke today in regard to your path to sobriety. And your friend Lana as well. Remember to just keep looking ahead of you and maintain a steady pace. You’ll get to the finish line in due time.”

“Thank you, Dr. Kenza,” he said again, trying to smooth his hair as he prepared to walk outside. He and Lana were planning to grab something to eat quickly before heading back to the farm. The Stardew Valley Fair was coming to town this Tuesday, and there was a lot of work still to be done to prepare for the grange display contest Lana had entered. She had been agonizing over her choices, determined on beating Pierre, who wouldn’t stop loudly letting his customers know that he had won the contest five years running and certainly was on course for yet another win this year. A slightly mad, competitive glint appeared in Lana’s eyes whenever she spoke to Shane about it.

His therapist paused before opening the door, looking back at him and squinting as though she was trying to read him like one of the many books that lined the copious shelves along the walls of her office.

“I know I said it doesn’t matter who ‘wins’ the race, which is still true, but that doesn’t mean you should count yourself out that quickly,” she said. “Work on stopping those negative thoughts that put you down, and try to give yourself some credit for once. Self-esteem comes hand-in-hand with self-respect, after all, so don’t ever think victory is out of your reach.” She chuckled and pushed up the glasses sliding slightly down her nose. “Besides, when it comes to racing, I’ve learned it’s never wise to underestimate the dark horse.”

“Oh, uh, yes,” he responded, a bit caught off-guard by her last-minute advice but grateful nonetheless. “I’ll make sure work on that too. Thank you again.”

“Good,” she said, nodding serenely as she opened the door for him. “See you next week.”

He stepped through the door, nodding to Dr. Kenza in return before walking out to the waiting room. With a shaky sigh, he turned his head around as he looked for Lana, finally seeing her sitting down in a chair near the window, magazine in hand just like he had pictured her earlier. She looked up as he approached her and smiled happily at him.

Yoba, she was so beautiful.

****

There was a french fry in between Lana’s lips that moved up and down as she spoke like some sort of crispy, yellow cigarette.

“So I’m thinking we should go with the blackberry wine instead of the grape. It’ll give us an edge over anything Pierre can put out.”

They were in the middle of their drive back home, still on the portion of the trip that took them through the wide, flat fields that surrounded Zuzu City. Shane could see the tall mountains on the horizon that shielded the enclave of land that made up Stardew Valley, ending at the point the coast finally ceded to the Gem Sea. A takeaway container full of cold fries was in his hands from the restaurant they had lunch at earlier, held open so that Lana could grab from it whenever she wanted some from her spot in the driver’s seat. The upcoming fair had been the main topic of conversation of the day, continuing now as they drove away from the bustling city.

“We already have the cranberry wine, remember? I think that’s more than enough,” he replied to her, grabbing a fry for himself. “What about that plum jelly you made last week? You still have a few batches left right? The judges will eat fancy sh*t like that up.”

Lana said nothing for a moment, only looking out at the road intently. The radio was playing rock music that was beginning to buzz with static as it was slowly overtaken by music from another station. Shane watched in amusem*nt as she finally ate the fry in her mouth and then reached out blindly for the soda in her cup holder to take an aggressive sip from the straw, putting it back afterwards to mumble something to herself, eyes still focused ahead.

“Okay. Yeah,” she said decisively. “We’ll add the plum jelly and the cranberry wine, along with the goat cheese I was talking about on the way here. It’s been coming out really good lately.”

“I think that’s going to be more than enough to make your display stand out,” he agreed. “Especially since Marnie’s this year is most likely going to suck. She’s been too busy with the mayor to devote the time she usually does to it. But I think she’s also fed up with Pierre always winning.”

“I’d be too. Someone needs to take his smug ass down a few notches.”

“And that someone is going to be you, I take it?” He poked her arm, and she stuck out her tongue in reply.

“Yes! Especially with how amazing my pumpkins are looking. Did you see the one in the middle of the patch I have left? It’s huge. That’s the one I’m taking this Tuesday. We need to be really careful loading it into my truck. There are so many potholes on the way to town, though. And then this morning I saw that some of the fairy roses I wanted to use were starting to look a bit dull - I hope they don't wilt on me now that winter is almost here...”

Her right hand was fidgeting on her lap, and Shane almost reached out to grab it with his own before stopping himself with a stern internal reminder. The automatic reaction had crept back from previous days, when it would have been okay to do things like hold her hand and kiss her forehead, two things he knew calmed her down whenever she would start to get anxious. Instead, all he could do was try to help from his spot over on the passenger side of her truck, feeling incredibly far away from her despite how close in proximity they were.

“Hey,” he said firmly, cutting off her mumbled rambling. She turned her head in his direction, meeting his eyes with apprehension.

“What?” she asked, her gaze flickering to the road and back. “What is it?”

“You’re going to kick ass this Tuesday,” he assured her firmly. Her expression softened as he spoke. “The wine and cheese and flowers, everything else on your display - it’s all going to look incredible. Everyone in town already raves about the quality of your products. And I’m sure Pierre knows just how good your stuff is too. He buys enough of it, anyway. You’re the one to beat this year, and he knows it.”

“Abigail did tell me that he seems a bit more worried than usual about his display this time around,” she admitted, smiling weakly in concession. “And did you hear what he said when we went to pick up that bag of fertilizer last week? About how the yams I sold to him this season were looking smaller than the ones he usually has this time of year?”

“That’s bullsh*t. Those yams were huge,” Shane said, popping a fry into his mouth. “His ass is spooked. You’re going to win, Lana. We’ll make sure everything is ready for Tuesday when we get back, okay? We have the whole day ahead of us and the rest of this weekend if we need it.”

“Okay,” she agreed with a sigh, taking her eyes off him to devote her view to the road again. The highway was largely empty except for a few other cars far behind them and a semi-truck every now and then, most headed back in the direction of the city. The fields on either side of the road were beginning to thin out in density as they got closer to the end of the farmlands and the start of the hillside.

After a moment, she spoke up in a quiet voice. “Thank you. For all your help at the farm and everything. I know I’m kind of freaking out about all this. Lewis just told me about it all so late notice. And, well, you know - I’ve already been super busy lately with getting everything ready for winter, which I heard gets pretty brutal down there in the valley. Money’s gonna be tight for sure, but I’ll survive. And with this whole fair thing - I just really want to do my grandpa’s legacy some justice, at the very least. It’s not so much about beating Pierre.”

“I know,” he replied, looking ahead now too, detecting the carefully hidden emotion behind her even tone. By now, the radio had turned to pure soft static in the background that neither of them made a move to change. “But you already do that. It’s really impressive how you’ve been able to rebuild the farm to what it is now. Marnie tells me all the time how the whole town thinks it’s amazing what you’ve done with the place. I know your grandpa and your dad would both be proud of you too, first place or otherwise. And the rest of your family would too. So, relax a bit, will you? Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“You really think so?” Her voice sounded small from beside him. He snuck a glance at her to see her face in profile, her jaw tight as she maintained her eyes on the road. The sight reminded him of his session with Dr. Kenza only a couple hours earlier, when he too had stared out of the window of her office with his own doubts running through his head.

“I do,” he replied, wholeheartedly meaning his words. “But you gotta chill out. Stressing out won’t change the outcome of what’ll happen on Tuesday. Once we finish up today, try to relax, please? Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Okay,” she mumbled, pouting a bit but still giving him a sidelong look punctuated with a small smile. “Therapy seems to be doing you good, Zuzu. That’s some solid advice. Should I expect a bill from my insurance for this chat?”

He nodded solemnly, opening the container in his hand to grab another handful of fries. “I’m afraid so. But it’s okay. You can pay me in pizza and pepper poppers.”

“Deal.”

She giggled and reached out to take some fries too, brushing her fingers with his for a split second. He felt a fluttering in his stomach at the touch and the sound, one he didn’t hear as often from her now.

They were quiet for a while after that. Eventually, she changed the radio from static so that it played R&B instead, one of the few stations that still reached them as they got further away from the city. After a few more miles of comfortable silence, they passed a lone dairy farm nestled at the bottom of the rising hills with a small group of grazing cows outside, enclosed behind a fence that jutted up against the highway. Some stared lazily at the truck as it drove by, chewing open-mouthed while they grazed among the long grass.

“I forgot to tell you - the day of the fair,” Shane said, his memory jarred at the sight of the animals. He watched through the side-view mirror as they retreated into the distance behind them. “I promised my aunt that I’d work the petting zoo. As a favor to Lewis, obviously. That means I can help you get things ready in the morning after loading things up for Marnie, but then I have to work for a few hours until Sam takes over.”

“So that means you’ll be too busy to hang out with me during the fair?” she said, giving him a look of mock outrage. “It’s okay, I figured they’d rope you in to help out somehow. Lewis was also trying to get me to work some slingshot game they’re going to have, but I used how busy I’d be with my display as an excuse to decline.”

“Lucky. Last year, Marnie volunteered me for the fishing game,” he said, rolling his eyes at the memory. “I smelled like sardines all day from working in that tent. But I promised Jas that I’d win her a stuffed animal and get on some rides with her once I’m done at the petting zoo. You can join us if you want. I don’t think she’d mind.”

“Oh,” she said, throwing him a surprised look at his invitation. It wasn’t very often that Lana spent time with him and Jas, especially now that things had cooled off so drastically between them. “Uh, thanks. Maybe, yeah. I was going to meet up with Leah and Elliot to grab some lunch, and I told Abby I’d try to hang out with her for a bit too. Maybe I can look for you two once everything is over with the judging?”

“Yeah, sure. That works.”

“Cool. It should be fun. Yoba, I haven’t been to a fair in years, now that I think about it. I wonder if they’ll have a Ferris wheel.”

“Yeah, they have one every year. A pretty decent-sized one too - you can even see all the way down to the beach from the very top.”

“Can you believe I’ve never been on one?”

“Really? You’ve never been on a Ferris wheel?”

“Yup. Not once in my life. I used to be afraid of heights as a kid, so it just never happened. I was always too chicken. You?”

“Yeah, a few times. They're not really my thing, but Jas always likes going on them.”

“She’s a lot braver than I am then. Maybe Tuesday will be the day, huh? I bet the view would be amazing now that you mention being able to see the ocean.” She met his eyes and tilted her head optimistically.

“Oh, uh - yeah,” Shane said, momentarily dazzled by the endearing sight. He had the sinking suspicion that for the next few days, he’d have the idea of riding a Ferris wheel with her stuck in his head like they were teenagers in high school. “It’s pretty cool up there, now that you mention it.”

“I guess that'll make it all worth it then? Getting to the top and seeing that view?”

Lana gazed dreamily ahead at the road as though imagining herself at the top of the wheel. Strangely, even though he knew that they could only be friends and that he sure as hell didn’t deserve to be with someone like her, he could still hear Dr. Kenza’s words somewhere in the back of his head, urging him to keep going, to not count himself out too quickly like he always did in the past, because this race wasn’t over just yet.

“Yeah,” Shane agreed, still not able to look away from her. “At least we get to look forward to the view.”

Tuesday

The day of the Stardew Valley Fair, the sky was a clear and cloudless bright blue.

The morning passed by quickly for Shane, who spent the first couple of hours helping Marnie and then Lana get everything ready to take to town before the gates opened at 9am. Pelican Town was buzzing with how busy things were, a stark contrast to the usual sleepiness that characterized the place. Each year, people from all over the state made their way to the valley to visit the annual event, which was the pride and joy of Mayor Lewis, something he didn’t often let the rest of the townspeople forget. The plaza at the center of town was shut down for the day to house the event, which included games, rides, and a few food vendors, including Gus, who always sold his famous barbecue and burgers. It wasn’t Shane’s favorite event of the year, but he had to admit that it had its highlights, not to mention the fact that it was usually the resounding financial success the town always seemed to be needing.

He had helped Lana set up her grange display while Jas looked on, her face pale but excited as she sat in the open truck bed with her legs swinging down. The night before had been a long one, with the little girl waking him up sometime around 2am with the tearful news that she had thrown up in her bed. Not wanting to wake Marnie, he spent the next two hours or so cleaning up and trying to get her to go back to sleep. They both eventually succumbed to their shared fatigue on the couch sometime after 4, where he slept soundly until he was shaken awake by his aunt so that they could get ready for the day ahead.

In the morning, his goddaughter had insisted she felt better and that her upset stomach had only come from the copious amounts of popcorn she had eaten the night before. He and Marnie let her go even though they were both aware that she was putting on a brave face, not shy about showing her excitement for the event all that previous week. Lana had given her a fairy rose when she and Shane arrived at the grange displays, perking up Jas’ mood substantially, but he had sensed it starting to deflate a bit again as he left them to begin his shift at the petting zoo on the other side of the fair. She had become increasingly attached to him since he came home from the hospital, insisting on checking on him before she went to sleep if he wasn’t already in her room reading a book with her.

By the time Sam arrived to take over a bit after midday, he was beginning to feel the rumblings of hunger deep in his stomach, having eaten nothing the entire day besides an undercooked pizza pocket on the way to Lana’s earlier on. His spikey-haired coworker, who still made an optimistic attempt every now and then to engage him in friendly conversation during their shared shifts at JojaMart, was all smiles as he greeted Shane at the entrance to the petting zoo with the last of a stick of cotton candy in his hand.

“How’s it going, Shane?” Sam asked, popping the final bit of pink floss into his mouth before tossing the stick into a nearby trash can. “Has it been as packed in here as the rest of the fair has been?”

“Yeah, it’s been kind of wild,” he answered, glancing around at all the people walking around them. “Lots more crowded this year, it seems.”

“That’s what I was telling Abby earlier,” Sam said with a nod. “Did you see the suits from JojaCorp walking around in their dumb blue hats?”

Shane looked up at him sharply.

“Isn’t the store closed today for the fair?” he asked him, feeling a small nudge of worry within him. “What are they doing in town?”

“Not sure, honestly. I saw them talking with the mayor over by the saloon, though,” said Sam. “You think it has something to do with the JojaMart here in town? You don’t think they’re going to close it, do you? I really can’t lose that job - I need it to pay for school.”

Shane said nothing for a moment, digesting the information and wondering if he should mention it to Lana. She had already been a bit on edge this morning from the contest, downing two large mugs of the coffee she was always drinking lately before they even made it to the front gates of the fair. JojaCorp being in town and talking to Lewis no doubt had to do with the community center, which she was still working on repairing with the Junimos. Shane had accompanied her there as recently as last week to drop off some hazelnuts and blackberries for the little creatures, who by now flocked to them both like a gaggle of happy, chirping chicks whenever they entered through the creaky, wooden entrance doors. More than anything though, they adored Lana, often riding around on her shoulder or even on top of her head as she walked around the community center, talking a mile about ideas for the place once it was open. JojaCorp had been quiet since Morris was put on leave, and there still hadn’t been any news on his whereabouts from the store or Lana’s friend Ryan back in the city. So, what were they doing here today?

“Eh, I doubt it,” Shane replied to Sam, who was chewing on a fingernail nervously. “It’s been really busy lately, so it’s not like sales are down. I’m sure it’ll be fine. They’re probably just here because of the fair. Maybe they sponsor it, or something.”

“Man, I really hope so.” Sam sighed, but the worried look slipped off his face, and he was quickly back to his chipper self again. “Hey, are you going to get some food now that you’re done? You should try the cheeseburgers Gus is making - they’re so freaking good this year. I just had a couple earlier and I might go for more once I’m done here.”

“Uh, yeah. Most likely,” Shane replied, once again feeling his stomach grumble at the mention of eating. “But I have to go pick up Jas first.”

“Oh! I saw her with Marnie by the carnival games on my way here.”

“Cool, thanks. See you later, Sam.”

“See ya, Shane!” Sam gave him a wave as he entered the petting zoo, officially taking over for the day. He waved back, surprised at how much more easily the conversation flowed now between them whenever they found the time to talk. It was a far cry from only a few months ago, when he would try to avoid Sam (and everyone else, truthfully) as much as possible out of his desire to be left alone. That inclination in general had certainly waned since then, which he suspected had more to do with the farmer and the effect she’d had on him since moving to town more than anything else.

As he made his way through the fair to get to Jas, he inevitably couldn’t help but wonder what Lana was up to. She had come by once during his shift, talking with him for a bit as the animals flocked to her, letting her pet and feed them as they spoke. He hadn’t seen her since, but he did overhear later from some of the fair patrons that the grange display contest had been delayed until 5pm due to one of the judges arriving late.

He passed by the displays on his way to the carnival games, seeing Lana’s looking quite impressive, even next to Pierre’s extravagant stand. Stopping in his tracks, he noticed that the bottle of cranberry wine on her display had fallen to the side and was now hidden behind her giant pumpkin. He quickly walked over to fix it, holding the bottle in his hand for a bit as he turned it over to watch the dark liquid sloshing around inside.

Wine had never really enticed him. Sure, he’d drink some now and then back before this most recent attempt at sobriety, and there was always whiskey for “special occasions”, but it was beer that was his weakness, the drink he always went back to no matter how hard he tried to leave it. Without looking up from the handwritten label on the bottle, he knew that directly across from the displays was a small tent selling his favorite pumpkin ale, a detail he had clocked the moment he arrived with Lana in her truck earlier this morning. Swallowing, he set the wine bottle down right-side up, doing his best to ignore the way his mouth had started to salivate at the thought of just a sip of beer. He decided to focus on fixing up the stand and was in the middle of moving some fairy roses around the base of the wine bottle when he felt a tap on his left shoulder. Swiveling his head in that direction, he saw no one but heard a familiar chuckle to his right.

“Oh, ha ha,” he said sarcastically, now turning around to face Lana. “You got me. Very funny.” But he couldn’t help grinning widely at her, elated to see her again.

“I saw that my wine bottle had fallen over earlier but didn’t get a chance to fix it - I was already so late in meeting Leah for lunch,” she said, admiring his work. “And now I came back to fix it, but it looks like you beat me to it. Those roses look perfect too. Real fancy for sure. Those judges will eat it right up.”

“Those pompous assholes better,” he told her gruffly, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. He did his best to not let his eyes linger too much on the tight jeans she was wearing, or the smooth, bare shoulder that was revealed by her slouching sweater. “So, how was lunch with Leah?”

“Pretty good,” she replied. “We had some of Gus’ barbecue. Elliot and Harvey joined us too. Quite the pals now, those two. They don’t shut up about all the books they’re reading.” She reached out to clink her fingernails gently on the glass wine bottle in between them. “Speaking of Harvey, he let me know he agreed the cranberry wine was a good choice for today. He’s a bit of a connoisseur in that department, so it looks like it was a good call on your part.”

“Did he? See, I told you that there was nothing to worry about.”

He couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward at the mention of Harvey, whose last conversation with him included the fervent recommendation that he see a therapist for his problem with alcohol and the depression he had been feeling. It was only after he mentioned Lana’s offer to drive him to Zuzu City that Shane had reluctantly agreed, putting a smile on the young doctor’s face. Luckily, he hadn’t had much chance to speak to him since. Once, a couple weeks ago, he had shown up at Lana's farm to pick up some of her homemade pickles while Shane avoided him by splitting logs out by her pond. Most often, he would see the doctor on the way to work on days he was running particularly late, watching him as he walked out of his clinic to head down the block in the direction of the saloon for the espresso he was known to buy almost every morning.

“So, are you going to pick up Jas?” Lana asked, stretching her arms above her head with a yawn. Shane hoped she didn’t notice the way his eyes had taken in her exposed midriff and glittering belly button ring before sliding back up to her face. “How’s she feeling, by the way?”

“Yeah, I am. And I’m not sure, I haven’t seen her since I started at the petting zoo. Hopefully her stomach isn’t bothering her so much anymore. Last night was pretty brutal. I know how excited she was for today, so she’s most likely trying to power through it.” He shook his head as he thought about how stubborn she could be, a trait inherited from her mother, Sasha.

“I’m sure she'll feel better once you show up to take her out for some fun,” she replied, giving him a reassuring look. “Does that previous offer of joining you two for some carnival games still stand? There’s still a few hours until the judging later this afternoon, and I kind of want to get my face painted for the occasion.”

“Yeah, if you want,” he replied, nodding casually in an attempt to disguise the thrill that shot through him at the thought of spending more time with her. “Sam told me Jas was with Marnie over by the area with all the games. Let’s go?”

“Lead the way, Zuzu.”

They set off together, talking about his shift at the petting zoo. He debated mentioning JojaCorp but elected to just tell her after the fair, not wanting it to unnecessarily worry her during a time she was supposed to be having fun. Eventually, the conversation led to the Ferris wheel they could see rising above everything else at the fair.

“You ready to ride the wheel later?” he asked her, slowing down in pace as they passed by it. “Maybe after we try our hand at the slingshot game?”

Lana looked warily up at the wheel, rotating slowly in a circle against the cerulean sky.

“I did promise Jas this morning I’d get on,” she responded, shrugging. “Can’t let her down, so I guess so.”

“Definitely can’t do that. But you’ll be okay. It’s not that tall or anything. Probably only sixty feet or so - a hundred max. Eh, maybe two hundred.”

She punched his arm playfully. “Shut up, don’t try to psych me out. I can do this. It’s just a dumb, giant circle, after all.”

“You’ve faced worse down in those mines for sure.”

She chuckled. “Exactly.”

When they found Jas, she was sitting solemnly on a bench while Marnie chatted with Caroline and Jodi. She practically skipped over to them once she saw them, grasping Shane’s hand with her own much smaller one. He looked down at her, giving her hair a soft ruffle with his free hand.

“How are you doing, kid?” Shane asked. “Feeling better?”

“Yes, a bit,” she replied. “I took a nap in Aunt Marnie’s truck earlier, and I was even able to eat a hot dog for lunch a little while ago.”

“Okay, good,” he said, almost sighing in relief, not wanting a repeat of the night before.

“Ms. Lana, are you coming with us to play some games?” Jas asked her shyly. “And get on the Ferris wheel?”

“You betcha, Jas,” Lana replied, smiling at her. “You ready to win some prizes first, though? I have my eye on this stuffed elephant with wonky ears that I saw at the slingshot game.”

“I want the unicorn!” Jas said, giggling. “And maybe the pink penguin! Oh! And I want to get my face painted!”

“Okay, okay - we’ll get to it,” Shane said, wincing as his stomach grumbled. “But I need to eat something, so let’s go do that first, okay?”

“I can take her to the face painting tent while you grab something, if you want,” Lana offered. “It usually takes a while for them to finish painting anyway, so you can meet us there once you’re done.”

“Really?” Both he and Jas spoke up in unison. A look of excited glee crossed his goddaughter’s face, which stirred something deep in his chest.

“Are you sure?” he asked her. Lana shrugged, looking a bit embarrassed now.

“It’s no problem,” she replied. “I wanted to get mine painted too, remember? This way we can do that while you finally eat… unless you want to get painted with us? Maybe a nice butterfly on your cheek?”

He shot her a smirk. “No, thanks, I’m good. Alright then, that works. Jas, you’re going to go with Lana then, okay? I’ll look for you guys once I’m done eating.”

“Okay!” He didn’t need to tell her twice. She let go of his hand and looked up at the farmer with an eager grin. “Let’s go!”

Lana threw him a wave goodbye over her shoulder as Jas led the way to the face painting tent on the other side of the game area.

“See you later?” she called out to him.

“Yes." He raised his voice to be heard over all the people around them. “I’ll find you when I’m done.”

He watched as they disappeared into the crowd before turning around to make his way through the fair again, this time to the far side near the fountain where Gus was cooking his barbecue. Luckily the line wasn’t too long, so he was able to quickly get to the front and buy a burger and chips to eat, also grabbing a soda in lieu of the pumpkin beer that still tempted him. Sitting down at one of the tables provided for the guests, he began to eat his burger, wolfing down more than half before putting it down to pop open his can of soda and take a long drink. He looked around in front of him, content to people-watch for a bit and more than a little glad to be off his feet after the hours he had to stand while at the petting zoo.

“Hey, man. Mind if I sit with you?”

Shane turned around in his seat, unable to believe his ears. Standing there with a matching plate in his hands was Sebastian, clad in his trademark black hoodie and jeans. He almost spit out the swig of soda he had just taken but swallowed it down his throat instead. The carbonation burned as it went down, forcing him to clear his throat before answering.

“Sure,” he replied warily, coughing once as Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him. “Go ahead.”

Sebastian sat down in front of him, placing his plate on the table along with a water bottle he grabbed from inside the pocket of his hoodie. Shane still couldn’t quite believe his eyes, even as Sebastian took a bite of his burger and ate some chips, cool as a cucumber. He looked in much better shape than the last time he saw him outside of Lana’s house, what with his bandaged hand, disheveled appearance, and dark eye circles visible even from Shane’s vantage point behind the bushes. His face looked less pale than it typically did, and there was a relaxed set to his jaw that was much different than the tense one he noticed on the sparse occasions they crossed paths before.

Sebastian looked up from his food and met his eyes finally as he chewed on his chips.

“So, how have you been?” he asked Shane taking a sip of the water bottle he brought.

“Uh - alright, I guess,” Shane replied, also sipping from his soda to do something with his hands, which were starting to get sweaty. “Just living life. And you? Heard you moved to the city.”

“I did,” Sebastian acknowledged.

After he didn’t elaborate, Shane pressed on out of a desire to end the awkward pause that emerged. “And how’s that going for you?”

“Really good, actually. The money is great, and it’s awesome having my freedom. Best decision I ever made.”

“That’s cool.”

There was a bitter taste on Shane's tongue now that almost reminded him of the beer he so desperately craved. Did Sebastian really just sit with him to gloat about his perfect life in Zuzu City? A part of him wanted to stand up and just walk away. He could feel the anxiety of being put into this situation building inside of him, mixing in with the deep-seated resentment he already harbored for Sebastian that was he result of witnessing him kissing the woman he was in love with. Still, he reluctantly had to admit that his binge drinking and subsequent hospitalization weren’t really Sebastian’s fault, even if seeing him with Lana had been the catalyst to his downward spiral. Jealous as he was of him, Shane knew that he himself was responsible for that. Still, he was baffled as to why Sebastian would want to eat with him when there were several open tables available, especially when he had never even so much as initiated a conversation with him before. A cold dread filled his insides as he was struck with the thought that maybe Sebastian was in town for Lana and was using him to get to her, especially with the next words out of his mouth.

“You here with farmer girl?” he asked him, tilting his head to the side. Some of his jet-black hair fell over one eye as he spoke. “I haven’t seen her around yet. Abby told me they went to check out the Fortune Teller together earlier, though.”

“Yeah, actually,” he replied, unable to resist somewhat smugly disclosing the next bit of information. “She’s with Jas right now getting their faces painted while I came to grab something to eat. I worked at the petting zoo all morning after helping set up her display for the contest.”

“I see,” Sebastian said, still impassively regarding him as he chewed his food. “Looks like things are pretty serious between you two. I’m happy for you guys.”

Shane wasn’t sure what surprised him more - the fact that Sebastian thought they were together, or his sentimental comment at the end that was uttered without any hint of sarcasm or passive-aggressiveness.

“We’re not together,” he responded, setting down the can of soda he was about to drink from. “It's not like that. We’re just friends.”

“You two aren’t dating?” Sebastian asked, raising his eyebrows.

For some reason, his cluelessness only served to irk Shane more.

“No,” he said curtly, not dropping his gaze from Sebastian’s, who only gave him a curiously pensive look in return. “We’re not.”

“Hey,” Sebastian said after a while, shrugging. “My bad. I thought you two were a couple by now, seeing as she's taking care of Jas for you and sh*t.” He paused, as if debating something internally before continuing. “I’m sure you noticed, but I had a thing for her. Still kind of do, honestly.”

“Yeah, I did notice.” Shane's tone was still clipped as he replied.

Sebastian shrugged, unashamed.“But I think that’s just the residuals of the crush, you know? It’ll fade eventually. There’s this other girl I'm already kind of seeing in the city, actually. Lives in my building.”

“That’s nice.”

Why the f*ck is Sebastian talking about this sh*t with me? Shane thought, dumfounded. What is he trying to get at with all this?

“Lana rejected me, basically,” Sebastian continued, chucking darkly. “Right before I moved to the city. She said there was someone else that made her happy. I figured that was you. You two seemed close enough at the time. And even now, apparently.”

Shane said nothing for a moment, stunned by his admission. Did this happen the night he saw them together? This conversation was getting weirder and weirder as it went on, but there was a sincere timbre in Sebastian’s voice that compelled him to sit tight in his seat instead of fleeing.

“Anyway, we haven’t really spoken since I last saw her before my move to Zuzu City, so I didn’t know if things ended up working out between you two or not. But from what you’re telling me, she’s still single. Hey, relax.” Sebastian held up a hand at the furious look that inadvertently crossed Shane’s face. “I didn’t come back to town to try again with Lana or anything. I’m not looking to get shot down twice. My mom made me come. That’s it, I promise.”

“It’s not my business who she’s with,” Shane replied, looking away from him. His burger sat on his plate, halfway-eaten and starting to get cold. “And you can come back here for whatever reason you want. Just like Lana can do whatever she wants too.”

“I know that. I'm just saying that’s not my objective here today. Look, I sat here with you because I was honestly just curious about what was going on between the pair of you. And I was too puss* to ask her about it directly, I guess. Rejection still stings after a few weeks, you know?”

“If you don’t want to be with her anymore, then what does it matter if she’s with me or not?”

“Lana’s a really special person. I mean, you must see it too. I can tell you’re pretty crazy about her.” Sebastian shrugged again as Shane opened his mouth and closed it, not quite able to form a reply. “She was there for me during a few times I was having trouble at home, and I just really appreciate that. I want her to be happy. She deserves it.”

“Yeah, she does.” Shane looked back up at him somberly. “That’s why we’re just friends now.”

Sebastian didn’t speak for a long moment, only regarding him through the shock of jet-black hair that had fallen partly over one eye. He glanced down at the soda now clutched tightly in Shane’s hand before looking back up at him with a silent nod.

“Well, life has a funny way of surprising you sometimes,” Sebastian said. The corners of his mouth tilted up in a genuine-looking smile. “Like me with the city. You never know what’s gonna come out of the blue and change everything.”

A chime rang out from his direction. He pulled up the sleeve of his right arm to reveal a smartwatch on his wrist, showing a phone icon labeled “WORK” flashing in green.

“Crap, gotta take this.” He finished up the last of his burger in a few quick bites, throwing the plate in the trashcan next to them as he stood up and putting his water bottle back into his pocket of his hoodie. “Hey, but it was nice talking to you, Shane. Really. And say hi to Lana for me, if I don’t get a chance. I’ll probably have to head back soon, from the looks of things.”

“Uh, sure,” Shane replied, caught even more off guard by his abrupt departure. “Nice talking to you too. I’ll do that”

“Oh, and Shane? Keep making her happy. As a friend or otherwise.”

He watched as Sebastian turned to walk away, taking out his cell phone from his jeans pocket to put up to his ear, answering his call. Shane blinked a couple of times, still in disbelief as his tall, dark figure slipped back into the crowd, disappearing among all the hustle and bustle.

What the f*ck just happened?

****

“Uncle Shane!”

He heard Jas calling him from her seat in the painter’s chair, part of a fairy already drawn on her face. Lana was standing next to her, facing away from him as he approached the tent. She turned toward him when he arrived, revealing a trio of brightly colored Junimos painted on one cheek.

“Interesting choice,” he said to her, leaning a bit closer to check out the artwork. She moved her auburn hair back behind her ear to better show off the design with a grin.

“Jas chose it, actually,” she shared, angling her cheek up toward him so he could see better. “She told me you guys read a book about them recently. I gotta say - she does have impeccable taste.” Lana wriggled her eyebrows at him, no doubt thinking about their secret back at the community center.

“I couldn’t decide what I wanted,” Jas admitted from her place in the chair. The painter worked on her cheek, adding purple glitter. “So I told Ms. Lana to go first until I could finally choose. Aren’t the Junimos on her face soooo cute?”

“Super cute,” he said, smiling at Lana, who turned slightly red and looked away with a nervous chuckle.

The unexpected conversation with Sebastian floated around his head as they waited for Jas’ fairy to be finished. Again, like with JojaCorp, he wasn’t quite sure when or if he should even mention it to Lana, who still had the remnants of her blush on her cheeks as she avoided his eye, clearly embarrassed by his compliment. He snuck glances at her as his goddaughter chattered away to them about Junimos and fairies, instead hearing Sebastian’s words in his ears.

“She said there was someone else that made her happy. I figured that was you.”

Had she really turned Sebastian down for him? She could as easily have been referring to someone else entirely, or maybe even lying to the guy to not hurt his feelings, but something told him that wasn’t the case. There was a reason that Sebastian had suspected it to be him in the first place, after all. Shane recalled the time they had all gone out to that bar in Zuzu City, when Lana had convinced him to dance with her. Sebastian had met Shane's eyes just as she led him out to the dance floor, taking a sip of the dark liquid in the glass he was holding while he watched them disappear into the crowd of people from his place back in the booth.

Shaking his head, he pulled himself out of his thoughts. He’d hold off on telling Lana about Sebastian for now, anyway, as well as the news about JojaCorp. In this moment, what was more important was spending time with her and Jas, who by now was holding up the mirror the face painter gave her to check out her artwork.

“Oh! I love it,” she said, touching the bare skin around it lightly with her fingers, taking care to not smear anything. She turned to the painter, a middle-aged woman with dyed pink hair and a friendly smile. “Thank you for painting my face. It’s beautiful.”

“No problem, kid,” she replied, clearly charmed by her. “The glitter was a nice addition. Good choice.”

Shane paid for both of their face paintings with the booklet of tickets he bought earlier before working at the petting zoo. He and Lana were quickly led by the hand to the carnival games, where Shane was finally able to win them the stuffed animals they wanted from the slingshot game. He hit every single target easily, still sharp from all his years playing pool and darts in darkened dive bars. Lana in particular had been highly impressed as he effortlessly used the slingshot, surprising even himself with how dead-on his aim was. She had even made another joke about bringing him down with her next time into the mine as extra protection, an idea he secretly wasn’t opposed to if it meant keeping her safe.

They even got on a few rides, including a small, kiddie roller-coaster that he could barely fit in, electing to send Lana alone with Jas instead. He managed to take a picture with his cell phone of them waving at him before the ride started. It was one of the few pictures he had of Lana besides the ones she used to send him, still saved in his gallery for his weaker moments.

They eventually found their way back to the Ferris wheel after a couple of hours. To their surprise, Jas fell back before they could step into the short line waiting to board. Shane and Lana stopped, turning back.

“What’s wrong Jas?” Shane asked, concern laced through his voice. “Not feeling up to going on any more rides?”

“No, I just forgot!” she said. “I told Vincent I would go on with him later. He’s scared of heights too, so I can’t let him down - we pinky promised. And I don’t want to get on it twice.”

He blinked, not buying her excuse. "What? Are you sure, Jazzy?"

"Yes, I'm sure." His goddaughter nodded solemnly. "It's a pinky promise, Uncle Shane."

“You definitely can’t break a pinky promise,” Lana spoke up, giving Shane a knowing look. “Those are sacred, after all.”

“Do you want to see if there’s something else we can go on?” he asked, still apprehensive. “Or maybe another game?”

“No, it’s okay,” Jas replied, chipper as can be. “Look, Ms. Penny is over there with Vincent and some other kids from our class now - can I go with them? She said she was going to take us to the petting zoo to learn about the animals.”

“I remember you mentioning that earlier,” Shane asked, craning his neck to look where she was pointing. Sure enough, Penny was there by the corn dog stand along with a small group of children around her, including Vincent, who was holding a half-eaten corn dog in his hand. “But didn’t you say you didn’t want to go because you already knew so much about animals from living on a ranch?”

“I changed my mind. There’s always more we can learn, Uncle Shane." Jas nodded wisely. "But you and Ms. Lana should still go on the Ferris wheel. Please?”

Her sudden change of mind was suspicious to say the least. There was something fishy about the innocently sweet look she was giving them both. But the possibility of riding the wheel alone with Lana was much too enticing for him to pass up, even if it was all obviously a setup by his clever goddaughter.

“Okay, go ahead,” he told her. “Have fun, but tell Ms. Penny to drop you off with Marnie when you’re done, okay?”

“Okay, I will,” she said, smiling happily, hugging her unicorn to her chest. Jas turned to Lana, looking up at her. “Have fun on the Ferris wheel, Ms. Lana. It’s not that high up, I promise. And Uncle Shane will be there to protect you.”

He cleared his throat loudly and put his hand on his goddaughter’s shoulder, patting it as he led her towards Penny. “Alright, alright - scram, kid. Be careful and don’t talk to strangers.”

“See you later, Jas,” Lana called out, wiggling her fingers in a wave as she held the elephant Shane won her in her other arm. “Say hi to the goats and chickens for me.”

He returned back to her once Jas was safely with her teacher, stepping into the line as he tried to avoid the smirk on her face.

“That was interesting,” she said, moving to make space for him. “She seemed so excited about it earlier.”

“I know,” he replied, rolling his eyes. They walked as the line began to move forward. “Are you sure you still want to get on? We don’t have to.”

“Yes,” she answered, giving the wheel towering above them a determined look. “I want to do it.” Glancing back at him over her shoulder, he saw that her smile had returned. “Besides, Jas said you’d be there to protect me, right?”

“Of course I will be.”

His reply came out more seriously than he intended, it being the truth, after all. Lana said nothing, only staring back up at the Ferris wheel, quiet for the rest of their time waiting in line. Before they knew it, they were seated in a passenger car, roomy enough for three people but still fairly close together as the ride operator lowered the safety rail over them. She placed her stuffed elephant on her other side, patting its head gently. He heard her breath hitch in her throat as the wheel began to turn, moving them with it so that they began to rise high above the fair.

“You okay?” he asked her, noticing her hands tightly gripping the rail as she peered down at everyone growing smaller below them.

“Oh, hah - yeah, I’m fine!” she responded with a nervous laugh. “It just moves a bit faster than I thought it would.”

Her eyes closed as they reached the apex of the circle before descending back down toward the ground. He saw her peeking every now and then as the wheel continued to rotate, taking them in a few complete circles before coming to a stop with them almost at the top with their passenger car facing the beach, visible over the sparsely-covered treetops of Cindersap Forest.

“Oh,” Lana gasped softly at the view as she finally opened her eyes. “I honestly thought I was gonna throw up there for a second. But now that we’ve stopped, it’s so damn pretty.”

Shane agreed but thought she looked much prettier, a rather corny thought he kept to himself as he stared out at the landscape with her.

“You know, I used to think the view from my apartment back in the city had a decent view,” she said after a minute, still facing ahead. “I could even see part of the Calgary Heights Bridge from the fire escape. I used to sit out there sometimes at night, looking at the sky and wishing it was dark enough to be able to see more stars. The city was always too bright - well, you know, you lived there too, after all. But Stardew Valley beats it by miles. I can see millions of stars every night I look up now.” She turned in her seat to look behind them, and he followed her gaze in the directions of the tall mountains set against the sky, seeing the glimmering lake at the base just visible in the distance. “It’s literally beautiful everywhere here.”

“It really is something,” he said quietly. They both turned to face forward again. It truly was picturesque here in every season, especially now as autumn was winding down, blanketing the town in brightly-colored leaves that were slowly beginning to fade away as winter approached. Even the ocean, which he wasn’t the biggest fan of, looked gorgeous, reflecting the orange sun that was beginning to move back down toward the horizon as the afternoon went on. He had never truly appreciated it up until now.

“Are you having a good time?” she asked him after a while, nudging him softly with her shoulder. He felt the skin under his jacket tingle in the spot where she touched him.

“Yeah, I am,” he replied with a nod. “What about you?”

“Oh, definitely. But I’m just glad you’re having fun. I was worried about today for you.”

“Me? How come?”

“Well, what with Jas being sick last night, and then you having to get up early to help me and Marnie before going to work at the petting zoo, it’s been quite an eventful day, I’m sure … and I know they’re selling beer everywhere you look. I was worried that it might be a lot of temptation.”

So she had noticed his longing glances to the pumpkin beer tent near the grange displays. He gave her a guilty look, caught in his desire to drink again.

“Yeah, uh - it’s been a little hard, not gonna lie,” he replied, rubbing the back of his head. “But I’ve been able to keep away from it so far. I had a soda with lunch, promise.”

“Hey, I believe you. Keeping busy today probably helped though, huh?”

“For sure,” he acknowledged. “I was telling Dr. Kenza on Saturday that finding things to distract myself has been keeping me away from it. I just gotta keep moving, that’s all. Keep taking it day by day.”

“That’s true,” she said, turning to face him slightly with an adamant look on her face. “But you tell me whenever the temptation gets to be too much, okay? Day or night, you call me or come over or whatever. I’ll be there to help you.”

“Thank you, Lana,” he said, hearing his voice crack a bit. He cleared his throat. “I don’t know how I can even begin to thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“Hey, there’s no need, remember?” She smiled reassuringly. “I know you’d do the same for me.”

“I would,” he admitted. “Honestly, I was more worried about you today. I know how stressed out you’ve been about this whole contest thing and winter coming up.”

Lana looked down at her hands as she replied in a softer voice.

“It has been really stressful lately. Fall was just such a busy season that I wasn’t exactly ready for, I think. And now I have to worry about making it through the winter on a slashed income, because I won’t be able to grow any crops. But it’s like you said - there’s no use worrying about it now. I’ve prepared as much as I can.”

He nodded. “Exactly. But I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to enjoy yourself today. I mean - It is your first time at the famous Stardew Valley Fair, after all.”

Lana chuckled. “Shane, you can relax. I’m having a lot of fun. It was a busy day for me too, even with a lot more social interaction than I’m used to nowadays. But it’s been amazing so far. I mean it.”

“Okay. If you’re having fun, then so am I.”

She just smiled at him before looking away back out at the view of the trees and water, her expression faraway and contemplative.

Casually, she remarked, “So, Jas asked about us today.”

Ah, f*ck, he thought, his stomach dropping at her words.

He felt his face heating up as he replied. “Really? Uh, what did she say?”

“She asked if I was your girlfriend,” Lana answered, fiddling with the oddly-shaped ears of her elephant. “While we were getting our faces painted.”

“sh*t, I’m sorry.” He winced as he imagined their conversation. “She asked me that once before, way back in summer.”

“No, it’s okay. It was an innocent question.” Lana asked, leaning back against her seat. “And she did? You never mentioned that to me before. What did you tell her?

“I didn't think I had to mention it to you. What did you tell her?” he countered, raising an eyebrow at her.

She chuckled. “I told her we’re best buddies, like she and Vincent are.”

His heart stuttered a bit even if it was the exact response he expected. “Oh, alright. Uh, yeah. That’s basically what I told her when she brought it up with me.”

While not exactly the full truth, he did tell Jas that they were just friends the first and only time she asked him about Lana, way back during one of their outings to the river. The farmer had just passed by them, no doubt on her way to the beach to fish. He waved hello back at the greeting she had called out to them before turning back to Jas, given away by the stupidly huge grin on his face.

“You always look so happy around Ms. Lana,” his goddaughter had told him, splashing around in the shallow water. “Are you two going to get married one day?”

It had been a jarring question, but he had regained his composure to answer Jas that he and Lana were just pals, because back then, that’s really all they were. That was before he kissed her the night they returned from the bar in Zuzu City, before she invited him to stay over at her house for the first time after the Night of the Moonlight Jellies. Even so, by that time, he had already long fallen for her, something that his perceptive goddaughter had picked up on, so much so that she was compelled to ask him about her in a tone that seemed to him almost wistful at the time. Now, as he sat with Lana in a Ferris wheel, he realized that Jas must have been secretly hoping that they’d end up together, maybe even imagining the farmer as a mother figure to her one day. His heart sputtered a bit at the thought, knowing it was absurd to even think about. Something like that would be a long way off, even if they weren’t right back at square one when it came to being anything more than friends. Next to him, Lana also appeared lost in thought, no doubt mulling over the situation with Jas.

“She’s such a smart kid,” she spoke up after another minute of silence or so. “So curious about everything. I remember being like that, when I was her age. I wasn’t really into books or anything, but I loved things like animals and movies and music, always trying to learn as much as possible about the things around me.” She paused, clearing her throat. “When my dad died, I just… kinda stopped doing that. So to see Jas still so eager about the things she loves even after everything that happened to her - I don’t know, it just makes me happy.”

“You lost your dad when you were a bit older than she was, though,” he told her quietly, not able to resist putting his hand on top of hers this time, which was still holding firmly onto the guard rail. “It must have been more difficult for you, I think, to get over something like that at that age.”

“I know,” Lana said, still not looking at him but also not making a move to remove her hand from under his. “It’s okay, it just took me a little longer to find my way back to myself, if that makes any sense. And I’m still not quite there, to be honest.”

“I like who you are now, though.”

She glanced at him now, smiling sadly at him. “Thanks Shane. I like who you are too. I have since the day we met at the Stardrop Saloon.”

He wanted to kiss her so badly, but she once again turned away from him, still holding a pensive look in her green eyes. Lana still hadn’t removed her hand, but her fingers remained impassive underneath his, tense to the point of almost being almost stiff. Impulsively, he took his hand off of hers, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

“You know, it’s funny,” she spoke up after a while, the corner of her mouth lifted in a small smile. “I’ve never been good with kids. It's not that I don’t like them, don’t get me wrong. I just - I don’t know, I just never really had the chance to be around them as an adult, so they’ve never really been something I’ve even thought about too much. I’ve sometimes wondered if I’m even meant to have them. But it was really a lot of fun hanging out with Jas today. And she seems to like me, so I guess I’m not as bad with kids as I thought.”

“Yeah, she thinks you're great,” he assured her. “And I know what you mean. I was the exact same way before I got custody of Jas. f*cking clueless about kids. People would hand me them sometimes and I wouldn’t know what to do with them. I’d want to just put them down somewhere and walk away.”

“Hah - yeah. Same here. I’ll stick with Winston and my farm animals for now.”

They went quiet again. Shane looked down at the ground, now wondering why they had been stuck in one place for so long. He saw the ride operator standing off to the side, talking to another man in a similar uniform who was pointing up at the Ferris wheel.

“Looks like we’re stuck,” he informed her, and she followed his gaze to see what was happening.

“Ah, crap,” she said, seeing another man in uniform join the other two below with some sort of large tool in his hand. “I think you’re right. Do you think Jas somehow planned this part out too?”

“Oh, uh - you caught that too, huh?” he asked, feeling his cheeks heat up. She laughed, shaking her head.

“I did,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Quite sneaky of her. She got lucky Penny was nearby, though.”

“I swear I didn’t ask her to do that,” Shane sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose in consternation. “I mean, I don’t mind riding alone with you, but I wouldn’t - I know you and I aren’t - uh, well, we’re not -”

He sputtered out halfway through his sentence. The day was just getting more and more anxiety-inducing for him, starting with Jas getting sick in the wee hours of the morning. Sebastian’s sudden appearance while he was just trying to get a bite to eat had almost knocked him off course when he already felt so precariously balanced on his mental tightrope. Now, inadvertently, Jas had put him on the spot about what the hell was going on between him and Lana, and he didn’t know what to say because the things he wanted to say probably weren't going to help his dilemma one bit.

“Shane,” Lana said, now turning toward him in her seat. “It’s okay. Really, I understand. I know what me and you can be right now, and what we can’t.” She dropped her head, speaking more quietly now. “Seeing you that day, out by the cliffs - that really scared me, Shane. If Krobus hadn’t found you and helped me out afterwards, I don’t know what would have happened. The storm got really bad as the night went on. And you were really close to the edge.”

“Lana,” he said, feeling like absolute sh*t from what he had put her through. “I’m so sorry, I -”

“No.” Her response forcefully cut him off. “Don’t ever apologize to me for that. I accepted the first apology from you because I knew you had to get it off your chest, but you don’t need to be sorry for what happened. I’m just relieved that I was able to help you. Harvey said that it was lucky you made it to his clinic to get treated in time for the alcohol poisoning. When you came to me to apologize and tell me that you were going to start going to therapy - I don’t know, it just really made me think about how this could be what finally helps you overcome this. I lost a friend once to alcohol, and I don’t ever want it to happen again.”

He said nothing, unable to think of anything to say in response to her.

She spoke up again instead. “You and I … we’re good like this,” Lana met his gaze resolutely. “And you made it clear before that you think that this is how we should keep things.”

“Are you talking about that day you found me passed out in my room?” he asked, wincing at the memory. “f*ck, I didn’t mean any of that Lana. I was in a really bad place mentally, and physically, to be honest. I was feeling like absolute sh*t from all the beer I drank the night before.”

“I mean, even if that’s true, you were kind of right Shane. I don’t think that we should be worried about something like this when there’s more important things at stake here. Like you getting sober, and focusing on Jas. You’re basically her dad now, Shane. I know she calls you “uncle” and everything, but at the end of the day, you’re the one who’s responsible for her. And you’re doing a great job with her. Believe me. I can see it in the way she looks at you. So, keep doing what you’re doing. Me and you - we'll be okay.”

He said nothing, only looking into her eyes and hating how he agreed with every single word she said.

“You’re right,” he reluctantly agreed. “That’s what I need to focus on. But I like doing stuff like this too. Hanging out with you on Ferris wheels and sh*t. I don’t want to lose... to lose that.”

“Well, I like riding Ferris wheels with you too. Look, Shane- it doesn’t need to be so complicated. Let's just enjoy each other’s company. You’re one of the few people I can stand being around for hours on end. And Nellie would be devastated to hear you’re not coming around to give her a milking once a week anymore.”

“Don’t say it like that, you weirdo.” He laughed weakly. "I usually can’t stand people for more than five minutes, so I know what you mean. But honestly? If I could find the time, I’d be around to help out at your farm more, or even at Marnie’s ranch. Anything would be better than f*cking JojaMart.”

“Hey, well, maybe come spring, when I up-size my barn and field, I can afford to pay you for more work. I have a lot of plans for the place.”

There was a sudden loud noise. The Ferris wheel creaked into motion again, their passenger car lurching forward as the wheel began to turn once more. Lana leaned forward to wrap her arms over the guard rail, squeaking softly in surprise. He chuckled as he patted her back, stabilizing her a bit.

“Never heard that sound come out of you before,” he said, smirking down at her.

“Oh, shut up,” she mumbled, still slouching over the rail as they descended to the bottom of the wheel. The ride attendant was slowly letting passengers out of the cars in front of them once they got to the ground. After a couple minutes, it was their turn, and they exited the ride to walk back out to the fair. They found themselves by some planters filled with sunflowers, most likely planted by Alex’s grandma Evelyn. Not too far away, she could be found in a small stand selling bouquets of her flower arrangements.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Lana said, putting a hand on her hip as she looked up at the wheel. “Thanks, Shane. Now I can cross it off my bucket list.”

“No problem,” he replied.

Now that they were back on the ground, he felt a strange melancholy feeling spreading through his body as though it were coming up from the very dirt itself. The heartfelt words they exchanged up in the blue sky seemed so far away now. Lana stood apart from him, holding the stuffed elephant to her chest. Before he could open his mouth to continue the conversation they had been having on the Ferris wheel, she gasped, slapping her forehead.

“Crap, what time is it?” she asked, pulling her cell phone out of her back pocket. “It’s 4:45 - we should head back to my display. The contest is about to start. Come on, let’s go.”

She began to walk hurriedly in the direction they needed to go but stopped when she saw that he had fallen behind, still in the same spot.

“I’m actually gonna go to the bathroom first,” he said, putting his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He felt a hole in the fabric, sticking a finger through to fiddle with the t-shirt he was wearing underneath. “I’ll meet you there after. You go ahead so you’re not late. You still have to check in, remember?”

“Alright, but hurry up, okay?” she said, already taking a few tentative steps backward, clearly in a rush. She was smoothing down her hair nervously, tied back today in a long ponytail secured at the top of her head. “I’ll see you over there, then. Wish me luck before I go?”

“You’re not gonna need it, trust me. I know you’re going to win. But good luck. I’ll see you over there.”

She nodded determinedly and turned around, making her way back on the side of the fair where the contest was being held. He waited for her to disappear into the crowd before following in the same direction, walking until he saw a small tent selling funnel cake and pumpkin ale, another spot he noticed on his initial walk back from the petting zoo. It was far enough from the grange displays that Lana and Marnie wouldn’t see him but close enough that he could quickly make it to them once he was done. Shane looked up at the tent, sorrow spreading through his veins as he thought about everything that had happened today, the last few months, the past few years. His entire lifetime. He knew that the finish line he was apparently running for was somewhere down the line eventually, but right now, he didn't want to think about it anymore. All he wanted was a f*cking drink.

He was about to step into line when he heard his name called out somewhat frantically behind him.

“Shane?”

It was Penny, holding a tearful Jas by the hand. The front of the dress she was wearing was covered in vomit, and her face was splotchy and red from crying.

“Oh, no - Jas,” he breathed, meeting her as they walked toward him. He dropped down to a knee and grabbed her gently by the shoulders. “What happened? You threw up again?”

“It seems that Vincent shared the rest of his corn dog with her before we went into the petting zoo,” Penny answered when the little girl’s eyes only filled up with tears again. “She started feeling queasy a little while later, but I was able to get her to the restroom before she threw up. She got some on herself though, and she told me that Marnie keeps a spare pair of clothes for her in her truck, but I haven’t been able to find her.”

“She’s probably getting ready for the contest,” Shane said, brushing some of Jas’ curly hair away from her face. “I’ll take her - she usually keeps it unlocked. Come on Jas, let’s go.”

Without waiting for Penny to reply, he scooped his goddaughter up, holding her in his arms so that her head came to rest on his shoulder.

“Thanks Penny,” he told her, really hating the distrustful look now spreading over her delicate features.

“Okay, but I’ll let Marnie know what happened if I see her, okay?” she informed him warily, but he was already moving away. Penny cupped her hand around her mouth to make her voice louder as she called to them. “I hope you feel better, Jas! Stay home from school tomorrow!”

Shane kept his head low as he maintained a hurried pace, walking over to the small lot where Marnie had moved her rundown truck after unloading for her display.

“Dammit, Jas,” he said quietly to her. “Why did you eat that corn dog when you knew your stomach had already been bothering you? Didn’t you already eat with Marnie earlier?”

“I just was hungry again,” she sniffed, no doubt doing her best to not start crying again. “I didn’t finish the hot dog I had with Aunt Marnie, only half. And I only had a few bites of Vincent’s food, I promise!”

Shane didn’t reply as he kept walking, rubbing her back as tears began to slide down her face. Mercifully, they made it to Marnie’s truck only a couple minutes later. He opened the passenger side door to grab the small backpack on the seat. Digging through the clothes inside, he was struck with the glum thought that bringing a backpack like this for Jas was something he would never have even thought about on his own. He made the firm decision that from now on, he’d carry a backpack like this wherever they went together just in case of situations like this arose. He was through with being a sh*tty guardian to his best friend's daughter.

Finally, he found a pair of pants and a flowery blouse, pulling them out.

“Okay, Jazzy, come on up here,” he said to her. Still sniffling, she climbed up into the truck. He began helping her change out of her soiled clothes into the clean ones. “Don’t cry. It’s okay, it happens. Hey, it even happened to me a little while ago.”

He grimly remembered how he was found by Lana with vomit all over him after passing out by the cliffs but pushed both the thought of her and that night firmly out of his mind.

“I’m sorry,” Jas sobbed as he gently slipped the shirt over her head. “I should have s-stayed home today. But I was so e-excited about the fair. And hanging out with y-you and Ms. Lana. My tummy hurts, Uncle Shane.”

He wiped the tears from her cheeks, no longer chubby like they used to be when he first came into care of her.

“I know, Jas. Let’s go home, okay? But we gotta grab the keys from Marnie first. Do you want to wait here in the truck while I go get them?”

“N-no." She reached out to him. “I want to go with you.”

He picked her up from the seat of the truck, and she wrapped her small body around him so that her cheek was once again nestled against his shoulder. Closing the door, he began to walk in the direction of the grange display contest, hoping he’d be able to make it there before the judging started. His heart sank as he approached the area with all the displays and saw a large crowd had already gathered. He could barely see Marnie standing on the other side of the large group of people, next to Lewis, Lana, Pierre, and the few other contestants that joined.

“sh*t,” he whispered under his breath, seeing that it was too late.

“Language,” Jas mumbled against his shoulder. He rolled his eyes and stretched up on his tiptoes so that he could see what was going on.

“It is my absolute pleasure to announce to you today the winner of our annual grange display contest.” Mayor Lewis was speaking into a microphone that didn’t seem to be turned on. He hit it a couple of times against his palm, eventually tossing it over his shoulder when it wouldn’t function. He began to yell loudly into the crowd instead. “The judges have completed their evaluation of all of these amazing displays and all of the incredible-looking products that Stardew Valley has to offer.”

The crowd cheered a bit at his words, delivered enthusiastically by the mayor who was wearing a suit and bowtie for the occasion. He could see Lana on the far side of the small stage they had set up, nervously fiddling with her fingers. The trio of painted multi-colored Junimos was still visible on one cheek. She didn’t appear to notice him at the back of the crowd. The mayor cleared his throat and opened up the small envelope in his hand, pausing dramatically before taking out the piece of paper that was inside.

“And the winner is …” He unfolded the paper to read it. Shane saw his thick, grey eyebrows disappear up into the brim of his hat as he announced the winner. “Display number two - Ms. Lana Rose Abernathy!”

He only saw the absolute shock flit across her features for a second before his view was blocked as the crowd in front of him broke out into loud, animated applause. Moving from his spot to try and see better, he watched as Mayor Lewis walked over to Lana to shake her hand and give her a star-shaped trophy, stepping around Pierre who hadn’t budged from his spot in front of his stand with a look of complete outrage on his face.

“I must say, this victory is quite deserved!” Lewis called out. There was still a slightly dazed look on Lana’s face as she shook hands with the mayor. “Congratulations, my dear! I present this trophy to you as a symbol of your win here today. I’m sure you’ll find a nice spot for it up at that farm of yours. Anything you want to say to our fine guests today?”

“Uh, well, thank you, Mayor Lewis.” He could barely hear Lana’s voice over the buzz of the crowd. She held up the trophy in both hands with an embarrassed smile. “Um - this is for my dad, Oliver Abernathy. And my grandpa, Jim, who owned the farm that I now make my living from. And where all of the products on my display came from. So, thanks. For this trophy, I mean. Uh, that’s it. I’m gonna stop talking now.” Clearly a bit overwhelmed, she backed away from the mayor, once again giving him the limelight. Shane couldn't help but smile to himself at her abysmal public speaking skills.

“Okay, great speech!” Lewis turned back to the crowd with a flourish, still hollering to make himself heard. Shane could still see Pierre sulking over on the other side of the stage with his wife Caroline now behind him, sympathetically patting his back. “Well, that’s it, folks! Thank you all for coming today, and please enjoy the rest of the day here at the wonderful Stardew Valley Fair!”

The crowd cheered again, and some people began moving forward to congratulate Lana. Shane got stuck behind, still holding onto Jas as he looked around again for Marnie, no longer seeing her as the people began to disperse. Huffing in frustration, he walked a bit closer to the displays, hoping to see where she had gone. Unable to find her, he instead observed Lana holding her trophy in front of her display, now being congratulated by Sam and Abigail. He hesitated, knowing that he should go find Marnie to get the keys to her truck but not wanting to leave before getting a chance to say congrats to Lana.

Before he could make a move, however, he noticed Sebastian standing nearby at the edge of the small crowd that was left, also watching Lana and his friends with a brooding look on his face. But instead of walking over to them like Shane thought he would, he stepped backward, pulling a carton of cigarettes out the pocket of his jeans. He shook one out and put it in his mouth, eyes snapping up to meet Shane’s just as he held up a lighter up to his face. They lingering there only for a couple of seconds before Sebastian gave him a curt nod, and, without a word, he lit the cigarette and walked away in the direction of the parking lot Shane had just come from, leaving behind a trail of exhaled smoke in his wake.

Shane stared after him in bewilderment, freeing an arm from around Jas to bring his hand up to run through his hair with an exasperated sigh. Turning around, he craned his neck again to look for Marnie, but his gaze once again drifted to Lana, who by now was joined by Leah and Elliot. With an abrupt decision, he started to walk over to her, having convinced himself that it would only take a moment to talk to her while at the same time fully aware that he was just craving her presence one final time before he’d have to go home for the day.

Before he could get to her, he saw someone emerge from the moving mass of people around them, also walking purposely in the direction of the group. It was Harvey, who wore a pair of neat-looking khakis and a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, clutching a bouquet of sunflowers and daisies tightly in his hand as he approached everyone. Shane stopped in his tracks and watched as he strode straight up to Lana and stood in front of her, extending his arm up toward her to offer her the flowers. The look of surprise that popped up on her face probably matched the one on Shane’s own, but she still accepted the bouquet, taking it from Harvey with her free hand. From where he was standing, he couldn't hear what the doctor was telling her, but he saw her face break out into a sheepish grin as he spoke, nodding along to whatever he was saying.

Jas gave a loud hiccup that yanked him out of the small stupor he was in. He soothed her with a quiet murmur, looking up again to see Harvey, tall and apparently broad-chested underneath the white lab coat he typically donned, now picking up the bottle of Lana's cranberry wine on her display to hold up between the two of them. The doctor had grown a small beard to accompany his mustache, partially hiding the shy smile that had appeared on his lips.

His goddaughter hiccuped again, this time whimpering softly into his jacket. Head still spinning, Shane turned away from them, hitching Jas up more securely in his arms. He hugged her tight to him, staring blankly ahead at the packs of people moving around him until he could feel his legs again. He focused on a single thought, drowning out everything else around him.

Just keep moving.

“Come on, kid,” he whispered to Jas. “Let’s go find Marnie. I think it’s time me and you went home.”

Chapter 21: Ghosts

Chapter Text

The night before Spirit’s Eve

Lana and Shane made their way across the moonlit field back towards town, ambling together slowly through long, amber grass that crunched underneath them with each step they took.

They were heading home from a late night visit to the community center where Lana had just dropped off some maple syrup for the Junimos. The air was chilly and already tinged with the frostiness of the upcoming winter, due to officially commence in only a few days. She shivered quietly to herself despite the thick sweater she was wearing, wishing that she brought a scarf to cover her exposed neck. Next to her, Shane appeared to be equally as cold in the blue JojaMart jacket he always threw on over everything. He had offered it to her a couple of times already, but she refused, knowing he’d need it for the walk back no matter how adamantly he protested otherwise. Judging from the way his nose was tinged pink from the chill, she was indeed right.

“Thanks again for coming with me,” Lana spoke up, watching her breath swirl out in front of her. She could hear the hooting of an owl from somewhere in the trees behind them. “I couldn’t find time during the day to make it all the way over here, and tomorrow will be so busy with our trip to the city for your therapy session and then Spirit’s Eve later at night.”

“No worries,” Shane replied. “The video game I was playing was getting boring anyway. I’ve already beat it like four times, now that I think about it. Besides, I missed those little guys.”

“They were pretty happy to see us, weren't they?” Lana said, meeting his eyes with a smile. “I would’ve dropped off the syrup for them after I was done with everything at the farm, but Rasmodius wouldn’t shut the hell up when I went to pay him a visit.”

“How’d that go?” Shane asked, raising an eyebrow. “Any update on Morris or that Void guy?”

“No,” she responded darkly, remembering their earlier conversation well. “No update at all.”

She had knocked on the door of the wizard’s tower right as dusk was emerging, determined on getting some answers. It had been a few months without word from Morris, but the news from Shane last week about JojaCorp being at the fair had been stuck on her mind like some sort of irksome parasite. Her visit afterwards with Lewis hadn’t been any help either - he only told her that they had been there to ask a few questions about the mine and quarry along with their usual peskiness regarding the sale of the community center. She brought this fact up to Rasmodius on her visit, but still, he insisted that there was nothing to worry about, no matter how stubbornly she persisted in peppering him with questions and her own theories.

“He’s gone, my dear,” the wizard had told her. “Last time I monitored his whereabouts, Morris was home with his family. I suspect he wasn’t up to whatever task the Void put him up to. He’s most likely just keeping his distance from the valley, knowing that he wouldn’t be well-received.”

“I just don’t think we should completely let our guard down,” she replied, sitting down in one of his plush armchairs. A half-empty cup of tea was getting cold on the table in front of her. “The Junimos agree with me, by the way. They don’t think we should count Morris out just yet.”

“Oh, those little creatures are always paranoid,” the wizard assured her as he stood in front of her, leisurely drinking from his own levitating teacup. He had just returned from some mysterious journey and was still dressed in a fine-looking velvet tunic and matching purple pointed boots. “It’s part of their nature. That’s how they’ve survived hidden away in the trees for all these centuries. In fact, now that most of the monsters have retreated back to the mine, I’m surprised they haven’t returned to the forest.”

“They like the community center.” Lana sank lower into her seat and crossed her arms moodily. “It’s their home now.”

“Yes, but when it’s completely repaired and open to the townspeople once more, what’ll become of them? They’ll have to return to their original home. And now that the monsters are gone, they’ll be safe again. So rejoice, my dear. Your little friends will be just fine. Now, drink your tea and settle in - I have a lucrative quest for you that involves some pesky ghosts that reside deep in that mine you so often frequent...”

Back on their walk back from the community center, Shane had grown silent along with her as she pondered over her earlier conversation with the wizard, no doubt lost in his own thoughts too. She knew that he had also been pretty occupied lately with all the energy he was devoting to Jas and keeping sober, which was why she was so grateful to squeeze out this little extra bit of time with him tonight. He had been a little quieter than usual on their initial walk but otherwise seemed fine, instantly agreeing when she first called to see if he’d join her. A small part of her felt guilty for asking him to come with her when she easily could have made the trek alone, but it was easily overshadowed by her enduring desire to see him again.

Lana snuck a glance at him as they walked together through the grassy field. His dark hair was disheveled and sticking up in messy waves, blending in nicely with the scruff on his jaw. She wanted to run her fingers through it but had to settle for kicking away a rock on the ground in front of her instead, moping like a child. No matter how deeply she longed for the way things used to be between them, she knew that she had to stand by what she had told him the day of the fair while they were on that terrifying Ferris wheel. There was no way she could let her feelings for him get in the way of things she knew were more important for them to focus on right now.

“So anyway,” Lana cleared her throat and spoke up again, feeling a need to change the subject. “How’s Jas doing? Is she excited to get all dressed up in her costume tomorrow?”

“Oh, beyond excited,” Shane replied, smiling down at her. Her stomach did an irritating little flip-flop at the sight of the small crinkles around his eyes. “Emily finally brought it over for her yesterday, and she almost cried from happiness. Between Spirit’s Eve and the fair, she’s having the time of her life. What about you? Are you dressing up?”

Lana laughed. “I haven’t dressed up for Spirit’s Eve since sophom*ore year in college. I still have the costume from the last party I went to, I think. What - do a lot of people dress up here?”

“Are you kidding me?” he asked with a short chuckle. “Everyone in town shows up wearing something. They love Spirit’s Eve around here.”

“You better not be lying to me so that I show up as the only grown-ass person in a costume, Shane.”

“I’m offended you’d think I’d do that.” He smirked as she narrowed her eyes at him.

“It sounds exactly like something you’d do.”

Shane shrugged, still looking devilish. “Go ask Marnie then, or Leah. They’ll confirm it. Everyone dresses up here for the festival. Grown-ass people and all. At least that’s how it’s been in the few years I’ve lived here.”

“So that means you’re going to dress up.” Lana stopped walking now and put her hands on her hips as she faced him. “What are you going to be?”

“Same thing I go as every year.” He stopped too, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. “A pirate. I bought the costume on clearance ages ago for this party I got invited to. I wear it every year. It’s the perfect costume. Simple, classic, dashing -”

“Okay, okay, I get it.” Lana rolled her eyes, irritated that now she’d have to factor in something to wear for tomorrow in addition to everything else on her plate. “Ugh. I’m going to have to use my old costume. It’s honestly kind of embarrassing now that I look back at it.”

“What is it?” Shane asked, eyeing her curiously.

She shook her head. “You’ll see it tomorrow.”

“Boo. That’s not fair. I told you what I was going to be.”

“I have to see if it still even fits. If it doesn’t, I’ll just cut eye holes in a sheet, throw it over my head, and call it a day.”

“Fine then, don’t tell me, jerk. But I’ll remember this.” He yawned, stretching his arms above his head in a rather adorable sleepy way. It prompted her to follow suit, suddenly feeling drowsy herself. It must be almost midnight at this point. Another owl hooted somewhere in the distance as if to punctuate her thought.

She nudged him to continue walking, knowing they should both hurry home to get some sleep. “Yeah, yeah, cry me a river. Come on, Zuzu. Let’s go.”

Shane chuckled fondly as they began walking again. “Man, I remember a bedsheet ghost was my go-to costume as a kid. Along with an old pillowcase as a candy bag.”

“Too lazy to look for a real costume?” she teased.

“No, uh, my mom never bothered to buy or make me one.”

“Really? Why not?”

“I don’t know, honestly,” he replied. She glanced up to see a perplexed expression on his face as though he had never really thought about it before. “That’s just how it was. She’d always forget about it, I guess. Keeping track of holidays wasn’t really her thing. Or birthdays.”

She couldn’t remember the last time he had mentioned his mother, who she only knew had been out of the picture for the last few years now. He mentioned her less often than he did Jas’ paternal grandparents. A few weeks ago, the little girl had let slip during her trip to Lana’s farm that they had been unable to make it to the valley to see her due to the ongoing medical problems with Derek's father. Later, Lana had once again suggested bringing Jas along during one of Shane’s therapy appointments so they could visit them afterwards, but he had yet to take her up on the offer.

“That doesn’t sound very motherly of her,” Lana said, struggling to keep up with him as his pace grew faster. By now, they were almost at the start of the trail leading back down to town. The community center was nothing but a shadowy form behind them, almost completely shrouded by mist.

“Yeah, well,” Shane responded, keeping his gaze ahead. “Even when I was a kid, there wasn’t a lot about her that could be called ‘motherly.’”

“She’s Marnie’s younger sister right?”

“Yeah, by a few years. They grew up at the ranch with their parents, who died a long time ago and left it to Marnie. I think my room even used to be my mom’s at one point.”

Lana recalled the photographs of a kind-faced elderly couple she’d seen on the walls at Shane’s house. There were a few that included Marnie at various ages and even a couple pictures of Shane and Jas, but she had never seen his mother in any of them. In fact, she had no idea what she even looked like, only knowing her name to be Cassandra.

“So Marnie’s lived here her entire life, then?” she asked, curious.

“Basically,” he replied. “I think she lived in Zuzu City with my mom for a couple of years before she had to move back here to take care of her parents before they died.”

“And then she never left?”

“And then she never left.”

Lana was quiet for a moment, taking in this information. She wondered what Marnie had left behind in the city, and whether it had been difficult for her to make the choice to return to Stardew Valley. And there still remained one big question - just where was Shane’s mother now? There was a shuttered look on his face that made it clear to her that he wasn’t too comfortable talking about her.

“And what about your mom?” he asked her before she could change the subject. “I never hear anything about her from you.”

“There’s not much to say, that’s why,” she replied, shaking her head. Complicated would be the easiest way to describe the relationship she had with her mother. It was true that she avoided bringing her up with Shane, just as she knew he did with his own. “We love each other, but we’re just …. very different people. I think she resents who I turned out to be.”

“Why do you say that?” His voice was quiet as they walked, mixing in with the sound of their footsteps on the pebbles and dry grass. Lana paused for a moment before answering, struggling to find the right words.

“I don’t know. I was too argumentative, I guess, or too rebellious. Nothing like her or Ella. And to be fair, I did give her a lot of grief, as a teenager especially. I just hated how she’d always use my dad whenever she’d try to discipline me - ‘Your father would be ashamed of how you’re behaving! ’” She mimicked her mother’s breathy voice with an eye roll. “It really sucked all around for everyone, including Ella. But she was right, probably. He would be ashamed of some of the things I’ve done.”

“We’ve all done things to be ashamed of. I know I have.” He broke his steady gaze on the ground in front of him to look at her again, shaking his head emphatically. “It wasn’t fair of her to throw that at you, though.”

“I know. I try not to beat myself too much about it anymore. But yeah, my mom means well. We still don’t talk much, just through text every now and then. I’m trying to go visit them soon. She wasn’t too happy about me quitting my job and moving here, furious even. But at the end of the day, it was my decision. And I think it was the right one.”

“Hey, as long as you’re happy right? Isn’t that the big goal for everyone in life, or whatever?”

She smiled sadly. “I guess my mom’s idea of happiness is a bit different than mine.”

Shane was quiet for a moment, looking pensive. “Has she ever even been to the farm before? Back when your grandpa was still there?”

“No, at least not after she married my dad,” Lana replied, trying to think back. Her mom rarely mentioned their life before her father died. “You know, she actually met him at the university he worked at before we all moved to Zuzu City. She worked in the financial aid office there before quitting to become a stay-at-home mom once she had me.”

“Oh, yeah - you aren’t originally from the city. Where were you born again? I feel like I should know this.”

“Upstate, in Grampleton, right next to the university. We didn’t move to the city until after Ella was born so my dad could take a job at Zuzu City College. Grampleton’s where my mom’s family is from. But I’m not really close to any of them. They’re a bunch of snooty assholes, from what I can remember. I know my mom grew up pretty wealthy as a kid.”

“She never came back to visit Stardew Valley when your dad would bring you as a kid?”

“Nope. Never seemed to be a fan of the place, honestly. I remember she’d even argue with my dad whenever he’d mention wanting to bring me and my sister again. Sometimes it would turn into a huge fight, and they never fought otherwise, so it was weird. To this day, I have no idea why.”

“Why don’t you ask her?”

Lana shrugged. “I mean, at this point, what does it matter? I won’t invite her here unless she offers to visit. I’ll do my daughterly duty by visiting her and my step-dad for dinner eventually, but that’s it. We’ve had separate lives for a while now, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love her.”

“I guess that’s all you can do.” He shot her a sympathetic glance. “I don’t envy you though. Family dinners are the f*cking worst. Luckily I didn’t have to endure too many. What about your step-dad? He an asshole like my dad was, or what?”

“Earl? I’d say he’s the personification of the color grey." She shrugged. "He’s alright, I guess.”

“But not your dad.”

“Yoba, not even close. No one could ever be him. My dad was amazing. One in a trillion.”

And she meant every word. Her father had been her best friend as a child, the person that she looked to for guidance more than anyone. He had always seemed so infinitely wise to her and was always there when she needed him, right up until he couldn’t be. Even so, she had to admit that Earl seemed to genuinely care for her mother and tactfully never asked her nor Ella to ever call him anything besides his name, seeming to accept from the start that he never stood a chance against the memory of their beloved father.

“I don’t think you ever told me what your dad used to do,” Shane said, squinting into the foggy distance. “As a job, I mean.”

“At the community college in Zuzu City, he taught classes in Anthropology. But before, when he was at Grampleton University, he had a position within the school’s Department of Archaeology.”

“No way - that’s pretty f*cking cool. Like dinosaurs and sh*t?”

“No, dummy. That’s paleontology. Archeology focuses on ancient artifacts. He’d excavate and study material remains left behind by human activity.”

“Right, right…” Shane nodded, looking slightly disappointed. “Not as cool as dinosaurs, but I guess that’s still pretty interesting.”

She rolled her eyes and continued. “Yeah, but he never spoke much about that part of his life. I just knew he use to travel sometimes to the Calico Desert for his research back when he was at Grampleton University. I think he’d even visit the valley every now and then too. Gunther at the library once told me they worked together on some artifacts my dad’s team found buried nearby. He’s one of the few people in town that remember my dad.”

“Wait, what? I thought your dad grew up here in the valley.”

“Nope. He and my grandpa are actually from the Fern Islands.”

“I didn’t know that.” Shane raised his eyebrows. “Holy sh*t - you mean all the way out in the middle of the Gem Sea?”

Lana winced. She didn’t often bring up her family’s ancestry, as it often garnered the same surprised reactions as Shane’s. The Fern Islands were mysterious and exotic to most people, located far away from the mainland of the Ferngill Republic and closer to the Gotoro Empire, the original settlers of the archipelago centuries ago. She had never been there, and her father also rarely spoke of his childhood on the islands, always telling people he was from Stardew Valley whenever asked.

“Yup,” she replied. “After my grandmother died, they moved to the valley, where grandpa bought land for dirt cheap. That’s where he built the farm. But Dad was already a teenager by then, so after a few years, he left grandpa behind to move to Grampleton so he could go to the university there. He stayed when they offered him a job working in the Department of Archaeology. According to Mom, Dad was on track to becoming the head of the program, but he chose to take the position in Zuzu City College once Ella was born.”

“Isn’t Grampleton University one of the best schools in the country? No offense, but why would he go from there to a community college in the city if he had such a good thing going for him?”

She shrugged. “I never asked him. But I do remember once when I was a little older he told me that teaching in the city made him feel better about himself than his research at the university. Mom would heckle him sometimes about it, saying it was just his way of being a martyr. I never understood it as a kid, but now I do, kind of. And I also think she resented him uplifting their cushy life in Grampleton to live in a dingy apartment in the not-so-nice part of Zuzu City. Apparently it was quite the pay cut, but my dad didn’t care.”

“Huh.” Shane looked pensive, apparently taking it all in. “Well he sounds like a smart guy, regardless. I’m sure he made the right choice for your family. Besides, Zuzu City beats boring old Grampleton any day.”

She smiled, nodding in agreement. Besides Ella, it felt a bit strange talking about her family, even to Shane. Most of the time, they were only in the peripheral of her mind, pushed aside by the multitude of other things she had to worry about. She especially tried to not dwell too much on those more painful thoughts of her dad, or even her grandfather, whose presence she swore she felt sometimes late at night when the farm was completely still. Once, she had joked to Winston that his ghost was probably haunting her to make sure the place was still standing, laughing nervously to herself in the darkness of her silent bedroom.

They went quiet again for a while after that, walking down the steep trail until it dropped them off at the road leading into town. She could see Pierre’s store and Harvey’s clinic down the street, along with the lone stoplight in town, steadily alternating between red, yellow, and green. The glow of the changing lights looked especially eerie to her as they walked closer through the fog, much thicker in town now that they were closer to the ocean.

“It’s so f*cking cold,” Shane said with a sharp exhale of misty breath. “I hope it’s not like this tomorrow night for the festival.”

“Why? Your costume too skimpy or something?” she teased, eliciting a chuckle out of him.

“Maybe.” He smirked at her, dark blue eyes flashing. “Wouldn’t want to catch a cold with all the bare ass I’m planning to show.”

Lana snorted, shaking her head. Still, her cheeks heated up as the mental image popped up. Now that was something she wouldn’t mind seeing again.

“This fog will really add to the atmosphere,” she mused, pulling her sleeves down as makeshift gloves to cover her icy hands. “It fits the theme, that’s for sure. I can’t wait for the all-night horror movie marathon I have planned tomorrow after the festival.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“Do you want to come over and watch a couple movies with me?”

She had been on the fence about asking him, knowing it might put them into an awkward situation given their history. Impulsively, she’d blurted the words out anyway, caught up in the idea of spending time with him like she used to. He seemed to be of the same mind as he hesitated, side-eyeing her apprehensively before answering.

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

Lana said nothing for a second, trying to figure out how to reply because she knew damn well what he was referring to. Before she could get a word out, Shane spoke up again, laughing nervously.

“Sorry, that was a weird question. Uh, I’m totally down for that. It’s just scary movies in your living room, right? Nothing crazy.”

“Right,” she replied with an emphatic nod, relieved. “Just scary movies. And popcorn. Winston will probably make an appearance.”

“Then count me in for a movie. I just can’t stay too late. I picked up an extra shift opening at JojaMart on Sunday morning.”

“Sweet.”

"Cool."

They looked away from each other simultaneously. Lana felt her cheeks redden, willing herself to get it the f*ck together so she could wipe the dumb smile off of her face. By now, they had reached the sidewalk outside of Pierre’s store, dark and locked up for the night. Glancing up, Lana could see a light in one of the upstairs windows. She chuckled, eliciting a bemused glance from Shane.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, peering up too.

“I’m guessing that’s Abigail,” she replied, nodding up to the window as they walked past the building. “She always stays up late, judging from the random late night texts I get from her sometimes. I’m just remembering how badly I kicked her dad’s ass at the fair.”

She and Abigail had spent some time together at the fortune teller’s tent before she met up with Shane. With a shiver, Lana remembered the peculiar woman behind a glowing crystal ball who had called herself Welwick, somehow correctly guessing Lana’s name before any introduction. The fortune teller had ominously informed her that something dark was bearing down upon her, a startling declaration that stuck in her mind for the rest of that day. Abigail later came up to congratulate Lana on her win at the grange display contest, cheerfully ignoring the deadly glare her dad was shooting their way over by his stand. Lana managed to grin at the memory, still relishing in her victory even now that more than a week had passed.

“I’m sorry again, by the way,” Shane said, drawing her attention away from the window. His nose had turned even redder from the cold. “For missing the ceremony and stuff.”

“It’s fine, Shane,” she reassured him. “I know Jas wasn’t feeling well. I’m honestly just glad she’s doing better. She needed you. Daddy duty calls sometimes, right?”

His cheeks flushed slightly at her words. He cleared his throat, running a hand through his already-tousled hair.

“Yeah, uh, that’s true. She’s really doing much better now.” There was a trace of pride in his voice that made her stomach flutter.

“Good,” she said, nodding. “Poor kid. Throwing up at the fair can’t be fun, that’s for sure.”

They were now near the town clinic, where she could see another lone window lit on the second floor, directly above the double doors of the front entrance. Harvey must also be awake. She was suddenly reminded of the stormy night she found Shane out by the cliffs and brought him to the doctor for some help, how she had desperately called out for him while looking at that same light peeking out through the curtains. Next to her, Shane was also looking in the direction of the clinic, his brow furrowed as though deep in thought.

He must be thinking about that night too, Lana thought as she inconspicuously tried to side-eye him. He probably thinks about it more than he’d ever admit.

Just as they passed the clinic, Shane spoke up suddenly, jarring her out of her thoughts.

“You know everybody in town’s talking about it, right?”

For a wild moment, she thought he was talking about the night of the storm, but no one except Harvey and Marnie knew about that.

“What?” she asked him, confused.

“You and Harvey,” he replied, raising an eyebrow. She felt her heart stutter in surprise at his words. There was an unreadable expression on Shane’s face as he continued. “And about how he gave you a bouquet of flowers at the fair after you won the contest. Thought I should warn you for tomorrow, because it might come up in some conversations.”

She couldn’t help the exasperated groan that escaped her. “Ah, sh*t. I was worried this was going to happen. What’s everyone saying?”

“I mean, the whole town practically saw it,” he said. His lips now perked up into a teasing smile. “Word on the street is the doctor’s pretty smitten.”

She felt her cheeks grow hot again. Lana had taken his flowers as nothing more than a friendly gesture of congratulations, but she couldn’t help but notice the enraptured look in Harvey’s eyes the entire time he spoke to her at the fair, annoyed at herself for never catching it before. The flowers were put into a vase on her kitchen table, where they were guiltily admired every now and then before eventually being moved aside to wilt on an empty counter to make room for a few jars of plum jelly and the rest of her weekly clutter. Besides that, she hadn’t really given it all much thought, too preoccupied with other things to dwell on the doctor’s possible romantic interest in her.

“I’m sure he was just being nice,” Lana replied with a shrug. “Besides, I don’t really think Harvey’s my type. Or that I’m his, to be completely honest.”

“That’s what I told Marnie when she brought it up. But you never know, right? Love always finds a way.”

“Oh, shut up.” She swatted his arm as he smirked down at her. “Yoba, I can’t believe everyone in town is talking about it. Sam brought it up in a text a few days ago, but I thought he was just being nosy.”

“So you’re not interested, I take it?” She noticed the intense way his dark eyes bore into hers even though he kept his tone casual. He tilted his head to the side as he spoke, drawing her attention to his neck and the curve of his Adam’s apple. Lana swallowed, moving her gaze back up to his face as thoughts of placing her lips there ran amok in her mind.

“In Harvey?” she replied, still bemused by their entire conversation. “I mean, I’ve never even thought about him in that way. Besides, isn’t it unethical for a doctor to get involved with his patients?”

“I wouldn’t know. I’m not exactly a doctor.”

They were now at the intersection, where the light strung above was currently glowing green over the empty street before transitioning to yellow and then red. The streets remained deserted, but still, they didn’t cross.

“Shane,” Lana said, not able to hide the smirk that was slowly crossing over her face. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous of Harvey.”

“Me? Jealous of Harvey? I don’t think so.” He scoffed, looking offended.

“Right.”

“I’m serious! Look, all I’m trying to say is … don’t hold back on my account if you’re suddenly hot for doctor.”

“Oh, Yoba. Please stop talking. This is so awkward.” She covered her face with her hands, still hidden underneath the sleeves of her sweater. “Why’d he have to give me those stupid flowers? He’s such a nice guy. I’d hate to hurt his feelings.”

“Well, he hasn’t tried to ask you out, right? Maybe they were just a friendly gift that everyone’s reading too much into.”

She met his eyes, wondering if he was including himself in that statement. In the past, she wouldn’t sweat the possibility of rejecting someone she wasn’t interested in. Her experiences in the city had hardened her into someone who wasn’t afraid of hurting others if it meant saving herself. But things were different here, where the kindness of the townspeople had worn her down into something that was considerably softer.

“Well, I hope so,” she replied with a sigh. “Harvey’s fun to get coffee with and all that, but I don’t think we’d have much in common otherwise. I don’t want him to get his hopes up for something that …. something that I’m not ready for.”

Shane said nothing for a long moment, only gazing off into the mist with a faraway look in his eye. She watched him in profile, studying the curve of his lips in what she hoped was an inconspicuous way. His gaze slid back to hers, locking her back in.

“You gotta do what’s best for you, Lana,” he said quietly. “Keep that in mind, and you’ll be okay.”

The misty red glow from the stoplight was shining on half of his face, and he looked so darkly handsome to her that she was almost tempted to kiss him. Sometimes it physically ached how badly she wanted him, how much missed the feel of his body against hers. It appeared this would be another sleepless night alone in bed, touching herself to memories of him that occasionally she wished didn’t exist.

“Sometimes what’s best for us isn’t what we really want, though,” she muttered, unable to help herself from turning more towards him, drawn like a magnet. Shane mirrored her movement to face her, leaning down a bit closer and making her breath hitch in anticipation. He was much too close for her fragile self-control.

“Tell me about it,” he replied softly, pausing for a heart-pounding second with his eyes on her lips. Lana blinked as the light above suddenly switched back from red to green. He moved back from her and craned his neck toward the crosswalk, putting his hands in the pocket of his hoodie. “Come on. We should go. It’s getting late.”

Lana released the breath she had been holding, nodding to save herself from speaking. She followed him as he began walking, knowing that they’d have to separate once they crossed to the other side of the street, headed in opposite directions. But they’d see each other tomorrow, and for now, that was enough.

She couldn’t help but smile to herself, feeling a warm glow spreading in her, bright and prevailing despite the cold, foggy night.

The night of Spirit's Eve

“Be honest - do I look stupid?”

Winston picked up his head off of her bed, giving Lana a solemn look before plopping it back down, apparently unimpressed by what he was seeing. She was standing in front of the mirror in her bedroom staring at herself in her old costume, worn only once before to Zuzu University’s annual Spirit’s Eve Bash years ago. Her roommate at the time had convinced her to participate in a group costume with some other girls they knew, but she missed the coffeehouse meeting where they had chosen the theme and assigned costumes, much too hungover from the previous night of barhopping to bother showing up. For this reason, she had ended up as Red Riding Hood, begrudgingly part of a menagerie of fairy tale characters that at least managed to snatch them the award for Best Group Costume that night. The little plastic trophy she received as a prize had long ago been lost to time.

Lana adjusted the white, ruffled blouse that was slipping down her shoulders, stretched out from years of disuse on a hanger. She placed her hands on the corset around her waist, which fit a bit more snugly than she remembered but luckily still laced up without a problem. Farm life was definitely keeping her in shape in spite of the rather junk-food heavy diet she liked to indulge in. With a sigh, she moved her hands to tug down the red skirt she was wearing further down her thighs.

“And I wore stilettos with this?” she said to her reflection, turning around so that she could make sure her ass was adequately covered. “I really was a trooper back then, wasn’t I?”

Walking over to her closet, she began digging around until she found some black combat boots, an old, knee-high pair that were slightly battered from how much use she had gotten out of them back in the city. She tried them on and immediately approved of how they looked with the costume, already doing a good job of keeping her legs warm as well as being much more her style. There wasn’t much she had done to her hair besides putting it in the same low pigtails she had worn the first time she used the costume. She leaned into the mirror and scrutinized her makeup, haphazardly applied in the bathroom right after blow drying her hair.

“sh*t,” Lana muttered. She looked over to her shoulder at Winston, who had gone back to napping by now. “The eyeliner’s a bit uneven, buddy.” He opened an eye at her predicament but promptly closed it again, still unbothered.

She stood back, taking herself in from farther away. “Okay, it’s not so bad if you don't, like, stare at it up close. It’ll have to do.” She glanced back at the clock on her nightstand. “f*ck, it’s late. I gotta get going.”

She helped Winston down from her bed and then stuffed her cell phone and wallet into the small black bag that she was taking to the festival. Almost out of her bedroom, she stopped, remembering something.

“I forgot the most important part!” she called out to Winston, already in the living room. She ran back to her closet, where her red hooded cape was still hanging. Walking back over to her mirror, she threw it over her shoulders, feeling it swish around the back of her legs. She nodded in approval at herself and left her bedroom, turning off the light as she did so. Out in the living room, Winston had already curled up in his bed by the fireplace for the night. His tail wagged happily as she leaned down to pet his head.

“Can’t forget the red hood, now can we?” she chuckled, rubbing his ears. “See you later, buddy. I’ll be home in a few hours.”

Her original plan had been to drive to town, but when Lana got to her truck parked outside, the engine refused to turn over no matter how hard she tried. She was able to quickly determine that the battery was dead but didn’t have an extra one or any way to jumpstart it. The truck had also been giving her trouble earlier that day, back in the city when she tried to exit the parking garage after Shane’s therapy appointment. With a frustrated sigh, she decided to just take off on foot, doing her best to hurry. Fixing her truck would be a problem left for the future.

While it was nowhere near as cold or foggy as it had been the previous night, she was grateful for the cape and the long black gloves that also were part of her costume, keeping her upper body warm against the chilly mist as she made her way down the darkened dirt road. She walked quickly, making it past the bus stop that marked the halfway point to town in less than ten minutes. Overhead, the moon was full and brilliant, watching over the valley as it lay nestled in the inky night sky. There was something especially creepy about the trees that lined the sides of the road with stark, bare branches that extended outward like arms held up in surrender.

By the time she made it into town, the festival was already in full swing. Her eyes widened in wonder as she took in the scene. People dressed in all sorts of costumes were mingling around, laughing and talking beneath the multitude of colorful paper bats and ghosts strung up as decorations overhead. The area was sparsely lit by a few street lights, already beginning to dim out in the growing fog. She could see a lot of the townspeople congregating around a few large tables in the center of the courtyard, packed with plates of food that smelled enticing even from here.

As she walked, she noticed there were a multitude of jack-o-lanterns placed on the ground around the festival, creating an army of glowing grins that flickered with a strange intensity that burned brighter than regular candlelight. Before she could make her way over to the tables to grab something to eat, her attention was distracted by a large metal cage set up near the Stardrop Saloon, where a small crowd of costumed people had also congregated. Intrigued, she walked across the courtyard to stand before it, only to gasp, completely dumbstruck by what she was seeing.

A pair of skeletons were walking around inside, gazing out at the crowd with blank, soulless eyes that glowed with that same curious light that emanated from the jack-o-lanterns. She had recently encountered a few smaller ones in the mines, down on a deep level that was covered in a blanket of frost and ice. It had been during one of the times she’d gone alone, venturing down via an elevator that sunk her deeper and deeper into its cavernous depths before coming to a shuddering halt, refusing to budge any lower. The skeletons that attacked her down there appeared somewhat intelligent at least, unlike the ones she was now looking at, which only walked back and forth every now and then, docile and dull. Mystified, she stepped up close to the cage, wrapping her gloved hands around the bars to peer at the skeletons inside.

There’s no way these are real, she thought, perplexed. Right?

“Well, well, well - ain’t you a sight for sore eyes, farmer. I’d save you from the Big Bad Wolf in a heartbeat.”

Lana felt the vein in her forehead twitch in irritation as she turned around, easily recognizing the co*cky voice behind the words. Sure enough, in front of her stood Alex Mullner, dressed up as a masked superhero for the occasion. He unabashedly slid his eyes over her body, making sure to linger on her rather exposed chest.

“No thanks, I’ll be just fine,” she responded. “Besides, I don’t think I can trust someone who wears their underwear outside of their pants.”

“Hey now, that’s just for my costume,” Alex retorted, smirking. “So, was I right? You’re Little Red Riding Hood, aren’t you?”

“Astute observation,” she replied dryly. “What gave it away? The red hood and cape around my shoulders?”

“Yeah, and the pigtails.” He nodded, looking rather proud of himself. “Cool boots, by the way.”

“Thanks. Haley not around, I take it?” she asked him, crossing her arms. “Is that why you’re taking advantage of this time to get some ogling in?”

“She’s grabbing us some pumpkin ale from that booth over there,” he replied, nodding over her shoulder. She turned around and saw his girlfriend standing in a line of people, dressed in what looked to be a cowgirl costume complete with a matching pink hat sitting on her long blonde curls. He held up a small tote bag in his hand. “I had to drop some food off for my grandparents back at home and pick up some things for her. Uh, she’s kinda pissed off at me right now, though. I forgot to order my cowboy costume like she asked me to last month, so I had to use an old one. She likes to match every year.”

“Don’t let her catch you talking to me if you’re already in the doghouse then. I know she's not my biggest fan.”

“Nah, Haley doesn’t care.” He shrugged, looking unbothered. “I mean, she might get a little jealous of my wandering eye every now and then, but she knows I’d never cheat on her or anything.”

“Aw, how sweet. Too devoted to her?”

“Definitely. And I always will be.”

She had meant it sarcastically, but his response was so sincere it caused her to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

“Hmm. Cute.” She leaned against the cage, intrigued. “You guys have been together for a long time, right?”

“Yeah, since high school. Off-and-on for a bit in the beginning, but we’ve been pretty solid for the past few years.”

“Wow, that’s quite a while then.”

“I know.”

It wasn’t very often that she ran into Alex or Haley, seeing as she rarely came to town for anything besides groceries and a coffee at the saloon every now and then. A couple of times, Haley had been in there with her sister Emily, pointedly ignoring Lana the entire time she waited for her espresso. As for Alex, sometimes she ran into him at the general store, where he always made a habit of flirting with her as a way of greeting. Still, more often than not, Lana usually saw them together in town with Haley at the helm, most likely leading him to whatever it was she had planned for them that day. In a way, it was kind of sweet, because it was only around Alex did Lana ever see Haley’s pinched, pretty face relax a bit and fall into a mellow smile.

“Well, I hope things stay solid for you guys then,” Lana said. “Even if you did completely mess up her Spirit’s Eve tonight.”

“I’m sure I’ll find some way to make her forgive me,” Alex replied, wriggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.

“Ugh. No need to elaborate. You can spare me the sordid details.”

“Fine, but it’s your loss. What about you? You going home tonight with a certain doctor?”

She narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. It seemed that Shane had indeed been right about Harvey.

“Yoba, shut the hell up before someone hears you," she hissed, looking around. "It’s not even like that with me and Harvey.”

“That’s not what my grandma told me that Caroline told her. But who knows where she heard it from. Probably Robin or Jodi.”

“Then stop spreading the gossip around like some bored housewife, Alex.”

“Relax, pretty lady. I’m just reporting on what I hear. But if you say there’s nothing going on between you two, I believe you. He doesn’t really strike me as someone who’d tickle your fancy, if you, uh, catch my drift .”

She rolled her eyes. “Alright, I’m done with this topic of conversation. What’s up with these skeletons, by the way?” She gestured over her shoulder with a thumb.

“These old things? They put them up every year,” he replied, walking a bit closer to the cage to look inside with her. “Kind of cheap-looking, but they add to the charm, I guess.”

“Cheap-looking?” Lana replied, staring at one of the skeletons, which was walking across the floor of the cage until it came to a stop a few feet away from them. It turned its head slowly until its glowing eyes were looking in their direction, lifeless but oddly luminous at the same time. “They seem pretty real to me.”

“Alex!” Haley’s voice rang out loudly from over by the pumpkin ale line. “What the hell are you doing over there? You have my wallet, you idiot!”

He winced and gave Lana an apologetic grin.

“Looks like I gotta go,” he said. “See you around, Red Riding Hood. And watch out for that big bad wolf of yours.”

“I’ll make sure to keep an eye out. Later, Alex.”

After he left, she threw another wary glance at the skeletons, both now back in the center of the cage. The rest of the townspeople gathered around were looking at them with a polite interest, a far cry from the amazement that she still felt. Shaking her head, she walked away and began to look around for Shane. If she really thought about it, animated skeletons weren’t as bizarre as half the things she'd encountered so far in the valley.

She finally found him and Jas over by the other side of the long tables stacked with food, helping themselves to some mashed potatoes. With a small smirk, she noticed Shane slightly fumbling his overly loaded plate as he turned around at her greeting. His eyes widened as he took her in.

“You look really pretty, Ms. Lana,” Jas spoke up when no words escaped her godfather’s mouth. “Look, our hair matches!”

“Hey, would you look at that,” she replied with a smile, leaning down to gently tug on one of the little girl’s pigtails. “We do match. And you look absolutely beautiful. You really do make the perfect fairy, Jas.”

The little girl was dressed in a glittery purple dress with a matching set of wings. She was almost jumping from excitement as she did a small twirl, swishing around the dress and flapping the gossamer wings about in the lamplight. Shane grabbed the plate of food from her hands before she could spill anything, looking amused.

“Thank you! Uncle Shane asks Ms. Emily to make my costume every year. Last year I was a witch with a pointy hat.”

“Well, that sure sounds nice of him,” Lana said, meeting Shane’s eye with a small smile. “A witch, huh? Maybe I can hire her to make one of those for me next year."

“She’d probably offer to do it for free,” Shane finally spoke, hitching up a small backpack he was wearing. “I have to force her to take my money each time. She’s even offered to make me one.”

“Arr, but you’re loyal to the pirate life, it seems." She teased him with a horrible accent. "The bandana’s a nice touch, Captain Zuzu. Quite dashing, indeed.”

“Oh, uh, thanks,” he replied, looking embarrassed but pleased by her compliment. Looking her up and down again, he chuckled. “So, Red Riding Hood huh? That’s not so bad. Only a tiny bit embarrassing.”

“Gee, thanks. I’m glad I didn’t completely mortify you tonight with my attire tonight.”

“Much appreciated. You know, it suits you. But something tells me you’re not the type to need saving from some wolf or however the story goes, especially if you have that sword of yours on you.”

She grinned, thrilled by his words. “Would you believe I was thinking about bringing it tonight?”

“I’m honestly surprised you didn’t.”

“Uncle Shane, can I have a piece of pumpkin pie?” Jas interrupted, pulling on the black vest he was wearing. “I’ll eat all my green beans, promise!”

“You’re gonna have to eat those regardless, Jazzy,” he replied, still holding on to her plate. “But alright, go ahead. Grab me one too, then. A big piece.”

“Really? Thank you!” She hugged him around his midsection, looking delighted. “Aunt Marnie never lets me eat the pumpkin pie Ms. Caroline makes. She says she uses too much sugar.”

“Ah, well, maybe let’s not tell her about this, then,” Shane said, looking a bit regretful now. “It’ll be our little secret, okay?.”

“Okay. And Ms. Lana’s, because she’s here too,” she replied with a nod. Playing along, Lana mimed zipping her mouth closed. Giggling, Jas let go of Shane and turned to her. “Do you want some pie too? I can get a piece for you!”

“Sure,” she replied. “I’ll get the rest of my food in the meantime.”

“Jas, can you grab us those three seats over there?” Shane asked, nodding over to some nearby empty chairs. “I want to get some more of that cranberry sauce.” He looked over at Lana, who by now snagged an empty plate. “Uh, I mean, if you want to sit with us. I guess you might already be planning to sit somewhere else.”

“No, I’ll eat with you guys,” Lana said, beginning to load her plate up with some mashed potatoes.

“Okay!” Jas waved as she walked away to grab the pie and seats, her wings fluttering behind her with each excited skip.

“Be careful with those plates of pie! Walk carefully!” Shane called out after his goddaughter. He cleared his throat and glanced around sheepishly as some people nearby looked curiously around at his raised voice.

Lana chuckled and turned to the table to load up her plate, suddenly feeling ravenous. She hadn’t eaten since the stale croissant and lukewarm coffee she had bought in the lobby while waiting for Shane to finish his therapy appointment back in the city. Beside her, Shane put Jas’ plate down to grab more food for himself. She side-eyed him as she added a couple of bread rolls to her plate. In addition to the bandana around his head, vest, and loose, white collared shirt he was wearing, his costume also included striped red and black pants and a matching red sash tied around his waist. Amusingly, she was pretty sure she’d seen the very same costume before during her days working at JojaMart, stocking the shelves with plenty of them around this time of year.

“So, what else is there to do here besides eating and looking at those weird skeletons over by the saloon?” she asked Shane as they added food to their plates.

“There’s this maze set up in the north part of town, along with some games and a pumpkin patch,” he answered. “But not much else besides that. It’s pretty tame compared to the Stardew Valley Fair.”

“A maze? That sounds interesting, at least.”

“Yeah, uh - it just kind of appears overnight. They put it in that field over by the community center and playground.”

“Wait, the one we were just in last night? I didn’t see anything when we walked through it.”

“You know, now that I think about it, I’m not exactly sure who sets it up. According to Marnie, Mayor Lewis is in charge of the whole thing. No one can ever get through it, either. There’s supposed to be some sort of mysterious prize at the end.”

“An unsolvable maze that pops up out of nowhere? This I gotta see.” She was getting more and more intrigued, first with the jack-o-lanterns and skeletons, and now this strange maze Shane spoke of. The whole thing reeked of magic, but how could that be possible so near the town? Even Shane seemed clueless to its presence.

“We can check it out later once I take Jas home, if you want,” he said. “It’s really dark, and they add a bunch of corny props to try and make it look scary, so it’s not really for kids. Marnie will forgive the pie, but she’ll have a fit if I let her go into the maze.”

“Sure. Count me in.”

After eating, Lana joined Shane and Jas for some games before heading over to explore the pumpkin patch. As they walked around, Lana couldn't help but think it was a bit bizarre seeing the town out so late at night, all dressed up in a colorful array of costumes just as Shane had told her they would the night before. Slowly but surely, she was getting used to the quirks hidden in this tiny village by the sea, magical or otherwise. Even though she’d called the valley her home for almost three full seasons now, she still found herself touched by the kindness of the people here, bashfully accepting their compliments on her costume or congratulations on her victory at the fair whenever someone approached her to say hello. Perhaps that was one reason she felt so comfortable in the valley- the people of Pelican Town had always been accepting of her tendency for recluse, welcoming her with open arms from the get-go. As the night went on, she quickly found herself swept up into the atmosphere and festivities around her and felt the wariness slip off her tense shoulders, sometimes even coaxing a reluctant Shane into the conversation if he happened to be close by.

Eventually, Jas started yawning and eventually fell asleep against his shoulder.

"I should probably drop her off at the ranch so she can get some sleep," he decided, smoothing her curly hair as she fell asleep. Marnie, dressed up as a red-haired rag doll, had already returned home a while before with Lewis, complaining of a headache from the wine Lana had seen in her grasp all night.

“I’ll go with you, if you want,” she offered, standing up with him from the bench they were sitting on.

“No, it’s okay,” he responded. “Marnie left her truck for me, so it’ll be a quick drive. Meet you at the entrance to the maze in like thirty? I just need to make sure she’s settled in bed before coming back.”

“Oh, will Marnie be too busy to tuck her in for you?” she teased him as they walked.

Shane rolled his eyes. “Hasn’t it gotten old yet that she and the mayor are hooking up?”

“I don’t think it’ll ever get old. How can I forget the sight of Lewis stuffing his shirt back into his pants as he stumbled down your driveway? I just wish I was quick enough to snap a picture. Not for blackmail, or anything. Just to relive the moment every now and then.”

“Shh - don’t let Jas hear, you weirdo.”

“Alright, alright. Go on and take her home, then. It’s already getting pretty late. But hurry up, I really wanna check out the maze before they start shutting things down here.”

"Aye aye, captain."

She left him at the parking lot and began to leisurely make her way back through the festival, walking again through the pumpkin patch to find herself once again in front of the skeleton cage. Looking inside, she could once again sense the strange energy still emanating from the creatures. They were no doubt related to the monsters down in the mine, but Rasmodius has assured her numerous times that they would never venture down into town, bound by the treaty made all those years ago. Still, Lana narrowed her eyes as one of the skeletons turned and walked in her direction, coming to a stop just on the other side of the cage. The curious magic that radiated from it was no doubt the source of its reanimation.

“What are you?” she whispered, leaning closer, transfixed for a reason she couldn’t quite explain.

“Lana!”

She jumped, turning around to see Leah, donning an intricate circus ringmaster costume. Elliot was by her side, dressed up in full makeup as a sad-looking clown.

“Oh, sh*t - you scared me,” Lana said, laughing. “Wow, I love your costumes! You guys look incredible.”

“Thank you,” Leah replied, smiling apologetically. “As do you! And I apologize for the fright. I was just excited to see you.”

“Where have you two been? I haven’t seen you guys around yet.”

“Elliot here had a breakthrough with his novel, so we didn’t leave his cabin until about thirty minutes ago.” She threw him a fondly exasperated look.

“Quite the breakthrough, indeed,” he said, nodding with his eyes closed as though deep in thought. “The application of such morose makeup really allowed me to immerse myself into the misery my protagonist has been wallowing in lately. I did apologize most profusely to Leah for the tardiness, but once inspiration strikes - ah, well, I’m sure you can understand.”

“Oh, yes, definitely," Lana replied, amused.

“Lana, your costume is adorable!” Leah said, reaching out to touch her frilled sleeves. “Red Riding Hood was one of my favorite bedtime stories as a child. Aren’t you a bit cold, though?”

“Kind of,” she admitted. As the night progressed, more fog began to settle over the town. Her boots and cape were still doing a good job of blocking the chill in the air, but she could already feel her cheeks and nose beginning to sting with the dropping temperature. “I’ll live, though.”

“My dear, would you like for me to grab us a glass of wine?” Elliot asked Leah, taking both of her hands in his.

“That sounds quite lovely,” she replied with a sweet smile.

“Leah, would you like some wine as well?” he asked “Or perhaps some of that pumpkin concoction everyone raves about?”

She hesitated. She’d been craving a drink all evening but had held off on anything besides soda for Shane’s sake. Elliot and Leah eyed her curiously as she paused, conflicted.

“Um, sure,” Lana finally replied, finally giving in. “I’ll have a pumpkin ale.”

“Splendid!” Elliot replied, adjusting the puffy orange wig he was wearing on his head. “I’ll return shortly then.”

He moved away, leaving Leah behind to watch the skeletons with Lana. The painter’s bright red hair was down from its customary side braid today, tied back instead in a long, low ponytail.

“How’s your night going?” she asked Lana. “I’m so glad Elliot and I got to make it.”

“It’s been fun,” Lana replied. “Ate some good food and played some fun games. I’m checking out that maze later on too.”

“Oh, that old thing. It’s quite easy to get lost in there, so I never even bother. But it’s a fun challenge for some of the other people in town.”

“You guys sure do love celebrating stuff together around here, I’ve noticed.”

Leah laughed merrily. “Yes, Pelican Town prides itself on all its festivities. I think it helps to build a sense of community, although it’s already pretty easy to do that in such a small village. It’s what first drew me here, I remember.”

“It’s definitely nothing like the city. Living there feels like a lifetime ago. Now that I think about it, I didn’t even know my next door neighbor’s name, and I saw that guy every morning and evening on my way to and from work. Everyone was a stranger.”

They went quiet for a moment, watching the skeletons before Leah spoke up again, sounding a bit apprehensive.

“Lana, may I ask you something?”

She turned to look up at the artist, who was taller than usual today due to the ornate boots she was wearing as part of her costume.

“You’re going to ask me about Harvey, aren’t you?” Lana guessed, putting her hands on her hips. “Where is he tonight, anyway?”

“I was. And how did you know?” Leah answered guiltily. “He’s out of town for a medical conference in the city, I think.”

“I found out that we’re apparently the talk of the town, so I figured it was only a matter of time before you brought it up.” She sighed, shrugging. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Leah. Harvey seems like a great guy, and I know he’s Elliot's friend and everything, but I don’t really see him that way.”

“That may be, but you have yet to even give him a chance,” she said, enthusiastically clasping her hands together. Something told Lana that Elliot, ever the romantic, was the one putting Leah up to this attempt at matchmaking. “He really is quite nice. Elliot says he’s one of the kindest people he’s ever met, and I have to agree.”

“I mean, of course he’s nice. Anyone can see that. We just seem like two very different people. Besides, I thought he and Maru had something going on.”

“Maru? Goodness, no. That would be quite unprofessional.” Leah looked equally scandalized and intrigued at the idea.

“Either way, I think Harvey’s better off directing his interest elsewhere,” Lana continued. “I kind of got a lot going on at the moment to focus on something like dating the town doctor.”

“A lot going on with a certain dark-haired JojaMart employee, you mean?”

I - what? You know about that?”

“Lana, love, the entire town knows about it. Or at the very least, they suspect there’s something going on between you two. They’ve been whispering about it ever since news got around this summer that Shane was helping out around your farm. It was quite out of character for him. He’s not known to be the friendliest chap around, is he?”

“Leah, you’re supposed to be my friend,” Lana said, rolling her eyes. “Why didn’t you ever tell me anything?”

“You never brought it up." She shrugged. “Actually, you do constantly bring up Shane, but you’ve never let slip that you two were anything beyond friends, so I just assumed that’s all you wanted me to know. And I respected that.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to keep things from you. It’s all just … a lot.” She fizzed out with another sigh.

“Oh, there’s no need to apologize! Before you moved to the valley, Shane never let anyone engage him in more than a second or two of small talk, so it just surprised me. Whatever you do together is your business, after all.” Leah winked, to Lana’s mortification. “Although, he does seem more your cup of tea than Harvey, I suppose. And he is rather sweet, in a rather surly way. I ran into him and Jas a week or so ago down by the river. They’re adorable together. I can see now why you’re so fond of him.”

Had she really been that obvious about her feelings for Shane? The only people she spoke to about him was Ryan, far removed from the gossip of Pelican Town.

“It’s a long story,” she told Leah. “And I’m going to need more than the single bottle of beer Elliot’s bringing back for me to get through it all. Let’s hang out tomorrow afternoon? I’ll tell you everything.”

Minus the magic sh*t, she thought, still on edge from sensing the damned stuff all around her.

“Oh, I’d love that,” Leah said, smiling merrily. “I really must say - I can't wait to hear all about it. But you two aren’t formally together, then?”

“No, we’re not. We’re just friends.”

“Splendid. I’ll tell Harvey you’re single.”

“Leah.”

“Alright, alright. But please promise me you’ll at least consider it? For Elliot? Harvey’s a sweetheart. You’ll really love him if you give him a chance.”

Lana sighed, resigning herself as she saw Elliot approaching them from over Leah’s shoulder. “I’ll think about it.”

“Here we are!” he announced grandly, handing Leah a glass full of dark liquid. “One blackberry wine for you, darling. And a pumpkin ale for Lana.”

They talked together for a while longer next to the skeleton cages until Leah and Elliot had to move on, eager to try and catch some of the other townspeople before the fair ended. Lana finished her bottle, downing the last of her beer with one final look at the moving skeletons. Savoring the bittersweet taste of the ale on her tongue, she watched as some of the townspeople were already leaving for the night, heading towards the exits as the festival began to wind down.

She made her way north instead in the direction of the maze. As she entered the grassy field, she saw that a series of tall, green hedges had appeared over the dry grass she and Shane had walked over the night before, completely blocking her view of the community center on the other side. In awe, she walked alongside the solid walls of foliage, noting how densely the leaves were packed together. Flanking the entrance of the maze ahead of her were two stone statues of skulls with ominous grins that greeted all those who dared to enter. To her surprise, she saw Sam standing next to one of them, dressed up as a pale vampire. His black cape swished as he turned around at the sound of her approaching footsteps. There was an uncharacteristically anxious expression on his face.

“Hey Sam,” she said, walking up to him. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Abigail,” he replied, taking out his fake fangs to speak more clearly. His usual blonde spikes were slicked back, making him look older than usual. “She texted me that she’s lost in the maze somewhere and just saw some sort of huge spider. I feel bad - she has horrible arachnophobia.”

“So, why haven’t you gone in after her?”

“Honestly?” he asked meekly. “This maze terrifies the sh*t out of me. Last year, I thought I was getting through it pretty well, just doing my best to follow the person in front of me. But then I turned a corner and got to a dead end, and the person was gone. Just up and vanished. It freaked me out pretty bad. I couldn't find my way out for another half hour or so.”

“Well, I’ll go with you, if you want,” she offered. “But I’m supposed to be waiting for Shane. I guess he can look for us inside the maze?”

“I don’t know, Lana. It’s pretty dark in there. He might not be able to find us. Maybe we should just wait for him. I told Abigail to stay put until I could get to her.”

“Wait, wait - I see him now. Shane! Over here!”

He had just wandered up the trail leading back to town, still wearing his pirate costume minus the bandana around his head. Looking up at her voice, he made his way over to them, nodding his head in greeting.

“That was quick,” she said. “But I’m glad you’re here. We have a bit of a situation.”

“What happened?” he asked, eyebrows raised apprehensively.

“Abigail’s lost somewhere in this crazy maze,” Sam spoke up. “And I’m too chicken to go in after her, so Lana volunteered to go with me. Are you in?”

Shane didn’t look too thrilled about participating in an impromptu rescue mission, but he nodded, looking grim.

“I wouldn’t want to get lost in there alone, that’s for sure,” he conceded, looking into the dark entrance of the maze. “f*ck it. Let’s go find her.”

They entered the maze with Lana at the lead and the full moon above as their only source of light. She felt her cloak swishing around behind her as she hurried down the dark path, adding to the newfound sense of urgency in the air. Almost immediately, they came to a fork in the maze, branching off left and right into the darkness. She stopped, also halting Shane and Sam in their tracks.

“Which way should we go?” she asked, looking over her shoulder. Shane shrugged as Sam only looked helplessly between each direction. She rolled her eyes and turned back around. “Never mind. Absolutely useless. Let’s go this way.”

She went left, trusting her instincts. Goosebumps arose on her skin as she detected an odd energy permeating the maze, following it as they made their way through the twisting paths. Shane and Sam appeared to be unaware of anything out of the ordinary, seeming to trust her judgement as she led them around each corner.

At one point, a decayed hand shot out of the ground, clamping around her boot. She yelped and kicked it away, reflexively grabbing at her hip for her missing sword. The rotting hand clutched at the air helplessly a few times before retreating back into the earth. Sam chuckled nervously behind her.

“Those things are so creepy, huh?” he said, coming over to kick around the displaced dirt. “The way they just pop out like that. I wonder what they use to make them spring up?”

“Are you okay?” Shane murmured to her as Sam moved away to keep walking. “You know it's not real, right?”

“I - yeah, of course I do,” she snapped at him. He raised an eyebrow, but she ignored him, too rattled to care. “Come on, let’s go.”

They moved forward, with Shane and Sam once again falling behind her. She let herself be guided once more by the vibrations of the peculiar magic she could feel all around them. While they walked, Sam called out for Abigail, but no answer could be heard as they navigated through the eerily silent and empty maze. Many times, she could have sworn the hedges were sliding around in her peripheral vision, but everything blended together in a sea of dark green and grey fog before she could ever make sense of it.

Finally, they turned a corner and there she was, dressed as a ghostly bride sitting against a hedge down the path. What Lana hoped was fake blood was splattered across the front of Abigail’s white dress and veil, which was lying on the ground beside her. She looked up hopefully at the sound of their footsteps coming closer to her.

“Abby! We found you!”

Lana felt Sam moving quickly past her, walking over to Abigail so he could help her up. He hugged her tightly to his chest before standing back to examine her, still holding her around the shoulders. She looked paler than usual, only standing quietly as he fussed over her.

“Are you okay?” Lana asked, worried. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”

“No ghosts,” she said, shaking her head. “Only spiders. Let’s please just get the f*ck out of here. I don’t know why I insist on trying to get through this thing each year. I never get past the spiders.”

“Lana will get us out of here,” Sam said, nodding faithfully. “We just need to follow her. Since when did you get to be so good at mazes, Lana?”

“Oh, just luck, I guess,” she replied with a shrug, refusing to meet Shane’s suspicious gaze. “Let’s hope I can get us back just as easily.”

“Uh, keep close to us,” Shane told the pair as they began heading back in the direction they came from. Lana noticed Sam and Abigail holding hands as they followed behind. They walked in silence for a while before Abigail began to perk up again.

“As long as we don’t find that giant spider again, I’ll be fine,” she eventually announced to them. “I know it’s fake, but the way it bobbed on that string just looked so crazy real.”

“How big was it?” Sam asked, voice cracking a bit in apprehension.

“The size of dog! Can you imagine? A real spider that big? There’s something about all those squirming legs that just freaks the sh*t out of me.”

“You look more than a little tense about all this,” Shane said quietly, leaning down so Lana could hear him better. Abigail and Sam continued to talk animatedly about the spider behind them. “You sure Abigail’s the one we should be worried about?”

“Something weird is going on around here,” she muttered, looking around. The mist around them had been getting thicker and thicker as they retraced their steps. It felt clammy on her skin, like a feverish sweat. She pulled up the hood of her red cape to try and cover herself from it. “You don’t notice anything strange about this maze?”

“I mean, it’s supposed to be spooky and creepy in here. That’s how they set it up each year.”

“And who’s this ‘they’, exactly?”

“Uh... Lewis? And the people in town who help him? I don’t know.”

“See, you can’t even explain it.” Lana gestured to the hedges around them, tall enough to tower over them by a few feet. “Yoba, look at this thing - it’s huge. No wonder nobody can get through it. Everything looks the f*cking same in here.”

“Well, we should be out of here soon,” Shane replied, looking concerned at her ominous observation. “We just need to keep going the way we came from. And keep an eye out for those zombie hands, am I right?”

“That thing grabbed me, Shane. It clamped its gross, decaying hand around the ankle of my boot. I felt it.”

“No f*cking way. How could it possibly do that? Unless it’s some sort of really advanced animatronic robot, or something, I don’t see how -”

“Ask Sam, he saw it,” she insisted. “Hey Sam, didn’t you see the way that hand earlier -”

She had turned to look over her shoulder to ask him the question, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw that he and Abigail had disappeared.

“Sam?” she repeated, dumbstruck. She walked back towards where her friends were once walking behind them, peering down the shadowy path they had just come from. “Abigail? Where are you guys?”

“They were just here,” Shane said, brow furrowing in confusion. “I just heard them talking about that spider Abigail saw.”

“Well, they’re gone now,” Lana said, peering down yet another branch of the maze that extended away to the right of them. She raised her voice to call out again to them. “Sam! Abigail! Where’d you guys go?”

They were met with nothing but a hollow silence.

“Maybe they just made a wrong turn somewhere and we didn’t notice,” Shane suggested, but she could see his eyes beginning to dart around uneasily.

“I’m telling you,” she said, walking back to him to point a finger at him accusingly. “But you’re not listening to me. Something is up. Something magic -related. I know it.

“Magic? Here?” Shane asked, looking down at her finger anxiously. “That doesn’t make any sense, Lana.”

She groaned in frustration. “You, Lewis, the wizard. Why doesn’t anyone ever believe me about anything?” Her voice was rising in pitch and volume, but she didn’t care.

“Come on - here in town, at the Spirit’s Eve Festival? The mayor and a bunch of other townspeople help organize it every year, just like every other event. Why would there be magic involved?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Haven’t you noticed anything weird going on this entire night? Like those walking skeletons out by the saloon, or those jack-o-lanterns that glow without any candles in them? Or maybe this entire f*cking maze that just seems to appear out of nowhere? Doesn’t that seem a little strange to you, Shane?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, truly sounding bewildered. “They’re just decorations. It’s all fake.”

The hedges suddenly rustled as though in support of his words. He glanced around warily at the sound.

“Oh, come on Shane. You haven’t been part of Pelican Town for as long as everyone else around here. Outsider to outsider, look me in the eye and tell me something doesn’t smell funny about all this. See!” She gestured behind him. He whipped around, eyes wide. “I knew it! The direction we came from is blocked now. The hedges move around when we’re not looking. That’s probably how we got separated from Sam and Abigail.”

“But that’s insane,” he protested incredulously. “How would that even work? Hedges can’t just - can't just get up and move.”

“Magic, Shane. Yoba, aren’t you listening?” She shook her head “Look, whatever. Something tells me that I can get us to the end of this thing. But we can’t get separated, because then I can’t help you find your way out.” She held out her hand. “Grab on to me, and I’ll get us through here. I can sense my way through the maze.”

“You can? Shouldn’t we just keep going the way we came from?”

“No, we need to go back to where we found Abby. We were going in the right direction before we stopped for her. That’s why the mist was lighter than it is now. It’s trying to tell us we’re going the wrong way.”

Shane gave her a skeptical look but still reached out to grab onto her hand. His palm felt warm in hers, but she brushed aside the familiar sensation, not willing to get distracted by her feelings for him at a time like this.

“Okay, I trust you,” Shane said, still sounding dubious. “I mean, it’s not like I don’t already know that magic is real. I shouldn’t be surprised anymore by these sorts of things. You really do attract trouble, don’t you?”

“Quit whining. And don’t let go of my hand for any reason, okay?”

“Okay. Lead the way, Red. I’m but your humble second mate on this pirate ship.”

She kept a quick pace as she guided them through the twists and turns of the maze. At one point, they passed the fountain on the far side of the field, flowing with a strange, pitch-black water that splashed and bubbled ominously as they passed by. They encountered a few more oddities down the foggy pathways, like a tiny, bizarre shack held up on gangly chicken legs that Shane refused to go near, and more of those oddly-staring stone skull statues that flanked the entrance. Eventually, they even found the infamous spider that had so terrified Abigail earlier. Its copious fuchsia-colored eyes glared down at them as they edged by, mirroring the glowing orbs in the eye sockets of the animated skeletons back in town. Still, it didn’t attack, only bobbing up and down like Abigail had described before silently before retreating back into the overgrown hedge it had popped out of. Shane’s hand felt sweaty in her own as they hurried away from the oversized arachnid.

“None of this was here the couple of times I’ve been in here before,” he spoke up faintly.

Lana kept her gaze forward as she responded. “That’s because you never made it this far.”

They walked for what felt like another five minutes before turning yet another corner of the maze to abruptly come face-to-face with a what appeared to be a vintage-looking television set, complete with knobs and an antenna. Bizarrely, it was plopped down right in the middle of the path between the hedges, somehow flickering with black and white static. Tightening her grip on Shane’s hand, she stepped forward to try and pass it on the side, not trusting it for one bit.

“What the hell is that?” Shane asked, keeping close to the hedges to stay away from it. “How is it even turned on? Is it plugged into something?”

“I don’t think so,” Lana replied. The image on the television began to distort but then cleared out briefly to show a slimy, purple creature on the screen before going back to fuzzy static. “There - did you see that? What was that? Some sort of monster?”

“f*ck if I know. Are we any closer to the end of this thing? I’m starting to get really freaked out now.”

The television flickered again, and this time a ghostly voice could be heard, crackling as though being transmitted from very far away.

“Too much...cursed….. ”

She halted, struck by the once-familiar sound. Shane bumped into her, swearing in surprise. She stepped away from him to go back in front of the TV, falling down in front of it with her free palm pressed to the screen. He was dragged down with her by their joined hands, protesting loudly in his confusion.

“Lana, what the hell are you doing?”

Her eyes widened as she took in the faint, distorted image now on the screen, once again of the purple creature, which she could now see was a large slime like the ones she often encountered down in the mine. It appeared to be footage from some sort of handheld camera, shaky and warped by time or some other outside force. She heard the voice again, which she assumed came from the person filming. This time, she was completely sure of who it was, still not believing her ears.

“Can’t let them find… extremely dangerous…”

“Dad?” she called out faintly, feeling tears beginning to well in her eyes.

“'Dad'?” Shane asked, clearly in shock. He peered at the television screen. “I don't hear or see anything but static on this thing. What the hell is going on?”

The camera and its light swung around what looked like a dark cavern, and for a brief, breathless moment, there he was - Oliver James Abernathy - her father, younger than she had ever seen him, but alive once more if only for a brief moment on screen. She leaned in, completely mesmerized.

“....sealed… Too late…”

The television flashed and crackled again before giving way once more to static, and just like that, her dad was gone. She stood up on shaky legs, grateful for the automatic way Shane’s arm went around her shoulder to support her.

“What did you see?” he asked her quietly. “Was it really your dad?”

Lana shook her head, swallowing the lump that had appeared in her throat. She brushed away the tears that refused to fall down her cheeks. “Something I don’t quite understand just yet. But maybe the answer’s waiting for me at the end of this damn maze." She looked up at Shane, her eyes fierce and determined. "Just keep holding on to my hand. I’ll get us out of here.”

Shane nodded but still looked anxious as he squeezed her shoulders. “Aye, aye, captain.”

Taking off again, they soon arrived at the empty playground, crossing quickly through the sand around more skull statues to head down another pathway on the other side. Lana led them around for a few more tense minutes before they reached a corner, turning left again only to come to a dead end. There was nowhere left to go.

“I think we went the wrong way,” Shane said, tugging her hand so they could head back.

“No, this is it.” Lana tightened her grip and stepped forward. She could sense a strong magical signal radiating from the other side of the dense hedge. “I think it’s through here.”

“Through the hedge?” Shane pressed his free hand to the leaves and pushed, but the thick foliage prevented him from moving any further. “We can’t go through there. We must’ve made a wrong turn.”

“Shh.” Lana raised her left arm and gently pressed her palm against the leaves, spreading her fingers out. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The hedge began to glow bright green under her fingers.

“Holy sh*t,” whispered Shane, his own eyes widening in awe. “Is that magic? You can do magic now?”

“No idea,” she replied, feeling the leaves beginning to give way beneath her palm. “I’m just kind of going with it, at this point.”

The rest of the hedge began to glimmer with purple light before crystalizing up like a wall of amethyst. She heard Shane gasp beside her. Holding her breath, she gave it one last push, and the bright green glow emanating from her fingers shot cracks through the section of hedge until it shattered, crumbling away like shards of broken glass that dissipated away into the night. There was now an empty spot in the hedge the size of a doorway, leading into what looked to be the entrance of a shadowy cave set back against the mountain. Looking inside, she could see nothing but an impermeable black void.

“I really don’t think we should go in there,” Shane said after a moment of silence. He still hadn’t let go of her hand but was starting to move backwards anxiously.

“We gotta,” she said simply, tugging him back to her.

“Lana, please. ”

“Come on, Shane. We made it this far already. This probably leads to the end of the maze. Don’t you want to see what the treasure is?”

“I’d rather not risk my life for it, no,” He gazed into the cave, his expression pensive and troubled. “But I also know that you’re marching in there no matter what I say, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting you go alone. It looks like I’m going in whether I want to or not.”

She smiled. “Good. Come on, then. Let’s see what’s waiting for us at the end.”

Squeezing his hand, Lana gave him a determined nod, pulling him forward with her through the gap in the hedge. They entered the cave, which appeared to extend deep into one of the large, rocky peaks behind the playground they had passed earlier. From her exploring, she knew these hills extended around the backside of the community center and then beyond to the rest of the mountain range that made up the perimeter of the valley. She took out her cell phone from the crossbody purse she was still wearing, using its flashlight to illuminate their way. The passage they found themselves in was narrow and flanked with high, craggy walls and random boulders that they had to step around as they trekked through.

“I don’t remember ever seeing this back here,” Shane said, jarring her out of her wandering thoughts. “And I’ve come to this playground a bunch of times with Jas. There was never an entrance to a cave like this here before.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” she replied, shining her light on the ground ahead of them. “It must appear along with the maze each year.”

“What do you think we’re going to find at the end?”

“Honestly? I don’t really care. Whatever it is, it’s been calling out to me from the moment I got here. I… I really can’t explain it.”

“You don’t need to explain it to me.”

Lana looked up at Shane beside her, whose form was partially lit up by her flashlight. She was reminded of the night before, when the lone spotlight in town had illuminated half of his face as they stood together on that foggy street corner. His eyes bore into hers as he continued speaking.

“Lana, I’m really sorry for not believing you about this place, or about other things. Like your suspicions about Morris. I know I always brush that off, but it’s not that I don't take you seriously or anything. I guess I’d just prefer to think that no news is good news. But if you suspect there’s still something funny going on, then I support you. You were right about this maze, after all.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks, Shane. And trust me - I want to believe that we’re done with this whole magic mess too. But there’s this weird feeling in my gut telling me that we’re not out of the woods just yet.”

“Then I trust you.” He went quiet for a moment, averting his eyes to glance up at the brown, rocky walls around them. “I almost had a drink when I went to drop off Jas earlier."

“You did?” she asked, surprised by the change of subject. The guilty expression on Shane's face made it clear this was something he had been wanting to get off his chest.

“Yeah. Marnie and Lewis left some of the wine they brought home on the kitchen table, and I was so f*cking tempted to just take a quick swig as I walked by.”

“Any particular reason or....?”

“No. Just the craving for alcohol. Sometimes it hits me pretty hard. If it was a beer, I’m not sure I would have been able to resist.” He sighed, suddenly looking exhausted. “I’ve just been having some negative thoughts lately. I spoke about it with Dr. Kenza today.”

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Lana felt her concern heighten. “See, I knew I should have gone with you to drop off Jas. Maybe I could have helped you or -”

“No, Lana,” he cut her off sternly. “You’re not my babysitter. I know you didn’t drink at the festival tonight because of me, or during any of the times we see each other anymore. You could have had some wine if you wanted to, or even a beer. I can handle it. I appreciate the support, but it’s not your responsibility to keep me on track. That’s all on me.”

“I actually did have a beer after you left,” she admitted. “But it doesn’t bother me skip a drink now and then if it helps you out. It’s really not a big deal.”

“It is, though. I don’t want you to feel like you have to move around your life to accommodate me. You already do so much for me. Hiring me to work on your farm, taking me to the city every weekend for my appointments, helping out with Jas whenever she’s with us. I’m not going to start getting in the way of things for you too.”

“Oh, Yoba- is this about Harvey? I remember you said something like that last night.”

“I’m just referring to things in general, Lana. I already told you that I don’t want to be a burden to you or anyone else in my life.”

“I do all those things for you because I want to, Shane. And you do a lot for me too, so it goes both ways.”

He gave her a skeptical look, part of his face hidden in shadow.

“I mean it!” Lana said vehemently. “You really help me out around the farm, especially this past season when I was getting so overwhelmed. And then everything with the Junimos and all this other magic crap that apparently follows me around now? I can always count on you to be there for me, Shane. Even during an insane time like tonight.”

He said nothing, only looking down at his sneakers. The light from her phone was still partially on him as they stood in the narrow passageway. It was completely silent in the cave, devoid of anyone or anything except for them.

“Well, I guess I was able to make it this far,” Shane replied after a while, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He let his gaze wander back up to hers. “I mean, you did all the work, but I’m finally going to see what’s at the end of this f*cking maze. That counts for something, right? I’m not completely useless after all.”

Lana rolled her eyes. “I’ll take that as your way of accepting my sincere compliment.” She poked his bare chest, visible through the loose collared shirt that he was wearing as part of his costume. “Now, come on. We should get going. There’s treasure awaiting us, matey.”

“Maybe you should’ve been the one in a pirate costume,” he teased, following her as she led him by their rejoined hands. “You certainly like talking like one.”

“Maybe next year,” she responded over her shoulder. “Hey, are you still coming over later to watch a scary movie with me? I know it’s already pretty late.”

“Yeah, I’m still going. Assuming we make it out of here alive.”

“Relax, drama queen. We’ll be fine. We have to walk back to my place, though. My truck wouldn’t turn on again earlier. I think it’s the battery.”

“I have Marnie’s truck, remember?”

“Oh! Even better. My feet are f*cking killing me.”

“Can’t wait to get out of that costume, huh?”

“Yeah. This corset is feeling a bit tight, too. I want to loosen it up a bit. Here, hold on.”

Now that they were out of the maze, she felt less wary of any fishy business like hedges that liked to play musical chairs. She let go of his hand again to fiddle with the laces of her corset, tied into a bow underneath her breasts. Double-knotted and tight, her fingers couldn’t pull it loose as she tried to use the light in her other hand for visibility.

“Let me see,” Shane said, stepping forward. She stopped trying to free the knot and let him tug on the laces instead with both of his free hands. He was almost pressed up against her, already in such close proximity from how narrow the passage was. She kept her eyes on his fingers until he was able to pull the bow free from its knot, not trusting herself with his lips only inches away from hers. He dropped his hands when he finished, but she couldn't resist peeking up at him as she began to loosen up the laces of her corset.

“Thanks,” she said quietly, smiling. His cheeks were red but his eyes looked hazy in the light. She saw the familiar sight of desire pooling in his dark irises. “What would I ever do without you, Zuzu?”

“Suffocate in overly tight clothing, apparently,” he replied in a low voice, smirking at her in a way that made her traitorous heart flutter in her chest.

She finished retying her corset and grabbed his hand again. Shane’s palm felt warm against hers as they continued walking. Every now and then, the path would branch off into smaller trails that led even deeper into the mountain. Following the faint energy she could still sense, Lana pressed on forward, undeterred by whatever other mysteries may lie in wait within the cave. After a while, she huffed in exasperation and held up her phone to shine the light further down the tunnel to try and see if they were near the exit.

“I don’t think we’re getting close to the end of this thing,” she said. “How much longer do you think it goes on for?”

There was no reply.

“Shane?”

Before she could move any further, the craggy ceiling directly overhead lit up with hundreds of tiny, purple glowing rocks, glittering like brilliant stars against the dark cavern walls. She gasped at the sight, stopping dead in her tracks. The stones glimmered eerily, mesmerizing her for a few, dreamy seconds. With a jolt, she realized that she could no longer feel Shane’s hand in hers. Whirling around, she felt her stomach drop at the sight of the empty cave in front of her. Shane was gone.

“sh*t! Dammit!” Lana looked up furiously at the luminous stones overhead.

“What the hell is this? Where is he?” she demanded, getting no reply from the gems. Walking forward, she noticed that the glowing rocks overhead followed her movement, illuminating with each step she took and dimming out once she moved on. Her pace began to quicken as she caught on, making the stones light up faster. “Fine. I’ll play along with your dumb game if it gets me out of here.”

She hurried through the tunnel, doing her best to keep an eye out for any boulders or outcroppings of rock that might trip her up. The stones above her followed her every move, twinkling in blue and purple hues as they lit up and died out. Finally, she made it around a particularly large slab of stone to see what looked like moonlight streaming in through an exit up ahead. At a jog now, she made it to the end of the tunnel and stepped out into the fresh air, stopping to catch her breath.

Astoundingly, she found herself back in the corner of the field, in the same spot she and Shane had first entered the cave, except now the maze was gone. The only thing that remained was an empty fogginess that was spread out over the field, much like the one they had walked through the night before. She could see the playground nearby through the mist and set off toward it, not willing to take her chances at wandering around in such heavy fog. Approaching the structures warily, she stepped onto the sand and walked over to the nearby swing set to sit down with a sigh. Lana looked at the jungle gym in front of her and then up at the moon, full and round directly overhead. Her feet began to push off of the ground so that she began swinging back and forth lightly. Moving a bit higher off the ground, she couldn’t help but smile as she recalled memories of herself swinging as a child at the park in Zuzu City. It had been one of her favorite things to do with her father, who was still heavy on her mind from the ghostly footage on the television set she had encountered.

“Ms. Abernathy. May I just say that it is a pleasure seeing you again so soon.”

A booming voice pulled her out of her reverie. Lana dug her boots into the sand to stop herself from swinging, coming to standstill. He had appeared on the other side of the playground and was now standing on top of the slide, gazing down upon her. Lana smirked, gripping both chains of her swing as she leaned forward to reply.

“Hey there, Rasmodius. I should have known you were the one behind all this.”

The wizard nodded grandly from his post.

“And I should have known that you’d be the only person in over a hundred years to ever reach the end of this maze,” he replied. “Come, my dear. It’s time I explain a few things that I’ve been keeping secret from you. For your own good, obviously.”

“It’s about damn time.” Lana stood from her swing and walked over to the bottom of the slide. “Well, are you coming down here or what?”

Rasmodius chortled, disappearing in a puff of purple smoke. He reappeared at her side a moment later. “I’m afraid my old bones wouldn’t fare too well going down a slide. Let’s take a walk, shall we?”

“Fine, but before we go anywhere, you’re going to tell me where Shane is. And Sam and Abigail.”

“Your friends?" The wizard blinked in confusion. "But they’re fine! The rather, uh, chatty pair that was separated from you in the maze eventually found their way out, and the one dressed as a pirate is currently in a false exit chamber of my making, where a treasure chest awaits with something I've left as a gift to him. I felt that he should at least be rewarded for accompanying you this far." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I’m afraid the Elementals wouldn’t allow him to go any further, but I assure you he’s fine and should be waiting for you once you get back.”

Lana breathed a sigh of relief as she now allowed the wizard to lead her away from the playground. “So, they’re all okay? And what exactly are you giving Shane?”

“Yes, they’re all safe and sound. As for his prize - well, I suppose your friend will tell you what he finds in his chest later on when you’re reunited with him. It’s quite a nice trinket, if I do say so myself. The real prize still lies with me, however. I’ve been saving it for you, my dear.”

“Why me? And why all this? What’s going on here, Rasmodius?”

“I’ll have to start with an apology and a confession. You see, when you arrived at my tower that day all those months ago, I knew more about you than what I had just foreseen in my vision.” Rasmodius paused, shuffling on his feet uncomfortably. “The truth is that your grandfather was actually a good friend of mine when he still lived here in the valley.”

Lana was almost struck speechless. “What? How…?”

“I’m sorry for not telling you this sooner, but I was waiting to see how things would pan out. But now that I’m aware of certain information, I feel that I cannot hold off any longer on telling you about your heritage.”

“My heritage? Wait, how did you know my grandpa?”

“We first encountered each other in the forest one day many years ago. He was quite lonely at the time, I remember. His son - your father - had just moved away from the valley to attend college, and while James had already made a few friends in town, he still lived a rather solitary life as the mysterious outsider. Well, you must know how isolated it can feel all by yourself out on your farm. He and I got along immediately and became acquaintances. He quickly caught on to my magical abilities despite my rather uh, ardent efforts to convince him otherwise. Still, he never revealed my presence to the rest of the townspeople. A loyal friend until the end.” He stopped for a moment to clear his throat.

“Later on as the years went by, he’d tell me about his son and then eventually about his granddaughters. Including you.” He looked at Lana fondly. “But he never spoke about his life before his arrival to the valley, and I never pried out of respect for him. Because of this, I never was privy to the information I learned about your family last night. Which then prompts the next apology I’ll have to make.”

Lana crossed her arms and said nothing, only nodding for him to go on.

“Before anything, I want to say that before his passing, your grandfather wrote to me to request that I watch over you in the event you decided to take the farm. I was to make sure you’d settle in safely as a final promise to him. But I quickly saw that you didn’t need me at all. You took to life in the valley like a duck to water. But because of that promise, well... I sometimes follow you on your late night walks or during other times you may find yourself in need of my assistance.”

“Excuse me? You’ve been following me?”

Rasmodius winced at the look of outrage on Lana’s face.

“Just to make sure you get home safely! For James!” The wizard took off his hat, twisting it around in his hands as though deeply embarrassed. “And I usually just use one of my avian friends as a vessel to keep a watchful eye on you from afar, that’s all. Nothing invasive.”

“Avian friends? Crap. The owl from last night.” She recalled the hooting she kept hearing as she and Shane walked home through the field the night before. “That was you?”

“It was. And, as I said, I don’t usually follow behind you too closely. This time however, you said something to your friend that piqued my interest, and therefore I must apologize for eavesdropping on the rest of your conversation. When I heard that your grandfather journeyed here from the Fern Islands, of all places, I finally knew why the Junimos had chosen you for their magic. But first I must ask - what do you know of the place?”

“Not much beyond what they taught us in school." Lana shrugged as she combed her memory. "I know that the Ferngill Republic took control of them after the Gotoro Empire lost the war back in the 20’s. Or was it the 30’s? I forget. Anyway, they’re supposedly mostly uninhabited now, except for Ginger Island, which the government used as some sort of base for military research. Now, all I know is that rich people go there as a holiday getaway. I've never had the pleasure of visiting any of the islands myself, including Ginger Island.”

“Correct. And there’s not much known about them for good reason. What most people aren’t aware of is that before our mighty nation took over, magic existed and thrived there in conjunction with the Gotoran people that lived within the lush forests spread out over the archipelago. Areas of the Gotoro Empire has long been a hotspot of sorcery and witchcraft, including the Fern Islands, which is common knowledge among those familiar with magic.

“When the war was lost, most Gotorans on the islands returned back to the mainland, but others chose to stay to guard the supernatural secrets the islands held. If he’s from the Fern Islands like you said, then your grandfather would have been the kin of these people, born into a time where they had to keep their magic hidden away. That’s how he was able to so easily recognize the power within me without any himself having real understanding of sorcery.”

“So grandpa was related to the Gotorans that used to inhabit the islands? And that makes me special somehow?" Lana shook her head. "I don’t buy it.”

“In the grand scheme of things, your heritage may prove to be quite valuable to you. While a lot people from the Gotoro Empire made their way over here over the years, there aren't many people on this side of the ocean that can claim to be descended from the Gotorons that lived on the Fern Islands. At the very least, it makes you particularly sensitive to magic. It all makes sense now, especially your unusual reaction to the potion I gave you. After all, the Junimos themselves are said to originate from the Fern Islands, so it’s no wonder they latched onto you. I’m also assuming you’ve noticed something strange about the maze you were just in, or perhaps a few of the decorations back in town?”

“I did. Now that I see you’re the one behind all this, I’m guessing you’re the one who enchanted it all. But if you want to keep the people away from magic so badly, why bring it to town? Not that anyone seems to even notice what’s really going on.”

“Usually, the affairs of mundane townsfolk matter little to me, but the Elementals like a chance to see the humans up close every now then. It was for them that I created this festival, along with this rather silly maze on the day of the year their power is at its peak. The witch, my ex-wife Samara, is actually the only other person who ever got through it besides you. That’s how we became aware of her abilities over a century ago. And how we first met, coincidentally.”

“Wait, so this was some sort of test? Is that why that television was back out in the maze?”

“...Television? Whatever do you mean, my dear?” Rasmodius looked genuinely baffled at her question, but she remained unconvinced.

“So you weren’t the one who put that old TV set in the middle of the path? The one only showing static?” She decided on a whim to hold off on mentioning what she had really seen and heard, a bit mistrustful of the wizard after his belated confession of knowing her grandfather.

“How odd." He shook his head, looking pensive. "Well, the Elementals sometimes like to contribute to the oddities within the maze. I suppose they added it as some sort of deterrent to try and distract you, but I promise that I wasn’t aware of that particular obstacle.”

Lana was quiet for moment, puzzled as to what the Elementals could have been trying to show her. Whoever (or whatever) they may be, the wizard only ever alluded to them in passing, never going to into detail about the mysterious forces he apparently worked for. Seeing her father again had been jarring to say the least, even if just onscreen, and the purple slime he had been filming and presumably speaking about was bigger than any she had ever seen before in the mine. Had it been something he encountered during one of excavations? She had the nagging suspicion that there had more to the video than she caught in its brief, distorted moments. As she tried to rack her brain for more details of the fuzzy images, she remembered how Shane had been unable to see or hear anything on the screen. Whoever put the television in the maze meant it only for her. Lana furrowed her brows in thought and turned to Rasmodius, still confused.

“All of these enchantments. How are you hiding the truth from everyone in town? Like the skeletons in the cage. I know for a fact those weren’t the janky props that everyone’s making them out to be - they’re alive, somehow. They're real, just like the maze. But the townspeople can’t see the magic, can they?”

The wizard smiled warmly. “You’re correct. It’s quite simple, actually. In order for me to mask the enchantments needed to create this maze and the rest of the attractions in town, I use iridium, a rare, peculiar substance that’s used to amplify magic, among other things."

“So those glowing rocks on the cavern ceiling were iridium?”

“Iridium ore, yes. It's what helps me keep the illusion alive so that the Elementals can have their fun without revealing themselves and their power. But you saw right through it, as I suspected you would once I heard you talking about your grandfather last night. In fact, I now believe you may possess abilities that are worth looking into and possibly even further developing.”

“What does that mean?” she asked, incredulous. “That you'd teach me how to use magic?”

“I can tutor you in the ways of the Elementals, yes. They’ve already been quite interested in you since they learned of your involvement with the Junimos. Your successful navigation through this maze will no doubt please them, as did the news about your connection to the Fern Islands. And maybe get them off my back for a blasted second.” He whispered the last part under his breath, brushing his handlebar mustache with his fingers in a rather harried manner. Clearing his throat, he stopped walking, halting Lana with a gentle hand as the heavy fog around them thinned out. Looking around, she saw that they were now in front of the fountain, still flowing with that peculiar black water she had seen earlier on her journey through the maze.

“Now, all you must do is reach into the fountain, my dear. Your prize is waiting for you at the bottom. It’s something that may prove useful to you in your adventures one day, so take good care of it. It’s quite rare, after all.”

The wizard’s eyes twinkled as Lana peered suspiciously into the fountain, leaning back to not get splashed from the twin jets of opaque water falling into the lower basin.

“You want me to put my hand in there for my prize? Why can’t you just give it to me?”

He chortled, patting her shoulder. “Ah, but who am I to question the instructions of the Elementals? In order for it to belong to you, you must be the first one to touch it. Once it’s in your possession, just re-enter the cave you exited from and go back the way you came. You’ll be reunited with your pirate friend again. As I’m sure you’re quite eager to do.” Radmodius winked at her. She blushed, grumbling under her breath. “Have a goodnight, Ms. Abernathy. I trust we’ll be seeing each other again very soon.”

Before she could protest, he disappeared again in another puff of violet smoke, leaving her alone in front of the babbling fountain. Lana stared at the spot on the dried grass where he had just been standing, still in shock. Sitting down on the edge of the water basin, she tried to calm down and gather her thoughts but was soon distracted by the sound of the splashing water, craning her neck to look back into the fountain's inky depths. Impulsively, she dunked her hand into it without even removing her glove, leaning over the edge to feel around at the bottom for whatever prize these mysterious and powerful beings had apparently left for her. Her arm was almost completely immersed to the shoulder in water by the time her fingers grazed what felt like a cool, smooth pebble. She grabbed it firmly in her hand and removed her dripping arm from the water, bringing it up to her face to take a closer look at what she had won.

It was a small stone that shimmered with a dazzling rainbow iridescence. She could sense the immense energy radiating from it as she held it in her palm. Scrutinizing it, Lana noted that it didn’t resemble any of the minerals or gems that she had ever found in the mine.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with this?” she asked aloud, not hiding her disappointment. “This is my prize?”

The stone lay innocent and silent in her hand, glowing curiously from within with a kaleidoscope of colors.

“Well, at least you’re pretty.” Shaking her head, she put the stone into her bag to store safely away once she got home, too fatigued to give it any more thought. The news from the wizard about her grandfather and his apparent connection to magic that was passed onto her was more than her brain could handle at the moment. Standing up, she pulled out her cell phone from her bag to see if Shane had tried to contact her but only put it away angrily when she saw she didn’t have any service. Glancing behind her, she could see the playground obscured in the foggy distance. If the wizard was to be believed, behind it she’d find the entrance to the tunnel leading back to the maze.

Lana stood up and put her hood over her head before taking off across the field, flooded with the desire to see Shane again and make sure he was okay. She quickly passed the playground and entered the cave, making her way back through the tunnel using the glow from the overhead pieces of what she now knew to be iridium. The narrow paths that branched off from the main tunnel were once again ignored as she headed directly for the opposite entrance, determined on getting out as fast as she could.

Lana burst through the opening of the cave and again found herself in the exact same spot she had first entered with Shane. After stepping back into the maze through the gap in the hedges, she turned around to see the leaves rebuilding themselves to close up the space until it was solid once more. More rustling in front of her alerted her to further movement from the hedges, which now amazingly appeared to be rearranging themselves to provide a clear route for her through the maze. Once the leaves settled and everything grew still again, she took off down the straight path, glancing up suspiciously at the dark hedges flanking her on either side.

About halfway through the newly formed walkway, she saw a distant figure approaching in the fog and slowed down, instantly wary of who else she might encounter in the moving labyrinth. As she stopped in the middle of the path, the advancing figure materialized more clearly through the mist, and she was able to recognize the familiar gait and JojaMart pirate costume. Exhaling her held breath loudly, she took off at a run, almost beside herself with relief.

“Lana, what the fu-” Shane’s words were cut off as she crashed into him, enveloping him into a hug. His arms quickly went around her too, but she could sense his confusion as she pressed her face into his chest, almost humming with happiness at reuniting with him.

“Shane,” she breathed, relaxing automatically into his body. The head-spinning conversation she just had with the wizard felt far behind her now that he was with her again. “You’re okay.”

“f*ck, Lana,” he said, clearly upset. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere in here. Then the hedges started moving around by themselves, just like you said they did, taking me along with them. But as crazy as it all sounds, I think they helped me find you.” He put a hand to the back of her head, mumbling into her hair. “I was so worried about you. Are you alright? What happened in the cave?”

Lana looked up at him, shaking her head. “It’s a long story, and I promise I’ll tell you everything, but right now, all I want is to go home to my little old farm and watch that scary movie that I've been waiting for all day. Can we do that please?”

Shane blinked in surprise but nodded in agreement, not questioning her any further.

“Okay. That works for me. Let’s get the hell out of here, Red. I’ve had more than enough of this magic sh*t for tonight. But can I tell you what happened after we got separated? You’re not gonna believe what I found behind this door in the cave wall, trust me.”

“Was it a treasure chest?”

“Aw, how'd you guess?” She giggled as his face fell in disappointment. “Wait, don’t tell me you’re psychic now too?”

The fog slowly cleared out as they began walking together down the formed pathway back in the direction of town. Right as they made it out of the maze, an owl flew high above, just out of view. It hooted gently and leveled a watchful eye over the pair, soaring behind them for only a moment before veering off instead in the direction of the full, silvery moon hanging up in the night sky.

Chapter 22: Fleeting Flakes of Snow

Chapter Text

Winter

A few weeks later

Shane watched as his tackle bobbed up and down in the water, bored out of his mind.

It was a chilly Tuesday evening, and he and Lana were sitting together at the edge of the dock at Cindersap Lake under a sky tinged with the purples of burgeoning twilight. It had snowed earlier in the day, covering the ground with a thin layer of frost that also clung to the branches of the pine trees around them.

About an hour or so after he got home from another grueling day of work, the farmer had come knocking at his door with a thermos of hot chocolate for each of them and an invitation to accompany her for some fishing. While he had been initially enthusiastic for the new endeavor, a rather large pile of snow had fallen on his head as they first walked over to the lake through the forest, soaking his hair and putting him in a sour mood for the rest of the trip.

“How the hell do you just sit here and do this for hours?” he complained to Lana, sitting next to him with a matching rod in her hands. “I’ll never catch anything at this rate.”

“Patience, Zuzu - it’s only been thirty minutes since we got here,” she chided him. Tipping her head back, she inhaled the cold air and sighed contentedly. “Besides, fishing’s good for thinking. I’ve come to really enjoy the peace and quiet you get in between each catch, believe it or not.”

Shane rolled his eyes. “It sounds like a whole lot of just waiting around and doing nothing to me.”

“Now you’re getting it.” She bumped her shoulder teasingly into his. He felt his heart skip a beat with the impact.

He did his best to keep his gaze forward on his tackle as they spoke, but he could see her reflection next to his on the gently rippled surface of the lake and couldn’t help getting distracted by the way her smile mixed in with the mirrored image of the setting sun on the water. The deeper bronze from summer had long-since faded from her tawny skin, but a small scattering of faintly visible freckles still remained around her nose. Her hair was loose today, falling down her back in dark, auburn waves and covered with beanie that had a large, floppy pom-pom on top. Shane felt his face growing warm as his gaze lingered on her and looked away, deciding begrudgingly to himself that the chilly walk over here was well worth the view, soaked hair or otherwise.

“It’s so freaking cold right now,” he grumbled, shoving his free hand into the pocket of his jacket in an attempt to warm up. “I bet all the fish are frozen solid down there.”

“They’re fine, I promise,” Lana assured him with a chuckle. “And just think about it - you can bring back whatever you catch to Marnie for tomorrow night’s dinner.”

“I don’t know about that. I’m already having trouble getting Jas to eat meat as it is,” Shane replied, rolling his eyes. “Ever since she learned about being vegetarian in school, she’s been such a pain in the ass to cook for.”

“I forgot - you're the head chef at the ranch now,” she teased, referring to his recent return to cooking as a way to keep his mind off of drinking. “I guess you’re going to have to find a way to improvise. Picky customers come with the job, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, shut up.” He pulled up on his fishing rod, moving around the tackle in the water as he sulked. “I’m barely getting the hang of this cooking thing, and now she throws this no-meat curve ball at me? It’s not fair.”

Lana’s fishing line abruptly snagged. They both gasped as the water in front of them was disrupted by a series of ripples and splashes. He saw her grip tighten on her fishing rod as she pulled it back, trying to reel in whatever was biting on the bait. After only a few moments of tense struggling, a large fish was pulled out, flopping for a bit in the air before being yanked up until it hung from the tip of Lana’s rod. It looked at them both with wide, reproachful eyes while she whooped in celebration.

“Hey! It’s a pike,” she said, leaning in a bit to peer more closely at it. “These are pretty rare, I think. Oh! I gotta tell Willy about it later.” She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and took out her cell phone to snap a picture, grinning widely as she did so.

“What the hell?” Shake asked, incredulous. “You made it look so easy.”

“It’s my lucky day today, I guess,” she said, taking the fish off her hook so she could put it into the cooler she brought with them. “Although it probably helps that I’ve been getting in a lot more practice now that I have less on my plate at the farm.”

He said nothing, only shaking his head in disbelief. Lana smiled apologetically and took a sip of her hot chocolate from the thermos sitting beside her. Another uneventful half hour passed before she caught yet another fish, and then a third, a smaller one she proclaimed to be a perch. Shane sighed as he watched her tuck it away next to the others. His own tackle remained untouched in the water in front of them.

“I sense that you’re getting discouraged,” Lana spoke up, leaning back on the dock to watch him mope.

“Maybe the fish just don’t like me,” he joked half-heartedly with a small shrug, feeling quite discouraged indeed.

“That’s impossible. You’re extremely likable.”

His cheeks reddened again at her words.

“Uh, I don’t know about that.” He shook his head. “They’re avoiding me like I got the plague or something. I doubt I’ll catch anything today. Or ever, at this rate.”

Lana chuckled. “Aw, come on, Shane. Don’t be so negative.”

“Easier said than done,” he grumbled, looking up with a sigh.

Now that the sun had set, the twilight sky had darkened down to a deep violet. It hadn’t started snowing again, but Shane could see some heavy clouds overheard that signaled the presence of more to come. He reached down to grab the thermos next to him to take a drink and was suddenly reminded of the first time he and the farmer had sat in this very spot back in spring, when he had downed a six-pack of cheap JojaMart beer and made a complete ass of himself in the process. Even as he took a sip of the hot chocolate Lana had made for them, Shane could feel the prickle in the back of his throat that signaled the craving for alcohol, a feeling that often still plagued him despite being two months sober. He shook his head, quickly finishing the rest of his chocolate to try and ward it off for the time being.

Shane cleared his throat and glanced again at Lana. “So, seeing as you’re such a pro now, are you going to enter the fishing contest at Sunday’s Festival of Ice?”

“I guess so. Lewis asked me if I wanted to participate a few days ago,” she replied with a shrug. “What do you think? Do I have a good chance of winning?”

“Judging by how good you’re doing today, most definitely. Besides, only a few people compete each year. Everyone’s mostly there for those ice sculptures Leah makes.”

“Those’ll be a sight to see. She’s been so excited about them.”

He turned the now-empty mug of chocolate nonchalantly in his hands. “...There's a snowman contest too, now that I think about it. Wanna team up with me and Jas?”

Lana abruptly broke their gaze and looked out at the water. “That sounds like fun, but I already told Harvey I’d go to the festival with him.”

Shane felt his stomach drop at the news. He turned to her with his eyebrows raised, not bothering to hide his surprise. A ruddy blush had spread out over her cheeks as she continued to avoid his eye.

“Harvey?” he asked incredulously. “I thought you only went out once with him as a favor to Leah. You’re going on another date with him?”

“That was the plan.” Lana fiddled with the fishing rod in her hands. “But a couple of days ago, I ran into him at the saloon, and he bought me a coffee and started talking to me about some new book he was reading... and then he asked me if I wanted to go to the festival with him. He’s so freaking nice, I didn’t have the heart to say no.”

Shane said nothing for a moment, still digesting the information. She was watching him sideways now, her expression unreadable. Was she really as uninterested in Harvey as she made it seem?

“Date number two, then,” Shane finally replied, pasting a teasing smirk on his face to try and hide the jealousy he felt surging through his veins. “Looks like it’s getting pretty serious between you guys.”

“Oh, shut up.” She scowled and rubbed her forehead. “We’re just going to the festival together. Leah and Elliot will probably end up tagging along. It’s really not a big deal.”

“Hey, you don’t gotta explain anything to me, remember? But something tells me it might be a bigger deal to the doctor than it is to you.”

“Trust me, I know,” she grumbled, looking back out over the water again with her brow furrowed in thought.

He tried to think of something witty and comforting to say but came up short, still reeling from the sharp stab of dread he was feeling in his chest. The idea of Lana going out with Harvey again wasn’t something he had anticipated. She had casually mentioned their initial double date with Elliot and Leah a couple weeks ago to him during another late trip to the community center, explaining it away as a begrudging favor for her friends, but she hadn’t brought it up since then. That night after arriving home, he had been hit with the almost overwhelming desire to have a drink - or maybe six or seven - f*ck, anything to numb the idea of her being out with anyone else, as a favor or otherwise. He could sense that same familiar feeling once again crawling back into his system as he sat next to her in silence on the dock, resigning himself to the fact that he probably wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight either.

After all, he thought, sneaking another glum glance at Lana. What right do I have to be jealous? She’s made it clear that she’s not interested in being anything more than friends now. And she deserves someone like Harvey, anyway. Someone better.

Suddenly, Shane felt his fishing line grow taut. He looked up to see that his tackle had disappeared underneath the water. Instinctively, he grasped onto the handle more firmly and pulled it back so it wouldn’t slip out out his hands, looking in panic over his shoulder at Lana.

“Holy sh*t!” he exclaimed, caught off guard. “Now what?”

“Well, reel her in, Zuzu,” she instructed, sporting an excited grin. “Show that fish who’s boss!”

He held on the handle and pulled up his fishing rod as he spun the reel, struggling against the stubborn fish still thrashing about under the surface. It strained against the pull of the line, no doubt fighting hard to escape. Shane felt a strangely fervent determination welling up inside of him as he watched the water splash and ripple in front of him, knocking aside the heavy haze that had just begun to settle over him.

“Stupid fish,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “You’re not getting away from me, dammit.”

Lana had moved closer to him while he grappled with the fish, peering over his shoulder with wide, green eyes. He could smell the familiar scent of vanilla that always seemed to accompany her and tried not to get distracted by how close she was, something always easier said than done when it came to the farmer. Still, when he felt his line going slack, he couldn’t help but look back at her in dismay as the fish began to get away from him, meeting her eyes as his heart pounded in his chest.

“You can do it, Shane,” she reassured quietly, giving him a resolute nod. “I believe in you.”

He exhaled sharply and nodded back, turning back to the lake. Pulling his fishing rod with him, he leaned back and reeled in the line with all his effort. The fish began to lose momentum in its flight to freedom. Seizing his chance, he tugged the rod back sharply, jerking the fish out of the water. He could see the moonlight glistening off of its silvery scales as it wriggled wildly on the hook. It was being pulled in easily now, apparently resigned to its fate. Beside him, the farmer cheered him on noisily enough to scare some crows out of a nearby pine tree.

“Yeah! You got it!” Lana said, eyes sparkling with wonder. “Holy crap! It’s another pike! And a pretty big one, too. Damn, it really puts the one I caught to shame, doesn’t it?”

“No f*cking way,” he mumbled in disbelief, staring at the fish hanging in front of him. “I really got one.”

“See? I never doubted you’d catch one, dummy,” Lana said, punching his arm. “It was only a matter of when. So don’t doubt yourself next time, got it?”

He rolled his eyes at her but couldn’t bring himself to wipe the pleased grin off of his face.Maybe this fishing thing wasn’t so bad after all.

****

A few days later

Lana jumped forward and swung her sword, slashing at the scarecrow in front of her. With a single slice, she took off its head, flinging it up into the air before it fell down with a plop into a nearby pile of snow. Standing off to the side, Shane couldn’t help but feel a fluttering in his chest as he saw her small smirk of pride, crouched in front of the now-headless scarecrow with her sword still in hand.

“Perfect,” she said in a low voice.

“Man, that poor thing never stood a chance.” He walked over to admire her handiwork. “What did it ever do to you to deserve such a gruesome death?”

Lana stood and sheathed her sword, chuckling. “Well, this one in particular failed to guard some of my yams last season from a group of hungry birds, so I guess this can be its punishment.”

“Seems a bit drastic to me,” Shane replied. “But I know how seriously you take your yams. And your sword.”

She tossed her long braid over her shoulder. “Hey, we’re supposed to be training, aren’t we? It’s your turn now.”

He shrugged, reaching into his pocket. “Fine, I guess I’ll give it a go.”

Shane pulled out his slingshot, his prize from the wizard for getting through the maze on Spirit’s Eve. He had found it inside of an ornate treasure chest after getting separated from Lana in that strange mountain tunnel she dragged him into, along with a small, solid-gold pumpkin that they later learned was worth a couple months of his salary at JojaMart. The pumpkin was begrudgingly stashed away for a future emergency, but the slingshot often stayed with him, hidden in the inside pocket of his jacket just in case he ever needed it. While he still didn’t know why this wizard guy decided to give it to him, the thing strangely seemed to fit perfectly in his hands as though it had been made just for him.

They both moved back a distance until they were on the other side of her small, snow-covered field, about thirty or so feet away. Shane faced the scarecrow again and held up his slingshot, a sturdy weapon crafted from a strangely smooth, pitch-black type of wood he had never seen before. He grabbed one of the small stones he kept inside of his jacket pocket to use as projectiles. Pulling back the rubber straps, he aimed it at the center of the scarecrow's torso, tuning everything out around him for a couple of seconds as he focused. With a quick exhale of held breath, he let go and launched the stone directly straight until it ripped right through the scarecrow’s straw-stuffed chest and lodged into a pine tree behind it.

“Holy sh*t!” Lana’s mouth dropped open in awe. “That never gets old. I still can’t believe the firepower on that thing.”

Shane looked down at the black slingshot, still amazed himself. “Yeah, it’s pretty incredible. I need to make sure Jas never gets her hands on it, that’s for sure.”

It was clearly magical, able to forcefully fire even larger projectiles at a high velocity that would be impossible with a regular slingshot. When he had shown it to Lana for the first time, she had immediately pointed out the power it contained, gushing over its design while she used it to blast a baseball-sized hole in the side of her storage shed with a rock.

“Well, at this rate, that poor scarecrow will be down to scraps in no time.” Lana put her hands on her hips and looked over at it. “So, what do you think? You ready to come with me down into the mine next time I go?”

“I thought you were good on resources for the farm for the next couple weeks or so,” Shane replied, taking out another stone to set up in his slingshot. “Don’t tell me you’re still planning on trying to go deeper down there looking for that Void asshole?”

“Nah, that’s on hold for now until I can get more info out of the wizard.” Lana’s head swiveled to watch the next stone he fired from his slingshot. “You’re gonna help me gather some gold ore that Clint’s been asking for on the community boards. We can go next weekend, maybe? There’ll be some monsters down there for you to practice on for sure. And I’ll even split the earnings with you. 60-40, obviously.”

He returned the sardonic smirk she had thrown back at him over her shoulder as she began walking away to keep practicing with her sword on another nearby scarecrow. “Fine, but only because you’ll probably do most of the work anyway.”

Shane still wasn’t quite sure what to make of the bizarre turn his life had taken since the farmer moved to town, but he sure as hell was grateful for how busy it kept him. In between working overtime at JojaMart, taking care of Jas, and his weekly therapy appointments, the little time he had left to spend with Lana on the weekend usually meant accompanying her on whatever adventure she was having that day now that there were no crops to farm. He watched her surreptitiously as he continued using his slingshot, content to simply be in her presence for a while before he had to head home to make Jas some dinner and read her a book before bedtime.

Shaking his head, he turned away and shot another pebble with his slingshot, and then a few more in quick succession. Even with all the extra time he was devoting to his goddaughter, he still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was nothing but a poor imitation of Marnie, doing nothing more than fumbling his way through the gig. The final pebble he launched from his slingshot missed his target, striking the scarecrow on one of its outstretched arms instead. He cursed under his breath, automatically taking out another small stone from his pocket to try again.

“So, how have you been feeling, Shane?” The farmer’s voice halted him.

Shane paused mid-shot and turned to her. She had stopped practicing with her sword and was now watching him pensively.

“Uh, fine, I guess,” he replied. “Why?”

“Just asking. I know I’m not Dr. Kenza, but you can talk to me about anything. You know I won’t judge.”

He lowered his slingshot in alarm, giving her a suspicious glance.

Wait, can she use those weird magic powers of hers to read my mind now?!

But the farmer just continued regarding him with that same cool expression that perpetually seemed to grace her features, always masking what hid underneath.

“I’m just thinking about what to read to Jas later. I just remembered that I forgot to pick up a book for her at the library.” He sighed in frustration, annoyed that his eagerness to catch the farmer before he had to go home had resulted in his slip up. “She wanted something new for tonight, but they’re probably closed by now.”

“I see.” She tilted her head to the side, still regarding him. “Well, I still have a couple of my old books from when my dad used to read to me as a kid if you want to borrow something. They should be in my closet somewhere in one of the boxes I still haven't unpacked.”

He blinked in surprise. “Oh, uh - yeah. Yeah, that would be great, actually.”

“And tomorrow after your session with Dr. Kenza, what do you say we check out that used bookstore in the city my sister likes? It’s not too far from where we’ll be. I’m sure we can find a few books for Jas there.”

“I - uh, yes. Sure. I’m in.”

He replied to both of her questions without even thinking. Still, all the overtime he had been pulling lately coupled with no longer wasting away his paycheck on beer meant he had money to spare for the first time in his life. Spending some of it on his goddaughter was the least he could do, right?

“Sweet,” Lana responded. “Hopefully the road isn’t too icy on the drive. Do they ever close the highway down if it snows too much?”

“They have sometimes in the past, but we should be okay. It’s never as heavy going towards the city.”

“Yeah, we get a lot more snow down here in the valley, now that I think about it. Kind of weird how heavy it can get around here sometimes, huh?”

“There’s a lot of weird things about this place, in case you haven’t noticed.”

Lana chuckled and shook her head, putting away her sword and walking a bit closer.

“Aw, come on, Zuzu. Is that really such a bad thing, though?”

He slipped his slingshot into his pocket as he turned to face her, rolling his eyes but not able to resist returning her smile.

“No, I guess not.”

“Good.” She gestured with a tilt of her head back in the direction of her house. “Come on, that’s enough training for today. Let’s go grab my books for Jas before you have to head home. It’s starting to get pretty late, anyway.”

He followed her back to her cabin, taking the chance to admire the way her hips filled out the pair of sweats she was wearing as he walked behind her up the porch stairs. Catching himself, he looked away, gazing up instead overhead at the darkening sky with a silent huff of frustration. The night of Spirit’s Eve had been absolute torture for him with Lana wandering around in that skimpy Red Hiding Hood outfit at the festival. Even worse for his fragile self-control was afterwards in her cabin, when she had fallen asleep on his shoulder, succumbing to exhaustion halfway through the scary movie she had been so excited to watch. Shane felt himself stiffen inside his jeans as he remembered the achingly familiar heat of her body against him, momentarily reliving how insane it had driven him that night before he had to pry himself away from her sleeping form to go home. He silently thanked the oversized JojaMart jacket he was wearing for the cover it gave him, waiting as Lana fumbled with the doorknob before they could enter her home.

“Stupid thing,” she muttered, shaking it. “This lock doesn’t work sometimes, and now the whole door keeps getting jammed. Robin’s coming over to talk about some renovations for the farm tomorrow, so hopefully she can fix it for me.”

She slammed her shoulder into the door, opening it finally with a loud clunk .

“There we go,” she said brightly. “Come on in, Zuzu.”

Lana walked inside. As Shane was about to cross the threshold after her, a strange, garbled whisper rushed though his ears, prompting the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. He turned around in alarm, peering suspiciously at the darkened bushes and farm buildings on the other side of the fence.

“What is it?” he heard Lana ask from inside the house. “Everything okay?”

He looked around again, but the farm was silent and still, innocently undisturbed under a growing blanket of snow.

“Nothing,” he replied. “Thought I heard something.”

Shane threw one last look over his shoulder before walking through the door and locking it firmly behind him, acutely aware of the goosebumps that still covered his skin.

****

“Mom? Is everything okay?”

His mother was slumped over the kitchen table with her face hidden behind her hands, crying into them quietly. When she didn’t reply, Shane dropped his backpack onto the living room floor in concern and hurried over to her.

“What’s wrong?” He patted her shoulder, but still, she didn’t respond. “Mom, what happened? Why are you crying?”

She choked back a sob, covering herself with shaking fingers. “He’s gone.”

“Gone? Who’s gone?” Gingerly, he touched one of her hands with his own. “Are you talking about dad? He’s at work right now, remember?”

“He left, Shane. And he’s not coming back this time. I- I can feel it.”

He held back a sigh. “Mom, you know dad leaves sometimes when he gets mad, but he always comes back after a couple of days. So, don’t worry, okay? He’ll be home soon.”

“No, I’m telling you - he’s not coming back.” His mom finally looked at him with eyes that were bloodshot and unfocused. “Don’t you understand, Shane? He left us. He took all of his things with him. Our bedroom - our bedroom is practically empty now. Oh, Yoba, how am I supposed to sleep in there now that he’s gone? I’ve been terrified to even go inside since he walked out this morning.”

She choked back a sob and hid her face behind her hands again as tears began running down her cheeks. For a moment, Shane said nothing. Earlier, Cassie Robinson had been nowhere to be found when the school nurse tried to call her to let her know that her only son had thrown up in class, sick from some bad cafeteria food. He knew now she must have sat at their kitchen table, dead to the ringing of the phone on the wall behind her as she fell apart. A part of him prickled with resentment, still stinging from the jeering laughter he had endured from the kids in his class and the embarrassment of having to convince the nurse to let him walk home when the school day ended and it became clear no one was coming for him. But in the end, she was his mother, and even though she hadn’t been there for him today and many other times before, he still instinctively felt defensive of her whenever she was in a state like this. Shane stood up a little straighter.

“Don’t worry, mom,” he tried to comfort her. “I’m here. I can protect you.”

Some stray locks of his mother’s limp, blonde hair fell over her eyes as she looked up at his words, still slumping forward over the table like aballoon that was slowly deflating.

“You?” Her gaze was now on him but seemed so far away and cloudy. “How can I, when I can barely even stand to look at you? You look just like him. You look just like your f*cking father-”

“Shane? Hey, Shane? Is everything alright?”

He met eyes with Dr. Kenza, who had just returned from a bathroom break.

“sh*t. Sorry, Dr. K. I guess I got lost in my thoughts again.”

“That’s alright,” she said with a small smile. “You just looked a bit troubled as you were eating. What’s on your mind?”

He took another bite from the blue macaron on his plate and shrugged. “Uh, I was just thinking about that day, I guess - the day my dad left.”

Dr. Kenza nodded in support as she sat down in her armchair, saying nothing so he could continue.

“It’s funny - I don’t even remember what his last words were to me. I just remember that he yelled at me for some bullsh*t like he always did before I left for school... and that was it. I never saw the guy again.”

“Michael.” She checked her notes almost imperceptibly. “That was his name, correct?”

“Yeah. Michael Grey. I actually had his last name before my mom changed it to hers a couple of years after he left. Good riddance, I’d say.”

“And have you ever tried to contact him or look him up now as an adult?”

“Hell no. I’ve never felt the need to. Asshole left us for a reason, didn’t he?”

“I can certainly see why you’d be resistant to the idea. And what about your mother? How did she cope with his departure when you were a child?”

He snorted. “She didn’t cope at all. After he left, she got herself back into drugs, so I had to learn to fend for myself by the time I was twelve.”

“That must have been very difficult for a child to go through.”

“Yeah. I guess there were times that she really did seem to try and get it together... for my sake, anyway. But as time went on and I got older, I just - I don’t know. I just stopped expecting anything from her.”

As a kid, most days he’d come home from school to an empty apartment. His mom was often gone at whatever odd job she had at the moment, usually forgetting to leave him anything to eat besides whatever cheap TV dinner they had in the freezer. It wasn’t until he met Derrek in high school that things began to improve for him, even if his relationship with his mother continued to deteriorate as time went on. Every now and then, she’d come home with a reinvigorated desire to get clean, and for a short while, the murky look in her eyes would lift so that she no longer seemed to be looking past him whenever they spoke. Those were the only good memories he had of his mom, few and far in between as they were.

“When was the last time you spoke to your mother?” Dr. Kenza asked, writing as they spoke.

“The day after Jas’ parent’s died,” he muttered, clearing his throat before continuing in a louder voice. “I called her because I honestly didn’t know who else to turn to. She promised me she’d be there for me and Jas but disappeared again not too long after that. I have no idea where she is now.”

“Hmm. So a few years ago, then.”

“Yeah.” He finished the macaron he was eating and grabbed another one from the plate Dr. Kenza’s receptionist Reggie had brought in at the beginning of their session. “I decided then that that would be the last time I ever let her disappoint me again. Told myself that I was done with her. I even changed my number and everything.”

“So, does that mean you don’t believe there’s any hope for reconciliation between you two? If she were to one day find some way to reach out to you again?”

Shane said nothing for a moment, chewing as he ruminated.

“I’m doing just fine without her,” he responded quietly. “I didn’t need her or my dad growing up, and I sure as hell don’t need them now.”

He felt his eyes stinging with tears and blinked them quickly away, confused by the sudden rush of emotion he felt. Clearing his throat again, he leaned back into the couch and rubbed an eye with his free hand.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I don’t know why I’m even getting upset. My mom’s been a lost cause since I can remember. I don’t really give her or my dad much thought anymore, to be honest. I have way too many other things to worry about.”

Dr. Kenza shook her head.

“It’s alright to admit that their actions hurt you, Shane,” she said. “Our parents are meant to protect and support us, after all, and it seems like neither of yours did much of that for you growing up.”

He said nothing for a moment, looking away to stare out the window at the bustling city below.

“I… I don’t want to be like them, Dr. Kenza.” He was surprised by the words that escaped him. “Like my parents, I mean. I gave up on them a long time ago. But sometimes I look at Jas and think that if I don’t keep holding my sh*t together, she’d have every right to give up on me too. I mean, I’ve failed her plenty of times before, haven’t I?”

It all felt so fragile. He knew his similarities to his father extended well beyond his physical appearance. After all, the very first time he took a sip of alcohol was only a year or so after his dad walked out on them. Even now he could still remember the feeling of the lukewarm, canned beer hitting his tongue, could still recall the ominously instant liking he took to its taste - was it all too familiar and easy for him even back then because it was soaked into his DNA?

“You’re not doomed to make the same mistakes as your parents, Shane,” Dr. Kenza spoke up firmly, cutting off his spiraling thoughts. “It’s true that our parents are our first teachers, our first guides in life. But the lessons you choose take with you, the type of parent you’ll grow up to be when the time comes? That’s entirely up to you.”

When he didn’t reply, his therapist continued.

“Tell me this, Shane. Let’s forget about your parents for a moment. What type of godfather do you want to be for Jas?”

“I want to be like Derek. And Sasha.” Again, he was surprised by his own answer. “They were new parents, and didn't know what they were doing half the time - but dammit, they lived and breathed for that little girl. There wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do for her.”

“And as new parents, I bet they made a lot of mistakes in the process. Still, without a doubt, you knew they loved their daughter, correct?”

“Yeah.” This time, he couldn’t stop the tears that welled up in his eyes. “They really, really did.”

“And you love her too, don’t you?”

Jas. Still so kind and innocent despite everything she’d already lost at her young age. She might be the spitting image of her mother, but Shane saw now that it was Derek who she mostly took after in character. Of course he loved her. After all, she was all he had left of what was once the best part of his life. He looked away from the window to meet his therapist’s eyes again.

“I love her very much,” he answered softly.

Dr. Kenza’s face lit up with a smile. “Then there’s no doubt that you can be the parent Jas needs, just as Derek and Sasha were. You’re not your father, Shane, or your mother. Learn from the mistakes of your parents, but don’t be afraid to make your own along the way. Jas will forgive you because she knows you love her.”

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak just yet with all the thoughts still running through his head.

“And, as always, keep up with the sobriety,” Dr. Kenza added, closing her notebook and leaning forward. “I know you mentioned at the beginning of our session that you’ve been having some trouble managing your cravings lately, but that’s very normal. Just remember the strategies we spoke about earlier today. Those should help you, but we’ll make sure to revisit next week as usual.” She grabbed another macaron for herself from the plate on the table between them before continuing. “Believe me when I say that you’re really doing quite well. I’m sure your family and friends are just as proud as I am of all your progress.”

He felt his mouth turn up sheepishly at her words. “Uh, thanks, doctor. I appreciate you saying that.”

“No problem, Shane.” A musical beeping noise rang out from the watch on her wrist. “Ah, and it looks like that’s all the time we have for today’s session. Quite the perfect place to conclude our conversation, I think. It gives us a lot to ponder between now and next week, doesn’t it?”

Shane nodded, stuffing the last of the macaron into his mouth and grabbing another one to wrap in a napkin and stuff into his pocket before standing up.

“Yes, uh, thank you again, Dr. K.” A few crumbles fell onto his jacket as he chewed. “I’ll see you next week.”

“Until next time, Shane.” Dr. Kenza rose to walk him to the door, bidding him goodbye with a final wave before closing it to prepare for her next appointment.

He walked out into the lobby and automatically glanced around for Lana, stopping in place when he didn’t see her sitting in her usual chair.

“Hey, Reggie? Have you seen-”

He had begun to turn back to the receptionist's desk before he was paused by the small ding of the elevator across the small lobby. The doors slid open, and out walked the farmer, bundled up in a thick scarf and coat dusted with flakes of snow. She shook her head to remove some ice from her hair before noticing him standing across the room.

“There you are!” She hustled over to him with a grin. “I was hoping to make it back before your session ended. Looks like I timed it perfectly.”

He hurriedly brushed away the macaron crumbs on his jacket. “I guess you did. We just finished.”

There was a tiny pause before they both spoke up at the same time.

“I thought you might like-”

“Here, I snuck out one of these-”

Noticing something in her hand, Shane dropped his own arm, curious about what the farmer had for him.

“Hah, sorry. You go first?” he said, trying to peek inside the small paper bag she held.

“I noticed a vendor outside with a cart of these when we first got here.” She opened it to show him a pretzel covered in cheese, pepperoni, and jalapeños. His mouth immediately watered at the sight. “Spicy pizza pretzels! I thought they’d be right up your alley.”

Lana held it out to him to grab. He took it from her with what he suspected was an idiotic look of awe on his face.

“Holy sh*t. This looks incredible. Thank you.”

“Anytime, Zuzu.” She nodded at his other hand. “So, what’d you get me?”

The macaron he had wrapped in a napkin looked lackluster in comparison to the deliciously greasy-looking pretzel she brought him, but still, her face lit up with joy when he showed it to her.

“I’ve never had one of these!” She swiped it out of his grasp and admired it. “Thank you! What a pretty purple color. Hey, it almost looks like Abigail’s hair, doesn’t it?”

Lana took a bite and closed her eyes as she chewed. He looked on in amusem*nt, enjoying the throaty little moan she gave a little too much for his own good.

“Hmm, now that you mention it, it kinda does,” he agreed while unashamedly taking the opportunity to lean in closer to her for an inspection.

“So, you ready?” Her words came out muffled from the hefty bite she took. “The bookstore’s only a few blocks away. It’s snowing a bit, but we should be alright to walk.”

“Easy for you to say. You look pretty cozy in that big ass coat of yours.”

“Well, maybe wear something besides shorts and that old JojaMart thing for a change.”

“Hey, what’s wrong with my jacket?”

They bickered good-naturedly as they walked back to the elevator, where Lana pressed the button to call it down to their floor. After a minute, it arrived, opening to a car full of people. He and the farmer walked inside and stood in the back corner in a small space that remained.

Shane took a bite of his pretzel just as the car began moving down again. “sh*t, that’s good. I’m grabbing another one for the road when we get outside. You think they’ll let us bring food into the bookstore?”

“Probably. I’m still thinking about that macaron you got for me, honestly. I’ll probably dream about it tonight.”

“Maybe I can learn how to make them for you. I bet Jas would go crazy for them too, with all that sugar.”

“Sure. I’d really like that.”

The elevator doors opened again on a lower floor, where another couple of people managed to cram into the remaining gap in the car. Lana was pushed back into him as everyone rearranged to make room, leaving him now almost completely pressed up against her from behind. Shane swore under his breath at the sudden friction.

She glanced back wryly at him. “Busy here today, isn’t it?”

“Tell me about it,” he replied gruffly, holding up what remained of his pretzel to save it from getting squashed.

Mercifully, the elevator made no more stops on its way down to the lobby. The double doors slid open, and everyone poured out with Lana and Shane at the rear. They began making their way to the revolving doors on the other side of the main lobby to exit the building.

“Lana? Oh, my Yoba - Lana Rose Abernathy, is that really you?!”

A loud voice rang out among the many people around them. Shane looked up in surprise to see a tall man with cropped, brown hair making a beeline to them from across the lobby.

“Holy sh*t,” Lana gasped, halting. “Ryan?”

“It can’t be, I was just talking about you on the subway ride over here.” The man apparently named Ryan turned to his red-headed, shorter companion who had hurried up behind him. “Wasn’t I, Jackson?”

He nodded. “Yes, he -”

“And I was saying how much I missed talking to you and having you in the office, even if you did ignore me most of the time,” Ryan barreled on, not bothering to wait for a reply. “Always so aloof... I never could figure out what was going through that gorgeous head of yours. It was beyond exasperating! Jackson, wasn’t I even telling you it took me over a year to get more than three words out of her at a time?”

“You did, and -”

“But I always knew she was a big ol’ softie underneath.” To Shane’s extreme annoyance, the man put a hand on Lana’s shoulder, leaning down closer to her as he spoke. “Just had to break through that frosty exterior, didn’t I?”

He smiled warmly at Lana, who to Shane’s surprise returned the gesture with equal enthusiasm.

“And all it took was me moving a couple hours away to become a farmer in a tiny village by the sea,” she replied with a small laugh. “Easy enough, I’d say.”

“I’m still waiting for you to invite me down there so I can live my dream of being a cowboy on that farm of yours.” He sighed dreamily. “Life in the city has felt like such a whirlwind lately. The fresh air would do me some good.”

“Well, you know you’re always welcome to visit, even if I haven’t heard back from you for - what, three weeks now? You trying to ghost me or something, Ryan?”

“No, no no - I have a perfectly good explanation, I swear! And some news, actually.”

Lana crossed her arms. “Good. Because I wanna hear it all.”

“We have a lot to catch up on,” Ryan agreed with a nod. “But first … who’s your friend here with you?”

“sh*t, I’m sorry.” Lana turned back to Shane with an apologetic wince. “Ryan, this is Shane, my, uh - my friend from Pelican Town. Shane, this is Ryan. He’s that coworker from JojaCorp I told you about, remember?”

His memory clicked into place. So this was Ryan, the one that was helping them keep tabs on Morris and JojaCorp from his position on the inside? Shane felt his guard drop slightly.

“Ah, the infamous Shane,” Ryan proclaimed, holding out his hand to shake. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard such great things about you from Lana.”

“Uh, it’s nice to meet you too,” he replied, surprised by how firm his grip was. “Wait, what do you mean by ‘infamous’?”

Lana rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him, Shane. He’s prone to exaggeration.”

“I will neither confirm nor deny that statement. And this -” Ryan let go of Shane’s hand and threw an arm over the red-headed man’s shoulders. “This is my fiance, Jackson. He's the reason I've been M.I.A. these last few weeks. Isn’t he just as handsome as I told you he was, Lana?”

Jackson’s face turned scarlet, but a pleased smile spread across his freckled features.

“Ryan, stop it,” he chuckled. “You’re always embarrassing me in front of your friends.”

“Wait, hold on - you’re engaged now?” Lana exclaimed. “That’s amazing! Congratulations!”

“Thank you, Lana. I know it’s only been a few months since we’ve met, but what can I say?” Ryan shrugged happily. “When you know, you know.”

“I’m beyond happy for you.” The farmer smiled. “So, this is the news you were talking about, then?”

Ryan shook his head. “Ah, no. As amazing as it is, it’s not what I was itching to tell you, if you can believe it. It’s actually about your buddy Morris.”

The change in Lana was immediate as the elated look on her face was quickly wiped away for a worried frown. Shane reflexively moved closer to her.

“Morris?” she asked in alarm. “What happened, Ryan? Is he finally back?”

“I’m not sure, honestly.” He shook his head apologetically. “All I know is that yesterday, I was at my desk on a phone call when I heard the new receptionist call out his name. I look up, and I see this mousy-looking guy in glasses and a bowtie walking up to the front desk. He looked exactly like the picture I’ve seen dozens of times before in Morris’ file, so I knew it had to be him. A minute later, he follows a few of the higher-ups into one of the conference rooms, and they don't come out for about an hour or so.”

“Did you get a chance to hear what they were talking about?”

“No, I’m sorry. I tried to walk by a couple of times to see if I could catch anything, but you and I both know that JojaCorp likes their walls as soundproof as possible." Ryan scoffed with derision. "But he had a small box with him when he got there, and when he left, he was empty-handed, so he must have left it with the suits. The conference room was empty by the time I was able to sneak in to try to do some recon.”

“sh*t.” Lana’s eyes narrowed. “They’re up to something, that’s for sure.”

"There’s no update in his file, or any news on whether the new manager at the Stardew JojaMart will be replaced, or anything really. Trust me, I made sure to look before I went home. Whatever they’re planning with Morris, they’re making sure to keep it under tight wraps. Just like those massive store closures they abruptly announced a couple of weeks ago.”

“Closures? What closures?” Lana’s head snapped to Shane for an explanation, but it was Ryan who answered.

“Didn’t you hear?” Ryan took out his phone and pulled up an article for her to read as he spoke. “They’re closing almost all of the JojaMarts in the state except for the bigger ones in the city and surrounding metro area. Hundreds of people basically lost their jobs overnight. The one in Stardew Valley was one of the few out there in the boonies that survived.”

“No, I didn’t know about that.” Shane and Ryan both winced at the deadly glare she shot them before looking at the screen. “If only I had someone who worked at either JojaMart or even JojaCorp itself that could have told me about it when it happened.”

“Uh, in my defense, I didn’t know they were closing that many stores,” Shane answered meekly. “When they made the announcement to us, they said it would only be a few of the most ‘under-performing’ stores in the area.” He made air-quotes around the phrase and rolled his eyes. “I was honestly surprised we avoided the chopping block. They’ve already let most of the part-time employees go.”

“Like Sam.” Lana looked up from reading and nodded solemnly at him. “They let him at the beginning of the season, right?”

“Yeah. I’ve had to cover the slack, but it gets me a lot of overtime, so I’m honestly not complaining too much.”

“How interesting.” Ryan placed a finger on his chin as he pondered. “JojaCorp has had its eye on Stardew Valley for a while now. I remember how they fought tooth and nail to open up the store there a few years ago. The mayor wasn’t having it one bit at first. Said it would hurt the small businesses in town, but they wore him down eventually.”

“That’s JojaCorp for you,” Lana replied bitterly. “Relentless when it comes to the bottom line.”

“The store there must somehow be doing well for them to keep it around,” Ryan added. “Corporate has been particularly ruthless this year. They laid off a bunch of people in our department too, including your old pal Margo, and even Misty up at the front desk.”

Lana gasped. “No way."

“Yes, way. But putting all of that aside- I’m really sorry, Lana." Ryan hung his head. "I meant to call you as soon as I got out of work yesterday to give you all the details, but it completely slipped my mind with everything we have going on for the wedding. At least seeing you here today gives me the chance to tell you in person."

“No, it’s okay, Ryan. I understand. That’s a huge bummer about Misty, and even Margo, honestly. They both had been working there for years, if I can remember right.”

“Yeah, Margo even longer than I have. The new receptionist is only there part-time now, too. JojaCorp’s really cutting a lot more corners than usual lately.”

“They’re cheap assholes.” Jackson piped up angrily. “My mom slaved away at her local JojaMart for over twenty years, but she was one of the people they let go overnight. They’re on my sh*t list now too.”

Everyone nodded in understanding.

Lana sighed. “Well, this is one bit of news I wasn’t expecting to get today. I gotta say, I much prefer the one about you two getting engaged.”

“I know, same here." Ryan furrowed his brow. "I wish I had more information to give you.”

“Well, I’m happy we ran into each other today, and not just so you could tell me about this whole Morris thing. I got worried when I never heard back from you.”

“I’m really glad we ran into each other too. I really miss our late-night chats. There’s a lot to catch up on, it seems.” He met Shane's eyes and grinned. “And now I can officially invite you and your friend Shane here to our wedding!”

“That’s why we’re here, actually,” Jackson remarked from beside Ryan. “We have an appointment to meet with our wedding planner up on the seventh floor.”

“Oh, crap - you’re right.” Ryan glanced down at his watch. “And we’re about to be late. Looks like we need to run.”

“I'll talk to you later, then. Text me?"

“You got it.” To Shane’s chagrin, Ryan enveloped her in a bearhug. “I meant it when I said we have a lot to catch up on, so expect to hear from me very soon.”

He let go of her to shake Shane’s hand again as Lana and Jackson exchanged goodbyes.

“It was really nice meeting you,” Ryan told him. His cerulean-colored eyes crinkled cheerfully as he smiled, revealing perfectly straight, white teeth. “Make sure my friend stays warm out there in the boonies, yeah? I heard some nights get colder than a yeti’s ballsack this time of year."

Shane felt his eye twitch, but his mouth couldn't help but quirk up in amusem*nt. “Nice meeting you too. And I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

Ryan and Jackson hurried away to catch the nearby elevator that was about to depart. The farmer watched them in silence for a moment before speaking up again.

“Well. That was interesting.”

“I’m going to see what I can find out at work,” Shane assured her. “The replacement manager shuts himself in his office all day, so it might be hard getting anything out of him, but I’ll see what everyone else is saying. Well, everyone that’s left, anyway. Maybe they told Sam something when they let him go.”

“Maybe. Let’s see what we can find out.” Lana nodded. “But for now, let's just go to the bookstore. There's no use worrying about it yet. After all, it might mean nothing in the end … right?”

She looked up at him hopefully. Shane hesitated, remembering the eerie whisper he heard the evening before outside her cabin. Had it really been just a part of his imagination as he ultimately decided, a result of his mind worn thin after a week of daily overtime and the persistent urge to drink himself into oblivion? He took another bite of his pretzel, now lukewarm in his hand, deciding to hold off saying anything for now.

“Right," he said. "It might not mean anything at all.”

****

The next evening

Shane placed a bowl of soup in front of his goddaughter and leaned down to blow on the rising steam.

“Be careful, Jazzy,” he advised her. “It’s really hot, okay?”

“Thank you!” The little girl grabbed her spoon enthusiastically before pausing to eye him in suspicion. “Hey, there’s no meat in this, is there?”

“Relax, kid. It's veggie noodle soup. Just wait for it to cool off like I told you. I need to go check on the pie.”

“My, it smells delicious in here,” Marnie remarked as she entered the kitchen. She watched him peering anxiously into the oven and chuckled. “You weren’t kidding when you said you had dinner handled tonight.”

“Have a seat, Marnie.” He straightened up and moved over to the fridge. “The soup’s ready. I’m going to start on some whipped cream for the pie.”

“Whipped cream?” Jas cried, spoonful of soup in midair. “We get to eat pie and whipped cream tonight? I love it when you make dinner, Uncle Shane!”

“No whipped cream for me.” Marnie took off her apron and sat down next to Jas. “You know I’m trying to stick to my diet.”

He found the cream and closed the fridge. “Don’t be ridiculous. Forget about your dumb diet for a little. Ain’t it the holidays, or whatever?”

“Yeah, ain’t it the holidays, Aunt Marnie?” Jas repeated, grinning in delight.

Marnie shook her head, still smiling. “Two against one. Alright, I guess I’ll have a spoonful of cream. Along with a small piece of pie.”

“That's better,” Shane replied, turning around.

He hurried to finish everything in time. Judging by his earlier inspection, there were only five minutes or so left before the pie was due to come out of the oven. He looked out the window as he began mixing the cream in a large bowl, quickly getting distracted by the view of the falling snow outside.

“You seem to be in a bit of a better mood now.” He jumped slightly as his aunt sidled up next to him to grab a can of sparkling water from the fridge. “You were pretty quiet when you got home from the festival earlier. Jas told me you stepped on some snowgoon she made or something?”

“It was an accident,” Shane sighed, putting down the bowl. “They were these little Junimos she and Vincent made out of snow, and I didn’t see them when I was walking over to tell her it was time for us to go home. But I said I was sorry for ruining them, right, Jas?”

“Mmhmm!” His goddaughter nodded in confirmation as she stuffed a spoonful of soup into her mouth, paying no heed to his earlier instructions. “I was really mad at you for making me leave the festival early, but not anymore. As long as you don’t forget to read me one of my new books tonight, remember?”

"You got it, kid," He nodded in agreement and looked at Marnie. “See? We’re good here.”

“Okay, okay, I get it.” His aunt held up her hands in surrender. “And just what are these Junimos, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“They’re these little magical creatures that live in the woods. Uh, from Jas’ fairytale books, I mean. It’s not like they’re not real or anything. Hah, that would be crazy, wouldn’t it?” His aunt and daughter gave him a curious look. He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’m doing fine, thank you. Just trying to get dinner ready."

“I see,” Marnie said, still raising an eyebrow. “Well, lighten up, honey. Can’t I worry about my nephew every now and then?”

She mussed up his hair affectionately before heading to sit next to Jas at the table. He felt his cheeks grow warm and grumbled under his breath, returning his focus to the whipped cream. Still, no matter how vigorously he whisked, the events of the day began to creep back into his mind.

Truthfully, Shane wasn’t fine. For one, he was beyond exhausted from the surprise shift he had pulled at the crack of dawn that morning, begrudgingly accepted via a late phone call from his manager the night before. Jas refused to leave for the festival without him, throwing a tantrum until he was able to rush home from work and calm her. She had sniffled tearfully during the entire walk down the road to the clearing where everyone was gathered, perking up only when she saw all the commotion.

Tired and hungry as he was, Shane was kept busy the entire time by his goddaughter, building countless snowgoons and climbing through freezing igloos with her, even obliging her pleas at one point to drop down onto the ground to create angels in the freezing snow. Still, a part of him couldn’t help but feel slightly dazed the entire time he was there, detached as though he were floating behind himself like some sort of ghost stuck in limbo. To make things worse, he couldn’t help but get distracted by the occasional blips of the farmer that made it into his peripheral vision, no matter how hard he tried to ignore them.

She had been there when he arrived, standing with Harvey, Leah, and Elliot near the small pond being used for the ice fishing contest. Dead set on avoiding her, he was successful up until the final hour of the festival when she found him standing among the row of a half dozen or so ice sculptures that Leah created. Jas had run off with Vincent a little while before, finally giving him the chance to wander the festival alone and get some badly needed peace and quiet. Shane had been deep in thought as he squinted up in fascination at a carving of a mermaid when Lana appeared from behind the adjacent sculpture, intricately carved in the shape of a large dragon sitting on a pile of gold.

“Someone’s been super busy today,” she stated, peeking out at him through the glittering ice.

“Busy?” He was caught off guard by the sight of her in focus for the first time when she stepped out and moved closer to him.

“Yeah. I texted you this morning to see what time you were coming to the festival but never heard back from you. Marnie mentioned that you had to work when I ran into her earlier.”

“Oh. Yeah, I got called in. Extra money never hurts.”

The farmer fiddled with her hair, worn in loose waves over one shoulder. “How come you didn't say hi when you got here?”

“I don’t know.” Shane shrugged. “I was busy with Jas, I guess.”

Not to mention you seemed plenty busy yourself with Harvey, he thought, looking away from her bitterly. Along with the rest of your sophisticated, artsy-fartsy friends who I have absolutely nothing in common with.

“I tried looking for you after the ice fishing contest earlier,” Lana added. “Did you see me get first place? Willy was so pissed that I beat him!”

“Yeah, I saw. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Zuzu. Next year, it’ll be you, just watch.”

He unglued his eyes from the snow-covered ground to glance back at her warily, but Lana was now admiring the mermaid sculpture in front of them. She gazed up in wonder, tilting her head back to get a better view of its tall form. Shane felt himself soften at the sight.

“You look really nice today,” he blurted out. “I like your hat.”

Lana patted her beanie. “My hat?”

“Yeah. I don’t think I've ever seen one with two of those little poof-ball things on it before.” He poked at a fluffy pom-pom with his finger. “They usually just have one, don’t they?”

“You really like it? My sister sent it to me. It’s not my usual style, but I thought I’d switch things up for a change.”

“I do. It makes you look like a snow-covered panda.”

His words earned him a giggle that had almost been enough to salvage the rough day he was having, but his optimism turned out to be short-lived.

“Lana! There, you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Harvey’s voice rang out from behind him. Immediately, Shane felt his mood plummet again.

“Oh, hello, Shane,” Harvey added. “I see you’re here with Lana too. How have you been doing?”

“Harvey.” Shane turned to face the doctor with a grimace. “I’m doing great, thanks.”

“That’s always good to hear.” He smiled and turned to Lana. “So, are you ready to get going? I wanted to show you something back at my place before we meet the others at the saloon.”

Back at his place?

“Oh. Yeah, let me just -” Lana shrugged at Shane apologetically. “Sorry, it looks like I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later?”

“Yeah, no problem. I need to go find Jas, anyway. See you later.” Desperate to remove himself from the situation, he began walking away without waiting for a response.

“See you later, Shane,” Lana called out faintly.

Harvey also spoke up as he made his escape. “Hey, Shane?”

He stopped and stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, not bothering to turn back around. “Yeah?”

“Don’t forget your yearly physical is coming up next month. I’ll have Maru mail you a reminder so you don’t miss it like you did last time.”

Shane exhaled sharply in irritation. “Gee, thanks, doctor. I’ll do my best not to forget.”

As he trudged his way through the snow back to where Jas was playing with Vincent, he had made the mistake of glancing back over his shoulder. Lana and Harvey were still standing among the ice sculptures, talking about something no longer in his earshot. She shook her head and laughed before turning away to depart with the doctor in the other direction. Shane felt a painful jab in his heart as he watched Harvey place a hand on the small of Lana’s back as he led her away. The image ate at him on his own short walk back to the ranch with Jas in tow, who protested loudly to him the entire way about the destruction of her snow-Junimos. There had been a single thought that echoed through his head while he stomped his way home feeling like the biggest loser alive - the desperate, nagging desire to drink a goddamn beer, just to take the edge off of it all.

Back in the kitchen, the egg-shaped timer Shane had set on the counter went off with a shrill ring. Startled out of his memories by the noise, he stopped whisking and put the bowl of cream down so he could take out the pie in the oven.

“sh*t,” he mumbled under his breath. “Almost burned it this time.”

Nevertheless, dinner and the slightly overcooked dessert were a hit with Marnie and Jas. His goddaughter retreated to the living room afterwards to watch cartoons in her pajamas before bedtime while his aunt shooed him away, insisting on cleaning up the kitchen herself in return for dinner. Unable to bring himself to head to his room for the night, Shane instead found himself wandering out past the barn and into the chicken coop. He sat down on a bundle of hay with his favorite chicken in his arms, a small, fluffy runt he named Charlie who had taken a liking to him as soon as he hatched at the beginning of the season.

“What a f*cking day, huh, buddy?”

He scratched Charlie’s feathers. The chicken clucked back happily in reply. With a sigh, Shane took out his phone and began scrolling mindlessly through it, still determined on keeping himself distracted. He opened up his photo gallery and moved past the more recent pictures of Jas and Marnie and even some of Lana from only a few months ago until he stumbled across much older pictures of himself and Derek in the city that he long ago had shoved down into the depths of his memory. His friend’s familiar, sunny smile shined up at him from beyond the grave, unnervingly frozen in place on his screen for all time. He lingered on each picture as he scrolled through the gallery, sitting so still that Charlie eventually fell asleep on his lap.

When he reached the end of his photos, Shane slumped forward wearily, overwhelmed with the same, disconnected numbness he had felt before at the festival. Charlie squawked in annoyance at the sudden movement and jumped down to go peck at some nearby feed. With a shake of his head to try and clear it, Shane once again began looking through his phone, this time ending up in his scarcely-used email inbox. Jolting upright, he found a new message from Derek’s mother that had arrived only a few days before, lost among all the ads and spam. Shane opened it with a nervous swallow and began to read.

Dear Shane,

How are you and Jas doing? Ben and I haven't heard back from you in a while, so I thought I’d try emailing you instead to check on everything. I hope you’re all keeping warm out there in the valley. Here on the outskirts of the city, we don’t get as much snow, but I’ve read in the newspaper about how frigid it's been getting on the other side of those mountains.

I’ve been trying to get a hold of you to let you know that Ben and I have made the difficult decision to move him to a nursing home in order to get the proper care he needs. As hard as this choice was for us, we both feel it’s for the best given how much Ben's health has declined in the past year. It also gives me the chance to finally step in to help with Jas now that I don’t have to focus all my attention on caring for my husband. This way, she can return to her life and family in the city, and as her grandmother, I’ll see to it that she gets all the love and attention she needs.

I know losing Derek was as difficult for you as it was for Ben and I. As we come up on the anniversary of the death of my son and his wife, I just wanted to thank you again for all the care you’ve given my granddaughter when I wasn’t able to rise up to the challenge myself.

Please give me a ring back when you can so we can talk about all this a bit more. I’m sure together we can figure out what’s best for our Jasmina Jade.

Sending you all my love,

Molly Mulligan

Anniversary of their death? Head spinning, Shane closed the email to check the calendar on his phone and swore aloud when he saw the date. Tomorrow. Tomorrow would mark three years since they died, three years since the night of their anniversary when they were killed on that wet, windy interstate by a drunk driver on their way home from a date at the movies. How could he have almost forgotten?

He felt a surge of grief inundate him, brought forth first by the pictures he had tortured himself with earlier, and now this email from Derek’s mother. As kind as he knew the woman was, he couldn’t help but feel threatened by the possibility of losing Jas to her. Jas, whose brown eyes were so similar to those of his dead best friend’s that it almost frightened him sometimes. His goddaughter might be a living, breathing relic of what once was, a painful reminder of everything that was torn from him, but there was no way in hell he could lose her too, no matter how undeserving he was of her. He opened up the email to read it again as a strange, sinking feeling began forming in his chest, momentarily displacing the numb grief.

I’m sure together we can figure out what’s best for our Jasmina Jade.

“‘What’s best for our Jasmina Jade’,” he repeated quietly. “That’s you, isn’t it, Mrs. Mulligan? That’s what you’re trying to tell me, right?”

Shane put his phone away to try and give his overloaded brain a break for a moment. He stood up and stretched his arms over his head as a stiff, aching tension reverberated through his shoulders and back, no doubt his penance for all the heavy boxes he had been lifting at work. Exhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and stood still for a long moment to try and calm his racing heart.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he’d talk to Marnie about the letter from Mrs. Mulligan. And worry about what it might mean for him and Jas. And do his best to not grieve Derek too much on the anniversary of the day life chose to wrench them apart forever.

Putting his arms down, Shane breathed out another sigh. He bid Charlie goodbye for the night and left the chicken coop to check on his aunt in the kitchen only to find the room spotless and empty. With a shrug, he turned and walked down the hall to his bedroom to grab some new clothes before locking himself in the bathroom to take a long overdue shower. He stood for what felt like hours under the hot water, staring blankly at the swirling steam as it clouded up the small room.

Later that night, after reading to Jas and putting her to bed, Shane returned to his own room to play his video game with the events of the day still heavy on his mind. He wasn’t sure how many hours had passed before he finally looked up from his mindless button-mashing, stomach rumbling in hunger despite having seconds of everything at dinner. Putting the game on pause, he picked up his phone on the bed behind him to check the time only to find the thing was dead. With a groan, Shane threw it back onto his covers and rubbed his eyes. He stood from his spot seated on the floor against his bed and patted his stomach.

“Time for a pizza pocket,” he declared to his empty bedroom.

Just then, three loud knocks rang out from the direction of his window. Shane spun around apprehensively, not trusting his ears. The window was silent, and in the darkness of his unlit bedroom, the flickering light from his television wasn’t enough to illuminate whatever might be lurking outside. Hearing nothing further, he warily began turning around when another series of sharp raps shook the window pane. His heart hammered in chest as he hastened backwards until his back was pressed against his bedroom door.

“f*ck no,” he panted as fear surged through him. “I’m not going anywhere near whatever the hell that is.”

He reached out blindly behind him in search of the door knob. Before he could unlock and open it, a face appeared in the window, pressed right up against the glass as it peered inside. Shane felt his beleaguered heart almost give out his chest at the sight.

“Oh, you’ve got to be - dammit, Lana, what the hell are you doing out there?”

He ran forward to the window in alarm. The farmer smiled at him through the glass and waved cheerfully. He quickly unlatched the window before opening it up to lean out with a scowl.

“Get inside!” He reprimanded her as he helped climb through. Melted snow dripped from her boots as she stepped down onto his carpet. Outside, he could barely see beyond a few feet or so from how densely the snow was falling. “Yoba, are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?”

“Hold on, hold on, let me just -”

A long, green scarf was wrapped around her neck unevenly, tangled up in her mussed up hair. Shane watched in bewilderment as Lana fixed herself up, unwinding her scarf and brushing off some errant snow from her sweater before taking off her beanie, the same panda-like one she had been wearing earlier at the festival. She kicked off her boots, giggling quietly to herself as she fumbled to place them neatly upright next to her scarf and hat.

“You know, if you wanted to see me this bad, there’s this thing called ‘the front door’ that might have been a little easier,” he spoke up, still bewildered.

Lana straightened up and turned to him with a merry grin. “I know, I know - I'm sorry. It’s pretty late, and I didn’t want to wake up Jas and Marnie. That front door of yours is noisy as sh*t. But I’m really glad you’re still awake!”

“Have you been drinking?” he asked, recognizing the red flush on the farmer’s face and catching the slight slur to her words. “And what the hell were you doing outside right now? Isn’t it snowing pretty hard?”

“I have a perfectly good explanation, don’t you worry.” Lana moved past him to plop herself down on his bed. She patted the blanket next to her. “Come on, sit with me.”

He obliged with a dubiously raised eyebrow and sat down a couple of feet away from her, not trusting himself this close to her on a bed.

Lana smirked. “What’s wrong, Zuzu? Scared I’ll bite you?”

He scoffed in reply. “As if I’d be scared of you, short stuff.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Please. I’d kick your ass in a heartbeat, even with the fancy new slingshot of yours.”

“Uh huh. I forgot how co*cky you get when you’ve had a little too much to drink.”

“Oh, shut up. You’re lucky I don’t have my sword on me right now.” She mimed slashing at something imaginary in front of her. “As much as I love the thing, I didn’t think it was an appropriate accessory for the Stardrop Saloon.”

“The Stardrop Saloon?” His stomach turned unpleasantly as he was reminded of her date with Harvey that night. “Is that where you were right now?”

“About an hour or so ago, yes. After I left, I moseyed my way down to the beach so I could watch the water for a bit. Have you ever been to the beach at night when it’s snowing?”

“No, I can’t say I have. I prefer not freezing my balls off if I can avoid it, thank you very much.”

Lana giggled again. “You’re really missing out. The way the snow glistens as it falls over the waves is pretty special, that’s for sure.”

She leaned back to lie on his bed with a dreamy expression on her face before popping back up with a gasp.

“Oh! I have something to show you, Zuzu. Something I found hiding in the sand. Feast your eyes… on this!”

She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a small shell shaped like a spiral.

“Uh… what is it?” he asked, scrunching his face up in confusion.

“It’s a nautilus shell. I’ve been looking for this little sucker since winter started. The Junimos are crazy about them, apparently. I think this is the last thing I need to give them before they can finally finish repairing the community center.”

“Holy sh*t. So, does that mean the mayor will finally be able to open it again?”

“I think so. Can you believe it?” She fell backwards on his bed again, holding up the shell in the air to admire it. “I don’t know how many hours I spent looking for all the weird crap those little guys kept asking me for over the last year, but it’s all going to be worth it in the end. Now, the town can have its community center back, and JojaCorp won’t be able to snatch it away with whatever bullsh*t they’re planning with Morris.”

“Damn." He shook his head incredulously. "I guess it really is a special little shell, then.”

“And such a pretty shape.” She brought it closer to her face and squinted at it. “It looks kind of old though. Almost like a fossil or something.”

They fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments that was broken only by the abrupt sway of his window curtain after a particularly forceful gust of snow.

“So, uh,” Shane said, standing up to shut his window properly before more could blow its way in. “How was the saloon?”

“Oh, loads of fun. But I think I drank a little toomuch wine.”

Her words were slightly muffled. He looked back to see her hands covering her face and the nautilus shell now resting on the bed beside her. Lana peeked at him through her fingers and hiccuped.

“Sorry. I’m just starting to feel a little dizzy.” She sat up gingerly but immediately covered her face again with a groan. “Ugh, nope - that was a bad idea. Now I feel even dizzier. Stupid wine.”

Concerned, Shane sat down next to her, this time a little closer than before.

“You dumbass. I can’t believe you were wandering around outside in that condition. Are you trying to get yourself killed or something?”

The farmer laughed. “I didn’t know being a little drunk counted as a condition nowadays.”

“It does when we’re practically in the middle of blizzard, Lana. What if you got lost out there in the snow?”

“Come on, you know that wouldn’t happen. I have a great sense of direction. Besides, it's not like I planned on wandering over to the beach after drinking all that wine at the saloon. I was struck by sudden inspiration after Gus kicked everyone out for the night.”

“I’m assuming the good doctor didn’t walk you home, then?” Shane moved backwards on his bed so that he was now sitting up against the wall. “That sounds awfully rude of him. Especially after a date.”

Lana snorted as she slid back to join him. “Oh, he tried, but I shook him off eventually. It was fun and all, but I was really in the mood for some alone time.”

He tried not to feel too satisfied about the idea of Lana shooing Harvey away. “And that’s why you decided to come knock at my window and scare the ever-loving sh*t out of me?”

“That was before I found the shell at the beach. And I tried calling you first, but you keep ignoring me, you big ol’ jerk.”

“I’m not ignoring you.” He picked up his cellphone sitting on the bed and handed it to her. “See for yourself, drama queen.”

Farmer pressed the button on the side of his phone, but the screen remained black. Her mouth fell open in a little “o”.

“It’s dead,” she whispered dramatically, handing it back to him with a somber look on her face.

“See,” he responded, smirking in amusem*nt. “No ignoring here.”

“Okay, okay. I just really wanted to tell you about the shell and the community center. You’re the only one who would even understand.”

Lana sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. He stiffened, struck speechless in surprise. She was quiet for a moment before continuing on in a softer voice.

“I know getting excited over something like a seashell might be dumb, but the thought of the community center reopening makes me really happy for some reason.”

Shane felt himself smiling. “It would mean a lot to Marnie, that’s for sure. She’s always telling Jas stories about how she spent her childhood there and sh*t.”

“Mayor Lewis always talks about it too, and Caroline and Jodi. Even grumpy George perks up whenever Evelyn brings up the place to me whenever I run into them in town. It seems like it used to bring happiness to a lot of people.”

“Are you still planning on staying anonymous? Everyone's still stuck on the rumor it's getting slowly repaired by some rich philanthropist who took a random interest in the place. Some people are even gossiping that it’s JojaCorp who’s fixing things up. Maybe you should at least tell the mayor that it’s you.”

“No.” She shook her head emphatically. “I’m not coming forward. I think I’ll leave it all a bit mysterious for everyone. I feel like Rasmodius would approve. It sounds like something he’d do, anyway.”

“Well, either way, I think you’re doing a really nice thing. Even if it’s technically those little Junimo guys that are fixing the place up, it wouldn’t have happened without your help.”

“Aw, stop. Helping the Junimos is the least I can do. You know, after they gave me some of their magic, or whatever.”

“Magic or not, it’s pretty cool. The townspeople are going to be over the moon when the place reopens. And it’s all going to be because of you.”

The farmer hiccuped quietly again as her already-flushed face turned even redder. “I just ... I just want to do something nice for everyone. Everyone’s always made me feel so welcome here.”

Shane thought back to his own experience moving to the valley years ago, the struggle he faced to connect with anyone despite how hard the townspeople tried at first. Until Lana found her way next door, he had felt truly alone in Pelican Town, trapped in a self-imposed isolation fueled by alcoholism and his own pessimistic ways.

“You know, I don’t think I ever gave this place a fighting chance, to be honest,” he admitted. “But it’s too late for me now. Most people here think I’m an asshole, and rightfully so. Not to mention my reputation as the town drunk that’ll always follow me around.”

Even if I haven’t had a sip of beer in f*cking ages, he couldn’t help thinking sourly.

“It’s never too late, Shane,” Lana retorted. “I know people would love you if you gave them the chance to get to know you. The real you.”

He could feel his heart fluttering lightly in his chest as he struggled to comprehend the turn of events his night had taken. Lana nuzzled his shoulder softly as she spoke, but he couldn’t bring himself to move away or stop her.

“You really think so?”

She looked up at him with eyes that almost seemed to glow in their fervor. “I know so. How many times do Dr. Kenza and I have to remind you to give yourself some damn credit?”

“I know, I know. I guess I’m not very good at listening.”

“No, you’re not. Well, only sometimes. You’re usually a pretty good listener when it comes to all the bullsh*t I complain to you about.”

Her head dropped back to his shoulder. She scooted a bit closer to him so that their thighs were now touching.

Move. It was as though an alarm was blaring loudly in his mind. She’s drunk, or at the very least pretty damn close to it. Just get up and go sit on the other side of the bed, far away from her before things get out of -

“Shane, do you think I’ll ever find a way to feel like I really belong somewhere?"

The alarm in his head now fell silent. He furrowed his brow, taken aback by the change of subject. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. Somewhere that really feels like home, I guess” She has gone very still against his shoulder. “After my dad died, Zuzu City stopped feeling like home. It was like I didn’t really belong anywhere. Not at my mom’s place, not at school, or with any of my friends, and definitely not at JojaCorp. I just felt… lost.”

Shane closed his eyes, very familiar himself with what she was describing. “Yeah. I think I know what you mean.”

“But I think being here in Stardew Valley is the closest I’ve ever gotten to feeling like I truly belong somewhere. Even as a kid, I remember feeling at such peace here. Sometimes I wish my dad would have been able to bring us more often when he was still alive. Who knows what I would’ve found if I ventured off Grandpa’s farm?”

He snorted. “A crazy wizard living in a tower, apparently.”

“And little, walking-talking magical apples." He could hear the smile had returned in her voice.

“And a maze that appears out of nowhere every year, full of giant spiders and freaky television sets.”

The farmer cackled. “You know, even as a kid, I bet I would’ve found my way to the end just like I did this past Spirit’s Eve.”

“I’m sure you would have too, o mighty chosen one,"he teased her.

“Your mom never brought you here when you were a kid, did she?”

“Eh, just a handful of times to visit Marnie so she could ask her for money. Anything more would’ve required too much effort on her part. But I can barely remember visiting, to be honest. I just remember Marnie always being super nice to me. She used to let me play with her chickens while she and my mom talked.”

Lana mumbled something he couldn’t quite hear before going quiet again, this time for so long he thought she fell asleep against his shoulder.

“Hey, Shane?” Lana lifted her head up again to meet his eyes, apparently still wide awake.

He had started to doze off himself. “Yeah?”

“Do you think we would have been friends? If things had been different, and we both found each other here when we were kids instead?”

“Hah. That’s a random question. I guess I’ve never really thought of it before.” He rested the back of his head against the wall and shrugged. “I was really shy as a kid, so I honestly doubt I would’ve summoned up the courage to even talk to you. I was never very good at making friends, if you can believe it. You would’ve probably intimidated me.”

“Oh, so, I do scare you then?” She made to punch his arm playfully, but he deflected her with a chuckle.

“Easy there, tiger. A lot of things used to intimidate me as a kid. A cool, pretty girl like you was definitely at the top of that list, at least until I graduated high school, anyway." He chuckled. "Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a mess, but at least I can say I’m a bit more confident now than I was when I was younger. Living on my own helped me, I think.”

“And what if we met in the city?” Lana was now watching him with pensive eyes. “Do you think we would’ve been friends there like we are now?”

“Friends?”

Shane was suddenly reminded of a similar conversation he had with Emily back at the Stardrop Saloon on that fateful autumn night he saw Lana with Sebastian. He began thinking of who he used to be, the Shane that bullsh*tted his way through his early twenties, refusing to be tied down by any commitment besides his weekly pool session with Derek at the local dive bar. The Shane that lived paycheck to paycheck and drank himself to sleep most nights without a single goal or aspiration in mind, who depended on fraudulent, alcohol-fueled courage to pick up faceless girls in bars so that he wouldn’t have to go home alone to an empty bed. The Shane that he sometimes still saw in the mirror even now. There was a reason Derek has been his closest and only friend, after all. He tolerated Shane’s surly and bad-tempered ways, cheerfully dragging him along on his exploits without ever once trying to change him in the process. Derek had always accepted who he was, just like Lana had done here in the valley. But would she have accepted the Shane he was back in Zuzu City, the one who truly didn’t give a sh*t about anything at all besides himself? Lana looked up at him now with wide, expectant eyes, waiting for his reply. He smiled sadly, secretly relieved they’d never be able to know the answer to such an impossible question.

“We might have,” he replied finally. “Who knows? Maybe one of those nights we crossed paths in one of those bars downtown without even noticing it.”

“You think so? I’m pretty sure I would’ve noticed you.”

“Nah, I doubt it.”

“And how do you know that, huh? Maybe I would’ve seen you and bought your grumpy ass a drink. In fact, I know that’s what would have happened.”

“Oh, really? And why’s that?”

“Because you would probably have been sitting there on some corner stool, or maybe even kicking ass at pool, whatever - but you’d be wearing that same, old JojaMart jacket you always wear now, and I would have seen you and thought to myself, ‘that poor f*cker must work at JojaMart, because I have three jackets exactly like that one in my closet back home’, and I’d assume you needed a drink just like I used to need one single every day when I used to work for that hellhole.”

His memory pinged in recognition. “Hey, wait a second. Back when we first met at the Stardrop Saloon, you bought me a beer because you felt bad that I worked at JojaMart. I remember you telling me something like that.”

Lana jumped with another small hiccup before nodding smugly. “Hey, I did do that, didn’t I? That just proves my point, doesn’t it?”

“Hmm…” He put a hand on his chin and pretended to think. “Nah. I still think you wouldn’t have given me a second glance. I wouldn’t have been cool enough for you and your college buddies.”

“Now you’re just being dumb. You know, I’m starting to suspect you’re the one who wouldn't give me the time of day if we met back in the city, not the other way around.”

“Oh, trust me, I'd have have given you a lot more than that if you let me.”

The words escaped him automatically, a natural response to their banter. Shane’s heart leapt into his throat as Lana raised her eyebrows at him.

“Sorry, that was - that was stupid, I shouldn’t have said -”

Lana cut him off by closing the small gap between them to press her lips to his. Instantly, his mind went blank as the neurons in his brain misfired for a brief, confused moment, struggling to comprehend just what the hell was happening. Slowly, the feeling of her mouth against his broke its way through the shock, overwhelming all other rational thought. Something inside of him that was already pulled taut snapped, sparking his body and brain back into motion. He reached up to intertwine his fingers in her hair and pull her closer to him, kissing her back now with a hungry intensity. Lana slipped her tongue into his mouth before abruptly sitting up and moving over to straddle his lap without breaking contact with his lips. He groaned low in his throat, feeling himself get hard as he gripped her waist and slid his hands down to her ass to press her flush against him.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and his hands were underneath her sweater, and she was kissing him so ardently that he could barely catch his breath, much less his thoughts. He was swept up in a whirlwind of her soft skin and lips, unable to stop touching her. Her thighs, her waist, her hair - it was all so achingly familiar to him. She still tasted the same as he remembered, still drove him so f*cking wild with the way she moved under his hands that he almost felt intoxicated with arousal. A tiny crackle of warning popped up in the outer fringes of his distracted mind.

Intoxicated…

“Wait, Lana, stop -”

He pulled away and tried to move her off of his lap, but she pressed her mouth to his again, apparently not hearing him. He could taste the wine on her lips now that the initial shock had worn off.

“I’m serious, just - just hold on for a second -” He was having trouble concentrating as she kissed him. “We need to stop. You’re drunk.”

“Not drunk,” she mumbled against his mouth. “Only had one at the bar. Maybe two.”

Her words were still slurred even as she protested. Shane pulled away from her again and shook his head.

“Something tells me you’re not talking about one or two glasses here. I know you. And I know drunk when I see it, trust me.”

“You don’t want to kiss me?” A look of hurt flashed across her features.

His eyes widened in alarm. “What? I - look, Lana -”

“If you don’t want to kiss me, you can just say it.”

“That’s not what I’m - dammit, stop.” He pulled down her hands, halting her as she tried to trail her fingers along the back of his neck. “You’ve been drinking, and I’m not going to -”

Her lips found his throat and silenced him. He groaned as she sucked on his skin, kissing and licking her way around his neck and back up to his mouth. With a frustrated growl, he grabbed her by the waist, grinding against her. He could feel himself now rock hard in his sweats.

“We. Should. Stop.” He savored the blackberry wine on her lips a bit too much with each peppered kiss.

“Don’t want to,” she whispered against his mouth. Slipping her hand in between them, she reached down and grabbed his stiffened member through his sweats. He inhaled sharply.

“f*ck.” Another loud groan escaped him at the sensation of her fingers around him.

Even as he continued to kiss her, he was aware that things were getting out of control. His hands seemed to have minds of their own as they roamed her body, zapping away whatever willpower he had left with each touch of her soft skin. Shane could feel himself quickly approaching to the point of no return as Lana continued to move her hand against him, tugging at his sweats in a silent request to remove them. Still in a lustful haze, he slid his own hands up to her sweater with the same idea in mind but stopped abruptly. Hesitating, he grappled with the fact that there probably would be no going back once their clothes came off. He balled his hands up in her sweater, clenching the fabric angrily as he tore his lips away from hers again. With a frustrated sigh, he grabbed her around the waist and moved her off of him completely this time so that she was back on the bed next to him. She sat back with her legs tucked underneath her, a look of shocked outrage splashed across her face.

“We need to stop,” he repeated before she could speak up. “You’re drunk, Lana. I don’t want you to do something you’re gonna end up regretting tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, how could I forget - you know everything about me.” Her eyes rolled up to the ceiling in exasperation. “How I think, what I want. I’m a grown woman, Shane, in case that still hasn’t gotten through your thick skull.”

“Grown woman or not, you’ve had way too much to drink tonight, and I’m not going to take advantage of that, no matter how much of an asshole I am.”

Lana shook her head, saying nothing.

“Besides,” he added, unable to help himself out of sheer curiosity. “Weren’t you just out with Harvey?”

“Harvey?” There was a slightly glazed look in Lana’s eyes, further confirmation of how much she’d had to drink. “Oh! Yes, I was just with him.”

“Yeah, on a date, remember? I don’t think he’d be too happy to hear you ended up on my lap so soon after going out with him." Shane shook his head. "Look, maybe we can talk about this tomorrow when you’re -”

Lana cut him off mid sentence. “Harvey’s not my boyfriend. And what I do with him isn’t your business, either. I’m a free woman, aren’t I?”

“No one’s saying you’re not. All I’m trying to say is that coming over here to make out with me after kissing him goodnight probably isn’t something you’d to do if you were sober.” He scoffed, unable to suppress his derision for the doctor. “But judging from what you told me earlier, the poor guy didn’t even get the chance to walk you home, so maybe I’m worried for nothing.”

She jumped off his bed and stood with her arms crossed angrily. “And what if he did kiss me goodnight? Would that be a problem for you?”

Fury flared up within him at the idea of Harvey putting his lips on Lana, invoking another deeply unpleasant memory he preferred to keep locked away. He followed her off the bed, glowering at her as he tried to contain his temper. The farmer glared up at him in return, unfazed.

“So what if he did? It’s your life. What do I care if he kissed you?”

“You seem to care at least a little bit, seeing as you’re the one who brought it up in the first place.”

“Because you climbed in through my window and started kissing me!”

“I didn’t plan to!”

“Well, you did! And I don’t know how I feel about it now after finding out Harvey had his tongue down your throat an hour ago.”

“You are so -” She finished the sentiment with an angry stomp of her foot. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

“That no man wants another guy’s sloppy seconds, obviously.”

“Sloppy -” Lana pushed him away from her, raising her voice indignantly. “Who the hell are you calling ‘sloppy seconds’?”

Ah, sh*t,he thought, immediately regretting his words.

“Shh, okay, okay - I’m sorry. Look, that was the wrong phrase to use. That's not what I was trying to say.”

But the damage was done. Lana pawed at his chest as he held her by the shoulders. She struggled for a bit before giving up, dropping her arms with another hiccup.

“Let me go, Shane. I’m leaving so I don’t subject you to my drunk, sloppy presence any longer.”

“Will you just listen to me? I didn’t mean -”

“No, you’re being a jerk, and I want to go home. Where’s my shell?”

She managed to pull herself out of his grasp to grab the nautilus shell still on his bed. She walked over to her boots, bending down to put one on with an unsteady wobble. Shane huffed in exasperation and rushed over to stop her.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he asserted, snatching away the other boot in her hand. “It’s snowing really hard out there. Just stay here until the morning. You can take my bed, and I'll go to the living room.”

“I’m not staying here, crazy. Not after you shoved me off of you and called me someone’s sloppy seconds.”

“I said I was sorry about that! Now, calm down and stop acting dumb before you fall over.”

“No! I don’t care what you said! And don’t tell me to calm down!”

Shane startled as the television access from them, still muted and paused on his video game, flickered and turned brighter with a low hum.

“Uh, what …?” He furrowed his brow as he looked at it, confused.

“I don’t want to be here anymore.” The bulb in his overhead fan now flared up with a strange green light, dimming on and off above them erratically. “And maybe you’re right about me being drunk, but let me tell you one thing - not you, or Harvey, or the wizard, or even the President of the Ferngill Republic himself is ever going to make me do something I don't want to do!”

The light overhead and his television continued to fluctuate and intensify in brightness as she spoke.

Shane clutched her boot to his chest and stepped back from her, alarmed but undeterred. “You’re not going outside in this weather.”

The windowpane began rattling from behind his closed curtains. “Give me my boot, Shane.”

“No. You’re staying here, and that’s final.”

“I said, give it to me.” She grabbed for the boot.

“Stop it, Lana,” he said, twisting away from her. “You’re acting worse than Jas when she’s throwing one of her tantrums.”

“Oh, so now you’re calling me a baby?”

“Will you just calm down and listen to what I’m telling you? You can’t go outside when it’s snowing this hard! It’s not safe.”

“Stop telling me to calm down!”

His window opened with a slam, blowing his curtains aside with a flurry of snow from outside. At the same time, the green light from his fan overhead turned a bright, stark white, blinding him. The hum from his erratically flickering television increased in pitch and magnitude until the noise became painful, forcing him to hold a hand up to his ear to try and block it. The light on the ceiling continued to intensify until the bulb burst from the bizarre influx of emerald-colored energy, sending the room back into partial darkness. There was a beat of shocked silence.

Before Shane could even register her movement, the farmer snatched her boot out of his other arm. Quick as a fox, she slunk backwards to the window, shoving her foot into the empty boot and swooping up her beanie and scarf in the process. Shane watched, dumbstruck, as she climbed up to his window sill, perching atop with a leg on either side so she could wind her scarf back around her neck. Putting on her beanie, she slumped forward, refusing to meet his eyes.

“I - I’m going home.”

Lana dropped down from his window, disappearing from view. He remained in place, paralyzed momentarily by shock. In front of him, his television was now back to his paused video game. Snow continued to blow in through his open window, but still, he made no move to close it. Shane felt his knees wobbling weakly beneath him and fell backwards on his bed, staring up in the darkness at his shattered light.

“What the f*ck just happened?”

Chapter 23: Wonderland

Chapter Text

The next day

Lana blinked in surprise as a snowflake landed on the tip of her nose.

"Don't tell me it's going to start up again.” She grumbled under her breath and looked up at the pale sky before calling out, "Are we almost there, Rasmodius? I'm not really in the mood to get caught up in another blizzard so soon after the last one."

A few yards ahead of her, the wizard was leading the way through the woods south of his tower, long hidden from their view behind the sea of snow-covered trees that surrounded them. Radmodius glanced back at her with a cheerful smile.

“Just another few minutes, I’d say!” he replied. “Come now, Ms. Abernathy - don’t tell me you’re getting tired already?”

The icy ground crunched loudly underneath her boots as she walked. “If I hadn’t woken up this morning with such a brutal hangover, I’d be outrunning you no problem, old man.”

The wizard chortled jovially. “Ah, yes - I'm quite familiar with the aftereffects of a night of excessive merrymaking. We could have rescheduled our lesson if you’re feeling too under the weather, you know.”

“I’ll be fine.” She rubbed her left temple gingerly. “My head is just killing me. I could really use another drink, if I’m being honest.”

“Is that so?” He slowed so that they were walking side by side. “Something tells me you’re not just talking about a little hair of the dog to take the edge off. Is there something else wrong, my dear?”

Lana huffed away a few more flakes of snow that were beginning to fall upon them. “You mean, besides the fact that Morris is back at JojaCorp, and we have no idea what he and the rest of those slimebags are up to?”

“You’ll feel better once we see Krobus and ask him to inquire among the shadow people for word of any unusual activity down in the mine. If the Void tries anything, we’ll be the first to find out.”

She had first mentioned to Rasmodius the news of Morris over the weekend after returning from her trip with Shane to the city. He waved away her concerns at first as usual, but when she arrived this morning at his tower for her weekly sorcery lesson, he surprised her with a field trip through Cindersap Woods and a promise to take her to Krobus’ sewer to enlist the little monster’s help.

Lana sighed, kicking at a pile of snow as she walked. “I know, I know. I just hope he doesn’t get too much pushback from the dwarves if he needs to go back to his people.”

“I doubt they’ll cause much fuss. A Void returned to power would spell bad news for them as well, that’s for sure.”

“And when I give the Junimos the shell they’ve been asking for, the community center will finally be able to open up again, which means JojaCorp won’t be able to use it as a footing to expand in town,” she added hopefully.

“Oh! I almost forgot you were just about done with their long list of requests. That’ll certainly deter the mayor from selling the building.”

“Yeah, almost done. Still, I can’t help but worry about what else JojaCorp is up to. One thing I keep going back to is why they were suddenly so interested in the mines outside of town.”

Rasmodius wrinkled his bushy brows in confusion. “The mines?”

“Remember when JojaCorp sent some of their goons a few months ago during the Stardew Valley Fair to ask Mayor Lewis about the place? I told you about it, Rasmodius.” She rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t tell me you already forgot.”

“Wait, yes! I do believe it’s coming back to me now….” The wizard scratched his beard as he pondered. “But Lewis would never allow that. Nor could he, even if we wanted to. Pelican Town doesn’t own the rights to that particular piece of land, you see. The mountain mine has been under the control of the Ferngill Republic ever since the end of the Elemental Wars.”

“Hold on. The government owns the mine?” Lana stopped in surprise, shaking her head at him. “You didn’t mention anything like that when I first brought it up.”

“I didn’t think it to be a pertinent detail at the time, but yes, indeed they do. As well as the adjacent quarry, if I’m not mistaken.”

“You mean that crumbling old hole in the ground on the other side of the lake?”

“Hey now, that rock quarry used to be one of the most important places in the valley! Long ago, people first came to this area from across the country for two reasons: firstly, to mine for ore up in the mountains; and secondly, to fish in the rivers and ocean. It’s how Pelican Town got its start, many, many years before I myself even moved here. Mining helped keep the town afloat for decades.”

“But the Elemental Wars changed that, “ she interjected as they began walking again, ready for another one of Rasmodius’ history lessons.

“Precisely. Remember, the dwarves and shadow people who called the mine their home for centuries lived in peace away from the humans up until war sprung between them, staying deep underground to avoid the miners working on the higher levels. A few years after we were able to imprison the Void down at the bottom of the mine and enchant the memories of the people in town, some government officials started snooping around, no doubt trying to get their hands on anything of value. I had to step in with another enchantment to make sure they found nothing but a worthless, unstable piece of land. They officially condemned the mine and quarry as off-limits to the public, and the townspeople continued to stay away, unaware of all the dangers that could be found down there. Just as we intended.”

He paused, chuckling as he glanced at Lana fondly. “Well, for the most part, anyway. There’s always the curious spelunker like yourself that’ll venture inside every now and then, but thanks to our spells and other natural dangers, no one ever gets too far.”

“Except Morris. According to your ex-wife, he made it to the bottom and managed to find this Void asshole.”

“That is correct,” Rasmodius conceded. “But only because he was in possession of a Dark Talisman, which I believe further weakened his already turmoiled state of mind to the Void’s influence. I have no doubt the Void has tried to lure each and every trespasser down to him over the years. You are most likely impervious to its call given your propensity for magic. Morris is the only one unfortunate enough to have surpassed our safeguards and fallen prey to its manipulations.”

Lana gave a low whistle, trying to process all this new information. “Well, I’ll be damned. No wonder my friend Ryan didn’t hear anything about the mine at the office after the fair. Lewis must have shut JojaCorp down pretty quick if all of this is true.”

“I’m sure that was the case, which is why I gave the matter so little credence at the time. I sincerely doubt your government will allow even someone as powerful as JojaCorp to stick their noses down there, protective as they are over their assets. I daresay they’ve long forgotten about the place after all this time, busy as they are with other worldly affairs. After all, Stardew Valley is only but a small part of this vast country of ours.”

Lana said nothing for a moment. Mulling over his words, she fiddled with her hair, tied back today in a ponytail to hide the fact it hadn’t been washed in a few days. Above, the snow was still falling gently from the sky, a far cry from the harsh weather she had endured the night before.

Eventually she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I guess that makes me feel a little better.”

“But something else is troubling you, isn’t it?” Radmodius prompted. “Besides all this trouble about Morris and the Void?”

She hesitated, both impressed and annoyed by how intuitive the wizard could be sometimes. The innocently concerned look on his face convinced her to begrudgingly reply with an embarrassed mumble.

“Well, uh- I lost control last night. In front of my friend, Shane.”

“You don’t mean of your magic, do you?” he asked, gaping at her in surprise.

She nodded and averted her eyes, grateful Rasdmodius couldn’t truly read minds. In truth, the slightly fuzzy memory of her tempestuous encounter with Shane had been plaguing her all morning. Lana suppressed a sigh, not really in the mood to discuss the ups and downs of her love life with her sorcery mentor.

“Things just … got out of hand,” she finally replied meekly.

“But what happened? Did someone get hurt?”

“No! Nothing like that. I mean, I think I broke his lightbulb, but that was it. We started arguing about- about something I can’t really remember right now, and I could just feel myself getting angrier and angrier until I just kind of … exploded. I left in a hurry, so upset at myself that I didn’t even care that I was walking home in a blizzard. I just wanted to get the hell out of there. I was pretty drunk, to be honest.” She felt a mortified, strangled sound escape her and tried to hide her reddening face behind her hands, recalling how disastrously the night had ended. “It was all just a big mess, Rasmodius.”

“There, there.” The wizard gave her shoulder a comforting pat while she tried to shoo away her more raunchy memories. “It happens to the best of us, my dear. It’s perfectly natural to lose a bit of control sometimes, especially for someone like you at the beginning of their magical apprenticeship. Even more so if you were experiencing any strong emotions at the time.”

Lana was unable to suppress a scowl, recalling all too well the way Shane had shoved her off his lap and the words they exchanged afterwards. “Yeah, I’d say things got pretty heated between us.”

“Well, I doubt your friend will judge you too harshly for your outburst. He’s aware of your studies, correct?” Lana nodded silently. “Then I’m sure he’ll understand if you just explain to him and apologize. Especially if it was just a silly quarrel over some shattered glass. Why don’t you go visit him today so you two can talk?”

“I’m not really sure if I can face Shane in person just yet,” she mumbled in reply. “I wanted to text him this morning to say sorry, but my cell phone’s M.I.A. for the time being. I have no idea where I put it after I got home last night. I doubt he even wants to talk to me anyway.”

“Come now, Ms. Abernathy. I’m sure it’s not that bad. You two will be back to best pals in no time once you sit down and chat it out. Even in friendship, communication is key to maintaining a healthy relationship, you know! Not that my ex-wife Samara would agree…”

Lana cleared her throat after the wizard trailed off darkly, eager to put the topic of her personal life to rest. “You’re right, Rasmodius. I probably should go talk to him sooner rather than later. To clear the air between us.”

“Eh?” He blinked a couple of times. “Oh, yes - that’s the spirit! And you and I will iron out that control issue, don’t you worry. You’re already progressing through your studies quite rapidly, or so the council mentioned during our last meeting.”

Ever since being given the stamp of approval by the Elementals for successfully getting through the maze on Spirit’s Eve, her curiosity about the council had been piqued. Even so, the mysterious television set and video of her father still remained unexplained despite all the research she had tried to do on the elusive magical society in the wizard’s library when he wasn’t looking. The Elementals remained as cryptic and obscure as always, constantly calling Rasmodius away for their bidding, to his poorly-hidden chagrin.

Lana glanced up at the wizard, forgetting the ordeal with Shane for a moment. “The Elementals? What did they say about me?”

“Oh, nothing much, really,” Rasmodius replied breezily, smiling. “They’re all just very impressed at how quickly you’ve caught on so far. You’re quite the fast learner, my dear.”

“Me?” She blinked in surprise. “Are you sure you’re not talking about my sister Ella? She’s the smart one in the family.”

“While I have no doubt your sister would also be a good candidate for sorcery given her shared ancestral ties to the Fern Islands, you in particular seem to have a special talent for it that I haven’t seen in quite a long while. Which, of course, is no surprise, seeing as you’re my official apprentice now.”

The obvious pride in his voice made her cheeks heat up a little. She chuckled, replying, “Using me to show off to your bosses, are we now, Malachai?”

“I’m merely showcasing my own skills through reports of your impressive progress. And don’t call me Malachai, Ms. Abernathy.”

“ Alright, alright - Mister Malachai then.” She held up her hands at his beleaguered expression. “I’m kidding. I’m just glad we’re both looking good for those guys. They seem like a bunch of hardasses, if you ask me.”

“The Elementals are tasked with protecting this country and its people from evil, supernatural forces most people cannot even begin to comprehend. As one of their entrusted emissaries, it stands to reason that they expect so much from me.”

“You know, it’s ok to complain about sh*tty bosses every now and then.” Lana grinned. “I promise I won’t snitch if you wanna let off a little steam.”

The wizard rolled his eyes, chortling in amusem*nt. “My lips are sealed when it comes to that topic, I’m afraid.”

“Will you at least tell me where we’re going, then? Aren’t we supposed to be on our way to see Krobus?” She craned her neck as she looked back over her shoulder. “This isn’t the way to his sewer.”

“We’ll get there in due time. There’s just one small errand I need to run.” Rasmodius stopped in his tracks, halting her with an outstretched arm. “Aha! Impeccable timing as always, Ms. Abernathy. It looks like we’re just arriving. Do you see that house ahead of us?”

Lana squinted, brushing away a couple snowflakes from her eyelashes as she peered into the trees. A hundred feet or so away, she could see the outline of what appeared to be a small cabin poking up into view. As they approached, she realized that they had reached the southwestern end of the forest, cut off abruptly just beyond the property by tall, craggy cliffs that overlooked the ocean much like the ones from the stormy night she found Shane incapacitated. The house, rundown and dilapidated, was planted precariously close to the cliff’s edge and covered in green, overgrown foliage that snaked its way up the wooden exterior much like the vines that still somehow flourished on Rasdmodius’ tower despite the frost of the season. Her eyebrows raised in surprise when she saw a thin plume of smoke rising out of the chimney.

“What is this place?” she asked, staring up at it in wonder. “I don’t think I’ve ever made it this deep into the forest.”

“An acquaintance of mine set up shop here a few years ago. It’s become quite renowned in the magical community since then. Bit of a hidden gem, you see.”

Lana tried not to sink too deeply into the snow as she hurried to follow Rasmodius around to the other side of the house. The wizard opened a small wooden gate nestled among some bushes to reveal a cobblestone path leading up to the cabin’s front door. She could hear the crash from the waves at the bottom of the cliffs just on the other side of the fence as they walked.

“A shop?” she asked, bewildered. “All the way out here? What do they even sell?”

Her question was answered as they reached the end of the path. Directly to the left of the closed front door was a faded sign strung up somewhat haphazardly between two rusty nails that simply read “HATS” in blocky, child-like writing. Another sign with a badly drawn cap greeted them from the other side of the door. Before either of them could speak, the top half of the door swung open. Lana stifled a scream as a rodent the size of a child popped up into view, placing both paws on the sill to lean forward and greet them.

“Hi. Me sell hats. Okay, poke?”

“Yoba,” Lana replied faintly, dazed but somehow not surprised that this was where the wizard had decided to drag her along for the day. “It’s a giant talking rat.”

“Me hat mouse. Not rat, poke.” The mouse’s whiskers twitched as it stared up at her with huge, friendly eyes. “You bring coines?”

“Coines…?”

“Good morning, my friend!” Rasmodius stepped up to shake one of the mouse’s paws earnestly in greeting. “We do have plenty of coines, yes! I’m in need of a dapper cap for a special mission tomorrow. Do you have anything new in stock?”

Ten minutes later, the wizard finally settled on a dark red bowler hat with a black feather, trying it on one final time in front of a dusty mirror the mouse had provided from behind the counter. Lana chuckled in amusem*nt as she watched, leaning casually against the counter now that her initial shock had worn off.

“Good choice,” she complimented him. “Looking pretty dapper, I’d say.”

“Thank you, Ms. Abernathy! I’m definitely pleased with my purchase.” He turned around to face her and touched the brim of the cap with a wink. “This will do quite nicely indeed.”

“You buy hat too, poke?” The mouse tapped her arm with a furry paw.

“Oh, no, thank you,” she replied, but the creature ducked away, reappearing a couple of seconds later with a box it placed on the counter.

“Me have whatever you need.”

Curious, Lana tentatively craned her neck to look into the box. Inside was an array of what appeared to be an assortment of bows, hair clips, and masks jumbled together in a messy pile. Before she knew what she was doing, her hand dove inside, rifling through the trinkets until she came upon one that was so strikingly familiar it made her gasp aloud. Eyes wide, she picked it up, getting lost in the way it glittered as it caught the sparse sunlight peeking through the clouds.

“Very pretty.” The wizard’s voice beside her made her jump. “But why that one out of all the others, if I may ask?”

“It’s … strange actually. When I was a little kid, my mother gave me a hair clip just like this one as a gift one year during the Feast of the Winter Star.” She held it up for the wizard to take. “It’s in the shape of an iris, the flower she's named after. She told me that my grandmother had given it to her when she was a young girl herself. But less than a week later, some older kids in the park on my way home from school stole it from me right off the top of my head. When I told my mom about it, she didn’t believe me. She thought that I was lying, that I had just been careless and lost or broke it. Granted, I lost and broke a lot of things as a kid, so I don’t really blame her now. My dad - he believed me, though. He always believed me.”

The wizard examined the hair clip as she spoke. “Oliver.”

“Yes.”

He handed her back the clip. “Your grandfather spoke about him often to me. I remember he once mentioned that he inherited your grandmother’s empathetic nature.”

“I never met my grandmother, but my dad was the kindest person I’ve ever known. And the smartest too. Ella may have gotten his brains when it comes to books, but I think I inherited some of his common sense, at least. He understood how guilty I felt about that stupid hair clip, just like he always seemed to understand everything.” She turned to the mouse. “Where did you find this? It looks exactly like the one that was stolen from me all those years ago in Zuzu City. I’ve never seen anything like it since.”

The creature tilted its head to one side. “Me hat mouse. You give me coin, and me give you hat you need. Okay, poke?”

Lana said nothing for a moment as she pondered the mouse’s cryptic answer. Rasmodius also was uncharacteristically silent. Finally, she sighed and tried to hand the hair clip back, her head too full of other spinning thoughts to let herself dwell on the bizarre coincidence too much.

“I’m sorry. Even if this was that same hair clip, I don’t have any money on me today.”

“Nonsense! I would be more than happy to purchase that hair clip for you.” The wizard interjected and brandished a pouch from his pocket. Its contents clinked as he placed it on the counter next to the box. “Think of it as an early birthday present.”

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “How did you know my birthday was coming up?”

“Come now, how could I ever forget the day James told me about the birth of his first granddaughter? You’re a winter baby, just like I am.”

“Huh.” She blinked a couple times. “Grandpa really used to talk about us a lot, didn’t he?”

“Family was always his favorite topic of conversation. Well, besides his precious farm, that is. He could go on for hours and hours about his crops and animals.” The wizard let out a fond chuckle. “So, will you accept the hair clip, then? As a gift from your proud mentor … and your grandfather’s old friend?”

She turned the jeweled iris over in her hand, wondering if it really could be the very same one her parents gave her, as impossible as the idea could be. A distinct image flashed in her head of her mother gently placing the clip in her hair that morning of The Feast of the Winter Star. She had kissed Lana’s forehead and brushed aside her bushy locks, smiling down at her in that familiar demure way of hers.

“My beautiful baby girl. My little Lana Rose. Your daddy and I love you very much, honey. We’ll always be here whenever you need us.”

The once-forgotten memory caught her off-guard, rattling her turbulent emotions even further. With a shaky exhale, Lana nodded, closing her hands gently around the hair clip. “Alright then, I’ll accept it. Thank you, Rasmodius.” She didn’t trust herself to speak more beyond that.

Later, as they walked eastward through the forest to Krobus’ sewer, Lana once again found herself distracted as the wizard babbled on obliviously in front of her, letting her attention slowly drift away like a lost duckling on a pond. With the gifted hair clip hidden safely away inside her coat pocket, she stared up once more at the pale sky, adrift in her thoughts. Every now and then, she reached a hand into her pocket to gently touch its gilded petals, just to make sure that it was still sitting safely inside.

****

The night before, Lana and Harvey had been one of the last people to leave the Stardrop Saloon.

“Aw, come on, doc. Don’t worry so much. I walk home by myself at night all the time.”

Harvey had met the reassuring grin Lana threw back at him with a worried frown as they exited through the ornate front doors.

“Somehow that fact doesn't make me feel any better.” He shook his head adamantly. “Are you sure you don’t just want me to give you a ride? My car isn’t parked too far away from here. We’d just need to walk down the block to the clinic, and then I could just -”

“No, no, no.” She waved his concerns away cheerfully. “It’s okay, really. Besides, there’s something I want to check on before I head back to the farm.”

“You mean right now?” His eyebrows flew up in concern and disappeared behind the shock of wavy brown hair that fell over his forehead. “Are you sure that’s a good idea after all we just had to drink? It’s already pretty late, and it looks like this snow isn’t going to let up anytime soon…”

“Relax , Harvey. I’ll be fine. Besides, you had just as much to drink as I did, which means you’re way too drunk to drive anyway.”

By now, they had moved off to the side to allow room for the rest of the remaining saloon patrons to exit, the dim light of a nearby street light their only source of illumination.

“Well, I did have a few more glasses than usual…” he began, but quickly shook his head again. “But you know relaxing is easier said than done in my case, Lana. I would hate for you to get sick or injured out there in this weather. Maybe it’s better for you to just head home instead and take care of your, uh, errand tomorrow?”

“I mean it, Harvey. I’ll be okay out there. I’m a big girl, remember?” Lana jumped with a small hiccup. “And if I do catch a cold or break a leg slipping on ice, I’ll limp down to the clinic straightway so you can work your magic and heal me right up. Deal?”

The doctor finally smiled. “Okay, I give up. Deal. But you’ll really do your best to be careful?”

She nodded. “Yes, I’ll be super careful.”

“And you’ll let me know when you get home later tonight as well? At least a text so I know you’re safe?”

“I will.”

“Do you promise?”

She looked up at him and rolled her eyes, admittedly endeared as much as she was annoyed by his concern. “Yes, I promise.”

“Okay. Thank you for that.”

He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Lana touched the spot where his lips had just been with her fingers, eyes opened wide in inebriated surprise. Harvey smiled sheepishly at her.

“Sorry, couldn’t help myself. I’ll blame it on the wine if you’ll let me.” He gave a small hiccup of his own in punctuation. Amused, she could only nod once in reply before he surprised her again by pulling her flush against him into a hug. “Thank you for tonight, Lana. I had a wonderful time. Please get home safe.”

Discombobulated by the wine and Harvey’s bold show of affection, it had taken her a second or two to bring her arms up to loosely return his embrace, mumbling almost incoherently into the fabric of his puffy coat.

“Okay. I’ll text you later, doc.”

It wasn’t until the next evening, a few hours after bidding Rasmodius goodbye in the woods near Krobus’ sewer, that Lana had finally remembered her broken promise, struck with the sudden recollection of her parting words when she finally found her cell phone under her bed and saw the handful of missed calls and texts from the doctor. Swearing under her breath, she adjusted the towel she had wrapped around her freshly-washed hair and stood so she could flop backwards onto her bed. She silently read Harvey’s concerned messages, three from the night before, two more bright and early this morning. Doing her best to ignore the fact that there were no missed texts or calls from Shane, Lana gave in to the guilty feeling lodged in her chest and tapped on Harvey’s number. She put the phone to her ear as it rang, halfway-willing for it to go to voicemail.

“Lana! Oh, my Yoba - you’re alive!” The doctor picked up after the third ring. “Give me just one second - it looks like we’re good here, Mr. Mulner! I’m going to head back to the clinic now. Just remember to have Evelyn pick up those vitamins tomorrow at Pierre’s, alright?”

Lana could hear George’s grumpy reply in the background. The sound of their goodbyes and a door closing followed.

“I can just call you back another time if you’re still working,” she said, glancing out her window to catch the sun in the middle of setting. The snowfall had finally ceased for good an hour or so ago, leaving in its wake a crisp stillness that permeated through her farm.

“I’m actually just finishing up my last house call for the day. Ran a bit late this evening, but that’s normal for flu season. It’s been insanely busy lately.” He cleared his throat sheepishly. “In fact, I hate to say this, but I actually make a lot more money during this time of year.”

“So, what you're saying is that if people stopped getting sick, you’d be out of business?”

“Hah, yeah... wait, no - don’t get me wrong! I mean, even if that’s technically true, of course I want people to be healthy … really, I do!”

She chuckled. “I’m teasing, doc. Relax.”

The sound of a car door opening and closing punctuated his reply. “I should really try to find more patients from neighboring towns for the rest of the year, though. We’re really struggling to make ends meet at the clinic, especially in the summertime.”

She was struck with a sudden curiosity. “Hey, can I ask you something personal, Harvey?”

“Of course.”

“I mean, I’m certainly no one to say anything, but why did you move all the way out here when you could have just practiced medicine in the city or somewhere where there’s more people around?”

He chuckled. “It’s been a while since anyone’s asked me that question. Don’t get me wrong - in the beginning, I had dreams of becoming this hotshot doctor making the big bucks at Zuzu Memorial. I don’t know if I mentioned this already, maybe even last night when I was buzzed, but I grew up in the suburbs just outside of the city. Every night as a kid, I’d stare at those skyscrapers in the distance from my bedroom window, imagining what it would be like to work there. It’s where my mom wanted me to end up, after all.”

For the first time, Lana detected a tinge of bitterness lacing through the doctor’s usually amiable voice.

“Let me guess,” she offered. “She’s a doctor too?”

“Retired neurosurgeon, to be exact. Worked for the governor’s family at one point.”

“Aha - that sounds about right.”

“Anyway, after I finished my residency, I stayed away from Zuzu City, worked at a local clinic for a couple years until the opportunity here arose. It took me a week to make the decision to take over the practice, but in the end it felt like a better fit than anything waiting for me in the city. The lure of it all wore off once I grew up, I think. I realized pretty quickly that city life and I wouldn’t mix.”

“And what does your mom have to say about it now that you’ve been out here for a few years?”

“I’m not sure, really. She and my dad are spending their retirement sailing around the Gem Sea. I speak to them by radio from time to time when I’m able to reach them. Last I heard a few weeks ago, they were somewhere out exploring the Prairie Islands.”

She gave a low whistle. “Not gonna lie, that’s pretty badass. I don’t talk much to my mom either, although she’s just around the corner in Zuzu City, so I guess I don’t have the excuse of an entire ocean between us.”

“And why’s that?”

Automatically, her guard was raised. As kind and empathetic as Harvey was, something still stopped her from delving too deeply into the complex topic of her family. She picked at the green polish on her left index finger with her thumb, itself already quite heavily chipped from a day of nervous nail biting.

“No real reason. Just the way things are between us.”

“I see. That’s how it can be with family, I suppose.” She could hear that curiosity had replaced the bitterness in his tone.

“Well, I just wanted to give you a call to let you know I’m really sorry for not texting you last night. To let you know I got home, I mean. I was really, really tired and fell asleep right after I got through my front door, basically.”

There was a tiny beat of almost-imperceptible pause before his reply. “That’s alright. I completely understand. I’m the one who’s sorry for being a nag and pestering you with so many calls and texts. I was just worried about you with that crazy weather we got after we left the saloon.”

“I know, Harvey.” Her gaze was distracted by the glow through her window of the setting sun off in the distance. “You don’t need to be sorry. I appreciate how much you care.”

“Lana, may I ask you something now?”

“Shoot.”

“Did you have a good time last night?”

She hesitated, catching the true meaning behind his question, but he rushed out more words before she could even begin to form a reply.

“You see, I remembered this morning that when I told you I had fun as we were saying goodbye, you didn’t really respond, so I thought maybe - well, I thought that you might have had a bad time or maybe I did something to make you feel uncomfortable. And if I did, I’m really sorry.”

She winced, guilt flooding into her. “No, I had a great time. I always do when I hang out with you and Leah and Elliot. I was just a little tired. And drunk.”

“But what about when you hang out just with me? Do you still have a good time then?”

“When I hang out just with you? Uh, well, I -”

He interjected again before she could continue fumbling her way through her response. “I know I may not be the most exciting guy around, but I really do think that I could make you happy if you give me the chance. I’ve certainly enjoyed all of the time we’ve spent together so far. I just - well, I just think you’re really amazing, and I hope you feel the same way about me, even if it’s only a little bit.”

Unwillingly, she thought of Shane just as she had done all morning during her time with Rasmodius, haunted this time by his words to her on the day they had last gone fishing by Cindersap Lake.

“Something tells me it might be a bigger deal to the doctor than it is to you.”

The back of her neck bristled with residual twinges of anger. Deeply irked at herself for still not being able to get Shane out of her head even at a time like this, she hastily put her phone on mute so that she could pick up a pillow and groan loudly into it in exasperation.

Hurting Harvey was the last thing she wanted, a fact she had made clear to Leah when she first agreed to go out with him. And while she found herself enjoying his mellow company after a few drinks loosened her up, last night had made it obvious that her feelings for Shane still ran stronger and hotter than whatever platonic affection she felt for the good-natured doctor. It wouldn’t be right to let things go on any further, as much as a part of her hesitated, stung from the way Shane had rejected her. Still - was it really wise to drop whatever might develop with Harvey for some lingering feelings Shane obviously didn’t reciprocate anymore? As her thoughts ran amok, she could faintly hear Harvey still rambling on the other end of the phone.

“- didn’t want to come off too strong. It really wasn’t my intention to overstep, but I guess all that damn wine got to my head after all. What I’m trying to say in a really, really horrible way is that I enjoy our time together and would really love to keep getting to know you. If you feel the same way, of course.”

Sighing, she finally picked up her cell phone and unmuted it to reply. “Look, Harvey - I do have a good time whenever I’m with you. You’re a really sweet guy, but I just think that with everything I have going on right now, maybe this isn’t the best time for me to be getting into a relationship or anything. That wouldn’t be fair to you.”

“Is that just your way of saying ‘it’s not you - it’s me’ ? Because I’ve heard that line from women more times than I’d like to admit.” Harvey’s stoic attempt at breeziness came through clearly from the other line.

“Would I be a sh*tty person if I said yes?”

“I could never think something like that about you.”

“I don’t know, Harvey. I’ve done some pretty sh*tty things before.”

Like ending up on Shane’s lap last night after my date with you, the annoying voice in her head hissed in agreement.

“I think most people can say they’ve done at least a few sh*tty things in their lifetime, as much as some of them would like to admit otherwise,” Harvey replied. “I know I can, anyway.”

“You?” A small laugh escaped her, more derisive than she intended. “Harvey, you seem like someone who couldn’t even so much as think about hurting a fly, and I mean that as a sincere compliment. You’re one of the nicest people I know.”

“What’s that thing people say? Something about nice guys always finishing last?”

“Hey, that’s just a myth. Nice guys finish first all the time. They’re just too modest to brag about it.”

“I guess I just like to believe in that whole ‘slow and steady wins the race’ thing. It’s gotten me where I need to go, at least.”

“Slow and steady. I like it. Reminds me of that old turtle and rabbit story my dad used to read to me at night when I was a kid.”

“You mean The Tortoise and the Hare?”

“Toma-toe, toe-mato. You knew what I was talking about.”

Harvey laughed. “You’re right, I did. Hey, maybe ‘slow and steady’ can apply to us too. If you feel like you’re not ready for a relationship, I mean. We can take things as slow as you need us to. It’s no problem for me at all.”

“Harvey, I -”

Lana got cut off by a sudden muffled sound on the other end of the line. “Dammit - I’m getting a call from a patient I needed to talk to. I think I gotta take this. Can we finish talking about this another time, if that’s alright?”

Relieved to be taken out of the hot seat, she quickly replied, “Sure thing, doc. Don’t wanna get in the way of work.”

“I’ll call you later tomorrow? Or another day this week, maybe?”

“Yeah. Another day is better.”

“Okay.” There was a pause. “Have a good night, Lana. Thank you for calling me back.”

“You too, Harvey. And no problem. I’ll talk to you later.”

She touched her phone’s screen to end the call, dropping it onto her bed with another sigh. A gentle tapping sound alerted her to Winston walking into her bedroom through the open door. She sat up so she could pick him up and place him on the bed, plopping back down next to him to pet his ears.

“That went well, huh, buddy?” The dachshund gazed up at her with large, dubious eyes. “I really gotta put my foot down next time he calls. Still, something tells me Harvey won't throw in the towel just yet. I knew this damn town was turning me too soft.”

Winston yawned and stretched out his long body. She mimicked him, feeling the fatigue from the long day settling in. Glancing to the side, she saw the nautilus shell she had found the night before sitting on her nightstand next to her new hair clip. She reached out to grab the shell, taking time to admire the embedded spiral-shaped fossil before enclosing it in her palm and bringing her hand to her chest. With a deep sigh, she looked out the window and saw the sun had almost finished setting. When the moon returned for the night, she’d make her way to the community center to finally give it to the Junimos. There was just one thing she needed to do first.

****

An hour or so later, Lana opened her front door and made her way down the creaky porch stairs with the seashell tucked away in a hidden coat pocket. Instead of heading east towards town, she hurried through her snow-covered farmlands, bound for the gate at the southern end of the property. After a bit of cuddling with Winston, she had summoned enough nerve to blow-dry her hair, throw on some warm clothes, and step into her snow boots, determined to suck up her pride and walk over to Robinson Ranch so she could apologize to Shane in person like the adults they were. Above, the sky had set down to a deep, navy blue, stark in contrast to the white frost that blanketed the ground.

“Look, Shane - I crossed the line,” she mumbled to herself in practice as she stomped through her snow-covered fields. “You were right. I was drunk, and I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. I’m really sorry for how I acted. And for making your light bulb explode. That was definitely my bad.”

Lana smacked her forehead, feeling like an absolute idiot. She continued muttering to herself while she walked, trying to find the right words for the swirling flux of emotions she felt inside of her. As she approached the more densely wooded area of her farm that housed the southern gate, her hurried pace slowed. She cursed under her breath when she saw that the small light she had installed near the fence had gone out again, leaving her to navigate in darkness. Lana stepped forward cautiously, halted in her tracks only a few feet away from the gate by the sound of rustling coming from bushes on the other side. Her heart did a somersault in her chest as a bulky figure emerged from the shadows. She brought her hand instinctively to her hip, clenching it into a fist around the missing hilt of her sword.

“Who’s there?” she called out sharply. “I’m warning you - I’m armed.”

“Easy there, tiger.” The familiar deep voice put her at ease immediately. “I witnessed firsthand what you did to your scarecrows. I’m not much more of a threat in comparison.”

“Shane! You scared the sh*t out of me!”

She could see a small smirk gracing his scruffy features as they both stepped up to the gate into full view of each other. Behind him, his footsteps faintly stood out in the snow covering the curving path that led back toward Robinson Ranch through the trees. A swirling huff of exhaled breath escaped her when she met his eyes.

“I could say the same thing about you,” Shane replied. His hands came to rest on the wooden fence in between them. “You should probably think about putting some lights out here. That way the real bad guys can see when you’re lying to them about being armed.”

“Oh, shut up. I do have a light. It’s just broken.” She motioned to the nearby light. “Besides, how do you know I don’t have a dagger up my sleeve? Or maybe a new spell from Rasmodius to stop bad guys in their tracks?”

“Eh, I guess that’s true. I should have learned by now to never underestimate you.”

Lana felt her face, already flushed from the fright and chill, warm up even further at his words. She crossed her arms over her chest. “What are you doing out here?”

“I was on my way to your place so we could talk about last night. But it looks like you’re on your way out.” He gestured to the snow boots and heavy coat she was wearing.

She laughed. “I was on my way to your house, actually. To talk about last night.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

A couple of beats of awkward silence popped up while they both hurried to look around at anything but each other. Lana cleared her throat, bringing her hands down to rest next his own clenched tight on the gate. He met her eyes again, and she felt her heart do another flip in her chest, this time for a much different reason than before.

“If you’re going to apologize, don’t worry about it,” he stopped her right as she opened her mouth to speak. “Really, Lana. I know you were drunk, as much as you tried to deny it. And I know people, myself obviously included, do dumb sh*t when they’re drunk, so you don’t need to say sorry.”

“But … I broke your light bulb,” she retorted lamely, the rest of her rehearsed speech quickly forgotten.

He chuckled. “Marnie has a bunch of extras in the attic, so I was able to fix it this morning before work. It’s fine.”

“I just -” She shook her head. “I just don’t want there to be any … weirdness between us.”

“I don’t feel weird. Do you?”

“Well, no, but -”

“You were drunk, Lana.” He shifted his eyes away from hers. “Let’s just forget about it, yeah? I know that you didn’t really mean it.”

Didn’t really mean it?

She faltered. As hazy as the memory was, she could remember a distinct moment inside Shane’s bedroom when something inside of her gave way and her self-control broke open like a dam busted in a flood. Truthfully, she had been dying to kiss him again for what felt like ages now, often finding herself stamping out daydreams about the way things used to be between them while doing mundane things like fishing or feeding her animals. Last night was only further confirmation that her feelings for Shane hadn’t changed. Sting as they might, his words to her seemed almost comical. Of course she had meant it.

Still, they way he had kissed her back hungrily at first before shoving her off his lap only served to confuse her further. They had solidified a steady rhythm of friendship over the past few months, something she kept reminding herself was for the best given everything they had going on in their lives. Lana knew it would be foolish to derail the good thing they had going just for the sake of pent-up lust. Now, with Shane's desire to drop the whole thing, it appeared he felt the same.

“Lana?” Shane tapped one of her fingers with his pinky. “You okay?”

She broke away from her internal contemplations, looking up at him with a stiff smile. “Yeah, I’m okay. And you’re right. We should just forget about it.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You sure?”

“I’m sure.” She gave a nervous chuckle. “I’m just still kind of embarrassed at how much of a fool I made of myself. I guess Gus’ blackberry wine really finds a way to creep up on you, doesn’t it?”

“You’re fine. I’ve seen and done much worse, remember?”

“Wait a minute.” She raised an eyebrow, struck with a thought. “You walked all the way over here in almost-freezing weather just to tell me last night was no big deal? Not that I’m not happy to see you again, but you could have saved the trip with a text or a call.”

“I uh - I just wanted to talk in person about last night.” Shane averted his eyes again. “But it’s true that there’s something else on my mind, too.”

“What is it?”

After a long moment, he replied in a low voice, “Today is the anniversary of Derek and Sasha’s death. I almost called out of work this morning because I didn’t trust myself to walk past the beer aisle without grabbing a six-pack to chug during my lunch. I just … it’s been a really, really hard day.”

“Oh, Shane.”

A small grunt of surprise escaped him as she leaned over the fence to envelop him in a hug. Even so, almost immediately, she felt his arms come up to wrap around her in return. He breathed out a shaky sigh, and for a long time, they held each other in silence. Finally, Lana spoke up softly again.

“How many years again?”

“Three. But sometimes it feels like it just happened yesterday.”

“I’m so sorry. I know how hard that feeling can be.”

“I just can’t believe all this time has passed since I last saw them. Since the last time I spoke to Derek. I don’t even remember the last thing he said to me. Can you believe that? I tried so hard all day today to remember his words, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t .”

His voice broke on the last word. She squeezed him tighter. The rough, uneven wood of the fence in between them poked her through her coat, but she didn’t care.

“That’s okay, Shane. It’s okay if you can’t remember. That’s just what happens - we forget some things as time goes on. As life goes on.”

“I don’t wanna forget about them, Lana. For so long after they died, they were all I could think about. I woke up and went to sleep every single f*cking day and night with their ghosts hanging over me. But now, I almost forgot the anniversary of the day they died. What kind of bullsh*t friend am I?”

“Stop talking about yourself like that. You know that’s not true. You’re doing your best to take care of their daughter. That’s all they would really care about, not some date on a calendar.”

Shane said nothing. She tentatively tried to drop her arms in case he needed space, but he only pulled her closer, tightening his grip around her so much it was almost painful. Craning her neck up, she saw tears had pooled at the corners of his inky blue eyes, now staring far off into the distance behind her.

“You really think Jas is happy here with me?” His voice had gone very quiet.

“Of course she is, Shane. I know Derek and Sasha would be very happy to see how much she loves it here. How much she loves you.”

“The valley is better for her,” he mumbled into her hair. “She wasn’t happy in the city. The loud noises and crowds of people scare her. Here, she loves the animals at the ranch, and she can play in the forest or swim in the river whenever she wants. She wouldn’t be able to do that over there. Not in Zuzu City.”

“That’s true,” she replied, a bit bemused by his rambling. “Life would be very different for her.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it would be.”

To her dismay, Shane broke their embrace. Lana quickly let go of him too, moving back a couple of steps so that she was no longer leaning over the fence. In the light of the moon, she could see a pink flush had spread over his cheeks.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all weepy on you.” He cleared his throat and swept a hand through his hair. “Like I said, it was just a rough day. It took all the willpower I had to avoid the saloon on my way home from work. I had to go the long way just to be safe.”

“Hey, but you made it home sober, right?” She punched his arm playfully. “I’m proud of you, Zuzu. And don’t apologize. You know I’m always here for you when you need to talk about stuff like this.”

“I know, I know. And same goes for you, obviously. Just, uh - maybe next time if you need to talk, don’t climb in through my window in the middle of a blizzard.” The corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. “The front door is noisy, but I promise it works just fine.”

Lana rolled her eyes. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

Shane said nothing for a moment. She caught an unreadable expression flicker over his face as he looked away, bringing his hand up to rub the spot on his arm where she had punched him. After a moment, he peered back at her with an eyebrow raised.

“What about you? You were really going to walk all the way to my house just so we could talk about last night?”

“I really was. See, I even got my snow boots on and everything.” She kicked up a leg in demonstration.

“I won’t lie - I thought you were beyond pissed at me,” he replied, shrugging. “That’s why I didn’t text or call you all day.”

“Well, I may have been a little drunk last night, but I do recall you saying some pretty asshole-like stuff that may have had something to do with that.”

“You don’t need to remind me. And I already said sorry, if I remember correctly.”

“True, you did. But I have something else that’ll help you make up for it, if you’re really sorry, that is. And - bonus - it’ll help keep your mind off of sadder things for the night.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

She reached into her pocket. Shane’s eyes lit up in recognition as she brandished the nautilus shell to hold up triumphantly in the air between them. Lana grinned up at him with glee.

“You and I have a very special delivery we need to make.”

****

That night, the empty field on the outskirts of town glimmered like a wide, flat sea of alabaster. Inundated with snow after last night’s blizzard, it proved to be especially difficult for them to traverse even with the help of the heavy boots Lana convinced Shane to grab back at the ranch before setting out. They left behind twin trails of footprints as they quickly made their way across the expanse, eager to get to their destination on the other side.

“What do you think is going to happen when you give those little guys the nautilus shell?” Shane asked. “It’s the last thing on their list, right?”

“I honestly don’t know. All the rooms are fixed already, except for the main ballroom. And the exterior, obviously.”

“Maybe we’ll finally get to see them in action. That’d be pretty sweet.”

“Hopefully. I’m just glad to be finished, honestly. I’ve spent a lot of time running around trying to find all the weird crap they ask me for.”

“Oh, please. You loved doing all that for them. It gave you another excuse to go nosing around the valley and get yourself into more trouble.”

“Hey, I’m just doing my duty.” She shot him a sly smile. “As the ‘chosen one’, or whatever it is you like to call me.”

“How’s that magic stuff going, anyway? Did you tell the wizard yet that you made my light explode with those freaky powers of yours?”

She stuck out her tongue at him. “I actually did tell him, thank you very much. He said that it was normal for beginners like me. I just need to work on my control.”

“So, what - does that mean you have to, like, use a wand or something?”

“Nah. We don’t really need one. It just kind of … flows through my hands.” She fluttered her fingers out in front of her. “As crazy as that probably sounds.”

“Like when you made those hedges disappear in the maze on Spirit’s Eve?”

“Exactly.”

“Woah. Super freaky.” Shane raised his eyebrows. “I’ve been meaning to ask … does this make you a witch now? If Rasmodius is a wizard?”

“Not officially. I gotta pass some test or whatever after I finish my apprenticeship. The council needs to approve … and then there’s a ceremony … it's this whole, long process. I’m not sure yet if I want to go through with it all. I didn’t exactly move out here with the goal of getting in tune with my magical roots.”

“Well, you said you wanted to get closer to those guys to see if you can find out more about your dad, right? They must have left that TV for you in the maze for a reason. Why else would it have shown you a video of him?”

“Yeah, I know. I just need to find out what my dad was talking about.” She furrowed her brow as she recalled the bizarre experience. “It looked like he was in some sort of cave. You don’t think it could have been somewhere down in the mine outside of town?”

“No idea. I didn’t see sh*t but static on the screen, remember?.”

The wheels in her head were spinning furiously again. “You know who might know something? Gunther. He worked with my dad a bit on some excavations here in the valley. I don’t know why I didn’t think about it before. With Morris back at JojaCorp, maybe it’s time I finally go pay him a visit at the museum to see what I can find out.”

“That might be a good place to start,” Shane replied, freeing a hand from his pocket to rub his unshaven chin.

Lana nodded, deciding to speak with Gunther at the museum the following day. Looking around, she found herself distracted by the sight of the snow-capped mountains looming large and strikingly close now that they had made it out of town. From here, she knew that if they continued east through the field beyond the community center, they’d soon reach the steep bluffs that overlooked the river. Following the water, they’d eventually make it to the mountain lake, enclosed on three sides by the set of tall peaks that housed the mine and quarry. Rasmodius’ earlier words rang fresh in her mind, filling her with even more curiosity about the underground caverns that had become a common destination for her lately with so little to do on the farm. Somewhere at the very bottom, the Void waited. She couldn’t help but wonder what else was hiding down there, waiting for her in that labyrinth of darkness that Rasmodius and the Elementals worked so hard to hide away.

But that would be a journey for another time. Tonight, her sights were set on the abandoned building on the other side of the field. Tucked away against the hillside at the point where the flat, barren terrain gave way once more to trees and brush, the Pelican Town Community Center lay dark and silent as it waited for them to complete their trek across the icy clearing.

“Thanks for coming with me,” Lana spoke up, bumping into Shane lightly with her shoulder while they ambled along. “I know this isn’t probably what you had planned for tonight.”

“Don’t worry about it. Better than moping around in my room with my video game and a six-pack of sparkling water like my original plan.”

“No bedtime story for Jas tonight?”

“Nah, it’ll probably be too late by the time we make it back. I offered after dinner but she wanted to watch a marathon of her favorite show with her stuffed animals instead.”

“Does she know? About today?”

Shane nodded glumly. “She does. But we honestly don’t really talk much about it. The first year we moved here, Marnie had to pick her up early from school on her first day after one of the other kids pointed out the fact she was the only orphan in their class. It's not something she likes to think about.”

Lana felt her heart crack for the little girl. “sh*t, I’m so sorry. Poor Jas.”

“Marnie and I try to treat this like any other day to make it easier on her, I guess. In whatever way we can.”

Overhead, the star-spotted sky was still a deep, inky blue. They continued the rest of the journey across the field in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. As they finally reached the short path that led up to the community center’s front doors, a chilling sensation shot through Lana, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She stopped in her tracks, holding out an arm to halt Shane.

“What happened? Did you see something?” A nervous tremor broke through his voice.

“No, I just -” She walked forward a few steps, looking around. “I just got this weird feeling.”

The overgrown grounds of the abandoned community center were deathly still. There was no sound as Lana scanned the area, no movement from the bushes or the barren trees - but still, something prompted her to keep her guard up. Behind her, the sound of Shane’s heavy footsteps approaching broke through the eerie silence.

“I don’t see anything out there,” he said, coming up to stand closely beside her. “Did you hear something?”

“No, nothing like that. I just can’t shake this feeling like we’re being watched.”

“Huh. Maybe it’s an animal or something.” Shane tugged on her arm in the direction of the community center. “Come on. We should get inside before it decides to come out and eat us.”

She followed him reluctantly, glancing behind her one last time to find everything still motionless and silent. Shaking her head, she kept walking, deciding it wouldn’t be wise to go wandering around in the dark thicket without her sword for protection. Beside her, Shane breathed into his cupped palms, shivering.

“Yoba, it's freezing tonight,” he complained. “You think the Junimos will fix that big fireplace for us after you give them that thing?”

Her hand dove reflexively to her pocket, closing around the nautilus shell. “I hope so. This should be the last of it unless they have another surprise in store for me.”

“They better not. ‘Cause I’m freezing my ass off right now.”

“What did I tell you about bringing something other than that old JojaMart jacket? It’s the middle of winter, Shane. You need a heavy coat, or maybe a parka. Something like what I’m wearing.”

“You sound like Marnie,” he replied, rolling his eyes. “She’s always trying to get me to wear her dad’s old stuff. Most of that sh*t fits me too small anyway.”

“We’ll have to go shopping on our next trip to the city.” She wiggled her eyebrows to annoy him further. “Maybe visit one of those big department stores downtown. We can revamp your wardrobe with the latest trends in Zuzu City fashion.”

“Absolutely f*cking not.”

“Aw, come on. Don’t be such a grouch. When’s the last time you bought yourself some new clothes?”

“No idea. Five years ago, maybe? You know I don’t give a sh*t about stuff like that.”

“Regardless, I still think you need a better jacket for this time of year. It gets way too cold, especially at night.”

“You worried about me or something, Red?”

Lana felt her heart palpitate faintly at the nickname he sometimes would use since her turn as Red Riding Hood on Spirit's Eve.

“Maybe I am. That a crime, Zuzu?”

For the first time that night, Shane smiled so widely that the laugh lines around his eyes reappeared. Lana felt a warm feeling diffuse through her at the familiar sight. The intense urge to kiss him arose sharply inside of her again, but she resisted. This time, there would be no wine for her to blame.

“Nah,” he responded, bumping his shoulder into hers just as she did earlier. “I guess it ain’t so bad if you are.”

They came to a halt directly in front of the closed entrance of the community center. High above, the broken clock gazed down upon them, still cracked and frozen in time. The adjacent faded letters reading PELICAN TOWN COMMUNITY CENTER were now almost completely obscured by dirt and green, leafy vines that snaked their way up the building despite the freezing weather and thick layer of snow that had settled on the roof. Lana smiled to herself, reminded of her visit with Rasmodius to the Hat Mouse’s cabin earlier.

“Looks like we made it,” she declared, putting her hands on her hips and looking over at Shane. “Shall we, then?”

He nodded in return. “Let’s do this.”

She pushed open the heavy wooden doors with a small grunt of effort. They entered the community center, making sure to shut the doors firmly behind them as they made their way into the building’s spacious front room, the only one still in a partial state of disrepair. Over in the far corner, the once-broken aquarium cast a blue glow, now filled with clean, clear water and an assortment of colorful fish. It had appeared one night a couple weeks ago after she brought the Junimos a large tiger trout from the river, coming back to life just like the rest of the community center did with each of her completed tasks. The rest of the large room remained dusty and shabby, untouched by the Junimos save for the small hut they had built in the corner. Lana and Shane carefully made their way toward the fireplace in the back, making sure to avoid the sunken areas where the fine, wood floor had decayed away over time.

“Where is everyone?” Shane asked. “They’re usually out here causing a ruckus by now.”

Lana shrugged, taking out her phone to use as a flashlight. They began looking around the room for the Junimos. Eventually, she ambled over to the hut in the corner to lean down and look inside. To her surprise, the small structure was empty.

“Not sure. Maybe in one of the other rooms?”

“Hey, look at this.” She straightened up to see Shane had moved to the corridor leading to the building's east wing. “Come over here.”

She walked over to him, following his gaze to the dusty bulletin board hanging on the wall. Pinned to it was a constellation of random pieces of paper - posters, letters, announcements, pictures - heavily tattered and discolored by time to the point where some were no longer legible.

“Was this board here before?” Shane asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen all this crap pinned on here.”

“It was empty up until tonight. Maybe the Junimos left it all behind for us?”

Shane reached out and gently unpinned a piece of paper in the dead center of the board. Squinting in the dark, he brought it closer to his face. Lana moved the light of her cellphone closer for him. “Look, I think this one says, ‘Hello, good people of Pelican Town. It’s blackberry season right now. The bushes are full of them. I want to pick some, but I lost my basket. Can anyone help? Much appreciated, Linus .’ Huh. Poor dude lost his basket. I wonder who he was?”

“No idea. He must have lived in town back when this place was still open. You think anyone ever found his basket for him?”

“I doubt it. I bet you that thing’s still out there somewhere.”

“Yeah, right. After all this time? It’s been more than twenty years since this place closed down.”

“Hey, look at these.” Shane picked a bright postcard and polaroid off the board, the only pieces of paper that didn’t appear to be affected by time. His eyes widened as he took them in. “Holy crap - you’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“What? What is it?” Lana snatched them both out of his fingers, overcome with curiosity.

The photograph showed a young boy with messy hair sitting in the sand and beaming widely up at the camera. In the background, a couple tall palm trees could be seen lined up in front of what appeared to be the ocean that extended to the horizon. To Lana’s amazement, a nautilus shell exactly like the one in her own pocket was clutched in the boy’s small hand, held high up in the air as though it were a trophy. Bewildered, she moved her gaze to the postcard, where the words “GREETINGS FROM TROPICAL GINGER ISLAND!” were printed above a gaggle of colorful, flying parrots. She turned it around to find another note written in neat cursive.

Dearest Linus,

I hope you’re doing well! We’re having such a lovely time on our vacation. Can you believe there’s a real, active volcano here? We even found an old shipwreck during one of our hikes a few days ago! Ginger Island is really proving to be the perfect place for adventure.

As you can see from the photo I sent you with my letter, Leo found another one of those rare, old fossils he’s so fond of. He was so excited he begged Marshall to take a quick snaphot to mail back to Pelican Town for all his friends to see (enclosed here!). I know you’re not a huge fan of sand, but if you happen to find any more of these strange, little shells buried out there at the beach, make sure to save one for Leo, will you? It would make such a wonderful birthday surprise for him when we return home in a couple weeks. Until then, take care, my friend. We’ll see you again soon!

- Alice B.

“You know, I remember my aunt telling me about this once,” Shane spoke up after reading along silently over her shoulder. “Yeah! I recognize this picture. A long time ago, around the time the community center closed down, this kid Leo from town disappeared along with his parents while they were on vacation out at sea. Apparently, it was a huge deal around here, even making the news all the way over in the city. Marnie showed me part of the Zuzu Gazette article in one of her scrapbooks that used this exact picture. I remember she even cried a bit - I think she was friends with his mom or something. How the hell is this picture pinned up here after all this time?”

“Wait, hold on. They never found any of them?”

“No, only their empty boat. I remember my aunt telling me that they went missing the day before they were supposed to come home. I think there was some sort of freak storm out at sea. ”

Lana could only shake her head, momentarily left speechless by the tragic story.

“And look at this.” Shane’s hand darted out suddenly to point at the photo. “Look - look at the shell he’s holding! It's just like the one you found.”

Without a word, Lana reached into her pocket and pulled out her shell, holding it up next to the picture. Just as Shane said, it matched exactly to the one in Leo’s small hand, down to the intricate spiral. Lana felt her eyes quickly fill with tears and cleared her throat, surprised at the overwhelming surge of emotion for a young boy she had never even heard of before.

“Here you go, Leo,” she said quietly. “A little too late maybe, but I found another one for your collection. Happy birthday, kid.”

For a few seconds, everything remained still and silent. Then, without warning, the nautilus shell in her hand began glowing bright gold as the familiar sound of child-like chattering filled the air. With shared glances, Lana and Shane pinned the photo and postcard back up before following the noises back out of the hallway. They came to a halt next to the repaired aquarium as, one by one, Jumunos started to materialize out of thin air throughout the room. The little creatures jumped up and down around them in a frenzy, babbling away in their melodic language. Lana chuckled at Shane, eliciting an amused smirk from him. Amidst the commotion, a green Junimo that was larger than all the others marched up to Lana with its stick-like arms outraised. Knowing well by now what she had to do, she bent down to hand it the glowing shell. With a happy squeak, the Junimo accepted her offering while the others cheered along wildly.

The shell’s golden gleam intensified and quickly began spreading to the rest of the room. Shane made to step in front of Lana as though to shield her, but the light only passed through them harmlessly. They turned around in tandem as the fireplace roared to life behind them, filling them with newfound warmth. Before either of them could say anything, the glow from the shell intensified so sharply that they had to close their eyes against the brightness.

Shane’s voice rang out from beside her. “Lana, what the hell is going on?”

“I don’t know.” She moved up her hands to try to block out the blinding glare. “The light - it’s coming from the shell.”

A couple of seconds passed, but there was no reply.

“Shane? Can you hear me?”

Another few seconds ticked by. The silence persisted. From behind her closed eyelids, she sensed the harsh light sharply decrease in intensity.

“...Shane?”

Lana tentatively lowered her arms and opened her eyes. With a gasp, she realized that, somehow, she was back among the floating trees on the green cloud just like that day in Rasmodius’ tower all those months ago when she first received the power of the Junimo’s magic. From her studies, she now knew this place to be part of the spirit world. Looking around, she quickly realized that Shane was nowhere to be found. Still, she felt calm. This was obviously a place where he could not follow her.

Lana began making her way toward the nearest tree a few yards away. Like all the others around her, it levitated silently in the air, slowly gliding around with long roots hanging down in curling tendrils. Up above in its leafy canopy, she could see a waving, pink Junimo sitting on a branch. Despite her confusion, Lana felt herself smile as more began to appear in the trees around her, recognizing the little creatures as her friends from the community center. The tree in front of her lowered itself a bit and extended a root toward her that she accepted with a gentle tap of her index finger. Immediately, the sense of calm she was feeling intensified, settling over her with a steady, assured weight. She looked up into the branches, enlightened.

“Hello, everyone.”

The Junimos cheered joyfully in reply.

“So, all those things you made me go out and find for you… they weren’t really just gifts for you, were they? They were items people in town once asked for. That’s what Shane and I will find on the rest of those old papers on that bulletin board. Community requests that never were fulfilled before everything closed down. You all just wanted to honor their wishes.”

A joyous chorus of melodic babbling arose from the Junimos in the canopies. Shimmering leaves began to rain down from the branches as they danced, drifting down around her like jeweled confetti. The tree floating above her extended its root again in her direction, this time wrapping it gently around her outstretched index finger. Lana smiled softly.

“Thank you, my friends, “ she whispered.

A chorus arose from the trees.

“Farewell, farmer Lana.”

Another golden light flooded her vision, but this time it quickly faded. Opening her eyes again, she found herself back inside the community center. To her immense relief, Shane was back next to her, gaping around the room with a look of thunderstruck awe slapped across his face.

“Holy sh*t. It’s all fixed!”

It was as though they had stepped back in time. The once-battered walls and decaying floors of the community center’s main room were now completely repaired. All the windows were wiped clean of any dust and dirt, letting in moonlight that bathed the room in clear, silvery light. Lana and Shane walked around in wonder, taking it all in. The ornate furniture, once hidden under ghostly sheets, now back in view and gleaming as though recently polished. Cozy-looking armchairs and sofas filled the room, along with a large ping pong table and several bookcases that lined the walls, holding an array of books, board games and puzzles. The wooden floor gleamed in the moonlight, streaming into the building through windows that now framed a surprisingly clear view of the surrounding mountains. Lana met Shane back in front of the fireplace, where together they stared silently into the dancing flames.

“They really did fix this thing,” Shane spoke up after a moment. He pulled his hands out of the pockets of his jacket and held them out to the fire. Chuckling, Lana followed suit.

“They fixed everything, ” she replied. “I guess that nautilus shell really was the last of it. I’m officially done helping them repair this place.”

“So, did they go back to the forest already? Looks like their little hut is gone now.”

Lana turned to look, feeling her heart sinking despite already having prepared herself for this possibility. The wizard liked to remind her of the fact that all the monsters had finally departed from the forest except for a few jellies that apparently found a better home in the Secret Woods, luckily too far off the beaten path to be a danger to any wandering townsfolk. Looking around the room again, she took in the silence and realized she could no longer feel their frenetic energy scattered around like before. It appeared their goodbye in the spirit world to her also transcended to this realm.

“I guess it was time for them to go home,” she replied, doing her best to fake a nonchalant shrug. “It’s for the best. This place will be full of people soon anyway. I’m sure I’ll see them again one day.”

Shane put a hand on her shoulder. “You did good, Lana. Everyone in town is gonna lose their minds when they see this place. Uh, in a good way, I mean.”

She sighed. “I really hope so.”

He gave her shoulder a soft squeeze before dropping his hand. Still, he stayed close enough that she still could feel his warmth against her. They gazed into the crackling fire together, quiet again for a few moments.

Shane broke the silence once more. “So… if you’re planning on staying anonymous, how’s the town supposed to know this place is finally back to its former glory?”

“Lewis’ll wander over here soon enough. I’m sure we’ll all get a letter in the mailbox once he does.” She smirked at him. “Or a personal visit, in Marnie’s case.”

Shane scowled. “Ugh, that reminds me. You won’t believe what I found in my aunt’s room last week while I was looking for one of Jas’ stuffed animals.”

“Was it a pair of purple boxer shorts?”

“What the - how did you know that?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I knew you could read minds, you liar.”

“Oh, relax. The mayor sent me this weird letter a few days ago asking me to help look for them. Supposedly they’re his lucky charm or something.”

“Why the hell would he ask you for help with something like that?”

“No idea.” Lana couldn’t hold back a snicker. “But I believe the word ‘discreetly ’ was used.”

Shane shook his head with a grimace. “Well, they’re still under Marnie’s bed, right where I found them. Ain’t no way in hell I’m touching Mayor Lewis’ dirty boxers, lucky or otherwise.”

“For the reward money he offered, I’ll gladly make the sacrifice,” Lana placed a finger on her lips while she thought. “I’ll find a way to sneak them out next time I come over for some animal feed.”

“I’ll distract Marnie for you, if you want. Make it a little easier for you.”

“Aw, thanks, Zuzu. That’s awfully sweet of you.”

“Anything to make sure I never see Lewis’ underwear again.” He shuddered, closing his eyes for a moment. “I think those purple polka dots have been haunting my dreams. Or nightmares, at this point.”

Lana threw her head back with a laugh. Eventually, Shane gave in, joining her with a hearty chuckle of his own. The sound of their laughter eventually faded, replaced instead by the merry crackle of the fireplace. As she looked into the flames, she felt her memory beginning to turn back to the confusing events of the last few days. As happy as she was to complete the community center, saying goodbye to the Junimos was only another bit of weight added to the already heavy feeling in her chest.

“Lana?” Shane’s voice pulled her out of her contemplation.

“Yes?”

“I know we’re done here, but do you think we can stay for a little while longer? I - I don’t think I’m ready to go home just yet.”

She turned to look at him, but his gaze was locked straight ahead. At that moment, her own worries dissipated like vapor. The pain held in his eyes was starkly evident to her, amplified by the glow of the fire reflected in his dark irises. If there was one thing she could be certain of at the moment, it was that she’d stay with him all night long if it meant helping him get through what he was feeling.

This time, it was her turn to place a hand on his shoulder. “Of course we can, Shane.”

****

One Week Later

To say that the air in Pelican Town was buzzing with excitement would be a hefty understatement. It positively vibrated with the chatter and bustle of its handful of residents as they made their way over to the revived community center. Lana was among them, conversing away with Abigail as they walked together through the field outside town with the others. It had taken only two days after her last night with the Junimos for the rumors in town to start bubbling, and then only one day after that for the letter from Mayor Lewis to arrive in her mailbox.

Dear Lana,

It is with the greatest pleasure that I write to you today to invite you to the grand re-opening ceremony for our Pelican Town Community Center! I hope you can make it this upcoming Sunday at 12pm for an afternoon of celebration with the rest of the town. You really won’t believe how amazing the old place looks… whoever commissioned its repair really took care to bring it back to its former glory. It truly brought a tear to this old man’s eye to see it!

One more thing - everyone around town has been talking about your great generosity lately! Apparently, packages have been appearing in people's houses containing items they posted about years ago on the community center bulletin. And the packages are all addressed from your farm! Now, isn’t that a wonderful coincidence? Thanks for going out of your way to do something like that... All of us in town are delighted!

Hoping to see you this Sunday,

Mayor Lewis

It had filled her with a slightly embarrassed delight to learn that the Junimos delivered the items from the old community center bulletin to the townspeople in her name, even if it effectively destroyed any chance of her staying anonymous. Several times in the days leading up the ceremony, she’d run into grateful members of the community that had received something in the mail with their name on it. Evelyn and George Mulner had been the first to approach her the afternoon after she received the letter from Mayor Lewis. The old man wheeled himself right up to her in Pierre’s store, smack dab in the middle of the oatmeal and cereal aisle.

“I want to personally thank you, Ms. Abernathy,” he declared, shaking her hand fervently. “I truly forgot about those morels I requested on the community center bulletin board all those years ago, but when Evelyn opened the door a couple of days ago and found our old note with some beautifully mushrooms wrapped on the porch, well…”

He had cleared his throat, seemingly at a loss for words, and for the first time ever Lana saw a wide, genuine smile break out across his wrinkled features.

“Fried mushrooms are his favorite thing in the world to eat,” Evelyn piped up next to him. She placed a loving hand on his shoulder. “But those morels he likes are always so darn tricky to find. The community center was a great source of support for us, even back then. It really brought the entire town together. That bulletin board outside of this shop just isn’t the same after all these years. We truly appreciate it, dear.”

“We really do. Thank you again, Ms. Abernathy.” George barrelled on before Lana could begin to form a reply. “You know, my grand-pap was a farmer. It's a respectable profession. If I wasn't so darned old I'd come to your farm and show you a thing or two...”

The memory of their encounter popped up in her mind now as she ambled along with Abigail through the snow-covered field on their way to the community center. From the corner of her eye, Lana could see Pam shooting her a friendly wave while she walked with her daughter Penny. The night before, she had run into her while stopping for dinner at the saloon, where the blonde woman hugged her in gratitude for the parsnips left on the welcome mat of her trailer home. It had all been a bit overwhelming for Lana, who hurried home to eat her takeaway spaghetti in the solitude of her cabin.

“Look at you, Ms. Popular,” Abigail teased. Her bright purple hair was loose today, curling out from under her turquoise beanie.

“Not even,” Lana protested. She fiddled with her own hair as she walked, held back in place with her newfound hair clip. “It’s really not a big deal.”

“Yeah, right! You’re the talk of the town.” Abigail threw her a sideways glance, suspicion glittering in her eyes. “So, is it really true? Are you the one who fixed up the community center? You gotta tell me!”

Lana sighed, figuring there was no reason to lie to her now. Besides, Abigail had proven to be a loyal confidante, keeping good on her promises to Lana in the past that she’d keep her mouth shut on the weird sh*t they sometimes found deep in the mine during their spelunking. She had been reaching out to Lana a bit more often ever since Sebastian moved to the city and Sam had to find a new job out of town after JojaMart laid him off, no doubt missing her two closest pals. A couple weeks ago, Lana had even been able to get her to admit that she and Sam were indeed dating, taking things slow and keeping it a secret to not alert the town gossip mill. It seemed only fair that she divulged her own secret now.

“Alright, fine,” Lana conceded. “It was me. I’m the one who fixed the community center.”

“I knew it! That’s f*cking amazing. How the hell did you do it? It must have taken a ridiculous amount of work.”

“I’ve been working on it practically since I moved here. It’s been a long-term project of mine, I guess.”

Abigail gave a low whistle. “Wowza. I can't believe you fixed up that old, rickety place all by yourself. I'm really impressed.”

“Well technically, it wasn’t just me. Let’s just say I had some… extra help.” She saw Abigail’s eyebrow arch up in curiosity and continued. “Uh, you know - for the heavy lifting, and stuff.”

“Interesting.” Abigail blew a pink bubble with the large wad of gum she was currently chewing on. “Hey, as long as it wasn’t JojaCorp butting in like my dad thought. He already hates them well enough.”

Lana raised her eyebrows. “Wait, your dad seriously thought JojaCorp was behind it?”

“Well, the mayor used to always mention to him they wanted to buy the place, so he thought maybe it had something to do with that. That’s what he told me and my mom, at least.”

With a small wince, Lana vaguely remembered something similar Shane had mentioned on the night of the blizzard during their disastrous meeting in his room. The fuzzy memory of the encounter (sordid details and all) had replayed often in her head in the past few days. So, it was true that some of the townspeople suspected JojaCorp to be behind the repair of the community center. Before she could reply, Abigail continued.

“But I told my dad that wouldn’t make any sense. Why would they invest money and time to fix up that old place before Lewis caved and sold it to them? And doing it anonymously, at that? That ain’t JojaCorp’s style.”

Lana nodded, appreciating her sharp mind. “You got that right. JojaCorp would never do anything like that. Not without something in it for them.”

“They’re really a bunch of asshats” Abigail popped another bubble. “Ever since they fired Sam out of the blue, I decided my dad was right about them. They really can go straight to hell.”

“Amen to that,” she agreed with a chuckle.

“Hey! So when are you gonna join me for some more spelunking? I’ve been in the mood to add some new gemstones to my collection.”

“Let’s go sometime this upcoming week if the weather stays nice?”

“Absolutely. Well, as long as I finish studying for my final exam. I'm taking it Wednesday night.”

“Works for me.” Lana watched as an exhale of her breath swirled about in the frosty air. “How’s school going, by the way?”

“This advanced music theory class has been frying my brain lately,” Abigail replied with a sigh. “I can’t wait for this semester to be over.”

She nodded in solidarity, remembering her own days in college. “Well, at least it’s almost done.”

“That’s true. Thanks again for walking with me, by the way. I wasn’t in the mood to listen to my dad’s nagging on such a beautiful day.”

“No problem,” Lana replied with a small smile. “Anytime.”

Abigail had returned to school sometime over the last few months, enrolling in online classes from Zuzu City College in pursuit of a degree in music. One snowy afternoon a couple weeks ago, she invited Lana over to her room to play a video game called Journey of the Prairie King, revealing to her that her decision hadn’t gone over so well with Pierre, who made no secret of his desire for his only daughter to take over his general store when he decided to retire. Abigail had scoffed at this idea as she deftly moved around the joystick on her controller, clearly not interested one bit in inheriting the family business. Lana respected her frank refusal to conform, relating perhaps a bit too heavily with the idea of rebelling against parental wishes.

Ahead, she could see the growing crowd of people gathered in front of the community center, grand and elegant against the snowy hills now that its exterior had been fully repaired. They were finally close enough for her to see the seconds ticking by on the wide face of the clock. The sight of it in motion swept a small wave of goosebumps over her skin. It was as though the community center had never succumbed to time and abandonment, all the decay and disrepair completely reversed and forgotten after her last night there.

A large cheer erupted from the group just as Lana and Abigail approached the cleared grounds in front of the building where everyone was gathered. She could make out an archway of colorful balloons just outside of the ornate double doors that led inside. Mayor Lewis stood at the head of the crowd behind a red ceremonial ribbon with a microphone in hand. Abigail nudged her and motioned for Lana to follow through the chattering congregation so they could find a better view.

“I think we just made it in time,” she called back over her shoulder.

Lana nodded in agreement, but before she could get a word out, the clock on the community center struck twelve, announcing the time with the melodious set of bells that had suddenly appeared the day after the Junimos finished repairing the building. When they finished ringing, the mayor’s loud voice boomed over the crowd. Immediately, everyone quieted down, rapt with attention.

“And with that…welcome, welcome, good people of Pelican Town! I’m so pleased to see everyone gathered here, ready to celebrate the grand re-opening of our beloved community center.”

Mayor Lewis continued speaking into the mic as they settled in a spot closer to the front of the group. She briefly met eyes with Harvey, who stood across the crowd next to Elliot and Leah. He gave her a tiny wave that she returned, still feeling guilty about their last phone call. Things had gone a bit awkwardly as Harvey remained undeterred at Lana's reiteration of her desire to remain platonic, reminding her that he was content with being her friend until the time was ready. Annoyingly, he had stayed unflinchingly kind throughout her protestations, making it all the more difficult to rebuff him completely. With a frustrated sigh, she moved closer to Abigail to block him from her view and somewhat stifle her guilt. To Lana’s surprise, she could also see Marnie standing off to Lewis’ side with a beaming smile and a large pair of scissors. Her mind immediately went to Shane, who she assumed was somewhere in the crowd with Jas. A quick, inconspicuous glance around told her he wasn’t standing anywhere nearby.

She had been worried about him since their night with the Junimos, acutely aware of the effect grief was having on him despite his clear efforts to hide it. It had been like that for her when her father passed away, the anniversary date looming like a heavy, red gash on a calendar when it came around each year. It had scarred over some as the years passed, but still, the pain lingered to this day. They had spoken very little throughout the last week, Shane busy most days from picking up extra shifts at JojaMart in what Lana suspected was an attempt to stay distracted. Yesterday, he had been especially quiet on the drive to and from his therapy session in Zuzu City, even falling asleep for a long nap halfway through the ride back home. She could see his face in profile clearly now in her mind, lightly snoring, eyes closed above dark circles. His hair, longer and scruffier than usual, had fallen partly over his brow, furrowed even in slumber. When she had been absolutely sure that he was asleep, Lana had reached out a hand to brush some of it away, wondering what he could be dreaming about.

Her musings were cut short by the voice of Mayor Lewis, who appeared to be wrapping things up. Lana shook her head, annoyed at herself for missing his speech. She tried to focus on his last words, stepping up on her tiptoes to see over the heads of the people in front of her.

“And with all that said, I think it’s finally time for me to cut the ribbon so this wonderful place will officially be open for everyone in town to enjoy. Marnie, will you please - ah, yes, thank you.”

She had beat him to it, holding out the large scissors for him before he even spoke her name. Lana couldn’t help but notice the tender moment the pair exchanged as Lewis took the scissors, beaming with joy at Marnie in front of the crowd. After a couple seconds, the mayor cleared his throat, turning back to the ribbon stretched out in front of him. He paused for a moment, gazing out at the townspeople. When his eyes met Lana’s, Mayor Lewis nodded once in gratitude, clearly overwhelmed with emotion as he raised the pair of scissors and spoke again.

“As your mayor, I’m extremely proud to welcome all of you to the new Pelican Town Community Center, back and better than ever!”

With a single snip, he cut the ribbon, and the crowd once again erupted in a loud cheer as the crimson-colored strands fluttered to the ground.

“Alright, that’s it!” The mayor was almost jumping up and down from excitement. “Come on in, everybody!”

With the grand re-opening ceremony complete, Marnie hurried back to open the front doors so the people of Pelican Town could begin filing into the community center. Quickly, the renovated rooms were filled with life, stark in contrast to the lonely, dark halls that once used to be. Lana was eventually separated from Abigail among all the activity, finding herself after an hour or so back in by the aquarium in the main room. With a content sigh, she leaned back against the wall and watched everyone, taking in the heaps of happy conversation and laughter around her. A small sense of pride flickered now and then like a candle's flame in her chest, filling her with a strange kind of warmth that she had never experienced before. Her old life in Zuzu City, once saturated with bland feelings of emptiness and inconsequence, seemed so far away from her now. Lana sighed, struck momentarily by the sense of upheaval, turning back to the large fish tank instead to lean in and peer at a small tiger trout swimming around inside.

“It’s so crazy how much things can change, huh, little guy? One day you were splashing around in the river, minding your own business, and now you’re here, stuck inside these four walls with nowhere to go.” She brought a finger up and smiled as the trout swam closer to her face as she spoke to it, tapping the glass with its mouth in reply. “I used to feel a lot like you. Swimming and swimming, but always stuck in the same place. Maybe I’ll bust you and your friends out of here when no one’s looking. Get you back out into the wild where you can be free. It's the least I can do for putting you in here.”

A familiar voice interrupted her.

“Of course I'd find you here, chatting away with the fish. I knew it would only be a matter of time before you could talk to animals.”

With a chuckle, Lana glanced over her shoulder to see Shane standing a few feet from her.

“Although, now that I’m thinking about it,” he continued, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets. “That’d probably be kinda useful, what with you being a farmer or whatever.”

“I wish. That’s not until the second stage of my apprenticeship, I’m afraid.” She gave the fish a gentle tap on the glass goodbye before turning around to face Shane. “Trust me, I asked Rasmodius about it on the first day of magic lessons.”

“You know, I was just kidding, but at this point anything is possible.” Shane shrugged and glanced around. “I mean - look at this place. Talking to animals really ain’t that far fetched, I guess.”

“A valid point,” she replied with a grin. “So, where’s Jas? Is she with your aunt?”

“Oh, she’s running around here with Vincent somewhere. I managed to escape them a little while ago after they dragged me into the crafts room for some more face painting.”

She laughed, noticing the small sun painted in yellow on his forehead that he hurriedly tried to conceal with his hair. “I like it. I’m sure they’ll come looking for you soon enough.”

“Man, I really hope not. I really need some rest.”

“Busy week, huh?”

“Yeah, super busy.” He stifled a yawn. “But I can’t complain. I asked for the extra shifts.”

“This upcoming week you’ll work normal hours though, right? You really shouldn’t overwork yourself, Shane.”

“Eh, I’ll be alright. But we’ll see. My manager was out today, so I wasn’t able to ask about the extra time either way.”

They were interrupted by a loud cheer from the other side of the room, where several townspeople were gathered around a ping pong table. One of them, Gunther, tipped his cowboy hat in greeting when he noticed them watching. He was in the middle of a ping pong match with the blacksmith Clint, who stood across the table with a paddle held firmly in his large palm like one of his many hammers.

“Seems like everyone in town showed up today,” Lana remarked, waving back in reply. “Even Gunther managed to leave his post at the museum.”

“Did you ever get a chance to talk to him about your dad?”

“I did, actually. But all he could tell me was that my dad helped build up part of the collection in the museum with some of the random artifacts his team dug up around town over the years. He didn’t really know much about his research beyond that.”

“Great. So, basically he was no help at all.”

“Basically.” She sighed, remembering the brief conversation well. “He did say he was going to look through some of his old files to see if he could find anything, though. I promised him I’d stop by another day to drop off some of the weird crap I’ve found around the valley, see if there’s anything he can add to his collection. Maybe he’ll have news for me then.”

“Hopefully. That way you can finally get some answers.”

Before Lana could stop herself, she blurted out, “I don’t know why, but somehow I feel like it’s all connected.”

“What is?”

“This mystery with my dad, the threat of the Void returning.” She shook her head. “I don’t know. Something inside me is telling me that I need to find out more about what happened in the past to better understand what’s going on now.”

Shane said nothing for a moment, silent as he watched the ping pong players across the room hit the ball back and forth. Lana joined him, grateful for the lull so she could continue her contemplations. When he spoke again, his voice was almost drowned out by another exclamation from the group of people around the table.

“Crazy as that might sound, if that’s what your inner voice is saying, you should probably listen to it.” He met her eyes and smirked. “Usually I tell it to shut the f*ck up, but something tells me the voice in your head is a bit more trustworthy than mine.”

She laughed. “You’d be surprised. I’ve made some pretty questionable decisions over the years.”

“Haven’t we all?” Shane turned back to watch the ping pong match with another yawn, this time stretching his arms up over his head.

“So, uh, how have you been feeling?” Lana shot him a worried glance. “You know… with everything going on and stuff?”

He caught the meaning behind her terribly vague question, answering with a small shrug. “I’ve been alright. Staying away from the drink, which is the most important thing, I guess. And focusing on Jas like Derek and Sasha would have wanted.”

“They probably would want you to focus a bit on yourself too, you know. Can’t be there for her if you’re not in the right headspace.”

“You sound just like Dr. Kenza.” Shane rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the advice, but I'm good. I didn’t think I’d be in for another therapy session today.”

His tone was suddenly short, surprising her a bit. “I’m just saying. I know how hard dealing with all this can be.”

“I’m fine, Lana. Keeping busy helps. Just gotta keep chugging forward, right?”

Before she could respond, Jas appeared in front of them, hugging Shane around the midsection with a happy giggle.

“Uncle Shane! Ms. Lana! Look what Vincent and I made!”

She let go of him and pulled out a set of white paper snowflakes. Lana found herself tremendously endeared by the proud grin that graced Jas’ delicate features. Next to her, Shane visibly perked up, hugging his goddaughter back with fervor.

“Wow! These are great, Jazzy. You made these all by yourself? These are beautiful!”

“So beautiful,” Lana agreed, accepting the snowflake that Jas handed to her.

“Ms. Penny helped us. She says that the mayor is going to let us use the crafts room for our lessons sometimes. There’s way more books and markers and games here. It's much nicer than our classroom.”

Shane held up the snowflake Jas gave him, admiring it with a smile. “Well, isn’t that some awesome news?”

Lana watched him surreptitiously as Jas continued to talk animatedly to them about the crafts room. Exhausted as he seemed, Shane hung on to her every word, joking and laughing along with his goddaughter as she spoke. Seeing the pair of them so happy together quelled her own worries about him somewhat. She decided to let the matter go for now, once again taking in the scene around her with quiet contentment.

The community center was filled with a sense of vitality Lana didn’t think was possible. The townspeople’s joy radiated in the air, bright and palpable in a way that made her more emotional than she cared to admit. It struck her again that only a year ago she was living her old life in the city, trudging steadily along as the days melted together in a haze of activity and strangers that seemed to only exist in her peripheral vision. Now, as Lana stood with Shane and Jas amid the festivities around them, she couldn’t deny that Pelican’s Town's solid sense of community had swept her in its wake in a manner Zuzu City never quite could. It was clear to her that her time so far in Stardew Valley had already changed her tremendously. For a long moment, Lana let the feeling sink in.

BANG.

Her contemplations were broken by a loud noise. Automatically, her head whipped around in curiosity. The people in the room quieted down as everyone turned to look at the front doors which had just swung open forcefully.

Lana’s view was partially blocked by a crowd of people in front of her. They began whispering among themselves as she strained to look over them. She stood up on her tiptoes with a frustrated huff.

“Holy sh*t,” Shane muttered, loud enough to provoke a scolding from his goddaughter.

“What’s going on?" Lana asked him. "I can’t see anything from here.”

“It’s him.” Shane met her eyes, his own now wide with disbelief. “Lana, it’s-it's Morris.”

“I- what?”

The shock of the news was so sharp it cut off her train of thought completely. She could do nothing but look at Shane, who by now had turned back to the front doors with his jaw set in a tight frown. A sinking feeling appeared at the pit of her stomach.

“My, my… I’ve heard from my superiors that sales at the JojaMart in town were plummeting. I see now where all my customers have gone.”

A voice she had never heard before rang out among the group of gathered people. She had never met Morris while he was still in town, deliberately avoiding JojaMart simply out of personal aversion. As the people in front of her shuffled off to one side, she saw him in person for the first time since learning of his existence from Rasmodius. A short, plain-looking man with a crop of dark hair and small, round glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, Morris was identical to the photo from his employee file that Ryan had managed to sneak to her via text one day. She felt a chill run through her when their eyes briefly met as he scanned the crowd.

“Ah, so you’ve returned, Morris,” Mayor Lewis spoke up from across the room where he was standing with Marnie and a couple other townspeople. “We didn’t think we’d see you around here again after you left JojaMart so suddenly all those months ago.”

Morris carefully adjusted the red bow tie around his neck before replying. “Indeed. I had to take an extended leave of absence for personal reasons, but as of today I’ve been reinstated to my position of general manager at the store.”

Next to Lana, Shane took a sharp intake of breath. Mayor Lewis responded, not bothering to hide his disdain for the man in front of him.

“RIght, well, that’s good for you. We’re in the middle of our grand opening festivities, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. But feel free to have a look around, lots to see and do here at the new Pelican Town Community Center!”

“How does it feel?”

A rumble of excited babble arose from the townspeople as Pierre stepped forward, standing in front of Morris with arms crossed over his thin chest.

“Yoba, now what?” Lana heard Shane mutter.

“Excuse me?” Morris asked, raising his eyebrows. “Do I know you?”

“You know exactly who I am. And you heard me. How does it feel to see your store empty while everyone is here, having fun in the building you and your bosses tried so hard to get their grubby little hands on?”

Lana felt her respect for Pierre grow exponentially. Their unexpected guest, however, looked unperturbed. The lens of Morris' glasses flashed in the light as he smiled politely at the crowd, obstructing his eyes from view.

“You mean all this? This means nothing. Now that I’m back as manager, my only goal is to bring the JojaMart in town back to its glory. In fact, I think I’ll run a 75% off sale tomorrow for my own re-opening ceremony of sorts.”

Pierre’s eyes darted around anxiously as some of the people began chattering amongst themselves in interest. For once, Lana felt sorry for Pierre, who she knew was particularly impacted by JojaMart’s presence in town. He sputtered out a reply, his face turning red.

“You - you can’t do that! I won't let you!”

“Now, now, Pierre,” Mayor Lewis called out nervously. “Let’s be reasonable here. If Morris is back at JojaMart, he has a right to manage his store as he sees fit.”

“Yeah, right!” Abigail called out from across the room where she stood with her mother. “Settle this the old fashioned way, dad!”

Caroline shushed her daughter, casting a mortified glance over at Pierre. He looked back at his family for a few seconds before squaring his shoulders up to face Morris.

“Maybe my daughter’s right,” he declared, raising his fists in a shaky boxing stance. “Maybe we can just settle this here once and for all.”

The onlookers gasped and whispered among themselves, some now watching from the hallways that led into the wings of the community center. From their spot at the back of the room, Lana and Shane exchanged another worried glance. Jas clung to her godfathers leg and hid behind him.

“How very primitive.” Morris shook his head dismissively and turned back to Mayor Lewis. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be heading back to my store now that I’ve seen where all my customers have gone. Lots to do on my first day back.”

He looked around one final time at the gathered townspeople. To her surprise, he barely seemed to recognize Shane, glossing over him and meeting Lana’s eyes again for only a split second before moving on. An alarming thought instantly materialized in her head.

Does he know who I am?

If he did, Morris gave no indication, turning around after a final, stiff nod to Mayor Lewis to exit through the same doors he barged in through only moments before. The whole scene seemed bizarre and unreal to Lana, who could do nothing but fall back against the nearby wall with wobbly knees.

“What the f*ck was that?” Shane asked aloud, earning him another scolding from Jas.

With an irritated huff, he shooed her away to find Vincent. Now that Morris had left, the people in the community center who had stopped what they were doing to watch the commotion returned to their activities. To her dismay, Lana heard some of them eagerly discussing the sale he mentioned.

“I told you something was up,” she remarked to Shane darkly. “And now, Morris is back in town, acting like nothing happened when we know that's not true. Something isn't right here.”

“I agree with you on that. But what are we going to do? Should you tell the wizard about it?”

“Oh, don't worry, I’m going to tell Rasmodius how right I was about all this eventually, but it won’t matter. He won’t do anything productive about it, just like always. I think it’s time I take matters into my own hands."

“What does that mean? Are you just going to march into JojaMart and accuse Morris of being tangled up with evil magic? I'm not sure that'll go over too well.”

She rolled her eyes. “Obviously not. I feel like I need to keep a low profile for the time being, at least until I can find more info about the Void. And I think that learning more about my dad will lead to that.”

“Lana.” Shane furrowed his brows. “Are you sure that you’re not just - I don’t know how to say this - not just trying to find a connection between the two that doesn’t exist just because it’s your dad we're talking about?”

“I know his main area of research was in the Calico Desert, but he did some work in town from what Gunther told me. Maybe there was something in the mine he and his team were studying. What if they found something to do with the Void?”

“Maybe,” Shane conceded. “But how are you going to find that out? Didn’t he give all his research up when he moved to the city?”

“He gave it up and resigned, but he didn’t destroy his notes. I know my mom kept all of them in a box in her closet full of other things he left behind when he died. And if anybody knows anything about what he found out back then, it would be her. He told her everything.”

“So, that means you have to go back to Zuzu City to find some answers.” This time it was a statement, not a question.

Unconsciously, Lana brought up a hand to fiddle with the hair clip holding back her hair, trailing a finger along the petals of the iris. Her next move was clear, even if the overall path ahead remained out of view. With a resolute nod, she answered Shane.

“Yes. I think it’s time I finally take my mom up on that family dinner she’s been wanting so badly.”

Chapter 24: The Things We Bury

Chapter Text

FRIDAY NIGHT - EAST ZUZU CITY

The heavy slam of a car door broke sharply through the lull of the evening.

Lana smiled at her sister as she slid into the passenger seat bundled up in what appeared to be several layers of coats and scarves. She had been waiting on Ella for the last ten minutes, parked perpendicularly in front of the tall block of apartments where she lived with a couple of roommates. Outside, a lamp post on the adjacent sidewalk cast a lone spotlight over her truck as they greeted each other.

“You made it!” Ella reached across the seat to give her a hug. “I got a little worried when I saw the snow started up again. Are you sure it’s safe to drive like this?”

“It’s fine. The snow looks like it’s about to stop soon anyway.” Lana poked her sister playfully in the arm. “Not that you seem unprepared for the weather. I’m digging the mummy vibe you got going on.”

She rolled her eyes. “Excuse me for freezing my butt off. The snow’s been surprisingly heavy over here the last couple weeks. It finally started to let up a few days ago, around the time you reached out, actually.”

“Well, you can relax, sis. I’m used to driving in this kind of weather. Mom’s place isn’t too far from here, right?”

“About fifteen minutes or so. I usually take the subway, the station’s just a couple blocks away.” Ella gave a nervous giggle and reached up to fix her hair, dyed a strawberry blonde this time around. “Yoba, I can’t believe we’re really having a family dinner. When’s the last time we’ve all been together like this?”

Lana said nothing as she started her truck, letting the roar of the engine fill the silence before answering.

“A very long time.”

Elle fiddled with the heater as they headed down the street. “So… you gonna tell me why you finally decided to take Mom up on her invitation? I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first read your text.”

“I just wanted some time with my family again, that’s all.” Lana kept her eyes on the busy road, not fully trusting her ability to slip things past her sister. “I haven’t seen Mom and Earl since before I moved out to the valley, and I’ve finally got more free time now that things have settled at the farm. It’s high time we all catch up with each other.”

“Everyone’s been so busy with their lives, huh? I barely even get a chance to visit Mom and Earl, usually just every couple weeks or so when I’m not working overtime on the weekends.” Ella sighed wistfully. “I haven’t even been able to think about making a trip down to the valley to visit you with everything going on at work.”

“How’s that been going? They finally promoted you to editor last month, right?”

“Junior editor. It’s been a crazy ride so far.” Her sister smiled, eyes bright. “But I love it. Gives me more chances to work with the higher ups on what gets published each week. I’ve been getting pretty positive feedback on my ideas, if I do say so myself.”

“Look at you, Ella.” Lana grinned proudly. “Moving on up. Pretty soon you’ll be running the place.”

“That’s what Mom said when I told her. She was over the moon when I called her with the news. She and Earl even took me out to dinner to celebrate afterwards.”

At this, Lana gave a short chuckle, still looking ahead at the road. “Hah, yeah. I bet Mom was very proud of you.”

“She’s proud of you too, you know,” Ella replied. “Not that you ever give her the chance to tell you.”

“Hey, I answer her texts. Eventually. The handful she’s sent over the last few months, anyway. Not once has she asked me about how things are at the farm, by the way.”

“Okay, but I’m guessing you’re also not the one initiating things. Mom says she never hears from you. Have you ever even tried to invite her and Earl to your farm?”

“Something tells me Mom wouldn’t be too keen on that idea. Don’t you remember how much she avoided the place when we were little?”

Ella nodded begrudgingly in agreement. “I do remember that. Dad would always beg her to come with us, but she never would. I always wondered why.”

“You know, she didn’t believe me when I first told her I was moving out there to take over Grandpa’s farm. She thought it was some sort of funny joke until I let her know I had quit my job at JojaCorp. That part sure didn’t sit well with her.”

Lana remembered the conversion in great detail even now that almost a year had gone by, the news delivered over the phone a few nights before her big move when she finally mustered up the courage to press CALL. There had been little small talk (as usual) before Lana let her mother know that she had discovered Grandpa’s letter and would be honoring his last wishes by moving to Stardew Valley to begin anew as a farmer. Iris in turn had slipped from indifferent to incredulous before settling on an all too familiar indignation when all the cards were finally laid out. At the end of their brief conversation, when Lana’s temper began to boil over from the unwarranted lecture, her mother had acquiesced with a soft sigh, offering an olive branch in the form of a rare mention of her father, admitting that he would no doubt be on board with this crazy idea of hers if he had gotten the chance to hear it. That had been the first (and only) time they had spoken about the topic, and since then any conversations with her mother had been kept surface-level and strictly limited to texting.

“She was just worried about you, Lana.” Ella’s voice was soft, almost drowned out by the music on the radio station playing in the background. “We all were, honestly. It was a huge, sudden change, after all. The whole thing was so out of character for you.”

Surprised, Lana stepped on the brakes as they approached an intersection, finally looking her sister in the eye. Outside, the traffic light glowed steadfastly red against the dark sky.

“I mean, I guess you’re right about it being out of character. But I didn’t know everyone back here was so worried about me. Especially you.”

“I’m your sister. Of course I was worried. I mean, not as much as Mom was, but that’s just Mom for you. Always fretting over things in her own way, no matter how much she tries to hide it from everyone.”

Lana sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Great. So, everyone back home just thought I had gone crazy or something?”

Ella shook her head adamantly. “No, no, not me. I just thought that maybe Grandpa’s death had hit you a lot harder than you let on, or that other stuff was going on in your life that made you want to run away from the city. Or maybe from us.”

Lana’s heart twisted with her sister’s words. While it was undeniably true that her family had been put on the back burner while she was out making a new life in the countryside, she never once imagined that they could think she fled the city because of them. A cold wash of guilt flooded her at the very idea. She looked back down at the steering wheel as she spoke, trying to find the right words to say.

“I… I don’t know if I was running away from Zuzu City. It turns out I don’t know a lot of things about myself, if I’m being completely honest. But what I do know for sure is that I wasn’t running away from you and Mom. Or even boring ol' Earl.” They shared a small, tension-breaking giggle before Lana continued. “I think…I think I was just running from my life, if that makes sense. Or what my life had become. What I had become. It had nothing to do with anyone else, just me. Crazy as the whole thing might be, it felt like this was just something I had to do.”

“I know, Lana,” Ella assured her. “The first time we spoke on the phone when you moved out there, I heard the resolve in your voice, and finally I understood. You had to leave in order to pursue your personal quest.”

Lana couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “Personal quest?”

Ella’s pale skin blanched a bit from embarrassment, but she continued on steadily.

“It’s from Solarion Chronicles. Each of the main characters has a personal quest that guides them throughout the story, like a special mission that only they can accomplish. If I’ve learned anything from those books, it’s that your personal quest is your own responsibility to discover, a journey entirely unique to you. That means when you do finally find it, you gotta go after it, no matter what.”

Ella’s words hung in the air between them. Lana felt herself absorb their meaning, astounded by the astuteness of her sister’s words. It was true, after all, that ever since moving to Stardew Valley, she had been struck with the feeling of being swept up in something much larger than herself, something that called out to her from the dirt and trees and mountains from the very moment she arrived. She was stuck with the sudden urge to finally open up to her sister about every crazy thing that had happened to her in the last year but just as quickly decided against it, at least for now. That would be a story for another time. Ahead, the traffic light finally turned green.

“Well, when you put it like that, I feel a lot better about my impulsive decision,” Lana responded, shaking her head in disbelief. “Damn. And here I thought you’d be the one needing my advice about life. Since when did you get so wise and mature, Ella?”

Her sister beamed in reply as they began to move forward again, and for the first time in a long while Lana was struck with how much she looked like their mother amidst the city lights.

****

The edges and cracks of the narrow sidewalk leading up to their childhood home were lined with a thin layer of snow that crunched with each step the sisters took. Lana had to park her truck a block away from the building, doing her best to deal with the nervous rumblings in her stomach as she and Ella made the short trek to their destination. She clutched the jeweled hair clip she had brought for moral support, hidden away in her coat pocket. In her other hand was a bottle of crystal fruit wine, one of her more popular varieties this season that she hoped would impress her mother as much as it had the citizens of Pelican Town. It was imperative, after all, to get on her good side and stay there if she had any chance of getting any information about her father’s research out of her.

As they approached, Lana glanced up at the familiar red-brick apartment building, hit by a strong pang of nostalgia she wasn’t expecting. Old in age but still decently maintained, the building hadn’t changed much as the years went by, blending into the historical neighborhood with neat rows of rectangular windows and a network of fire escapes that snaked down its facade. From where they were walking, Lana could even see the fire escape on the third floor of the building just outside her old bedroom window where she spent many solitary evenings people-watching and stargazing. It was also the place her father would sometimes find her late at night when she couldn’t fall asleep, sitting with her until her eyelids grew heavy amid the soothing tenor of his voice.

“Hey, looks like you two made it!”

Lana and Ella turned their heads in unison to see Earl making his way down the sidewalk from the other end of the block. A tall, somewhat paunchy man with wire-rimmed glasses and salt-and-pepper hair, their stepfather often could be found sweating for various reasons, even in the dead of winter. They watched as he approached them, wiping his brow with one hand and holding up a paper grocery bag with the other.

“Your mother sent me to the corner store for some last-minute ingredients she needed,” he explained in that slow, almost monotone voice of his. “Lucky for me, I caught Mr. DeLuna just as he was about to close up shop for the night. I was very pleased, or else I'd have to brave the streets and go to the market over there on Grant Street. You know which one, right? It's the one next to the laundromat. But driving isn’t quite my forte, as you girls probably remember, especially in this kind of weather. Not to mention the fact that their prices are almost double of Mr. DeLuna’s. We had to pay almost 350g for a small jar of mayonnaise over there last week because Mr. DeLuna’s place was out of stock. Your mother just about had a fit about it. Oh, but that’s enough of my jabbering. We should get inside before this snow decides to start up again.”

Lana and Ella hurried to follow him as he climbed up the steps to the entrance of the building. Despite his proclamation, he continued to jabber about mundane updates in the neighborhood while they made their way indoors and began climbing up the winding stairs in the center of the building. As they made their way to apartment 3B, Lana was once again hit with an undercurrent of nerves, doing her best to drown out the droning of Earl’s voice and focus calmly on the task ahead. Still, her heart couldn’t help but give a little stutter when they finally arrived, waiting as her stepfather fumbled to pull out a ring of keys from his pocket so he could unlock the front door. Just as he was about to place the correct key into the lock, the door opened, and for the first time in almost a year Lana stood before her mother, Iris.

Back when he was still alive, Oliver Abernathy would often call his wife “angel face”, both in the privacy of their home and out in public once he’d had enough to drink. It was well known in the neighborhood (and among Lana’s childhood friends, annoyingly) that her mother was something of an ethereal beauty, graced with poise and polished features that reflected her upper-middle-class upbringing. Her father would sometimes jokingly bring up her past life as a teenage pageant queen, teasing her while she could do nothing but protest and turn pale with embarrassment. There was rarely a time that Lana could remember when she wasn’t put together- hair styled, clothes matching, nails manicured. Even when times grew tough in the city after Oliver’s death, Iris would make due, often taking a DIY approach to her beauty routine that included learning how to cut her own hair and making homemade face masks using leftover ingredients from the market. It was no surprise to Lana, therefore, to now see her mother standing in the doorway with her shoulder length honey-blonde hair curled into neat waves, dressed in a cream colored sweater and white pair of trousers accessorized perfectly by a string of pearls around her neck Lana knew was a keepsake from her old days in Grampleton.

“I thought I heard Earl’s voice out here,” Iris breathed, clasping her hands together. “Hello, my darlings. It’s so, so wonderful to see you both again.”

“Hi Mom,” Lana replied as Ella stepped forward to give their mother a hug in greeting. She awkwardly held up the bottle of wine she brought, reminded of their meeting with Earl downstairs only moments before. “Brought some vino for us to enjoy. Still got those nice glasses I gave you for Feast of the Winter Star a few years ago?”

“Oh dear, I don’t really indulge in wine too much anymore. Lately, it gives giving me this nasty headache that goes on until the next morning and beyond. But I suppose I can have a tiny bit tonight, seeing as it’s a special occasion. Did you pick it up from the DeLuna’s down the block?”

Lana cleared her throat. “I made it, actually. On my farm, using wild crystal fruits.”

“You… made it?” Her mother’s brown eyes widened in surprise, taking in the bottle. “Huh. Well, isn’t that something?”

“That sounds great, Lana,” Earl piped up. “I can’t wait to try it once we settle down for dinner. Shall we, dear?”

Iris nodded at her husband and stepped aside to let them through. Lana glanced around as they made their way to the living room. The apartment seemed to have changed very little over the past year. From what she could remember, the last time she visited was a couple months or so before her big decision to move, stopping by on a snowy evening much like this one to show face during the busy holiday season with obligatory presents in hand. Even back then, she avoided returning to this place, showing up only on the rare occasions when she could summon up the nerve, usually with the help of some puffs of marijuana beforehand.

It wasn’t so much her mother that was the source of her aversion, even with all their little arguments and vast differences in personality, or even the constant presence of Earl, for that matter. Years ago, after Lana moved out for college in search of independence, her childhood home had once again taken on the cold, distant feeling that emerged in the aftermath of her father’s death, solidifying in her absence as the place that housed all the pain and loneliness she experienced growing up as a teenager lost in the turbulence of Zuzu City. As time went by, it grew to serve only as a reminder of the bad choices she made in her desperate scramble to outrun the darkness that always pursued her. No matter how much her mother tried to warm the place up with flowers and light, she still couldn’t help but feel a shiver whenever she walked through the front door.

“Lana, dear,” her mother spoke up as they made their way into the living room. “Your hair has gotten so dreadfully long since the last time we saw each other. Isn’t it time for a cut, maybe?”

She tugged on her hair, straightened rather haphazardly earlier today in her small bathroom in an attempt to smooth it down. “To be honest, I haven’t even noticed how long it’s gotten. I usually wear it in a braid these days. I kind of like it.”

“Still, a trim wouldn't hurt. You could add a few layers for some style, or maybe even bangs. They looked so great on you before.”

“You mean back when I was thirteen? I hated them. They would never lie flat like the other girls’ hair did. That’s why I grew them out in high school.”

“Oh, they weren’t so bad. You just didn’t want to put in the effort to style them in the mornings.”

Lana rolled her eyes, putting her purse and the bottle of wine on the nearby dining table so she could take off her coat.

“They are a pain, to be honest, Mom,” Ella spoke up, unwinding the first of the scarves from her neck. “And my hair is much straighter than Lana’s. What do you think of the new color, by the way?”

“It suits your complexion,” her mother replied. “Remember, I told you the platinum blonde washed you out, dear.”

“Yes, I remember,” Ella agreed, meeting Lana’s eye with a wink.

They hung up the coats and scarves, settling on the couch while Iris busied herself in the kitchen with dinner. Earl sat on the recliner next to them, a brown leather thing that Lana despised purely for the reason that it had taken the place of her father’s beloved armchair after Earl moved in. As they waited, she couldn’t help but feel an ache deep inside, picturing him sitting in it like he did in the past when he’d spend evenings preparing for the next day’s lesson at Zuzu City College. Sometimes, Lana would come downstairs late at night for a glass of water and find him asleep in his chair, still surrounded by an assortment of coffee mugs, books, and papers.

Lana sunk into the sofa, doing her best to tune out Earl as he prattled to them about the weather. She would have to find the optimal moment to bring up her father’s old research notes to her mom, who appeared to be putting the last finishing touches on dinner over in the kitchen. She pondered her plan in silence, well aware of how tight-lipped Iris could be when it came to Oliver.

“Need help with anything, Mom?” Ella beat her to the punch just as Lana was about to stand up with the same offer. She shrunk even lower into the sofa with a tiny scowl.

“Oh, no thank you, Ella,” her mom replied. “I’m finishing up the salad. Just a couple more minutes, and we can all sit down to eat.”

At the dinner table, Earl suggested they finally open the bottle of wine Lana had brought. Her mother pulled out the glasses Lana gifted her back when she knew her to be an avid wine enthusiast. It was one of the few traits she had inherited from Iris, along with her petite stature and steadfast ability to hold a grudge.

“Alright, alright - just a small glass,” Iris said as Lana poured the wine for everyone. She brought the glass up to her lips and took a tiny sip, taking care not to smear her lipstick. Her doe-like eyes widened again almost imperceptibly as she took another sip and cleared her throat. “My, this is quite good.”

“You can say that again,” Earl agreed, holding up his own glass. “You really made this, Lana? It’s much better than the bottles we get at the store.”

She felt her cheeks heat up. “Uh, yeah, I made it myself. I’m actually selling a lot of wine and jams this time of year, especially since I can’t really grow any crops.”

Her mother stayed silent as Ella and Earl continued to rave about her wine. Lana sipped from her glass as dinner went on, contributing to the conversation with a small nod or hum of affirmation here and there. The bottle of wine was quickly finished as they ate and another was brought forth by Earl from the cupboards, apparently hidden away for the right moment. As the meal went on, Lana had to admit that despite the rather dull topics he liked to drone on about, Earl was trying hard to keep the night going smoothly. As usual, Lana and her mother didn’t do much talking, often using Ella as a buffer between their conversation. She noticed just as she finished the last of her mashed potatoes that her mother was becoming quite tipsy from all the wine despite her earlier hesitation to drink.

“It’s just so wonderful, Ella,” Iris sighed, glass held delicately in hand. “Your new position as editor really sounds like it could bring you great things in the future. I’m so happy they finally opened their eyes to see what a talent you are.”

“Junior editor, Mom,” Ella reminded her. Her own glass of wine, still halfway full, had lasted her through dinner while she focused on the iced tea their mother made. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity to contribute more to the magazine. We’ve been trying to expand a bit into political topics, you know, more serious stuff? I can’t wait to get my hands in there. There’s so many important stories that need the exposure, especially when it comes to our militant policies with the Gotoro Empire.”

“Speaking of politics, your mother has actually been volunteering for the mayor’s re-election campaign,” Earl piped up from his end of the table. “Did you let them know yet, honey?”

“Ella knows. I just started a few weeks ago,” Iris replied. “It’s a good way to keep busy now that our book club has been put on pause. I’ve just realized that Mayor Eldin has been such a positive force in this city. Lottie was actually the one who first invited me to volunteer with her after one of his rallies in Midway Park.”

“Who’s Lottie?” Lana spoke up now for the first time in twenty minutes.

“Lana!” Her mother gave her a disapproving look. “You know my friend Lottie. She used to take care of you and Ella sometimes when you were kids. I can’t believe you don’t remember her.”

“She’s talking about Ms. Charlotte,” Ella offered helpfully. “You know, from down the street? The lady with all the pomeranians?”

“Hmm.” Lana took a sip of her wine. “Sounds kinda familiar, I guess.”

Her mother shook her head, drinking from her own glass. “Oh, Lana. I know you’ve been far removed from your old life in the city with your efforts over there on that farm, but you can’t tell me that you’ve forgotten about Lottie.”

“Chill, Mom. I didn’t forget. Her dogs destroyed my favorite pair of shoes when I was ten, if it’s the same woman Ella is talking about.”

“Oh, those little rascals.” Iris chuckled delicately. “She only has a couple now, a pair of puppies she bought from a breeder a few months ago.”

“How’s Winston, by the way?” Ella asked Lana. “Did you leave him at home tonight?”

“Winston’s great. He has his warm bed and plenty of food and water, so he’ll be alright for a few hours until I get back.”

“You mean you’re not staying tonight?” Her mother spoke up, brow furrowed. “It’ll be very late by the time you drive back. I thought you were going to stay in the city.”

“I actually have something I need to do back home tomorrow morning, so I gotta head back tonight,” Lana replied, trying to not reveal too much.

In truth, she’d have to make another trip back to the city in the morning for Shane’s therapy appointment. He had offered to cancel it, but she insisted, sure that he needed all the help he could get during this time of year. It was a topic she dared not bring up in front of her mother, who was already eyeing her suspiciously. Iris finished her glass of wine and placed it lightly on the table before peering back up at her eldest daughter.

Here we go, Lana thought.

“What on earth could you have to do back at that farm on a Saturday morning? In this weather? Come now, Lana. Can’t you take the day off? You’re more than welcome to stay here in your old bedroom. I was hoping to treat you both to breakfast tomorrow at this new diner a couple blocks away. You know the one, Ella- the place with the excellent eggs Benedict?”

“I actually have quite a lot going on at that farm , Mother,” Lana replied curtly before her sister could. “Seeing as I run the place by myself most of the time. Not that you’d know much about what I do for a living or anything.”

“Oh, I know which one!” Ella jumped in, no doubt seeing the look on Lana’s face. “It was pretty good. I really liked their chocolate chip pancakes. Maybe we can go another morning if Lana can’t stay tonight?”

“Oh please, Lana.” Their mother ignored Ella’s comments, now holding her glass out for Earl to dutifully refill. “We haven’t seen you in so long. I know you’ve been very, very busy with your new life, dealing with the large burden you chose to take on, but you can still make time for your family.”

“Aren’t we all having dinner right now? I’d call this making time for my family, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course, darling. It’s wonderful you finally were able to fit us into your schedule.”

“More wine, Lana?” Earl chimed in rather meekly. Without a word, Lana also held out her empty glass for him.

“What about you, Mom? When are you and Earl coming to my farm for a visit? It goes both ways, doesn’t it?”

“Maybe they can tag along when I finally get a chance to go,” Ella once again piped up, her bright green eyes darting between her mother and sister nervously. “That’d be fun, huh, Mom?”

“Oh, I heard the valley is so dreadfully frigid this time of year,” Iris replied. “Maybe we’ll make the trip once springtime comes around. Not that Lana has extended the invitation to me and your stepfather yet. Isn’t that right, dear?”

Lana pulled her mouth into a tight, complacent smile. “I guess you got me there.”

It was a familiar pattern of conversation, one that Lana expected to occur at some point. She knew her mother had no interest in her new life in Stardew Valley, so far removed from the expectations she once had for her. Still, she was aware that she had to be on her best behavior if she wanted to get some answers about her father tonight. So far, there had been no chance to speak to her mother about his research. Lana eyed the hallway from where she was sitting, hoping that the box with all his old notebooks still lay hidden in the spare closet closest to the bathroom. Mercifully, the conversation turned back to Ella’s new position as junior editor, giving Lana a chance to simmer down and formulate a plan of attack.

After dinner, Lana stayed behind to help her mother put the dirty plates in the dishwasher while Earl and Ella sat in the living room. As they stood together in the small kitchen, she smelled the familiar flowery perfume her mother always wore, a scent that somehow brought another involuntary pang of nostalgia to her stomach. Pasting a pleasant look on her face, Lana turned to her as they loaded the dishwasher.

“So, how’s that volunteer thing going?” she asked. “You planning on running for office one day?”

She had meant it as a joke, but her mother nodded serenely.

“Maybe. So far I’m just enjoying the experience. We’ve been doing a lot of canvassing lately, so it’s great exercise. It certainly keeps me busy while Earl’s away at the office.”

Lana raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were so interested in politics.”

“It’s become a recent passion of mine. I’ve come to the realization that there’s so much we can do as average citizens to fix this city and help those in need prosper. Mayor Eldin has some great ideas that will benefit a lot of people if he gets elected to another term.”

“That’s really awesome, Mom.” She offered her a smile in truce. “I’m glad you’ve found something you believe in so wholeheartedly.”

“Thank you, dear. It’s been quite nice feeling like I’m contributing to something larger than myself.”

Her words surprised Lana, but still, she couldn’t help but feel happy for her mother. After her father died, she refused handouts from her wealthy family in Grampleton and instead went back to work to make ends meet, taking odd jobs here and there until meeting Earl at an accounting firm and settling back down as a housewife. As Lana was growing up, her mother floated around various social circles in lieu of a career, often getting involved in clubs and groups with the other women in her neighborhood. Iris never stuck to one thing for long, so Lana might have suspected this volunteering thing to be another one of her passing interests if it weren’t for a fiery twinkle in her mother’s eyes that she had never seen before.

“Dad would have been proud,” Lana offered, gauging her reaction. “He was always so outspoken when it came to helping the community.”

Her mother’s shoulders stiffened, but eventually her eyes turned soft. “You’d be right about that.”

“Hey honey, do you know where the remote is?” Earl called over from the living room. “I want to show Ella and Lana that channel on ancient history we’ve been enjoying so much lately.”

Iris left to help her husband while Lana stayed to finish loading the dishes. With a quiet huff of frustration, she stacked the plates in the dishwasher, annoyed to be cut so short in her attempt. Joining the rest of her family in the living room when she was done, Lana ruminated as she sat down on the couch next to Ella. Her mother was seated on the opposite end of the couch, legs crossed daintily at the ankle while she finished the last of her wine.

The evening continued on in relative peace. Every now and then, Lana would comment on the television show they were watching, a tedious program about extinct civilizations that at least gave her the chance to bring up her father and his area of expertise without too much suspicion. Still, each time he was mentioned, her mother would shut down the conversation, diverting the topic to another smoothly from her place on the opposite end of the sofa. It became clear as the night went on that she wouldn’t take the bait, at least not in front of Ella and Earl.

“I’m going to use the restroom,” Lana spoke up as the program ended with dramatic music and a long, rolling list of credits. She was beginning to realize that depending on her mother for the information she needed was futile. It would be easier at this point to take matters into her own hands.

She stood up and entered the hallway, turning left to walk over to the closet she was looking for. Quietly, she opened the door, wincing slightly when it made a tiny creak. There was no noise from the living room except for the television, so Lana continued, pulling the door open just wide enough for her to fit inside. She moved aside some coats to reveal the faded box she was looking for perched on the top shelf, partly hidden by her mother’s old knickknacks . As silently as possible, she stood on her tiptoes to grab it, closing the closet door gently behind her so she could dart with the box into the bathroom next door.

Lana breathed a sigh of relief as she shut and locked the door behind her. She placed the box on the sink, tearing off the lid to reveal a jumble of papers and notebooks inside. Rummaging inside, Lana felt at a loss for a moment, not knowing exactly what to look for. There were extensive notes from various dig sites her father worked on while at Grampleton University, covered in his distinctive, cramped handwriting that proved hard to decipher in a hurry. She continued to dig around, pausing only to jump in surprise when alerted by a tiny pair of thumps outside. Nothing stood out to Lana as she paged through the notebooks hurriedly. The majority of his writings appeared to pertain to the Calico Desert, with only a few random scribbles here and there devoted to the artifacts excavated in Stardew Valley. There was nothing even remotely close to what Lana saw on that ghostly television set in the Spirit’s Eve maze. Feeling defeated, she closed the box after a few minutes of restless searching with a sigh. It seemed Shane had been right about her reading too much into the connection between her father’s research and the Void.

She couldn’t help but shiver as the thought of the nefarious entity. Rasmodius remained secretive about what powers it possessed, only assuring her it was capable of great evil if allowed the chance to resurface. She pictured a larger, meaner version of Krobus skulking about at the bottom of the mine, omnipotent in the pitch-black darkness. She had yet to encounter the dwarves that were also tangled up in its history, although every now and then she detected the presence of something down there other than the usual creepy crawlies watching her. Both the dwarves and imprisoned Void were deeper down into the earth, beyond the levels the rickety elevator could currently take her. They lay out of her reach, just like her father and whatever the Elementals had wanted to show her about him.

Resigned, Lana picked up the box, ready to place it back in its hiding place. She decided she’d make another few efforts to get through to her mom before the night ended. It seemed to be the only remaining option, powerless as she felt. Opening the bathroom door, Lana peaked out and waited for a few seconds. Hearing nothing but the television in the living room, she tiptoed back out with the box in hand. Just as she was about to open the closet, her mother’s bedroom door on the other side of the hall opened. Out sauntered Iris with a pair of books in hand. Her mouth fell into a perfect O when she saw her daughter, just as Lana’s heart dropped.

“What are you doing with that box?”

“I, uh-,” Lana fumbled around for an excuse. “I was just looking for a thicker jacket to borrow for the walk back to my truck later when I noticed it was about to fall from the shelf.”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed.

“What’s with the books?” Lana persisted in an attempt to distract her.

“These are for your sister.” Iris was undeterred. “And I just cleaned that closet before you got here, so I don’t believe you, Lana Rose. Tell me why you have that box in your hands when you were supposed to be going to the bathroom.”

“I was in the bathroom,” Lana countered. “See, I even forgot to turn the light off.”

Her mother stomped past her to look into the bathroom, turning off the switch so the hallway went dark.

“Were you just in there with that box?” She turned to Lana, now pale with anger. “What the hell are you looking for in your father’s old notes?”

“Iris?” Earl called out from the living room, alerted by his wife’s rising voice. “Everything alright?”

“Is that why you’ve been bringing him up all evening?” she ignored him, moving closer to Lana, who took a step back with the box clutched in both hands. “What are you up to?”

“Can’t I be curious about what’s in here? I know you do your best to hide it away like you do with everything else when it comes to Dad, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t want to reminisce every now and then.”

Iris blinked a few times before sputtering out, “Where on earth is this coming from? You’ve never shown even the slightest interest in your father’s research. I know you well enough to see when you’re not telling the truth.”

A snort escaped Lana’s lips involuntarily. “You don’t know anything about me, Mom. Especially not since I moved to Grandpa’s farm. I might as well be a stranger to you.”

She wasn’t sure when her own flareup of anger started, only keenly aware that she needed to rein in it so that another magical accident wouldn’t occur. Her disappointment with the box was leaking into this encounter with her mother and souring what little chance she had left to get any answers out of the evening.

“That’s not fair,” Iris retorted. “You left because you wanted to, Lana. Deny it all you want, but it was your choice to distance yourself even further away from us by moving away to that farm.”

“Please, Mother. You made it very clear how you felt about me taking over Grandpa’s farm. It was just another notch in a long line of bad decisions I’ve made that have only served to disappoint you.”

“I never said anything like that. I just told you I thought it was rash and foolish of you to take on such a large burden, especially at the peak of your career with JojaCorp.”

“Well, I hated JojaCorp with every cell in my body. And you don’t need to worry about me losing that stupid job, because I was at the peak of nothing but bullsh*t over there.”

“Oh, Lana." Iris shook her head. "You don’t need to resort to vulgar language.”

“Yes, I know. As usual, you’re right, and I’m wrong. Spare me the lecture, Mother.” Lana held up the box. “Here- you can have this back then, seeing as you don’t trust me with it.”

Her mother shook her head. “Is this old box the real reason why you even bothered to finally join us for dinner tonight?”

Lana opened her mouth to reply just as her eye caught movement by the entrance to the living room. Ella had come to check on them. Despite her lanky frame, she looked small in the opening, shoulders slouched and hands fiddling in concern. Their gaze met over their mother’s shoulder. The hurt in Ella’s eyes from the implications of Iris’ question was starkly evident.

“It is, isn’t it?” Her mother gave her a disappointed look that cut through to Lana’s bones. “And here we were so excited to spend time together as a family again. This is a new low, Lana.”

“It’s not just about the box,” she answered, knowing that she wasn’t being truthful in the slightest. “I wanted to see everyone again. I missed you guys.”

“Well, darling, if that’s true, you certainly have a funny way of showing it.”

A scowl automatically crossed Lana’s lips. “Likewise, Mother.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Ella interjected now. Lana could see that Earl had also come up to hover nervously behind her. “Both of you need to stop arguing. It’s almost the Festival of the Winter star, for Yoba’s sake.”

But Lana had already run out of steam, feeling claustrophobic in the dim, narrow hallway with a box of useless scribbles in her hands.

“Here, take this,” she mumbled, walking over to give the box to Ella. “I need some air.”

She ignored Ella’s pleas for her to stay and hastened out of the apartment, slamming the front door shut behind her. She made her way down the stairs to exit the building, heart pounding. Outside, she huffed in deep exasperation, watching her cold breath dissipate into the night sky.

The night was a disaster. She should have known her mother would resist any efforts to talk about her father, much less divulge his secrets to her. It was a desperate attempt on her part to grasp at straws she wasn't even sure existed. Stuffing her hands into her pockets to ward off the chill, Lana began walking down the block in an attempt to clear her mind. Eventually, she found herself at the playground where she used to play as a child, deserted for the night. She managed to squeeze into one of the tiny swings, feeling ridiculous as she did so. In her mind, the garbled video from Spirit’s Eve played on repeat.

“What were you doing, Dad?” she asked the sky. “What were you and the Elementals trying to show me?”

The universe’s only reply was the sound of her feet crunching in the snow as she swayed back and forth on the swing. Her father, reduced to nothing but papers stuffed away in a box, would never return to guide her. At that moment, Lana felt terribly alone and insignificant, a microscopic blip on the grand radar of the world.

She lingered at the playground for a while until the cold prompted her to make the trek back to the apartment, annoyed at herself for forgetting her coat in her hurry to leave. Hesitating as she reached her childhood home, Lana stopped when she saw a familiar sight extending down from above. Before she could chicken out, she pulled herself up onto the fire escape ladder and began climbing, not stopping until she reached the landing outside her old bedroom on the third floor. The window was locked, but Lana could still see a sliver of the dark room through a gap in the curtains. Shivering a bit, she slid down to sit on the fire escape, settling into the back corner like she used to as a child.

Zuzu City, for all its faults, was beautiful at night. Lana could see the Calgary Bridge lit up in the distance amid the towering skyscrapers downtown, the sight offering her a small sense of comfort. From where she was sitting, she had a clear view of the road and the apartments across the street. She shivered as she watched the shadows of people behind their window curtains. Who were these faceless figures, passing by like phantoms in the night? Even as a child, it never ceased to amaze her how so many separate lives could exist in tandem in the city, each with their own unique set of hopes and fears. She’d often perch here on this fire escape just like she was doing tonight, a silent observer of strangers with nothing but her imagination to fill in the gaps. Somehow, it made her feel better, a reassurance that her little blip wasn’t actually so alone. It lay instead among the many millions that radiated simultaneously throughout the universe like a flock of flickering fireflies in the night sky. Suddenly, the window behind her began sliding open, startling her out of her reverie.

“Not now, Ella,” Lana said, not bothering to turn around. “I’ll go back inside when I’m ready.”

But it was her mother who answered. “You’re going to catch a cold out here if you keep this up.”

She looked up in surprise, bewildered even further when Iris stepped through the open window to stand on the fire escape with her. She held Lana’s coat in her hands. Wordlessly, she handed it to her daughter.

“Thanks.” Lana accepted it begrudgingly. She slipped it on, feeling better immediately.

“Mind if I sit with you?”

In all the years Lana had lived there, her mother had never stepped foot on the fire escape. She gave her a wary nod, scooting over. Iris bent down and brushed the ground clean before settling down neatly with her legs extending in front of her. They sat in silence for a while, watching the passing cars on the street below.

“How’d you know I’d be up here?” Lana asked eventually.

“I know you think that I don’t understand you, and while that may be true about certain aspects, I understand more than you think,” Iris replied. “Do you know how many times your father told me he found you sitting out here?”

The mention of her father raised Lana’s eyebrows. Before she could reply, Iris continued.

“Yoba, you remind me so much of him sometimes. Stubborn as mules, both of you.”

“Well, I am his daughter, after all,” Lana said, unable to resist a tiny smile. “What can you expect?”

“Yes, you’re certainly right about that.”

She was surprised to hear a tremor of emotion in her mother’s voice. Lana felt her chest twist sharply with guilt. Suddenly, their argument in the hallway seemed pointless and silly, just like her efforts to snoop through her father’s old notes.

“Look, I’m really sorry, Mom,” she managed to concede. “This isn’t at all how I wanted this night to go.”

“You and me both.” Iris sighed. “We always seem to have such a hard time getting along, don’t we?”

Lana hesitated, but there appeared to be no ill will in her mother’s tone.

“I guess it’s true we don’t see eye to eye very often,” she warily agreed.

Her mother said nothing for a moment. Around them, the chilly air hummed with the sounds of Zuzu City at night. A single snowflake floated down and landed on Iris’ cheek, but she didn’t attempt to wipe it away. Instead, she turned to her daughter.

“When you first told me you were moving to your grandfather’s farm, I was terrified. Not because I thought something bad would happen to you out there. I know you’re much too resilient for that.”

Lana blinked as another pair of snowflakes fell onto her forehead. “Then why?”

“You had always been such a lonely child. Especially after your father died, it seemed like you did everything in your power to pull away from us more and more as you grew up. I thought that you moving away to the valley was just another way for you to widen that distance. To be honest, I was scared that I would finally lose you for good.”

Her mother’s admission stunned her. “Lose me for good? Mom, that’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think? I’m only two hours away.”

“I know, darling. But you have to admit that over this past year, we’ve managed to grow even further apart.”

Lana opened her mouth to argue, but her mother held up a conciliatory hand.

“The fault lies with me as much as it does with you. I’ll admit that I haven’t made much effort to support you in your new life. I just thought that, well, after the conversation we had when you first broke the news to me, it would be best to give you some space. I figured I was right when I didn’t hear from you as time went on.”

“I mean, it’s true that I haven’t invited you to visit, but you wouldn’t even go when Dad used to ask you,” Lana replied, shaking her head. “It just seemed easier to keep my head down and focus on building my new life, no matter how much you disagreed with it.”

“I’ll admit I did at first,” her mother said. “I didn’t understand what possibly could be out there for you to just throw everything away so easily. I thought that you were happy with your job and the apartment you worked so hard for, happy with your life here in the city. It wasn’t until tonight that I realized I was very wrong.”

Lana’s mind was still reeling from her mother’s words. She couldn’t believe that they were sitting here, talking so civilly about this on her old fire escape while the beginnings of snow fluttered down on them. The scene felt almost surreal after the debacle inside.

“I wasn’t happy here, Mom. I don’t know how to explain it, but there was always something missing from my life, no matter how hard I tried to pretend otherwise.”

Her mother didn’t respond, only regarding Lana with an even gaze that encouraged her to continue.

“I told Ella earlier that I ran away from this place because I wanted to get away from myself, from the person I used to be. I didn’t realize that in that process, I’d be running even further from you guys. From my family.” Lana felt her eyes begin to well up with tears. “I’ve just been so consumed with making a new life there. I’ve… I’ve changed, Mom. The farm and the valley are changing me in ways I can’t even begin to describe to you. But I don’t want to lose my family in the process. After Dad… I can’t lose you guys too.”

Without warning, her mother leaned forward to envelop her in a hug. Lana returned it, a bit stiffly at first because she honestly couldn’t remember the last time it happened. Iris let go and reached down to hold one of her daughter’s hands in her own.

“Then let’s not be strangers any more,” she declared. “Seeing you tonight after all this time, so self-assured and confident, even I have to admit the valley air has done you good. I’m proud of you, Lana. And I’d like to learn more about what it is you do on that- I mean, on your farm. If you’d like to tell me, that is.”

Somehow, her night in Zuzu City, had made another left turn, this time leading Lana toward a start-line of reconciliation with her mother she didn’t know had been waiting for her. Iris’ surprising words of praise reverberated in her head. It was strange, but Lana now felt lighter, more buoyant, even under the heavy coat she now wore.

“You got a deal,” she replied, unable to hold back a smile. “But that means you need to tell me all about volunteering with the mayor. Classified political information and all.”

Her mother laughed, a familiar tinkling sound Lana hadn’t realized she missed so much.

“I’ll see what I can do, dear.”

“Mom, how come you never came with Dad and us when we used to visit the farm?” Lana couldn’t help but inquire, emboldened by their conversation. “Did you really hate the place that much?”

Now, Iris sighed, shaking her head. “I never hated your grandfather’s farm. Or Stardew Valley, for that matter. I did visit a couple times, you know. Before you and Ella were born.”

She paused, eyes focused on something in the distance Lana couldn’t see. Her mother’s shoulders slumped forward slightly, at odds with her usual perfect posture. Lana felt guilty, aware that her mother was struggling. Before she could change the topic, Iris began to speak again.

“It was a beautiful place. We visited during fall, when all the trees were already blanketed in red and orange leaves. Your grandfather’s farm was a sight to see. Fields in every direction, covered in crops well on their way to harvest. I stayed away from the animal pens, though.”

“Not your cup of tea, Mom?” Lana teased, feeling the snow begin to fall more heavily now. Still, neither of them stood to go back inside.

“Unfortunately no,” her mother replied, chuckling. “As much as your grandfather loved those animals, I stayed away. He was always kind to me, that man. He really cared about his farm more than anything in the world, except of course his son. And his granddaughters.”

“Then why didn’t you ever go back? What happened?”

Her mother’s face took on a shuttered look. By now, Lana had pulled up her knees, resting her head on her arms as she watched her. She worried Iris was going to shut down at any moment, sure that they had exhausted this rare moment of vulnerability between them. Nonetheless, her mother answered, her lilting voice a soft murmur amid the city’s buzz.

“Right before your father left his position at Grampleton University, he made a trip to the farm without me. When he returned, he told me he had decided to quit his job and give up his research, and there was nothing I could say or do to change his mind. He wanted to move far away, even suggesting Stardew Valley before deciding on Zuzu City as a compromise with me. At the time, I was about to give birth to Ella while taking care of you as a toddler. To say that I was frustrated with his abrupt decision would be an understatement.

“I blamed your grandfather and his farm for putting ideas in his head. I let it fester, my resentment growing more and more as time went by. But looking back now, I know that wasn’t entirely fair of me. Oliver had been acting strange even before his trip. Something happened during his research in the Calico Desert that jarred him enough to run to his father without telling me. I had been trying to convince him to stay with the university the day before he went back to the farm.”

At this, Lana’s head jerked up. Was this revelation somehow related to the distorted video the Elementals had left for her in the maze? Could it really have been showing something in the Calico Desert all this time? An idea popped up in her head, rejuvenating her initial quest for some answers.

“Mom, I need to tell you something.” Lana decided on embellishing the truth for convenience’s sake, shuffling closer to her mother. “The box I was holding, the one with Dad’s notebooks? I took it because I wanted to see if there was something in there that explained why he gave up his job at Grampleton University. I don’t know why, but he’s been on my mind a lot lately. I’m sorry again for lying to you about it. And about why I came to visit in the first place. I just… I just needed to know. I thought it would help me understand him a little better, seeing as all I have left at this point are my memories of him.”

“Oh, I almost forgot about that silly box.” Her mother shook her head. “You won’t find anything like that in there. Your father made sure to remove any documents related to the days just before his resignation.”

“I figured, but I had to try.” Lana exhaled, her sigh materializing in front of them as an opaque mist. “But you were right about it being a sh*tty thing for me to do. Ella must think I’m the absolute worst right now.”

“Your sister is actually the one who came to your defense earlier after your dramatic exit. Even Earl decided to give me a little lecture on patience, which appears to be much-needed.”

Suddenly, Lana’s mother stood, offering a hand out to help her up.

“Come inside,” she said. “There’s something I want to give you.”

Confused, Lana accepted her mother’s hand, following her through the open window back into the apartment. There was a surreal moment as they walked through her childhood bedroom, now operating as a guest bedroom. Still, her old furniture remained, steadfast reminders of the life she once lived. They exited and crossed the hall into the room her mother now shared with Earl. Lana hovered by the doorway as Iris walked over to her closet, rummaging around amid the clothes and shoes until she emerged with a single notebook. She sat on the bed and motioned for her daughter to join her.

“Before he died, your father gave me this notebook. It details his last days working in the Calico Desert. He trusted me to keep it hidden away, to never read it or show it to anyone if they came asking for it. At one point, he even asked me to destroy it, but I never could bring myself to do it.”

With this, her mother slumped forward once again. Holding the notebook to her chest, she began to cry softly. Unsure of what else to do, Lana wrapped an arm around her shoulders. This was a first for both of them.

“That wine of yours is really getting to me,” Iris managed to say. “But I also have to admit that you were right about what you said. I hid that box away just like I hide everything else when it comes to your father. Please, don’t get me wrong- I’m truly happy now with Earl. He’s the steady anchor I didn’t know I needed after floating aimlessly around for so long in my grief. Oliver… your father was just so passionate, so intense at times. He seemed to glow with this blinding sort of energy I could never quite understand, no matter how much it made me love him. Even now after all these years, the mere thought of him only forces up feelings I’d rather just keep buried.”

Iris turned to Lana, holding out the notebook. “Here. Take this. I know your father never wanted me to show it to anyone, but something tells me he’d trust you with it. Just like your grandfather trusted you with the family farm.”

Lana silently accepted the notebook, heart pounding.

“I was curious enough to try to read it, but I couldn’t bring myself to get through more than the first couple of pages, though that’s mainly because it’s a bit tedious to get through,” her mother admitted. “In the end, his determination to keep this hidden scared me enough to respect his wishes. If you’re looking for clues as to why he quit his research, it would be in here.”

“Mom, I… thank you.”

It was all she could muster up at the moment. In her hands, hidden behind a plain, black leather cover, was the treasure she had come here to find. Its weight felt almost insignificant compared to what answers may lie inside. Strangely, she could detect a residual source of energy emanating weakly from its pages. It felt familiar somehow, as though she had encountered it somewhere before. Lana gazed down at the black cover for a bewildered moment. She was about to tear it open for a look inside before she caught a glimpse of her mother next to her. There was a smile on Iris’ face as she watched her daughter, but her form was still hunched forward in an uncharacteristically droopy way. Placing the notebook down on the bed, Lana instead turned back to her mother.

“No more strangers,” she affirmed. “Regardless of Dad’s notebook, I’m really glad I came back here tonight. I honestly wasn’t sure what was going to happen, and while I’m still not exactly sure how we ended up here, I’m happy we were finally able to talk. You know, like civilized adults are supposed to.”

Her mother rolled her eyes, but she chuckled. “It’s certainly been an interesting night. But I’m quite happy too, dear. More than you know.”

“I promise I’ll come back to visit more often. As long as you promise you’ll get your butt down to my farm soon to see everything I’ve been working so hard on. Earl’s butt too, of course. Can’t forget my stepdad, after all.”

“That sounds like a fair compromise to me. Well, as soon as the weather clears up. I don’t really trust Earl to navigate through those hills with all this snow that’s been coming down lately.”

Iris reached forward, pausing for only a second before she brushed away some lingering snowflakes from the top of Lana’s head. Her mother then swept some locks of Lana’s hair behind her ear, a gesture familiar from her childhood. Patting her check softly, she uttered a tiny sigh.

“My babies are all grown up now. You’ll be careful driving home tonight, okay? No speeding, and if the snow gets any stronger, you’ll pull off the side of the road and wait it out. Is that clear, Lana Rose?”

With an obligatory eye roll, she gladly conceded. “Crystal clear, Mom.”

****

The drive back to Ella’s apartment was filled with laughter and easy conversation. Her sister had quickly forgiven Lana for the box fiasco after she explained her motivation (also slightly embellished, at least for the time being). Ella immediately understood the longing to learn more about their father, a feeling she admitted reciprocating. They spoke of a few of their favorite memories of him as they drove through the city. The buoyant feeling in Lana’s chest continued after her reconciliation with her mother, overshadowing her success with the notebook. It lay forgotten on the seat between them for the time being, wrapped safely in her coat along with her hair clip. She had contemplated giving it back to her mother as a thank you before bidding goodbye to her and Earl, but in the end she kept it in her pocket, unwilling to part with it for now.

“You better not be kidding about coming around here more often,” Ella told her as they pulled up to her apartment building. “I’ll accept a little bickering between you and Mom here and there if it means I get to see you more.”

“I meant it. We promised to be on our best behavior, didn’t we?”

“After tonight, I may actually take your word on that. I can’t believe you two managed to sit down and talk things out for once.”

“You and me both. But I’m not complaining. It’ll make any future visits a little less awkward, at least.”

“You sure you don’t want to stay here tonight and head back in the morning? We have a sofa that converts into a pretty comfy bed.”

“Nah, I really have stuff to do back home. Another time, for sure.”

“Okay. Hey, I've been meaning to ask- whatever happened to that guy you brought last time?”

Lana raised her eyebrows. “You mean Shane? From the night we went to my friend’s concert downtown?”

“Yeah! That was his name. You guys were cute together.”

It was the first time Ella had mentioned Shane since their excursion to the city in the summer. Lana had assumed sister’s copious drinking on the night in question had erased him from her memory, disastrous as everything had turned out. Unfortunately, it appeared Ella remembered him well as a wicked, knowing smile spread over her face while Lana fumbled to form a reply.

“I- that’s not- look, we’re not together Ella. He’s just a friend.”

“Uh huh.” Ella chuckled, gathering her things in preparation to exit the truck. “Whatever you say, sis.”

“I’m serious! There’s nothing going on between us… anymore.”

At this, her sister gave a little squeal of excitement. “I knew there was something up when I saw the way you two were looking at each other. You never mentioned him again, so I figured you dumped him. Ugh! If you didn’t need to make such a long drive, I’d force you to come inside and tell me every single detail.”

“Phew, thank Yoba for that, huh?”

“Oh, stop it.” Ella gave her a friendly punch on the shoulder before opening the passenger side door. “That’s enough secrets from you. Next time I call you, I want to know everything, okay?”

“Yes, Mom.” Lana stuck out her tongue. “You’re so bossy now that you’re a big shot editor.”

Her sister laughed, mimicking her. “It comes with the territory, doesn’t it?”

They exchanged goodbyes with a final hug. Lana pulled away from the curb and began her drive back to Stardew Valley. She listened to the radio for a while, singing softly along to old rock songs she and her sister once worshiped as teenagers. Eventually, Zuzu City faded away in her rearview mirror. She drove on the nearly empty highway towards the mountains on the horizon, faceless truckers her only companions. As the radio’s music disintegrated into static, the last conversation with her sister crossed her mind. Struck with the sudden desire to speak to Shane, she grabbed her cell phone from its place in the cupholder before she could chicken out. He answered on the third ring.

“Looks like someone survived their family dinner.”

She chuckled. “Surprisingly, yes. And with the goods secured, if I might add.”

“Oh, sh*t,” Shane replied. “So you found what you were looking for?”

“I think so.” Lana put her phone on speaker so she could use both hands to drive. “It took a bit of work, but my mom ended up giving me my dad’s final notebook. She also told me that something happened during his research in the Calico Desert that caused him to quit suddenly and with no explanation.”

“And you think that something is related to what you saw on that weird television set?”

“Maybe. I haven’t sat down to look through the notebook yet. I was planning on doing it as soon as I got home. I’ll keep you posted on what I find.”

“Okay, cool.” There was a long pause while neither of them said anything.

“So, you going to bed soon?” Lana spoke up eventually. She could faintly hear what sounded like a video game in the background.

“Probably,” he answered. “I was planning on taking a shower in a bit, see if that’ll help me sleep.”

“Have you been having trouble sleeping?”

Shane sighed. “Not really. Maybe a little, I guess. But I’m fine.”

“Well, okay, but you should tell Dr. Kenza about it tomorrow.”

“Right. Duly noted.”

There was another lull in the conversation. For some reason, the silence unnerved Lana. She knew Shane wasn’t the most talkative person in the world, but she could sense a growing gap between them that had nothing to do with distance. Ever since their last night with the Junimos, he had been acting odd, often distracted during their conversations and downright cold when she tried to prod his mental state. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had started drinking again, proficient as he was at hiding it. Impulsively, she reached into her coat next to her and pulled out the jeweled hair clip, the feeling of it in her hands calming her a bit.

“Well, I just wanted to call you to tell you the news,” Lana told him as she ran a finger over its gilded petals. “I’m on my way back to the valley now. I’ll let you go if you’re busy.”

“Is it snowing?” Shane asked, ignoring the last bit she said.

Lana watched the scattering of snowflakes that were falling on her windshield. “Yeah. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Then I’ll stay on the phone with you until you’re home.”

Her stomach did a small somersault at his words. “You don’t need to do that, Shane.”

“I know I don’t.”

Another break of silence filled the air. Whatever was wrong, Shane didn’t seem ready to talk about it. A tiny part of her wanted to keep pushing, to see what was the matter so she could try to help, but she knew it would be pointless. Even so, his concern for her was evident, a detail that brought a warmth to her body that had nothing to do with the heater blasting in her truck.

“Thank you," Lana replied. "Talking to you beats listening to static on the radio any day.”

“I don’t know, Dr. Kenza told me that sometimes a little white noise is good for the soul.”

“I’ll make sure to blast it for us on our trip back to the city tomorrow. I’m sure the cows will appreciate it. Maybe they’ll even do a little dance as we drive by.”

Shane finally let out a laugh. “You’re such a weirdo.”

“Takes one to know one, Zuzu.”

She thought maybe he had hung up when she didn’t hear back from him, but eventually Shane spoke.

“Hey Lana?”

“Yeah, Shane?”

“Thanks for calling me tonight. I... it's just nice to hear your voice.”

Outside, the clouds in the sky drizzled down snow like the last remnants of confetti released at a party. Lana dropped the hair clip back into her coat and rolled down her window to stick a hand outside. Two tiny snowflakes fell onto her outstretched fingers, cold and crisp against the warmth of her skin.

Chapter 25: The Mysterious Mr. Qi

Chapter Text

When Jas was only a year old, she spent more than a week fighting off a bad case of pneumonia at Zuzu Memorial. Without warning, coughing quickly developed into heavy wheezing punctuated by a fever high enough to make her parents rush to the emergency room in the early hours of the morning just as the sun emerged from its slumber. Derek and Sasha had been completely distraught, consumed entirely with worrying over their daughter.

Shane remembered the time well. He himself had gone to the hospital almost every day after work, sometimes clocking out early against JojaMart policy just to make it in time for visiting hours. He had seen the perpetually pained look on his best friend’s face as they waited and waited, hoping for good news from the flurry of doctors and nurses around them. After a week had passed, Jas recovered enough to go home, and on that day Shane felt an immense weight lifted from his chest he knew paled in comparison to the relief Derek and Sasha were granted. Even back then, the thought of something happening to his goddaughter kept him up at night in ways even booze couldn’t even fix. It was a large part of why he moved to Pelican Town with Jas in the first place after her parents died. He had reasoned to himself that the air in the valley was cleaner, the country roads less likely to be ridden with danger compared to the mean streets of Zuzu City. As time went on, his worries about completely uprooting their lives abated somewhat as Jas began to grow and thrive in her new home among the farm animals, finding a friend in Vincent down the road and doing well in school once she was old enough to enroll. Throughout all his countless failures as her legal guardian, Shane still could find some comfort in the idea that he had made the right choice in bringing her here.

He tried his best to keep this thought alive in his head as he watched Jas jump rope one evening after work beneath the snow-covered branches of her favorite tree on the edge of Cindersap Woods. They had ventured out here after a hearty dinner from Marnie, waving goodbye to her as she made her way in the other direction into town for another visit with Lewis. To Shane’s chagrin, his aunt’s affair with the mayor was still going strong. Recently, he noticed she’d return home on some nights after wine at the saloon with a melancholy expression blanketed over her soft features, no doubt the result of Lewis’ refusal to go public with their relationship. He had heard them whispering about it again one late night a couple weeks ago when he got up to use the restroom, letting his curiosity get the better of him as he tiptoed past her door. The next morning, his aunt had stayed in bed complaining of a headache, but Shane could have sworn he heard sniffling from her room before he left to work.

“Uncle Shane!” Jas called out to him. “Look at how many jumps I can do now.”

Jas counted each jump under her breath, eyes focused on the ground. He watched as she jumped one, two, three, four times, stumbling a bit after the fifth hop but persisting on dutifully until she reached ten. When she finished, a wide grin spread over her face.

“Wow, that’s really impressive, Jazzy,” Shane commended her. “All that practice has been doing you good.”

“It’s harder to jump in the snow, but it’s still fun.” Jas looked around. “Hey, do you think we’ll see a white bunny rabbit here like we did last time?”

“Maybe. Just keep an eye out for any rustling bushes.”

“We had a pet rabbit when I was a baby. Mommy found him one day when we were in the park. One of his legs was broken, so Daddy took him to the vet to help him get better.”

Shane felt his heart stutter at her words, delivered casually just before starting again on her jump rope endeavor. Jas rarely mentioned her life back in Zuzu City, especially any memories associated with her parents. In the beginning, right after their deaths, he often found her crying at night, unable to go back to sleep as she sobbed for hours in confusion. The difficult questions and nostalgic comments tapered off as time passed in the valley, another welcome benefit that Shane figured came with moving away from the place that housed such dark, early memories. Sometimes, he even wondered exactly how much from that awful night she remembered. With the mention of their old pet rabbit, it seemed Jas could recall much more than Shane had hoped.

“I remember that little guy,” he responded after taking a moment’s pause to compose himself. “What was his name again?”

“Marshmallow. His ears were so fluffy.”

Shane nodded. The rabbit had been white with golden brown patches, reminiscent of a toasted marshmallow. His name was Sasha’s idea, if memory served him right. After the accident, the rabbit was rehomed with one of Sasha’s bandmates, something he came to regret once they moved to the valley.

“Hey, maybe I can convince Marnie to let you have a pet rabbit,” he offered. “We can tell her it’s practice for a dog later on down the road.”

Jas stopped practicing her jump rope, gazing up with hopeful eyes.

“Do you really think she’ll say yes?” she asked wistfully. “I’ll take good care of him. I promise to always remember to give him food every day and clean his cage when it gets stinky.”

“I’m not the one that needs convincing, kid,” he teased her, ruffling the curls on her head. “Save it for Marnie, remember?”

Shane’s moderately good mood lasted up until they returned home, where he found a voicemail waiting for him on his cell phone that he had forgotten on the kitchen table. After making sure Jas was settled in the living room watching her cartoons, he shuffled off to his room, closing the door behind him. With a sigh, he listened to the message, knowing what was waiting on the other line.

Hi Shane! It’s Molly. Just giving you a call to see if you’ve decided on what day you and Jas are planning on coming to the city. Remember- I can also make plans to go to you if you need, whatever’s easier. I haven’t heard back from you since our call last week, so give me a ring back when you get the chance, please. There’s definitely a lot we need to discuss. Oh, and make sure to say hi to Jas for me, if you don’t get a chance to call me back before her bedtime. Alrighty then, talk to you soon!

Shane sighed again, throwing his phone back on the bed before following suit. He lay on the covers with his eyes squeezed shut. It took a few days after reading Molly Mulligans’ email for him to first muster up the courage to get back to her. Through clenched teeth, he promised her that he would talk to Jas and Marnie about her proposition to move Jas back to Zuzu City. He eventually also agreed to make a quick trip to the city with Jas for an overdue visit, telling Molly that he would call her back once everything was settled. Shane hadn’t realized that more than a week had passed since that phone call until now. Truthfully, he had tried to push the matter to the back of his head, tired of the spiraling, negative thoughts that materialized whenever he’d try to sit down and make a decision. He knew that he had to bring up the matter to Dr. Kenza in his upcoming appointment, but still, he dreaded the idea that her advice to him would only confirm what he already suspected: Jas was better off with her grandmother, far away from him and any further damage he could cause.

When he first mentioned Molly’s email to Marnie, his aunt had gotten emotional, affirming the need to do what was best for Jas even if it meant saying goodbye. Still, she reminded him through a couple tears that his goddaughter truly seemed content with her new life in the valley. Her words had done little to quell the queasy feeling in his gut that always seemed to accompany him these days no matter how hard he tried to distract himself.

“You just have to talk to Jas and see how she feels,” Marnie told him. “That’s the most important part, after all. I bet you anything she’ll say she wants to stay here with us at the ranch.”

But how could Shane trust Jas to know what was best for her when he, her legal guardian, couldn’t figure the damn thing out for himself? The decision plagued him even after he finally brought up the idea to his goddaughter a couple nights ago while they were reading before bed. The result had been a hailstorm of questions. Yes, Jas told him- she missed her Granny, but when would she see Vincent and Ms. Penny again if she moved back to the city? Would Shane also come to live with her and Granny? Would she be able to take her favorite pair of chickens with her? And if she didn’t go, who would keep Granny company now that Grandpa was away? Shane had done his best to answer her questions, relieved when she finally began yawning and nodding off against her pillows. He left her room that night with even less clarity, filled instead by a familiar desire to chug a mug or three of beer so he at least could regain some peace of mind. To his deep frustration, the craving had only intensified in the days since then.

Shane picked up his cell phone and sat up. There was a call he needed to make before Molly Mulligan, one he dreaded almost as equally. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he pulled up Lana’s number.

“Evening, Shane,” she answered after the fourth ring, voice barely heard among a chorus of clucking. “This is a pleasant surprise.”

“Lana, hey.” He ran a hand through his hair, shaggy and badly in need of a cut. “Sorry if I’m catching you at a bad time.”

“Nah, just finishing up some last minute rounds around the farm. You won’t believe how many eggs the hens left for me today.”

“Are you still planning on asking Robin to expand your coop?”

“I think so. Maybe add some ducks to my menagerie. Mayor Lewis told me mayonnaise from their eggs sells for a whole lot more.”

Shane heard the sound of the coop door closing, a familiar thunk after all the time he spent working on her farm during summer and fall. Laying back down on his bed with his head on the pillow this time, he stayed quiet as he listened to Lana chatter about her day. Eventually, his eyes fell shut again, but this time he felt his mouth turn up in a smile. There was something about her voice that always found a way to calm him, even now when everything else felt so overwhelming.

“So, what’s up?” Lana was back inside her cabin now, judging from what sounded like a television playing in the background. “Any particular reason for your call?”

Shane cleared his throat, deciding it was now or never. “Well, to be honest, I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

He instantly winced, keenly aware of the multitude of things Lana had already done for him during their time knowing each other. He hated to put yet another burden on her, especially now with everything going on in her life. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Shane tried to press on, but Lana spoke up first.

“Of course. Anything for you, Zuzu.”

Her kind words poked at him like a dagger. Even now, it was still true that she was way too good for him. Even truer was the inverse fact that he wasn’t good enough for her, not even close- just as he wasn’t good enough for anything, it seemed. He felt so tiny and useless in his bed, tired of turning to others whenever he inevitably failed to climb out of the hole he’d dug for himself. What was the use of trying to keep Jas down there with him when she could move on to better things? Just like Lana, his goddaughter deserved better than an anchor like him dragging her down. Abruptly, Dr. Kenza’s wide, bug-like eyes popped up into his brain, and with a sharp shake of his head, Shane shooed away the pessimistic thoughts that had crept up so abruptly.

“Jas’ grandmother wants us to pay her a visit in the city,” he finally managed to get out. “Do you think you could take us after one of my sessions? It would only be for a couple hours or so, I’m guessing. Jas can wait with you while I’m with Dr. Kenza.”

“Oh, well, sure.” There was a tiny trace of surprise in her tone. “I don’t mind taking you guys. I can see if Ella’s free to hang out while you’re there. Did you want to go this Saturday? That’s if Dr. Kenza doesn’t cancel at the last minute like she did last week, that is.”

“No, I was thinking next week would be better.”

Shane offered no further explanation, hoping Lana would let it go. One thing was sure in all of this: he definitely needed more time to mentally prepare before seeing Derek’s mother in person again.

“Okay, next week then.” She obliged after only a moment’s pause. “That works better, actually. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you too.”

Stupidly, he felt his heart skip a beat. “What is it?”

“This Saturday after we’re done in the city… Can you come with me to the Calico Desert to do some snooping around? I think I’m finally done going through my dad’s notebook.”

Shane raised his eyebrows. “The Calico Desert? You mean you actually want to go all the way out there?”

“Obviously. How else can I check out all the weird sh*t my dad documented? The southern entrance is only an hour or so from the city. I was going to see if Rasmodius could go with me, but he’s been M.I.A. on some special mission this past week.” Shane could practically hear the eye roll on the other end of the line. “Ugh. Can you believe him? While Morris is just walking around free as a bird in JojaMart? I swear to Yoba, he drives me crazy sometimes.”

“Did you tell him about what you found in your dad’s notebook yet?”

“Not yet. I haven’t had the chance to see him since I got back from the city. But after thinking about it some more, I decided to keep it a secret for now. At least until I can do some digging in the desert.” She chuckled in amusem*nt. “Figuratively, that is.”

Shane had seen the infamous notebook only once. The morning after Lana’s family dinner, she had come calling at the ranch when his usual appointment with Dr. Kenza was canceled last minute via a phone call from her receptionist Reggie. Lana laid out the notebook on Shane’s bed, eagerly pointing out various sections of interest. From what little he could understand, her father and his team had been doing excavation work on some ruins in the desert when they accidentally stumbled upon a hidden cave system that wasn't on any of their maps. The notebook described an underground labyrinth of tunnels and caverns full of treasures and bizarre, powerful monsters that Lana claimed far surpassed anything she had found during her adventures in the mine outside of Pelican Town. With a shiver, he remembered the many grotesque drawings of what appeared to be giant, blob-like creatures alongside undead mummies and green serpents that flew through the air. The last page of the notebook contained a single phrase, underlined twice for emphasis: AT ALL COSTS, SKULL CAVERN MUST BE SEALED.

Shane gulped, unsure he wanted to find out more about such a place. “I don’t know, Lana. I’ve never even been to the Calico Desert. Where would we even start?”

“There’s a name that pops up a few times in my dad’s notebook,” she replied briskly. The faint sound of pages turning could be heard. “Here it is - Mr. Qi. My dad mentions him here and there. It sounds like he was some sort of local business owner that got involved in his team’s excavation. Maybe he knows something about Skull Cavern?”

“I mean, maybe. But it’s a long shot. A lot of time has passed since then.”

“I know. But I still have to try.”

Shane sighed. Once Lana set her mind to something, not much could be done to change it, so he knew it would be foolish to try to deter her any further. Still, as terrifying as the idea sounded, there was absolutely no way he could let her go to the desert alone. He wearily rubbed an eye with his free hand, relieved to have at least found something else to distract himself from his own familial troubles.

“Looks like you and I are taking a little road trip, then.”

****

Friday afternoon

Work was busier than usual thanks to several new varieties of Joja Cola that needed to be stocked. One of them, labeled “Joja BLUU”, almost put Shane into diabetic shock when he tried a sip in the break room. He took a late lunch, doing his best to wipe away the sweat on his brow as he ate a microwaved pizza pocket.

“Shane, will you please come with me to my office? There’s something I need to speak to you about for a moment.”

He looked up at the sound of Morris’ voice. His manager stood in the doorway, stack of papers in hand. He briefly debated waving him away until after lunch was over but decided against it. There was no way he could throw away the chance for some easy reconnaissance. As he followed Morris to his office, Shane snuck a look at his old manager, who had been making himself scarce since his dramatic return last week. Besides losing a fair amount of weight, Morris looked the same, down to the stupid bowtie he always wore and round glasses perched on the bridge of his wide nose. He had spent the first few days back on the job ordering the restructuring of the store before locking himself away in his office much like he had before he disappeared. A couple times, Shane had caught Morris watching him from the end of the aisle as he stocked the shelves, stiffly returning the wide smile his manager sent his way before he slunk off to continue stalking the rest of the store.

As he sat down in the chair in front of Morris’ desk, Shane couldn’t help but feel a shiver of apprehension. Was this little man really in cahoots with some evil monster bent on resurrection? The entire idea seemed way too ludicrous even after everything he had gone through with Lana. Morris leaned forward, hands interlaced on top of his stack of papers.

“Thanks for making time to speak with me,” he said. “Feel free to take an extra five minutes for your lunch, paid of course.”

“Uh, yeah. No problem,” Shane replied, instantly wary of Morris’ easygoing tone.

“It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it, Shane? Now that I’m finally settled back here, I can finally catch up with you and the rest of my employees.”

“Not too many of us left, I’d say.” He hadn’t meant the reply to come out so curtly, but Morris chuckled in reply.

“Yes, lots of changes have been made since I’ve been gone, it seems. But don’t you worry. Your place here at JojaMart is secure. After all, you’re one of our most valuable employees.”

“Uh, thanks. Good to know.”

The words sounded bizarre coming out of Morris’ mouth. In all of Shane’s time working at the JojaMart in Pelican Town, not once had his manager offered him a single compliment. He sat up straighter in his seat, now even more uncomfortable.

“Be assured that JojaCorp values employees like you, Shane. Your hard work has certainly not gone unnoticed, even in my absence.” Morris shuffled around the papers on his desk. “Which is why I’ve called you in here today. I see that you logged plenty of overtime in these last couple of months. It’s great to see that you’ve picked up the slack in other departments. However, I’ve been notified that effective as of today, no more overtime is allowed for JojaMart employees outside of those in Zuzu City locations. This means you’ll go back to your normally scheduled forty hours next week.”

“Wait, so I can’t come in early to help unload the delivery truck anymore?”

“I’m afraid you cannot. You’ll work your regular eight hour shifts. No more, no less.”

The news sat like a ball of acid in his stomach. He had been counting on the extra cash overtime brought him, not to mention the fact that going in early meant he was usually way too tired to even think about hitting the saloon on the way home from work. Once again feeling helpless, Shane gave in, too weary to do nothing but nod and accept the news.

“Alright, understood,” he mumbled. “So, that’s it then? Can I go back to my lunch now?”

“Just a moment.” Morris opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a blue piece of paper. “This is for you, on behalf of all of us at JojaCorp. We thank you for your years of service.”

Shane reached out to take the paper. It was an employee coupon good for one free item at any JojaMart store, subject to a litany of fine print squeezed in at the bottom. A shockwave of anger shot through him. He resisted the intense urge to scrunch the paper up in his hand and throw it back back in Morris’ face. Instead, Shane shoved it into the pocket of his jacket and looked at his manager with a grimace, hands shaking.

“Gee, thanks a lot,” he managed to spit out before standing up to leave. “It’s good to know I’m so appreciated around here.”

Missing or ignoring the clear sarcasm in Shane’s voice, Morris smiled. “Oh, there’s no need to thank me. I just know a valuable employee when I see one. And I’ve definitely got my eye on you, Shane.”

Later, when Shane arrived home, his pockets were empty. The wrinkled coupon that was his reward for years of labor was exchanged at the end of his shift for a six-pack of JojaMart’s best beer that now lay hidden in his closet in case of a future “emergency”. Shane ignored Marnie’s invitation to dinner and Jas’ request for a bedtime story, mindlessly losing himself in his video games before realizing it was well past midnight. He climbed into bed fully clothed and unshowered, brain still numb from staring at a screen for hours. Through the fog, he figured he could wake up early in the morning to get ready before heading to the city with Lana. The siren call of the beer in his closet kept him awake until his eyelids grew unbearably heavy, and finally, Shane stopped tossing and turning, falling mercifully into a dreamless sleep.

****

The next day

The road to the Calico Desert wasn’t surrounded by green pastures like the highway that led back to Stardew Valley. It was steep and winding, cutting through two tall mountains that bordered the northern part of the Zuzu metropolitan area like a pair of guardian sentinels. Any lingering remnants of the snow that blanketed the valley and city disappeared about halfway through the drive. Eventually, the road leveled out, depositing travelers abruptly into a barren, flat expanse of sandy land that extended as far as the eye could see. The tranquil farms that dotted the landscape on the way home were missing here, replaced instead by heat waves that danced far off in the distance.

Shane spent the majority of the ride looking out the window with a now-familiar nauseous feeling lodged in his stomach. True to form, he had chickened out on talking to Dr. Kenza about Jas, reflexively lying to her face when she asked how he was feeling at the beginning of their appointment. It has been an unproductive session that consisted mostly of Shane giving short answers in reply to his therapist’s probing questions. At the end, he quickly departed after insisting to Dr. Kenza that he was just tired after a long week of work, doing his best to ignore the concerned look she shot his way before he closed her office door behind him.

“I think we finally made it,” Lana spoke up. They had been listening to the radio in comfortable silence for the past fifteen minutes or so. “Look, I see a sign.”

Shane followed her gaze to see a single billboard had popped up on the side of the road, starkly white against the dirt and sand. It greeted them alongside a drawing of a smiling cactus in sunglasses. He squinted through the window to read the message.

Welcome to the fabulous Calico Desert…

Where it’s always sunny!

“I don’t know about fabulous, but they definitely got the sunny part right,” he complained, tugging on the neck of his jacket. “Why is it so f*cking hot out here?”

“Beats me,” Lana replied as a bead of sweat ran down her temple. “The temperature must have jumped fifty degrees since we made it out of the mountains.”

“At least your truck has AC. Marnie’s doesn’t work, so it’s hell to drive in the summer. That’s when the engine actually starts, anyway.”

“She’s had that old thing for years, right? How come she doesn’t look into buying a new one? I got mine used for a pretty good deal back in the city.”

“Money’s been extra tight lately. Winter’s always a hard season for her.” He leaned against the window, looking out at the view again. “That’s another reason this whole losing overtime thing sucks. I’ve been helping out a lot more at home to pick up the slack.”

“I still can’t believe Morris pulled that sh*t,” Lana growled. “Ryan confirmed this morning that the rule about only Zuzu City employees getting overtime was a total lie. He’s just doing this to get a rise out of you.”

“What, just like you think he did with you?”

“Exactly!” She gripped the steering wheel tight with both hands. “How else can you explain him kicking me out of JojaMart on Tuesday? I didn’t buy that crap about treating me like any other local competitor for one second.”

“I mean, he is super paranoid about any competition. Look at how he feels about Pierre.”

Lana shook her head. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to figure out what he’s up to. I tried following him after he left work, but it was too risky to keep going once he left town. You’re sure you haven’t noticed anything weird this week?”

“He’s been playing nice, but I think that’s just because he’s trying to get on my good side after all these months. So far, he’s the same neurotic, stuffy Morris. Bossing me around all day, micromanaging from his office. The usual bullsh*t.”

Lana said nothing. She gazed out at the road ahead of them, brow furrowed. Shane could almost hear the gears in her head turning as she ruminated. He was struck with the sudden urge to grab her hand and squeeze it, even if just to reassure her for a moment. Before he could give in to his traitorous desires, she gasped, pointing outside.

“Look! It’s a palm tree. I didn’t know those grew out here. And wow, that’s a lot of cactus. Or is it cacti?”

“Hell if I know,” Shane mumbled, sticking his hands back inside his pockets instead. “You’re supposed to be the smart one here, remember?”

She shrugged, peering out at the desert. “Either way, it looks like the sand goes on forever. It’s going to be a nightmare trying to navigate around this place.”

“Luckily, it looks like this is the only road. I haven’t seen any signs besides that billboard since we got out of Zuzu City.”

They continued driving for another ten minutes before something other than cacti and palm trees appeared on the horizon. Shane couldn’t believe his eyes, gaping through the window as they approached the structure.

“Uh, is that a camel?”

The animal was tied up next to a large, beige tent that was set up inside a fenced enclosure. Lush, green plants surrounded the strange set-up, some of their leaves even escaping from open windows in the tent. As Lana parked her truck nearby, Shane noticed a single plume of smoke wafting up from a hole at the top.

“Ugh, it’s even hotter outside.” She was already climbing out of the truck. “But this looks like a good place to stop for some info.”

Shane followed suit a bit apprehensively, joining her outside. Lana pulled off her sweater, revealing a tight white t-shirt underneath that stopped right above her belly button. The tiny ring there glimmered in the sunlight like a beacon to Shane, who couldn’t avert his eyes from her body in time. He cleared his throat and looked away when their eyes met, feeling his face warm up even more quickly in the dry heat.

“Your turn,” Lana said, making no mention of his obvious ogling as she placed the sweater back in her truck. “Unless you want to sweat it out in that jacket of yours.”

He dutifully did as he was told and handed over his jacket after fumbling around with the zipper for a bit. The old green Tunnelers jersey he had on underneath was already sticking to his back. Overhead, the sun glared down at them.

Lana craned her neck in the direction of the tent. “Come on, let’s go see what we find here.”

Shane followed her as they walked up to the structure. The tied-up camel chewed on some hay, looking them over with lethargic eyes. Slowly, Lana brought up a hand, pausing right in front of its nose. With a snort, the camel closed the gap, bumping into her open palm.

“I think it likes you,” Shane said, amused. It seemed not even desert creatures could resist the farmer’s charm. The camel made another happy noise as Lana patted its nose.

“She’s just a big ol’ cutie pie,” she cooed. “Aren’t you, Miss Camel?”

A sound in the direction of the tent alerted them. Before they could get closer, a woman stepped out from the leaves onto the sand. A bright green turban sat atop her head like a matching crown of foliage.

“Greetings, travelers!” She bowed deeply. “Welcome to my humble shop. Might I interest you in some rare goods?”

“Oh, yes- greetings,” Lana replied, stepping forward with an awkward curtsy in return. “Thanks, but we’re actually out here looking for someone, if you can believe it.”

“Whether it's merchandise or people, I know my way around this desert. But please, come inside so you can escape the heat. We can talk in my shop.”

The interior of the tent was cool and surprisingly spacious, covered with a litany of plants and strange objects for sale that immediately distracted Lana. She spent the first few minutes walking around inspecting items in interest. When asked about the price of a hutch with tiny, shimmering butterflies inside, the shopkeeper waved away her question with a heavily jeweled hand.

"Your coin has no value where I come from,” she declared. “Do you have anything else to trade?"

“Well, I’m not exactly here to trade,” Lana responded. “Like I said, we’re looking for someone.”

“As empty as the desert can seem, it’s difficult to pinpoint someone among all the sand. I’m one of a handful of traders that still call this place home, moving around as the mood strikes me. There’s not much out here besides us.”

“Do you know someone named Mr. Qi?”

“Mr. Qi? Hmm.” The shopkeeper paused to take a sip from a cup of steaming coffee that seemed to materialize out of thin air. “I do believe I’ve heard that name. But first, would you two like some coffee?”

“I- uh, no thank you,” Lana replied, looking a bit flustered. Shane also shook his head, wondering how the hell this woman could be drinking coffee on such a hot day.

She chuckled, enjoying another sip. “Suit yourselves. It’s delicious.”

Lana met Shane’s eyes in bemusem*nt before continuing. “So, how do you know Mr. Qi? And can you tell us how to find him?”

“I became acquainted with Mr. Qi through some old business matters.” The shopkeeper looked up from her ornate cup to peer at the farmer. “Not too many people know that name. Why are you looking for him?”

“It’s a bit of a long story, but I’m pretty sure he knew my dad, Oliver Abernathy. I’m just trying to get some more information on an excavation in this desert he was involved in some years ago. He used to work for the Department of Archaeology at Grampeton University.”

“An excavation in the desert? How curious.”

She turned away, busying herself with a gold box encrusted with gemstones that sat on a nearby table. Lana sighed impatiently. Before she could question her further, the woman spoke up, back still facing them.

“If you continue the way you were coming for another few miles, you’ll find a fork in the road. To the right, there’s only an endless sea of sand. To the left, the road will persist on until you reach another fork. Here, turn right, and the road will lead you to an oasis that serves as a visitor’s center of sorts to the Calico Desert. You’ll find what you’re looking for there.”

Lana thanked the shopkeeper profusely, giving one last wistful glance at her glittering wares before they exited the tent. They climbed back into the truck and proceeded on down the road, propelled by a newfound optimism. With the confirmation that this Mr. Qi person did indeed exist, even Shane had to admit they were on the right track to getting some answers on Lana’s father. He busied himself with leafing through his journal as she drove.

“What the hell was your dad talking about here?” he asked, pausing on a page. “It says, ‘Copious amounts of glowing, purple ores were found on the lower levels of the mine. These ores do not match any known specimens in our records or textbooks. We suspect these to be the cause of the violent mutations we’ve noted in bats and other creatures still in the process of being identified.’ Violent mutations? I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound good to me.”

“He gives more description about the ores towards the end of the notebook. But I think I know what he’s talking about. It’s iridium.”

“Iridium?” The word felt vaguely familiar to Shane. “What’s that?”

“Don’t you remember when I told you about it on Spirit’s Eve?” She rolled her eyes when he shrugged in reply. “Oh, come on. Before we started watching the movie at my place after the festival?”

The only thing Shane could recall from that movie was the feeling of Lana’s warm body pressed against his own on her couch as she slept. She had recounted her wild meeting with the wizard at some point, but all of that was murky in comparison to the memory of spending some time alone in a dark room with her. He racked his brain, trying to dig up at least some of their conversation.

“It’s used to amplify magic,” he eventually was able to remember. “The wizard used it to enchant the town on Spirit’s Eve. That’s how none of us noticed all the weird sh*t going on.”

“Exactly. I did a bit of reading on it afterwards during some of my lessons with Rasmodius, but I didn’t think too much about it at the time. Apparently, there aren’t too many sources of iridium left in the world, most of them overseas in the Gotoro Empire or the Fern Islands. But I didn’t see anything mentioning a source in the Calico Desert, much less anything about something called Skull Cavern, so maybe I’m wrong.”

“Well, only one way to find out,” Shane replied grimly. “Where’s this fork in the road that merchant lady mentioned?”

“She said it was a few miles further down this way, so I’m guessing we’ll hit it soon.”

The woman proved to be right when they reached the divide a few minutes later. There were no signs at the fork, only two branches of road that extended in opposite directions. Both seemed to continue on indefinitely into the desert, beyond even the heat waves on the horizon.

“Good thing she pointed us in the right direction,” Shane remarked. “It would have sucked big time if we went the wrong way.”

“What’s that?” Lana stepped on the brake before turning. “Do you see, over there ahead?”

She pointed in front of them to the section of desert with no more road. Far away in the distance, Shane could faintly make out what looked like three pillars rising up from the ground. A tiny, golden shimmer at the top of each one winked at them in the harsh sunlight.

“No idea,” he said. “Maybe some cell towers?”

Lana shook her head but didn’t reply. She turned the truck to proceed down the road on the left, and soon the towers were nothing but specks in the rearview mirror. As they drove deeper into the desert, cactus plants continued to spring up in scattered clusters over the flat landscape. Every now and then, they’d stumble across more palm trees that extended up into the sky in defiance of the dry heat. Even in Lana’s air conditioned truck, Shane felt himself sweating as though they were in the middle of summer. He figured it was partly due to nerves, still unsure of what the hell they were doing all the way out in the middle of nowhere. As they drove on deeper and deeper into the desert, he couldn’t help but remember the sly way the merchant had glanced at Lana when Mr. Qi was mentioned. Eventually, they reached the second unmarked fork in the road, turning right just as the woman advised them. For another few miles, canti and palm trees were their only companions.

It appeared on the horizon suddenly. Even with Lana’s yelp of excitement, there was really no way either of them could have missed it. The building was painted a loud magenta that was starkly at odds against the muted colors of the desert. Outside, the tiny parking lot was empty except for a single red van that looked like it had seen better years. Lana pulled in next to it and parked her truck, fingers drumming nervously on the steering wheel. Above the glass door that led into the building, a sign in slanted script read simply, OASIS.

“Looks like we made it,” she said, exhaling deeply.

“Looks like it,” Shane replied wryly. “I gotta say- interesting color choice.”

“Hah, yeah. I guess it helps the place stand out.” Lana unbuckled her seat belt but made no move to exit the truck.

“You ready?” Shane reached out to place a hand on her shoulder before he could lose his nerve. To his immense relief, she turned to him, covering his hand with hers. There was a determined set to her brow.

“Yeah, I think I am,” she assured him, gently squeezing his hand once before letting go to grab her father’s journal. “We came all this way, after all. Let’s go inside.”

A tiny jingle bell at the door announced their entrance into the oasis. Shane kept close to Lana as they looked around. The front of the building appeared to house a small general store with only a couple shelves that held products for sale. In the corner, there was a desk in front of an expansive graphic depicting historical facts on the Calico Desert that took up a large portion of the wall.

“Starfruit seeds?” Lana asked, picking up a small blue box to read the back. “I’ve never heard of these before. I wonder how well they’ll do on my farm. Looks like they’re only good in summer.”

Shane teased her, “Still in the mood for some shopping after that merchant rejected your money?”

“Oh, shut up. It’s just cool seeing all these new products. There’s so much stuff I’ve never seen before, even in the city.”

“Oh, customers!”

They both turned in unison. A woman had appeared from a door behind the desk. Shane blinked a few times, disarmed by her sudden presence and statuesque beauty. There was a playful, mischievous tilt to her red lips as she regarded them. Her long crimson hair was tied up partially with a blue bow that perfectly matched the ruffled dress she wore. Even Lana seemed to be stunned, eyebrows raised as she took her in.

“Welcome to Sandy’s Oasis,” the women greeted them. “It’s not too often I get visitors all the way out here. May I ask where y’all are from?”

“Uh, well we came from Pelican Town,” Lana answered her. “But Shane and I are both originally from Zuzu City.”

“Now, hold on a damn minute. Pelican Town?” The woman who presumably was called Sandy fluttered out from behind the desk to shake both their hands earnestly. “Why, that must mean you’re the new farmer in town Emily mentioned! Lana, right? You look just like she described, down to those dazzling eyes of yours. And Shane, of course, I’ve heard all about over the years. What a small world we got here, huh?”

Shane’s mouth dropped open. “You know Emily?”

“Of course I do. She’s my girlfriend, after all,” Sandy replied with a wink.

Suddenly, he recalled the conversation he had with Emily the last time he had been in the Stardrop Saloon, months ago when they exchanged relationship woes over the last of his beer. It had been a while since he’d last spoken to her thanks to his latest stab at sobriety. The few times he saw her around town in the last couple months, she had waved at him with a huge smile plastered over her face, much like the one that always had greeted him back at the saloon.

“You’re the woman she was talking about,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you.”

“Oh, I’m so happy to know Emily mentions me around town.” Sandy giggled. “I’ve been meaning to make a trip down there so I can meet all the colorful characters in those stories of hers. When are y’all going to fix that old bus that used to come out here?”

“Beats me,” Lana replied. “Mayor Lewis always complains about the cost of fixing it. Emily’s probably mentioned him to you.”

“Yes, I know the town’s been struggling these last few years. Emily refuses to leave the dang place, though. She says it’s been her home all her life, and she plans to keep it that way. I don’t blame her one bit. Stardew Valley’s absolutely gorgeous, after all. Anyone would be lucky to call it home.”

“Do you live all the way out here?” Shane asked her, unable to help his curiosity. “No offense, but I didn’t see any houses on the drive.”

“I commute. It’s about an hour or so away from my little village outside of the desert, but I don’t mind. The pay’s great. Oh, um, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

Shane looked around, wondering just how great the pay could be in such an isolated place. For the first time, he noticed a hallway on the other side of the room that extended further into the building. Sandy caught his wandering eye and moved to step in front of him.

“So! How can I help you two?” she offered, smiling nervously. “Anything in particular you’re looking for?”

“A person, actually,” Lana responded. She too had noticed the hallway, tilting her head to get a better look. “A nice merchant with a camel pointed us this way.”

“You must be talking about Stella and Cleo. Stella’s the person to go to for rare goods in this desert, outside of my shop, of course. Her coffee’s to die for.”

“We didn’t get a chance to try it,” Shane informed her dryly.

Sandy clasped her hands together. “So, who are y’all looking for all the way out here? I can point you to some good tour guides, if that’s what you’re interested in. Ain’t nothing like a ride through the dunes at sunset.”

“Do you know someone named Mr. Qi? The merchant - Stella - mentioned I could find him here.”

Sandy’s tanned face turned pale. “H-how do you know that name?”

“You know, Stella said something like that when I asked her about him,” Lana retorted, eyes narrowed. “What’s so special about this mysterious Mr. Qi?”

With a shake of her head, Sandy replied, “I’m sorry, but Stella was mistaken. You won’t find anyone by that name here. I think it’s best if you two just head on home.”

To Shane’s surprise, Sandy spun around, retreating back behind the desk. Lana took a few steps forward, scowling now. Sandy looked harried as she fiddled with the cash register.

“Look, I’m not sure what the big deal is, but I’m looking for Mr. Qi because I think he might have more information about my father,” Lana told her. “We’re not here to cause any trouble.”

“I can’t help you,” Sandy responded quietly. “This isn’t the place you think it is. Please, just- you should leave.”

“Oliver Abernathy.” Lana hugged her father’s journal to her chest. “That name mean anything to you?”

Sandy paused her fidgeting. “What was the name? Oliver Abernathy? No, I’m sorry. Is that someone else you’re looking for?”

This time she seemed sincere, which only seemed to further deflate Lana. With a sharp exhale, she shook her head. The determined glint Shane had seen outside had now disappeared from her eyes.

“No.” She turned back to him, shrugging. “Come on, let’s go. I guess this wasn’t the right place after all.”

The bell at the door played another sad little jingle as they stepped out. Instead of walking to her truck, Lana moved to the side of the building, where she collapsed onto a wooden bench. A frustrated groan escaped her lips as Shane sat down to join her.

“Well, that went well,” he remarked, leaning back.

“Don’t start,” Lana grumbled. The journal now rested on the bench between them.

“She was so friendly before you mentioned that Qi guy,” Shane mused. “What do you think? She full of bullsh*t?”

“Who knows. Even if she’s right about this being the wrong place, I doubt she’d tell us how to find him. Did you see how scared she looked?”

“Yeah, you freaked her out for sure. I’m starting to think Mr. Qi’s someone we don’t want to find.”

“Same here. I just want some answers. But I have no idea where to go from here.” She hung her head as tears formed in her eyes, turning away from him. “I feel so stupid dragging you out here with me on this wild goose chase. I’m sorry, Shane.”

He bumped her shoulder with his. “Hey, don’t apologize. What guy wouldn’t be happy to spend his Saturday driving around chasing geese in the fabulous Calico Desert?”

Lana laughed, wiping her eyes. “It helps pass the time, I suppose.”

“There you go. At least we can say we saw a sh*t-ton of cactuses. Cacti? Whatever. That ain’t something we see everyday.”

“Do you think Stella was lying? About Mr. Qi being here?”

“I don’t know. She said we’d find what we were looking for here, so I assumed that meant the man himself.”

Lana sighed. “I didn’t even get to ask if she or Sandy knew anything about Skull Cavern. Something tells me it would have just made things worse.”

“I mean, there’s a reason your dad wanted it sealed, right?” Shane replied. “If this Mr. Qi guy had anything to do with it, maybe he’s bad news.”

She nodded grimly. “Maybe you’re right… but I can’t just give up.”

“I know you can’t. I’d be surprised if you did.” Shane couldn’t help but smile. “So, where do we go from here, captain?”

“I’d say let’s stick around for some snooping, but it’s already getting late.” She held a hand to cover her eyes from the sun, which was steadily creeping back toward the horizon. “We have a long drive back to the valley, and I need to check on my animals. We can always try again another day.”

“You sure? Maybe there’s a back door we can find.”

“It’s okay,” she replied quietly, gaze again downcast. Her hand rested on the journal. “I think I just want to go home for today.”

Shane nodded, standing up. She joined him, and together they began walking back to the truck. Just as they were about to get in, Sandy ran out of the Oasis, arms waving.

“Wait!” she called out to them. “Don’t go! I’ll help you. I know where you can find Mr. Qi.”

There was a small green card clutched in her hand. She hurried over to them. Before they could say anything, Sandy hung her head, apologizing profusely.

“I’m so sorry for lying. It’s just… the types that come here asking for Mr. Qi usually don’t look like the two of you. I’ve been advised to show major discretion when it comes to his affairs. I just didn’t want y’all to get mixed up in something you couldn’t handle.”

“Well, thanks for the concern, but I’m not sure that last part is up to you, honestly,” Lana responded, tone still wary.

“You’re right,” Sandy conceded. “It just surprised the dickens out of me when you said you were looking for him. But Emily always talks so highly of y’all, and if Stella pointed you my way, that means she also trusted you. They’re both some of the most perceptive people I know.”

She reached out, handing Lana the green card in her hand. “That’s why I decided to give you this Club Card I’ve been saving. It’s good for one membership to Qi’s club, which includes a guest. Take it and go back into the Oasis. Down the hallway, there’s a door that’s unlocked, but a bouncer on the other side needs this card before he can let you go any further. If you ask me, he’s kind of a shady-looking guy, but I’m not really supposed to talk about it. Anyway, just show it to him, and you’re good to go.”

“And that’s where we’ll find this Qi guy?” Shane cut in, taking the card from Lana to inspect himself. “Or is this your way of getting rid of us by sending us off on some weird scavenger hunt or something?”

“He should be here today,” Sandy affirmed. “It’s a full house, after all.”

Lana and Shane looked around at the empty parking lot before glancing at each other skeptically.

Sandy smiled apologetically . “Please, let’s go back inside. It’ll all make sense once you meet him.”

They followed Sandy into the Oasis. She retreated behind her desk while Lana and Shane headed down the hallway. There was a peculiar expression on her face as she gave them one final wave before they went through the door at the back of the hall.

They entered another hallway with a lone window that let in a narrow ray of sunlight from outside. There was nothing inside except a man dressed in all black at the end, unmoving as they approached. Shane felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

“What the hell did you get us mixed up in?” he whispered anxiously to Lana.

She shrugged. “I have no idea, but he doesn’t look too happy.”

The man said nothing as they stood before him. Expressionless, he wore dark sunglasses and a black bowler hat. After a moment of hesitation, Lana pulled out the green card from between the pages of her father’s journal where she placed it before coming inside. He took it from her, nodding as he looked it over.

“Looks like this is a genuine Club Card,” he affirmed. “You may enter.”

The man opened the door behind him, stepping aside to let them through. Lana and Shane walked forward, entering a wide room covered in wavy purple wallpaper. The door clicked shut behind them as they took everything in. To his deep surprise, slot machines and card tables filled the room, most being put to good use by a couple dozen or so figures that were hard to make out through the dim lighting.

“Is this… a casino?” Shane asked incredulously.

“It looks like it,” Lana responded. “Man, this is definitely not what I was expecting.”

“You’re telling me. Where the hell did all these people come from?”

“No clue, but I’m getting a weird vibe from this place.” She glanced around. “Almost like we’re being watched.”

A cheer erupted from a nearby card table. A few patrons were celebrating what looked to be a large victory, judging from the hefty stack of violet coins in front of them. With a gasp, Shane noticed the dealer had scaly green skin like a lizard.

“Lana.” He clutched her arm, dumbstruck. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

She nodded grimly. “Unfortunately, I am. There’s definitely something funky going on here.”

They began to cautiously walk around the casino. Most people were too busy with their gambling to pay them any notice. Several strangers wore hoods or even masks, hiding their faces as they passed by. Suddenly, Lana stopped in her tracks. Shane, distracted by the flashing lights of a slot machine, slammed right into her.

“sh*t, sorry,” he mumbled, catching her around the waist before she fell forward.

As amazing it felt to have her in his arms again, he quickly let go before things got uncomfortable. Lana barely seemed to notice. Her eyes were locked on a man standing a few feet ahead with his back turned to them. Shane blinked a few times in disbelief, pretty sure he hadn’t been there a couple seconds ago.

“Are you Mr. Qi?” Lana asked loudly, stepping closer to him.

The man turned around, revealing a pale blue face partially hidden behind a pair of round sunglasses. He wore a dark suit that shimmered like starlight with every small movement he took. A curiously shaped hat sat atop his head, seemingly constructed out of the same material. The man grinned widely.

“Indeed I am,” he replied. “It’s good to finally meet ya, kid.”

***

Shane sat next to Lana in front of Mr. Qi’s desk, uneasily reminded of his meeting with Morris only the day before. He had invited them back into his office to talk once Lana began demanding answers, eliciting a few nosy looks from the casino patrons. There were a half dozen or so blank monitors on the wall behind him connected to what looked like a very advanced computer. Beside Shane, Lana clutched her father’s journal on her lap.

“So, are you finally going to tell us how you know who we are now?” she demanded of Mr. Qi when he sat down behind his desk.

“That guy, I don’t know.” Mr. Qi pointed first at Shane, who tried not to be offended. “But you, I recognize. Trust me, kid- I never forget a face. You look just like him, after all. Especially with those eyes of yours.”

Lana frowned. “Just like who?”

Mr. Qi chuckled. “Why, my buddy Oliver, who else? I knew he had a daughter and another on the way, but it was so long ago since we last spoke. You were just a baby when he first showed me the picture of you in his wallet. How old are you now, Little Miss Lana Rose? Twenty-four, twenty-five?”

“Tail end of twenty-six, actually.” She leaned forward now, eyes narrowed. “So, you do know my father. How?”

“Your dad and I met many years ago, way out in the middle of this fine desert. Brilliant guy, I’ll tell ya that. Lots of history buried beneath that sand was saved thanks to his team’s work. How’s he doing these days?”

Shane glanced in concern at Lana, who remained stony faced.

“He passed away when I was thirteen,” she answered. “Cancer.”

Mr. Qi’s eyes were obstructed by his dark glasses, but it was clear the news surprised him.

“I’m really sorry to hear that, kid. The world lost a great man that day.”

She nodded somberly. “Thank you. He was a great man. And a great father. Lately though, it feels as though he had this whole other life I had no clue even existed. I know he used to work out here for the university, but I never really stopped to think about what all that really meant until recently.”

“Is that his journal?” Mr. Qi gestured to the journal on her lap. “I recognize the leather. He used to carry that thing around with him like it was attached to his hand.”

“It is.” Lana made no move to hand him the notebook. “But first, I need to ask- I know enough about magic to recognize when it’s nearby, and this place reeks of it. How did my dad get mixed up with someone like you?”

At this, Mr. Qi grinned again, teeth shining. “You got good instincts, kid.”

Shane shrunk a little in his chair. Of course magic was involved. Even with Lana taking the lead, he couldn’t help but feel like he was way in over his head here. Still, he snuck another look at Mr. Qi’s bizarre blue skin as he spoke, unable to help his curiosity.

“I was born an ordinary boy, but I made a decision early in life that I would become extraordinary.” Mr. Qi leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head. “It’s a journey that led me to the furthest reaches of this continent and beyond. When I decided to settle here in the Calico Desert over three decades ago, I’d already made quite a name for myself in the treasure hunting business.”

“Treasure hunting business?” Lana interjected incredulously. “That’s how you met my dad?”

“That’s right. I’m sure you noticed on the drive in, but this place is absolutely enormous. Calico Desert dates back to prehistoric times, when dinosaurs and other giant beasts roamed the land. It’s hard to navigate without proper guidance, which is where I come in.”

A smirk slid over his cerulean features. “A year or so after he and his team first began their work out here, Oliver and I made a deal. Most of the artifacts his team dug up ended up in some museum or another, but a few… special items were sold to me on the side to raise extra cash for future excavations. This was when I dealt exclusively with the trade of rare goods, you see- years before I built this casino.”

“I see.” She raised an eyebrow. “And did Grampleton University know about my dad’s little business arrangement with you?”

“If I had to take a guess, no. Oliver and his team were left pretty high and dry by the university for most of their time in the desert. Our business arrangement was actually his idea. You don’t know how many times I had to listen to him complain about their department being underfunded for the amount of work that needed to be done.”

He gave a wistful sigh before adding, “Thinking back about it now, we had a really good thing going, Oliver and I. Mutually beneficial. Seeing you today makes me remember how much we enjoyed each other’s company.”

Lana leaned forward again. “That all ended when my dad found Skull Cavern, didn’t it?”

Mr. Qi said nothing as he glanced again at the journal on her lap. Abruptly, he spun away from them in his chair, chuckling deeply. Turning back to them with another smug smile on his face, he held up his hands in surrender.

“Okay, you got me there, kid. Tell me- what does a young, pretty gal like you know about Skull Cavern?”

“Nothing but what’s in this journal,” she replied, tapping the cover. “I know it’s here, somewhere in this desert, and that it’s full of dangerous monsters my dad wanted sealed away.”

“Bingo. That’s basically the gist of it. But why the curiosity after all these years?” He rubbed his hands together in delight. “Hold on- don’t tell me you’re looking to walk in Oliver’s footsteps and go into business with me, are you? I’d take you up on that offer in a heartbeat.”

“Thanks, but I have enough on my plate as it is,” Lana replied curtly. “I’m just here for some answers about my dad. Skull Cavern cost him his job, after all.”

“Fine, but the offer still stands if you ever change your mind,” Mr. Qi answered with a wink. “Don’t you worry. I’ll tell you all about Skull Cavern. Not just because you’re Oliver’s daughter, but also because I get the feeling you’re really something special. In fact, I think you’re gonna be a star someday, kid.”

Lana rolled her eyes, but this time Shane was surprised to see the ghost of a smile cross her lips. “Thanks, I’m flattered. Now, please- just tell us what you know.”

Mr. Qi settled back into his chair as he spoke. “Until your dad and his team managed to dig their way in through sheer dumb luck, the enigma we christened ‘Skull Cavern’ hid deep underground, unknown even to me and my large network of traders at the time. Back then, competition among us was fiercer because we were larger in number, so when Oliver told me one day about stumbling across a seemingly never-ending underground network of ancient mines… Well, I guess you can say I recognized the potential of such a discovery immediately.”

“Ancient mines?” Lana inquired, curiosity evidently peaked. “Does that mean Skull Cavern is manmade?”

“Oh, most definitely. We never could figure out exactly who built the place, but I’m dead serious when I called it never-ending. I’m pretty sure your dad’s team never got anywhere even close to reaching the bottom.”

Shane twiddled his thumbs in his chair, doing his best to keep up with this bizarre turn of events. It seemed getting involved with dangerous magic ran in the family when it came to the Abernathy’s, judging from what they now knew about Lana’s father. He couldn’t help but remember one summer evening many moons ago when a wine-tipsy Lana showed him an old photo of her dad on her cellphone as they lounged by a bonfire after a hard day of work at the farm. Just as Mr. Qi declared, the physical resemblance between father and daughter was almost uncanny. Shane looked up from his fidgeting fingers to sneak another look at him, but it was almost impossible to picture his blue face alongside the Oliver Abernathy he had seen in Lana’s phone, who was by all accounts a normal man dedicated to his career and family before it was all ripped away from him.

Unperturbed of Shane’s inner turmoil, Mr. Qi continued on merrily, “As time went on, your dad’s team got the thumbs up from the university to dig deeper into Skull Cavern, eventually coming across all the creepy crawlies you probably read about in his journal. I convinced your dad to keep quiet for a bit while I did some investigating of my own, but he wanted to come clean to the university about everything they’d found. He said maybe there was a way to help these poor creatures by studying them and categorizing them scientifically, figuring their discovery would also land them the extra funding they so desperately needed.”

Here, he paused for a second before shaking his head. “That all changed when we found the iridium. Tons of it, kid, just buried away below the sand, wreaking absolute havoc on the ecosystem. You know what iridium is, I take it?”

“I do,” she informed him. “I thought it was just used to amplify magic, but from reading my dad’s journal, he seemed to think it’s what created all the dangerous creatures down there. Is that even possible?”

“Judging from the mess in Skull Cavern, it seems that way. If there's enough iridium confined in one space, it can mutate living organisms in proximity over time. I’ve seen it happen a few times in my travels. Oliver recognized the danger almost immediately, even when the rest of his team was oblivious to it. It had even leaked into some of the artifacts they excavated down there, almost like the damn stuff was radioactive or something. Nothing was safe.”

“He called the creatures ‘cursed’,” Lana interrupted him quietly. “In the video I saw that night in the maze- I remember now.”

Mr. Qi gave her a curious look, but continued, “Either way, your dad knew that much iridium in the wrong hands could spell disaster. He called off any further exploration of Skull Cavern, ordering the entrance sealed and all their records destroyed. It wasn’t until a few months later I found out about him getting the boot from the university. I guess the higher-ups over there didn’t take too kindly to his team’s refusal to divulge the location of their discovery or the rest of their findings.”

“So, the university really got rid of them all? Just like that?”

At this, a sad smile formed on his face. “Nope. Only your dad. After they all agreed to sign some NDA’s, Oliver worked out a deal with the university. He officially resigned to save a bit of face, but effectively they fired him and blacklisted him from working at any prestigious university ever again. Your dad ended up taking the fall so the rest of his team could be spared the chopping block. I finally got the whole truth out of him after a few drinks the last time I ever saw him, the humble bastard. Ah, no offense, kid.”

Lana stared down at the journal in silence. For a few long moments, no one spoke. Shane noted in concern the way her fists were balled up on her lap.

“So, it was all because of the iridium,” she said eventually, taking a deep breath. “Looks like this magic business found my dad on the other side of this ocean just like it found me.”

Mr. Qi chuckled. “Magic tends to do that. It’s a tricky thing, but I think I’ve grown familiar with its ways after all these years. Your dad did his best to run from it, but something tells me you’re not following in his footsteps when it comes to that either.”

“I guess you could say that.” Lana looked up, and Shane was glad to see the tense set to her jaw was gone. “At least for now, anyway.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I’ll tell you what, kid- you've got the 'spark'.” Mr. Qi abruptly stood, arms outstretched. “What spark, you ask? Oh… just the conduit of mystery, of art. People like us have a responsibility to keep the world alive, to give folks a taste of the extraordinary. You see, Lana, this world's like a bowl of rice- it's got substance, but it ain't worth nothin' without a good, zesty sauce. That's where folks like you and I come in. In fact, I'm starting to think it’s destiny that we found each other.”

The farmer shook her head in bewilderment. “I’m sorry, but I really have no idea what you’re talking about now.”

Mr. Qi snickered. “You'll understand someday. For now, my advice to you is this: just keep doing your best, and never give up.”

Lana met Shane’s equally baffled eyes before replying, “...Right. Either way, I guess I should thank you. As weird as this whole experience was, I finally got some more information about my dad and his past. It’s the whole reason Shane and I came out here in the first place.”

For the first time in their conversation, Mr. Qi’s eyes snapped back over to Shane. He gulped as he felt the man surveying him from behind those bizarre, pitch-black glasses of his. He was in the hot seat for only a couple seconds before Mr. Qi turned his attention back to Lana, smiling warmly at the farmer.

“Hey, you’re welcome, kid. I’m glad I was able to help.”

They were interrupted by a series of knocks at the door.

“Come on in!” Mr. Qi called out.

The bouncer that let them inside the casino stepped into the office. His expression remained as neutral as ever. Silently, he shut the door behind him.

“Sir, there’s a bit of a scuffle building out here between some of the patrons,” the bouncer informed Mr. Qi. “We may need your diplomatic skills to break the tension.”

“Let me guess- lady luck picking favorites today? Alright, I’ll be out in a second. Just let me finish up here with my esteemed guests.”

The bouncer nodded once and disappeared back into the casino just as quickly as he appeared. Mr. Qi turned back to Shane and Lana with a shrug.

“Sorry about that, folks. It looks like duty calls. Was there anything else I could help you with before we head out?”

Lana stood, holding her dad’s journal to her chest. “No, actually, I think we’re good here. For now, anyway. You’ll be seeing me again if something else comes up.”

Shane stumbled to follow Lana’s lead, surprised at how quickly she was willing to cut their conversation short. On the other hand, Mr. Qi looked quite pleased by her response as he moved toward them. To Shane’s deep displeasure, he placed a hand on Lana’s shoulder, leaning in closer to reply.

“Of course, kid. You’re more than welcome to come back and visit any time you want. Just, ah… Don't tell anyone about this place, okay? I want to keep it exclusive. You'd keep a secret for your friend Mr. Qi, wouldn't you?”

“Not sure if I’d call us ‘friends’ just yet,” she replied loftily, moving out from under his hand. “But like I mentioned earlier, I appreciate the help with my dad, so I can promise you that your secret is safe with us.”

Shane followed them out of Mr. Qi’s office back into the casino. They were met with the ringing sounds of slot machines amidst an angry rumble from a group of cloaked patrons in the corner who indeed appeared to be in the middle of an argument. Mr. Qi shot them an apologetic glance.

“Sorry again for all the ruckus. You know how it is in the casino business- people take their money pretty seriously around here. But please, feel free to stay and try your luck at any of our open machines or tables. Your club card includes access to everything in this room, after all.”

.Shane and Lana watched Mr. Qi walk away to deal with the bickering group. Before he could say anything, Lana elbowed him, looking around pointedly before craning her neck toward the exit. He nodded, understanding immediately that it would be safer to talk outside.

They hurried out of the casino, nodding nervously in goodbye to the bouncer before heading down the hall to go back into the Oasis’ front room. Sandy was no longer behind the counter, but neither of them stopped to look for her before they quickly exited through the glass doors at front. By now, the sun had begun to set behind the mountains in the distance, significantly cooling the desert air around them.

“Well, that Qi guy seemed pretty happy to finally be rid of us. How come you didn’t ask him anything about the Void or Morris?” Shane asked once they were safely inside Lana’s truck. “Didn’t you say you thought this whole thing with your dad was connected somehow?”

“We need someone like Mr. Qi on our side, so I don’t want to wear out our welcome just yet,” Lana replied. “He could prove useful later on with all the connections I bet he’s made over the years. Besides, I don’t entirely trust him regardless of the info he gave me about my dad. I’m not sure he needs to know about the Void situation, especially when I’m not even sure how it’s all related yet.”

“Makes sense,” he conceded, not surprised she remained equally as wary of the strange man they met inside of the Oasis. “So, what are you going to do now?”

“You mean with Morris and the Void?”

“Yeah.” He was struck with a horrifying thought. “Please don’t tell me you want to go looking for Skull Cavern. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to join you for that particular adventure..”

“No, you can relax. Based on what my dad wrote and Mr. Qi confirmed, it’s way too dangerous. Besides, the entrance is sealed.” She shrugged, turning on the ignition. “At this point, all we can do is go home. I’ll see what else I can find in Rasmodius’ library and keep an eye on our pal Morris in the meantime. You can help me with that part, right?”

“If you’re asking me to continue spying on my manager while on the clock, the answer is yes.”

Lana laughed as she put on her seatbelt. “Thanks, Zuzu. I knew I could count on you.”

A strange bubble of pride materialized within him. “It’s really nothing. If anything, it helps pass the time while I try to not go insane under the fluorescent lights.”

“I remember those ugly lights. Makes you wish there was something more useful they could be doing with all that electricity.”

“What do you mean? Like if the JojaMart in town went out of business?”

“Yeah. Don’t you ever wonder what could take that ugly, old building’s place if those assholes finally cleared out?”

“Not really.” Automatically, he pictured another saloon to liven up the town’s drinking scene but chose to keep that thought to himself. “A restaurant, maybe? Or a community pool?”

“Maybe. Or what about a movie theater?”

“A movie theater in Pelican Town?” He couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Yeah, right. That’ll be the day. I don’t think Mayor Lewis can even fathom something as fun as that around here.”

“Never say never, Shane,” she reminded him with a wink. “Haven’t you been around me long enough to stop doubting the impossible yet?”

He grumbled in reply as he put on his own seatbelt, by this point more than ready to go home. Lana turned on the radio and pulled out of the parking lot. With the bizarre events of the day still heavily on his mind, Shane settled into his seat, content with letting her and the music do most of the talking as they left the Oasis behind. Despite her earlier words of praise, a familiar feeling of helplessness filled his insides while he watched the lonely building grow smaller and smaller in the passenger mirror until it disappeared entirely, dissipating from his view like the memory of a dream erased upon awakening.