The Runaway: A Stardew Valley Story

Bookended

The Pelican Town Library is nestled in the quaintest little grove of grass and wildflowers. I would have sat outside to read had it not been for the smokehouse or oversized chimney or whatever lay behind. Instead, I opted for the farthest table from the entrance with a window. Reading has never been my strongest skill set — though come to think of it, I don't really have any sort of skill set — so I only glean the most basic ideas from some of the picture diagrams about pollinators, irrigation, weather patterns, fertilizers, and harvesting. Still, it's more than I had to go on before my little excursion. That counts for something.

I open the sketchbook and start a new list.

Goals for Lakewood Farm:
- get sprinklers

Just as I find myself wondering how much a good sprinkler system would set me back, I feel a tap on my shoulder. More people? I've already talked to like... three. Counting the cowboy librarian guy.

"Pardon me, Miss," a melodic voice whispers low, "might I know what you're reading? I'm afraid I've already read everything in the fiction department, and you seem so thoroughly engrossed. Perhaps I might enjoy it as well."

A tall man in his mid-to-late twenties appears around the corner of a bookcase. If I hadn't seen Gussy dressed up for the Joja Galla last fall, I would have called him the most beautiful man I've ever seen. Although his crimson coat is fading, I note the quality fabric, and the color adds a richness to the golden tone of his skin and hair. This man is a god. It has to be the only explanation. Not wanting to disappoint the diety, I flip the nearest book titled Hydroponics closed to reveal the cover, and the stranger makes a sound of comical disappointment.

"I guess you're not someone to ask for help on the farm, huh?"

"Afraid not."

The long-haired god strides over to the chair across from me. Josh would have spun the chair around and used the back to lounge his chest on. That is if he had taken the time to sit with me at all. The stranger gently lowers his weight onto the wooden chair and elegantly rests his back in the proper position. I find myself mesmerized by the grace of his movements.

The man continues to explain, "I once had a cactus — those should be impossible to kill — and I used to water it with seawater!"

"And?"

"Oh, it died of course."

"Of course," I muse and make a mental note to always draw from the pond or maybe go ahead and add "well" to my goals for the farm.

Dark eyes watch me with intensity and curiosity. They roam over the various book titles and notes scribbled into my sketchbook. There's a glint of something in that gaze, but I don't know him well enough to say what it could be.

"What brings someone who needs a lesson sowing seeds to a farm all the way out in Pelican?"

I jump from my seat at the question. "I don't remember inviting you to sit with me," is all I can manage as fury rages through me. I throw my sketchbook and pencil stub into my pack and stalk toward the exit.

"I'm sorry!" the stranger calls after me and asks me to wait, but it's too late.

The wooden door slams on its hinges behind me as I continue to march farther from the library. Anywhere but here sounds pretty good right now, so I don't bother to pay attention to where my feet take me. A hundred questions fill my head, and I try to steady my breathing.

He couldn't be suspicious of me already, could he? Had he been able to tie me back to the Jones family? Did he recognize me from a tabloid or newsfeed?

Something shifts under my feet and I break stride to examine my surroundings. This is the beach that the mayor mentioned yesterday. I must have taken a wrong turn in my frantic state. The trees separating the sand from the grassy banks near the library are half pine and half palm. There's a long dock stretching from the shore into a crystal-blue sea. A ruby sunset paints the skyline to tie off the perfect view, and my stomach growls to remind me that I skipped breakfast and lunch.