The Runaway: A Stardew Valley Story

Grandpa's Letter

The note Mayor Lewis hands me smells foul. As foul as the abandoned fishing rod sulking in the corner. I accept it by taking one corner in between my fingertips.

"Peter sure is untrustworthy of the mail these days," the mayor says. My heart stops at the name. "He had the letter mailed to Willy's friend over on Ginger Island with instructions to have Willy farey the letter back to me so I could give it to you."

No longer worried about the smell, I clutch the letter to my chest.

"This is from Grandpa?!"

The old mayor chuckles with a grin. "I'll let you have some privacy. See you at the Flower Dance tomorrow."

I barely notice Mayor Lewis turn and walk away; my fingers are too busy shredding open the letter as delicately as I can without wasting any time. Inside, a neatly folded yellow page is tucked and thankfully devoid of the reek of fish. The envelope flutters to the floor as my eyes scan the page.

"What is this?" I mutter.

On a good day, I can read most of the words I come across in the library. I've gained some proficiency since living on the farm, but reading probably won't be a favorite hobby anytime soon. I do, however, know enough to realize that the words on this page are not words at all. They are loops and swirls that mimic letters, but every line is connected as if someone never picked up their pen.

"Cautious as ever, Grandpa," I grumble, "but next time you send something in code, maybe make sure that I can crack it."

While Mayor Lewis knows the most important pieces of information about my coming to stay in Pelican, the only person I could think of to help me solve the code is the only person who knows all of my secrets. Robin nearly choked when I asked to talk to Sebastian, but she just informed me that he would be in his room downstairs. Sebastian doesn't smile at me as he opens the door to his basement bedroom, but his expression does soften.

"Not a good time, Junox," Sebastian says with a strain.

"What's wrong?" I ask, concerned.

"I got a fuckton of work, that's what's wrong," Sebastian says completely seriously but with a laugh.

"What if I promise to be quick?"

Sebastian eyes me wearily. "Fine," he opens the door to me after a beat of silence, "what do you want?"

The inside of Sebastian's room is as dark as his clothes. Black-painted walls are decorated with dark-colored posters depicting dark scenes. There's a lingering stench of smoke and no natural light. His bed is neatly made, though, and all the cords and cables for his computer are arranged in neat little bundles.

"My grandpa sent this," I hold out the letter, "and he went through a lot of trouble to make sure it wouldn't trace back to me. He even used some code to write it in, but I can't make out a single word. It's all just squiggles."

"And you think I can?"

"You write code for a living," I argue.

Sebastian smiles at this. "Different kind of code, very different."

I frown. "Could you just look at it, please? You're one of the only people I can trust with the contents of this letter."

With a huff, Sebastian waves me over to his desk where he pulls up an extra stool and flicks on a lamp. He smoothes out my letter beneath the glow and stares intently. After a moment, Sebastian begins chuckling softly. In the next heartbeat, his chuckle turns into a roar of laughter. It sounds deep and gentle, and I'm certain I've never seen him look so carefree.

But what the hell is so funny?

"What is it?" I ask almost unsure if I want the answer.

It takes several failed attempts for my master code breaker to calm down from his fit of laughter. Each time he drew a steadying breath, his chest would rumble again with deep bubbles of giggles. Finally, he's able to catch a breath and turn to me.

"Do you know what cursive is?"

"Is it bad?"

"It's actually kinda pretty," he muses, "and it also happens to be a stylistic handwriting that old people use almost exclusively." Sebastian points to the page. "Like this."

"Stylistic handwriting?" I echo in disbelief. "You mean those are words?"

"Uh-huh, and you happen to be in luck because they don't teach cursive in schools much anymore, but Stardew Valley High had it in our curriculum until sixth grade."

"So you can read it?" I nearly shriek.

In response, Sebastian clears his throat and reads, "Dear Junox, I'm not sure how long it will take this letter to reach you. The Ginger Island Post Office is notoriously sluggish, but I had to be certain you and the baby would be safe. Your mother and father visit more and more frequently now. They know I helped you escape, but unless they revoke my status as mentally incompetent, they can't turn me in for questioning.

"There's a boy with funny hair who comes in every once in a while." Sebastian raises an eyebrow but I swat his insinuation away. "He calls himself Gussy, and he asks if you are safe. He tells me stories about you two sometimes.

"I don't have too much longer, my girl. There's a shadow," Sebastian's face falls and his voice breaks, "a shadow in my lungs. The doctor said surgery would be too risky."

"A shadow?" I ask. "Wh-what does that mean?"

Sebastian shifts the paper. "Let me finish first," he whispers softly.

I nod, but there's a knot in my chest.

He keeps reading, but his voice shakes with emotion now, "That's why I wanted to get this to you. I had hoped that things would die down in the city, and I could make it out to help you raise the little tyke. It doesn't look good. I love you, Junox, and you will never be alone. Yours, Grandpa."

"What doesn't look good?" I ask. "What's wrong with Grandpa?"

Sebastian's Adam's apple bobs, and the shadow cast by the lamp moves against his throat. The lines around his lips tighten. My own chest constricts in anticipation. I can't move a muscle for fear of missing his next words.

"Junox, do you know what cancer is?"

The frown in my expression deepens. I remember someone saying once that Joja Cola caused cancer. Josh got really pissed off because the company had to go to court over it. That was when we first started dating, and I never heard the rest of it. I assume you wouldn't take someone to court over anything good—especially not Joja Corp.

"It's not good, right?"

Sebastian lowers his gaze and shakes his head. "Sometimes, it's not too bad, and they can remove it or kill the tissue using chemo and radiation. Still, cancer is often... deadly."

"Grandpa's dying?" I choke.

Sebastian doesn't know how to respond. Or maybe he knows the right answer but just can't bring himself to say it.

Instead, he drops his gaze to the carpeted floor.

Tears prick my vision. Grandpa can't be dying. He can't be. Not after everything he's suffered through with my mom and my dad. Not after giving me everything I need to start over.

A warm shoulder presses into mine. It's the only indication that Sebastian sees the pain I'm trying so hard to hide. There's pressure in my throat. I can't breathe around it. I press my palm into my lips to stifle a sob.

"It hurts worse to hold it in," Sebastian says softly.

With those simple words of permission, I breakdown.

A not-so-happy Friday to my readers. Poor Grandpa :(

Unfortunately, no double posts today, so you guys will have a nice little cliffhanger. However, you guys are still the best! Thank you for your continued support!