The Runaway: A Stardew Valley Story

Songs of Summer Social

I should have promised myself to never travel via bus again. Then, I could have feigned personal dissent when Sam asked me to the concert. Sebastian certainly had some good reasons for me to stay home. I should have listened to him when he reminded me that every town in Stardew Valley would attend the Songs of Summer Social. The risk of someone noticing me will be even higher than usual, and had I stayed home like Sebastian insisted, I wouldn't be seated right behind Mayor Lewis while he tries to not-so-covertly sneak longing glances at Marjorie.

Note to self: Take Sebastian's advice more often.

"Mom. Mom. Mom! Mom!" a familiar little boy shouts as he rounds the stairs of the bus and points in my direction. "That's her! That's the farmer lady Sam said we had to be nice to!"

His mother follows behind with dark circles and light brown hair braided to the side. "Vincent!" she hisses with tired eyes wide in horror. "Who taught you to point like that? It's very rude, and don't shout in small spaces."

Vincent ignores the woman. "Farmer Junox! Can I sit beside you since Ms. Penny isn't coming?"

"Uh, yes," I fumble over the word of ascent in amazement that I would be second to the illustrious Penny.

"Don't pester the poor woman, dear," the mother sighs. "It's a long ride."

Offering a tentative smile down to the child, I shrug. "It's okay with me if he stays."

With heavy hesitation, Vincent's mother nods and presses her back stiffly into the seat across the narrow aisle from her son's freshly claimed seat. Vincent roars in triumph and pumps his fists squarely into the rough textured back of Mayor Lewis's seat. This interrupts the unnaturally long glance in Mary Anne's direction.

The following hour and fifteen minutes pass in similar fashion. Vincent finds something that catches his attention. He clambers over my lap to get a better view. His mother scolds him. Vincent impishly returns to his seat. On the third exclamation of "We're here!" Vincent is correct, and I breathe a little easier.

Five unnaturally warm and damp fingers curl around my sleeve. "Who are you going to stand with?"

Elliot. Sebastian. Sam. Abigail...

None of them will be in the crowd, I realize with a pang in my chest. Elliot declared he was going into "writer's hibernation" -- whatever that means -- the very next day after that awkward encounter on Grandpa's front porch. I haven't seen so much as a flash of red hair in the library since. And believe me, I've tried. As for the remaining three, they left early this morning to do something called sound checks. It occurs to me that the band members can't perform and watch by my side at the same time. I am completely alone in a crowd of who knows how many people.

Shit, I should have listened to Seb.

"Erm," I cough, "I was just going to hang out towards the back. I'm not a big fan of crowds."

"Mo-om! Can Ms. Junie watch with us?"

"It's Junox, dear, and only if she wants to. Ms. Junox just said she doesn't like crowds."

Big watery eyes turn toward me. Fear fills my stomach, but my heart melts at the onslaught of raw cuteness. This child is doing this on purpose. Vincent is trembling his lip and sniffling because he knows adults cannot withstand it. My pulse leaps. I swallow back fear.

"Please, Ms. Junie?" Vincent pleads.

Oh for fucks sake. "Y-yeah. I would like that."

Vincent offers a small and sweaty hand to me. "Don't worry, Ms. Junie. I'll hold your hand so you don't get scared."

The stone in my chest melts just a smidge, and I find myself clinging to a small boy's hand as we push past a sea made of bodies and foul-smelling smoke. Lights from the massive, open structure at the front of the gathering bathe the swarm of people in violets and greens and then yellows and reds. It's dizzying and disorienting. The constant shifting and shoving of onlookers does nothing to help. There are too many people.

"Someone's going to recognize you, Junox!" Sebastian whispered shouted into the darkness of the mountain. "Yabba, this is why I didn't tell you."

A stab cuts through my stomach at how right he had been. I duck my head lower hoping that the grey cap Sebastian let me keep hides my face from the never-ending wave of faces. Vincent isn't satisfied with our position in the crowd until we're directly in front of the massive, black structure. Unfortunately for me, this must be the most popular place because the press of shoulders and elbows is thicker than anywhere else. I feel like I'm suffocating.

Screeching echoes over the crowd, and a woman dressed in a trendy skirt and bright makeup picks up something with a long black chord. When she holds it up to her mouth, her voice booms. I clutch my ears, but the sound pulses in my stomach and chest. Briefly, I wonder if a sound this loud could cause harm to the baby, but even over the pads of my palms, I can hear the colorfully decorated woman eagerly announcing the band.

The crowd roars.

I squeeze my head until my hands tremble. Sam's mother and Vincent don't seem to notice my pain as they join the cheers of the people. The woman lifts her son to see just in time for three shadowy figures to emerge on the raised surface. The faces of Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian emerge in the brilliant lights now turned away from the crowd. Sebastian and Abigail look nervously around the ocean of screaming fans. Sam seems... exhilarated. For a brief moment, his golden hair pales, and his face is sharpened with shadows. I shrink back a step.

Sam looks like him. Sam looks like Josh.

I can't bring myself to keep looking. My stomach turns sour, and the press of bodies intensifies as Sam says something into the loud black chord. Casting a final, apologetic glace at the band, I wade back to safety just beyond the crowd. I'm just not fast enough.

"This way!" a hooded figure shouts just as music pours over the audience.

I freeze for a heartbeat. The stranger clears a path just wide enough for the both of us to maneuver. If I don't follow now, I'll be stuck in this swarm. Besides, I can just use them to get to safety. Then, I can slip away. Right?

Right, I tell myself as I lurch forward.

Hi! I would like to give a big thank you for the kindness and encouragement shown by all of my readers. My first semester as a grad student is complete, and here is your reward. I feel a little rusty writing something for fun after all of the papers, so please let me know if this is total crap. I will be working on some buffer chapters to get us through the next semester, so I can't guarantee a post next Friday (also because of holiday travels). Still, I will fix Blackmail during the break!

Thank you : )