《Bit Farmer》 Prologue We¡¯ve found a new game you might be interested in playing! The subject line of the unread email caught Randall¡¯s attention as he set the brown bag of takeout food on his desk next to his computer. Water dripped from the sleeve of his jacket, barely missing the sensitive electronics. He cursed and pulled his hand away, removing his windbreaker and going back out to the foyer to hang it on one of the pegs by the front door. The weather had said only a twenty percent chance of rain when he went out to grab something to eat, but living close to the mountains meant conditions could change drastically in a matter of minutes. He glanced out the window as he walked back into the room. What had started as a small sprinkle two minutes ago when he got out of his car had turned into a sizable storm. Dark clouds covered the sky directly above, and tree branches creaked ominously in the heavy wind. He hoped there wouldn¡¯t be hail this time. The last thing he wanted to do was climb up on the roof again to replace torn shingles. Back at his desk, he pulled a container of chicken with broccoli and fried rice out of the bag and removed the plastic cover. He scooped a big bite into his mouth, chewing contentedly, before opening the email. We here at good.games wanted to let you know a new game was released today that might be of interest to you based on titles you¡¯ve played previously. If you¡¯d like to learn more, please click on the image below to be taken to the good.games portal where you can watch the trailer, read reviews, and learn more about the game. We hope you enjoy playing good games?. Beneath the short text advertisement was an image with the name Bit Farmer in bold letters across a wooden sign board. In the foreground on either side were two characters from the game. On the left was a young woman in a light blue dress with red hair in a braid that disappeared behind her shoulder. She held a wicker basket in front of her filled with various vegetables. Across from her stood a young man with short, brown hair. He leaned a bit to the side, propping himself up with the handle of a hoe he held in both hands. The spout of a watering can jutted up from the bottom of the image at his feet. A pastoral scene filled the background behind the two characters. A fence ran beside a road to the side of a barn slightly out of focus in the distance. A cow looked out with its head over the rail, and a couple sheep grazed in the pasture nearby. The roof of a farmhouse rose up over the woman¡¯s head, and the background in the middle of the image showed a field with half a dozen different plants lined up in neat rows. Something about the name Bit Farmer pulled at Randall¡¯s thoughts, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he¡¯d heard it before. Judging from the image, he thought the game must be some type of farming simulator, part of a genre he¡¯d sometimes played in the past. He clicked on the image to figure out where he¡¯d heard the name before, and a browser window opened to the good.games site. Thunder crashed outside, causing Randall to jump so hard he nearly knocked the container of fried rice into his lap. ¡°That sounded close,¡± he said as he stood to look out the window. After an almost twenty-year hiatus,¡± boomed a voice from the computer¡¯s speakers, ¡°Bit Farmer is back.¡± The browser had started playing a trailer for the game when the page loaded, and Randall sat back down to watch. A sense of nostalgia filled him at the scene being shown of a pixelated man swinging a hoe at a patch of ground in an empty field. The spot where the hoe hit turned from green grass into brown dirt, and the character stepped back to till the next bit. The graphics were severely dated, a clump of blue pixels for his pants, red pixels for his shirt, and white and brown spots for his face and hair. Two black pixels marked the eyes. The cartoon avatar of the farmer looked almost like a flip book as he switched back and forth between five or six different poses to show the action of striking the ground with the hoe. A label in the corner of the video listed the title 8-bit Farmer. After five seconds, the image flashed, and refocused on the same man, except the scene was crisper. The title changed to 16-bit Farmer, and the man grew more distinct. More variety of colors filled in his overalls and gave detail to the face. The screen flashed again, this time identifying the game as 32-bit Farmer and then again for 64-bit Farmer. Each iteration became more detailed as the graphics quality improved. The character still looked cartoony by the end, but there was real animation in the motions he was making. Watching the video brought back memories for Randall of spending hours playing these games when he was a kid. He¡¯d guided his character around his field, collecting fallen branches and rocks, tilling the soil, planting vegetables, and cultivating them until they were ready to be picked. For some reason, the company who produced the game had stopped making sequels, and in the intervening time he¡¯d forgotten the series even existed. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Over the years, millions of players have enjoyed growing crops, raising livestock, and running their own farms,¡± continued the voiceover. ¡°And now with the advent of neural interface technology, you can experience it all for real.¡± The screen flashed again and was replaced by new footage of a game whose graphics were so lifelike, the video didn¡¯t look like a game at all. Rather than the old top-down view from the previous clips, this section was in first person. The character held a hoe, which reached down to break up the earth. The soil shifted naturally and fanned out in a V shape before a hand reached out and dropped a seed into the opening. The hoe then pushed the soil back into place and moved a couple feet down the line to repeat the process. With a neural interface,¡± continued the narrator, ¡°not only will you feel the tools in your hand. You¡¯ll be able to smell the flowers as they grow in your garden, hear the animals as they call to you from their pens, and even taste the fruits and vegetables you grow.¡± Randall scratched absentmindedly at the port installed behind his right ear. He¡¯d gotten a neural interface while studying for his Master¡¯s in computer science. They were making some bold claims as to how realistic the game was, since as far as he knew nobody had been able to replicate taste or smell in a virtual environment yet. He assumed the narrator was using artistic license in order to sell the game, but he had to admit he was intrigued. He was so interested in fact, he paused the trailer and clicked the button to purchase the game. He let it install in the background and pressed the resume button on the video. Do all your favorite activities from previous games and more. Grow crops¡­¡± The camera zoomed out to a third person view of the field and hovered in the air as time sped up. The farmer finished his work and walked off, while over the course of thirty seconds, small shoots grew out of the ground, rose taller, became full-sized plants, and sprouted tomatoes. The farmer came back, pulling the tomatoes off one by one and placing them into a basket. Take care of livestock¡­¡± The scene shifted closer to a barn that had been at the edge of the screen. Chickens scratched in the dirt outside, while the farmer walked into the building, sat down on a stool next to a cow, and began milking her. Various tools hung on hooks on the wall behind him, including a hoe, pickaxe, brushes, shears, files, and hammers. The handle of a pitchfork poked up from a pile of hay on the floor nearby. Collect materials to upgrade your tools and equipment¡­¡± The camera zoomed in on the display of farming implements and went into another time-lapse. Tools would disappear at random and be replaced with another version made of shinier metal or more elaborate craftsmanship. The shot pulled back and widened to show the outside of the barn as new systems popped up around the farm. A windmill assembled itself from planks of wood and began turning in the breeze. A cistern filled with water that flowed out through pipes to sprinklers in the field, and a fine mist sprayed out over the crops. Outside your farm, there is an entire town with people to meet.¡± The camera rose up, centering its view on a road leading away from the farmhouse. It flew down a country lane that widened until it became a two-way street passing through the middle of a small town. Villagers walked about, talking to each other and carrying on chores of their own. As you get to know your neighbors, you¡¯ll develop friendships, and maybe even find someone to join you on your farm.¡± Images of the villagers¡¯ faces appeared, each one staying for a few seconds before being replaced by a new picture. They showed other farmers, shopkeepers, a person fishing, and a blacksmith working at a forge. The last part cycled through a lineup of characters with a young woman on the left side and a young man on the right, each pair fading out so another couple could be shown. They each had unique costumes, hair styles, and props to go along with them. One woman smiled as she bit into a ripe peach. One of the men held up a mug of cider in celebration. The last pair consisted of the red-haired woman in the blue dress and the man leaning on his hoe from the image he¡¯d seen earlier. Get married, have children, and when you¡¯ve saved up enough money, retire and pass on the farm to the next generation.¡± The scene switched to a bedroom with a crib and proceeded into another montage, this time of a baby who crawled about, stood up and walked, played with toys on the floor, and pretended to be riding a wooden horse around the room. When the child became old enough, the camera pulled out to show the front of the house, where the farmer handed over a set of keys with a hug before walking to a vehicle parked by the road. The screen faded to black. And with a neural interface, you won¡¯t just play the game, you¡¯ll be the farmer.¡± Credits for the various development houses and technologies used in development flashed across the screen, which finally ended with a list of places where the game could be purchased. Randall stopped the video and checked the install progress. Ninety percent had already been downloaded, so he wouldn¡¯t have to wait long. He took another bite of rice and glanced out the window while he waited. Although the sky was still dark, a break was forming in the clouds to the west. A ray of sunshine even peeked through in the distance. Rain continued to pelt the window, but he assumed the worst was over. A ding issued from his speakers, announcing that the download had completed and the game was ready to play. He picked up the cable to plug into his neural interface, pausing briefly to glance outside again. The rain was slacking off, and the darkest clouds were already past. He plugged the cable into the slot behind his ear and instructed the computer to launch Bit Farmer. The neural interface took over, transitioning from his mundane senses to the input being created by his computer. But before his sight completely faded out, light flashed all around him and his eyes snapped to the view outside his window. A bolt of crackling energy shot down out of the sky, striking the power line and overloading the junction that led to Randall¡¯s house. Having already relinquished his senses to the neural interface, he only halfway felt the jolt as a surge of power coursed into his brain and everything went black. Chapter 1 The shock of cold water enveloping him brought Randall to his senses. All was murky blackness except for a tiny speck of light that flashed in the distance. His hair spread out in a halo around his head that swayed back and forth, at times blocking the small amount of illumination he could see. Randall kicked his feet, hoping that whatever was producing the glow was above the waterline. He couldn¡¯t tell which way was up, and his lungs were starting to burn. He pulled with all the strength he could muster until his head popped out of the water. He took a giant breath, inhaling some of the spray when a wave splashed over his face. He coughed and spit out the salty brine but kept his eye on the light for fear of losing it. He could see now the towering structure of a lighthouse, with a rotating lamp that spun around every fifteen seconds or so. The wind blew in gusts, creating whitecaps that obscured his vision. His mind reeled as he processed what was happening. How he¡¯d ended up in saltwater was an enigma, considering his home in Colorado Springs was a thousand miles from the nearest ocean. Randall swam towards the coastline, visible in the grayish light of predawn. He would make a little progress forward when the wave was with him then get pulled back almost to his previous position by the undercurrent as it retreated. He stretched as far as he could with each stroke, unsure if he was making any headway. Waves crashed against the shore in the direction he swam. The minutes passed quickly, and his body began to ache. He was almost at the point of giving up, when a swell lifted him into the air, and he caught sight of the beach only a dozen yards away. With renewed vigor, he kicked his legs until his fingers brushed against the sand. Randall crept up out of the surf, a final wave cresting and breaking on his back to roll him up the beach. He crawled forward until he passed the line of dead seaweed that marked the high point of the tide then collapsed on the sand. He coughed, and seawater came up from his lungs, turning the ground dark where it splashed in front of his eyes. Are you all right?¡± Randall turned towards the voice, still coughing loud enough that he could barely hear someone running from farther down the beach. A woman in a sundress that shone pale in the dim light came into view as she crested a sand dune. She carried a small rattan bag in one hand and held a straw hat pinned to the back of her head with the other. Her bare feet kicked up sand as she rushed in his direction. Randall rolled over onto his back and wheezed as he struggled to catch his breath. The woman approached and crouched next to him. It might help if you sit forward with your head between your knees.¡± She took hold of his arm and helped him to an upright position, rubbing his back as he spit out the last of the water. Thank you,¡± said Randall in a raspy voice. The woman nodded in acknowledgment and asked, ¡°What were you doing out there?¡± Randall rubbed his head, which was beginning to ache. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The woman sat and folded her legs underneath herself, careful in how she arranged the long skirt of her dress as she did so. She opened her bag and removed a clay bottle with a metal clasp. She pulled the wire on one side, which flipped up, releasing a cork stopper, and held it out to him. ¡°Are you thirsty?¡± He waved the bottle away, but she didn¡¯t move until he finally relented. The container felt cool when he grasped it near the bottom. He took a drink from the bottle, and nearly started another coughing fit. He¡¯d expected water but was surprised by a creamy liquid with a hint of sweetness and a sour aftertaste. The bottle had no label, so he asked, ¡°What is this?¡± Buttermilk,¡± said the woman, her tone apologetic. ¡°Sorry if it¡¯s not to your liking, but it¡¯s all I brought with me.¡± No, it¡¯s fine.¡± He took another drink, making sure not to show any reaction now that he knew what to expect. He handed the bottle back to her, which she resealed and set on the sand between them. She stared out into the ocean, and he tried to study her face, but with the dim light and the wide brim of her hat casting a shadow, he couldn¡¯t make out her features. She scanned the waves in front of them before asking a question. Were you coming here on the ferry? Perhaps you fell overboard.¡± His headache was making it hard to think, and he struggled to put into words what had happened. ¡°The last thing I remember was being in my room. There was a storm. I think lightning struck nearby, then I was under the water.¡± The woman turned to look at him, excitement in her voice. ¡°That must be it. The ferry usually comes into the harbor around dawn. You must have been swept overboard. Were you intending to disembark in Haven?¡± Haven?¡± he asked in confusion. The woman laughed. ¡°That¡¯s the island we¡¯re on. I¡¯m guessing from your reaction that you were headed somewhere else.¡± I¡¯m supposed to be at home.¡± The harbor¡¯s not far from here. Are you feeling up to a short walk? If we hurry, we might be able to catch the ferry before it leaves. Otherwise you¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow morning for it to come back.¡± As she was speaking, the sun peeked out from beneath the horizon, and Randall finally got a good look at the woman who had helped him. Her dress was light blue, and he stared at her face, certain he¡¯d seen her before somewhere. The seconds ticked by without him saying anything, and she blushed before looking away. Her hair shifted with the motion, a long braid going down her back that reflected bright red as the sun hit it. It struck him all at once where he¡¯d seen this woman, in the advertisement for Bit Farmer he¡¯d received in his email. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He stared at her in shock, but from all the sensory details he¡¯d experienced since falling into the ocean, he was fairly certain this wasn¡¯t a hallucination. Somehow, he¡¯d been transported into the game. The woman glanced at him and gasped. ¡°You went really pale all of a sudden. Are you all right?¡± Uh, yeah,¡± said Randall, his mind reeling. He had to get out of here, but how? When playing a game, there was always some way to bring up a menu. He swiped at the air with his hand, thinking maybe it was context sensitive but no menu appeared. He searched his pockets, but he wasn¡¯t carrying any kind of input device like a tablet or controller. In fact, he had nothing besides the clothes on his back, which turned out to be the same ones he¡¯d been wearing at home. Maybe there was some kind of auditory cue. ¡°Open menu,¡± said Randall, but nothing happened. The woman watched him with concern. ¡°Are you all right? Maybe I should take you to see the town doctor.¡± It¡¯s fine. I just need a minute to think.¡± Randall wracked his brain, searching for anything that might help him. Memories of what had happened in his apartment were now coming back. Had his neural interface overloaded in the power surge? And if so, what did that mean? Surely he was still connected to it, which meant he should be able to send commands. Close program,¡± he whispered so the woman wouldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°Exit. Log out.¡± Nothing worked. With trepidation he considered one last option, although if it succeeded, he had no idea what sort of harm it might cause. Given his situation and the fact his brain had presumably been struck by lightning, he figured he didn¡¯t have much to lose. Reboot system.¡± Randall cringed involuntarily but after five seconds, nothing had changed. His shoulders slumped in defeat. The woman still watched him with concern, and having no other ideas to try, he said, ¡°Maybe we should go to the ferry.¡± Perhaps during the walk there, he could come up with some other solution. The harbor¡¯s about half a mile from here,¡± the woman said as she stood up. ¡°Although I still think you might want to visit the doctor.¡± I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Suit yourself.¡± She picked up the bottle of milk then scanned the beach nearby. ¡°I lost my shoes as I was running. Could you help me find them?¡± Sure.¡± He jogged up the side of the dune he¡¯d seen her come over as she approached earlier. At the bottom of the hill on the other side, two leather sandals poked up out of the sand. ¡°I found them,¡± he said as he walked down to retrieve the shoes. Thank you,¡± said the woman when he handed her the sandals. She set them on the ground and stepped into them. ¡°The harbor is this way. We¡¯ll have to hurry to catch the ferry before it leaves.¡± She started off down the beach in the direction of the lighthouse, and he walked quickly to match her pace. So what¡¯s your name?¡± asked the woman. Randall. You?¡± I¡¯m Kate.¡± It¡¯s nice to meet you, Kate. What do you do, when you¡¯re not rescuing castaways on the beach?¡± Kate laughed. ¡°A little bit of everything, really. But if you¡¯re asking about my job, I help my parents run a small grocery by the town square. How about you?¡± I program computers.¡± Kate gave him a confused look. ¡°What¡¯s a computer? Some kind of machine?¡± You could say that. It adds numbers together and performs calculations on them.¡± Kate nodded. ¡°Oh, like a cash register. We just got one of those for the store last month. It makes totaling up customers¡¯ purchases so much easier.¡± Randall looked around, wondering if perhaps the world of the game was less technologically advanced than he¡¯d realized. They¡¯d almost reached the lighthouse, and he slowed down and examined it now that they were close. A squat windmill sat on top of the housing of the signal light, with a belt running from its base to a mechanism on the side of the tower. It was hard to tell from where he stood below, but he thought perhaps it was providing power to a gear that moved a giant curved mirror to project the light out to sea. His inspection of the lighthouse was interrupted by a gasp from Kate. He hurried to catch up, and when he reached the crest of the hill where she stood, he saw what had caused her surprise. Below them stretched the harbor, a small cove with a wall of stones that acted as a storm barrier to protect any ships moored there. Unfortunately, the sea wall had been destroyed by the very same ferry they had hoped to find. It had dashed itself against the barrier, spraying large rocks into the harbor and leaving boards ripped from the bottom of the hull floating in the water nearby. The ferry had apparently pushed through the sea wall but sunk in the middle of the inlet. Its deck was visible a foot below the surface, with only the bridge, a part of a large paddlewheel on the side of the ship, and what looked like the exhaust pipe from a cast iron boiler sticking up above the water. Oh, I hope nobody was hurt!¡± Kate took off down a dirt path leading from the lighthouse to the harbor. Several men and women stood by the docks conversing. They turned as Kate ran up and barraged them with questions. Randall followed but stopped near the bottom of the hill, unsure of how to approach the situation. After a minute, Kate returned to share the news she¡¯d learned. They said the accident happened shortly before dawn. They heard the sound of something crashing into the sea wall, and when they came out to check, they found the ferry taking on water and attempting to limp to shore. The ferryman had to abandon ship before he made it all the way and nearly drowned in the surf before they could rescue him. He¡¯d hit his head at some point and fell unconscious once they got him out of the water. They took him to the doctor¡¯s office. Luckily nobody else was aboard when it sank.¡± Randall stumbled backward and sat down heavily on a stack of empty crates. He¡¯d hoped that if he got on the ferry and left the island, perhaps the game would give him the option to log out. With the ferry destroyed, the only other boats around were rowboats, and he guessed they wouldn¡¯t be enough. Kate¡¯s eyes filled with distress at his reaction, and she asked, ¡°How are you going to get home?¡± Chapter 2 Randall didn¡¯t know what to say. He stared at the paddlewheel sticking up out of the water, and Kate moved to the side to give him some space. After a minute, he cleared his throat to get her attention. ¡°Is that the only ferry that comes here?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Kate. ¡°This is a farming community, and we only get a few tourists. There¡¯s not much need for people to come and go.¡± One of the villagers must have overheard them because he added, ¡°Even if there was another ferry, this is the only place on the island deep enough for large boats. The debris will have to be cleaned up and the storm barrier rebuilt before it¡¯ll be safe to dock here again.¡± Randall thanked the man for filling him in on the situation, and Kate shared a sympathetic look. She sat down on a crate next to him and peered out into the ocean. ¡°The last time I was here was also a sad occasion,¡± said Kate. ¡°Although maybe it¡¯s more accurate to call it bittersweet.¡± Randall nodded although he was only halfway listening to her story. ¡°My uncle was retiring and moving to the mainland. For thirty years he worked on his farm, scrimping and saving whatever he could. My mom said she had no doubt he¡¯d collected at least a million bits in his bank account. Can you even imagine that much money?¡± Assuming bits were a type of currency, he compared it to his own situation. Randall earned over six figures a year as a software developer, so while a million was still a lot, he didn¡¯t consider it unimaginable. Rather than say anything, he smiled so she would continue speaking. ¡°I reckon with that much money you could do almost anything. You wouldn¡¯t have to work anymore, that¡¯s for sure. You could go out and see the world.¡± Something about what she said caused the synapses in Randall¡¯s head to make a connection. Perhaps the game was trying to tell him how to get out of his predicament. The video trailer he¡¯d watched had said something about saving money, marrying, retiring, and leaving the farm to his children. He¡¯d have to do a lot of work to accomplish all the tasks laid out in the trailer, but perhaps he wouldn¡¯t have to do every single one. ¡°So, what happened to your uncle¡¯s farm after he left?¡± ¡°He wanted me to move in and take over, but I had so much to do at the grocery, it would have been impossible. I think he tried to sell the property, but nobody was interested. It really is a nice farm. It¡¯s a shame we couldn¡¯t find anyone to take over running it.¡± Randall watched her with one eyebrow raised. After about five seconds, her eyes grew wide. ¡°Oh, I have the best idea! Why don¡¯t you live there? It would give you something to do until the ferry gets fixed.¡± Randall chuckled to himself but played along. ¡°Are you sure your uncle would be okay with that? He won¡¯t be mad that someone has moved in?¡± Kate shook her head. ¡°If anything would make him mad, it¡¯s seeing the property go unused for all this time. Last time I was out that way, the weeds were taking over the fields, and some kids had broken one of the windows. As long as you keep up the maintenance, I think he¡¯ll be lucky to have you there. It¡¯s about a mile out of town. I can show you how to get there if you want.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s have a look.¡± Kate led him to a road running west out of the harbor. A second group of people waited on the sidewalk outside of a small shop with a sign showing a red cross. As they drew closer, a woman separated from the crowd and walked towards them. ¡°Kate, are you all right?¡± asked the woman. ¡°Nobody knew where you were.¡± ¡°Yeah, Mom, I¡¯m fine,¡± said Kate. ¡°I woke up early and walked down to the beach to see the sunrise.¡± The woman pulled Kate into a hug before looking at Randall. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± she asked when they pulled apart. ¡°This is Randall,¡± said Kate. ¡°He was on the ferry and fell into the water during the storm.¡± ¡°Oh, you poor thing,¡± said the woman. ¡°You must have been absolutely soaked. Were you hurt?¡± ¡°Other than drinking a little sea water, I¡¯m fine,¡± said Randall. She looked Randall over before asking, ¡°Were you able to retrieve your things from the ferry?¡± ¡°No such luck, I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°Oh, dear. Kate, why don¡¯t you look through that box of your father¡¯s old clothes he keeps in the shed. I¡¯m sure you could find something Randall could wear.¡± Randall held his hands up to forestall the suggestion, but Kate answered before he could. ¡°Actually, I was going to take him out to Uncle Jack¡¯s farm,¡± said Kate. ¡°He¡¯s going to need somewhere to stay since the ferry won¡¯t be fixed anytime soon. I¡¯m sure Uncle Jack didn¡¯t take everything with him. Would that be all right?¡± Kate¡¯s mom frowned for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s awfully run down since he left. I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s habitable at this point.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to put the work in,¡± said Randall. ¡°And it¡¯s not like anyone is using it right now,¡± added Kate. ¡°You have a point,¡± said Kate¡¯s mom. ¡°Be careful until you¡¯ve had a chance to check the place out. And if it¡¯s too run down, you could always rent one of the apartments over the Lazy Beagle Pub.¡± Randall was too embarrassed to mention he had no money. ¡°That¡¯s great, Mom,¡± said Kate. ¡°Are the keys still in the stand by the front door?¡± ¡°Yes, last I saw them. They might have gotten pushed to the back of the drawer.¡± Kate motioned for Randall to follow and headed down the road. ¡°Make sure to let your father know where you¡¯re going,¡± her mother yelled as they walked away. Kate kept up a running commentary of the buildings they passed while they walked. Randall¡¯s head still hurt from earlier, so he had trouble keeping track of everything. To their left were a small library and a cafe with a dozen tables on a patio to the side. On their right was a pub with a sign of a beagle napping while large Zs rose up around his head. Past that stood a stone building she identified as the town hall, the largest structure he could see. A small plaza with benches and some short trees separated the town hall from the sidewalk. Alleyways between the buildings led to houses set back from the road. She pulled him aside in front of the town hall and said, ¡°We¡¯re almost there, but this will be quicker if I go by myself. Dad will have a bunch of questions, so I¡¯ll tell him I¡¯ve got some errands to run for Mom. If he sees you though, it¡¯ll be an hour before you¡¯ll be able to get away.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait here,¡± said Randall. He watched as Kate turned down the alley on the far side of the town hall. The building across the alleyway was a shop, with a sign saying, ¡°Grocery and General Store,¡± above and drawings of food, tools, and other supplies on the windows. Two men stood in front of the shop, next to a cart being pulled by a brown horse. One of them, who appeared to be in his late teens, loaded boxes onto the bed of the cart. An older man in a brown apron watched from the porch that covered the entire front of the store. They were caught up in a conversation and didn¡¯t notice Kate as she jogged down the alley to the porch of a two-story house. She went through the open front door and came back out a minute later. As she approached the main road, the older man called her over. ¡°Kate, where have you been? I¡¯m going to need your help reorganizing the shelves to make space for the spring crops when they start coming in. Before you know it, Liam here will be bringing us crates of strawberries.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait, Dad,¡± said Kate with a smile. ¡°But I need to run an errand out to Uncle Jack¡¯s old farm.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take too long, or you¡¯ll miss all the fun.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± Kate glanced at Randall and tilted her head in the direction of the road they¡¯d been following before heading down it. She nodded at a greeting from the young man standing on the bed of the cart before hurrying off. The grocer entered the shop, so with the coast clear, Randall made his way past the store. The road split, with a branch heading north into a line of trees and another continuing west, which was the way Kate had gone. The young man on the cart watched as Randall jogged after her but said nothing. By the time he¡¯d caught up, the road had narrowed and turned into a gravel path. The land was hilly with grassy plains on either side. In the distance, a small mountain jutted up into the sky with trees covering its side. Kate hummed to herself and turned with a smile when he caught up to her. She said, ¡°I used to love walking down this road to visit Uncle Jack when I was a kid. He was usually busy completing his chores on the farm, but he¡¯d always show me what he was doing and pretend he couldn¡¯t have finished the work without my help. Truth is I probably made it twice as hard for him to get the chores done, because he had to make sure I didn¡¯t get into any trouble.¡± ¡°Sounds like a character,¡± said Randall. ¡°Oh, he was, but we all loved him. He had this rooster that used to watch for me coming down the road. It would chase me up into the hills¡­¡± Kate kept up a string of stories as they walked until they reached another fork in the road. The gravel path they¡¯d been following continued west, while another veered south. This new trail was overgrown, with grass reaching up to Randall¡¯s waist except for two narrow ruts that had a little stone filling them. #
New Quest: Clean up the Farm This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
This farm has seen better days. In order to plant crops and begin your journey towards a mountain of bits, you¡¯ll have to make the place livable again. Clear a path from the main road, repair the damage to the house, and prepare one of the fields so you can plant crops.
# Randall was surprised when the message popped up in his field of vision, but he took a couple seconds to read over the text. Finally, he had some kind of direction for how he could progress in the game. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it had gotten this bad.¡± Kate peered down the overgrown lane, lowering the brim of her hat to shade her eyes. ¡°I haven¡¯t been out this way since Uncle Jack left for the mainland.¡± Randall went in first, parting the grass as he followed the narrow rut, and Kate kept close behind him. After a couple hundred yards, the trail descended the side of a hill to a flat stone bridge that crossed over a stream. A ramshackle gate leaned precariously across the path, and one of its hinges snapped off when he tried to open it. A wooden fence made of pale, weathered beams enclosed the field in front of them. Kate winced as he leaned the broken gate against the fence and walked onto the stone bridge. ¡°Mom and I probably should have come out here a bit more to look after the place.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing nobody has lived here for a while,¡± said Randall. ¡°It¡¯s not very convenient unless you¡¯re actually working on the farm.¡± Kate joined him on the bridge and stamped her feet several times. ¡°Bridge still seems sturdy, so carts should be able to come out here at least. Once we see what you need to fix up the farmhouse, we can bring supplies from the general store.¡± The path continued up the hill on the opposite side. Randall stopped at the top to survey the farm that spread out before him. The farmhouse was a single story with a stone basement underneath. It looked to be about forty feet wide, with windows showing rooms on either side of the door. The glass in their panes was cracked, and one had a good-sized hole where someone had thrown something through it. Past the farmhouse, the land sloped gradually downward to a sandy beach. In the distance, the ocean could be seen as a strip of blue along the horizon. To their right, the ground became rocky and covered with trees as it rose up into a small mountain. Rickety wooden fences formed rectangles around several different fields that were covered by grass and weeds. The one closest to the forest had saplings growing in clusters. The only other landmark was a barn with faded red paint near the point in the center where all the fields came together. Kate walked up a set of short steps onto the porch of the farmhouse and unlocked the front door. She coughed and said, ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s dusty in here, but it seems in better shape than the fences at least.¡± Randall followed her inside and looked around. The hallway split the house through the middle, with a door leading out the back, opposite of where they now stood. A narrow set of stairs led up to a small attic. Boxes could be seen stacked there in the dim light. To the left was a sitting room, the furniture covered by bed sheets, while the right led into a dining room. Farther down the hall, another doorway led into a small kitchen on the side of the dining room. Opposite it was a bedroom, with a four-post bed, chest of drawers, and a standing wardrobe that was closed. ¡°Uncle Jack probably left some clothes in there if you want to change,¡± said Kate. ¡°I¡¯ll open some of the windows and air this place out.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Randall said as he walked into the bedroom and shut the door. He checked the wardrobe first, which was empty except for an old coat. Judging from the numerous holes moths had eaten in it, the material was wool. The coat had probably been nice at one time, but now it would likely fall apart if he tried to put it on. He pulled drawers open in the dresser until he found one holding two sets of denim overalls and a pair of button-up flannel shirts. ¡°Looks like Uncle Jack didn¡¯t plan on farming anymore, wherever he ended up,¡± Randall said as he laid a pair of overalls out on the bed. He removed the clothes he was wearing, which had begun to stiffen from the salt in the sea water as they¡¯d dried. It quickly became apparent Uncle Jack was a bit stouter of frame, because while the clothes fit fine around Randall¡¯s chest and waist, the sleeves were too short and his ankles showed even after extending the straps on the overalls as far as they would go. Kate giggled when he walked back into the hallway. ¡°I forgot how short Uncle Jack was. By the time he left town, I¡¯d surpassed him in height.¡± At five feet, eleven inches, Randall stood about half a head taller than Kate. ¡°These were all I could find, so they¡¯ll have to do for now.¡± ¡°If you come to the store while Mom is there, she could adjust the pants so they fit more comfortably.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to take you up on that.¡± As he¡¯d moved around, the crotch of the trousers had begun to ride up, although he didn¡¯t share that information with Kate. ¡°To be honest though, I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯ll be able to pay you back. My pockets were empty by the time I swam to shore.¡± ¡°With nobody keeping up this place, it¡¯s started to fall apart,¡± said Kate. ¡°I¡¯m sure my parents would be agreeable to you staying here in return for fixing the house up. We would supply you with whatever materials you needed to make it livable again.¡± ¡°All right, but if they don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough, then I can find other ways to pay them back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let them know you offered. First though, we need to at least make sure you can stay here tonight.¡± Kate brandished a feather duster she¡¯d found somewhere while he was changing. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up the bedroom. Why don¡¯t you head down to the barn and see what¡¯s there. You¡¯ll need some boards to cover the broken windows. And I doubt my uncle took his tools when he left.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± Randall unlocked the back door and headed down to the barn. Unlike the house, it wasn¡¯t locked, the door held closed by a simple wooden latch he could lift up. Layers of dust covered the walls and the smell of moldy hay drifted down from the loft above. He threw the door wide open to let some light in, and spotted a workbench with tools hanging from pegs on the wall above it. They had probably been nice quality when they were new, but the wear on them showed they¡¯d been used extensively. The sickle he examined had chips along its blade, along with a couple rust spots, making him think perhaps water had gotten in through a crack in the shutters or hole in the roof. He grabbed a hammer that had been left on the bench and searched down a line of dusty canning jars before he found one filled with nails. With his tools sorted out, he climbed the ladder to the loft and found a stack of old boards piled up against the rafters on one side. They¡¯d bowed out a bit but should be good enough to cover some broken windows temporarily. He chose half a dozen that seemed to be the most serviceable and carried them outside one by one. He walked a circuit around the house, noting that the broken windows were only on the front side, and relocated his stack of boards to the porch there. It took a few swings to get used to the heft of the hammer, but he got the hang of it soon enough and started nailing the boards down. By the time he finished covering the two windows, Kate walked out the front door and joined him in admiring his work. ¡°Not bad,¡± she said. ¡°Have you done this before?¡± ¡°I have a house that I¡¯ve learned some of the basics as far as maintenance and that sort of thing,¡± said Randall. ¡°I think you¡¯re going to need those skills in the near future.¡± Kate glanced up at the sun and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to head back to town soon. I found some spare sheets in a box in the attic and made up the bed for you. I also dusted everything in there and the kitchen. There¡¯s plenty of canned goods stored in the basement when you get hungry.¡± ¡°Thanks for everything,¡± said Randall. ¡°I appreciate all your help.¡± Kate smiled. ¡°You¡¯re welcome! I know you have a lot to do, but could I make one request?¡± ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± ¡°Search the barn for Uncle Jack¡¯s old scythe and clear all the grass that has grown up on the path here from the main road. That¡¯ll make it easier for us to deliver some supplies tomorrow. I¡¯m sure Mom will want to come out and see how the place is doing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first thing I¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°See you tomorrow then!¡± Kate walked off the porch and headed in the direction of the main road. She turned before starting down the hill and yelled, ¡°Oh, and I forgot to tell you this place is named Sweetwater Farm.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s it called that?¡± he yelled. ¡°There¡¯s a well on the other side of the barn. Once you take your first taste from the spring there, you¡¯ll know why!¡± Kate waved then disappeared on the other side of the hill. # The scythe, along with several other tools with longer handles, was propped up in the front corner of the barn. Randall examined its blade and found it was in rough shape like the other tools he¡¯d examined earlier. After a little searching, he found a file and whet stone and got to work honing the blade. The file cut through the rust quickly, but sharpening the edge was another matter. The longest blade he¡¯d ever had to work with in the past was a kitchen knife, which was straight and didn¡¯t have a fat, curved handle coming out at nearly ninety degrees. He knew the scythe wasn¡¯t all that sharp because he kept fumbling the whet stone as he tried to move across its length. On the bright side, he couldn¡¯t accidentally cut through one of his fingers on a blade so dull. In the end, he took a couple practice swings on a tall clump of grass growing by the barn and only met a little resistance before the stalks sheered away. It¡¯d likely never be sharp enough to shave the hair from his arm, but it broke through the rigid stems of the plants well enough. Propping the haft of the scythe on his shoulder, Randall returned to the stone bridge and got to work. He figured if the cart could come that far, he could carry any supplies the rest of the way to the house. It took a few practice swings for him to find the right way to hold the scythe so it cut through the clumps of grass near their bases. He left a couple inches sticking up, although it varied from swing to swing, so that the ground looked like it was covered by uneven stubble. Randall groaned. ¡°This is so much harder than a lawnmower.¡± He didn¡¯t have a very big yard around his home, but his push mower was self-propelled. He could finish in less than a half hour, with minimal direction from him to maneuver around trees or the fence surrounding his patio. After twenty minutes of swinging the scythe, he decided to take a break and sat on the low railing on one side of the bridge. He¡¯d only progressed about twenty feet from the end of the bridge, and the long blades of grass he¡¯d sheared off littered the ground everywhere. He¡¯d need to clear them away, or they would hide the ruts filled with stone and make it difficult to bring a cart down the path. With a sigh, he headed back to the barn to grab a rake he¡¯d noticed propped up against the wall near the scythe earlier. The sun grew higher in the sky as he alternated between cutting grass with the scythe and raking the path clear again where it piled up. The work was tedious, and he would stop periodically to look over what he¡¯d accomplished. Although it was slow going at first, he grew more comfortable with how the scythe moved and was able to speed up after a little practice. He¡¯d cleared about three quarters of the path when he had to stop, feeling as though he could barely lift the scythe, let alone swing it anymore. His throat was parched, so he trudged back to the barn and found the well Kate had told him about earlier. A circle of stones jutted out of the ground with a roof of weatherbeaten wooden shingles over the opening. A stained circular cover, of what Randall expected was hardwood given its weight, sealed the mouth of the well. With some difficulty, he was able to slide the cover to the side, enough to see the pool of water below. He found an old wooden bucket in the barn, tied a rope to its handle, and dropped it into the well. The bucket bobbed for a moment before it submerged and filled with water. A small stream leaked through a hole in one side, but there was enough left by the time he pulled the bucket out to take a nice long drink. ¡°Wow,¡± he said at the first taste. ¡°That¡¯s really good! No wonder they call this place Sweetwater Farm.¡± As he sat on the edge of the well and drank his fill from the bucket, his tired limbs felt less heavy. He splashed the leftover water on his face, and by the time he stood up again, the tiredness he¡¯d experienced before had diminished significantly. He returned to the spot where he¡¯d been clearing the path with renewed vigor and took up the scythe to attack the grass once again. This second surge of energy didn¡¯t last forever, but he was able to remove the last of the foliage blocking the path that led to the farm. By the time he finished, the sun was hanging low in the sky, and it was all he could do to carry the scythe and rake back to the barn and stumble into the farmhouse. His feet scuffed the floor as he walked down the hallway to the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, not even bothering to take his clothes off. Within seconds, he was snoring loudly into a feather pillow. #
Skills
Crafting ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Farming ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
# * * * Chapter 3 The sun peeking in through a window next to the four-post bed woke Randall from his slumber the next morning. He groaned and grabbed another pillow to cover his face, but the aches and pains throughout his body made it impossible to fall back to sleep. His arms hurt from swinging the scythe the day before, and his legs throbbed like he¡¯d ran a marathon. Worst of all, blisters had formed at several places on his hands. ¡°Who knew farming was such hard work?¡± he mumbled into the pillow before throwing it aside. Of course, where he came from, they had machines to do most of the heavy labor. There were tractors for plowing and seeding, while giant harvesters collected vegetables in a wide swath and discarded the husks, vines, and other debris so all you got was the produce. He¡¯d have to do all those things by hand, at least for now. Who knew what systems were in place to make the process easier as he progressed. It was a game after all, and he vaguely remembered from when he¡¯d played before that there had been ways to cut down on the tedium as his character developed. ¡°Hopefully it doesn¡¯t take too long to unlock some advancements,¡± he said as he stood up with a yawn. Unsure what to do next, he recalled the quest he¡¯d been given when he first arrived at the farm. He¡¯d already cleared the path to the main road, which left repairing the house and preparing one of the fields for crops. He walked out to the barn to check on his supplies and found he didn¡¯t have many boards left. Those remaining also weren¡¯t in the best shape. They might be suitable for small repairs, like patching up the bucket he¡¯d used in the well the day before. He gathered some scraps and got to work covering over the hole where the water leaked out. He dropped the bucket into the well and let it fill completely before pulling it out again by the rope he¡¯d attached. This time, only a small trickle dripped from the bottom, which he could live with. He took another long drink and marveled again at how good it tasted. In the past, he¡¯d noticed when he exercised that sometimes after a long workout, regular tapwater tasted delicious for some reason. He¡¯d not added anything like those powders you could get to turn water into an energy drink, but it tasted way better than normal. The water from this well was different. Even though he was no longer worn out like he¡¯d been the night before, the water was refreshing in a way that the aches and pains he¡¯d been annoyed by when he woke up seemed to dissipate. Underneath the roof covering the opening to the well was a crank handle attached to an empty wooden spool. He looped the end of the rope that wasn¡¯t attached to the bucket around it and tied a knot to keep it in place. Then he turned the handle around to take up all the slack and locked the ratcheting mechanism so the bucket dangled near the top. There wasn¡¯t much else he could do in terms of repairs, so Randall turned his attention to the fields next to the barn. The one closest to the well looked to be a vegetable patch. Although weeds had overtaken everything, he could make out furrows running through the dirt with mounds in between them. Grass covered the ground like the rest of the farm, but in some places the remains of volunteer crops could be seen as well. A brown mound with a few streaks of orange running through it could have been the result of a pumpkin rotting away. Several yellow stalks still had cobs attached to them from corn that had likely been eaten by the local birds. Here and there were hints of other vegetables that must have regrown from lost seeds. ¡°First things first, I guess,¡± said Randall. As he looked at the scythe propped against the inside wall of the barn, his fingers throbbed where he¡¯d developed blisters the day before. ¡°Hopefully it doesn¡¯t take long for some calluses to form, so this isn¡¯t so painful.¡± He spent the rest of the morning like he had the day before, cutting down the vegetation and moving the resulting hay out of the way. He found an old wheelbarrow at the back of the barn that made transporting the heavy loads easier. A few saplings had started to grow in the field as well, and he chopped down the thicker ones with an ax. He piled these behind the barn then broke up the roots as well as he could. By the end, the ax blade had become very dull, and he left it by the whet stone so he¡¯d remember to sharpen it later. With all the tall plants taken care of, he was left with a field full of weeds. They were everywhere and came in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. He found a hand shovel and crouched on hands and knees, digging out the roots of each weed one at a time. As he moved foot by foot down the first furrow, the sun arced higher into the sky. # ¡°Look at you all covered in dirt!¡± a voice yelled from near the barn. Randall sat back on his knees and examined his clothes. Dark brown stains spotted his chest, while the legs of his pants below the knees were caked in mud. He¡¯d torn out the weeds in the first three rows, and he felt like he was wearing half the field as proof. He stood and walked back to the barn. Kate waited at the edge of the field. ¡°Seems you¡¯ve gotten the spirit of farming since I left here yesterday.¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± Randall looked up at the sun high above and judged it to be around noon. ¡°The time passed without me even noticing.¡± ¡°You did a nice job clearing the path up to the bridge. The cart didn¡¯t get stuck once.¡± She waved for him to follow her. ¡°We brought some fresh lumber and two panes of glass for the windows. There are some other supplies as well.¡± ¡°I appreciate anything you brought to fix this place up,¡± Randall said as they walked over the hill. ¡°The rest of the boards stored in the barn probably aren¡¯t good for anything but firewood.¡± Parked on the other side of the bridge was a small cart pulled by a single horse. It had a wide bench seat at the very front and short sides to brace any cargo carried on its bed. Kate¡¯s mother and the young man he¡¯d seen outside the general store the day before were untying ropes and sorting through the things they¡¯d brought with them. ¡°Hello again,¡± said Kate¡¯s mother when they walked up. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a proper introduction yesterday. My name¡¯s Meredith.¡± ¡°Nice to finally get your name.¡± When the young man didn¡¯t introduce himself, Kate added, ¡°The one with no manners is Liam. Don¡¯t mind him. He was born in a barn.¡± Liam jumped down from the cart and shook Randall¡¯s hand, although he addressed his words to Kate. ¡°I know how to greet a stranger. And I was born at the doctor¡¯s office in town, just like you.¡± ¡°In the barn ward,¡± Kate said while picking up a pack of shingles and walking in the direction of the house. Liam rolled his eyes, grabbed some of the boards, and followed behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t mind them,¡± said Meredith. ¡°They bicker like that because they¡¯ve known each other since childhood. Would you mind getting one of the panes of glass?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Randall found two sheets of glass laying in a crate with a thick layer of hay cushioning them. He gently lifted out the one on top and grasped it by the sides before walking up the hill. He watched the ground and stuck to where the grass had been flattened down from so many trips of people going back and forth between the house and the bridge. He made it to the porch with no problem and set the glass down to the side where nobody would disturb it. A second trip brought up the other pane of glass, while Kate, Liam, and Meredith carried the rest of the supplies. ¡°Come with me,¡± Kate said when he¡¯d found a safe place to leave the fragile glass. She held up a small paper bag. ¡°We¡¯ve got planting to do.¡± She practically skipped back to the field he¡¯d cleared earlier, while Randall hurried to follow behind her. Earlier in the day, he¡¯d moved all the tools he thought he might need to the edge of the field. She crouched down next to them and dumped out the contents of the bag. There were two packets of seeds, along with a mesh sack with dozens of little white tendrils poking out the side. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked, pointing at the sack. ¡°Seed potatoes,¡± said Kate. ¡°They¡¯ve already started sprouting. Cover them with dirt, and the white stalks near the surface will turn green and spread out into the body of the plant. The rest will send out roots and grow more potatoes on their ends. Do you want to start with these?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± He picked up the hand shovel he¡¯d used for weeding earlier. Kate laughed. ¡°It¡¯ll take you forever to plant a row of potatoes with that.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± He looked around and picked up the hoe instead, which got a nod from Kate. ¡°Have you planted these before?¡± ¡°Yes, we have a small garden behind the house. Want me to handle the first one so you can see how it¡¯s done?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind.¡± Kate took the hoe from his hand and began digging at the end of the first row. She cut down into the earth, making a hole and dropping one of the seed potatoes inside. They didn¡¯t look much like the potatoes he normally ate, with wrinkled skin and the little white tendrils poking out in all directions. Kate used the hoe to shift the dirt she¡¯d dug back over top of the hole, forming a small mound where the potato had been buried. ¡°That¡¯s all there is to it,¡± said Kate. ¡°You¡¯ll want to water it and any other seeds right after you plant them, but it¡¯s better to put all the seeds out first, then come back with a watering can and do it all at once.¡± She held the hoe out to him. ¡°Your turn.¡± Randall took the hoe from her and moved to a spot a couple feet down the line from where she¡¯d just planted. He dug a hole and dropped one of the seed potatoes into it, then covered it over with the excess dirt. ¡°Not bad,¡± said Kate, ¡°but we¡¯ll still be here all day if you dig them one by one. Try holding the hoe down at an angle so it cuts into the ground then walk straight backwards. Think of it like a tiny plow.¡± He did as she¡¯d said, and the blade of the hoe cut a wide V shape all the way down the row. Kate walked next to him, taking potatoes out of the netting and dropping them into the trench he was making with some space between each one. By the end of the row, the seed potatoes were all gone. ¡°Now you can retrace your steps and cover them with dirt,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll get the other seeds ready while you¡¯re busy with that.¡± Randall made his way back up the row, piling the soil he¡¯d removed earlier into small mounds over each potato. When he¡¯d finished, Kate held her arms out, a packet of seeds held in each hand. ¡°Pick one,¡± she said. He looked back and forth to try to figure out what they were, but she must have been holding them with the picture of the type of crop towards herself. All he saw was the folded paper on the back side of the packages. ¡°This one I guess,¡± he said, pointing at the packet on his right. Kate¡¯s face scrunched up in disgust. ¡°Eww, cabbages.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with cabbages?¡± asked Randall. ¡°Let me put it this way. Mom fixes pork and fried cabbage when the new year rolls around because it¡¯s supposed to be good luck for the coming year. I only eat a spoonful of the cabbage.¡± Randall laughed. ¡°And do you have good luck?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to eat cabbage for the rest of the year,¡± Kate said with a shrug. ¡°So yeah, I guess I do.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Spring rolls have cabbage inside them, and they¡¯re delicious. You should try them.¡± Kate frowned. ¡°Why would you ruin perfectly good bread by putting cabbage in it?¡± Randall wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. ¡°It¡¯s not like a dinner roll. It¡¯d be easier to show you one, although I don¡¯t know how to make them.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s a good thing,¡± said Kate with a grin. ¡°Because then I won¡¯t have to think of an excuse to run away when you want me to try one.¡± ¡°Guess you¡¯ll never know what you¡¯re missing out on.¡± Randall turned the hoe at an angle and plowed another line down the second row he¡¯d cleared earlier. Kate dumped a pile of small black seeds into the palm of her hand and dropped them periodically as she followed him down the line. This time the seeds were too small to see clearly, so he simply shifted the dirt back to where it had been before. ¡°All right, I weeded one more row, and there¡¯s one packet of seeds left,¡± said Randall. ¡°What have we got?¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°We definitely saved the best for last.¡± Kate turned the package around to show a cluster of bright red berries. ¡°Strawberries!¡± He examined the picture. ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®huh?¡¯ These are delicious.¡± Randall started carving the V shape in the dirt. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I like strawberries, but I¡¯m not the type to go crazy for them.¡± Kate stared at him dumbfounded. ¡°Listen here, mister. Sometimes people stare out the window, looking at the first new day of spring and wishing they had a juicy, sweet strawberry to wash the awful taste of fried cabbage out of their mouth.¡± By the end, she couldn¡¯t keep a straight face and cracked up laughing. Randall chuckled. ¡°Strawberries grow fast,¡± said Kate. ¡°You¡¯ll want to plant a variety of crops that have different growing periods. That way they won¡¯t all ripen at once. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have nothing to harvest for long stretches then be overwhelmed when they¡¯re all ready at the same time.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± He waited for Kate to drop the last few seeds into the row he¡¯d plowed then started covering them over. ¡°I doubt I¡¯ll have a lack of chores to take care of as it is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it,¡± said Kate as she watched him finish covering the strawberries. ¡°Farming is hard work, so you¡¯ll need to build up your stamina over time.¡± Now that she mentioned it, he felt drained. All the work he¡¯d done clearing three rows in the field was catching up to him, and his hands ached where the blisters from yesterday had popped and the fluid drained out. Kate walked over to the well and dropped the bucket down to fill. While the water was still refreshing, his stomach growled as he drank. ¡°Sounds like somebody is hungry,¡± said Kate. ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t eaten since before I came to the island,¡± said Randall. Kate stared at him. ¡°You cleared all that ground between the bridge and the road, but you didn¡¯t eat any supper?¡± ¡°I was so tired afterwards, I fell asleep.¡± ¡°You have to take care of yourself!¡± She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the house. ¡°If I know Mom, she¡¯s already got something cooking inside.¡± They walked around the barn to find Liam on the front porch with both the broken windows removed from the tracks that held them in the wall. He¡¯d also taken down the boards that had been nailed over the window frames, so there were now two gaping holes in the front of the house. He looked up when they approached and frowned. ¡°Another set of hands would be useful to put the new glass in,¡± said Liam. Kate let go of Randall¡¯s hand before going up the steps to the porch. ¡°Have you seen Mom?¡± ¡°She checked the pantry and said she¡¯d found enough different things to make a pot of vegetable soup,¡± said Liam. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the sounds of pots and pans knocking around in the kitchen.¡± ¡°She might need help,¡± said Kate. ¡°Randall, why don¡¯t I show you how to glaze these windows?¡± asked Liam. ¡°Kate can assist with making lunch.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Kate disappeared through the door into the house, while Randall crouched next to the broken window Liam was taking apart. ¡°First step in replacing the panes is to remove all the old glass.¡± Liam pulled the broken shards out of the wood frame and scraped the caulking away with a wide, flat knife. ¡°Once that¡¯s cleaned up, you can insert the new glass and spread putty at the seams to hold it in place.¡± Randall helped position the glass inside the frame and made sure it was seated flat against the wooden supports on the sides. Liam used the putty knife to smear globs of caulking around the outside. When he was done, Liam held the handle of the knife out. ¡°All right, you¡¯ve seen how it¡¯s done. You can do the next one.¡± Randall removed the broken glass from the frame and scraped away the dried caulking. Liam helped him lift the glass into place, then he did the rest. He was slower with the putty knife than Liam had been, unsure if he was doing it correctly. Liam pointed out a couple spots he¡¯d missed but otherwise didn¡¯t say much. He finished and Liam said the caulking would need time to dry before it could be mounted into the wall again. About that time Kate stuck her head through the opening from the dining room. ¡°Soup¡¯s on!¡± she said then peered at the windows. ¡°Wow, you guys are done already.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Randall. ¡°It wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it was going to be.¡± Liam snorted. ¡°You weren¡¯t here for the part where I took the windows down. And putting them back up without breaking the glass again is going to be the hardest part.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Randall examined the parts of the frame still in the wall. They didn¡¯t appear to have the quick releasing latches most of the windows in his home had. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to be careful squeezing them back into place.¡± He walked into the dining room to find a giant pot steaming in the middle of the table. Four bowls had been laid out, already filled with what looked more like stew than vegetable soup. He counted carrots, potatoes, onions, corn, and cauliflower floating in what looked to be some kind of tomato-based broth. It smelled delicious. Along with the soup was a loaf of bread that had been cut into thick slices and a crock filled with butter. Small plates were placed next to each bowl, along with a tall glass of water for each of them. A swiveling door between the dining room and kitchen swung open, and Meredith entered carrying a tray with several different kinds of cheese already cut into chunks. She placed it next to the bread and looked everything over. ¡°It¡¯s not much,¡± said Meredith. ¡°Dig in before the soup gets cold.¡± ¡°Not much?¡± asked Randall. ¡°This looks like the sort of meal you¡¯d find at a fancy restaurant.¡± Meredith removed the apron she¡¯d been wearing while cooking. ¡°Kate didn¡¯t tell me you were so good at flattery,¡± she said, although she was smiling. Randall sat down before replying, ¡°It¡¯s not flattery if you mean it.¡± He took a taste of the soup and added, ¡°This is amazing!¡± ¡°Glad you like it,¡± said Meredith. ¡°There¡¯s enough there to last you the rest of the week.¡± Liam sat down next to him, earning a glare from Kate who was forced to go around to the other side of the table and sit beside her mother. They made small talk as they ate, and like when he¡¯d drank from the well the day before, Randall could feel his fatigue draining away. He remembered farming games often had mechanics whereby the character could take actions like eating, drinking, or other restful activities to regain the energy they¡¯d spent on chores. After two bowls of soup and a mountain of bread and cheese to go with it, Randall finally pushed away from the table. ¡°That was really good. Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± said Meredith. ¡°Kate and I will clean up while you boys finish installing the windows.¡± Liam led the way back outside, checking the putty they¡¯d spread on the edges of the windows. ¡°It¡¯s set up enough we should be able to put these back in the frames. Just don¡¯t bend them if you can help it. Stretch them too far, and the new glass could break.¡± They took the windows inside, and Liam lined up the one in the sitting room. The fit was tight, and Randall was a bit tentative when it came to pushing against the wood that held the glass in place. With a couple taps from the handle of the putty knife, the window slid into the frame. They repeated the process, this time more quickly, for the the window in the dining room. Kate walked in to gather up the dirty plates and stopped long enough to say, ¡°The windows look great. Liam, could you check the roof next? I saw a couple places where shingles had blown off when I looked out the shutters in the attic earlier.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Liam. ¡°Where are the shingles we brought with us?¡± ¡°Up in the attic.¡± Kate gathered all the dirty bowls and went back into the kitchen. Liam started up the stairs to the small attic space and called over his shoulder, ¡°Bring a hammer and some roofing nails.¡± ¡°Uh¡­yeah.¡± Randall found the hammer he¡¯d used the day before and another for Liam to use. Then he looked through the canning jars lined up on one of the shelves. There were long nails, skinny nails, ones with big round heads, and ones with almost no head at all. The nails here were less refined than the mass produced nails he could get at a hardware store back home. The shapes were a little different than he was used to, but he grabbed the ones that looked closest to roofing nails he¡¯d used in the past, picked up the hammers, and headed back to the house. The attic was a square space measuring about five feet on each side. Shutters on the wall opposite where the stairs came up opened onto the roof. Randall climbed out and found Liam had already removed some cracked shingles. Randall handed over one of the hammers and the jar full of nails. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d say you should try your hand after I¡¯ve shown you how to replace one,¡± said Liam, ¡°but it¡¯s very easy to damage other shingles while doing this. So in fixing one, you might break two others. I¡¯d rather not spend more time than we have to up here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve actually done this before,¡± said Randall, which got a look of surprise from Liam. ¡°Although the shingles were a bit different. Where I come from, they¡¯re a lot flatter and not made out of wood.¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself. But if Meredith says they¡¯re ready to go, and you¡¯ve made a lot more work that needs to be done, you¡¯ll be on your own.¡± With that, Liam grabbed some of the nails and started replacing one of the shingles. Randall didn¡¯t know what to say to such bluntness and almost asked if he¡¯d done something to offend Liam. He decided the best course was leave it be, so he grabbed some shingles of his own and got to work. With two of them replacing shingles, it only took about twenty minutes to finish, and Randall gathered up the tools and took them back to the barn. #
Quest Completed: Clean up the Farm
It didn¡¯t take long to get the farm in working order again, although there¡¯s plenty more to be done. Keep making improvements, and you¡¯ll soon see the bits rolling in.
# When he got back to the house, Meredith, Kate, and Liam were gathered together on the porch. ¡°The place looks much better than it did this morning,¡± said Meredith. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see someone getting use out of this old farm.¡± ¡°I appreciate you letting me stay, since I¡¯m sort of stranded here for the time being,¡± said Randall. ¡°And once I start making some money, I¡¯d gladly pay rent on the place.¡± ¡°Just keep up the maintenance, and we¡¯ll call it even.¡± Meredith looked at the other two. ¡°Ready to head back into town?¡± Liam nodded but Kate cleared her thoat. ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± she asked. ¡°The collection box.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Meredith grabbed a basket that had been by her feet and set off towards the bridge. ¡°Let¡¯s get that set up.¡± They followed her back to the cart as she explained what the collection box was for. ¡°Liam and his brother often bring in crops from their farm, which is farther down the road from here. They¡¯ve offered to pick up any produce you¡¯d like to sell and take it into town, since you don¡¯t have a cart of your own.¡± She pointed at the large wooden crate that had held the supplies they¡¯d brought with them. ¡°We¡¯ll set this up by the road, and anything you place inside will be credited to your account with the store once it¡¯s delivered.¡± ¡°That¡¯s handy,¡± said Randall. ¡°Thank you, Liam, for offering to help me out.¡± Liam merely grunted and went to retrieve his horse, which he¡¯d let roam free rather than be hooked up to the cart while they were working. The horse was contentedly munching on a mound of grass he¡¯d made the day before while clearing the ground here. Once the horse was tethered to the wagon again, they rode in the cart back to the main road. Randall and Liam lifted the collection box and placed it next to where the path met the road. ¡°I almost forgot,¡± said Kate. ¡°We should have watered the crops after we planted them. Make sure to tend to them every day so they grow nice and big.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll water them as soon as I get back,¡± said Randall. ¡°You should also go to the town hall when you get a chance,¡± said Meredith. ¡°Haven is too small to have its own bank, and with our inability to go to the mainland, the mayor has decided to create accounts for everyone. You¡¯ll need one to trade bits with other residents of the island.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± Meredith smiled. ¡°Good luck with the farm. I hope you have as much success with it as my brother Jack did.¡± ¡°And come into town to visit sometimes,¡± added Kate. ¡°Would you like a ride back to the store?¡± Liam asked. ¡°That¡¯s all right,¡± said Meredith. ¡°It¡¯s not far, and I¡¯m sure you have things to do at home.¡± Meredith started down the road back into town, and Kate gave a little wave before running after her mother. Randall stood there awkwardly as Liam climbed back onto the seat of the wagon. Liam looked down at him and said, ¡°Just so you know, Kate and I are together. I saw how you were acting with her, so don¡¯t get any funny ideas.¡± Randall stood there dumbfounded as Liam snapped the reins, and the cart rolled away. #
Relationships
Kate ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Meredith ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
# * * * Chapter 4 The next day began with Randall making sure to water his crops first thing. He¡¯d been excited to see if they¡¯d grown any, but currently all he had to show for the previous day¡¯s work was three rows of dirt. He didn¡¯t know how long it would take before they started poking their green heads up. He¡¯d found an old metal watering can in the back of the barn the night before when he¡¯d returned, wondering what Liam¡¯s problem was. His annoyance at the strange warning had been exacerbated when he filled up the watering can and found it had several places on the bottom that had rusted through. Almost as much water leaked through the holes in the bottom as came out of the spout. It took twice as long as it should have to water the garden, but in a way, he was fine with it since he didn¡¯t know what to do afterwards anyway. He had no more seeds, so there wasn¡¯t much point in clearing more of the field. No new quest had popped up to give him direction for what he should be doing next. So when he finished, he put the watering can back in the barn and decided to go for a walk around the property to clear his head. The only thing he could think that might have caused Liam to be upset with him was when Kate had taken his hand to lead him back to the house for lunch. He¡¯d assumed she was just concerned after hearing he hadn¡¯t eaten the day before, and nothing untoward had happened. Perhaps Liam was just the jealous type, and Randall decided to avoid him whenever possible. As he walked around, the details of the farm slowly drew his attention away from the events of the previous day. He followed the line of fencing in the direction of the mountain rising up to the west. Another gate led into what he assumed to be a pasture. The remains of several small wooden structures pointed to this being an area where animals had been kept. The bottom had rotted out of a watering trough, while next to it, an octagonal structure with rails on the side held a couple rotting bales of hay. Farther up the fence, where the ground grew rocky, stood a squat chicken coop that looked to still be in decent condition, although the paint had faded in the sun and was starting to flake away. Clusters of small trees grew on the far side of the pasture. Beyond the fence, the forest took over, rising up the side of the mountain. The canopy was dense enough that no grass or bushes grew underneath, and the shadows inside made it hard to see beyond fifty feet or so. He walked the rest of the way around the pasture until he found a second gate going out the far side. He was surprised to find an overgrown path leading up into the trees, and he thought for a moment of checking out where it went but thought better of going off on his own. He wasn¡¯t familiar with the area, so he decided to put it off until he could pack some water and snacks to take with him in case he got lost. Returning to the barn, he set off southeast this time, towards the shimmering blue water on the horizon. The ground became sandy, and the grass grew sparser until he found himself on a beach like the one he¡¯d washed up on when he first arrived on Haven. To his left, the stream that marked the north side of the farm flowed out into a small bay. The beach looped around to the east before heading south again until it was parallel to where he now stood. It also continued to the west, one arm of the mountain coming down as if to meet it just over the horizon. He had plenty of ground to work with, and several different potential avenues of interest to pursue. He could gather all the wood he needed from the forest to the west, and who knew what else he might find on the mountain there. All that could wait for a bit though. With no pressing things to do on the farm at the moment, he decided to head into town. Meredith had suggested he go to the town hall, and he thought it might be a good idea to learn a little about the area before he made any more plans. # The road was empty as Randall walked into town. He¡¯d half expected to see Kate or one of her parents outside the general store, but there was nobody in sight. The town hall was just past the store, so he headed up the stairs inside. The first thing he noticed was a giant map of Haven in the foyer. He examined it, getting his first clear picture of the town and the island around it. The whole thing looked kind of like a starfish with six stubby legs. Three pointed south from the main body of land, and judging from the location of the harbor, he¡¯d crawled up onto the beach on the middle one. Two smaller arms went off to the northeast, while the final one was to the northwest. The northern side of the island was dominated by two large mountains, with a lake and river going around them to the south. The river flowed southeast into the harbor. The image of a lumber mill was drawn below the lake, with the buildings he¡¯d seen along the main road through town being south of that. The lighthouse and harbor were marked on the inner curve of a small bay. The eastern side of the island had pictures of a couple other buildings, although he wasn¡¯t quite sure what they represented. They appeared to be workshops of some kind. The southeastern corner had a rack with fish hanging off of it. The southwestern spur was home to two farms with another mountain in between. Those would be Sweetwater Farm and the farm where Liam lived. The northwestern spur had pictures of several barnyard animals, including horses, cows, and chickens. They were spread out between the northern mountains and the western coast. There was no scale for how big the island was, but from what he¡¯d seen so far, he guessed it was between three and four miles across. Past the foyer of the town hall, doors opened to the right and left from a hallway that ran through the center of the building. A plaque next to the door on the right read, ¡°Mayor¡¯s Office,¡± and that was who Meredith had told him was setting up accounts for the residents. He passed inside to find a reception area with several chairs placed against the wall where people could sit while they waited. Behind a wooden desk sat a young woman with blond hair that went down past her shoulders. She wore a gray pantsuit with a white blouse that had ruffles on the front where it wasn¡¯t covered by her jacket. When she looked up, her eyes were light blue behind a pair of glasses with brown frames. ¡°Hello,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Welcome to the mayor¡¯s office. Can I help you?¡± ¡°Meredith said I should come here to ask about opening an account to keep track of the bits I earn,¡± said Randall. ¡°Oh! You must be the one who was stranded by the ferry.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s me. My name is Randall.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jessica, assistant to the mayor.¡± She stood and motioned for him to follow her. She walked across the hall, unlocking the door opposite with a key she picked up from her desk. ¡°Account records are in here. I¡¯ll get everything squared away for you.¡± Randall followed her into a cluttered office with filing cabinets lined up against the far wall. Light shone in through windows on the sides looking out over the main road and the alleyway leading back to the house Kate had visited the day before. Jessica opened one of the drawers and searched around before pulling out a couple papers. She led him to a desk with chairs on either side and sat down. Randall took the chair opposite her as she wrote on a few lines at the top of the form. She slid the papers over to him. ¡°Could you please fill out the missing details for me?¡± she asked. ¡°Sure.¡± Randall turned the form around and glanced over what was written there. He filled in his full name, and for the address, he merely wrote Sweetwater Farm. Below that was an area to list the names of any other people who could use his account, which he left blank. He signed at the bottom and flipped to the second sheet. It was a slip for depositing money into the account. Since he had nothing to his name, he stacked the papers again and handed them back. ¡°Randall Thompson,¡± Jessica read from the papers. ¡°What a nice name! I see you¡¯re living on that old farm outside town. Oh, that reminds me.¡± Jessica stood up and returned to the filing cabinets, but instead of opening one of the drawers, she grabbed a ceramic pot that had been on top of one next to the windows. She looked inside and her shoulders slouched. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Only three days into spring, and I¡¯ve already killed it,¡± she said. When she didn¡¯t elaborate, he asked, ¡°Killed what, exactly?¡± She brought the pot over and set it on the desk. A couple small thin leaves poked up out of the dirt. They¡¯d withered and turned brown before they¡¯d reached even an inch high. ¡°The daffodil I was trying to grow.¡± Jessica threw her hands up in the air. ¡°I thought how nice it would be to have some pretty flowers to brighten up the place. The mayor said if I wanted to see something beautiful, I could always gaze at the map by the front door. He stops to look at it every morning when he arrives, but I think that¡¯s mostly because he spent so much of the town budget on the commission to have it drawn.¡± Jessica stopped and covered her mouth. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell him I said that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Randall. ¡°My lips are sealed.¡± She flipped to the other page and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t fill out the deposit slip. If there¡¯s nothing in the account, you won¡¯t be able to pay for any goods or services you purchase from the other residents of Haven.¡± Randall grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have any bits to deposit.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. You must have lost all your things when the ferry sank.¡± She pulled open a drawer on her side of the desk and rummaged around inside for a moment. She pulled out a small cardboard box and handed it to him. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked Randall. ¡°Daffodil bulbs. I only used a couple, so there¡¯s plenty left. Hopefully you¡¯ll have better luck than me, and you can use the flowers you grow to enter the competition at the spring flower festival.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Randall said as he tried to give them back. ¡°I can¡¯t pay for them.¡± Jessica pulled her hands away and refused to take the bulbs from him. ¡°How about a trade? Once they¡¯re grown, you bring me a few I can display in the office to brighten up the place. I get tired with nothing to look at but desks and filing cabinets. But save the nicest looking ones for your submission to the contest. There will be several awards given out, including a grand prize of 500 bits.¡± ¡°A trade then.¡± Randall slid the box with the bulbs into the front pocket of his overalls. ¡°I¡¯ll bring them over as soon as they bloom.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be great.¡± Jessica stood and held the door as they walked out. ¡°I¡¯m sure the store next door would be more than happy to take any extras you have after the competition as well.¡± ¡°I already met Meredith and Kate,¡± said Randall. ¡°They set me up with some vegetables to grow on the farm.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! We won¡¯t be getting supplies from the mainland anytime soon, so I¡¯m glad to hear we¡¯ve got another farm up and running. Is there anything else I can do for you today?¡± Randall shook his head. ¡°Thanks for your help.¡± ¡°We¡¯re open until 4 o¡¯clock each day, so if there¡¯s anything you need, please drop by.¡± She gave a slight nod of her head then walked back into the mayor¡¯s office. Originally, Randall had intended on looking around the town to see what other services were available, but he felt awkward after having to admit he didn¡¯t have any money. Rather than visit the businesses he¡¯d seen yesterday, he decided to return to the farm. He¡¯d feel a lot better if he had some bits to spend the next time he visited town. # When he got back to Sweetwater Farm, the trampled grass between the bridge and farmhouse reminded him that he still had a lot of work to do. He retrieved the scythe from the barn and set to work clearing the hill in front of the house. The work was slow, as again he had to take breaks to gather up the loose grass he¡¯d cut and move it out of the way. He made a large pile near the barn, figuring he could use it for composting. He remembered the old hay that was stored in the top of the barn and brought it down to add to the pile. By midafternoon, he¡¯d extended the path from the bridge all the way to the farmhouse and cleared a wide area around it and the barn so he wouldn¡¯t have to shove through high grass whenever he walked across the property. The compost pile was almost taller than he was, but he assumed it would shrink as the vegetation inside lost most of its water. Working at the front of the property, he was reminded of the gate he¡¯d broken the first time he came out to the farm. It still leaned against the fence where he¡¯d left it. The boards he¡¯d found in the barn were too dry-rotted to make a good gate, but he had several saplings of various sizes he¡¯d cut down while clearing the garden. He tested bending a couple and found them to be supple enough to form into a square by laying them at ninety degree angles and wrapping the thin portions at the top around the bottom of their neighbor. He set several layers overlapping each other and lashed everything together with some twine he found near the nails. The new gate wasn¡¯t exactly pretty, as he¡¯d stripped all the leaves in order to make it easier to work with. He found some old hinges, which moved decently after he oiled them a bit, and attached those to one side. He carried the gate to the bridge and set to work removing what was left of the old gate. Once he¡¯d attached the new one, he stepped back to examine what he¡¯d done. He¡¯d be the first to admit it wasn¡¯t anything special, but the young saplings looked vibrant and healthy next to the bleached wood of the fence. It also felt good to have something of his own making to greet him whenever he got back to the farm. His stomach growled, and he pressed his hand against his overalls as fatigue spread through him. He¡¯d done a lot since coming back after his short trip to town, and he was feeling drained. The shape of the box in his overalls¡¯ pocket reminded him that he still had the flowers to plant. ¡°First something to eat,¡± said Randall as he turned towards the farmhouse. ¡°Then I can do something with the daffodil seeds Jessica gave me.¡± He¡¯d not used the stove yet and discovered it was heated by burning wood. A small rack in the corner of the kitchen held firewood, either remnants of what had been used by the previous tenant or carried there by Meredith when she¡¯d made the soup. He transferred some into the stove and lit it with a box of matches that had been left on the counter. He searched through the cabinets until he found a small pan and used a large spoon to dish some of the leftover soup into it. While he waited for the fire to catch and warm up the stove, he headed up to the attic. He¡¯d not looked through the items stored there when he¡¯d fixed the roof, but he thought he remembered seeing some ceramics. He found pots and planters stacked next to the window he¡¯d used to get on the roof. A few of them were cracked, but he took several of the undamaged ones downstairs to the front porch and laid them out. By the time he went back to the kitchen, flames had spread across the logs he¡¯d placed inside the stove. He added another and closed the compartment. Hot air floated up through a grate set into the surface of the stove. He placed the pan there and waited while the soup heated, afraid if he left to do something else that it would burn. Even without bread and cheese to go with it, the soup was delicious, and he ate every bit of what he¡¯d reheated. The fatigue he¡¯d felt earlier dissipated while he ate, until he felt like he could clear a whole other field with his renewed energy. Not that he wanted to. He¡¯d had enough of clearing grass with the scythe for one day. Instead, he grabbed a shovel and the wheelbarrow and dug up some of the topsoil from the edge of the garden. Once he had enough, he broke down the clumps of dirt until it was fine enough to flow through his fingers. He wheeled the potting soil he¡¯d made around to the porch where the planters were waiting. He filled them halfway before taking out the box Jessica had given him. Inside were about two dozen oblong bulbs. He spread them out between the different ceramic pots, making sure to leave some space between them to grow. He didn¡¯t know how much room flowers needed, so he varied the spacing, placing only a couple in some pots and sprinkling them quite liberally in others. He used all the seeds before covering them with what was left of the soil he¡¯d prepared. He returned the wheelbarrow to the barn and filled his watering can at the well. It leaked as he walked back to the porch, losing almost a quarter of its water before he even reached the flower pots. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to get a new one of these,¡± he said as he tried not to spill too much. He ended up having to make a second trip to be sure all the bulbs got enough water. He set the watering can down and crossed his arms as he looked over the damp soil in the pots. ¡°I guess now we wait.¡± * * * Chapter 5 Randall almost missed the signs that his crops were growing the next morning when he went out to water them. He started with the flower pots on the porch, which of course hadn¡¯t had enough time to sprout as it had been less than a day. The potatoes and cabbages likewise had nothing to show yet either, so when he finally made it to the row of strawberry plants, he wasn¡¯t paying much attention. Since he hadn¡¯t seen anything up to that point, he was merely making sure the water landed in the right place. He was surprised halfway down the row by a tiny dot of green poking up through the soil at his feet and stopped to stare. While he was gawking, the water formed a little puddle where it leaked out of the watering can. He continued on, finishing the rest of the row before coming back to get a closer look. A thin stem with two round leaves poked out of the ground. The stream of water had washed the dirt off the tiny leaves, and they stretched out in opposite directions from the stem in the middle. Now that he knew what to look for, he could see other bits of green obscured by the heavy soil they were in the process of breaking through. Few of them had made it fully upright like the one that had caught his attention at first, but they were trying. #
New Quest: Grow Your First Crops
Your first plants have started making their way up into the sunlight. Take care of them until you can harvest their produce, then sell the crops to the store in town.
# The quest prompt startled him as he hadn¡¯t been expecting it. He smiled at the little green shoots coming up out of the soil. They were the first sign of his success, but he had a long way to go. The field was still mostly covered by weeds, so there would be plenty more space for him to expand once he had a little money and could buy new sets of seeds. He could always prepare the ground now, so when he did purchase more seeds, he could plant them right away. He retrieved the hoe and shovel from the barn and started clearing the next row of the weeds that clogged it. For the rest of that week, he would water the plants in the morning and spend the afternoon expanding the prepared ground in the garden. At first he could only do two or three rows at a time before feeling exhaustion setting in. He would eat some of the vegetable soup, which dwindled with each passing day, and he could do some more work in the garden. Every morning when he came out, the plants in his garden were a little bit bigger and more robust. The potatoes and cabbages poked their first sprouts up a couple days after the strawberries. The strawberries put out small flowers that turned into tiny green bulbs. They expanded out over time, turning pale then gradually gaining a bit of red color that spread across their skin. # A week after Randall arrived on the island, he came outside to do his daily morning routine of watering the plants but stopped once he saw the garden. The strawberries, which had been slowly changing color, were now a vibrant red. They¡¯d grown in size until the stems they were attached to could barely hold them up. Now they practically glowed in the morning sun, and Randall assumed that was the game¡¯s way of telling him they were ready to be harvested. While clearing out the hay from the loft in the barn, he¡¯d discovered a stack of old wicker baskets. He carried them out to the garden and started collecting strawberries. The fruit pulled away easily, another sign they must be ripe. He piled them up until his basket was filled and swapped it out for an empty one. After forty minutes, he¡¯d harvested all the strawberries and ended up with eight full baskets. Randall carried them two on each arm out to the collection box near the road. When he had brought the second set of baskets, he decided to take one into town himself. This was the first thing he¡¯d been able to harvest, and he wanted to share his good news with someone. He placed the other baskets inside the collection box before walking down the road in the direction of town. Several people were outside the front of the store, and when he got close enough, he could make out Kate¡¯s bright red hair. He was almost to the steps leading to the porch that wrapped around the front of the store by the time she finally noticed him. She started to say something, but then her eyes widened and she squealed in excitement. ¡°Strawberries!¡± she yelled as she ran down to meet him. She looked more closely into his basket. ¡°These are much bigger than what we normally get.¡± Randall picked out one that was plump and deep red in color and held it out to her. ¡°Would you like to try one?¡± Kate grinned. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d ask me that.¡± She took the strawberry and bit into it, her eyes closing as she chewed. ¡°I must have died and gone to heaven.¡± Randall laughed. ¡°Are they that good?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± She took another bite before asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t you try one?¡± ¡°No, I was so excited to share my news with someone, I forgot.¡± Kate pointed at a berry in the basket and said, ¡°I¡¯ll bet that one is really good.¡± Randall picked up the one she¡¯d chosen and bit into it. The sweet taste filled his mouth as the soft flesh of the strawberry melted away. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s the best strawberry I¡¯ve ever tasted.¡± ¡°I told you.¡± Kate finished the last bite of hers then stared longingly at the basket. ¡°Would you like another?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to turn it down.¡± She took a moment to decide on one, then said, ¡°I helped plant a whole row when we brought supplies out to the farm. Were these all that grew?¡± She bit into the second strawberry. ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining.¡± ¡°There were eight baskets in total,¡± said Randall. ¡°I left the rest in the collection box because it would have been hard for me to bring them all this way on my own. I was hoping I could get the money for them today so I could buy some more seeds.¡± ¡°Normally Liam brings the crops they¡¯ve grown in the evening after they¡¯ve picked them.¡± Kate looked at the other people she¡¯d been standing with on the porch of the store. ¡°My dad does the purchasing, and he usually doesn¡¯t do advances, preferring to see the produce before giving a price. But for strawberries like these, I¡¯ll get him to make an exception.¡± They waited until the customers wrapped up their conversation and walked off, leaving behind the man in the apron who had been outside the store when Randall had come here on his first day. Kate went up the stairs first. ¡°Daddy, you have to try these strawberries,¡± she said. Randall presented the basket, and Kate¡¯s father looked over the berries before taking one. He turned the strawberry over in his hand, examining it from each side before tasting it. ¡°Very nice,¡± he said. ¡°The size of the berry is quite large but without losing any of the flavor. Often when fruit grows bigger, it doesn¡¯t have much taste. What kind of fertilizer did you use?¡± ¡°No fertilizer,¡± said Randall. ¡°If you have some proprietary method, then I won¡¯t pry, but I can¡¯t believe strawberries like these didn¡¯t have any fertilizer.¡± Kate said, ¡°Daddy, they came from Uncle Jack¡¯s farm. As long as those fields have laid fallow, it¡¯s no surprise they¡¯d produce such good strawberries.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Kate¡¯s father held out his hand to shake. ¡°You must be Randall. I¡¯m Hank, owner of the general store. My wife told me all about how you¡¯re fixing up Jack¡¯s old farmhouse. I think it¡¯s great somebody is taking that place on again. Those fields produced the most delicious vegetables ever to be found on this island. Such a shame they were empty for so long.¡± Unsure how to respond, Randall merely said, ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Kate covered for him by saying, ¡°He¡¯s got eight whole baskets of those delicious strawberries. They¡¯re so good I told him you¡¯d pay in advance.¡± Hank shook his head. ¡°Kate, you know I don¡¯t make an offer without seeing what I¡¯m buying first.¡± Kate planted her hands on her hips. ¡°You gave Liam an advance this year when his brother needed seeds for the spring planting.¡± ¡°The Grant family has been farming on Haven since before I was born,¡± said Hank. ¡°The dry weather last year killed some of their crops, but I know they¡¯ll turn it around. Since Walter took over from his parents, they¡¯ve always paid up whenever I¡¯ve floated them a little credit.¡± Rather than respond, with hands still on her hips, Kate raised a single eyebrow. Hank sighed and addressed Randall. ¡°You say you¡¯ve got eight baskets, but are they all as nice as these?¡± ¡°As far as I can tell,¡± said Randall. ¡°They were all large in size and a deep red color.¡± ¡°Standard price for fresh strawberries is twenty bits per basket.¡± ¡°Daddy,¡± Kate interrupted. ¡°You know these are good enough to charge a premium price.¡± Hank winced and said, ¡°Whose side are you on?¡± When she didn¡¯t respond, he added, ¡°Fine, the premium price is twenty-five a basket, but that¡¯s the best I can do. Considering this whole basket is almost certainly going to end up in our kitchen, I¡¯ll be lucky to make a profit on the rest.¡± Kate rolled her eyes. ¡°That sounds like a fair price.¡± They shook on the deal and Randall handed over the basket of strawberries. Kate took them and immediately walked over to the alley that led to the house behind the store. Shortly after, her voice could be heard calling to her mother. ¡°Mom,¡± Kate said, ¡°you will not believe how good the strawberries Randall just delivered to us are!¡± Hank chuckled. ¡°If we could get strawberries year round, that girl would put me out of business.¡± Returning his attention to Randall, he said, ¡°Come inside and I¡¯ll get your bits.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Randall said as they stepped into the store, ¡°I¡¯ll be needing more seeds and perhaps some other things.¡± ¡°Of course! Grab whatever you need, and I¡¯ll take it out of the 200 bits you¡¯re owed for the strawberries.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Randall walked around the store, cataloging the different items he saw that might be useful on the farm. The front of the store was dedicated to food, both fresh produce and prepared items in cans and boxes. Sacks of corn, flour, and other bulk ingredients sat on shelves near the floor, while items like pasta and cans of various soups and sauces were arranged at eye level. An open area on the rightmost side of the store was filled with crates of fresh fruits and vegetables. He still had a bit of the vegetable soup left, so rather than buy any food items, he headed to the back of the store. This area reminded him a little of superstores he¡¯d been to in the real world, although on a smaller scale. The shelves were filled with clothes, household goods, and hygiene products. Small signs on the end of each aisle listed what could be found there. He turned down the aisle with a sign saying, ¡°Farming Supplies.¡± The first thing he came to was a display with all different kinds of seeds. They were separated by season, so he checked the section for spring plants. Along with the potatoes, cabbages, and strawberries he¡¯d already planted were a couple different ones he considered. He grabbed packages of seeds for cauliflower and cucumbers, along with some more strawberry seeds. Next to the vegetables was a different display for flowers. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could sell the flowers, but he picked up an envelope labeled as violets. He thought perhaps he could use them when he entered the competition for the flower festival. Only after he¡¯d selected the seeds he wanted did he notice a sign saying packets of seeds were 40 bits apiece. With four different types of seeds, he was looking at spending almost all the money he would be making from the strawberries. He decided to put the flower seeds back. He wanted to have a little bit of money left over in case he needed it later. The rest of the aisle was almost completely empty. Signs listed prices for hoes, shovels, and other farming tools, but there were none in sight. The only items left were bags of fertilizer, which at 100 bits per bag was out of his price range. He¡¯d hoped to find a cheap watering can, but there were none in sight. He carried the seeds to a desk at the front of the store where Hank sat next to a cash register that looked like those Randall had seen in movies from the early 1900s. It had rows of individual buttons for each number between one and ten, divided into columns for each multiple of ten up to ten thousand bits. Randall placed his purchases on the counter and waited while Hank punched numbers into the register. He pulled out a brown paper bag, but Randall stopped him from putting the seeds inside. ¡°That¡¯s all right,¡± said Randall. ¡°I can carry them here.¡± He placed the packets of seeds into the large pocket on the front of his overalls. Hank nodded and pressed one last button which caused the tray on the bottom of the register to pop open. He picked out coins from a couple different partitions in the tray and counted them into Randall¡¯s hand. ¡°So you had 200 bits for the strawberries, minus 120 bits for the seeds you purchased. That leaves 80 bits in change.¡± ¡°Thanks, Hank.¡± Randall pocketed the money. ¡°Say, you wouldn¡¯t happen to have a spare watering can in the back somewhere would you? The one I¡¯ve been using has several holes in the bottom.¡± ¡°Sorry, but we¡¯re all out. When word got around about the ferry being out of service, a lot of the townsfolk became very interested in gardening. Everything in that section sold out in a day or two, and we won¡¯t be getting any new deliveries from the mainland until the ferry is fixed.¡± ¡°You mean I¡¯m going to have to use that old damaged watering can the whole time?¡± asked Randall. Hank shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily. There is a smithy in town, so you might be able to get it repaired. Or failing that, maybe they could fabricate a new one. Although, that probably won¡¯t be cheap.¡± Randall patted the pocket holding the coins he¡¯d just received. ¡°Somehow I doubt 80 bits will be enough.¡± ¡°Probably not, but if you get a few more good crops in, it¡¯d save you a lot of time and energy to commission a new set of tools. Nothing wears you down faster than tools that aren¡¯t fit for the job.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to save that for another time.¡± He started to leave but thought he should at least ask how to get to the smithy. ¡°When I am ready, where is the smithy located?¡± ¡°The main road out here meets another one on the eastern edge of town. Follow that road north until it crosses a bridge, and the smithy will be on your right. Look for the smoke rising up from the forge and follow the sound of hammering. You can¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°Thanks for everything,¡± said Randall. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± said Hank. ¡°Come back and see us.¡± Randall walked outside but stopped when a message popped up. #
Quest Completed: Grow Your First Crops
Your first step of many, so keep up the hard work. Before long, you¡¯ll be raking in the bits. But in the meantime, keep your eyes open for other opportunities. Farming isn¡¯t the only way to make money.
# No new quest opened immediately, so he assumed he¡¯d have to do a little exploration to figure out the meaning behind the cryptic hint in the last sentence. The sound of creaking drew his attention to a rocking chair on the porch next to him. Kate stood up and joined him by the stairs. ¡°Congratulations on making your first sale,¡± said Kate. ¡°Thanks,¡± he replied. ¡°What would you say to a celebratory brunch? My treat.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. It was just just a couple strawberries.¡± ¡°From a person who considers herself a strawberry connoisseur, I think you¡¯re being a bit too modest.¡± Kate held up a small coin purse. ¡°Besides, Mom offered to pay. She said that if you were like most other young bachelors she¡¯s known, you¡¯ve only eaten vegetable soup for the last four days.¡± Randall¡¯s stuttered denial did little more than elicit giggles. ¡°I thought so.¡± Kate started down the stairs. ¡°Come on, the cafe across the street has an extensive breakfast menu.¡± * * * Chapter 6 Three other groups of diners were sitting at tables on the patio outside the cafe when they arrived. Kate led him to a small round table near the doors leading inside and sat down on one of the chairs. He took another across from her. Randall looked around but didn¡¯t see any menus. ¡°Should we go inside to order?¡± ¡°Someone will be out in a moment. So what would you normally eat for breakfast?¡± Randall thought it over before answering. ¡°Normally I would pick up a breakfast sandwich on my way to work. Something I could eat on the go without much fuss, like a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit.¡± Kate¡¯s head tilted a bit to the side. ¡°I¡¯d ask what that is, but I get the feeling it¡¯s all there in the name.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never had one?¡± asked Randall. ¡°No, for me it¡¯s usually oatmeal with bits of fresh fruit.¡± ¡°You should try making one sometime. They can be a bit greasy, but they taste really good.¡± She leaned forward and eyed him suspiciously. ¡°This isn¡¯t like those rolls you were telling me about, with cabbage baked inside?¡± Randall laughed. ¡°No, there¡¯s no cabbage.¡± She relaxed and said, ¡°Then it can¡¯t be that bad.¡± Behind Randall, the door to the cafe opened and a waiter emerged. He wore black trousers and a white button-up shirt with a dark apron tied around his waist. His brown hair had been parted in the middle and pulled back into a short ponytail. He was around average height for a young man and skinny. He placed two sets of silverware wrapped in cloth napkins on the table then handed them each a menu. ¡°Kate, you look lovely as always,¡± he said with a slight accent. ¡°So glad you could join us this morning.¡± ¡°Thank you, Vincent.¡± She held out her hand, indicating Randall. ¡°This is the young man who was on the ferry.¡± ¡°Randall Thompson,¡± he said. Vincent bowed his head. ¡°Welcome, I had heard there was another besides the boat¡¯s captain, and I am glad to see you were uninjured. But you are here for breakfast, so let me tell you the specials. This morning, we have a quiche tart made with gruyere.¡± He moved his hands as he spoke, holding his fingers to his mouth. ¡°It is magnificent, and likely won¡¯t be on the menu for a while, as we don¡¯t expect to be receiving any imported cheese in the near future. Now, what can I get you to drink?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like an orange juice,¡± said Kate. ¡°Of course.¡± Vincent turned to Randall. ¡°And for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have the same.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring them out momentarily,¡± said Vincent. ¡°Since this is your first visit, please take your time with the menu.¡± Vincent bowed again then walked inside. ¡°I couldn¡¯t place his accent,¡± Randall said once the waiter had left. ¡°Where is he from?¡± ¡°His parents are from France,¡± said Kate. ¡°They run the cafe. Vincent and his younger sister were born there, although they¡¯ve lived on Haven ever since they were children. Desiree¡¯s accent is so slight, you probably won¡¯t even notice it. Unless she gets angry, then the accent comes out a bit.¡± Randall picked up the menu and scanned the two pages inside. Most of the names were in French, so he wasn¡¯t sure exactly what they were. ¡°What are you thinking about ordering?¡± asked Kate after he¡¯d had a minute to decide. ¡°I think I¡¯ll try the quiche he mentioned when he took our drink order.¡± He had heard of quiche before at least, along with one other item on the menu. ¡°And I¡¯ll try some of their croissants with it.¡± ¡°I was thinking about the quiche myself. He did say it was magnificent, and Vincent knows his cuisine.¡± After a moment, she added, ¡°Though I¡¯m sure it¡¯s no bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit.¡± He glanced up to see her smirking at him, which she quickly covered with her menu. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll admit I ate out a lot, but I had a pretty demanding job,¡± said Randall. ¡°I didn¡¯t have much time to cook for myself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in for a treat then. Mr. Boucher is a professionally trained French chef. All the food here is really good.¡± Vincent returned with two glasses of juice and took their food order. While they waited, they made small talk about the town. Remembering the message he¡¯d received about looking for other opportunities on the island, he asked what Kate liked to do when she wasn¡¯t helping out at her father¡¯s store. ¡°I help Mom take care of the plants in our little garden,¡± she replied. ¡°But I much prefer to grow flowers. All the ones around our house, and many that are sold at the store were grown by me.¡± Randall could see a corner of the house from where he was seated. A wooden planter was hanging from the base of the one window he could see. It was practically bursting with green leaves that spread out in every direction, although the flowers had yet to bloom. ¡°What¡¯s your secret?¡± he asked. Kate looked around, and although there were no other diners at the tables near theirs, she leaned in close enough to whisper. ¡°I sing to the plants.¡± Randall laughed at the image in his head, of her standing beside the window and singing to the flowers. Kate pursed her lips and sat back with her arms crossed. ¡°Sorry,¡± said Randall. ¡°From what I can see, it must be working. I just couldn¡¯t imagine myself doing that.¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s not like I do it loudly or for an audience.¡± ¡°Any tips for those of us who can¡¯t carry a tune?¡± he asked. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I don¡¯t think they care how well you sing. It¡¯s mostly about the love and attention you¡¯re showing. But my biggest tip would be to not overwater the flowers. They don¡¯t need as much as vegetables, and giving them too much water can be worse than giving them too little.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good tip,¡± said Randall, and then he remembered the woman at the town hall and the trouble she had keeping her flowers alive. ¡°You should tell that to Jessica. She seemed to be having trouble with the daffodil she was trying to grow when I visited the town hall.¡± Kate shook her head. ¡°Poor Jessica. Each spring she comes to the store and buys some seeds, sure that this will be the year she figures out how to get the flowers to grow. I think her biggest problem is she neglects them. She forgets about them for days at a time, and when they wilt, so waters them constantly. She¡¯s basically drowning them at that point, but it¡¯s too late.¡± Their food came out, and they talked little while eating, other than Randall¡¯s surprise at how good his meal was. He hadn¡¯t expected a small cafe on an island in the middle of nowhere to have such exquisite food. Halfway through their meal, a young woman wearing a similar uniform of black slacks, a white blouse, and small apron came out and collected some of the dishes left by diners who had finished their meals. She had short auburn hair with blond highlights and a petite frame. It was hard to tell her height since she was bending over to collect dirty plates, but Randall guessed she was only a little over five feet tall. Eventually, she stood and scanned the other tables, her eyes stopping when she saw them. She walked over quickly. ¡°Kate!¡± said the waitress. ¡°I¡¯ve told Vincent a hundred times to let me know when you are eating on the patio. Still, he never tells me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Kate. ¡°We came to celebrate, and I forgot to let you know I was here. Desiree handles the tables inside the shop while Vincent takes those outside.¡± Desiree glanced at him then made a sound like a cat purring. She leaned closer against the table and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s your handsome friend?¡± Randall blushed, then looked around because he wasn¡¯t entirely sure she was talking about him. Both women burst out laughing. ¡°This is Randall,¡± said Kate. ¡°He was on the ferry before it crashed in the storm. I found him on the beach near the lighthouse.¡± ¡°You have all the luck, Kate. The only pretty things I find on the beach are seashells.¡± She winked at Randall. ¡°Better hope Liam doesn¡¯t see the two of you here together. He¡¯s the jealous type.¡± ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t get me started on Liam.¡± Desiree looked at their plates and asked, ¡°How was your breakfast?¡± ¡°It was really good,¡± said Randall. ¡°The quiche was really savory, and the croissants were so light and flaky, they felt like they were going to float away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite the review for someone who could barely speak a second ago,¡± said Desiree. ¡°But I¡¯ll let my father know. He always enjoys hearing good reviews from our customers.¡± ¡°Yes, it was quite good,¡± said Kate. ¡°Tell Mr. Boucher the gruyere in the quiche was amazing.¡± ¡°And listen to another rant about how the only ¡®so-called cheese¡¯ he¡¯ll be able to get going forward is cheddar?¡± Desiree shook her head. ¡°No thank you. Still, I¡¯ll let him know you enjoyed it.¡± At the lull in the conversation, Randall said, ¡°I was just asking Kate about her hobbies. What do you do for fun around here?¡± ¡°I spend my free time on the beach whenever the weather is nice.¡± ¡°Do you go swimming?¡± ¡°Sometimes in the summer. I find the water to be a little too cold for my liking any other time. Mostly I lay on the beach and read a book.¡± ¡°Desiree has read every romance novel in our little library¡¯s collection,¡± said Kate. ¡°Most of them twice,¡± added Desiree. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you brought a suitcase full of new books with you?¡± ¡°Sorry, but I arrived with just the clothes I was wearing.¡± ¡°Too bad. If reading¡¯s not your thing, my brother does a lot of fishing.¡± She glanced at the table she¡¯d been clearing and sighed. ¡°I have to take those dishes back to be cleaned. I¡¯ll come over to the store when things slow down after lunch, Kate. We can gossip.¡± She said the last bit looking at Randall. Kate smiled. ¡°Looking forward to it.¡± To Randall, she said, ¡°Be sure to come inside and see me next time you visit our cafe.¡± She raised an eyebrow then turned to walk away, swaying her hips as she went. Once she¡¯d gone back inside, Randall said, ¡°She¡¯s quite the flirt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s those books she reads,¡± Kate said. ¡°Also, she thinks it gets her better tips. She¡¯s probably not wrong.¡± They finished eating their meals, and shortly after Vincent returned with a smaller menu in his hand. ¡°Desiree said you¡¯d enjoyed your meals,¡± said Vincent. ¡°Can I interest you in some dessert or coffee?¡± Kate looked at Randall and waited for him to answer. ¡°Sadly, I think I need to head back to the farm.¡± They had been rather leisurely about eating their meal, and the sun was now high up in the sky. ¡°I bought some seeds I¡¯d like to plant today.¡± ¡°Perhaps another time,¡± said Vincent. ¡°Kate, anything else for you?¡± ¡°I should probably get back to the store.¡± To Randall, Kate said, ¡°Give me a moment to go inside and pay. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Vincent held the door open for Kate. While he gathered their dirty cups and plates, Randall brought up the topic of fishing. ¡°Do you enjoy fishing?¡± asked Vincent. ¡°Honestly,¡± said Randall, ¡°I¡¯ve not done it much in the past. I tried a couple times on family vacations when I was a kid.¡± ¡°I¡¯d offer to show you how it¡¯s done, but I rarely catch anything myself. Still it¡¯s relaxing to sit by the water and wait for the fish to bite. My advice would be to get yourself a rod and some bait, then see what sort of luck you have. Although I did hear there was a tourist who came to Haven and ended up in a similar situation to you, stranded here because the ferry no longer runs. They¡¯re supposed to be quite skilled at fishing. Perhaps they would teach you.¡± ¡°Any idea where I could find this person?¡± asked Randall. ¡°I¡¯ve heard they rented a room above the pub. Perhaps the proprietors could tell you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a rod, but I might check it out at some point down the line.¡± ¡°Good luck. If my results from fishing are anything to go by, you¡¯ll likely need it.¡± With that, Vincent took the dirty dishes and went back inside the cafe. After a couple minutes, Kate exited the shop carrying a small paper bag. She said, ¡°Mr. Boucher gave me some extra croissants, saying how could he not after our glowing review. They should go well with what¡¯s left of the vegetable soup.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡¯ said Randall as he took the bag. ¡°And let Meredith know I appreciate her treating me to lunch.¡± ¡°I will. And you let me know if you raise more of those amazing strawberries.¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Kate crossed over to the front of the store as he walked down the road towards the farm. * * * Chapter 7 Once back at the farm, Randall immediately got to work preparing the ground for the new seeds he¡¯d purchased. He¡¯d already cleared out the weeds over the previous days, so he used the hoe to form a V-shaped groove down three of the rows. He planted the strawberries in the same ground they¡¯d occupied before. He figured if the first crop had grown so big there, the same should hold true for a replanting. The next row he planted with cauliflower, and the cucumbers went in the row past that. Finally, he watered the three rows with the new seeds. With nothing else to plant, and none of the crops looking like they would be ready anytime soon, he decided there was no need to clear more of the garden. He went off in search of other things to do, and it wasn¡¯t long before he noticed how dilapidated portions of the fence looked. Split rail fencing surrounded the farm and partitioned fields from each other. Many of the posts and rails that made up the fence were the dull gray color wood took on as it aged and began to dry rot. Some of the posts had split down the middle, dropping the connecting pieces on the ground. In the barn, Randall found a woodcutters ax and a hand saw. He filled a canning jar with water, sealed it, and proceeded into the forested hills on the west side of the property. The nearer trees were saplings, most not even tall enough to make one rail, so he walked deeper into the forest. The trees grew taller and wider the farther in he went. In several places, he found the rotting stumps of trees that had been cut down in years past. He set the water jar and saw on one of these when he found some tall, straight trees that looked like they would make good rails. He needed a few swings with the ax to get a feel for it. He aimed for a spot about a foot above the ground and swung in a wide arc, chopping into the bark of the tree. The ax sank an inch into the wood and held fast. He had to brace one of his legs on the tree trunk and pull with all his might to dislodge it. The next swing struck a little above the previous one, sending a chip of wood flying into the air. This time the ax came away easily. Alternating the ax motion from the top to the bottom, he cut a wedge into the side of the tree where he wanted it to fall. Over a couple minutes, he expanded the size of the hole, chopping until he was about halfway through the trunk of the tree. Then he did the same from the other side, leaving a thin strip still connected in the middle. Soon the tree began to wobble when he struck it, and he pushed at about chest height until the top of the tree started falling on its own. He jumped back to make sure he was out of the way, and the tree hit the ground with a thundering crash. With the tree down, he proceeded to cut notches in the bark every five feet or so to mark where he should cut through in order to make posts. There was enough room for three posts before the tree narrowed to the point he figured it would only be good for making rails. Beyond that, he used the ax to remove branches that were sticking out, leaving only the long, straight trunk lying on the forest floor. He switched the ax for the saw he¡¯d brought with him and went back to the first notch he¡¯d made. He slid some of the thicker branches he¡¯d removed under the trunk to brace it then started sawing. The work was slow. He¡¯d seen videos of chainsaws cutting through the trunks of trees like this in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, all he had was a hand saw that kept getting stuck if he shifted his hand a little so the blade wasn¡¯t completely straight. It took him a half hour, and a couple breaks to catch his breath, before he finally cut through the bottom and could roll the log away. By the time he finished sawing through the other two places he¡¯d marked, the sun was sinking down towards the horizon. His throat was parched, so he sat down on the old stump and took a long drink from the jar of spring water he¡¯d brought with him. The heaviest of the work was done, and he decided to strip the bark from the logs here. Then he could drag them down the hill to the farm and call it a day. He used the ax to cut away the bark from the three posts and the longer section he planned to fashion into rails. He carried his tools back to the barn then returned to collect the logs one at a time. He laid them behind the barn, the muscles in his arms aching with all the swinging of the ax he¡¯d done that day. All he wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep, but he had to clean up his tools, or the tree sap would make them rust. The last thing he needed was for them to become more damaged and harder to use. So he spent another twenty minutes washing their blades and applying a bit of oil before returning them to their place over the workbench. He shut up the barn and went into the house, sighing contentedly as he slid between the sheets on his bed. # The next morning, Randall came out to water his crops in the garden and the flowers on the porch. By now, the cabbages and potatoes had begun to show greenery. The cabbages sprouted long, wide leaves in all directions, growing several layers higher with each day that passed. All of them appeared to be connected to one thick stem in the center. The potatoes on the other hand employed a strategy of sheer volume. Thin stems extended up in multiple places around where each potato had been planted. They all sent leaves out, bunching up against each other, and seemingly trying to outgrow one another. The new crops weren¡¯t sprouting yet, since he¡¯d only planted them the day before. He finished watering the garden and turned his attention to the flower pots on the porch. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The daffodils had taken a different approach than any of the other plants he¡¯d seen so far. They sent up clusters of long, thin leaves with one larger stem in the middle. Currently, several of the stems were starting to change color at the top while protective sheathes around them were withering away. He assumed they were almost ready to bloom. After watering them, he remembered what Kate had said about singing to her own flowers. He glanced around to make sure nobody could be watching him. He didn¡¯t see anyone climbing the hill for an unexpected visit and turned his attention to picking a song. Some part of the logical thinking side of his brain wondered if this sort of thing had been studied. Which type of music would work best? He figured death metal or rap likely weren¡¯t good choices, not that he could perform either, or most other genres of music once you got down to it. He assumed something with a nice melody would be the best choice. When he finally thought of a song that seemed appropriate, he hummed a couple bars to refresh the lyrics in his memory. Feeling a little foolish, he began to sing. ¡°You are my sunshine, my only sunshine¡­¡± He groaned at hearing how out of tune he was and stopped before going on to the next line. He was singing to inanimate objects, like some kind of Disney princess. The image of the flowers suddenly sprouting faces and singing along with him filled his mind, and he chuckled to himself. ¡°Sorry guys,¡± he said to the daffodils. ¡°This just isn¡¯t my thing. Would anyone like a discussion of best practices for adding password protection to a web site?¡± The flowers didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no.¡± Randall picked up the watering can to take it back to the barn. ¡°You seem to be doing fine as it is. Hopefully it will be enough to win the competition.¡± With his chores done in the garden, he turned his attention back to the logs he¡¯d brought in from the forest the day before. He lifted one of the logs and carried it to the workbench inside the barn. He¡¯d already stripped the bark off, which meant he still needed to cut a couple notches for the rails to slide into and fashion a point at the bottom so he could drive it into the ground. An array of smaller tools hung from a pegboard on the wall over the workbench. He took down a hand drill and the widest chisel he could find. First he cut a starter hole with the drill, then used the chisel to make the hole wider and deeper. He tapped the chisel with a mallet, sheering away flakes of wood from the inside of the log. It took an hour for him to finish hollowing out the two holes for the rails to slide into. He clamped the log to the bench so a foot at the bottom of the post hung off the side of the workbench. Then he used a hatchet to sharpen the end into a point. He spent the rest of the morning fashioning the other two logs into fence posts. By the time he finished the third one, his arms were sore from striking the chisel so many times, and he decided to take a break for lunch. He built up a fire in the stove and emptied the last of the vegetable soup into a pan to heat. He¡¯d have to figure out some other meal with the soup having run out, but for now, he enjoyed the last bit along with the croissants from the cafe. With his energy restored, he carried the rails through the fields to the section that had collapsed. Most of the cracked posts lifted out easily, but one snapped off at the base where it had rotted. He was forced to use his shovel to dig the hole wider before he could remove the rotten splinters that were left in the ground. He seated the new posts in the holes left where he had removed the old ones and struck the tops with the square side of the ax to force them deeper into the ground. After several solid hits, he checked to see if a post was secure by grabbing the top and trying to push it to the side. The one in the spot where the previous post had cracked off took a lot more swings before it was deep enough to stand firm, then he filled in the hole with the soil he¡¯d removed. Using the hatchet, he split the rest of the tree in half lengthwise, giving him two long, thin pieces to fashion into rails. He laid them in the gaps between the posts and cut them to length. Then he cut bits off the end so they could slide into the notches in the posts. By the time the sky grew dark overhead, the section of broken fence had been replaced with fresh new wood. After putting his tools away, he approached the front porch to find several of the daffodils had finally opened. The back portions of the flowers had spread out into wide star shapes, while the inner portion stuck out like a cone. The bulbs must have been a mixed set because the flowers were all different colors, including yellow, white, and orange. ¡°Hey,¡± Randall said when he saw them. ¡°You must have liked my singing.¡± As the sun slid below the horizon, the flowers began to close, as if they¡¯d heard him and responded. He shook his head and walked into the house. ¡°Everybody¡¯s a critic.¡± #
Skills
Crafting ¡ï ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Gathering ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
# * * * Chapter 8 The next morning, Randall looked through the daffodils once their flowers had opened again for the day. He arranged their pots in a line based on how pretty and vibrant they appeared. He had told Jessica he would bring her some of the flowers, and he needed to decide which ones to take. One of the yellow ones stood out as the prettiest, at least to Randall¡¯s eyes. It had no brown spots anywhere on its leaves, and the delicate flower shone brightly in the morning sun. He set it aside as his candidate for the flower festival. From the rest, he chose those with the thickest leaves and stoutest flowers. Knowing Jessica¡¯s penchant for neglecting the plants she¡¯d had before, he hoped these would be hearty enough to survive a bit of adversity. He transferred them all into an empty planter that had been left over from those in the attic. He took special care walking into town, as the planter wasn¡¯t really made for carrying long distances, but he made it to the town hall with no mishaps. ¡°Hello, welcome to the¡­¡± Jessica¡¯s greeting trailed off when she saw the flowers. She stood up and came around the desk, clapping her hands together. ¡°They¡¯re so pretty!¡± ¡°Daffodils as promised,¡± said Randall. ¡°Is there somewhere you¡¯d like me to put them?¡± ¡°Give me one second.¡± Jessica ran across the hallway to the room with all the filing cabinets and returned with a small wooden table. It looked like the sort of stand a court stenographer would sit behind while taking notes during a legal hearing. She moved a couple chairs and set the table in front of a window that overlooked the main street. He set them down while Jessica went behind her desk and sat in her chair. He lined the planter up on the table then stepped out of the way. ¡°That¡¯s perfect!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Now whenever I look up, I¡¯ll see them.¡± She stood again and came over to examine them. She knelt over the planter, gently lifted the head of one of the daffodils, and inhaled deeply. ¡°They smell so nice! I can¡¯t thank you enough for bringing them.¡± Randall blushed at her praise. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. They were your flowers after all. I just held onto them for a few days.¡± Before Jessica could respond, the door to the mayor¡¯s office opened and a gruff, male voice called out. ¡°Jessica, what is all this noise? I need peace and quiet to concentrate on all this important business¡­¡± The man broke off what he was saying when he walked through the door and realized someone was there with his secretary. He looked to be in his sixties, with white hair around the sides of his head although he was completely bald on top. He wore a pinstripe suit stretched over an ample belly. His stern look immediately switched over to a smile as he approached. ¡°You must be Randall.¡± The mayor shook his hand, holding so long Randall started to feel uncomfortable before releasing his grip. ¡°I¡¯m John Montgomery, mayor of Haven. I heard about the accident with the ferry, and let me say that sort of thing never happens around here. We pride ourselves on being a safe and caring community. Jessica said you arrived with no possessions to your name, so have you been able to land on your feet?¡± Randall was feeling a bit slimy, and not just from the man¡¯s sweaty palm during the handshake. He tamped down on that feeling though and took a moment to phrase his answer. He said, ¡°The family that runs the general store set me up in an old farm west of town.¡± The mayor nodded. ¡°The Crosby¡¯s are kind souls. They do more to help the people of this town than just about anyone else. But are you sure you don¡¯t need anything? I could pull some bits out of the budget if you need some new clothes or other things to feel comfortable. I¡¯d hate to think you¡¯re living destitute when old Mayor Montgomery could help.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a couple rows of cabbages and potatoes that¡¯ll be ready any day now. I should be fine until those are ready to harvest and I can sell them to the store.¡± Randall had no idea how many more days it might be until his next batch of crops could be picked, but he didn¡¯t want to owe this man a favor. The mayor put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Like to make your own way in the world. I can respect that.¡± ¡°Mr. Montgomery, he raised those daffodils and brought them here for me,¡± said Jessica. ¡°Aren¡¯t they pretty?¡± The mayor pulled a pair of spectacles out of his pocket and leaned down to examine the flowers. ¡°These are magnificent. We¡¯re having a festival this weekend to celebrate the coming of spring. You should enter these in the flower competition. Did Jessica tell you about it?¡± ¡°She did,¡± said Randall. ¡°I¡¯ve got some more daffodils back at the farm that I was planning to enter.¡± The mayor winked at him. ¡°Let me just say that I¡¯m one of the judges, and these are certain to win first prize.¡± Feeling the mayor was trying to butter him up for some reason, Randall opened his mouth to protest. He was cut off by the mayor looking at his watch. ¡°Sorry to cut things short, son. I¡¯ve got a meeting with someone shortly, and I need to prepare. Thanks for coming by, and I¡¯ll see you at the festival this weekend.¡± The mayor marched back into his office and closed the door before anyone else could say a word. ¡°Did you get the feeling he was looking for any excuse to pay me in some way?¡± Randall asked. Jessica sighed. ¡°Last year, a group of tourists were upset that it rained during their entire stay on the island. I guess they spread word when they got home, and the number of people who came to visit afterwards was the lowest we¡¯ve seen in decades. He¡¯s probably afraid of the bad press if you make a fuss about what happened to you while you were here.¡± Thinking that if he ever got to go home, the last thing he¡¯d do would be to badmouth the locals, Randall laughed. ¡°He really doesn¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Jessica shrugged. ¡°The mayor lives and dies by his approval rating. He¡¯ll do whatever it takes to make sure you¡¯re on his side.¡± Randall rolled his eyes. ¡°Tell him his reputation is safe. I wouldn¡¯t badmouth him or the town for the accident that brought me here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± said Jessica, but the tone of her voice didn¡¯t sound like she believed it would help. # The rest of the week passed quickly until the day of the festival arrived. Randall chose the daffodil he¡¯d set aside before as the nicest to be his entry in the competition and set off towards town. Pedestals had been placed around the plaza, and some already had flowers displayed on them. A banner had been stretched between two poles by the road that read, ¡°Haven Spring Flower Festival.¡± Randall got in line behind a couple other people holding vases or flower pots. When it was finally his turn, Jessica greeted him from her place behind the registration table. ¡°You made it!¡± She pointed to a spot on the table beside her where he should place his submission. ¡°Since this is your first time, I¡¯ll explain a bit about how this all works. Contestants have until noon to enter their flowers into the competition. For an hour after that, anyone can fill in a form with their votes for the three displays they like the best. After the votes are tallied, the mayor and two mystery judges will look at the top picks and choose who gets first, second, and third place.¡± ¡°Sounds simple enough.¡± Jessica passed him a slip of paper. ¡°There¡¯s your form, so please fill it out when it comes time to vote. Also, the prizes are listed on the bottom. I¡¯ve been enjoying the daffodils ever since you brought them earlier this week, so I may be biased, but I hope you win.¡± ¡°Thanks, I appreciate the support.¡± Randall moved aside so the next person could submit their entry and looked over the slip of paper he¡¯d been given. The header said, ¡°Flower Festival Competition Ballot.¡± Underneath it was a line with three separate spaces to vote for his favorites. On the bottom was what he¡¯d been looking for, the listing of prizes. First place was 500 bits, an amount that received a prolonged whistle when he saw it. Second place was 200 bits and a new watering can. Given that he needed a watering can so badly and there were none available for sale at the general store, that seemed like the better prize. Third place was 100 bits and a bag of fertilizer. For a second, he wondered if that was some kind of jab by the game¡¯s developer, telling the player if he won third prize, he needed some help to grow better flowers in the future. It would be a while until noon rolled around, so Randall crossed the street to the cafe and went inside. The shop was covered by wallpaper that had little Eiffel Towers spread out in geometric patterns. A glass case held an array of pastries for sale, and a large, intricate machine behind the counter shot a little burst of steam into the air periodically. Vincent sat on a stool next to the register, while Desiree appeared to be cleaning the wide array of nozzles coming out of the bottom of the machine. Randall went to the counter to order a coffee, only to watch Vincent stand up and walk into the kitchen. ¡° A customer would like to order,¡± Vincent said over his shoulder before he went out of sight. Desiree leaned around the corner into the kitchen. ¡°You know, you can take orders in the dining room when there¡¯s nobody on the patio to serve.¡± ¡°I was told before to let you know when certain people came into the cafe,¡± Vincent yelled from somewhere in the kitchen. Desiree turned around and immediately blushed. ¡°Randall, I didn¡¯t realize you were here. Ignore my brother¡¯s rudeness. Mom won¡¯t admit it when I ask, but I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s adopted.¡± Exaggerated fake laughter came from the kitchen. ¡°What can I get you?¡± Randall had spotted the little signs in the display case and was taken aback by the prices. Unsure if he could even afford anything here with the 80 bits he had to his name, he asked, ¡°How much for a coffee?¡± ¡°For black coffee, it¡¯ll be 30 bits,¡± said Desiree. ¡°For an espresso, latte, or specialty drink, they start at 50 bits.¡± After long nights up coding in the real world, and his penchant to forget things when he stopped at the grocery store, Randall had gotten used to drinking plain coffee. ¡°One black coffee,¡± said Randall. ¡°Would you like anything to go with that?¡± Desiree leaned over the counter to point at the items while she spoke. ¡°We have strawberry tarts and muffins. Kate told my father about the wonderful strawberries that had come in, but I believe these are the last he was able to buy.¡± ¡°Just the coffee will be fine. I¡¯m not that hungry.¡± Desiree punched buttons on the register, and he handed over the 30 bits. She stepped over to the machine she¡¯d been cleaning when he walked in and started fixing his drink. He watched as she turned knobs and water flowed through the system before the dark brew trickled out the bottom into a cup she was holding. While the machine was working, she asked, ¡°What brings you into town this morning?¡± ¡°I¡¯m entering the competition for the flower festival.¡± ¡°I¡¯d almost forgotten that was today.¡± Desiree shut off a valve, and a final few drops fell into the cup. She slid it across the counter to him. ¡°It¡¯s a wonder I could forget, though, considering Kate has been talking about it nonstop for the last week.¡± ¡°Is she entering?¡± asked Randall. ¡°In her words, ¡®This year I take first place.¡¯¡± ¡°She sounds confident. How can she be sure?¡± ¡°She¡¯s kept that a secret, even from me. But she swears it¡¯s the prettiest flower she¡¯s ever seen. Said she wouldn¡¯t unveil it until the competition. So I guess we¡¯ll have to wait.¡± Randall held up his cup. ¡°Thanks for the coffee.¡± He took a sip and his eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s really strong.¡± Desiree smiled. ¡°Anytime.¡± Randall sat at one of the small tables on the other side of the cafe, savoring the rich taste of the coffee and looking around at the decor. A tiny French flag hung from a flagpole above the door leading into the kitchen. Pictures on the wall showed landmarks from Paris, some that he recognized but many that he did not. He¡¯d never traveled to Europe, though he¡¯d have to put it on his list for the future after eating the food and drinking the coffee at this cafe. A couple minutes later, Desiree came out of the kitchen, the sound of her shoes striking the floor getting his attention. She stomped up to his table and placed a plate there, leaving Randall and several of the other patrons speechless. Finally, he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t order these.¡± Desiree leaned down and pointed at the croissants. ¡°Do you see how brown these are?¡± Randall picked up one of the croissants and looked it over, but they didn¡¯t appear any different from the ones he¡¯d had the last time. ¡°They look fine to me.¡± ¡°I know! But my father,¡± and she stressed the word heavily, ¡°said they were baked too long, and he wouldn¡¯t allow them to be sold to our patrons. However, he didn¡¯t say I couldn¡¯t give them away.¡± She waved her hand for him to eat one, and he took a tentative bite. ¡°Well?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡± He gave a thumbs up to really show his approval. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She grinned triumphantly and stomped back into the kitchen. Several people were watching him, including Vincent, who had returned to his place by the register. ¡°My mother used to call her our little Joan of Arc,¡± said Vincent. ¡°It was cute, when she was eight.¡± Randall went back to sipping his coffee and made sure to eat all the croissants before he left. When noon rolled around, he made his way back to the plaza. Jessica rang a bell to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Last call for entries,¡± she said and lowered the bell. ¡°Please bring them up in the next five minutes.¡± Most of the pedestals were full by this point, and Randall walked around to scope out the competition. Each display had a card listing the name of the flower and the contestant who had grown it. He didn¡¯t recognize any of the other contestants, and he was starting to wonder which one was Kate¡¯s entry, when a gasp went through the people standing around him. He turned in the direction everyone was looking and saw Kate coming up the alleyway from her house. She carried a short vase made of white china with a riot of purple flowers escaping from the top. She placed it on the table where Jessica was waiting for final entries. ¡°Is that a single plant?¡± asked someone behind him. ¡°How did she get it to grow so many flowers?¡± asked another person. He thought he could tell the other entrants in the competition by the dejected looks on their faces. Jessica finished filling out her papers and placed the last minute entries on pedestals with the other flowers. He had to wait for space to clear around Kate¡¯s entry before he could get close enough to read the card. ¡°Kate Crosby ¡ª Violets¡± He immediately wrote her name in the first slot on his ballot. He wrote himself on the second and took another trip around the plaza to find someone for the third. A display of irises caught his attention, so he wrote down the name from the card. He turned in his votes and stood to the side, watching the other people as they walked around. Everyone stopped at Kate¡¯s violets, and most of them wrote a name down immediately. Some stopped at his daffodil, though he wasn¡¯t sure if they liked his flower or were perplexed by a name they didn¡¯t recognize. By the end of the hour, he had no idea how many people might have voted for him. The crowd quieted down when the doors to the town hall opened and the mayor walked outside. Jessica took the stack of ballots and walked up the stairs to where he stood next to a table with a giant fishbowl. The mayor raised his hands and said, ¡°Welcome, everyone to our annual Spring Flower Festival.¡± A couple cheers and whistles rose from the crowd in the plaza, while most people were clapping. When they quieted down, the mayor launched into a speech. ¡°Every year, we get together at this time to celebrate the return of warm weather. The flowers remind us that life is returning to our little island and that we have warmer weather to look forward to. We¡¯ve had a record number of entries this year. Our little town has really outdone itself with the quality of the submissions as well. Now, in no particular order, the three most popular arrangements you voted for.¡± Jessica handed the mayor a slip of paper. ¡°First, a name I¡¯ve not seen before in this competition.¡± Randall¡¯s hopes rose until the mayor said, ¡°Yuki Sato.¡± Everyone looked around until a figure moved to the front of the crowd and climbed the stairs. She had long black hair tied back with a ribbon, and she wore a colorful kimono. Given her name and her Asian features, he assumed she was Japanese. She held her hands together in front of her and bowed as the crowd clapped. ¡°Second, and I¡¯m not surprised to see her name here,¡± said the mayor. ¡°She¡¯s been entering this competition since she was ten years old, and it¡¯s about time she was a finalist. Kate Crosby.¡± Randall could see the bright red of Kate¡¯s hair as she moved through the crowd and joined the other young woman at the top of the stairs. She smiled and waved when a group in the crowd called out, ¡°Go Kate!¡± Randall¡¯s heart beat faster as the mayor prepared to announce the third finalist. ¡°Lastly, we have a young man, who I was lucky enough to meet earlier this week. Randall Thompson, please join us!¡± Randall grinned and made his way up with the others. ¡°Congratulations,¡± said Kate when he stood next to her. ¡°Your daffodil was beautiful.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Randall, ¡°but I¡¯m not going to pretend I have a chance. You¡¯re going to win this.¡± Kate blushed. ¡°You really think so?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± The Japanese woman wished him good luck with a slight bow, and he returned the gesture. ¡°For the final assessment, two mystery judges, chosen at random from those of you who voted will join me in deciding the winners from the three finalists. While my assistant handles drawing the names, I still need to take a look at the entries by our finalists.¡± While they¡¯d been waiting, volunteers in the audience had found the entries they¡¯d submitted and cleared a space for them at the base of the stairs. The mayor descended and examined their three arrangements. When he stopped at Kate¡¯s piece, his face turned white, and he quickly moved on to Randall¡¯s display. He climbed back up the stairs and joined Jessica at the fishbowl. She reached in and grabbed two of the ballots and handed them to the mayor. ¡°Our first mystery judge will be¡­¡± The mayor looked at the paper and called out, ¡°Gerald Tottenham! Come up here doctor. You¡¯ll make a fine judge.¡± A man wearing a brown sweater over a collared shirt held his hand up as the crowd cheered for him. While he mounted the steps to join them, Kate leaned over to whisper in Randall¡¯s ear. ¡°That¡¯s the town doctor,¡± she said. ¡°We passed his clinic near the harbor the first day you were here.¡± Randall nodded and greeted the man when he joined the group in front of the town hall. Up close, he could see the man had brown hair that was graying at the temples. ¡°And our second judge, will be¡­¡± The mayor read the paper and frowned before motioning Jessica to step closer. He whispered something into her ear, and she hurried through the doors into the town hall. ¡°Just a moment folks. I need to check the rules of the competition before we can continue.¡± Murmurs ran through the crowd below while they waited. Two minutes passed and Jessica rejoined them with a sheaf of papers. She and the mayor bowed their heads over them and argued back and forth. Finally the mayor stood up and announced, ¡°It seems there¡¯s nothing in the bylaws saying family members of the finalists can¡¯t be chosen. Our final mystery judge is Meredith Crosby.¡± Nobody seemed quite sure how to take that, as there was no cheering like what had accompanied the doctor. Meredith walked slowly forward to join them. ¡°Finalists, I¡¯m going to need you to wait inside the town hall, while we deliberate,¡± said the mayor. ¡°My assistant will accompany you.¡± Jessica held the door for the contestants then followed them inside. There were refreshments laid out on a table for them, but nobody moved to partake, likely due to the tension they were feeling. ¡°Why would it be a problem for my mother to be one of the judges?¡± asked Kate. Randall shrugged, not wanting to say what was obvious. She watched him until finally he said, ¡°There might be a question of whether she was playing favorites if it turned out you won.¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t do that. Everyone here knows she¡¯d judge things fairly.¡± She turned to Jessica. ¡°They know that, don¡¯t they?¡± Jessica sighed. ¡°I said as much, but the mayor didn¡¯t agree.¡± They waited the rest of the time in silence. Kate hugged her arms and chewed at one of her fingernails. Fifteen minutes later, the door cracked open and the doctor told them they should come outside. Once they were lined up outside again, Randall scanned the judges¡¯ faces. The doctor looked uncomfortable, and Meredith¡¯s cheeks were red. ¡°This year¡¯s contest was a difficult one to adjudicate,¡± said the mayor. ¡°I¡¯ll now announce the winners. When you hear your name, please step forward and Jessica will give you your prize.¡± The crowd waited below them, silent in anticipation. ¡°In third place, for her beautiful arrangement of cherry blossoms, Miss Yuki Sato.¡± The young Japanese woman covered her smile with a hand and stepped forward to give another bow. Jessica held out an envelope, which she accepted with both hands before stepping back in line with the other finalists. ¡°In second place, for her nice display of violets, Miss Kate Crosby.¡± Kate¡¯s body quivered beside him, but she didn¡¯t move. He glanced at her face, and tears stood out in her eyes. After a moment, her mother moved behind them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry honey,¡± she said in her daughter¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the mayor is going to get an earful after this, but the faster we get this over with, the better. Step forward and take your prize.¡± Kate did as her mother said, moving stiffly to take the envelope Jessica pressed into her hand. Jessica presented the watering can, which Kate took by the handle. She fell back into line without even waiting for the little bit of applause from the crowd to die down. ¡°And finally,¡± said the mayor, ¡°for his absolutely stunning daffodils, Mister Randall Thompson.¡± He turned and gave Randall a wink. Again there was some polite clapping from the people below as Randall reluctantly accepted his prize. ¡°Congratulations to all the winners, and I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the festival.¡± The mayor turned around and disappeared into the town hall. Kate¡¯s mother was only a couple steps behind him. Randall stood there, unsure of what to do. The crowd below slowly dispersed, but a small cluster of people he recognized gathered at the bottom of the stairs. Kate rushed down them and launched herself into Desiree¡¯s arms. The sound of her crying reached all the way up the stairs. Liam stood next to them, his hand on Kate¡¯s shoulder, staring daggers in Randall¡¯s direction. # The Japanese woman came over to express her congratulations for him winning the contest, and they spoke for a couple minutes about what had happened. Both of them were confused, and she asked him to pass on her admiration for the flowers Kate had submitted. By the time they finished talking and she walked away, Kate had disappeared. Randall searched the plaza but didn¡¯t see her anywhere. He headed to the alley next to the town hall that led to her house, and spotted some people milling outside the front door. When he approached, Liam scowled at him. ¡°Haven¡¯t you done enough?¡± asked Liam. ¡°Give it a rest, Liam,¡± said Desiree. ¡°It¡¯s his fault she¡¯s so upset. She deserved first place, and he stole it from her.¡± Before Randall could say anything in his defense, a voice called from the direction of the street. ¡°He didn¡¯t steal anything.¡± Meredith joined them, tapping her foot in agitation. ¡°It¡¯s not Randall¡¯s fault, so don¡¯t blame him.¡± ¡°What happened up there?¡± asked Vincent. ¡°The mayor decided because Kate and I were related, I had to place her last in my lineup of votes. We argued about it while the doctor refused to pick a side.¡± ¡°What a coward,¡± said Desiree. ¡°I can¡¯t hold it against him,¡± said Meredith. ¡°He just wanted to enjoy the festival. It wasn¡¯t his fault he was dragged into the argument. Anyway, since the mayor was the primary judge, he had final say. While we all agreed the cherry blossoms were beautifully arranged, the competition is meant to be for live flowers, so the other young woman got third place. Since I couldn¡¯t ¡®impartially vote¡­¡¯¡± She said the two words in a fair imitation of the mayors voice. ¡°And since the mayor chose Randall as the winner, it didn¡¯t matter how the doctor voted. If he picked Kate¡¯s submission, the mayor was the tiebreaker.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± said Randall. ¡°No need for you to apologize. The mayor¡¯s the one who screwed up.¡± ¡°Did he give any reason as to why he voted for Randall¡¯s piece?¡± asked Desiree. Meredith scowled. ¡°He said he¡¯s been looking at the daffodils Randall gave his secretary all week, and he couldn¡¯t imagine any other flowers beating them.¡± Randall groaned. ¡°I told Kate when we became finalists that her violets were the obvious winners. We can all agree on that, can¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Damn strait,¡± said Liam, earning him a scornful look from Desiree. Everyone else nodded their heads. ¡°No offense to you Randall,¡± said Meredith. ¡°But my daughter was making herself crazy getting ready for this day, and I hate to see it turn out this way.¡± ¡°No offense taken,¡± said Randall. Meredith let out a long breath and looked back at the plaza where people were still milling around. ¡°You all should go and enjoy the rest of the festival. I saw Jessica preparing some drinks and snacks when I stormed out of the town hall. Try to have some fun.¡± ¡°All right,¡± said Desiree. ¡°If that mayor is foolish enough to show his face though, he¡¯ll get an earful from me.¡± ¡°Randall, stay for a moment,¡± said Meredith. Liam gave him a dirty look as the rest of them walked away. Once they were out of earshot, Meredith continued. ¡°I¡¯m going inside to talk to Kate. I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s feeling about what happened, but I¡¯ll make it clear you had nothing to do with it. I don¡¯t want her to feel resentful towards you. Can you wait here a moment, in case she wants to talk with you?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Meredith pointed out a pair of rocking chairs on the porch. ¡°Sit if you like. If she¡¯s not up to it, I¡¯ll come out and let you know.¡± Randall took a seat in one of the rocking chairs and examined the flowers growing around the window he¡¯d seen from across the street in the cafe. They were definitely a class above what he¡¯d been able to raise. He leaned in close and asked, ¡°So what songs does she sing for you?¡± The flowers didn¡¯t answer. The sound of the door squeaking open next to him caused him to fall back into the rocking chair, a guilty look on his face. Kate walked out, looking around but not meeting his eyes. ¡°You all right?¡± asked Randall. ¡°No.¡± Kate plopped into the other rocking chair beside him. ¡°But Mom explained what happened, and I want you to know I don¡¯t blame you.¡± She covered her face with her hands and half-groaned, half-yelled into them. When she finished, he said, ¡°You should be happy though. Coming in second place, you got the better prize.¡± ¡°That thing?¡± she pointed at a corner of the porch where a brand new copper watering can sat. ¡°You think I want that around to remind me what happened today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a hot commodity. There¡¯s not a single one left for sale in the whole town.¡± He pulled out the envelope Jessica had handed him and found five paper bills inside, each in a denomination of 100 bits. He took out three of the bills. ¡°Would you sell it? Seems to me it¡¯s worth about 300 bits.¡± For the first time since joining him on the porch, Kate smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± She walked across the porch and picked up the watering can. She set it on his lap before taking the bills out of his hand, then sat back down in her rocking chair. ¡°You way overpaid, by the way,¡± said Kate. ¡°I¡¯d have given you the watering can for free.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to turn this thing into a million bits.¡± #
Relationships
Desiree ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Jessica ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Kate ¡ï ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
# * * * Chapter 9 The next morning, Randall got to test out his new watering can. To say it made things easier would be an understatement. He was able to water the crops in half the time, because half the water wasn¡¯t leaking out the bottom of the can anymore. He was able to get by without watering the cabbages because they were now ready to be harvested. The second set of strawberries and potatoes were close as well. He harvested the cabbages and some of the daffodils that had been growing in planters on the porch. With the flower festival over, he didn¡¯t need so many, but he kept a few just for the splash of color they provided. He hauled the cabbages and daffodils to the collection box by the road with the help of his wheelbarrow. Otherwise it would have taken him most of the morning to carry everything to the box to be sold. With the garden taken care of, he decided it was time to look into one of the other areas he¡¯d heard a bit about, fishing. All the farming games he¡¯d played in the past had some way to fish, and some of the rare items found while fishing could be quite expensive. He wanted to try his luck. Before heading into town, he thought it a good idea to gather some bait. In the pasture area where the ground was rockier, he turned over stones and collected what worms he could find. He kept them in a tin he¡¯d found in the barn that had a lid that screwed on. He made sure to fill it with dirt and poked a few holes in the top so they would get some air. Once he had about a dozen fat earthworms in his makeshift bait holder, he left to go to town. The sun was sloping upward into the sky by the time he reached the general store. Hank sat on a stool behind the counter, but besides him, the store was empty. ¡°Welcome, Randall,¡± said Hank. ¡°Congratulations on your win at the flower festival yesterday!¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Randall. ¡°I had a little help from one of the judges.¡± Hank chuckled. ¡°I got an earful from another one of the judges last night. Is there something I can help you with?¡± ¡°Yeah, but first, I wanted to let you know about some deliveries that¡¯ll be coming in from my farm. I¡¯ve got cabbages and daffodils already waiting in the collection box. Any day now, I¡¯ll be harvesting another row of strawberries and some potatoes.¡± ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll have Kate make a sign that says, ¡®Award Winning Flowers,¡¯ for the daffodils. That should help them sell, and I won¡¯t have to listen to the moans she¡¯d make if she had to help with the cabbages.¡± ¡°She made it clear where she stood on the topic when we planted them,¡± said Randall. ¡°Other than that, I¡¯m looking for some fishing equipment.¡± Hank pointed to the back of the store. ¡°One row over from the farming supplies.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Randall passed through an aisle of canned goods to the part of the store where tools and other equipment could be found. The fishing section was about ten feet long, with an assortment of rods on the left side of the aisle and the various bits of tackle on the right. There were also some small nets and wooden traps. He turned to the rods first and looked through his choices. There were rods of all different shapes, sizes, and materials. The cheapest was an unpolished wooden rod about three feet long. It had a simple spindle on the bottom that could be turned with a small knob on the side to give out or bring in the line. It cost 400 bits, and he¡¯d have to buy the line, hooks, and other tackle separately. He stepped across the aisle to look at the accessories that went along with the rod. To get everything he would need in order to set the rod up right, he¡¯d have to spend another 100 bits. So he was looking at a 500 bit investment, but he only had about half that. Dejected, he moved over a row and picked out a couple packets of seeds. He returned to the front of the store and set the seeds down on the counter. Hank looked over his purchase and asked, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you find a fishing rod you liked?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that,¡± said Randall. ¡°They¡¯re all a bit too expensive for my budget at the moment.¡± Hank frowned. ¡°I was going to bring something up later, but now seems as good a time as any. I wanted to offer you a line of credit with the store.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± said Randall. ¡°I know, but after hearing about how our mayor is a dirty scoundrel, my wife also mentioned what you did for Kate. A lot of people would have kept the money, despite knowing what the mayor had done to manipulate the vote in their favor. I feel like I can trust you to pay back what you borrow.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir. Like I said before, I¡¯ve got enough crops to harvest in the next couple days that I should be able to cover the cost of a fishing rod.¡± ¡°Go grab one and whatever accessories you need to go with it.¡± Hank picked up the stack of seeds he¡¯d laid on the counter. ¡°I¡¯ll start totaling these up.¡± Randall ran back to the aisle with the fishing equipment. He grabbed the cheapest rod, a spool of fishing line, a small jar filled with hooks, and a set of cork bobbers. When he returned to the register, Hank was frowning as he looked over the seeds. ¡°Are you planning on planting all of these now?¡± asked Hank. Randall nodded. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Some of these have a pretty long growing time. If you plant them now, they¡¯ll be out of season by the time they¡¯re ready to harvest. While you¡¯ll still get something out of them, the produce will likely not be as good.¡± ¡°Would it be a waste of time?¡± asked Randall. Hank shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s up to you. If there¡¯s some food you really like, then it might be worth it to grow for yourself. Due to the quality of crops grown out of season, I¡¯d have to give you a lower price if you wanted to sell them. Unless you have an immediate need for some of these, I¡¯d save your money for seeds you could plant in the summer instead.¡± Randall didn¡¯t need any particular crops for himself, so he looked through the seeds he¡¯d picked out. ¡°Do any of these have a short enough growing period that they¡¯d be worth putting out now?¡± ¡°Probably just the strawberries,¡± said Hank. ¡°The others will take so long, the summer heat will likely ruin much of the produce. It¡¯d be different if you had a greenhouse, but I don¡¯t remember Jack ever building one while he was living on the property.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no greenhouse. If I had one, could I grow crops out of season?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± Hank said as he set aside all the seeds except for the strawberries. ¡°It¡¯s a great way to keep a bit of cash flow in the winter.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Randall set the fishing equipment on the counter. ¡°It¡¯ll likely be a while before I could build one of those.¡± Hank punched buttons on the register. ¡°That¡¯ll be 40 bits for the strawberry seeds, and I¡¯ve noted 500 bits given in credit for the fishing rod and tackle. Any payments due for delivery of crops in the future will go towards paying that off first. Also, you can sell your catch by placing them in the collection box.¡± ¡°Thanks, Hank.¡± Randall collected all the items and nodded farewell. As he was walking out the door, Hank called after him. ¡°Good luck with the fish.¡± # Knowing he could put anything he caught into the collection box to be sold, Randall decided to try his luck in the little creek running along the northern edge of the farm. That way, if he caught a lot of fish, he wouldn¡¯t have to take them far. He set up on the bridge, leaning against the stone railing on the downstream side. He fed the line through the guide holes along the length of the pole and wrapped it around the reel. He spun the reel slowly to take in more of the line until it was all transferred from its spool to the fishing rod. He attached one of the cork bobbers a few feet from the end and tied on one of the hooks. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He had to dig in the dirt of his bait box to find one of the worms he¡¯d caught earlier and placed it on the hook. The creek widened into a small pond by the bridge, so he cast out into the middle of it. Then he waited. To say that it was boring wouldn¡¯t be correct, because periodically the bobber would dip into the water. Randall would pull on the rod and reel in as fast as he could. Most of the time though, the rod would go back to vertical again. He would reel in the excess line to find it had either snapped off near the end or the bait had been taken but no fish had been hooked. He often had to replace the bobber or the fishing hook, depending on how far up the line had snapped. A couple hours had passed, and he was starting to get bored, when the line finally caught and held. He pulled up on the rod, then reeled as he lowered it to take in the slack. He repeated the motion until the bobber lifted out of the water. He grabbed the line with his hand and pulled the fish up onto the bridge. The small trout was only about six inches long. It wouldn¡¯t set any records, but it was the first thing he had caught. He¡¯d bought a stringer with a ring on the end of a bit of thin rope, and he fed it through the fish¡¯s gills. That way, he could leave the fish in the water until he was finished. He tied the other end around a stick he found and jabbed it into the ground so the fish couldn¡¯t swim away. Having finally caught something renewed his enthusiasm, so he attached another worm to his hook and cast into the pond again. He ended up with one more small trout before his supply of worms ran out. He took the two fish from the water and carried them back to the farmhouse. He probably could have put them in the collection box, but he figured they wouldn¡¯t be worth much. Besides, he was exhausted from a long morning of sitting out in the sun and barely catching anything. He still had some seeds to plant, so he decided to fix the trout for himself. He started a fire in the stove before looking for some way to prepare the fish. He found a couple metal skewers in the back of the silverware drawer that he figured were for making kebabs. He cleaned the fish and shoved them onto the skewers, placing them over the opening in the top of the stove. The hot air escaping slowly cooked the fish, and he turned them over when one side had charred to a golden brown. When they were done, he used a fork to remove the soft flesh of the fish from the bones. He wouldn¡¯t win any awards for presentation of the meal, but it tasted good and gave him the energy to plant a row of strawberries where he¡¯d harvested the cabbages earlier that day. While he worked, he thought about the difficulty he¡¯d had in catching the fish and wondered what it was he¡¯d done wrong. One of the buildings in town he hadn¡¯t visited yet was the library. Perhaps they would have a book that told him the different types of fish and how to catch them. When he finished planting the strawberry seeds, he put away his tools, and headed back into town. # The town library was a small two-story building. It neighbored on the cafe, on the south side of the main road running through town. The inside had an open layout, with about two thirds of the floor space taken up by bookshelves that reached almost to the ceiling. Several rooms were partitioned off in the back, only one of which he could see into since the doors to the others were closed. A woman seated at a desk in the tiny office stood and came out to greet him. ¡°Hello, welcome to Haven¡¯s library. I¡¯m Lesly.¡± Lesly had dark skin, brown eyes, and black hair that was cut short. She wore khaki trousers, a green blouse, and a pair of rectangular glasses. ¡°I¡¯m Randall,¡± he said. ¡°I was hoping to get a book on fishing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you find it,¡± she said, ¡°and I can give you a general tour.¡± She led him around the small library, pointing at various sections and describing what books could be found there. The fiction collection was by far the biggest, with bookshelves dedicated to one genre apiece. One aisle held collections of poetry. The rest of the space was for nonfiction and reference books. When they finally stopped, the shelf in front of them was labeled at the top as, ¡°Trades and Industry.¡± Randall looked through the various books while Lesly searched for those specifically on fishing. Farming appeared to be the most popular topic, with many almanacs and art books filled with detailed drawings of all different types of plants. Other topics included woodcutting, furniture making, cooking, machinery, and animal husbandry. He assumed they held information relevant to the different skills available to him. After a moment, Lesly pointed to a section of books and said, ¡°This is everything we have on fishing. Was there any particular topic you wanted to read about?¡± ¡°Mostly about how to catch them,¡± said Randall. ¡°I bought a fishing rod but didn¡¯t have much luck when I tried earlier today. I was hoping to find out what I was doing wrong.¡± Lesly looked at several titles before pulling one off the shelf. She flipped through it a little to check its contents before handing it to Randall. It was titled, ¡°A Fisherman¡¯s Guide to Haven.¡± The illustration on the cover showed a man holding what looked to be a catfish in front of a lake. ¡°At a glance, this is probably what you want,¡± said Lesly. ¡°It details all the types of fish that live on the island and where you can catch them. It also gives tips like what times of day are best and which baits to use.¡± ¡°Thanks, that¡¯s exactly what I need.¡± He looked around but didn¡¯t see any tables or places to sit down and read. ¡°Is there somewhere I can look this over?¡± ¡°Sorry about that. We¡¯re such a small library that I try to use the space for displaying our collection. Most people check the books out and take them home, so I removed the chairs that were out here to have more room for shelves.¡± She led him to one of the closed doors. ¡°We do have a meeting room if you¡¯d like to use that.¡± Inside the room was a table with eight chairs. In the far corners were a pair of lounge chairs with foam padding on the arms and back. ¡°Thanks, this looks fine.¡± Randall sat in one of the lounge chairs and opened the book. ¡°If you need anything,¡± said Lesly, ¡°I¡¯ll be in my office next door. Don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± She left him to look through the book. It was divided into two sections, one for fresh water fish and another for species found in the ocean. Each fish had several pages dedicated to it, listing their favorite types of bait, times of the day when they were most active, where they could be found around the island, and even records for the largest caught. He flipped to the section on trout, since those were the only type of fish he¡¯d caught. Worms were one of the baits recommended for catching trout, but it also said they were most active early in the morning and late in the evening. Apparently when the sun was high in the sky, they tended to hide away. He picked up all kinds of useful information, but he worried he would forget most of it. He closed the book and went to the office he¡¯d seen when he first entered the library. Lesly sat behind her desk with several books open in front of her. She looked up when he knocked on the frame of the door. ¡°Was the book helpful?¡± asked Lesly. ¡°Immensely,¡± said Randall. ¡°So much so, I¡¯m not sure I can remember it all. Can I borrow it for a while?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Lesly opened a drawer on her desk and pulled out a piece of paper. ¡°As long as you¡¯re a resident of Haven, you can fill out this form to get a library card. Then you can borrow books for a span of two weeks.¡± She slid the piece of paper and a pencil across the desk. Randall sat down in a chair and began filling it out. The form looked very similar to the one he¡¯d used to register for his account at the town hall. ¡°What do you plan on doing with the fish you catch?¡± asked Lesly while he filled in the form. ¡°I¡¯ll eat some of them,¡± Randall replied. ¡°The rest I will likely sell to the general store.¡± ¡°In that case, I hope you catch lots. Many of the meals I like to fix have fish as the main ingredient, but I haven¡¯t been able to find what I need at the grocery the last couple weeks. It seems that despite being on an island, they got most of their shipments from the mainland.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Randall finished filling out the form and handed it back to her. ¡°I¡¯m new at this, so it might take some time before I really get the hang of it. What kind of food do you cook?¡± ¡°Fish stews, gumbo, paella. My family is from Puerto Rico, so a lot of what I ate growing up had seafood in it.¡± She looked over his form before filing it away in a cabinet behind her desk. She took a card from a small wooden box and wrote his name on a line in the middle of it. When she handed it to him, the title at the top read, ¡°Haven Public Library.¡± ¡°With that, you are welcome to borrow books.¡± She took a card from the back of the fishing guidebook, wrote his name on it, and placed it in a small tray marked as books that had been lent out. ¡°Books are supposed to be due back in two weeks, but as long as nobody requests it in that time, it¡¯s not a problem to keep it longer.¡± ¡°Thanks, Lesly.¡± Randall picked up the book. ¡°If I can get the hang of this fishing thing, I¡¯ll bring you some of my catch for all your help.¡± Lesly smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± #
Skills
Fishing ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
#
Relationships
Hank ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
# * * * Chapter 10 Randall had hoped to get an early start on fishing the next day, but two rows of crops were ready to be harvested. The second set of strawberries weren¡¯t as large or sweet as the first ones he¡¯d collected. They still tasted good, but he suspected these new ones wouldn¡¯t warrant a premium price. The potatoes were also ready, and he had to dig them out of the ground. It took a lot longer than simply pulling fruit off their stems. He had to be careful when digging into the mounds that he didn¡¯t accidentally cut the potatoes in half. Those he did chop through were put aside in a separate basket he planned to use for his own cooking. Two hours later, he carried the strawberries in baskets and the potatoes in burlap sacks to the collection box next to the road. By the time he finished everything, the sun was already arcing up into the sky. On the bright side, he¡¯d found plenty of worms while digging up the potatoes. He¡¯d wanted to try his luck at finding more trout in the stream north of the farm, but the book he¡¯d borrowed recommended fishing for them at dawn or dusk. He checked for other types of fish that liked worms but weren¡¯t as strict on the timing when they would be active. There were many salt water varieties that fit the bill, and the book recommended the harbor as a good spot. It was sheltered, meaning smaller fish would congregate there and larger fish would come in to hunt. He watered the plants that hadn¡¯t been harvested yet, retrieved his fishing equipment, and walked to town. The day was slightly overcast, with the sun peeking out occasionally between breaks in the clouds. He hoped that meant better fishing, but he¡¯d left the book on the dining room table of the farmhouse. He didn¡¯t want it getting wet if it started to rain. The harbor was in the same sad state he¡¯d seen his first day on Haven. The sea wall was battered with parts of it spread out across the little bay it had previously protected. The ferry boat could still be seen beneath the water in the middle of the harbor. Schools of fish swam around it, darting this way and that when a larger shadow loomed close to them. While he lamented the fact the boat he needed to get off the island was in such bad shape, it did make finding the right place to cast his line easier. Randall tied a cork bobber to his line, measuring out a distance between it and the hook that corresponded to the depth he saw the fish swimming alongside the ferry. He put a worm on the hook and cast as far as he could. The bobber landed about twenty feet short of where he¡¯d wanted, but he decided to leave it there and see what happened. The school of fish undulated back and forth, sometimes approaching his line and other times retreating under the deck of the ferry. Each time it drew near, Randall held his breath. They never came out far enough to reach the spot where his bait was dangling in the water. After thirty minutes, his mind was wandering when the bobber dipped down and came back up. He waited to see if it would move more. The next time it was pulled under for five seconds, and he yanked on his rod to set the hook. The response was a jerk so hard he almost dropped it into the water. He held on for dear life while the fish dashed around in circles, the bobber splashing through the waves. Randall let the line play out while he got over his surprise and planted his feet on the pier he¡¯d been fishing from. He yanked the rod upward and furiously reeled in the line. For a moment, the fish turned his direction and rushed at where he stood on the pier. Then when Randall least expected it, the fish jumped out of the water, its scales flashing in a few rays of sun that had broken through the clouds. He stared in awe at a fish that was over two feet long. The fish darted away when it landed, and he groaned as the line snapped at the sudden motion. There was nothing he could do but replace the bobber and hook. This time he cast far enough to reach the side of the ferry. He didn¡¯t have to wait long to get a second bite. While the fish fought, it was nowhere near as intense as the one he¡¯d lost. The rod barely bent, and there were no crazy flips out of the water. He reeled the line all the way in to find a sardine that was about six inches long hanging onto the end. ¡°You¡¯re not exactly what I was hoping for,¡± Randall said as he removed the hook, ¡°but at least I can say I caught something.¡± He secured the fish on a stringer and lowered it back in the water by the pier. He replaced the bait and cast at the same spot. Over the course of an hour, he caught more sardines, ending up with nine fish total, each measuring between six and eight inches. He¡¯d also thrown back a couple smaller ones that didn¡¯t seem worth keeping. At this point, someone walked out onto the pier. People had been coming and going along the nearby road all day, but none of them had come out where he was fishing. As she drew nearer, he recognized the Japanese woman who had been one of the finalists at the flower festival. ¡°Good afternoon.¡± She gave a small bow. ¡°Is it all right if I join you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Randall waved his hand across the empty pier. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly crowded.¡± She walked past him to the end of the pier and set down a small box she was carrying. She also had a long fishing rod, separated into two pieces that she carefully joined together before feeding a fishing line along it. The length of the rod was stained a dark brown color. It looked to be much higher quality than the basic rod Randall was using. ¡°Have you caught anything?¡± she asked while deftly tying a hook on the end of her line. ¡°A few sardines.¡± He pulled the stringer out of the water to show her. ¡°They would make good bait.¡± He studied the small fish, having thought of them as his catch. He hadn¡¯t considered he could use them to tempt larger fish. While he was thinking over what she¡¯d said, she opened her tackle box and took out a few things. Inside were a variety of dried bait, a bit of soft cheese, and some imitation worms. She retrieved one of the latter and moved to set it on the hook. ¡°Would you like one of my sardines instead?¡± He wanted to see how she would use it to catch a larger fish. ¡°Thank you.¡± She pointed at the smallest one he¡¯d strung up and waited while he pulled it off. ¡°It will save me some time having to catch my own.¡± He handed her the smallest of the sardines, and she attached it to the hook. She cast out into the water, aiming for a spot halfway between the pier and the sunken ferry. Randall baited his own hook with another worm and cast at the spot where he¡¯d been catching sardines. ¡°Your name was Randall, was it not?¡± When he nodded, she continued. ¡°They said you were stranded here when the ferry crashed into the barrier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°We are in the same situation.¡± She smiled sadly. ¡°I was to return home on the ferry the day after the storm. Now I can¡¯t leave the island until it is fixed.¡± Randall¡¯s thoughts flashed back to the conversation he¡¯d had with Vincent at the cafe. ¡°You must be the fishing expert I¡¯ve heard about. Although when Vincent told me there was a tourist who knew a lot about fishing, I was expecting someone quite different.¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who did you expect?¡± Randall laughed awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. An old man, maybe, with a yellow raincoat and grizzled white beard. The kind you see on boxes of fish sticks.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Fish sticks?¡± Her head tilted to the side before she looked down at herself. ¡°I don¡¯t know this man you speak of. Sorry to have disappointed.¡± He was about to apologize, thinking he might have offended her, but she turned away and covered a smile with her hand. ¡°You¡¯re teasing me, right?¡± he asked. She nodded. ¡°Where I come from, there are many old men like you described on the fishing boats. They were always shocked when I asked to go with them.¡± Their conversation was interrupted when Randall got a bite. He reeled in another sardine, but Yuki stopped him from taking it off the line. It was small enough he¡¯d planned to throw it back. ¡°If you leave it on,¡± she said, ¡°you could cast it out as bait for some of the larger fish. Put it somewhere in the open between here and the ferry.¡± He did as she said, casting into the middle of the harbor. ¡°Now what?¡± ¡°Wait for a larger fish to come along and take the sardine. When your bobber stays under for a few seconds, you can safely set the hook in the larger fish.¡± Randall waited and watched for his bobber to move. It shifted a bit to the left and right as the sardine that he¡¯d hooked swam around. Yuki got the first bite, and she waited patiently to make sure the fish had taken the bait. She jerked hard, her long rod bending down as the fish thrashed around. She reeled a little then let go of the knob. Line flew out as the fish ran, and she made no move to stop it. Eventually the pace at which her line was being drawn out slowed, and she pulled the rod tight again. She alternated between reeling in the line and letting it go out again. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Randall at one point when she was letting the fish flee. ¡°If you pull too hard when the fish is running, you¡¯ll break the line. Best to let the fish go. When it is exhausted, you can reel it in easily.¡± Randall watched the contest continue. It seemed like over time, the periods where the fish was resisting became fewer, and she reeled in more line than went out. Ten minutes after hooking the fish, she finally pulled it out of the water. ¡°What did you catch?¡± asked Randall. ¡°It¡¯s a cod.¡± She held the fish up for him to see. It looked to be about sixteen inches long. ¡°That¡¯s a nice catch.¡± She nodded. ¡°Thank you for the sardine.¡± ¡°Here, take another.¡± He pulled the string from the water and gave her the next smallest one from his catch. Shortly after, it was Randall¡¯s turn to try landing a larger fish. His bobber disappeared into the water and stayed down long enough that Yuki motioned for him to pull on the rod. This time he paid attention to how the fish was acting, letting off the pressure when it jerked on the line and swam away. At one point, he thought he might run out of line entirely, but the fish finally tired enough he could bring it in to shore. He pulled it out of the water to find he¡¯d also caught a cod, although his was only about twelve inches long. It was still the largest thing he¡¯d caught so far. ¡°Congratulations,¡± said Yuki. ¡°Now all you need is a yellow raincoat and scraggly beard.¡± Randall laughed. ¡°After only one fish? I feel like I should have to do a lot more before I¡¯ve earned the distinction.¡± ¡°Maybe by the end of the day.¡± Randall caught more small sardines to use as bait, although he didn¡¯t have as much luck with the larger fish. They kept snapping his line despite the encouragement and advice Yuki gave him. She seemed to have no trouble with any fish she hooked, and he wondered if perhaps her nicer rod made it easier to catch fish. He¡¯d have to look into buying one of the more expensive ones he¡¯d seen at the general store when he had the money. By the end of the day, Randall had five sardines and a cod to show for his efforts. Yuki had three cod and a small tuna. ¡°What will you do with all those fish?¡± Randall asked as they packed up their gear. ¡°I trade most of what I catch to the owner of the pub in exchange for room and board.¡± She held out her line of fish. ¡°But first you should choose one to take with you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Randall. ¡°When I have to catch my own bait, I¡¯m lucky to finish with two larger fish in a day. I would like to show my thanks for your generosity.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Randall had planned to trade the sardines at the store for some cooking supplies and fix the cod for himself. He remembered he¡¯d promised to share his catch with Lesly, so he pointed at the smallest of the cod Yuki was holding and said, ¡°I know someone who would love to have fish for dinner tonight.¡± Yuki removed the cod and handed it to him. ¡°Until next time.¡± She nodded and walked up the street out of the harbor. ¡°See you around,¡± said Randall. # The door to the library was locked when Randall tried turning the doorknob, but he could see someone still moving around inside. He knocked, and Lesly came over to open it. ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re closed for the day,¡± she said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking to borrow a book.¡± He held up his stringer full of fish. Lesly clapped her hands together. ¡°That¡¯s quite a catch! I guess the book helped.¡± ¡°It did.¡± He removed one of the cod and held it out. ¡°Here you are, as promised.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± she said as she took it out of his hands. ¡°If not for you, I likely wouldn¡¯t have it in the first place. Enjoy!¡± She thanked him profusely, and he excused himself, saying he needed to go to the store before it closed. When he arrived, Hank was standing behind the door, looking out at the street. ¡°I was getting ready to close up,¡± said Hank. ¡°Looks like that fishing rod has been put to good use.¡± ¡°I got a bit lucky with the big fish,¡± said Randall. ¡°Though, it¡¯s fine for catching the smaller ones.¡± Randall traded the sardines for a sack of flour, bottle of oil, and a bit of salt. He¡¯d never really eaten sardines and wasn¡¯t even sure how to fix them, but he could filet the cod and fry it up. Hank flipped the sign around to say the shop was closed after he walked out. Back at the farmhouse, he cut the mangled potatoes he¡¯d saved that morning and left them to fry in the oil while he cut the filets and removed the bones from the cod. He coated them in flour and dropped them into the oil next to the potatoes. When they were done, he put everything on a plate and headed outside to sit on the edge of the porch. As the shadow of the mountain slowly passed over the farm, he took a bite of the fish and almost moaned in delight. The flesh broke away, warm and flaky. The taste beat out a box of frozen fish sticks any day. He just wished he¡¯d thought to ask Hank if they had any tartar sauce for sale. #
Relationships
Lesly ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Yuki ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
# * * * Chapter 11 After his experience fishing, Randall thought perhaps his best bet in the near future would be to expand the output of his farm. He¡¯d have a little bit of profit from the rest of the vegetables he was growing, even after paying off the credit he¡¯d been given to purchase his fishing rod. The field he¡¯d been using as a garden had several more rows for planting crops, and so far he¡¯d only used half of the space available. If he cleared the entire field and made it ready before summer, he could grow a lot more than he¡¯d managed in the spring. And with the new watering can, he wouldn¡¯t have to spend all his energy making sure his crops had everything they needed to grow. For the rest of spring, he came out each day to water the crops he had left and weed in the garden. He gathered up the remains of older crops that had regrown and rotted in the field, adding them to a growing pile of compost opposite the barn. He threw dirt and worms over top to hasten its decay, hoping it would turn to fertilizer he could use when he planted new seeds in the summer. He harvested the remaining vegetables, along with a third row of strawberries that ripened on the last day of spring. With nothing more he could do on the farm since the season would be changing the next day, he decided to head to the general store. He took one basket of strawberries with him but left the others in the box to be collected later. He walked into the store to find Kate in the middle of rearranging the shelves in the produce section. Many had no produce left, and she¡¯d moved them towards the back under a sign that read, ¡°Summer Fruits and Vegetables.¡± What was left of the spring crops was prominently displayed in the front. ¡°Having fun?¡± he asked as she carried a stack of empty crates past him. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how much.¡± She glanced at the basket in his hand and in a husky voice said, ¡°Last strawberries of the season.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d be happy,¡± said Randall. She set down the stack of crates. ¡°I¡¯m only reminded that I¡¯ll have to wait through three whole seasons before we get any more.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you preserve some? Make jelly and enjoy it all year round?¡± Hank snorted from his seat by the register. ¡°That would require some of the strawberries to last long enough to be canned in the first place. The average lifespan of a strawberry that enters our house is measured in minutes.¡± Kate shot her father a dirty look, then whispered, ¡°He¡¯s not entirely wrong. Mom does some canning, but we always bought our strawberry jam from the mainland.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a little bit of time left.¡± He held the basket out, and she took one of the berries. ¡°You should bring these to the party tonight,¡± she said as she bit into her strawberry. ¡°What party?¡± Kate looked at him in surprise. ¡°I forget sometimes that you haven¡¯t lived here very long. There¡¯s an end-of-season party held at the Lazy Beagle on the last day of each season. People bring food to share, and they socialize with others from town. We¡¯re usually all so busy in our day-to-day lives that it¡¯s a chance to catch up with what everyone else is doing.¡± Hank motioned for him to come over to the counter. ¡°If you want those to go to the party, you can leave them here. I¡¯ll make sure they don¡¯t disappear beforehand.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t take any if I knew they were for the party,¡± said Kate. Randall looked at Kate with suspicion. Addressing Hank, he asked, ¡°Would you happen to have a safe on the premises?¡± ¡°We used to have a cash box before we got this register.¡± Hank held the basket of strawberries up beside the drawer. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will fit inside.¡± Kate rolled her eyes. ¡°As much as I love being the butt of the joke, I¡¯ve got a lot of work to do.¡± They both chuckled as Kate walked away. ¡°What time is the party?¡± asked Randall. ¡°Festivities start at dusk,¡± said Hank. ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± # The Lazy Beagle Pub was the only building along the main road through town he had yet to visit. On the far side of the town hall, it stood two stories tall. The ground floor was taken up entirely by the pub, while a wooden staircase on the side of the building rose to a hallway providing access to rooms patrons could rent. Randall had cut the remaining daffodils from the planters on his porch and brought them to give to the proprietors, thinking they would make nice decorations. The party was to celebrate the end of the season, so he thought it fitting to display some spring flowers before they withered away. The doors to the pub were made of a thick, dark wood with diamond shapes cut out of the middle and replaced with frosted glass. The sun had set ten minutes before Randall arrived, and diffuse light leaked out through the decoration, making oblong triangles that stretched over the road. He strained against the handle for a moment before the heavy door swung slowly inward. Wainscoting covered the lower half of the walls, stained a rich, dark brown. The upper portion was painted white and reflected the light of candles held in sconces around the room. One long, continuous bar filled the entire back wall, with stools every couple feet where patrons could sit while they ordered or talked to their neighbor. Six booths filled the wall to his right on a raised platform. Dividers between them gave a bit of privacy to anyone sitting there. The middle of the room hosted a dozen tables, each with a candle set in the middle along with place settings for four people. A buffet dominated the left side of the room. Several warming trays held casserole dishes or pots filled with soup. Fruit and pastries covered the far end of the buffet. A middle-aged woman walked along the buffet with a dish towel, wiping up a spill from one of the platters. She turned when the door slammed shut behind Randall with a loud bang. She had brown hair with a bit of curl at the ends, and her cheeks puffed out when she smiled. She walked over to him, squeezing between two of the tables. Her blue eyes flashed when she greeted him. ¡°Come in, dear!¡± she said while motioning him forward. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. You must be Randall. It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m curious, though. How did you know my name?¡± ¡°Is this your first time in a pub?¡± She laughed. ¡°This is where everyone comes to gossip, so I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about the young man who was on the ferry when it crashed. However, one of my boarders mentioned meeting you last week and how you helped her catch a whole mess of fish.¡± ¡°Oh, that must be Yuki. She came to the pier at the harbor when I was fishing there.¡± The woman eyed the bouquet of daffodils he was holding and leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°Those meant for any particular young lady?¡± ¡°They¡¯re for you, actually. I thought you could use them to decorate the tables during the party.¡± ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you sweet.¡± She took the flowers out of his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll put these out in a bit. Welcome to the Lazy Beagle. I¡¯m Betty, and the old man behind the bar is my husband, Oscar. Make yourself at home.¡± Betty walked off, holding the flowers up so she could sniff them. Randall loitered in the dining area, unsure of where to go first. Townsfolk clustered in little groups spread out around the pub. He decided to start with the bartender then mingle amongst some of the people he already knew. ¡°What can I get for you?¡± the bartender asked when Randall sat down. ¡°A root beer would be good,¡± said Randall. ¡°Coming right up.¡± The bartender opened a cooler and pulled out a bottle, popping off the cap with a flick of his wrist. ¡°You must be the new guy in town. I¡¯m Oscar.¡± ¡°Randall.¡± He took the bottle and tasted the root beer. It had an earthy flavor followed by a rush of sweetness. Surprisingly, it was also carbonated, something he hadn¡¯t expected. ¡°That¡¯s really good. It¡¯s a shame you¡¯re likely to run out with the connection to the mainland cut off.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that.¡± Oscar pointed at the label. Randall held the bottle up to read what was printed there. A line that wrapped around the bottom said, ¡°Bottled at Haven Steamworks.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize there was a factory here,¡± said Randall. ¡°Not exactly,¡± said Oscar. ¡°More of a workshop, although the only thing they make large quantities of is this root beer. The owner is a bit eccentric, likes to keep to himself. We almost certainly won¡¯t see him here tonight. He works on his own crazy contraptions with the money he makes from the drinks he sells.¡± Randall¡¯s thoughts immediately went to the ferry boat. He¡¯d have to repair it somehow, and maybe the person who ran the steamworks would be able to help him. He doubted he¡¯d be doing that anytime soon, so he filed away the thought that he should get to know the person who worked there at some point. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve been here a little while,¡± said Oscar, ¡°what do you think of Haven?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡± Randall took another sip of root beer while he thought of the things he¡¯d done since arriving. ¡°Working on the farm is a lot harder than what I used to do, but it¡¯s rewarding in a way to see the fruits of your labor. People seem genuinely excited to receive the things I¡¯ve grown.¡± Oscar nodded. ¡°There¡¯s something about working with other people who appreciate the service you¡¯ve done them that gives meaning to what would otherwise just be a job.¡± ¡°I take it you weren¡¯t always a bartender.¡± ¡°For a while when I was younger, I moved to the mainland and found work loading cargo onto ships in the harbor. My boss was one of those time-is-money types, always calling us lazy and pushing us to load faster. It wasn¡¯t an easy job, but I was able to save enough money to cover the down payment on this place. I still do a lot of lifting and moving boxes around, but nobody is standing over me snapping their fingers when I¡¯m not moving fast enough for their schedule.¡± ¡°I can see the appeal.¡± Randall had no desire to explain his old job developing web sites. He had to admit to himself, though, if he never heard the phrase ¡°crunch time¡± again, he¡¯d be as happy as Oscar. ¡°Have you met many people while you¡¯ve been here?¡± asked Oscar. Randall rattled off all the names he could remember. Oscar sneered when he mentioned the mayor but didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve met most of the young people here in town,¡± said Oscar. ¡°There¡¯s a few more folk living on the northern and eastern sides of Haven. I think I saw the blacksmith¡¯s apprentice and the young doctor who came here to train at the clinic last year. They¡¯re around your age if you¡¯re looking to make some more friends.¡± The sound of the door slamming closed drew their attention to the front of the pub. Desiree and Vincent stood there along with an older couple he assumed were their parents. Betty had been putting daffodils out on the tables and moved to greet them. ¡°The Boucher family,¡± said Oscar. ¡°Sounds like you already met the younger ones. Guy and Lily are nice, and they¡¯ve mellowed a bit since they came here over twenty years ago. At least, I can talk to Guy about cooking without hearing a rant about how all other foods are inferior compared to French cuisine.¡± ¡°That must be where Desiree got her attitude from.¡± ¡°The Boucher temper is well known around here, but it¡¯s all bark, no bite. Once they cool off, they tend to be reasonable about whatever it was that started the argument. And they¡¯ll more than have your back if they feel you¡¯ve been wronged.¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw that after the flower competition,¡± said Randall. ¡°Desiree would have chewed the mayor¡¯s ears off if she¡¯d caught him.¡± Oscar chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d like to see that when it happens.¡± Down the bar, someone called to get Oscar¡¯s attention. ¡°I should go take their order,¡± he said. ¡°If you have any questions or would like an introduction, you can always ask me or my wife. Enjoy the party.¡± ¡°Thanks, Oscar.¡± Randall tipped the neck of his bottle in salute as the bartender went to serve other customers. Thinking he should introduce himself to the older Bouchers, he stood up and approached Vincent and his parents. He didn¡¯t see Desiree, who must have already gone to speak with someone else. ¡°Vincent, how are you?¡± Randall asked when he was close enough to be heard. ¡°Randall, I am well.¡± Vincent held his hand out to indicate his parents. ¡°This is my father Guy and my mother Lily.¡± Lily held her hand out with the fingers pointed down. ¡°Enchant¨¦.¡± Randall wasn¡¯t quite sure what was expected, but he took her hand in his and gave a nod. ¡°You must be the one who liked my croissants,¡± said Guy. His accent was thicker than Vincent¡¯s, turning the word ¡°the¡± into ¡°zee¡± and dropping the consonants in ¡°who¡± so it sounded like ¡°ooh.¡± ¡°Yes, I was quite impressed,¡± said Randall. ¡°Maybe the best I¡¯ve ever tasted.¡± Guy preened, raising his head up with a smile. ¡°I have brought some tonight, for the party.¡± He looked around and scowled. ¡°Next to the casseroles. I can already feel them growing heavy.¡± Guy stalked over to the buffet, lifting the plate of croissants and carrying them to the other end of the table. He placed them next to the pastries, taking a moment to turn the plate this way and that until he was satisfied. ¡°Please excuse my husband,¡± said Lily. Her accent, like her son¡¯s was barely noticeable. ¡°When it comes to food, everything must be perfect.¡± ¡°That is an understatement,¡± Vincent said so low Randall doubted anyone else heard it. ¡°Tell me a bit about yourself,¡± said Lily. ¡°What have you been doing since you came to the island?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been staying on an old farm outside of town that was owned by Kate¡¯s uncle.¡± ¡°Uncle Jack, I remember him. He rarely came to the cafe, only for special occasions. But I often saw his cart in front of the store when he was delivering food grown on his farm. He always bought candy and gave it to the children to share.¡± ¡°And Desiree would zip around, chattering non-stop for hours,¡± added Vincent. Lily smiled. ¡°I asked him not to give them so much sugar, but he said kids were made for spoiling. You can tell he had none of his own.¡± ¡°Kate told me a couple stories,¡± said Randall. ¡°He sounded like quite the character.¡± ¡°So what have you grown on Jack¡¯s farm?¡± asked Lily. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Randall listed all the crops he¡¯d harvested, then added, ¡°Although the best were probably the first set of strawberries. I wish I could have raised everything as well as I did those.¡± ¡°I remember. Often we bake fruit into desserts because they need a little sugar to bring out the flavor. It¡¯s quite a feat to grow a berry so sweet that it tastes best all by itself.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Randall said to the implied compliment. Lily frowned. ¡°I see my husband is going to speak with Oscar. I should make sure he doesn¡¯t get into a conversation about cooking right away. It was lovely meeting you, Randall.¡± ¡°Nice meeting you.¡± Lily walked up to the bar and sat next to her husband. ¡°I took your advice,¡± Randall said. ¡°I got a fishing rod and tried my luck.¡± ¡°Did you catch anything?¡± asked Vincent. ¡°A couple small trout the first day. After that, I went to the harbor and caught quite a few sardines, along with a cod that was about a foot long.¡± Vincent whistled. ¡°I¡¯ve not caught any cod, mostly just the smaller fish.¡± ¡°I had a little help figuring it out. I met the fishing expert you mentioned.¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a she, actually.¡± Randall looked around the room and spotted Yuki seated at a table with a young man he didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll introduce you to her.¡± Randall examined the young man as they crossed the room. Being seated, it was hard to tell his height, but he seemed quite skinny. He had medium-length blond hair and wore a dark blue sweater over a shirt with a white collar. He sat straight in his chair, only moving his head slightly to take a bite of the dessert on his plate. ¡°Mind if we join you?¡± asked Randall when they reached the table. Yuki moved a dirty plate from where she¡¯d placed it in front of one of the empty chairs. ¡°Please do.¡± Randall introduced Vincent once they¡¯d sat down. The man she¡¯d been talking to was named Christopher, and he shook both of their hands. ¡°I was just telling Vincent I¡¯d met the island¡¯s fishing expert,¡± said Randall. Yuki waved her hand in front of her face and said, ¡°No I¡¯m no expert. It¡¯s just a hobby of mine.¡± ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re catching more fish than the rest of us,¡± said Vincent. ¡°I¡¯d love any tips you could share.¡± ¡°If you come to the pier during the day,¡± said Yuki, ¡°I could give you some pointers.¡± While Yuki and Vincent were discussing fishing, Randall turned his attention to Christopher. ¡°So what do you do?¡± ¡°I work in the clinic,¡± said Christopher. ¡°I studied medicine at a university, and now I¡¯m training under Dr. Tottenham.¡± ¡°Is the man who piloted the ferry still there? How¡¯s he doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been taking care of him since the accident. His body appears to have recovered, but for reasons we can¡¯t understand, he is still in a coma.¡± Randall thought perhaps the man wasn¡¯t waking up because he was part of some quest that would be revealed later in the game. Once certain milestones had been achieved, he would wake up and most likely give Randall a new quest to restore the ferry boat. Of course, Randall couldn¡¯t say any of his suspicions out loud. The doctor-in-training he was speaking with might insist he come to the clinic for evaluation. ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± he said instead. ¡°Is there much other work to do here on such a small island?¡± ¡°The villagers come in regularly for check-ups or when they have various ailments. It¡¯s the only place on the island that can handle births or any kind of surgery. Those are pretty rare, and when we know in advance, we can send difficult cases to the mainland. In general, our clinic is not as busy as a hospital there would be. If you find yourself in need of medical attention, don¡¯t hesitate to come see us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind. I guess you never know when an accident might happen on a farm.¡± As their conversation lulled, Randall caught a bit of the discussion going on between Yuki and Vincent. Vincent was saying, ¡°I appreciate any advice I can get from the winner of the fishing competition.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a fishing competition?¡± asked Randall. Yuki nodded. ¡°The reason I came to visit last winter was to take part in the competition.¡± ¡°I knew someone from off the island had won,¡± said Vincent. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯d caught a cold and wasn¡¯t able to attend. That¡¯s why I knew there was an expert in fishing here, but I didn¡¯t know who it was.¡± ¡°Is there a festival every season?¡± asked Randall. ¡°The summer festival is held on the beach,¡± said Christopher. ¡°There¡¯s a competition to see who can build the best sandcastle.¡± ¡°My sister will be a tough opponent there,¡± said Vincent. ¡°She spends a lot of time at the beach in the summer, so she gets plenty of practice.¡± ¡°The fall festival is centered around the harvest,¡± continued Christopher. ¡°Anyone can enter the largest vegetable they¡¯ve grown for the competition. The field next to the general store will be cleared and a bonfire lit that lasts half the night.¡± ¡°That sounds like fun.¡± Randall made a mental note to look into which crops were best for growing large vegetables in the fall. ¡°The fishing festival takes place on the lake north of town in the winter,¡± said Yuki. ¡°You can build snowmen or sled on the hills nearby, but the biggest draw is the fishing competition. Holes are drilled through the ice, and the winner is whoever catches the largest fish.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to all the competitions,¡± said Randall, ¡°but I have to ask, who does the judging?¡± ¡°It was usually the mayor,¡± said Vincent. ¡°I hear there have been calls to select judges randomly before the events have started. A lot of people weren¡¯t happy with how he handled the competition at the flower festival.¡± ¡°Probably a good idea,¡± said Randall. He definitely didn¡¯t want the judge trying to do him any favors in the future. Many more of the villagers had come in while they¡¯d been talking, and Randall saw some other people he¡¯d hoped to talk with. ¡°It was nice to see everyone,¡± he said while standing up. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to mingle a bit.¡± ¡°See you around,¡± said Vincent, and the other two voiced their own farewells. Desiree was sitting on the end of one of the booths with some other people, so he walked over to speak with her, since he¡¯d already spent time with the rest of her family. She sat next to a man Randall hadn¡¯t met yet, while Liam and Kate were on the bench across from her. There was no room left at the booth, so he stood at the end of the table and said, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Randall! I¡¯m glad you could make it,¡± said Kate. Liam¡¯s face turned sour. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± The man beside Desiree held out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Anthony.¡± Randall thought his fingers were going to break under the crushing pressure Anthony put into the handshake. His shoulders bulged out, and his bare arms looked like the bodybuilders Randall had seen when he joined a gym for a few months after making a New Year¡¯s resolution. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± said Randall. ¡°That¡¯s quite the grip you¡¯ve got.¡± Desiree patted Anthony¡¯s arm. ¡°He works at the smithy.¡± Anthony released his hand. ¡°Sorry, I forget my own strength sometimes.¡± ¡°Are you enjoying the party?¡± asked Kate. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been fun,¡± said Randall. ¡°I¡¯ve met several new people. Betty and Oscar were very welcoming, and Desiree¡¯s parents seem nice.¡± ¡°Compliment my father¡¯s cooking, and he¡¯ll love you forever,¡± said Desiree. Since he had Desiree¡¯s attention, he said, ¡°Your brother told me about the upcoming festivals and the competitions held at each one. Sounds like you¡¯re pretty skilled at making sandcastles.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not brag,¡± said Desiree while at the same time raising an eyebrow at Kate. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re lovely!¡± she said on cue. ¡°Last year she even ran string through the middle of the wall to a wooden drawbridge so it could be raised and lowered.¡± Desiree beamed at the praise. ¡°How did you do that?¡± asked Randall. Desiree shook her head and refused to answer. ¡°She buried straws inside the walls,¡± said Anthony, earning him a swat on the arm. He didn¡¯t flinch at all. ¡°Hey!¡± Desiree pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t give out all my secrets.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Randall. ¡°I¡¯ve never built a sandcastle, so I doubt I¡¯ll be much competition.¡± ¡°What did you do when you went to the beach?¡± asked Desiree. ¡°The closest beach to where I used to live was thousands of miles away. I traveled to the mountains for my vacations. I went for hikes in the wilderness.¡± Desiree frowned. ¡°And you found that relaxing?¡± ¡°Yeah, fresh air and exercise,¡± said Randall. ¡°Sometimes I would watch the local wildlife. I saw a mountain lion lounging on a boulder once. It padded off into the trees when it noticed me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a nice, civilized beach any day,¡± said Desiree. The others around the table chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t have a pile of strawberries in front of you,¡± Randall said to Kate. He glanced at the buffet. The basket of strawberries he¡¯d provided was about half empty. Kate followed his gaze. ¡°I was giving other people a chance to try them. They¡¯re not all gone, are they?¡± ¡°Not all, but they are disappearing quickly.¡± ¡°Let me out, Liam,¡± said Kate. ¡°I¡¯d like to get something to eat.¡± Liam slid out of the booth. Before Randall could offer to go with her, he said, ¡°I¡¯m a bit hungry, too. Let¡¯s go see what they¡¯ve got.¡± He moved in front of Randall, letting Kate go past him while also blocking Randall¡¯s path if he tried to join them. Randall watched them walk off together, wondering what exactly he¡¯d done to Liam that had made him so disagreeable. Desiree stood up as well. ¡°I¡¯m going to get something to drink. Do either of you want anything?¡± Randall swirled his bottle of root beer, which was almost empty. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind another.¡± Anthony smirked. ¡°I figured you¡¯d had enough of waitressing at the cafe.¡± Desiree put her hands on her hips. ¡°So a root beer for Randall and nothing for the jerk in the booth. Coming right up.¡± Once Desiree stormed off, Anthony held out his hand to the bench across from him. ¡°Have a seat.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t Kate and Liam sitting there?¡± ¡°These events are pretty informal. People move around, take different seats all the time. They¡¯ll figure it out when they get back.¡± Randall felt a bit awkward standing over the table when so many seats were open, so he slid into the empty booth. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing quite a bit about you,¡± said Anthony. ¡°Especially from the young ladies that live on the island. Desiree has talked about you non-stop since the party started.¡± Thinking of how jealous Liam was acting towards him, and not wanting to step on someone else¡¯s toes, Randall said, ¡°Are you and her together?¡± ¡°She¡¯s shown interest, but there¡¯s nothing serious there. After standing over a forge all day, I think the last thing I¡¯d want to deal with is her fiery temper.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Randall thought that over and said, ¡°Liam has been pretty protective of Kate since we met.¡± Anthony nodded. ¡°He¡¯s had a crush on her since they were kids, or so I¡¯m told, and it¡¯s not like there are a ton of young people on the island. I doubt he likes the idea of a new guy coming in and being a potential rival.¡± ¡°Kate¡¯s helped me out a lot since I came here, but I hadn¡¯t thought about that sort of thing.¡± Anthony leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of people visit this island, expecting to only be here for a short while but end up staying. Heck, I was one of them. Chances are you¡¯ll be here long after you intended, so you should probably keep it in mind. I know the young ladies have already started sizing you up.¡± #
New Quest: Develop a Relationship
It¡¯s not easy running a farm, so keep your eyes open for a partner who can help you. There are five young women on the island you could potentially marry. But don¡¯t waste too much time, because there are five young men who are also looking for love. Wait too long, and you might find your pool of potential partners dwindling.
# The prompt was surprising, and Randall took a moment to read through it. He thought over the people he¡¯d met to figure out who the five potential love interests could be. Desiree had flirted with him, although she seemed to do that with everyone. He suspected she was one potential partner. He would put money on Yuki being one as well, seeing as she was from the mainland and not accompanied by anyone else. He was uncertain about Kate, given her relationship with Liam. Could any of the other young women he¡¯d met be a love interest? He also had to consider the rivals. Who were they, and could they do anything to throw roadblocks in his way? ¡°Don¡¯t over-think it,¡± said Anthony when he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°As the new kid on the block, you could have your pick, so just get to know them and see how things develop.¡± He glanced over at the buffet where Desiree had joined Kate and Liam. ¡°I¡¯m going to chat with some of my other friends before they come back. Desiree has probably been thinking this whole time how to get me back for the waitress comment. Have a nice night.¡± ¡°You too,¡± said Randall. Randall was still pondering the quest message and what Anthony had said when the rest of the group came back to the table. ¡°Ran off, did he?¡± asked Desiree. ¡°Anthony went to talk to some other friends,¡± said Randall. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can share my desserts with you, instead.¡± She was carrying two bottles of root beer and two plates with what looked like angel food cake covered in whipped cream. She placed one of the desserts and a root beer in front of Randall before sliding into the booth next to him. Kate and Liam followed behind her and sat down on the other side of the table. Kate picked up one of the five strawberries she¡¯d taken from the buffet and bit into it. ¡°These taste so divine!¡± Liam shot him a dirty look. #
Relationships
Anthony ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Betty ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Christopher ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Desiree ¡ï ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Guy ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Lily ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Oscar ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Vincent ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Yuki ¡ï ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
# * * * Chapter 12 That night, a storm passed over the island. It shook the shutters on the farmhouse, waking up Randall, who could only peer out through the windows as rain fell down in sheets and lightning flashed across the sky. Eventually, the rain slackened to a heavy drizzle that obscured anything farther away than the barn. Randall slept fitfully after that, dreaming that the storm had ripped all the shingles from the top of the farmhouse. Things weren¡¯t that bad when he woke up and walked around to check for damage. Two shingles had cracked and allowed some water to leak into the attic space. He dried the puddle with an old towel and replaced the broken shingles before going out to survey the rest of the farm. Dead branches from the trees to the west had been torn off and scattered by the wind, many ending up in the garden field. Some of the topsoil had washed away, leaving a sunken area filled with rocks. Worst of all, the careful rows that he¡¯d been using to keep track of where he should plant were now gone. He had a lot of work to do before he could plant any seeds. He started by collecting the dead branches and piling them up next to his compost heap. He chopped off the limbs and used the saw to cut the bigger ones into firewood. He was running out of his supply in the kitchen, so this would tide him over until he could fell a tree and make a stockpile. Next, he transported the stones out of the field and piled them up beside the bridge. He¡¯d been thinking about making a road between there and the barn so carts could come all the way onto the property, but that was another task that would have to wait. He needed to figure out how much usable land he had in the garden so he could buy seeds. If he didn¡¯t get them planted today, he¡¯d have to wait longer for the crops to mature for harvest. The compost heap hadn¡¯t reached the point of being good fertilizer, but it would be fine for filling in the washed out portion of the garden. He could cover it over with a bit of soil from the animal pasture then leave it for a season. Hopefully, it would be ready for planting by fall. Since he already had the wheelbarrow out, he loaded up the old hay and other cuttings and deposited them in the open scar left by the torrential rain. All that was left was to mark the rows again. He used the old hoe to plow V-shaped grooves into the soil from next to the barn to the bottom of the field. It wasn¡¯t as easy as before, because the ground was soaked after the rain the night before. It tended to fill in behind the hoe so he couldn¡¯t simply carve a long rut in the ground. He had to lift the wet earth out and pile it up beside the channel he was making. He was working twice as hard to make the same amount of progress as when the ground had been dry in the spring. After skipping over the washed-out area, he had a total of ten rows that would be suitable for planting. He returned all the tools he¡¯d been using to the shed and headed into town. Hank was standing out on the porch of the general store when he walked up. ¡°Good afternoon,¡± said Hank. Randall wasn¡¯t surprised to hear he¡¯d worked all the way through the morning. He was already a little tired, but he figured he¡¯d have enough energy to plant and water the seeds he was going to buy. ¡°Afternoon,¡± said Randall. ¡°I need to buy some seeds for another round of planting since it¡¯s now summer. Do you have any suggestions?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± Hank motioned him inside. ¡°Summer is when you¡¯ll grow several of the staples that get people through the year. Corn and wheat are used year round, so I¡¯d recommend getting more of those than anything else. Tomatoes can well, and they¡¯re used in lots of soups and sauces. The rest of the summer crops you would be fine with planting less.¡± Randall looked over the display of seeds, but a thought struck him. ¡°Are you going to run out of seeds if you can¡¯t order more from the mainland?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very astute observation, but ordering in seeds has never been our sole source. We would sometimes get new strains of certain types of vegetables, but many of the seeds we sell actually came from our own garden. My wife wisely bought a seed extractor several years back. So when we have a particularly nice specimen, whether it¡¯s grown by us or one of the local farmers, she preserves the seeds from it. That way, we always have the best lineages for next year.¡± ¡°Is there some way I could get a seed extractor?¡± asked Randall. Hank shook his head. ¡°Sadly, those do come from the mainland. As far as I know, we¡¯re the only place on the island that has one. You¡¯d be welcome to look it over if you want. It might take some tinkering, but you could probably make a new one with materials found here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have to use credit to buy all the seeds I need right now. I doubt I¡¯ll have the excess cash to look into duplicating a machine like that for a while.¡± ¡°Remind me if you ever decide to give it a shot. I¡¯ll let you look over our stock. Bring them up front when you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Thanks, I will.¡± Hank wandered to another part of the store, striking up a conversation with someone else who was shopping. Randall looked over the display of seeds. He grabbed two packets each of corn, tomatoes, and wheat. He assumed if people used a lot of those crops, then they should give a good price. With ten rows in total, he had four more to fill, so he grabbed one packet of blueberries, melons, onions, and radishes. Hank eyed the stack of envelopes he carried up to the register. ¡°Did you clear out all of that old field?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got ten rows ready to go. Although, the storm last night messed with my plans a bit.¡± He recounted the damage he¡¯d had to repair in the field while his order was being totaled up. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m a bit surprised the weather was so nice over the spring,¡± said Hank. ¡°Normally we get some decent storms then, but this year had some of the fairest weather I can remember.¡± Randall wasn¡¯t surprised when he thought about it from the point of view of a game. Likely he¡¯d had an easier start, with no setbacks because he was still in the new player stage. That would explain the premium strawberries the first time he¡¯d harvested. It wouldn¡¯t be a very fun game if all the crops died in the first season. The storm the night before meant he would have to assume bad things could happen to his farm from this point forward. He¡¯d need to keep some resources in reserve in case of a disaster. Hank interrupted his thoughts by saying, ¡°For ten packets of seeds, that¡¯ll be 400 bits in total.¡± ¡°Is it all right if I put that on credit?¡± asked Randall. Hank pulled out a ledger book and flipped through it. ¡°Looks like you paid back what you borrowed for the fishing rod, with a little extra that was put into your account at the town hall. So it should be fine to use credit for the seeds, although it¡¯ll be a while for those to be ready for harvest. You¡¯ll need to pay this off before more credit could be extended.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. For now, I don¡¯t plan on buying anything new.¡± Hank pressed a button on the register, which spit out a paper receipt. He put the seeds in a small brown bag along with the receipt and handed it to Randall. ¡°Here¡¯s your purchase. Good luck with the planting, and come back to see us soon.¡± ¡°I will. Thanks, Hank.¡± When he returned to the farm, his work went fairly quickly. With the rows already dug out, he could walk down each one, placing the different seeds he¡¯d bought. The ground was still wet, which made it easier to cover over the seeds. He also didn¡¯t have to water them, figuring they would soak up the rainwater that had saturated the ground. It still took a fair bit of energy since he was doing ten rows instead of the two or three he¡¯d done at a time in spring. He went into the house to eat something, only to realize he didn¡¯t have anything to prepare. He checked the cellar and found lots of old, dusty canned goods lined up on the shelves. Some of the seals had broken, and the food in those jars had turned brown and dried up. He couldn¡¯t even tell what some of them had been. There were still a large number that had survived intact, but they were the sorts of ingredients you used while cooking something else. Jams, jellies, pickled vegetables, and various tomato sauces were the most prevalent. The dry goods he found had been chewed through by some animal. A bag of flour had a hole in its side, and potatoes stored in a crate nearby all had bite marks. What was left had turned black with rot. Eventually he found a shelf with fruits preserved in their own juices. He took out one that looked like peaches and went back upstairs. At some point, he would need to clean out the cellar and make an inventory of his usable supplies. He put it on the long list of things he needed to do now that the farm was operating again. In the kitchen, he pried open the wax seal on the peaches and fished one out with a fork. While it was still sweet from the syrup it had been floating in for who knew how long, the flavor of the peach wasn¡¯t very strong. He ate them anyway, until he finished the jar, then left the liquid in case he wanted something other than well water to drink later. With his energy renewed somewhat, he decided to head to the harbor for a bit of fishing. He¡¯d collected the worms he saw while planting earlier and had more than he¡¯d be able to use, so he stuck their tin in his pocket. He walked towards town for the second time that day. # When he reached the town hall, Randall went inside to check on the balance of his account. He¡¯d not received any notice after placing crops in the collection box, so he had no idea how many bits he¡¯d collected. Jessica sat at her desk in the mayor¡¯s office, looking forlornly at the planter in front of the window. The daffodils he¡¯d given her were wilting, their petals turning brown at the ends. The heads of the flowers drooped down and pointed at the floor. Randall asked, ¡°Jessica, are you all right?¡± Jessica teared up as she said, ¡°I watered them every day, I swear I did. You raised them for me, and they were so pretty. I made sure not to forget about them this time. And they were doing fine yesterday, but this morning, it¡¯s like they suddenly gave up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s summer,¡± said Randall. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised they¡¯d deteriorate now that they¡¯re out of season.¡± ¡°You mean it¡¯s not my fault?¡± Randall chuckled. ¡°Not even the greenest of thumbs can keep flowers going forever.¡± Jessica let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m surprised I was able to keep them alive this long.¡± ¡°You did fine. Now that you¡¯ve had a little practice, maybe you should try planting some of your own.¡± She looked doubtful. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Anyway, you probably didn¡¯t come here to check on my flowers. What can I help you with?¡± ¡°Hank said he transferred some bits into my account. I wanted to know how much I have in total.¡± ¡°One second.¡± Jessica went to a shelf behind her and retrieved a binder that looked to be two feet tall. She flipped through it until she found his page. She wrote a number down on a piece of paper and handed it to him. Together with the small amount he had left over from winning the flower competition, he had 400 bits to his name. ¡°Can I take out all of this?¡± he asked. ¡°Sure.¡± She made an entry on the next blank line in the ledger and counted out his bits from a cash box stored in a locked drawer in her desk. ¡°Will that be all?¡± ¡°Yes, thanks.¡± Before he walked through the door, Jessica looked at the window again and her frown returned. Remembering the quest he¡¯d been given, he considered the possibility she could be one of the potential love interests. She didn¡¯t have a ring on her left hand, so he thought it a distinct possibility. Once outside, he went back to the general store for the second time that day to see what kind of flower seeds they had that grew in summer. He found one called a bellflower that had petals that formed a long cylinder similar to daffodils in shape. He figured if Jessica had enjoyed the daffodils, she would also like these. He bought a packet of seeds and stored them in the pocket of his overalls. When he walked out of the store, a wave of fatigue washed over him. Apparently, a few canned peaches weren¡¯t as reinvigorating as the food he¡¯d eaten before. His body ached from the labor of clearing and planting his field, and he felt like he needed some kind of boost if he was going to fish for a couple of hours before heading home. He looked at the cafe across the street and weighed the change he¡¯d received after buying the flower seeds. Surely he could get something with 60 bits, and he¡¯d still have 300 left over in case of some emergency expense in the next week or so before his summer crops started ripening. Desiree nearly ran him over when he opened the door to go inside the cafe. He stepped aside to let her through, but she made no move to exit. ¡°Randall, come in!¡± She was carrying her apron in her hand and quickly tied it around her waist. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I was a bit tired, so I decided to stop in for a coffee.¡± ¡°I can get that for you.¡± She walked back behind the counter. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Vincent sat on a stool at the register. When she passed him, he said, ¡°I thought you were leaving for the day.¡± ¡°I was going to check the weather outside. I saw it through the door.¡± Vincent gave her a confused look. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to the beach?¡± ¡°In a bit,¡± she said quickly. ¡°Randall, do you want a black coffee again?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He looked at the pastries in the display case and picked one of the cheapest offerings. ¡°And can I get one of these scones?¡± ¡°You bet. Find a seat in the dining area, and I¡¯ll bring them out to you.¡± Vincent hit buttons on the register while he ordered. ¡°That¡¯ll be 60 bits.¡± Randall handed over the money. While Desiree had her back turned to them, he leaned closer to Vincent and asked, ¡°Is she acting a little weird?¡± Vincent took his money with a shrug. ¡°When she¡¯s like this, I try to stay out of her way.¡± Randall found a table near the window that was empty and sat down. A bit of commotion drew his attention back to the register, where Desiree was arguing with Vincent. He threw up his hands and walked into the kitchen. Desiree rounded the counter with his coffee and scone, smiling broadly. ¡°Sorry for the delay,¡± she said as she placed his food on the table. She stood next to him as if waiting for something. Thinking perhaps she wanted to make sure his drink was satisfactory, he took a sip. ¡°That¡¯s really good coffee.¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± Randall took a bite of his scone, wondering why she was still standing by his table. He glanced around the shop, noting that it was mostly empty. He figured they didn¡¯t get many customers this time of day, in between the lunch and dinner crowds. Thinking perhaps she didn¡¯t have anyone else to serve, he asked, ¡°Would you like to sit down?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked.¡± She pulled out the chair next to him. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting tables since early this morning. It¡¯s nice to be able to sit down for a bit.¡± She looked out the window before continuing. ¡°Did you see how nice the weather is now that it¡¯s summer?¡± Randall thought of the storm that had gone through the night before and all the extra work he¡¯d needed to do to fix the damage it caused. Rather than complain about his problems, he mumbled an affirmative. ¡°I heard they opened the beach for the season. I was planning to go there and relax for a bit once I got off work. You should come.¡± She watched him as he thought it over, her brown eyes wide in anticipation. ¡°I¡¯d like to, but¡­¡± He snapped the suspenders on his coveralls. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like very good beach wear. Plus I was planning to go fishing at the harbor when I finished my coffee.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Her shoulders slumped at his answer, and she peered sideways at the fishing pole he¡¯d propped against the wall by the window. ¡°I go to the beach most days after my shift if the weather is nice in the summer. It¡¯s good to relax sometimes, sit out and soak up some rays. You should stop by when you get a chance.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯d be a shame to be this close to the ocean and not take advantage of the opportunity.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Desiree smiled and stood up. ¡°Is there anything else I can get you?¡± Randall took a bite of his scone and said, ¡°I¡¯m good for now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to head out then. If you need anything, Vincent should be back in a minute.¡± ¡°Have a nice time at the beach.¡± She winked at him and headed outside, stopping in front of the window to untie her apron. Her hips swayed as she walked across the patio to the road. Randall held his coffee cup forgotten in front of him. After a moment he said, ¡°I wonder how much a pair of swimming trunks costs.¡± # When he finished his coffee, Randall crossed the street with the intention of looking for a pair of swim trunks, but the general store was closed for the day. Resigned to having to come back some other time, he followed the road to the harbor. Yuki sat at the end of the pier, her bare feet dangling down into the water. A pair of wooden sandals rested next to her. She looked up at his approach and smiled. ¡°Did you come to do some fishing for the evening?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes,¡± said Randall while he prepared his pole. ¡°I had pretty good luck here last time.¡± ¡°You have the proper amount of superstition for a fisherman.¡± Randall laughed. ¡°I take it the ones in Japan believe in luck.¡± Yuki nodded. ¡°Of course. They read their horoscopes each day before going out. Many swear a rod or other piece of equipment brings them good luck. They won¡¯t leave without it.¡± ¡°So do you have a lucky charm?¡± Yuki tapped a piece of driftwood she¡¯d wedged between two planks of the pier. It had a fork at the top that made a perfect cradle upon which her rod now rested. ¡°I found this washed up on the beach near my hometown one weekend while fishing with my father. It was the most I ever caught in one day, so I keep it in the bottom of my tackle box.¡± ¡°Did it help today?¡± She pulled an empty stringer out of her box and shook her head sadly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work every time.¡± ¡°Maybe your luck will turn around now that I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t get much worse.¡± She held her hand over her mouth, covering up a smile. ¡°How rude.¡± Randall picked up his things as if he would leave. Yuki laughed and motioned for him to sit on the pier. ¡°Please stay. Some company would be appreciated.¡± Randall cast his line out to the ferry then laid it with the reel open on the wooden planks beside him. If a fish bit, it wouldn¡¯t pull the rod over the side. He¡¯d have to find a stick like hers to use to hold his rod later. ¡°You mentioned your father,¡± Randall said once he was settled. ¡°What does he do?¡± ¡°He owns a construction company in a town northeast of Tokyo. We lived near the coast, and when he didn¡¯t have work on the weekends, he would take me fishing.¡± ¡°Do you miss Japan?¡± Yuki thought for a moment. ¡°This was my first trip outside. I only expected to be gone for a short time, so yes, I miss it very much. The food is very different, and the rice can¡¯t even be compared. But I have made some friends while here, which helps me not feel so homesick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°Do you also miss home?¡± asked Yuki. Randall sighed. ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He almost started explaining the lightning storm that caused him to be trapped here, but stopped himself before he said anything. Kate hadn¡¯t understood the game references he¡¯d made when he washed up on the beach, and he didn¡¯t expect that sort of discussion to go any better here. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain,¡± he said instead. ¡°Where I come from is actually quite similar in many ways, although it¡¯s high up in the mountains.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡± asked Yuki. ¡°Colorado.¡± She struggled to pronounce the word. She obviously had never heard of it before. ¡°It¡¯s in the middle of America, if that¡¯s easier.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of America. I¡¯d like to visit there someday. How is it similar to Haven?¡± Randall thought for a moment. ¡°We have a lot of the same food, although it¡¯s prepared differently. Much of what I would eat was cooked and packaged at a factory. I merely had to reheat it.¡± Yuki shook her head. ¡°Food is much better when it is prepared fresh.¡± ¡°I know, but my work kept me busy much of the time.¡± ¡°What would you prepare if you were back at home right now?¡± He didn¡¯t have to think long before replying, ¡°Probably a grilled cheese.¡± Yuki looked at him in surprise. ¡°You put cheese on a grill? Like a barbecue?¡± Randall laughed. ¡°Not quite.¡± He explained the process of buttering two pieces of bread, placing them in the skillet, adding cheese, and frying the sandwich until both sides were a golden brown color. ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡± Yuki¡¯s face had shown more disgust the longer he described how to cook a grilled cheese. ¡°This food sounds horrible.¡± Randall shrugged. ¡°To each their own I guess.¡± His bobber dipped below the surface of the water, distracting him from the conversation they¡¯d been having. He reeled in a nine-inch sardine and put it on his stringer. He replaced the worm on his hook and cast out again. After the excitement of finally catching something, they both sat in silence for a while. Yuki reeled in her own line to make sure her bait hadn¡¯t been taken without her noticing. Once they were both settled again, Randall brought up a topic he¡¯d hoped she could help him with. ¡°Have you gone around the island looking for other fishing spots?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, there are quite a few.¡± She pointed at a wide stream that fed into the harbor on its northern side. ¡°There are smaller fish in the fresh water. If you follow it, you¡¯ll find a lake. That¡¯s where the fishing competition was held.¡± The guide he¡¯d read recommended fishing for trout in the evening. The sun was starting to go down, so he said, ¡°Maybe we could try on the stream until it gets dark. We¡¯re not having much luck here, and I¡¯ve got plenty of worms to use for bait.¡± Yuki reeled in her line. ¡°I¡¯m willing to give it a chance.¡± They both gathered up their equipment and left the pier to walk up the stream. When they reached a bridge crossing over above them, they climbed the steep bank to set up there. Randall shared from the can of worms he¡¯d brought with him, and they cast out into the water that flowed lazily beneath them. A little downstream, a fish jumped to catch some bugs that flew in a swarm above the water. He took that as a sign they would be hungry. Over the course of the next hour, they both had several strikes. Randall caught two trout to go with the sardine he¡¯d gotten before they decided to move. Yuki ended up with three trout of her own. As the sun sank below the horizon, they collected their belongings and headed back to town. As they walked, Randall said, ¡°Moving to a different location was a good choice.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Yuki glanced at his fishing rod before continuing. ¡°There is a spot called Fisherman¡¯s Point that I¡¯ve heard has a channel where other varieties of ocean fish can be found. I don¡¯t know if your rod could handle the larger ones, but if you¡¯d like to try, I can show you where it is.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to check it out sometime, but maybe after I upgrade my equipment.¡± They reached the pub to find Oscar lighting the pair of lamps that stood outside the front door. He looked over the fish they were carrying on their stringers. ¡°That¡¯s a nice haul you caught today. Yuki already has an arrangement with my wife to share some of her catch while she¡¯s staying here, but we could always use more. Would you be interested in selling yours, Randall?¡± He could use a bit more cash, since whatever money he made selling his crops would go towards paying off the credit he¡¯d used to buy seeds. ¡°I¡¯d consider a trade, depending on the price you offered.¡± Oscar examined the fish he held. ¡°The trout are a decent size, and with the ones Yuki caught, we could run a special on trout for dinner tomorrow. Would you take 50 bits for the pair?¡± That would be 25 bits per fish, which was more than he¡¯d gotten for a basket of strawberries, so he thought it a fair trade. ¡°Sounds good to me. What about the sardine?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much I can do with only one, even if it is on the larger side. Check back with me if you have more to sell in the future.¡± Randall removed the trout from his stringer and handed them over in exchange for a couple coins. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you.¡± Oscar wished him a good night and took the fish inside. ¡°I had fun tonight,¡± said Yuki. ¡°The time goes much faster when there is someone to talk with.¡± ¡°Me too, and I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m ready to check out Fisherman¡¯s point.¡± Yuki gave a slight bow and headed up the stairs to the apartments above. #
Skills
Farming ¡ï ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Fishing ¡ï ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
# * * * Chapter 13 While Randall considered spending the next day fishing to sell his catch for a bit more cash to keep on hand, the list of chores around the farm that needed taken care of weighed heavily on his thoughts. There wasn¡¯t anything he needed to buy right away, so he opted for putting some work into finishing important tasks at home. It hadn¡¯t rained overnight, although that might have been a good thing since the previous storm had caused significant damage to both the farmhouse and his field. He watered the rows of seeds he¡¯d planted the day before. Although there were twice as many to take care of than he¡¯d had in the spring, his new watering can meant he spent about the same amount of time as he had before. With the field taken care of, he turned his attention to the flowers he¡¯d bought after visiting the town hall. He¡¯d been tired enough the night before to discourage him from trying to plant them while it was dark outside. He pulled the roots of the daffodils that were left in the pots and planters on the porch before adding the bellflower seeds and covering them over with a bit of fresh dirt. He made sure they had plenty of water before placing the pots around the edge of the porch. Now that all his plants were taken care of, he turned his thoughts to the things he noticed would need to be done around the farm. The most pressing in his mind was collecting more firewood. He¡¯d used up almost all of what had been in the kitchen, going so far as to transport the old scrap boards from the barn into the kitchen to be used for cooking. The scraps weren¡¯t in good enough shape for construction anymore, but he could at least use them for something. Randall walked out to the barn and searched through the rows of cans under the workbench. He found one held red paint and popped open the lid to check if it was still usable. Some of the paint had dried around the sides of the can, but the bottom third of the can would still be useable. He grabbed an old brush to go with it and headed west through the pasture. Whatever wood he collected would need to be carried out, so he decided to stick close to the overgrown path he¡¯d found that ran up into the hills. It was mostly level and would be easier to navigate with the wheelbarrow than the dense woods. As he walked up the trail, he kept his eyes open for any trees that had died but hadn¡¯t fallen over yet. They would have dried out somewhat and hopefully not started rotting inside since they were still standing. They should make for good firewood. Whenever he found one close to the trail, he marked a giant red F that would be visible when he came back later. That way he would know which trees to cut down, even if they¡¯d shed their leaves when fall rolled around. He¡¯d likely have to make a lot of trips to stockpile wood for the coming winter. The trail led up and down the sides of several hills before eventually rising up the side of the mountain. He¡¯d marked ten trees before he reached its end and found that it came to the mouth of a cave. Someone had built supports around the mouth of the cave then boarded up the entrance. Though the wood was weathered like most of the fences on the farm, it still held tight when he pried at the boards with his fingers. Peering through the gaps proved pointless, since the inside was too dark to make anything out. He wished he¡¯d thought to bring a light of some kind, but he hadn¡¯t expected to be here after dark. Perhaps in the future he could come back with a crowbar and do some exploring, but he had other tasks to take care of today. Randall returned to the barn, trading the paint he¡¯d been carrying for an ax, saw, and the wheelbarrow. He¡¯d planned to go to the farthest tree he¡¯d marked and collect it first, but the grass growing over the trail made pushing the wheelbarrow difficult, even though it was empty. He decided to start with the closest tree so he wouldn¡¯t wear himself out just traveling into the woods. Later, he would have to come back with the scythe and clear enough of the path to get through with the wheelbarrow. The inside of the tree he¡¯d chosen turned out to be hollow, probably the reason why it had died. Although this made cutting through it easier, he wouldn¡¯t get as much firewood either. It fell with a cracking sound, splitting down the middle for about half the length of the tree. He sawed through every two feet, making logs that were about the width of the stove. Splitting them into smaller pieces was easy since the trunk had already cracked in half on its own. He was feeling exhausted by the time he finished splitting the logs, so he loaded what he could carry in the wheelbarrow and pushed it all the way to the back door of the farmhouse. An armload at a time, he took the firewood inside and stacked it next to the stove. He started a fire going before descending to the cellar and finding another jar of peaches. He ate them while the stove warmed then grilled the sardine from the day before. The fish didn¡¯t taste great, especially after the sweetness of the peaches, but he wasn¡¯t exactly overflowing with options. However, it did give him a bit more energy. He collected the rest of the firewood from the tree he¡¯d felled, and he guessed he¡¯d have enough for cooking purposes for the rest of the summer. Having made decent progress that day, he decided to go to the general store and see about buying a pair of swimming trunks. As Desiree had said, it was good to relax sometimes, and the sun was shining bright in the sky above the farmhouse. He gathered his spare bits off the top of the dresser in his bedroom, grabbed a towel from a box in the attic, and set out for town. # The general store was empty when Randall walked in, except for Meredith, who stood behind the counter. She greeted him, so he walked over to chat for a bit. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you in a while,¡± said Meredith. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°Doing fine I guess,¡± Randall replied. ¡°Most of the time when I come here, Hank is the one sitting next to the register.¡± ¡°My husband is meeting with the mayor this afternoon,¡± she said with a wry smile. ¡°Preparations have to be made for the summer festival, something I normally take care of. I guess after the earful I gave him over his handling of the spring flower competition, he specifically asked for Hank to talk about the supplies they¡¯ll be needing this year.¡± Randall chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t sound too torn up about it.¡± Meredith lifted a paperback novel from her lap. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯d much rather be doing this.¡± She slipped a piece of paper between the pages to mark her spot and set the book aside. ¡°Since we were already talking about it, has anyone told you about the summer festival?¡± ¡°Christopher filled me in on the different festivals that are held each season, although he didn¡¯t say when the summer festival would take place.¡± ¡°The festivals are always held on a weekend in the middle of each season, so you¡¯ve got some time. There¡¯s also a party at the Lazy Beagle the last weekend of each season, although that¡¯s mostly a social gathering. The festivals are when competitions are held. Once Hank and the mayor come to an agreement, you could check at the town hall to find out what sorts of prizes will be given to the winners. You might want to start practicing your building skills for the sandcastle competition that¡¯s coming up.¡± ¡°I was planning to visit the beach since I¡¯d heard it was open for the summer,¡± said Randall. ¡°That¡¯s actually why I¡¯m here. I need to buy a pair of swimming trunks.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you where they are.¡± Meredith came around from behind the counter and led him past the groceries to the back portion of the store. Next to the shelves of tools and fishing supplies was an open area with several racks of clothes. There were different sections for men, women, and children. They walked past rows of pants before reaching a small table that held various types of shorts for men. Meredith picked up a set of swimming trunks and lifted them up to his waist. She frowned and pulled them away, examining the overalls he was wearing. ¡°I¡¯d not noticed before, but these seem a bit small on you,¡± she said. ¡°Yeah, the only clothes I found in Jack¡¯s bedroom were some overalls and work shirts,¡± said Randall. ¡°Kate mentioned you might be able to adjust them to be more comfortable, but with all the things going on since then, I kind of forgot.¡± ¡°I could adjust the straps to be a bit longer so it¡¯s not riding up. There¡¯s also some extra material at the bottom that could be let out so half your shin won¡¯t be exposed. It probably isn¡¯t bothering you now, but when the temperatures drop in the fall, you¡¯ll likely feel the cold.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be great.¡± Since she mentioned it, Randall was more self aware of how they tended to ride up in the crotch when he moved certain ways. ¡°There are a couple changing booths over there.¡± She shoved several pairs of swimming trunks into his arms. ¡°Try these on to find one that fits, and you can wear them out to the beach. I¡¯ll make some adjustments to the overalls tonight, and you can pick them up again tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± he said as she pointed him in the direction of the changing booth. After trying on the various pairs of swimming trunks, he settled on one that was yellow with a bit of black trim at the waist and along the bottom. They were a bit longer than he was used to, coming down to the top of his knees. He checked the tag, which said they cost 250 bits. He could cover the cost with the money he had, leaving him with 100 bits to his name. It wasn¡¯t a lot, so he hoped he¡¯d have no more expenses before his summer crops were ready for harvest. He placed the swimming trunks that didn¡¯t fit back on the table where he¡¯d found them and returned to the front of the store. Meredith set her book aside as he approached the register. She started to laugh when she saw him but stifled it. Randall looked down at the trunks he¡¯d picked out and asked, ¡°Is there something wrong with these?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the swimming trunks.¡± Meredith pointed at his legs. ¡°You¡¯ve got a farmer¡¯s tan.¡± He held his hands down next to his leg, and sure enough, they were a much lighter shade. He pulled back the sleeve of his shirt to find his arm was as pale as his legs. ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too self conscious,¡± she said. ¡°My brother Jack got the same thing working out in the fields all day. Your tan will even out after you spend a couple days at the beach.¡± Randall set the overalls on the counter as Meredith worked the register. ¡°That¡¯ll be 250 bits,¡± she said. That was the exact price for the trunks, so he asked, ¡°What about for the work on the overalls?¡± ¡°For the laughs you gave me walking up here with your pale legs, we¡¯ll call it even.¡± Randall groaned. ¡°I should probably try to barter, but I think I¡¯ll let it go.¡± He handed over the cash and she gave him a receipt. ¡°Thanks for your help,¡± said Randall. ¡°Make sure to come by tomorrow to pick these up, and bring any other pairs you¡¯d like adjusted. Have fun at the beach!¡± # Randall followed the main street until it intersected another road outside the entrance to the harbor. He turned south and followed the road over a series of rolling hills. As he got closer to the ocean, the smell of salt filled the air. The road ended where the ground turned to sand, and he walked up the side of a large dune to get his first glimpse of the ocean. Clear blue water spread out in a wide crescent shape in front of him. This section of beach was on the southern tip of the island, and the coastline curved to the north on either side of him. To the northeast, the top of the lighthouse peeked over the dunes, although it wasn¡¯t running while the sun was high in the sky. Far to the west, he could barely make out the shore that was the southern border of Sweetwater Farm. The water in the small bay in between sparkled in the sunlight. On the beach below where he stood, sunbathers laid out on blankets. Several people had gone swimming in the ocean, moving out to deeper water or floating on their backs near the shore. Children played in the surf or dug holes in the wet sand of the shoreline. Randall had to shield his eyes or be nearly blinded by the light reflecting off the pale sand and bright, blue water. He scanned through the people on the beach until he spotted a petite figure with short brown hair laying on a gray blanket. He took off his shoes and carried them as he walked down to join the people on the beach. Desiree was laying face up with her arms at her side and her eyes closed. She¡¯d curled up a towel to use as a pillow and placed it under her head. Occasionally, she would move one of her arms or legs, so she didn¡¯t appear to be asleep. Randall stood in a position next to the blanket so his shadow fell across her face. Without opening her eyes, Desiree said, ¡°Could you move? You¡¯re blocking my sun.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go sit somewhere else then,¡± said Randall. At the sound of his voice, her eyes popped open. ¡°Hey, you made it!¡± ¡°I took your advice and decided to relax a bit this afternoon.¡± Desiree sat up on her elbows and turned to look at him. She opened her mouth to say something but stared at his feet for a moment before she burst out laughing. Several people nearby turned towards the noise she was making. Randall crossed his arms and tapped his foot in irritation while she curled up, clutching her side. She went on for almost thirty seconds before the laughter finally wound down enough for her to speak. ¡°Sorry.¡± She giggled some more. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but you¡¯ve got a little band of brown around your ankles, but the rest of your leg is shockingly white.¡± Randall looked at his ankles, and what she¡¯d said was true. ¡°That must be the bit that showed between the bottom of my overalls and the tops of my shoes.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to work on that.¡± Desiree wiped tears away then stood up so he got his first good look at her. She wore a dark green bikini and had brushed her short hair back away from her face. Her skin was slightly darker than he remembered from when he¡¯d seen her the previous day at the cafe. She smiled, and he must have been staring a bit too long because her cheeks turned red and she looked away. ¡°You look amazing,¡± said Randall. ¡°Do you really think so?¡± She held her arms out and looked down at herself. ¡°I got this bikini last summer but didn¡¯t get a chance to wear it. I wasn¡¯t sure about the color.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s perfect.¡± She smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll consider it a success.¡± Desiree moved around the blanket, spreading it out more and shaking off some loose sand. ¡°This is big enough for two if you¡¯d like to join me.¡± She looked at his ankles next to where she was adjusting the blanket and giggled. ¡°I¡¯d suggest you get started on that tan right away.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Randall set his boots down on the sand, took off his shirt, and laid it over the boots. He stretched out next to her once she¡¯d returned to her previous spot. He rolled his towel like hers and used it for a pillow. The sun shone down, warming the skin of his face, chest, and legs. He sighed as the heat penetrated his muscles and eased a bit of the soreness that had built up while he¡¯d collected firewood that morning. ¡°It didn¡¯t take you long to get comfortable,¡± said Desiree. ¡°I¡¯ve always found the more tired I feel, the easier it is to relax.¡± ¡°Is it hard to get an old farm like that up and running again?¡± ¡°The work isn¡¯t difficult,¡± said Randall. ¡°There¡¯s just a lot to do, and everything involves physical labor of some kind. There¡¯s only so much I can handle each day before I feel exhausted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how I feel after a long day on my feet at the cafe. I¡¯ve found this is the best way to loosen up and let go of the stress that¡¯s built up.¡± Randall leaned his head forward and watched the people around them for a while. Besides the sunbathers laying nearby, most of the other people were doing some kind of activity. Three kids tossed a Frisbee while their parents waded in the shallow water nearby. One man threw a piece of driftwood into the ocean for his dog to fetch and bring back. Not far from where they sat on the blanket, a girl who looked to be around five years old dug holes in the sand, placing it in a small bucket to make mounds that might have been the towers of a castle. Before long, she would brush up against them with her arms and knock them over. ¡°Your brother mentioned the sandcastle building competition last weekend,¡± said Randall. ¡°Are you going to enter?¡± ¡°I have every year since I was a kid.¡± She patted the side of a bag next to her head. ¡°I brought all my supplies to practice. Have you ever thought about trying it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived in the mountains most of my life, so no. We were thousands of miles from the ocean.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need an ocean, just sand and water.¡± She stood and grabbed her bag. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll show you how it¡¯s done.¡± Randall followed her down the beach to the shoreline. She dumped the contents of the bag onto the sand. Wooden cups of varying sizes and shapes rolled in several different directions, and he ran around to grab the ones that were headed towards the water. The other tools included a hand shovel, a trowel, and a blunt wooden knife. A large metal bowl had held the other items. She pulled it out of the bag and handed it to him. ¡°Fill this with water,¡± said Desiree, ¡°and I¡¯ll show you how to make a base.¡± Randall walked out into the surf until it was deep enough to submerge the entire bowl. By the time he came back, Desiree had piled sand up to about a foot high in a wide circle. She hollowed out a depression in the middle, leaving a high lip around the outer edge of the mound. She pointed and said, ¡°Pour all the water in here.¡± He filled the depression with the water he¡¯d gathered. She motioned for him to crouch next to her and pressed at the sand with her fingers, kind of like she was kneading out dough. He followed her lead and did the same on his side of the mound. ¡°The secret to making a good sandcastle is to use lots of water.¡± She moved her hands around the entire top of the mound. ¡°If it¡¯s too dry, the sand will crumble away. You¡¯ll know the base is ready when it¡¯s absorbed the water and become firm to the touch.¡± Randall kept patting the sand until there was no more water left on the surface. He went to get more, since they¡¯d used up what he¡¯d brought. Desiree sorted through the cups, placing them upright in a row from largest to smallest. ¡°Once you have a strong foundation,¡± she continued, ¡°you should build up the rough outline of the castle. The cups are for making round shapes like the towers or other buildings. We¡¯ll build walls between them later. For now, focus on where you want the towers to go.¡± She demonstrated by filling one of the shorter cups with water and adding sand to it. After each handful of sand, she tapped against the side of the cup, and air bubbles floated to the surface. When the cup was full, she turned it over and pressed it down near the side of the mound. She pulled the cup away, leaving a freestanding pillar of sand that held together, its edges smooth as the sides of the cup in which it had been formed. ¡°That¡¯s one tower.¡± She held the cup out to him. ¡°You give it a try.¡± Randall followed the steps she¡¯d done, filling the cup with water from the bowl, adding sand a handful at a time, and tapping the cup so it would settle. When the cup was full, he turned it over about three inches away from the tower she¡¯d made. He didn¡¯t move quickly enough, and a bit of the sand fell out before he got it down. He lifted the cup up to reveal part of the lower section of the tower had collapsed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can fix that.¡± Desiree mixed together a bit of sand and water in her hand and smoothed over the broken portions of his tower. She built that part out into a wall that stretched across the empty space to her own tower. ¡°As long as the piece that breaks off isn¡¯t too big, you can patch over the problem.¡± She showed him how she¡¯d made the wall by bracing the back with one hand while piling up wet sand with the other. Then she pressed it down and used the trowel to carve away at the sides until the wall was straight. He put down another tower next to his first and built a wall between them. His was wider and the lines weren¡¯t straight up and down like hers, but at least it all held together this time. ¡°Mine doesn¡¯t look as nice as yours,¡± said Randall. ¡°Maybe I should set the towers while you build the walls in between.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t learn if you avoid doing it,¡± she replied. Randall stared at her until she met his gaze. ¡°What?¡± she asked a bit self-consciously. ¡°Nothing, I just didn¡¯t expect the little nuggets of wisdom. You¡¯re like a zen master of sandcastle construction.¡± ¡°Oh, stop!¡± She slapped his arm, but she was smiling as she did it. ¡°That¡¯s a phrase my dad says when he wants me to learn how to cook something he hasn¡¯t shown me before. If you saw the way we argue about it sometimes, you wouldn¡¯t call either of us a zen master.¡± Randall grinned. He¡¯d seen both of them assert themselves strongly when they were passionate about something. He expected it looked more like two kaiju fighting over how much butter to add to a recipe. He didn¡¯t share that image though, because he doubted she¡¯d know what a kaiju was. ¡°You are right,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t expect to get better if I don¡¯t at least try to build the walls.¡± Desiree¡¯s smile turned into a scowl. ¡°Ugh, does this mean I have to admit he was right when he said it to me?¡± ¡°No, but you won¡¯t learn to be reasonable if you avoid doing it.¡± She stuck her tongue out and went back to placing a tower she¡¯d been working on. They¡¯d run out of water, so Randall took the bowl to collect some more. By the time he came back, she was building up the wall between her two towers and humming contentedly to herself as she worked. After twenty minutes, they finally finished placing all the towers and connecting walls around the outside of the castle. He¡¯d gone clockwise while she went the opposite direction, handing the cup and other tools back and forth until they met again on the other side. His portion of the perimeter was a bit lopsided with no uniformity in the length or thickness of the walls that ran between the towers. Hers was much more carefully done, the towers spaced evenly and the walls all the same thickness. His work hadn¡¯t collapsed entirely, so he¡¯d consider it a win. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± asked Randall. ¡°We need a keep in the middle,¡± said Desiree. ¡°We could fill the bowl up with sand to make a round building, or we could make something free-form. That way, it could be any shape we like.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try that. The bowl method sounds too easy.¡± She showed him how to gather a bunch of sand, wet it down, then place handfuls on top of each other to build up a smaller mound inside the walls. With the trowel, she carved away at the outside, removing sand to reveal a shape underneath. The keep ended up being about twice as long as it was wide, with a round balcony on the short side where she was working. When she finished, she handed the trowel to him. ¡°You do the other side.¡± She picked up the wooden knife and started adding small details like windows and crenelations. Randall moved slowly, trying his best to mirror what she¡¯d done on his side of the keep. Patiently he cut away small bits at a time while trying to keep his lines straight. Desiree had made it look easy, pulling off chunks of sand each time she moved without damaging the structure underneath. He left several gouges in the side of the keep when he dug too deep and had to back out and try again. Eventually, he¡¯d mangled it into a shape similar to hers. When he finished and sat back to compare, she¡¯d put several nice details around the balcony. Windows opened over long benches that had been carved out of the walls. An archway with a door led into the keep, and he could imagine a tiny princess walking out of it to survey her castle. He scanned the balcony he¡¯d made, but the only thing he could see coming out of the gouge marks in the wall there was an ogre. ¡°Blech¡­¡± he said as he looked between the two. Desiree sat back and examined his work. ¡°That¡¯s not bad.¡± She spoke over his attempted denial. ¡°Really, it¡¯s good for your first time. Carving out the bottom there so the balcony has an overhang isn¡¯t easy. That¡¯s the sort of detail that will collapse if not done properly.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look anywhere near as good as yours.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this for years,¡± she said. ¡°You can¡¯t expect to be an expert in one day.¡± Randall thought that over and asked, ¡°Is that another one of your dad¡¯s sayings?¡± ¡°No, I just came up with it. Pretty zen, right?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± He glanced around in several directions before peering up at the sky. ¡°You know, we¡¯re having some really nice weather today.¡± Desiree¡¯s jaw dropped open. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t change the subject. That was really zen, what I said.¡± Randall kept looking up at the sky. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, it¡¯ll stay this nice all week.¡± She crossed her arms and looked down at the ground, pouting. He chuckled. ¡°It was a good saying. I guess I know now who to come to for advice, especially on how to get a tan or build a sandcastle.¡± She beamed at his praise. ¡°Absolutely, and speaking of your tan, you might want to lay out some more. With your back to the sun the whole time we were building that sandcastle, it¡¯ll turn bright red while the rest of you is still pale.¡± Together they gathered up her cups and tools before going back to the blanket. When they¡¯d laid down again, he asked about the castles she¡¯d built for previous competitions, and she described how she designed them. #
Skills
Crafting ¡ï ¡ï ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Gathering ¡ï ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
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Relationships
Desiree ¡ï ¡ï ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
# * * * Chapter 14 After watering his plants the next morning, Randall went over the list of things he needed to do on the farm. He had some firewood, though he¡¯d certainly need a lot more to last through the rest of the year. He wouldn¡¯t want to have to go out during winter to collect more, especially since he now knew the weather could change. He didn¡¯t want to find out if he could push the wheelbarrow through snow, so while the possibility was a ways off, it was still a top priority. He also needed to sort through all the canned goods in the cellar to figure out which of them were still good. Normally characters in farming games only ate to refill their stamina, so rather than starve, they simply couldn¡¯t do as many chores if they ran out of food. But he wasn¡¯t sure about his own situation. He¡¯d felt pain and fatigue as a result of working too hard, so he didn¡¯t want to find out what could happen if he stopped eating. Depending on how much of the food in the cellar was still good, he might need to store some of the crops he was growing or save money to buy food in town during the winter season. The other thing on his mind was the cave entrance at the end of the trail that led up the mountain. There had been no indication why it was boarded up, and he wondered if perhaps there was still something useful inside. Perhaps Uncle Jack had hidden money or other valuables there. The thought of sacks of bits stored at the back of a dark tunnel filled his head. Not that he would consider stealing anything, but it could be useful if he needed to borrow some cash that he could pay back later. He decided he would be killing two birds with one stone by going up to the cave entrance and using the scythe to clear a path back to the farm. While he was in the barn, he also grabbed a crowbar and hammer. He wanted to get a look inside the cavern that had been boarded up. With tools in hand, he crossed through the pasture and followed the trail up into the hills. The cave entrance was as he remembered it, with boards nailed across the opening so he couldn¡¯t see inside. Using the hammer and crowbar, he pried up two of the boards and set them to the side, pocketing the nails he¡¯d pulled out. Light shone in through the gap he¡¯d made, revealing an old mining helmet and pickax that had been left propped against the wall on the other side. With a bit of maneuvering, Randall was able to squeeze through the opening into the cave. The brass buttons on his overalls caught, forcing him to unfasten them so he could get loose. He fell with a thud on the rocky ground of the cavern. He checked the helmet first, lifting it up and carrying it into the light to get a better look. A concave reflector on top had a cavity where a candle could be placed. The metal on the inside of the reflector was tarnished copper, dull green in color and not very bright. However, if he polished its surface, he had no doubt it would focus the light of the candle in a beam wherever he looked while wearing it. The pickax, like all the other tools he¡¯d found on the farm, wasn¡¯t in very good condition. Its surface was pitted with rust, and the handle didn¡¯t feel as sturdy as he¡¯d hoped for a tool that would be slammed repeatedly into hard surfaces. He took a couple test swings at the wall of the cave, and the tool didn¡¯t immediately fall apart. Perhaps he¡¯d still be able to use it for a while before something broke. Laying the helmet and pickax outside, he turned his attention to the inside of the cavern. The tunnel gradually widened before opening into what he thought might be a large room. He couldn¡¯t see much from the little bit of light that filtered in from the small opening he¡¯d made at the entrance. He clapped his hands together, and the sound echoed back from walls ahead of where he stood. The most interesting thing he could see was a glittering formation that stuck up from the floor a little to the side of the tunnel he came out of when he entered the room. He crept forward slowly and crouched next to it so he wouldn¡¯t block the small amount of light coming in from the entrance. Now that he was closer, he could make out thin channels of some kind of metal in the surface of several large rocks that must have fallen from the ceiling. He swung the hammer he¡¯d brought and knocked off a piece that was sticking out of the side. The metal gleamed a bright orange color when he returned to the entrance and held it in direct sunlight. ¡°Is this a copper mine?¡± he asked. He turned the small chunk of ore over in his hand, noting the light reflecting from several other places on the surface of the rock. Copper was a useful metal due to its softness and the fact it could be worked easily. It wasn¡¯t the best material for making tools, but for fabricating simple machines, it could be invaluable. He stuffed the chunk in his pocket before squeezing back through the hole to the outside. He made sure to set the helmet and pickax aside before nailing the boards back in place. At some point, he¡¯d want to do a more thorough investigation of the mine, but first he¡¯d need to clean up the items he¡¯d found inside and construct a proper door. Having satiated his curiosity to learn what was in the cavern, Randall turned his attention to the overgrown trail. He needed to clear a section wide enough to bring the wheelbarrow out here. It would be useful in hauling firewood and also collecting more of the ore he¡¯d found, assuming he could find a use for it. The work was much easier than clearing the road up to his bridge had been. Then he¡¯d needed to make it wide enough for a cart to pass through, whereas now he aimed for a path that was only a little wider than his shoulders. He¡¯d also gotten comfortable with using the scythe, having practiced on several different areas of his farm. He would sweep the scythe through the tall grass in front of him, sheering through the stalks with little difficulty. Then he could take a couple steps forward over the fallen plants and do it again. He left the hay in the path behind him as he progressed. He¡¯d come back later with the rake and wheelbarrow to collect it. The sun was shining high in the sky by the time he made it back to the edge of the pasture. The trail was obvious now as it sliced through the woods up the hill behind him. Between watering the garden before he went to the mine and clearing the trail after, he was feeling fatigued and thought he should eat something before testing how easily he could maneuver the wheelbarrow over the new path he¡¯d made. # Something about working outside in the fresh air made Randall¡¯s nose turn at the odor when he went down into the cellar this time. The sickly sweet smell of decay seemed harsher to his senses than the previous times he¡¯d been down here, and he decided the first thing he needed to do was clear out the food that had gone bad down there. He didn¡¯t know if he could get sick because of it, but he sure didn¡¯t want to find out the hard way. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The first thing he wanted to take care of was the rotten potatoes and other dry goods he¡¯d found before. While they weren¡¯t edible to him, they could still attract vermin. The bite marks he¡¯d noticed had to have come from somewhere. He went to the barn first to get a broom, dust pan, and shovel. There was an old, metal bucket in the kitchen he¡¯d been using for food scraps and other garbage that he carried down with him into the cellar. He had to make three trips to the compost heap before he¡¯d cleared out the remains of the spoiled food. By the time he returned from the third one, the smell was significantly improved in the confined space. With the dry goods removed, he turned his attention to the glass jars, bottles, and cans on the shelves. Those items packaged in metal cans seemed to have survived the best. A few had rusted to the point he didn¡¯t know if their contents would be safe, and these he threw out. Two cans had swelled in the middle, and they also had to be tossed. Of the twenty cans that were left when he finished, half no longer had labels that were readable. He could judge a bit based on size whether they were some kind of prepared food like soups or potted meat. However, most were the tall, narrow size of can that could be just about anything. He set aside all the mystery containers in case he got really desperate for something to eat. The bottles were easier to tell both what was inside them and whether or not they were still good. Those whose caps had been breached had mostly evaporated away. He found seven larger bottles with a sticky purple syrup at the bottom he assumed must have been some type of wine. These he carried up to be washed in the stream outside in case the bottles could be salvaged. He had the feeling he¡¯d need as many containers as he could find if he decided to try his hand at canning and preserving food at some later date. The rest of the bottles appeared to still be sealed, so he wiped them off with a wet rag and lined them up on the shelf again. Finally, he got to the glass jars which he¡¯d looked through earlier. He removed those whose contents had turned brown, carrying them outside in a box he¡¯d found in the attic. Like the bottles, they could be cleaned and reused. Then he went through what was left, checking the seals on each one and discarding those where the lids had popped up, even if the contents didn¡¯t look bad. If they hadn¡¯t stayed airtight, then they could be contaminated. He wouldn¡¯t take a chance on discovering whether or not he could contract dysentery. Those jars that appeared to still be tightly sealed, he sorted into sections on the shelves based on what they contained. Jams and jellies went on the lowest shelf, since he wouldn¡¯t need to access those on a regular basis. Canned fruits were on the shelf above those, then vegetables in the middle, and sauces on the top. That way, the things he would use most often were now in easy reach. With everything sorted, he grabbed a jar of tomato juice and some of the smaller jars of various vegetables. He carried them all upstairs and lit a fire inside the stove. While it was heating up, he found a large pot and emptied the contents of each of the jars into it. He set the full pan on the stove and went up to the attic to find a large, empty box. He filled the box with the rest of the jars of food he¡¯d decided were no longer edible and carried it out to his empty composting pile. He maneuvered the wheelbarrow through the pasture to the end of the trail he¡¯d cut earlier and piled as much grass as he could into it. This he used as the base for a new round of composting, onto which he poured the contents of all the old jars. He¡¯d add more to it later, but he went inside to see about cooking a fresh batch of vegetable soup. He sat down at the small table in his kitchen with an exhausted sigh. While he waited for the soup to heat up, he flipped through the book on fishing he¡¯d borrowed from the library. So far he¡¯d only visited the harbor and spots next to the bridges on the two streams that flowed across the island. The book listed several kinds of fish he hadn¡¯t seen yet, many of which were much larger than the trout and sardines he¡¯d been able to catch. Unfortunately, they would require better equipment than the basic starter rod he¡¯d been able to purchase. One thing he noticed was that a favorite bait to use for the larger fish was crab or crayfish meat. He could collect them with simple traps, and detailed drawings of how to make them had been included as an appendix at the back of the book. He would need many long strips of wood and twine to hold them together. Once the traps were made, he could bait them with a dead fish to entice the crabs to crawl inside. He studied the designs in detail while he ate his lunch. Afterwards, he took his dirty dishes and the boxes of empty jars out to the stream, along with a container that held dry dish detergent. He used a long brush to scour the inside of each jar, making sure to remove anything caked onto the glass until they were all spotless. A steady flow of soap suds slipped out to the center of the stream, where it was carried away to the sea. They would need to be sterilized in hot water, but that could wait until he planned to fill them with fresh food he wanted to preserve. For now, he lined them up on an empty section of shelves in the cellar. With the newfound energy he¡¯d gotten from eating lunch, he made several trips up the path to the mine. He raked up the grass clippings and transported them to the compost pile whenever the wheelbarrow was full. It took him the rest of the afternoon, but he could now travel the entire way to the mine with little difficulty pushing the wheelbarrow. On his last trip, he collected fallen branches of a wide variety of sizes and left them with the ones he¡¯d already cleared out of his field after the storm at the start of the summer. # Even having something to reference, Randall had a tough time figuring out how exactly to make the crab trap. There had been some for sale at the general store, but he didn¡¯t have the money to buy them. That¡¯s why he was sitting on the floor of the barn with a pile of long, straight sticks taken from among those he¡¯d collected along the trail earlier that day. The first step was to make a flat base for the trap. He chose a dozen sticks that were each about two feet long and lined them up beside each other. Then he put four smaller sticks across them for support. He used twine he¡¯d found in a drawer beneath the workbench to lash the longer branches one by one to the cross piece. The work was slow as he figured out how best to tie them together. When he finished, the base of the trap was about a foot wide and two feet long. Once it was done, he bent some green branches to act as arches against which he could brace the sides and top of the trap. He used more long, thin pieces of wood to cover the arches. He closed off one end with more sticks before fashioning a door and attaching it the open end with loops of twine acting as a hinge. In the end, his trap looked a bit like the mailboxes he¡¯d regularly seen along country roads back home. Except it was made of wicker, and the door was weighted to fall open whenever he dropped it into the water. In order to test the trap, he¡¯d need some kind of bait, so he gathered a few worms and his fishing rod. He walked east to where the stream ran into the ocean and waited for about twenty minutes before catching a sardine. He left the baited trap in the water and tied a rope between its top and a stick he pushed down into the sand. He¡¯d have to come back the next day and see if any crabs had been caught. * * * Chapter 15 Randall could barely contain his curiosity while watering his crops the next morning. He really wanted to know if his homemade traps could actually catch anything, but he decided it would be best to get in the habit of always taking care of his fields before doing anything else. The last thing he needed was to forget about watering them and slow the rate at which they were maturing. The blueberries and onions he¡¯d put out were already poking through the soil, stretching green leaves up to the sky. He expected they would be ready for harvest before too long, the fast-growing crops of the summer season just like strawberries had been in the spring. He should be able to get two to three plantings of each before fall came. The bellflowers on the porch were also starting to show. Assuming he had managed to catch something in his trap overnight, he had multiple things he wanted to handle in town that day. He made sure the little chunk of ore he¡¯d collected in the mine the day before was still in his pocket. He found a small cardboard box in the attic to hold any crabs that might be in the trap and left the farmhouse for the day. The rope leading out into the water was still tight when he untied it from the stick he¡¯d used to anchor it on the beach. He left it where it was and followed the rope out into the water. He pulled up the trap to find two small crabs eying him warily. The back half of the sardine had been nibbled on in several places, but it would likely still attract more crabs if he left it in there. He tipped the trap on its side and shook until the two crabs fell into the box he¡¯d brought with them, pushed the bait into the back portion of the trap, and lowered it into the water again. With the box in hand, he cut through lightly wooded fields to the north until he reached the road and followed it into town. His destination was the general store. If anyone could tell him what to do with his finds, it would be Hank. When he went inside, he found a group of people huddled at the counter. Hank and Meredith stood behind the register, while Kate and Desiree were on the side where customers normally waited to pay. They all turned to look at him when he walked through the door. He stopped, feeling self-conscious with everyone staring at him. ¡°Why do I get the feeling you all were just talking about me?¡± Kate and Desiree glanced at each other and blushed. ¡°Because that¡¯s what they were doing,¡± said Hank. ¡°Oh, hush!¡± said Meredith. ¡°I was just saying that I¡¯d hemmed your overalls but you hadn¡¯t come to pick them up yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Randall. ¡°I was busy yesterday and didn¡¯t come into town.¡± ¡°They¡¯re ready now, and if you¡¯d like to swap for the ones you have on, I¡¯d fix them up for you, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that.¡± Examining the box he was carrying none too discreetly, Desiree asked, ¡°What¡¯s that you brought with you?¡± ¡°This is something new I¡¯m trying out.¡± He placed the box on the counter between everyone. ¡°Open it if you want.¡± Desiree¡¯s eyes lit up and she grabbed one of the flaps and pulled up. She jerked her hand away with a yell as the top came open. ¡°It pinched me!¡± A pair of red claws reached up out of the box, and everyone except Randall took a step back. A red welt was already forming on Desiree¡¯s thumb. Hank was the first to lean forward and look into the box. ¡°Seems you figured out how to catch crabs,¡± he said. ¡°Eww, keep those things away from me,¡± said Desiree, who was cradling her thumb in her other hand like she¡¯d been stabbed. Randall looked closer, and the skin hadn¡¯t even been broken. ¡°Don¡¯t you like crabs?¡± he asked. ¡°Only when they¡¯ve been chopped up and cooked into a bisque.¡± She moved to put Kate between her and the box. ¡°Come on, ladies.¡± Meredith walked around the counter and down one of the aisles of groceries carrying a feather duster. ¡°You can finish gossiping while I clean the shelves.¡± Kate followed her mother, while Desiree took a moment to bat her eyelashes at him before hurrying off after them. Randall watched them leave in confusion. ¡°What was that all about?¡± he asked. ¡°Desiree was telling them she saw you at the beach the other day,¡± said Hank. ¡°There was a lot of, ¡®he said this, and then I said that,¡¯ going back and forth while they discussed what the things you said meant.¡± ¡°Desiree mentioned hanging out at the beach in the afternoon, so I went after I got tired of working on the farm. We made a sandcastle and talked, but it wasn¡¯t like I was being cryptic. I basically said whatever I was thinking at the time.¡± Hank chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve told them a hundred times that guys aren¡¯t complex. We say what we¡¯re thinking, as you so eloquently put it. They¡¯re still going to analyze it for some greater meaning.¡± Randall looked down the aisle. Meredith was picking up cans and dusting them off while Kate and Desiree talked back and forth, one or the other occasionally glancing in his direction. ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± said Randall. ¡°Look, son,¡± said Hank. ¡°I¡¯ve lived with these woman for two decades at this point, and I still don¡¯t get it. But they seem to enjoy talking this stuff over, and in my experience it¡¯s best to leave them to it. Now, what exactly did you have in mind to do with these crabs?¡± ¡°I was hoping you could give me some hints for how I could use them.¡± Hank thought it over. ¡°Well, you could always eat them, but two that small wouldn¡¯t be much by themselves. I hear they make good bait for catching certain other ocean creatures like eel or squid. You could also sell them, in which case you¡¯d be welcome to use the collection box at your farm.¡± ¡°Oscar bought some of the fish I caught before,¡± said Randall. ¡°Would he be interested?¡± ¡°Probably, but we have a deal not to compete with each other after some unscrupulous tourists played us off one another to get higher prices for some fish they caught. So you¡¯ll get the same amount whether you sell it directly to him or he gets it through me.¡± ¡°How do you make any money in that deal?¡± ¡°He pays me a little extra as a delivery fee,¡± said Hank. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to deal with haggling, and he gets the supplies he needs to run his pub with no hassles.¡± ¡°I guess that sounds worth it.¡± Randall looked at the two small crabs in his box as they tried to find a foothold on the smooth cardboard to climb out. ¡°I¡¯m guessing I wouldn¡¯t get much for these two, so I think I¡¯ll hold onto them.¡± Randall closed up the box before the crabs found some way to escape. He took the sample of ore he¡¯d gathered in the mine and placed it on the counter. ¡°Well now¡­¡± Hank picked up the rock and turned it around in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve not seen anything like this in a long while. Where¡¯d you find it?¡± ¡°There was a trail leading up into the hills behind Sweetwater Farm. When I followed it to the end, I found a mine entrance that had been boarded up. A chunk of rock had fallen from the ceiling not too far in, and I broke this piece off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s copper ore if I¡¯ve ever seen it.¡± Hank handed the piece back. ¡°I knew Jack had a source out there somewhere, but he stopped bringing it in to sell, so I¡¯d assumed the vein had run dry. Although he did say at one point that it was simpler to focus on his crops and order what he needed from the mainland than spend his time doing the back-breaking work to dig it out.¡± ¡°Is it worth anything?¡± asked Randall. ¡°The thing about ore is that most of the weight is in the rocks, not the useful metal that¡¯s locked inside it. Although, we can¡¯t order more from the mainland, so having a source on the island is pretty lucky. As far as a price, you¡¯d have to talk to the blacksmith at this point. He¡¯s the only one capable of smelting it down into something useful.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve not met the blacksmith yet. Anything you can tell me about him?¡± ¡°Nate¡¯s about as straightforward as they come. He¡¯s probably the most hard-working man in all of Haven, and his arms are the proof. Be honest with him and you¡¯ll never have a problem doing business there. He buys a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread every time he comes in here, and he tends to favor the sweets table when he shows up at our monthly social gatherings. Normally I¡¯d say sugary foods like that will make you gain weight, but the forge must burn it off him.¡± Randall made a mental note about the sorts of food the man liked. ¡°Do you think he would agree to a similar deal as you have with Oscar? I don¡¯t have a way to transport the ore directly to him.¡± ¡°Give me a second.¡± Hank walked down one of the aisles of food and came back with a loaf of bread and set it on the counter. ¡°Give this to Nate with my compliments, and tell him I can transport the ore to him. Once he¡¯s extracted the metal, he can pay me what it¡¯s worth plus a small percentage for hauling it for him. I¡¯ll deposit your portion in your account at the town hall. It might take an extra day or two, but both Nate and I will make sure you get the full value you¡¯re owed.¡± ¡°Sounds like a deal.¡± Randall held out his hand and Hank shook it. He picked up the box with the crabs and turned away from the counter. He walked back to where the women were making their rounds, dusting off the cans and boxes and realigning them on the shelves. Desiree had been in the middle of telling a story, but she quieted immediately after he walked up. To Meredith, he said, ¡°Would you mind if I traded the pairs of overalls now?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She led him back to the changing booths and retrieved his previous pair of overalls from a box hidden in the corner. ¡°Switch into these, and I¡¯ll make the same adjustments to the pair you¡¯re wearing.¡± When he pulled on the pair that had been resized, the difference could be felt immediately. The straps no longer dug into his shoulders, and he could move around freely without worrying the seam running between his legs would ride up somewhere that made him uncomfortable. It was like a completely new pair of pants. While he was getting dressed, he could hear the sound of feet shuffling nearby and the occasional suppressed laugh. He even caught the phrase, ¡°not quite as white as the other day,¡± along with a bout of giggling. He looked down and realized the fabric of the privacy curtain didn¡¯t reach all the way to the floor. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. When he¡¯d finished and stepped out of the changing area, he found Kate and Desiree standing only about ten feet away, deeply engrossed in looking through the clothes racks in the kids section. When they saw him watching them, they both burst out laughing. ¡°Girls,¡± said Meredith, which brought their laughter to an abrupt halt. ¡°Don¡¯ t you have work to do?¡± ¡°Yes, mother,¡± said Kate, who headed into one of the farther aisles with the feather duster. ¡°I should get back to the cafe.¡± Desiree winked at him. ¡°Come see me at the beach again. We¡¯ll work on our tans.¡± She turned and headed out of the store. Meredith shook her head. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t laugh so much if I sent them to help you on the farm for a day or two.¡± ¡°Do they have any experience chopping firewood?¡± asked Randall. This time, it was Meredith¡¯s turn to laugh. ¡°They¡¯d be back here in under an hour, I reckon.¡± She took the overalls he¡¯d just changed out of. ¡°I¡¯ll have these ready tomorrow. You can pick them up anytime you want.¡± ¡°Thanks, I appreciate it.¡± He retrieved the box of crabs and loaf of bread he¡¯d left beside the changing booth and walked out of the store. # Randall took a slight detour before heading out the east side of town. He walked through the entrance to the harbor and followed the road down to the bay. He could see Yuki sitting at the same spot near the end of the pier where they¡¯d met before, and he hurried out to talk with her. ¡°Hey,¡± he called as he walked along the pier. ¡°I¡¯ve got something you might find useful.¡± Yuki stood and gave a slight bow as he approached. She looked at the box in his hands and asked, ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Open it.¡± He held the box out to her. She took the offering with both hands and pulled at the flap holding the box closed, her eyes shining when she saw what was inside. ¡°I used to catch small crabs like these in the tidal pools when I was a kid.¡± ¡°I tried my hand at trap-making,¡± said Randall. ¡°These two crabs were in the trap this morning when I checked. I thought you might be able to use them as bait.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so thoughtful!¡± She closed the box as the crabs were climbing on top of each other to get out. ¡°I¡¯ve seen eels lurking among the rocks at the bottom of the harbor, but I haven¡¯t been able to draw them out with sardines. Perhaps they¡¯ll be more interested in these crabs.¡± ¡°Good luck with them.¡± Randall turned to go. ¡°Sorry to run off so soon, but I need to go meet with the blacksmith.¡± ¡°Next time, then.¡± While he was walking away, Yuki¡¯s reel clicked as she drew in her line behind him. Once back at the entrance to the harbor, he took the road heading north out of town. By the time he crossed the bridge where he and Yuki had caught trout the last time he came here to fish, he could hear the sound of metal striking metal in the distance. The road split on the opposite side of the bridge, with one branch going straight north and the other curving gradually away to the southeast. The blacksmith¡¯s shop stood on a small hill to the south of the crossroads. Black smoke rose up from a chimney set into the wall of a workshop. A pair of double-wide doors on the front had been thrown open to reveal a large circular fire pit that bathed the entire inside of the workshop in a dull orange light. Two men worked there, one pressing down on the handle of a large bellows while the other hammered at a piece on an anvil next to the forge. When Randall came close enough, he recognized Anthony as the one at the anvil. The other man was older, with lines beginning to form around his mouth and eyes. Randall guessed he was probably nearing forty, but it was hard to tell as he¡¯d completely shaved his head. He wore a white tank top that was stained with sweat on the sides. He stood up from the bellows and came out to greet Randall, equal in height to his 5 feet 11 inches. ¡°Welcome,¡± said the blacksmith. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Anthony interrupted before he could answer. ¡°Hey, Randall. This is the one I told you I met at the party at the end of last season.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Randall. I¡¯m Nate.¡± They shook hands, and the blacksmith had a surprisingly gentle grip for someone who looked like he bent metal bars in half for fun. Randall handed him the loaf of raisin bread Hank had given him. ¡°Hank said I should come talk to you,¡± said Randall. ¡°He asked me to give this to you since I was coming out this way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful.¡± Nate opened the bag and took out a piece of bread, which had already been sliced. He offered some to Randall and Anthony, who both shook their heads. ¡°I¡¯ll have to thank him next time I¡¯m in town. So why did you need to talk to me?¡± Randall pulled the chunk of ore out of his pocket. ¡°I found this in a cave situated on the mountain behind Sweetwater Farm. We thought it might be something you could use.¡± Nate took the bit of rock out of his hand and looked it over. ¡°Looks like copper, although there might be traces of other metals like iron mixed in. Let me test it a bit.¡± He grabbed a small crucible from a shelf by the door and dropped the nugget into it. He placed the crucible into the center of the forge where the coals glowed the brightest. Anthony took over at the bellows, blasting air through the hot coals until they turned an angry red color. After a few minutes, Nate picked up the crucible with a pair of tongs and removed the rock. He then poured a little trickle of molten metal into a mold and let it cool. In the end, they had a flat lump of dull brown metal about the size of a fingernail. Nate poured water into the mold to cool it off, then picked up the chunk of metal with his bare fingers. ¡°It¡¯s definitely copper.¡± Nate handed the metal disk over to Randall. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad amount given how small the sample was you brought me. Was there more ore like this inside the mine?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Randall said as he examined the thin piece of copper. It wasn¡¯t even enough to make a penny. ¡°Would you be interested if I could bring more of this to you?¡± ¡°No doubt about that,¡± said Nate, and Anthony nodded along in the background. ¡°We¡¯re running low on all kinds of things at this point. I had a stockpile of metals I¡¯d ordered from the mainland before the ferry disaster, but I¡¯ve used up most of it. I wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d do when it ran out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a way to transport the ore here,¡± said Randall. ¡°Hank offered to deliver it for me in exchange for a small fee. How much would it be worth to you?¡± ¡°Rates varied depending on fluctuations in supply. Given that I can¡¯t even order from the mainland, I could offer the highest rate, which was 100 bits per pound of metal I was able to extract.¡± Randall almost sputtered at the offer. That was a better price than he¡¯d received for any of the crops or fish he¡¯d sold up to this point. He¡¯d be a fool not to take it. ¡°That sounds like a reasonable price,¡± he said. ¡°If you find any other metals, let me know. I could really use iron and lead the most, but I wouldn¡¯t turn anything away. I¡¯d give you a similar price, on the high end of what I¡¯ve paid in the past.¡± Randall held his hand out and they shook on the deal. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my eyes open as I explore the mine more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a weight off my mind.¡± Nate took a second slice of raisin bread and munched on it. ¡°I was worried I¡¯d completely run out. You can¡¯t do much smithing without some metal to work with. And Anthony gets to practice his smelting skills, which we kind of neglected since what we ordered from the mainland was already pure.¡± Anthony groaned. ¡°It¡¯s not my favorite type of work.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be useful later,¡± said Nate, ¡°if you decide to experiment with new alloys. It¡¯s good to know where the metal comes from and how you can prepare it for different uses.¡± ¡°Speaking of that,¡± Randall interrupted. ¡°The tools that were left at the farm aren¡¯t in the best of shape. Would you be able to craft new ones for me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible, once we have the metal to spare. Copper doesn¡¯t make great tools, but they¡¯d be better than using your bare hands. Bronze would hold up better, but I¡¯d need some tin to mix in with the copper. And if you can find some iron ore, I could make something much sturdier.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to see what¡¯s available. Hopefully you¡¯ll be restocked before the tools I have start breaking. Most were rusty and deteriorating from not being used.¡± ¡°Come back anytime, and I can upgrade your equipment,¡± said Nate. ¡°Will do.¡± Randall nodded to both of them and walked back to the road. By the time he crossed the bridge, the sound of hammering had started up again behind him. He whistled to himself as he proceeded into town, thinking of the amount of money he stood to gain, assuming there were more deposits of ore like the one he¡¯d found near the entrance to the mine. He was so zoned out, he didn¡¯t realize someone was standing at the crossroads by the harbor until he heard his name being called. Yuki waved when he finally saw her. ¡°Look what I caught.¡± She held up her stringer, and two long, slender fish dangled almost to the ground. They had short snouts and tiny fins compared to the length of their bodies, and skin that shifted in color from brown to green with small white spots like it had been spattered with paint. They looked to be between four and five feet long. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± He bent down to examine one and it thrashed around. ¡°Were they difficult to catch?¡± ¡°They fought quite hard, and it¡¯s easy to see why they¡¯re called slippery. However, they went right for the crab meat when I cast near the rocks.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to bring you some more to use as bait,¡¯ said Randall. ¡°Only if you let me treat you.¡± Yuki lowered the stringer, dropping the eels into a small net that she propped up on her shoulder. ¡°I promised Betty that if I caught some eels, I¡¯d show her how to prepare them like we do at home. You should come to the pub tonight for dinner, on me. They¡¯re quite delicious.¡± Randall had never eaten eel. He always thought they looked kind of gross the way they moved around, reminding him of snakes, which he also didn¡¯t have much interest in eating. But Yuki was quite insistent, so he agreed to come back in the evening and at least give it a try. In the meantime, he had the opportunity to collect more ore at the mine. #
Relationships
Hank ¡ï ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Meredith ¡ï ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î Nate ¡ï ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î ¡î
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