I wiped the sweat from my brow as I gave a sigh. It was summer, and it was hot. I was dressed in a simple outfit, one I had heard was good for farming. It was a pink button up short-sleeved shirt that I had tied below my bust instead of buttoned, along with a pair of brown shorts and boots. A small brimmed hat was on my head to help me keep cool while I had my blonde hair tied into a ponytail.
I looked up at the sky. The sun was beating down fiercely upon me. I began to think: Why was I here? What had driven me away from my predictable and easy life in the city and brought me here to Stardew Valley to become a farmer? I closed my eyes as I thought back on that eventful day.
My grandfather lay dying on his bed. My family had gathered around him, each mourning what we knew would soon be his passing. As he lied there, he used his last few breaths to declare his final wishes. "And lastly, to my granddaughter, Serena, I wish to have this sealed envelope." A man dressed in a suit presented the envelope to me. "Wait, though, Serena. Now is not yet the time to open it."
I looked up at my grandfather as I held the envelope. "Then when?"
"One day, just as I did, you will feel the weight of your life bare down upon you. You will become displeased, yearning for another path, another option. I know that feeling too well. In that moment, that gift will become clear, and you will understand why I gave it to you."
I raised an eyebrow. It was said people became delusional at the end of their life, and this certainly felt just like that. I sighed and shook my head. I didn't get what he was playing at. "Whatever you say, Grandpa."
I had no idea just how right he was. It wasn't even a year after before I found myself in that position. I worked at a plain job, lived a plain life. I found myself staring at that envelope more and more each day. I was realizing just what he meant.
As I sat at work one day, I felt myself tired of the same routine. Wake up at 6AM, go to work by 7, work until Noon and stop for lunch, then return to the job until four and go home. It was a boring existence, and I yearned for something fresh, something new.
I glanced around my cubicle, making sure no one was watching. I worked as a telemarketer at a big name company, and I was on the phone with a guy who was supposedly searching for a pen and paper. I assumed he wasn't, but I wasn't going to complain. It meant I could relax and do virtually nothing for a change. It was a nice feeling, and I was able to let my mind wander.
I looked down at my desk. It was there in the drawer, the envelope. I had seemed to be in the habit of carrying it with me everywhere now, and while at work I stored it there. I slipped the drawer open, staring at the yellow envelope with a wax seal upon it. What could be so life changing that this envelope could offer me?
I remembered when I was a child. Grandpa used to tell me stories of his life in a place called Stardews Valley. They were wild adventures full of monsters, exploration, and many other things. I had hung on every word as a child, but my belief in such things died down as I got older. "Honestly, Grandpa, I'm 15 years old. I don't have time to believe in silly make-believe stories anymore," I used to tell him. I could see the sorrow on his face whenever I said those words.
I shook my head. Why was I suddenly thinking about that? It's not like the stories were real. I remembered him mentioning the local shop that was ran there. He mentioned once of a boy named Pierre and his wife Caroline. He said they had a daughter about my age. She had grown to be a lovely lady last he had seen.
I remembered he mentioned a bus driver named Pam and her daughter, Penny. She had always loved to teach, but she had no one to teach to. Penny would pour her mind into every book she found, though, and was quite intellectual because of that.
I shook my head again. No, it was stupid to think about. Stardew Valley was a rolling plain that sat near a forest and a desert. It supposedly had a mine full of monsters, wonders to behold, and even magic. Such a place couldn't really exist... could it? My curiosity peeked. I grabbed the envelope and broke the seal. I opened it slowly, noticing a set of papers inside. "Stardew Valley?" I asked as I pulled the first paper out.
As I examined it, I saw it was a deed to some land out in Stardew Valley. I had thought the place was fake, but here I held a deed to a farm that sat in the valley. This had to be a hoax, right? It was just my grandfather trying to make me believe in magic and monsters again. There was no way it was real. But there was an address, a real postal address. I quickly typed the address into a search site. I expected no results, but what I got was a map.
It was true. I could see Pelican Town, the small town that sat in the valley. I could see the desert near the valley, and even the forest. Everything was there, just as my grandfather had said it was. Grandpa... I had stopped believing so long ago, but everything you said was the truth. I knew what I had to do. I tore the headset off my head, jumped to my feet, and stormed into my boss's office.
"Serena, what a surprise," my boss spoke as he looked up from his paperwork. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Listen here, 'Boss'. I'm tired of this shitty ass job. I'm tired of taking calls and trying to sell worthless products to stupid idiots who don't know better than to buy our brand of horse shit." I slammed my hand onto the table. "Effective immediately, I quit!"
My boss stared in shock. "You quit? Now listen here, Serena, you can't just quit out of nowhere like that! You have to give at least two-weeks notice!"
"Yeah? Well how about this. You can take my two weeks notice and shove it up your ass!" I grabbed the uniform shirt I was wearing and pulled it off, tossing it in his face. Maybe not my greatest moment, as I was only wearing a bra under it, but I didn't care right now. I was tired of this life, and I was going to change it.
My boss growled. "You know what? You can't quit, because YOU'RE FIRED!"
I smirked. "Fine by me." I turned and stormed out. It was only a few monents later before I realized my mistake by tossing away the shirt. People were staring at me on the streets, and I quickly covered my chest with my arms. It didn't help much, though, considering how busty I was.
I luckily made it home without incident, and I quickly dressed. I found the quickest way to Stardew Valley was by bus, or rather, the quickest way that I could afford. I immediately packed my bags, leaving my house and many of my belongings behind. It didn't bother me, though. That stuff would just weigh me down, hold me back. This was a change I needed.
The sun still beat down on me as I opened my eyes, coming back to the present. It had bedn a year since then. "Serena~," a beautiful voice called out to me.
"I'm out near the barn, Abby!" I called back. A moment later, the most beautiful girl I had ever seen stepped towards me. She dressed in a purple skirt and top, and she had gorgeous purple hair.
"There you are." Abby looked at me. "You're really wearing that today?"
"It's hot, and this is a cool outfit." I grabbed the tie on my shirt. "I could always just go without it, of course, if you prefer."
Abby grabbed my hands before I could untie it. "If I didn't like you showing off this much of your body, why would I be happier with you wearing even less?"
I giggled. "Because it's just you and me right now." I caressed her cheek. "And because I know you love my boobs."
Abby turned deep red. "Th-that may be, but I still refuse to let you be naked. People do walk through your farm to get to other parts of the Valley, you know?"
"I know." I kissed her gently on the cheek.
Yeah, life in Stardew Valley was definitely much better than my life before. I had no regrets about moving here and starting this farm. Everything was absolutely fantastic here. Well, everything but one thing, but that's a story for another time.