Alone. I'm alone, left with the family fortune. I know what you might be thinking, no my parents are alive, and no this fortune isn't money. If only it were money, instead I was passed down land left over from the town that seems to get more and more barren the longer I'm away. It's funny, I never wanted to be a farmer, in fact it's never been an interest of mine in any way so the reason it's been left for me is questionable all together. My mother says its destiny and someday I'll end up coming back to this town. Of course I never listened to that, sounded like nonsense. Nothing they ever said made sense half the time, I knew they were hiding something but it's not worth the effort to decipher everything they tell me. They were never the direct type. Though my mother was right, after traveling the cities, college, and all the small jobs I've taken, here I am coming back to this town with my bags packed and my curiosity carrying me there.
"Excuse me.." I heard an old voice say.
"Hm?" I turned to see an old man with grey hair a wild beard sitting at the steps of my new home. "Uh.. Yes?" I was a bit uncomfortable with the man, he looked perfectly at home where he was. Had he lived in this house while I was away?
"You must be Cat eh? Your parents told me you'd be coming today." He grinned and suddenly had a warmer appearance.
"Y-yeah.. Sorry I'm a little confused here.. Did you live here while I was away?" I said watching his face.
He seemed to find that funny and let out a laugh. "No why would you assume that?"
"U-uhm.. I don't know, but you're at my house and… I don't know."
"Hey, there's no need to get embarrassed. I don't live here no, my house is a couple blocks up from here but I was waiting here to greet you."
"Why'd you want to do that?"
He seemed to find my question funny since again he was trying to hold in his laugh. "Miss you got quite some spunk there. I greet all newcomers here, it's just my way of helping out."
"O-oh.. Well thank you for greeting me but I have some unpacking to do so if you'd excuse me" I said wanting to get out of the situation.
He seemed confused when I rushed to open the door and throw my stuff in. "What's the rush there? Don't have any questions about the town, or farm, or your neighbors?"
"No, but thanks for the offer. I'll be fine sir, it's just right now I got my hands full. It'd be best if you came by another time." I said as I shut the door.
I could make out some of what he was yelling outside "The names dunhill!.. – c…. see her."
I knew I should've let him talk to me more than I had but getting to the farm left me exhausted, all I really wanted to do was start unpacking my things and get familiar with the house. I could always visit him the next day. At the moment though, everything was too new for me too feel comfortable. So I did what any one in my situation would do, explore the house. It became clear to me that it was a one person house, the rooms were small. I was beginning to wonder why my parents bought the place since clearly it'd be uncomfortable for two to be living here, the twin bed and the cramped kitchen alone would be fuel for a fight off the bat. Boy that'd be a sight to see, I bet my parents ended up going at it in this place and that's why it's been left here for so long. It makes me wonder if they expect me to be single for a long time if they kept offering the place to me this often. I think ever since I left the house I was set to the fixated point of 18 to them. Exploring the place, thinking about my mom and dad living here brought a smile to my face, it made me feel more comfortable in the house. I mean if they could survive this place being as small as it is, I'm certain one girl could.
After unpacking and setting up the place I fell onto my bed, preparing to drift to sleep. That was the plan, I had a full day and the clock was telling me with its chime. I had been so fixated on perfecting the small living space that it had reached midnight. It's just like me to do this, I had to have a beautiful place to live, and with the condition that it was in I had to put in my effort to make it more eye catching. My parents had always said I've got a designer's eye, that and the stubbornness of a mule.
Before I shut the lamp off I noticed something move in the corner of my eye. Jumping out of the bed I searched the room… nothing.. then I felt a tug at my leg… Something was tugging on my leg!
"GGAAAAAAAAAAAAH" I jumped atop my bed in panic. "R-RAT RAAAAAT".
"Rat? I'm no rat.." I heard I voice say. Confused I looked down to see a tiny person with pointy ears and green hair.
"Am I dreaming?" I said in disbelief. It looked like an elf or a harvest sprite, which I had always thought where imaginary.
Suddenly there was loud banging at my door, I jumped and ran to the window. I could see a figure that was dark, it looked almost inhuman the way it was shaped. Then it started kicking at the door. Looking around the harvest sprite was gone. Perhaps I imagined the whole thing out of being so tired but the banging on the door I knew wasn't my imagination. Someone was trying to break into my house.
"STAY AWAY" I screamed, but that only made the knocks worse.
I began to panic, what if it was a burglar who knew I'd be alone, or someone who knew they could make money off of ransom? Once I saw the door start to crack, quickly I armed myself with the closest thing, an iron skillet from an unpacked box. I started to shake and prepare for the worst scenario, I knew at any moment I'd have to face whoever it was. A final knock and the door cracked in half, the sight of an axe being the first thing to see as the man stepped into the house. The house was lit so I could finally see his face, it was a young guy with messy blond hair. He had a rugged look to him that made me even more worried.
"STAY AWAY" I screamed with my skillet held up. He was more shocked than anything, he dropped his axe and held his hands up.
"Whoa, look I heard you screaming, so I came here to help." That made me stop in my tracks.
"H-Help?, You call breaking into my house HELPING ME?!" shaken up, I thought my life was in danger.
"You have it all wrong! I thought you were in danger, I mean you're a little girl living alone, and what chance could you have against anyone! The way you were screaming too, it sounded like someone was about to murder you or you were badly hurt." He said seemingly annoyed about the scenario.
"The only thing that's hurt is my door and I can do just fine on my own!"
The man was beginning to look colder by the second "Look, I thought you were in danger and I knew you'd be alone, you don't have to treat me like I'm the enemy here. If anything you should be more thankful that I even came!" Being as upset as I was I grabbed one of my shoes and started hitting him with it. "Just get out just get out just get out!" I yelled feeling less and less safe the more we talked.
All I wanted was the home to myself so I could collect my thoughts, with him still here the stress was beginning to eat me up.
"I'm leaving okay?! The next time I hear you scream don't think I'll be there to help! You're on your own!" He said as he stormed out of the house.
Shaken up I started to pick up the fragments from the door and place them against the open entrance. I'd need all the luck in the world if I thought I'd get any sleep after this, whoever that man was managed to scare me more than anyone has in my lifetime. Taking a deep breath I blocked the rest of the entrance and headed to my room to pretend to sleep. I set my skillet beside my bed waiting for morning, so I could find out who the man was and put my worries to rest.
When morning finally came I didn't bother getting out of bed, I felt like I needed more rest after the first night in town. That whole day had left a bad taste in my mouth and I felt more insecure than ever. If it was my destiny to come here then was it my destiny to get scared out of my mind? What a place this has turned out to be. I looked at the door that was in shambles and sighed, knowing I'd have to get up and fix it sometime today if there was to be any privacy. Reluctantly getting up I tried to figure out a solution to it. It just comes down to one thing… new wood.
I started to take apart the temporary wall to the entrance to see the same guy from yesterday coming towards my house with a new door. It was somewhat of a relief to have my problem solved but at the same time it wasn't very thrilling to see this man again. He set down the door as soon as he got up the steps and looked at me.
"I'll be fixing your door, just go about your day"…
I was expecting an apology or something nicer for him to of said, it just caused more anger to rise up. "Excuse me?!"
"You know, just go about your day, I'll fix this okay?"
"How about a name or an apology?!" I said in disbelief.
He stayed silent as if the door was more interesting than what I had to say. "I'm Neil, and everyone in town knows your Cat." There was a large pause of silence, he seemed to be fixated on paying attention to just the door.
"….Well, that's lovely, glad that we got introductions out of the way huh?" I really didn't like this man, he was cold and didn't seem to care at all. "Well, I'll leave to stay out of your way, as long as you agree to stay out of my way from now on right?" I asked, hoping to avoid conflict.
Neil just nodded. "Yeah, whatever."
I let out a sigh and looked at him one last time before leaving, he didn't bother acknowledging me. It felt as if he was testing me with how he was acting but I knew I shouldn't stick around, we both seemed to be equally annoyed.
Since I now had to steer clear of the house I went to the market to get a bite to eat. Something sweet in my stomach would change the tune of the morning. It's how I got through my study cram sessions in the past and at the moment it felt like that all over again. Well, in a way I did have a lot to study, farming is a whole new concept. I knew I'd need to ask around for some advice on it, but at the moment my stomach needed to be filled. As soon as I got a sweet jelly roll I sat down at one of the outdoor tables. Having a jelly roll and taking in the mountains and colorful atmosphere really lightened things up. This town really was beautiful, it had such varied sights like its water falls, mines, and creeks. It was a mystery as to why the town wasn't filled with people or why there wasn't any tourists walking about.
"So strange" I said lost in thought.
"What's so strange?"
I turned to see a red headed man with glasses sitting at the other table. I smiled slightly, for once someone was around who felt like talking when I did.
"Well, just how deserted this place is, it's beautiful here. Practically a tourist attraction yet hardly anyone lives here."
"Hm.. I can agree there, it's not disgusting like the cities can be, and pretty peaceful which is the only way mornings should be." He replied.
"Well, I wouldn't know about peaceful." I said thinking about the way Neil showed up.
"Hm? It's always silent here, now you're just making me curious." He said with interest.
He then invited himself over and sat across from me as if confident I would have wanted him to anyway. Looking at him more clearly he was pretty handsome, the kind you'd see modeling on magazines or be on a t.v. show.
"Well, don't stop, you can't just leave me with that. You were just starting to be interesting." He said as he looked me over.
"Are you staring at me?" I asked, getting embarrassed.
"Please you were doing the same thing. I'm a stylist, I look over everyone." He said proudly.
"Oh I see, well since you didn't cringe I guess I'll take that as a compliment." "
Well, your hair could use some work, but your outfit suits you."
"I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted." I said a bit surprised.
"Be flattered, at least you have one thing going for you." He said with a smirk.
"Man you have quite the attitude. You remind me of the people I used to work with in the city." Remembering it made me smile a bit.
He seemed surprised at my reaction and leaned in slightly as if he was more curious. "Well, tell me about what happened. Why isn't it peaceful here?" He was one demanding guy, but his one track mind made me smile.
"Gee aren't you curious. Well.." I let out a sigh. "This man named Neil, last night he heard me scream and I thought I saw a rat… It was just my imagination though, I was tired and it was late. He uh, he started knocking down my door with an axe when he thought I was being attacked or something.. It just ended up scaring the crap out of me since I didn't even know who he was that night."
The red headed man seemed to be amused by this. "Neil broke down your door and scared you to death?! What a ladies man he is, eh?" He said smiling.
"Yeah, real smooth. He never even apologized and now I'm stuck wondering outside until he fixes my door. He wants me to stay away from him." I said slightly annoyed at the thought.
"I wouldn't take it personally. He's always liked being alone, so I wouldn't waste your breath on him." I was starting to get curious about this guy, how did he even know Neil?
"Do you live here in town too?" I asked curiously.
"No, I used to but I moved to get my name out. This towns lacking business and how could I let these skills go to waste?"
"Hmm.. That's a shame." I said a little disappointed.
"You crushing on me or something?" He said with a smirk.
That caught me off guard. "Wh.. What? Where would you get that from?! You're pretty full of it you know."
He seemed to enjoy my reaction. "It's common for me, you wouldn't be the first."
"No, you're just the first person that's talked to me like this. Dunhill came at a bad time and Neil well.. Neil just knows the wrong things to say." I said in defense.
"Mhmm, well I come here now and again to visit, my names Allen though I'm sure you've heard." He really was full of himself, but there was something about that I liked. Perhaps the familiarity of it.
"I'm Cat." I said simply.
"Well Cat, typically I hate talking in the morning but you're interesting enough for me." His attitude made me smile.
"Have we met before? The way you act is just so familiar to me… I know you're a stylist but.. Do you model?"
That took Allen by surprise and he let out a laugh. "No, don't get me wrong I'm flattered that you think I'm that handsome, but no. I'm flattered really."
Embarrassed he took it that way I shook my head. "N-No that's not what I mean at all, I mean yeah you're handsome but no I mean.. What I meant to say is you act just like some of my colleagues from work! I-I'm a photographer!" He paused for a second as if there was something on my face. "A-Allen?"
He shook his head as if to shake off a thought, "Hey don't get so embarrassed ok, I get what you were trying to say. I don't think I've worked with you before, I guess I just remind you of someone."
"… Yeah, I guess so." I looked up at Allen to see he had yet to touch his food.
"Well, I'll leave you to eat, it was nice talking to you. Hopefully I'll see you in town again," he nodded "You're more entertaining than anyone else around here so if you find me I'm here to talk." I gave him a friendly smile and then left to check up on Neil, Hoping that he finished the job so I could use my house again.
Walking up to the house I saw Neil sitting on the steps as if he was waiting for me to return, this confused me, I would of figured he'd of left after he finished. The door was clearly in place and it appeared as if he touched up my porch while I was away. He stood up as soon as he saw me coming as if getting ready to stand his ground as soon as we talked.
"Neil… why are you still here?"
This seemed to of surprised him. "Why am I still here? I fixed your door and you ask why I'm still here? What about a thank you, Huh?!"
Again his words started to heat me up. "Fine, thank you for fixing the door you broke."
He turned his head away and started to play with the hammer in his hand as if it was incredibly interesting. "Look, I'm still here because I know you're taking up farming and a farmer needs animals right?.."
"Right… I do need animals..." I said with a little dumbfounded.
He looked over to me and suddenly seemed to get angrier. "Hey, don't look at me like that okay! I'm not trying to be some creep, I'm still here because I sell animals and I needed to know if you need me to place an order for you or not."
Finding this out I let out a sigh. This was the man I'd have to do business with often. Not only that but he'd likely be the only one in town that could teach me how to properly care for animals. I'd probably have to beg him for his advice, and so long goes my dignity.
"… Yeah, thanks for sticking around today then, I think I would have had to track you down otherwise."
"There's no need for that, now tell me what you need me to get so I can leave." His attitude was beginning to leave me speechless. Stepping down from the porch he took out one of his pens and what seemed to be a list. "Well, tell me what you're going to have on the farm." "
Whoa there, I- I don't know yet, after all I just got here…" Feeling defeated I backed away, not sure what to say to sound more in control.
Neil looked disappointed now more than angry. "You moved here without a single idea of what you'd be doing? Some farmer you are."
With his words cornering me it looked like I'd have to admit it. I didn't know a single thing about farming, let alone farm animals..
"Well, I'm not a farmer… I'm a photographer."
This seemed to of set Neil off. "A photographer?! You have no experience on a farm yet you want animals!? No absolutely not, I'm not going to sell to a photographer!"
His words began to sting, he clearly didn't know my background and he wasn't going to give me a chance at all. Without a moment's thought he began to walk back to his house.
"Go back to the city! A little girl has no business here!" Just like that, he left without allowing me to explain a thing.
I knew it was possible for me to take care of any farm animals I'd have. Ever since I was a little girl animals had been drawn to me. I could tell in an instant if the animal was sick or needed attention, I could read their body language better than anyone I knew. It's a mystery as to why I could read them so well, typically it's a skill you'd have if you've been around animals your whole life. Though, I never had a single pet. My parents told me it was a gift. That I must be one of the harvest goddess's favorites and that's why I could take care of the strays so easily. I don't believe that, but I do believe that I have good observation skills, more so than the average person. Everyone has skills after all, mines just being able to pay attention to the little details. I knew I'd still need some advice and help on raising farm animals, but I knew they wouldn't be miserable in my care, I'd be watching them carefully. After all, they'd be a part of my everyday life, and anyone apart of my life deserves full attention. I knew my next goal would be to convince Neil I'd be a good caretaker, it was a question of how that was the real problem.
I figured Dunhill had the potential to help, he knew everyone in town after all, and I did owe him a visit after being rude to him the first day. Leaving the house I knew I was at a disadvantage, I had no idea whose house was whose and there was no telling if Dunhill would even be home. I stopped in my tracks thinking about it.. What if I accidently knocked on Neil's door?.. I just hoped I wouldn't run into another conflict with him, my chances of running the farm right were already shaky since I was already on his bad side. I knew I had to talk to Dunhill though, there was no way I could go about running the farm without having a clue.