Chapter 1

Claire:

"You sure it's enough room?" Jill asked as I hauled the last of our boxes into our new home. "I'm not sure everything will fit."

"If worst comes to worse I'll just put the stuff that doesn't fit in the shed out back."

"Alright..."

Jill watched me as I picked up another box. I tried to make it look like I wasn't in pain but she could easily see pass my facade.

"I wish you'd let me help you Claire," she said worried. "Your back is going to go out."

"I'm fine Jill...Just fine..."

Suddenly a loud cracked stopped me in my tracks. Jill leaped up from the chair and grabbed me before I fell. Sadly the box I was holding didn't share the same fate.

"See...I told you..."

I sighed and Jill guided me over to the couch. "Let me see your back." She lifted up my shirt and slowly began to trace her fingers in the middle area."

"Ow!"

"Sorry...Didn't mean to hurt you, but at least I found the spot."

Jill ran over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of ice. She came back to me and I tried pushing her away. "I don't need it...I'm fine..."

I gpt up to prove that to her but my muscles tightened when I stood up straight. I fell back to the chair, clutching the ends of it to endure the pain.

"Don't worry Claire. I'll be careful."

Just by looking at the ice I could already feel them. I hated the cold feelings they gave me. Jill however gave me a reassuring look. "Fine...Do it..."

She placed the ice on my back. Like I thought it was freezing and it felt like small needles were piercing the sore spot. I bit down on my lower lip, hoping that it would help my mind forget about some of the pain that my body was feeling. It didn't.

"Just relax," she said calmly.

"Easy for you to say. You don't have ice on your back."

Jill just smiled. "It'll go away soon."

After about thirty minutes Jill took the ice off of me. My back was numb but the pain had subsided a great deal. "Thanks," I said wearily. "It feels a little better."

"Good."

"Now I can get back to work."

"Don't even think about it!" she shouted. "Your back needs a rest. You can do the rest tomorrow !"

"But..."

"No buts Claire! Just rest!"

I never understood how a farm was the best idea for our new lives. Jill had always loved animals and I always loved working. Farming seemed to coexist with both of our interests even though it should've been the furthest thing from my mind.

We had found a nice place to farm. It was called Mineral Town. It was much smaller from the city but, from the few people I met, it was much nicer.

"I'm glad we came her," Jill said as she began cooking our dinner. "Farming will do us well."

"Mom thinks were crazy for doing this. That woman will never let us live it down."

"But it's so nice here. I bet we could make a lot of friends in Mineral Town. Both people and animals."

"Speaking of which, if my back pain ever subsides..."

"It's only been a couple of hours Claire."

"But still, if it ever does, I was thinking about getting our first animal."

Jill turned to me surprised "That soon?"

"Yeah. We should get one right away and prove to mom that the decision we made was right."

In the corner of my eye I saw Jill tremble. She knew that our mom would never acknowledge our choice.

"We only have a year Claire...If we don't meet her standards..." It sounded like Jill was about to cry.

Despite the lingering pain and I stood up and hugged Jill tightly. "Don't worry Jill...I'll make sure we make this farm great...You just focus on getting better..."

She smiled, her brown eyes showing that same hope that had kept her going since she got her sickness. "Thanks Claire...I will..."

Our money was low because of all the moving. I frantically paced back and forth, thinking about what we should be spending the little extra money that we had left.

"How about a cow?"

"Can't afford it..."

"A sheep?"

"Same problem."

"Maybe this really was a mistake."

"Don't say that!" I yelled furiously. Jill eyes widened. "I refuse to let that woman be right! She'll just boast about how we screwed up and about how we could never get our lives put together!"

"I thought you two weren't talking to each other any more."

I crossed my hands. "We aren't. I just know how that woman is."

Jill sighed. "And here I thought you would have forgiver her..."

"How can I? How could you?"

"She's our mother Claire. Not our dictator."

"She seems more like a dictator to me."

"No she doesn't..."

Jill's calmness towards our mom irritated me. She made Jill's life a misery and yet she could talk about her so calmly.

"Look I'm going to go out for a bit..."

"Why?"

"Because if there's one thing we need to start out with is tools. Luckily I budgeted right so I should be able to get something."

"Can I come with you Claire?"

"No! You need to rest. You still looked tired."

"But..."

"I'll be back later." I quickly turned away from Jill, not wanting to see her sad face. I couldn't handle it.

"...Darn it...Where am I..." I looked around town and realized that I had absolutely no idea were I was.

Mineral Town was small but I couldn't navigate thought it "Crap...I can't believe I'm lost...Jill will never let me live this down."

To my luck however, I found the mayor's house. He had helped Jill and I find the farm. He was a friendly but a little bit strange when he first met him. But he could no doubt help me fine my way.

"Mayor Thomas are you there?" No one answered. I knocked again. "It's me Claire...I need help." Still no answer.

"Shoot...I guess I'll have to try somewhere else..."

I walked through Mineral Town and knocked on other people's houses but got no reply. Eventually I came by the town square and it was even deader then the rest of the town.

"Where is everyone...?"

I began to feel nervous. "Did Jill and I come into a ghost town...?"

"Shoot! What am I going to do!?"

"Will you shut up!?"

I jumped and turned around to see a body laying down on the bench. His eyes were closed but he was anything then asleep.

"E-excuse me?"

"Didn't hear what I said? Be quiet!" he yelled, not even looking up to me.

Rage engulfed me and I was just about to walk over there and beat him to a pulp. But then I remembered Jill's words to me. 'Don't get angry Claire...Just remember to stay calm no matter what'.

I took a deep breath and repeated those words to myself multiple times. Though the guy was an ass, he was defiantly a resident of Mineral Town and could help me out.

I approached him and gently asked "Could you please help me out? I'm lost and can't find my way."

He tipped his hat up and showed a gentle color of light brown eyes. "What?"

"C-could you please help me?" I repeated. "I'm lost."

"Can't you read the sign? Look at the map?"

He pointed over to a large build board with the map of Mineral Town. I blushed at my stupidity.

"I can see that there's a map," I said, hoping that he would see how I didn't notice it. "I-I just want to know why there are no people."

He glanced back up to me. It felt like he was studying me for a moment. "Don't you know what day it is?" he asked. I shook my head and he put his hat back over his eyes. "It the New Years Day Festival. Everyone's at Hill Mountain right now."

"W-what...? But Mayor Thomas never said that we had an upcoming festival."

"That old mad forgets everything. You're lucky if he doesn't forget you."

I felt defeated and embarrassed. Mom's harsh words soon came back to me and felt as stupid then ever.

"Are you new or something?" he asked, getting me out of my negative thinking.

"Yes..."

His bored expression turned to curiosity and he sat up. "So you're the new farmer that the old man was talking about.?" He looked me up and down. "Not much of a farmer, are you?"

"W-what's that suppose to mean?"

"I mean that you're kind of on the short side and a bit pudgy. Not the look of a farmer in my opinion." He grinned at his litter remark.

"Well I didn't ask for you're opinion!"

"There's no need to shout. I was just saying it how it is."

Rage came back to me all at once. "That's no way to treat a new neighbor."

"You're no neighbor to me. You're just another girl from the big city." He smiled "A big on at that."

My cheeks inflamed. "Screw you!" I said.

He just kept that big dumb smile. "At least you got some personality. That'll make up for you're looks."

It took all my inner strength to keep myself from hitting him. "What's your name anyway?"

"Claire!" I yelled, not understanding why I answered him.

"And my names Gray. Welcome to the boonies Claire ."

His smug little look and voice made me was to kill him. I just walked away from him, still trying to keep my anger in check.

"Bye Claire," he said in another dull voice.

I just ignored him and went back home.