A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't written anything for this in years (literally)!
I hope you'll give me another chance after some newfound inspiration to write! Please review to let me know what you think, and any improvements in my writing; I appreciate all feedback.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of the characters
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My head throbs as I push myself off the floor. What happened last night? I wonder. My limbs feel like jelly, and my mouth doesn't seem to be able to match the speed of my thoughts.
Knowing I'm not going to be getting up any time soon, I look around me to establish my environment. It looks almost like home, except a lot smaller. A wooden bed with a blue quilt is stationed in the far corner, and a small wooden kitchen is built into the other corner. Everything in this room is wooden, but to my absolute horror, there is no fridge. There is no food in sight, and I am absolutely starving.
I squirm harder and manage to gain control of the muscles in my arms. I drag myself over to look through the cabinets in the kitchen for anything to eat, though in my rush I don't hear the door open.
"Hello there young un'" a gravelly voice echoes. I scream in surprise. An old man wearing a shirt and overalls with a very defined white moustache looks at me with surprise and pity as he makes his way over to my current position.
"That's quite a voice you've got there" he exclaims wearily; hobbling to my side. I flinch as he gets down on his knees beside me, though he doesn't try to touch me. He looks into the cupboards for a minute and sighs.
I'm about to ask for an explanation before he exclaims wearily "Just like the other houses in the village." What is he talking about? Where are we? He seems to sense my confusion and pulls himself to his feet; offering me a hand in return. He somehow reminds me of gramps when he taught me how to help grandma out around their old dilapidated shack. He'd kill me if he knew I thought that of his paradise, but I can't help but smile at the memory of his scoldings when I ran around to get as far as I could from our little town, or hiding out with Celia at Aunt Vesta's farm.
"Little Miss, my name's Taro. The ship we were sailing on hit a storm, and we washed up on a little group of islands. Ahhh, my daughter Felicity and her children Elliot and Natalie are currently looking around the islands as we speak, though we thought we'd bring you here since you were unconscious. We couldn't just leave you out in the rain after all." He smiled pityingly.
My head is spinning. I was at Griffin's bar waiting for Gray; why was I on a ship in the first place? How did I even get there?
These questions weigh down on my thoughts as grasp his hand and stumble to my feet. He steadies me and takes me over to the bed.
"How did I get here? Where am I?" the words mumble out as I sink into the blankets. Taro glances at me with furrowed brows.
"I don't know, but I promise you little Miss-"
"Chelsea" I break him off tiredly. My eyelids are already drifting closed.
"Chelsea then. I promise you that no matter what happens, my family and I will look after you. Just rest up and save your energy; you're going to need it." His last words echo as I relax and let loose the seams of consciousness; revelling in the warmth of the quilt tucked around me.
What kind of nightmare is this?
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I woke the next morning to the auburn rays of sunlight on my face. It was so warm and peaceful that I forgot where I was. I also forgot how hungry I was.
Not a moment later, Taro had let himself into this tiny, homely lodge.
"Mornin' Chelsea! Time to get started." He smiled as he fumbled with some odds and ends.
Dragging myself out of the warm bed, I noted the stiffness of my clothes and grunted at the soreness of my limbs. I no longer felt dizzy, but I could feel the ache of something painful. Taro threw something purple and blue at my feet and I stared at him questioningly. Grass?
"Don't you start grimacing at me little lady! Eat it; it's your breakfast" he proudly declared. Is he crazy? My stomach growls defiantly at me, so I just stuff it down my throat without questioning the validity of the old man's judgement. It tastes like some sort of flavored bread much to my stomach's relief.
Taro grunts his satisfaction at my obedience, and continues to explain our current predicament.
"Well, we're on the Island of Happiness, believe it or not" he glanced thoughtfully at me. "The island used to be a thriving colony but was abandoned a couple decades ago because of the violent storms which used to frequent the area. The biggest feature of these islands, is that there is one; the one we are currently on, which has the potential to become a massive farm. In one of the abandoned houses my grandchildren found a working telephone, so I've already made some calls to people who owe me favours, and they'll be moving here and opening business in the next couple of days, but I'd like to make you an offer. My family will be starting a shipping company to sell the produce of this farm, but first, of course, we need a farmer. Would you like to be that person?"
A farmer; my dream… This thought sends a painful ache through my brain as I try to recall the meaning behind those words. Where have I heard them before?
"Hmph" Taro grunts to forward my attention to his proposal. "My family will bring you breakfast every morning, and we'll even help out and show you the ropes. I used to be a farmer in the good ol' days, and it looks like you have your own strength to rely on to. Not just any girl would drag herself across the floor to search for food, or wake up the day after a ship wreck and feel brand new." He smiles enthusiastically. I smirked at his words, but I can't help but feel that I'm forgetting something important. On the other hand, this is exactly what I want from my life...To put my own hard work into building up a farm over the rest of my life...To raise cute animals and to see the fruit of my labour...To have my own freedom.
"I'll do it. I'll be your new farmer."
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I can't find her anywhere. The last time I saw her, she was being smuggled through the back door of Griffin's club by a tall guy with silver hair and black clothes. All because I'd had to avoid Saibara on my way down there damn it. That hold up had presented the hole in her defence. How was I supposed to protect her then? My only friend.
"Gray! Have you seen Chelsea anywhere?" Claire calls out to me as I rush back from the port.
"Sorry Miss, no sign of her. I'm so sorry for what happened last night." I bow my head in shame. It was all because we snuck out to the club; if at least her parents had known, she would've had a chance.
She locked her blue eyes on my own. "Gray, it's not your fault. We will find her." The confidence in her voice gave me hope.
I'd already checked all of our hang-outs around town, but there was no sign of her anywhere, and no one had seen her since last night. At the port I'd confirmed that two ships had left in the time since her kidnapping; one to Greenvale in the morning carrying all the shipments from Claire's farm and the party goers from the club last night, and the other at 2am; heading for the port off the towns of Bluebell and Konohana. A radio report from the captain sailing for Greenvale said there was no one with Chelsea's or her kidnapper's description on board, but there was no response from the ship sailing for the two-town port. It was meant to be a passenger ship which took three days to traverse from one port to the next, but there was no sign of it anywhere.
I knew where I was going within the week. Saibara had given me money to help me in my search; as a move to apologize for his actions last night as he had caught wind of our plans, and had not acted on them. Claire had told me to wait for her husband, Cliff, to come home, but I'd already made up my mind.
I'm going to find her, and I'm going to bring her home.
Hold on Chels, I'm comin' for you.