I unfortunately will probably not be as quick uploading this as I had been since I had to dump 26 pages of text after I got stuck and redirect a plot point. If this story gets an sort of following over five readers I might release the alternative text since I just couldn't outright delete it. If you like this story or absolutely despise it with every fiber of your being, leave a comment and let me know. Also beware of slight sexy times in this chapter but this story went into M rated territory long before this.

Chapter 4

Tuesday 16th of Summer

Yin stared at the ceiling from the floor of her small living room. She could hear the violent storm spattering against her window pane and the ceasless rolling rumble of thunder punctuated by louder cracks. She wouldn't have to water her plants today but the reduction of work gave her no comfort. She tried to move and felt her back ripple and spasm in protest. She waited for the pain to subside before trying again, this time more slowly.

She made it to her bed and flopped down on the covers. In her head, she knew she should be going out to fish or forage or something productive but she couldn't summon the will. What did it matter if they were just gonna keep moving the bar on her? As awful as that news made her feel, there was something else bothering her as well. The part about new ventures wouldn't have fit her spending style in Zuzu and it just seemed unlikely that the algorythm would have put that in there. It felt too personal. She mulled over the inconsistency before the conclusion slowly dawned on her. Her father was medding in this, she was sure.

It sounded like a paranoid delusion, even within the confines of her mind but the more she considered it the more it made sense. He wasn't a high ranking executive, yet, but he did travel in those circles. He did have access to those kind of records as an auditor and finance overseer. She also had found it suspicious that he made no attempt to capture her after she got that stupid card. He didn't need to track her as long as he was tracking the card's use. It wasn't the first time she considered that the offer she recieved to work in the call center was directed by her father, as well. It was another means of keeping her within reach and all he had to do was wait for her to lead him to what he wanted. She had been a fool all this time and now he was using his influence with the higher-ups to put the screws to her. It seemed hopeless, especially in light of the fact that her will would only protect the farm if she died.

Despair was sinking into her chest like an anvil in water. She fought the burning and prickling sensation in her eyes as she stood up and slowly walked to her closet. Buried underneath some old shirts, and other junk, was a cherry wood box wrapped in burlap which she removed with trembling hands. She opened it for the first time after returning from her trip to Zuzu. It was Stetson's gift to her and she didn't need to open it then to know what it was.

If she had been smart, she would have just chucked it in the garbage unopened. But the voice that she had fought in her head back at the bus station had convinced her not to. She told herself then that she would wait until her next trip to Zuzu and sell it. She had amused herself with the look on Lewis's face if she tried chucking it into her sale bin. Would he even have any idea what it was?

She opened the box, gasping at the six vials and reusable syringe within. The liquid in the vials was a deep royal blue with silver flecks swirling within, capturing the light and sparkling as they moved. This was certainly not the cheap baby blue street variety she was familar with. This was pure, uncut Nova. Her first experience with anything close to pure Nova had landed her in the intensive care ward but, despite the danger, she picked up the syringe and drew up a small amout of the blue liquid. It was an eighth of the amount she'd normally take but she'd learned not underestimate the strength of Nova in it's pure form.

Before her better angels could talk her out of it, she tied a strip of old shirt around her arm. She tapped the air out of the syringe before bracing herself and injecting it into the now bulging vein of her arm. Pulling the empty needle out, she wrapped it in paper before putting it back in the case, resolving to clean it later. She had just enough time to stuff the box back underneath the junk in her closet, make her touniquet into a bandage, and get back to bed before the first ripples of pleasure tingled along every nerve of her body.

She no longer felt the damp chill of the rain outside, her body temperature rising as a light sheen of sweat marred her brow. Pleasure contiued to roll through her body in delicious waves and she struggled to remove her now painfully confining clothing. Her hands moved up and down her own body, following the rippling pleasure as her muscles rythmically spasmed.

She let her hand drift lower down her abdomen before dipping into the moisture gathering between her legs. She stroked herself slowly, lazily, letting the pleasure build before coasting back down. With each session of stroking she let her self climb just a bit higher before she stopped, waiting for the building sensation to ease back down. Soon enough, her stroking wasn't enough and her fingers slid inside herself, probing and stretching before finding that bundle of nerves inside that would drive her into ecstasy.

Sweat was beading up on her abdomen as she stroked and strained, her long raven hair plastered to her sweat-soaked skin. She had no desire or control to slow down and she lifted her hips off the bed trying to get her fingers to go deeper inside. Faster and faster she pumped, feeling the pleasure building higher until her legs shook and gave out from under her. A loud moan falling from her lips temporarily drowned out the sound of the pounding rain on her window. She shuddered through the after shocks of her climax, feeling content for the first time in a long time.

As the euphoria ebbed away, her focus and will returned with overwhelming force. She had so much she needed to do today and first order of business was a shower. She didn't technically own a shower, but as she looked outside at the pouring down rain, she realized nature had provided one for her for atleast today. And the oracle on tv had said today was unlucky, what a crock.

She grabbed a bar of soap and hung her towel next to the door. She stepped outside with nothing but a manic smile gracing her face.

Harvey frowned as he listened to the rain on his window. He was still trying to figure out how to get Yin to agree to a physical. He considered writing her a letter, since he was usually more ellequent and persuasive in writing but he decided against it. The tone in his last letter to her was less than friendly and he didn't want her to dread every letter he sent her. He decided to see her in person, despite the pouring rain. She seemed to respond better to personal interaction as long as it was one-on-one as evident with her friendship with Robin.

He'd walked passed the bus stop and just rounded the last fence post when he saw Yin. She wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing other than a strip of cloth around her arm and he could hear her singing. He debated on leaving and coming back later but something, other than the obvious, wasn't right with her. Even from here, she looked more pale than was normal for her. This rain was frigid and she was going to get hypothermia if she stayed out here like that for too long. The paleness of her skin was an early symptom of it.

"Yin! What are you doing out here? You're going to catch a death of cold if you don't warm up soon." She looked up at him and smiled before she finished lathering her ample chest with her soap and spreading her arms wide to let the cold rain rinse her. Her nipples stood out prominantly as evidence of the cold but he turned his attention back to her eyes. Her eyes were dialated much more than they should be given the diffuse lighting. She looked almost manic as a particularly close strike of lightening made him jump. That was another danger he was worried about.

"Come inside with me, Yin. You need to get warmed up and I don't think you'd like it very much if you got struck by lightening.", he said gently leading her by the arm. "I guess that would be rather shocking, wouldn't it.", she giggled but thankfully didn't resist as he guided her back to her farm house.

She grabbed a towel hanging near the door and proceeded to her bed room to change. Harvey claimed the chair next to the desk to wait for her. He sighed and put his head in his hands. He was greatly concerned for Yin. None of this fit into what he knew about her. She had been self consious about the black bikini she wore to the luau, so being outside naked seemed way out of character for her.

Yin stepped out of her room in a short sleeved t-shirt and skinny jeans. She was careful to tie a fresh strip of cloth to her arm not wanting to reveal the puncture wound and blossoming bruise and face uncomfortable questions. She felt refreshed from her shower but she hadn't expected company. She knew she should be embarassed about being seen but she was much more comfortable in her skin on Nova. His sudden arrival was unexpected but not wholly unwanted. She studied him from the doorway of her bed room. He wasn't without his charms and the gentle concern she felt from him was touching. She needed to assure him that she was okay, better than okay.

"I wasn't expecting company today. I'm sorry you had to see that but I havent been able to have a decent shower in months. I do have a tub I fill from the pump out back for bathing but I miss just taking a good shower sometimes. Today was just too perfect to miss." She shot a winning smile his way and the tension in his shoulders seemed to ease. "So what brings you out in this kind of weather?", she inquired, trying to break the akward silence that had fallen between them.

"Well I was reviewing your chart the other day and noticed it's been quite a while since your last check up. I have some concerns about your health and I'm willing to forego the office charge. I'm worried about you Yin."

"I know you've been concerned about me but I'm doing better. Haven't had a panic attack since that day in your office. I think I just needed time to adjust to being in a new place like you said." She shrugged her shoulders and looked away. She didn't like lying to him but it was easier than confessing the truth. Even through the haze of her high she was dissapointed in herself but it wasn't something she wanted to deal with at the moment.

"Yin, please. I may not know you super well but even I can tell something is not ok with you. Look, will you agree to a physical? I promise I won't force you to answer anything you don't feel comfortable with sharing but I do want to help." He tried to look her directly in the eye, silently pleading with her. She broke eye contact and sighed seemingly resigned. "I guess you won't be persuaded that I'm ok unless I agree. I'm holding you to your promise not to pry, though. I'll contact the office and make an appointment for next week."

"I meant right now, Yin. I have my bag with me and figured it would be easier on you at home than going into town."

"Now?" Yin squeaked, backing away from him. "I need some time to prepare myself for it."

"There's nothing to prepare for. You're freshly showered and it's not like a test you have to study for. Just sit down in this chair and we'll start simple, okay?"

She wanted to say no, but she couldn't come up with a plausible excuse. She sat down on her office chair and watched with trepidation as he dug though his medical bag and placed the tools he wanted on the desk. Without warning, he grabbed her left wrist and she jump. He apologized but didn't let go and she tried to calm her racing heart as he took her pulse. He made a notation on the clipboard he brought with him and set it back on the desk. He made a show of moving more slowly this time before putting his hand on the side of her face and directing her gaze to his own. He was reaching for something on the table but she didn't get a chance to look as her skin tingled at the contact of his cool palm. She squinted at the harsh bright light that entered her eyes.

"Your pulse is good although a little fast, but your pupils are sluggish in response to light which is unusual in someone your age. You also feel much warmer than you should be. Let me take your temperature." She didn't respond since it sounded more like an order than a request. He brushed her hair to the side and stuck the device in her ear. It beeped after a few moments and he wrote down the result on the clipboard.

"38 degrees celsuis, that's a bit higher than I'd like to see. I think you are comming down with something, maybe a virus." He put both hands on her cheeks before sliding downward pressing just underneath her jaw. She shiverd at the physical contact and felt a blush creeping on to her face. His hands were blissfully cool and strangly supple. This exam was going to kill her if he kept touching her like that.

"Okay Yin. I'm going to listen to your heart and lungs now. I can hear what's going on better with the stethescope directly on the skin but if that's too uncomfortable, I'll do my best to hear over your shirt. Which one would be the most comfortable for you?" She knew what she should have answered, but before her mind could put on the emergency brake she told him under was fine. Was she trying to die from embarassment? A playful voice in her head reminded her that having more of his touch on her body was exactly what she wanted. The more cynical part of her mind reminded her that this was just a check-up, not a feel up, and she was only going to be frustrated by the end of all this.

She fought her blush as his hand traveled up her back. His direction to breath in and out kept her distracted enough to avoid being more embarassed. She fought the gasp that threatened to escape her suddely dry lips as he reached up her shirt and rested his stethescope against her chest just above her left breast. He didn't speak, focusing intently on her heart beat. She hoped he didn't notice how hard her nipples had gotten. He removed his hand and went back to his clipboard to make notes. She could see the light pink flush across his cheeks and was glad she wasn't the only one suffering. She'd been so focused on calming her own reactions that she didn't see him pick up the blood pressure cuff. She felt him grab her left arm and she pulled it back in fear. She offered her right arm instead and he gave her a suspisious gaze but said nothing as he changed his position to use the offered arm.

"Why didn't you want me to use your left arm, Yin? Can I look underneath the bandage?"

"It's not a bandage, just a fashion accessory. It's the new style in Zuzu and I thought it looked good." She could tell he wasn't buying it but seemed to let it drop as he took her blood pressure. "138/99, that's not the worst I've seen but it's too high for comfort." He seemed to be considering something and she squirmed in her seat. He looked back up and she could see the gears turning in his head.

"Yin, I did my residency at Zuzu city medical. I've seen these symptoms before. I know your on Nova right now. When did you start using again?"

She hid her head in her hands trying to fight off the tears. She didn't want him to know! "I don't want to talk about it. Please, just let this go. You promised you wouldn't push me to answer anything that was too painful."

"I suppose you're right. I just wish you'd come to me if you were struggling." Yin sniffled, and felt his arms wrap around her. She just wished she could start this day all over again. That's when she remembered the seventh of summer. She smiled into Harvey's jacket and her tears ceased. She pulled back and cupped his face in her hands feeling the corners of his mustash tickle the edge of her thumb. If this day was a wash that would be forgotton then she'd see how far she could go before resetting. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his but after a moment of surprise he pushed her back.

"I care about you Yin, but I would never take advantage of someone under the influence." "I understand.", she said and a manic smile crept back onto her face. She pulled away from him and dashed off to her room. Seachering her sock drawer she found grandpa's special gift and loaded a bullet into the chamber. She heard the door open behind her as she clicked the rest of the clip into place. She turn toward him a watery smile marring her face and she put the gun to her temple. His rejection, how ever noble, had hurt. It did make this part easier, though.

"YIN! Don't, please? Put the gun down and we can talk about this okay." She watched impassionately as he pleaded with her. She felt a hollow feeling engulf her and her tears stopped. He didn't need to remember this day. He didn't need to know how big of a fuck up she was. This as much for him as it was for her. She spotted him trying to edge closer to her as if he was being stealthy.

"It will be okay Harvey. It's better this way." She pulled the trigger just as he tried to dive towards her. . "YIN! Noooooo!", was the last thing she heard before darkness claimed her and she woke up on the floor of her living room again.

Tuesday 16th of Summer II

Harvey woke with a start, his cheeks damp from tears and a terrible sadness and horror filling his chest. He struggled to remember his dream but the harder he tried the more blanks he drew. Whatever his dream had been, it had left him shaking and pale. He tried to focus on making breakfast but he felt sick as he spread the strawberry jam on his toast and dashed to the bathroom. He skipped breakfast that morning and felt too drained later on in the day to go out. He decided to write a letter to Yin and hoped she'd comply with his request. If he'd felt better he might have gone in person, but he just didn't have the energy and didn't want to risk making himself more ill by being in the cold rain.

Yin got up, ignoring the pain in her back and legs as she stood. She went to her desk and looked over the letter and statement that had started this whole mess. She decided the best way around their fuckery would be to pay the whole thing off in a big lump sum. For now, she'd save and just pay the interest until she had saved the entire amount.

She forced herself not to think about what had originally happened today for now. Instead she went outside and picked her blueberry bushes and tomatos then packed her fishing gear. She used a totem to get to the beach and a totem to get home. Fishing at the far peir meant she didn't have to interact with anyone and it gave her time to be with her thoughts while still being productive.

She couldn't just kill herself everytime things didn't go her way. Her grandfather had warned her that too many deaths were not a good thing but he didn't give her specifics. She would have to get that book out when it wasn't raining. Now that the area was clear of the debris it shouldn't be a problem.

Her feelings about Harvey were a jumbled mess. She was attracted to him as much as she had been trying to deny it to herself. She knew she was still dealing with too much baggage to consider dating right now, but her hormones haven't gotten the memo, apparently.

Her biggest mistake, however, had been going back to Nova like she had. Her system had been cleansed of it for the past two seasons and, as result, she had no resistance to the emotional rollercoaster it could put her on. Hard-lining it like she had back in Zuzu when she'd been in detox for so long was just asking for a bumpy ride. If she intended to use again she couldn't just do it on a whim or to medicate her emotions. If she had to use at all she had to use it for the right reason. She originally used it only to ensure high productivity at her work.

She wanted to quit, but as things stood now, she knew she wouldn't be able to. She couldn't afford to rest until she got out from under Joja's thumb. She planned out the rest of her week as she reeled in a rather nice sized tuna. Harvey wouldn't remember what happened on the first iteration of today but he would still be trying to get that physical. She had her suspicions that he was on to her file forgery and was digging for more information from her.

If she was honest, then she kinda resented how nosy he was getting. She'd made it more than clear that she wanted to leave the past behind her. She wondered why he seemed so obsessed when they'd only interacted a handful of times. Perhaps he felt a similar attraction as she did to him. It would explain his desire to dig into her life. Of course, he was also the sort that always wanted to help. As much as she wanted to believe there might be some attraction influencing his behavour, she couldn't discount the possibility that he just saw a damsel in distress.

There was little point in analysing it, much less pursuing it. Regardless of his reasons, he wouldn't be dissuaded from his quest easily. It was 8pm when she packed up her rod, reloaded her crabpots with bait, and dug through her bag to warp home. She wasn't harrassed by the monsters too much on the way to the front door. She did notice, however, that the few she did have to dispatch were stronger and more varieties seemed to be lingering in the shadows. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility that each time she died, the monsters somehow grew stronger.

Saturday 20th of Summer

Yin had finally made it passed the dark section of the mine. She was lucky enough to find a glow ring, which was a Yoba blessing. She had been almost ready to quit entirely due to the utter frustration of making it so far down, only to run out of torches. She slashed a blue slime with her new sword. She tended to favor a sword over the other weapon types because it had a good balance between reach and weight.

She assesed her supplies and decided to call it a day. She'd made a pretty good haul of iron ore and gemstones. She'd even managed to find the tail bone of a sloth creature which would complete the set she'd given to Gunther. Climbing her way up the rickety ladder, she spotted Linus resting just inside the mouth of the cave. Considering the downright oppressive heatwave the valley was experiencing, she didn't blame him for hunkering down here to cool off. She made no sound as she made her way to the exit to avoid waking him.

It was only 6pm when she returned to her farm. She wished she could go to Gus's and just relax with a pint but she couldn't justify the expense. She'd been trying to tighten her proverbial belt and drinking was one of the many luxuries she'd cut way back on. She hadn't seen hide nor hair from Robin and she was a little sad at that. Yin didn't blame the woman, she hadn't been a very good friend to her. She just couldn't invest the time friendships require. There were too many things at stake for her to squander on friendships at the moment.

She had been right in her prediction about Harvey. She'd received a letter from him on Thursday, asking her to come in for a physical sometime next week. His tone was much more friendly than it had been in his previous letter. She was still debating whether she could find a valid excuse to delay it but nothing came to mind that he'd buy. She could just outright refuse, but she knew he'd just try digging in other places. He might very well start contacting old collegues from his residency days and if he did that, then it wouldn't be long before he figured out exactly how much was missing from her file. It was perfectly reasonable to assume he was aware of her files discrepancies but seeing an empty safe and knowing what was missing were two very different things.

She sat down at her desk and tried to pen a reply but three scribbled out drafts later she gave it up as a bad job. She'd stop in on Tuesday and schedule an appointment through Maru. If she waited until Harvey took his afternoon stroll then she wouldn't have to deal with him until the physical which would buy her some time while still looking co-operative.

She crumpled the fail letters and tossed them in the trash before opening grandpa's journal. This was another area that was giving her more trouble than she had originally hoped. Was it too much to ask for plain modern text? When she'd first brought it back to her cabin she had foolishly assumed that it wouldn't be too hard to find the information she needed. She was sorely disappointed when she opened it to find nothing but indecipherable symbols and a few diagrams of some of the beasts she'd encountered.

The last section of the book has entries in her grandfather's handwriting but they too were in the same indecipherable symbol script that the book itself was authored in. The only english in the book was a short paragraph in the begining. My voice speaks as the spirits of life, the children of the earth, and the fallen stars. My script precedes them but my truth transcends them. Four tomes of the fallen star tribe, a gold circle of the forest forebearers, solidified despair sparkling with the blood of the betrayed lead the cursed one to my truth.

She sighed, dejectedly slamming the book shut and resisting the urge to hurl it across the room in frustration. The book was useless, unless she wanted to waste weeks or months of time on a scavenger hunt across the valley. She was able to guess a few things. Spirits of life had to refer to the Junimo. She had met them in the community center when Lewis showed it to her. She remebered them from some of the bedtime stories grandfather had told her. She still had a letter on her desk from the wizard asking her to come to his tower but she had steadfastly ignored it. Something about the wizard made the hair on her neck stand on end. She also remembered that he had been less than helpful in her initial inquiries about the farm.

The children of earth was so irritatingly vague that it wouldn't be out of place in a daily newspaper horoscope.

The fallen stars also elluded her for now. She decided to put the book back on her bookshelf and head to bed. She had a feeling that book would be another headache she couldn't afford to get into until the farm was safe.

Tuesday 23rd of Summer

Yin stepped out of the clinic and walked briskly up the northern path. She'd scheduled her check-up for Thursday. Maru was a nice girl, if a bit quiet around her. The girl had mentioned that her mother was doing well but seemed a little sad. Yin felt a sharp stab of guilt in her stomach but tried her best to ignore it. She thanked Maru politely, and exited the clinic, intending to head back to her farm.

Her course was altered when she noticed Harvey walking back toward the clinic down the western stairs. Moving quickly but not quite running she ducked out of sight beside the eastern wall of Pierre's. As he decended into the town square, she took the eastern stairs up heading to Robin's instead, praying he hadn't spotted her. Her luck held out as she passed the fenced off woods, and up the narrow trail, the quaint wooden cottage getting larger into view.

She slowed down as she felt a cramp squeeze her right calf in protest. She hated having to avoid Harvey like this, but she didn't want to deal with the malestrom of emotions he seemed to evoke. She didn't quite know how she was going to deal with her upcomming physical but atleast that visit would have more direction and purpose to it. She was also afraid that too much contact with him might trigger him to remember that day. Without the journal, she couldn't be sure if people could remember the lost days under the wrong circumstance. Her reading into the occult suggested that strong enough emotion could resist the affects of some memory and time magic. She didn't know whether it applied since she hadn't cast the original curse on her farm, she was just a subject of it. In any event, she was doing her best to tread causiously.

"Hey Yin!" Robin called from the door of her cabin. "Are you taking another trip to Zuzu?" Yin fought her cringe. If she was honest, she had been fully intending to walk right by Robin's house and take the western path back to her farm. But she couldn't deny the warm feeling in her chest as Robin smiled at her. She hadn't seen her smile like that since the luau. Yin realized, in that moment, what a terrible person she had been for ignoring her.

"Hi Robin. I'm actually here to visit you." she lied. "I had some free time and thought we could hang out and chat for a little bit. I've been so busy lately and I realized I haven't seen you much since the luau." Watching Robin's smile grow even more made the guilt twisting in her gut clench painfully.

"Come on in. Do you want coffee or iced tea?" Yin spent a pleasent afternoon drinking iced tea and just enjoying listening to Robin as she talked about her family, the drama of the arobics club she'd joined, and life in general. Yin offered some minor gossip she'd heard and rather viscious sarcasm aimed at Haley when she learned what she had done to Sebastion two summer's ago.

Robin didn't make her feel uneasy or selfconsious like she did around everyone else. She could carry a conversation and would inquire about things but she didn't pressure her to talk. She seemed to have an instinct when it came to side-stepping sensitive topics and Yin found herself being more open with Robin about things that she was with anyone else. She hadn't bared her soul or anything like that, but Robin had earned herself some level of trust with her, precisely because she would never demand such a thing from her.

There was a lull in the conversation but the silence between them didn't feel awkward or frought with tension. "Robin? What can you tell me about Harvey. Is he always sooo..."

"Over-baring, pushy, preachy?" Robin grinned, taking a little too much pride in her guess work.

"Any one of those adjectives would be sufficent but yes. I know he just wants to help, or so he says, but he just doesn't seem to know when to give it a rest."

Robin frowned as she chewed her lip in thought. "This is really bothering you, isn't it? The thing you got to understand about him, is he's not the best at reading people. You have to be pretty blunt sometimes for him to understand when he's pushing too much. He's a brilliant doctor, don't get me wrong, but I think he believes that certification gives him more rights to peoples personal information than it does. Makes me wonder if at graduation they just shoved the diploma straight up his ass and now it's stuck there."

"Ewww! I didn't need that particular mental image in my brain, thanks."

"Gotcha smiling though. I could talk to him for you, if you think it would help. I'm not afraid to cuff him on the head when his ego starts trying to take the wheel."

"I appreciate that but I don't think he'll back off unless I talk to him myself. I do appreciate the offer though. Thank you, for being there for me."

"Yin, I'm glad I could help. I think it's time we call it a night, you look like you could use some sleep and I have a build bright and early. Thanks for comming over, I kinda missed just talking to you. Come down to Gus's on Friday and I'll show you that dance move I was talking about." Yin smiled and waved as she left, hoping Robin wasn't going to show her the dance she broke a hip on.

Yin headed back to her farm, slicing her way though the few monsters that blocked her path. They couldn't dampen the deep sense of contentment she felt and she went to sleep with a soft smile on her face.