A starting note:
Whoops, things ran slightly longer than I expected. I pay attention to the couple reviews I've gotten which suggest that I speed it up a little, but I feel that if I just skipped ahead of the expos I wanted then my writing might sound rushed (I am super self-conscious though so I take these things to heart).
But if you feel impatient and want to skip ahead to the end where the first SV character appears, then feel free to do that! I've pointed it out where you can/should skip. You might miss a little context, but we all know that she's going to go. :p
I thank anyone who's read the fic so far!
About a month had passed since the night Raine decided to read her grandfather's letter and the young adult laid wide awake in her bed, staring at the packed luggage on the other side of the room. On the desk by her bed was a list of items she'd written down that Mayor Lewis—Yep, still kicking—had recommended she acquire and pack for her trip to the countryside. For early tomorrow morning, she was to be dropped off just outside of town to meet the bus that would take her away to Stardew Valley.
(If you don't care about the details, skip to the next set of bold letters!)
But it was already 2 AM, according to her phone, and she couldn't sleep. Instead, her mind just replayed the series of events that led up to what felt like a time paradox; where Raine had made a choice that set her life on an alternate and uncomfortable path.
Her mother had been delightfully surprised by the reveal, and for some reason she automatically assumed that Raine was going to accept the invitation. But when the redhead expressed otherwise, her mom wasn't too thrilled. What started out as some light coaxing and positive reassurement quickly turned into a heated argument of "You don't know what's good for you," laden with jealousy, personal assaults, and rather hasty generalizations about young people. If her mom was trying to make a convincing persuasion, this was not the way to do it.
Her mom had apologized the next afternoon, but by then, the girl had reached a different resolve. She came downstairs with her laptop, opened up a new document, and was ready to write her response to the mayor on behalf of her grandpa.
She had to suppress a big part of her head voice which screamed "What are you doing?!" as she began typing it out. But after a while and a few dozen backspaces later, it became easier, and she was able to use her corporate-email-grade English skills to churn out something she felt confident enough to print. Her mother had reminded her there was a number on the back of the letter, but Raine dismissed that idea. She'd be the last person to make a first phone call to a stranger, but she added her own just in case.
After sending the finished product off in the mail, her sense of optimism started to wear off quickly and she washed her hands of all thoughts related to farming. After all, if the letter got lost in the mail, the offer didn't stand anymore, or the addressee was in the ground, well… it wasn't her problem anymore. No one could say she didn't try, and then little 'ol Raine could stay right in her comfort zone where she belonged, right?
Wrong.
Two weeks later, the home phone rang; and for once it was not a telemarketer. Raine's mother answered the phone, and moments later, she called up the stairs.
"Raine! Phone for you! It's the mayor of Stardew Valley!"
She'd been sprawled comfortably on her mattress playing a video game, when her heart dropped ten stories and began beating rapidly. Suddenly, the redhead began wishing she'd omitted her number from the final print.
Left with little choice but to finish what she'd gotten herself into, she confirmed then and there with a fake positivity in her voice, that she'd be ready to come to the valley by the start of the next month. Her mom was elated—Raine was anxious.
It was that same anxiety that filled her thoughts for what became her final week with Joja Corp. She was slow, inefficient, and distracted to say the least. If it weren't for her quitting, she was sure the boss would've caught up with her poor performance in no time.
At the end of the week, her mother was her savior. She stood right next to her daughter, stared down the manager, and talked exclusively about her days of accounting while making sure the greasy man slipped every last dollar into Raine's final paycheck. The girl admitted, it was quite amusing to see her manager so intimidated while maintaining such a phony smile. Every once in a while, he made sure to shoot her a death stare, but Raine just smiled while looking at her phone and pretended not to notice. She wasn't sure what was better; not having to set foot in Joja-ville again, or this collective experience.
The final week was spent relaxing, packing, shopping for things like boots and gloves, and catching up on the sleep she was about to lose tenfold as a farmer. At first, she decided to try some exercises to build up strength, but then she realized it was probably too-little-too-late and gave up. At any rate, it was nice to stay home and do nothing for a little while, but all good things would come to an end, soon.
And come to an end they would, tomorrow. The girl rolled over in bed and held a plush bunny to her chest as she sighed. "This is gonna be good for you. Stop complaining." She told herself. But there was a kind of sad, scariness in leaving this life behind for a strange, unknown world.
At some point, a car alarm began ringing off in the distance and she sighed. She wouldn't miss the noise of the city, at least. Eventually, her eyes became heavy and she dozed off to sleep.
At the crack of dawn—or not even, at that point—the rudest awakening was prepared for Raine. Her mother had come up the stairs and was standing in the doorway, calling for her to get up.
"Rise and shine, Red!" Her mom coaxed, more cheery at this hour than usual. "You have a big day ahead of you. It's time to get up!"
In response, the girl merely moaned and pulled the comforter over her head. It felt like she'd barely slept at all, and at 6 o'clock in the morning, that wasn't far from the truth. She was never a morning person to begin with.
The brunette shook her head, then flipped on the light switch. She walked over to the mattress and pulled the covers off of her daughter one by one. Raine winced at the sudden light and curled up from the draftiness of her exposed legs. "Ugh. This is like some sort of nightmare." She groaned.
Her mom stood up again slowly, with one hand against her back, hissing lightly. "Well, you're going to have to get used to doing this every day, so here's your first exercise." The woman paused. "I'm up here throwing my back out for you and you're giving up so easily? Come on! I even made pancakes, so you can eat before I drop you off for the bus."
She sat up slowly, slightly motivated at the thought of food. Her stomach was rather empty after a long night of paranoid thought.
After stuffing herself with breakfast, she and her mother were off to the outskirts of town, where a special bus from the valley was to come pick her up. On the way there, the mom was constantly giving advice and had teared up tears a few times in between. "Remember to take breaks," "Don't be afraid to get dirty," "Don't forget to wear a jacket when the weather gets bad." "Most importantly, don't neglect to ask for help when you need it." The last of which Raine knew she would have a lot of trouble with.
"…And I know you'll probably be really busy with the farm and making new friends, but I think it goes without saying that I'll need to hear from you every once in a while."
Raine nodded lazily, leaning back in the passenger seat. Her seatbelt was off. They'd come to the stop a while ago. "I'll write you." She said, half-grinning. "It's rustic! Just like where I'm going."
The brunette squinted, nudging her daughter in the arm. "You'll call me, too."
"Call you what?" The redhead chuckled proudly, pulling her messenger bag over her body as she reached for the handle.
Her mother shook her head, stifling her laughter. "Do you need help getting your stuff out?"
"Nah…" She hesitated. For once, she wanted to look independent—and to avoid any unnecessary tears from either of them.
Raine got out and walked over to the rear of the car as her mom popped the trunk. She reached in and heaved the rolling luggage out, sliding up the handle when it thudded on the ground and letting out an exasperated sigh. The second bag; a worn, deep purple duffle bag that had belonged to her mom—was less heavy, but still straining for the lightweight to hold onto for more than a few minutes. She let the luggage stand, slamming the trunk shut before waddling awkwardly yet confidently back around to the driver's side.
With her bun done up neatly, and a slightly less tired mug than usual, her mother's blue eyes beamed at her through the open window. As a tear began to roll down from the corner of her eye, she wiped it quickly with her index finger.
"Mom-"
"I'm not, I'm not!" She protested, then paused. "I'm just… I know your grandpa would be proud to see this day."
Raine flashed an empathetic smile, looking down at her feet in embarrassment.
"The bus'll be here soon, so I'm going to go."
The younger nodded. Moments later, she approached the car and reached in for a hug. She'd already given one before leaving, but couldn't stand to see her mom drive off looking like a neglected puppy.
After backing away, the girl heaved the bags over to the stop and set the duffle down on the bench. She looked back at her mother one more time.
"Good luck, Farmer!" She shouted from the SUV, before it began to roll away. Waving back at her, Raine could already feel herself getting further and further away from home as the vehicle grew smaller and disappeared down the road. She took a seat next to the purple bag, staring down the street as the worry of the unknown started welling up inside her again. Only this time, there'd be no familiar faces to tell her it was all going to work out in the end.
(Resume reading here if you skipped.)
Not knowing how much time had passed, the girl snapped out of it when the low growl of an old vehicle approached slowly from the opposite direction. Turning her head to look, she could see the described silver-grey bus rolling up over the hill, with the words 'Stardew Valley' displayed above the windshield in faded, orange LEDs. The closer it got, the more she squinted at the slightly tinted window in attempt to identify the operator. It was a blonde and light-skinned man—that was all she could tell.
She stood up from the seat slowly, holding out her hand to signal the driver just in case. As the jalopy decelerated, it screeched and popped as it came to a halt. Raine didn't know why she was surprised, but this ride was definitely no chariot.
She took a deep breath and put on a counterfeit smile that could have only been manufactured by her two years with Joja. As the girl began wheeling and carrying her things over to the bus, the hydraulics let out a hiss and the creaky door slid open to reveal the bus's driver. Out stepped a tired looking, middle-aged blonde woman with curly 80's-style hair, and Raine's confident smile melted down to nothing against her scowl. Realizing her mistake, the redhead replaced the smile and opened her mouth to speak.
"You Raine?" The woman cut her off, speaking in a slight country drawl. Her breath smelled of alcohol and she looked down to her by just a few inches.
"Y-yes, I am!" She replied, hesitating before releasing her grip on her luggage and holding out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, um…"
The woman snorted, then took her hand in an awkwardly distrusting shake. "The name's Pam." She said frankly, before looking Raine up and down with a curled lower-lip. "My golly. They told me you were just a kid, but…"
She frowned. "'They?' 'Just a kid?' Great, the grownups have already started talking about me at the dinner table."
Pam cackled a little to herself, muttering something she couldn't understand. "Anyway, hop on. You can throw your stuff in another seat—they're all empty, anyway." She mumbled, stepping up the stairs and leaving Raine to follow.
She hated to admit it, but all of the rural stereotypes she'd tried to avoid seemed to be coming to light so far. Though she hadn't even seen the valley yet, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of people were living there. Were they all living in shacks and barns? Did they butcher their own livestock in the backyard?
Embarrassed, the girl struggled to get the luggage up through the narrow doorway and stairs. Once successful, she wheeled it back and stowed it in front of the seat behind her and placed her other bag next to her. Flashing a sort of "I'm ready" look up to Pam, she took a seat next to the window.
After a few attempts to turn the engine over, the rumbling started again, the stairs retracted, and the glass window folded shut. Raine stole her last glances of the city in the distance as the bus started off to Stardew Valley.