I don't own harvest moon

Spring 28 Thursday

Chelsea's POV

It was late, my cheap clock, that I'd brought off of Chen, chimed 12. I got up out of bed, I couldn't seem to sleep, which was no surprise considering I was sleeping on an old moldy mattress that sunk to the floor. I decided to go for a walk, night time was, as far as I was concerned, the best time for a walk because of the lack of people around to annoy you. At least that was what I thought, until I found the silver haired cowboy digging in someone's rubbish bid. Was everyone on this island crazy? I tried to creep away to avoid having a conversation about why he was digging in the bins like some kind of scavenger but I wasn't looking where I was going and I tripped over a stupid stone, which made me swear just a little bit too loud. At the sound of my pain the cowboy (who's name I hadn't bothered to remember) turned around. I quickly picked myself up and dusted myself off,as a blush formed across my cheeks.

"What are you doing? Don't you know there are wild animals around at night that could attack you?" He glares at me.

"I can take care of myself thank you. Also, I'm the one who should be asking what you're doing, digging around trash like a raccoon." I crossed my arms as I talked and glared straight back at him.

He seemed startled by my words for a moment and h estares at me, like he'd just seen me clearly for the first time. But this doesn't last long and his face hardens as he speaks again. "I was just checking to see if anything could be reused or fixed. You don't throw stuff out that can be reused do you?" He said accusingly, as if throwing stuff away was a dreadful crime, on par with murder and treason.

"It's none of your concern and for your information I don't have the luxury of throwing anything out at the moment anyways." Then I ran off before he could reply, I had come out for some peace and quiet not for a conversation about literal rubbish.

Vaughn's POV

I stood there for a while, after Chelsea had left. I growled to myself, annoyed that I had run into her so soon after promising myself I'd avoid her. The problem was that this island was far too small for you to effectively avoid someone, not that I was going to give up on trying. Her words stubbornly stayed with me long after she had gone, they wouldn't leave my head as I walked back to Mirabelle's, where I had the misfortune of staying during my two days on this wretched island. She had compared me to a raccoon. Had it been anyone else I would have been annoyed but with her it was different, although I didn't want it to be. This wasn't the first time she had called me a raccoon but that was a long, long time ago and I don't like remembering, so I tried to ignore the aggravatingly persistent voice in my head that was begging me to take a trip down memory lane and went to sleep. Unfortunately, being cursed by the Goddess herself, I dreamt about the memory any way.

Vaughn's memory

There's a skinny,little boy in a dark alley way, about 11 years old, with silver hair that looks unwashed. His clothes also appear to be dirty, as if worn for several days. He digs into a nearby bin, scrabbling among the rubbish, hoping to find something ateable. There's a noise behind him and he turns quickly, as his face struggles to hide his fear. There's a girl standing there, she looks like she's about his age but the way she carries herself she seems older, wiser.

"What are you doing? She asks the boy. "You look like a raccoon or something."

The boy frowns at her. "Nothing" he snaps at her. To his surprise she pushes past him and starts looking into his bin. "Hey that's mine! I was here first." He protests.

She ignores him, as she roots around in the bin until she triumphantly pulls out a half eaten chicken leg. "I'm in a generous mood today, so I'll let you have half." She says, holding the chicken out to him. He hesitates a moment before snatching it off her and eatting it rapidly, as if he hasn't eatten in days.

"I don't need your help." He says after he's finished.

"Sure you don't. I mean look how happy and well fed you look." Her voice drips sarcasm as she strips her own half of the chicken. He narrows his eyes at her but she ignores him and carries on talking. "How long have you been on the streets, not long by the looks of it. You won't survive two minutes out here. I should know, I've spent my whole life on the streets." She says bitterly.

"I'll be just fine." The boy says though doubt starts to creep into his voice now.

"Yeah right, I bet you don't even have a place to sleep, do you?" The girl asks him pointedly. The boy shakes his head reluctantly. The girl sighs. "Come on I'll show you a place where you can stay tonight. Hurry up before I change my mind." The girl walks off into the night with the boy in tow.