We do not own Harvest Moon. If we did, we wouldn't be writing a fanfiction about it. xD

"So the both of you already went into the forest?" I curiously asked the duo.

They nodded vigorously as I sat on the wooden floors of Renee's bedroom, ready to listen to her and Maya tell me their story about what they did in the forest.

"Well, after we walked into the forest, we followed the trail and kept walking and walking," Renee explained.

"It felt like forever! Every part looked the same!" Maya exclaimed.

"We came to this huuuge clearing and we walked to the next section."

"Yeah, then we heard something rustling in the bushes. Some crazy people would have stayed to see what it was, but I just ran away while screaming my head off!"

Renee scratched the back of her head. "I was too scared to run, fear tends to do that to me. Maya had to drag me out..."

"So, what do you guys think it was, the thing that was in the bushes?" I asked, curiously. I thought about the possibilities in my head: an animal, the wind, some crazy mass murderer with a chainsaw-

"Hmm, I don't know. It could have just been an animal or something." Renee said, putting a finger to her chin in thought.

"Or it could've been the Witch!" Maya exclaimed, bouncing excitedly in her seat.

"Of course it's not the Witch, Maya." Renee frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "That's just impossible."

"What? What are you guys talking about?" I looked between the two girls. They shared glances.

Renee bit her lip. "Well, the reason we wanted to go into the forest is...Maya heard someone talking, at the Inn, about some woman living deep inside the forest. A witch. She ran over here, bursting through the barn doors yelling about it, which startled our poor cow, Winnie, might I add." She gave the girl beside her a pointed look and continued. "I didn't believe her and we started to argue about who was right. So, we got the key to prove it."

"Do you think there's really a witch living in there, Molly?" Maya asked me, her eyes gleaming with hope.

I pondered about it. "Er, that story is a bit absurd-" Renee beamed boastfully in Maya's direction, "-but this island is pretty strange. It could go either way, so I guess I'm neutral for the time being," I finished, shrugging.

My best friend pouted and played with her puffy pink dress. "Renee and I were planning to go again tonight! Do you wanna come with us?" she asked.

"Of course I want to come! I'm always up for a little adventure." I grinned. "I have to go back to the Bar to unpack some more things though, okay? I'll meet you guys outside the forest. What time should we go there?"

Renee cocked her head. "I was thinking around 11:00 pm tomorrow. How's that?"

I nodded, satisfied.

"Sounds like a plan!" Maya squealed excitedly.

I waved good-bye to both of my friends and skipped outside and back to the bar.

Alright, well, apparently Selena had lied about not caring how I decorate my part of the room. The minute I put up a simple calendar, she told me to take it off.

"You were the one who said I could put whatever I want here," I protested.

"I said 'as long as it's nothing disturbing'." She narrowed her eyes at me.

"And what, may I ask, is so horrific about a calendar?"

"First of all, it's purple, which looks terrible with the green bed sheets. Second of all, it's so plain. All it has is music notes and swirls...and stuff all over it," the dancer said, moving her arms wildly to help describe her distaste.

'Whatever. It's not like she has to look at it anyways. I'm putting it up for me, not her,' I thought as I jumped off my bed and walked out the bedroom door.

"Hey! Don't ignore me when I'm just trying to help you with your terrible taste in decor!" I heard Selena yell. "It affects me too, you know!"

I saw Chase sitting in front of the counter, resting his chin on his elbow and looking bored. I decided to talk with him.

"Hey, Chase," I greeted with a smile.

No verbal response, but I received a small glare.

"Uh...what's up? I thought the bar opens at 6. Why are you here so early?"

He slowly turned his head back towards me. "Well, I don't know. But I know it's none of your business; so I suggest you quit bugging me and leave."

Well, that was like a slap in the face: unexpected and hurtful. I knew Chase could be a bit rude. This time, he wasn't more or less the same, but all I did was ask a simple question and he flips out! I was trying to be nice, since he seemed like the non-sociable type. That boy must not have been hugged a bunch in his childhood.

"Okay, well, I'm sorry I asked..." I muttered, then got up and stepped outside. I made sure to slam the doors loudly behind me.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The sun was blazing, the sky was bright blue, fluffy white clouds floated by, and there was a cool breeze. But no one seemed to be outside, well, other than Pascal and Toby that is. I strode over to them and waved at Pascal before sitting on the dock next to the fisherman's son, removing my boots.

"Hiya, Toby! Whatcha doing here?" I asked.

He looked at me and grinned. "Hey, I was just doing some fishing by myself...you know, I'm actually surprised you came over here. Lots of people think I'm weird and obsessed with fish; some even think I am a fish! They'd usually leave me alone and gossip about me behind my back." The fisherman gave a dismissive shrug of his shoulders.

"Aw, Toby. You're not weird, you are a totally chill guy who's fun to hang with! And it's perfectly fine to have something you love to do. I bet those people have hobbies, too." I patted his back gently.

"Heh, thanks. I'm glad someone doesn't think of me like that..."

There was a moment of silence between us. I was debating to myself whether or not to ask a question that's been pulling at me the moment I walked out of the bar. Should I? I mean, I shouldn't bother Toby with my own problems, but on the other hand...

"Hey, do you have any idea why Chase won't talk to me?" I blurted out before I could make up my mind.

Toby looked surprised by my sudden question ('cause I swear I saw a glimpse of his eyes).

"Oh, Chase? He doesn't want to talk to you, eh? He's doing it again..." he muttered.

I must've looked confused, because Toby smiled and shook his head, as if he were talking about a silly child. He pulled his fishing rod out of the water and set it beside him.

"Chase had a rocky childhood: divorced parents, older sister passed away, dad's dating another woman and Chase doesn't like that. And ever since, he's been pushing people away so they couldn't hurt him. Well...little does he know, he's just hurting himself by being lonely all the time and having no friend to talk to about his problems," he continued.

"So, how do you know all of this?' I asked curiously. "You said he pushed people away. He certainly wouldn't tell this to some stranger."

"I used to talk to him once in a while, when he moved here with his uncle. He told me all about his past since he had no one else to talk to, then as we got older we just sorta drifted apart. I think he was afraid I'd betray him one day too. He started avoiding me from then on. We could've been friends if he hadn't done something so stupid like that..." Toby laughed bitterly, which was odd coming from someone like him. "Seems like it's the start of the cycle again."

More silence fell. I kicked the water with my bare feet while I processed the thought into my brain. I felt sorry for Chase, knowing that he most likely would've been less austere and had more friends, had he not been raised badly. It wasn't like he was a bad person, it was just the cold exterior hiding his scared self.

"Why did you ask?" Toby questioned, suddenly.

"What? ...Oh. Well, all I did was ask him why he was at the bar so early for, and he told me to stay out of his way. I was just wondering if he does that all the time and why he does. I felt quite nervous there, actually."

"I really wish he would stop scaring innocent girls. Our island's population is small as it is." He and I laughed.

We moved away from depressing discussions Then when I checked the time, it was already 5:00.

I got up and slipped my boots on. "Well, it was nice talking to you," I said with a smile. "We should talk more often!"

Toby returned the grin. "Yeah..we should. See you later, then."

We waved before I turned and walked away, feeling happier that I made a new friend today.

After I left Toby, I talked to Maya on what she was going to bring to the forest that night: flashlights (obviously), first-aid kit for safety, water, and other things. Who knows how long we were going to be in there for!

Now, it was 11. I trekked to Flute Fields and over to Fugue Forest, where my friends were already waiting for me. Maya had a small brown backpack slung over her shoulders.

"Alright, you guys. Even though we're not too close to any buildings, we still have to be quiet just in case someone's wandering around," Renee whispered, and we nodded. "Okay, Maya, unlock the gate."

Maya dug around in the pocket of her thick pink sweater and pulled out a rusty key. She carefully stuck it in the lock and turned it, then took the key back out. Just as I was about to push the gate open, there were voices closing in on us.

"- taken the key from you, you irresponsible dunce!" Gill's angry voice said.

"Hide, you guys!" Maya hissed. We tried to dart behind trees, but they were way too skinny to hide us. My heart was pounding as we cut through the bushes and ran out the area and around the forest entrance. As we left, I heard Luke say, "Hey, why's the gate unlocked! Someone must've been here already!"

That's when I knew that we were going to be in biiiig trouble. Damn it, Luke. You pick right now to get logical?

"You guys, we have to split up. If we flee in a group, they'll be sure to find us," I said, using my brain quickly. "Renee, you should probably go home since it's close and they won't suspect you. Maya, you hide over at Marimba Farm, near that Yellow Bell."

"Got it." Maya said with a nod and sprinted in her given direction.

"Be careful." Renee said before high-tailing it back to her house.

I went straight, jumping over the fence that lead to a hill. Unfortunately for me, I tripped on a rock and came rolling back down the hill and hit my head on the wooden sign. The blurry words of "Moon Hill" seemed to be mocking me.

I groaned in pain and squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them, I was looking up at a furious Gill. His face was as red as a tomato. I guess you really are what you eat...
My eyes widened as I stood up. I argued to myself whether if it was a smart thing to run away or not. I ran anyways, not giving Gill any time to ask me questions or yell at me.

I went as fast as my legs could take me to Harmonica Town. My legs were getting tired and my throat hurt from trying to breathe as I ran. When the Bar was in sight, I pushed myself further until I burst through the big, green doors. I slammed and locked the door, then collapsed on the floor right when I got into the shared bedroom.

I knew Gill had followed me. He wasn't going to give up, especially since it seemed so suspicious of me to be at the opposite part of the island than where I resided at 11 pm. I knew he suspected me of taking the key. But I didn't take the key; it was Maya. Though I surely wasn't going to rat out my friend when Gill interrogates me (which he will do eventually, I was sure of it; it's such a Gill-thing to do).

Someone knocked on the door.

Oh snap... "W-who is it?" I stuttered nervously.

"Hey, you," Selena snapped through the door. Oh, thank Goddess it's not- "You have a visitor here; that nerdy Mayor's son." On second thought, screw her.

"Ahem...I hope you realize that I am standing right next to you," Gill cut in, annoyed (either at me or Selena...or both).

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Don't get your fancy pants in a bunch." I heard Selena walk away.

"Look, you can't hide from me forever. You know I'm going to ask you questions eventually, so just make this easier for both of us and open the door," Gill said.

I sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right...but NO!"

He kicked on the wooden door. "Come on!" BAM! "Open the damn door, Molly!"

"NEVER!"

I heard him sigh on the other side. "Alright, how about this: if you let me in and answer all my questions, I will tell you my real name...which is really not Gill. Okay? Only if you cooperate with me here," he negotiated. Tempting...I'd have some blackmail material that I could post all over the town...and I could always lie through my teeth...

I hesitantly pulled the door open and found myself looking at a red-faced Gill. He had a hand on his chest, panting and gasping for air as if it took all he had just to carry a conversation.

"You're not very fit, are you?" I jokingly asked, in an attempt to lighten up the mood. He gave a very intense glare in my direction, making me wince. Well, that didn't work...

Gill straightened up and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. I noticed that his face was still red from chasing me down, when he turned to look (glare) at me. "Well, first things first. What were you doing up at Moon Hill at this late hour?"

"...I think the question can apply to you, too, Mr. Gill Hamilton," I replied with a smirk, trying to buy myself more time to come up with something. I'm not going to get Renee and Maya in trouble."What were you doing at Moon Hill?"

"Why I was there is irrelevant to this interrogation." Gill rubbed his temples. "Answer the question, Molly. You're not in trouble...yet. I just need something to help me find the Fugue Forest key."

I let out a fake sigh. "Well, if you must know...I was...uh...doing my midnight jogging."

The mayor's son raised an eyebrow. "'Midnight jog'? Now, why would a person want to run at midnight, when it's dark, cold, and dangerous?"

"Y'see, it helps relax me. Especially since it's Summer and it's too hot inside, so I go out and run around the island for a bit." Man, my lie was lame...but it was better than nothing!

Gill just stood there, staring at me as if I had grown another head. It was silent for a while, other than the pulsing beat from the music in the bar and the sounds of our breathing. I swear, if Gill had not been standing in front of the door, I would've run away and taken a boat to Mineral Town or something. This situation is just going downhill for me...

"What do you take me for, an idiot?" Gill asked, crossing his arms. "Okay, what were you really doing in Flute Fields?"

'What do I say?' I thought to myself. 'Should I tell him the truth? No...that would be bad. Lie again? He'd just figure it out and probably yell at me...how about...in between? That's it! It's the only thing I can do.'

"Okay, okay, fine. I'll tell you the truth," I said. "I...I stole the key. I did it."

The blond didn't seem surprised at all, which either meant that was what he suspected all along, or he knew I was kinda lying again. Hey, it wasn't a total lie; I did have something to do with the key, after all.

"And tell me what you were planning to do with it."

"I thought that the forest would give me some inspiration, ya know, for a song," I answered. 'Going good so far...'

Gill shook his head. "And why didn't you just ask Luke for the key instead of stealing it from him? Honestly, the people on this island make the worst decisions..." He trailed off.

"Um...Luke was acting really strange lately-" Gill snorted and muttered, "'Lately...'" under his breath, "-so I didn't want to ask him about anything, to avoid weird situations." Well, that was kind of true...ah, my brain is so great at coming up with excuses, though.

"I see..." was all the male said, before closing his eyes to think about what he had just heard.

"I will accept any punishment you'll give me. You can even send me off the island or something if you want!" I offered.

This made Gill's eyes snap open. "So, you think I'm stupid and unreasonable, do you?" he stated with a smirk. "I'm not going to kick you off of Castanet just because you stole a key. In fact, it's not even my job. I'm not the mayor..." He must've been very bitter about not being mayor, because he spat that sentence out like it was gum under a school desk (yum).

I sighed in relief. "Okay, so what do I have to do as a punishment?" I asked. I just hoped it wasn't anything too horrible...

"Well...the town hall's files are always a mess. I want you to go at 6:00 PM on Monday to sort everything out," he said.

"Okay! Sounds easy enou-...wait! Monday! That's...that's two days from now. At 6:00? I start work at the Bar on Monday at 6:00!" I exclaimed, clutching my head. "No no no, I can't miss out on my first day of work! Can't you just change the time or date?"

He shook his head. "Tomorrow can't do because it's Sunday. Then on Saturday and Monday morning and afternoon, Luke and Bo are coming in to renovate the Town Hall. Monday evening is all that's left."

My jaw dropped. It's like he planned all of this to torture me... "But, but...can't I do it on a day other than this Monday? I can do it later in the week! I promise!"

"Sorry, we're busy all the other days. Really, the only reason why we're free on Monday evening is because we'll be renovated and needing to sort everything out," Gill explained. His eyes looked sincere when he apologized, and I realized that it'd also be impossible for him to plan this.

I slouched my shoulders and looked at the ground. How was I supposed to explain this to Kathy and Selena? Maybe Kathy'd understand somewhat, but Selena would just look down on me even more than she does already. I can just hear her voice now...

'See, Kathy? I knew she wasn't cut out to work here! She can't even make it to her first day of work!' Selena would say.

If I got fired without even a day of singing there...my dream...it'd be over just like that. This was all a mess, one that I couldn't clean up with a broom and a dustpan.

I looked back up at Gill. "Okay...I'll see what I can do. Thanks, I guess..."

"You could talk to Kathy about this. Maybe she'll let you get off for that day," He suggested with a nod, before turning around and exiting the room.

I sank down into my new bed, covering my face with my hands.

Man, this was just not my day, was it?

OKAY! I would just like to say, to LatteCurlz and all the readers, that I am terribly, terribly sorry, and that I have no excuse whatsoever for the long wait. I can't stop feeling guilty about it. D: Please, I don't expect your forgiveness, but I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so soso so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so soso so so so so so so so so so sorry! ;A;

... *sniff*

But fear not! Latte will be writing the next 5 chapters, so you won't have to worry about long waits and my crappy writing. xD

Enjoy (if you can... e_e)!

Peace! ~Middy