Chapter 8
It had been a week since Sebastian stayed over that night. They had been close friends ever since. They hung out often, and he even stayed over a few more nights, but it made his feelings for her grow more. The flower dance was coming up, but Sebastian knew he couldn't ask her to dance. It would crush him if she said no.
Sasha had now grown her farm quite considerably. Demetrius and Maru helped her set up a sprinkler system, so she wouldn't have to water her plants, and Pierre was helping her prepare her seeds for the summer.
She was really starting to feel like a farmer now. She was prepared for the summer, and she had grown strong from the work that she was doing on the farm. When she got home, she noticed a letter on her porch.
"Meet me at the brown building above the town."
Lewis
"Hm?" She thought. Sasha checked her map and noticed a building labeled "Community Center".
When she arrived, Lewis was standing in front of the door, and seemed to be unlocking the door.
"Oh, Hello Sasha!" said Lewis. "I wanted to show you this old building. It's called the community center. It used to be bustling with life and energy, but now, it hasn't been taken care of, and Joja Co. is making a petition to tear it down."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." said Sasha.
As Lewis unlocked the door, Sasha was flooded with old memories. She remembered the community center. She went there as a child. The building that was once filled with love and life, was now old, and falling apart. Every room was destroyed, and there was even a small grass hut in the corner. Lewis stated his assumption that it was the work of Vincent and Abigail.
Lewis glanced at his watch.
"Oh dear, I must be going, but you can have the key. I don't need it now. Just make sure you lock up!"
After Lewis had left, Sasha went over to investigate the hut. It was small, but sturdy. Leaves for a roof, stones on the side…
"Hmm. Who made this? It's odd, but it looks like it was built wel-"
"Tink!"
Sasha flinched and turned around. Nothing was there.
"This place is creeping me out. I'm gonna leave." She thought.
"Tink!"
"Is someone pranking me? She called.
Silence.
Sasha hurried towards the door.
"Tink!"
"Leave me alone!" she shouted.
Sasha burst out of the place, practically jogging home. When she got home, she found a note on her doorstep.
"Go to the tower."
"Tower?" she thought. "What is going on? This note isn't addressed, and I don't even know where a tower is!"
Sasha took out her worn map, and looked, until she noticed a small building in the corner of the map. It was labeled "Wizard's Tower."
"Okay, well that explains a little." She thought.
It took Sasha over an hour to find the tour, but when she did, it looked dusty and overgrown. She walked up the cracked steps and knocked on the door. Forcefully, a gust opened the door and dragged her inside.
"H-hello?" called Sasha.
An old man with a long beard walked out. In Sasha's mind, he was literally the definition of Wizard. He wore a purple pointed Wizard's Hat, and a long matching purple robe, embellished with crescent moons and stars. He snapped his fingers, and the room lit up.
"Welcome!" said the Wizard. His voice was deep and crackly, but it seemed familiar. "My, you've grown so much dear Sasha!"
"How do you know me?" said Sasha.
"Oh, do you not remember me?" he replied. The Wizard waved his hand in Sasha's direction, and suddenly, she remembered meeting him on the farm long ago.
"I was a friend of your grandfather's. It's a shame that he's gone now, but I helped him out, and in a few years, maybe you will see how. Anyway, I saw that you had entered the community center, and since you are one of the few that can hear the Junimos, I brought you here."
"Junimos?" she asked.
"Oh, right, you probably don't remember them. A Junimo is a small, magical, apple shaped creature that comes in many different colors. They are kind, but only a few people know of them, and even fewer can hear and see them." He replied.
"Wait, I saw a blue dot in the bushes a few days ago…" said Sasha.
"That's great! That was most likely a Junimo." He replied.
"But, I went to investigate, and there was a note." said Sasha. She retrieved a small strip of paper, still with the scribbled written on it. "I can't read it, and any time they "Speak", I can't understand them.
The wizard took the note, handed it back to Sasha, and without saying anything, walked over to his cauldron. He tossed a few plants in, and then gestured for Sasha to come over.
"Sasha, this is more urgent than I thought. Drink this. Please. They need you." said the Wizard. There was a sort of harshness in his voice that told her that he wasn't messing around.
Sasha grabbed a bowl from a nearby table, and dipped it into the cauldron. She took a huge gulp, and then passed out. When she finally woke, the Wizard was standing there holding the note. Without saying anything, Sasha took the note, read it, and ran out of the tower. She knew what she needed to do.
Sasha ran all the way to the community center, and a few people even tried to talk to her, but she didn't stop. She fumbled with the key, and entered the building, where she saw 3 "Junimos" sitting on the floor. It was like they were waiting. Later that night, Sasha emerged from the building. She had a list of objects that they needed. It was a lot, and it would take months to get everything, but she knew what would happen if they didn't get everything and Joja Co. took over their sanctuary.
Now, she was the person that they depended on.
