Alrighty, alrighty! Next Chapter! Thanks for the comments and the views and favorites etc. I love you people. You are beautiful, beautiful people
annnd I just totally weirded you out.
Disclaimer: Still don't own Harvest Moon.
"Chelsea…" He said doubtfully. The fisherman and farmer were staring at the makeshift boat she rustled up bobbing in the water. She beamed proudly.
"I don't think this will support my weight…" He said.
"Tough!" She grinned, "You can swim."
He sighed.
"What's all this about?" Asked a voice.
"Julia!" Chelsea screeched and flung herself at the girl. "Oh, and hey Vaughn." She said to the man beside her. "We made a boat."
"Ah I see…" Said Julia worriedly.
"That's a boat?" Scoffed Vaughn.
The 'boat' was a small raft made up of several logs mashed and nailed together. The rusty nails jutted out from the wood precariously. Denny gulped.
Chelsea turned to him in exasperation. "Well if it wasn't scary what would be the point?"
"What do you mean?" Asked Julia.
"Denny's scared of boats." Beamed Chelsea.
Vaughn snorted and Julia put her hand to her mouth to suppress a laugh.
Denny flailed his arms in embarrassment, "It's not funny!"
"Um, *hrm*, yeah sorry Denny, I know it must be *hrm* hard-" At this point Julia lost it a began to giggle.
Chelsea patted her back supportively, "you held it in best you could." She told her. Turning to Denny she smiled coldly. "Now get on the boat."
"Wh- now? I was thinking we could rest for a little, maybe have some tea, scones, you guys like scones right? Then maybe-"
Chelsea cut him off, picked the sorry fisherman up and plopped him of the boat.
"Wah! Let's not be too hasty now! Wow Chelsea you're strong, have you been working out or something? Oh right you're a farm-" She grinned sadistically and kicked the side of the "boat" so that it flew away from the shore.
"GAHHHHHHHH!" He screeched. "I'm starting to believe that joke you said about blood and dead bodies!" He called out.
Julia and Vaughn looked at her questioningly. She shrugged as if to say, I don't know, he's crazy.
The waves were building up and the raft bobbed like crazy. Denny spluttered mouthfuls of water. Suddenly a larger wave crashed and the whole boat fell apart and the fisherman sank below the waves. His head popped back up and he began to splash about. "Help! Help!"
Then he froze in realization.
"What's he doing?" Asked Julia.
"I think he just remembered he can swim." Chelsea said.
Vaughn rubbed his temple, he was surrounded by idiots.
Denny swam back to shore and shock himself dry like a dog. The surrounding party objected as they got soaked. "That." He said.
"That?" The two girls said in unison.
"That wasn't bad at all!" He grinned. "I didn't die or anything! I don't think I'm scared of boats anymore!"
"Good." Said Chelsea.
He wheeled on her. "You however!" He said pointing at her accusingly, "You terrify me!"
"Yeah a lot of people say that about me." She smiled.
"Wah!" Yelled Julia suddenly.
"What?!" They all said suddenly.
"I just had a brilliant thought!" She said.
"OH MY GOSH!" Exclaimed Chelsea, "Someone alert the media!"
Vaughn snorted and Julia whacked them both.
"We should all watch a horror movie tonight!" She said.
"What's a horror movie?" Asked Chelsea genuinely.
Julia turned to her in shock before grinning evilly "Oh, you'll see. Prepare to wet yourself!"
That night all of the youth on the island, minus the children, gathered at the ranch.
"Thank you all for coming out to our first annual horror movie night!" Called Julia to the assembled living room.
"You're going to make this every year?" Groaned Vaughn.
"Ohhhh, is that what annual means?" Asked Julia. The room did a collective face palm. "Anyway, here's a scary one about a bunch of teens who find themselves on an abandoned farm only to be hunted down by, something." She turned to Chelsea and grinned, "I chose this on special for Chelsea since it's her first horror film."
"You shouldn't have." Said the farmer dryly.
The movie turned on and Vaughn did his best to tune out the people around him. He couldn't believe the stuff his cousin made him do. He didn't really like horror movies, he found their plots to shallow and the gore distasteful. Half way through he began to glance around the room. Despite her brave front earlier, Julia was clinging to Elliot. Though he couldn't tell who was more afraid His cousin or the boy.
Denny was calm, maybe because it didn't take place on a boat? He mentally scoffed again at the fisherman's ridiculous fear. Natalie, looked fine but was gripping her clothes a little too tightly and flinched as the chain saw wielding scare crow jumped out.
Lastly he fixed his attention from the corner of his eye unto Chelsea who was sitting close beside him. Too close beside him in his opinion. Her eyes were transfixed to the screen. She seemed for the most part unfazed but the slight "Hrph"s she made at each of the jump scares and blood betrayed that she was….scared? He felt bad for the girl, she'd later have to return to her farm all by herself and spend the night alone on the giant property. He wouldn't be surprised if she was scared even before this film.
She began to shake and her lips quivered. Then finally, when the Farmer-zombie came out and decapitated the boy with a scythe she blew. She didn't scream like he thought she would. She began to laugh hysterically. Julia paused the movie and everybody looked at her questioningly.
"I think we broke her." Said Natalie.
She laughed harder and clutched her sides. She even fell off the couch. She tried to catch her breath. "Did you see that?!" She asked. "Priceless!"
"Chelsea dear, are you alright?" Asked Julia.
"Of course! This show is hilarious! Did you see the way the blood squirted?" She grinned.
Elliot looked like he was about to faint at "Squirted."
"It was so fake, there wasn't even enough blood! Plus, if you want to decapitate, you don't hold the scythe like that! It should have never made a clean cut and-" She stopped when she noticed the weird looks and sighed, "Continue."
They resumed the movie. Finally, twenty minutes later the remaining teenager exorcised the famer-zombie and the movie ended.
"That." Said Julia. "Was a lot scarier than I expected… and I forget I also live on a ranch."
Her own fault. I thought.
"Elliot." She said batting her eyes. "Would you mind staying over?"
"N-not at all!" He said. "I think I want to stay as far away as possible from Natalie tonight"
The entire room nodded in sympathy. Natalie scoffed, but then grinned sinisterly, "aww but I had something awesome planned!"
"That's what I was scared of…" He sighed.
The people trickled out leaving only Vaughn, Julia, Elliot and Chelsea.
Julia looked at Chelsea guiltily. "I'm so sorry Chelsea."
"What?" Asked the farmer cluelessly.
"That was really scary, and I forget you live alone, ON A FARM of all things…" Julia frowned.
"It was nothing really, I've seen worse." Said Chelsea reassuringly.
"… but you said you've never seen horror movies before." Said Julia.
"…." Chelsea didn't respond.
Mirabelle walked in looking crossed, "I couldn't help but overhear, Julia how could you be so inconsiderate of your friend!"
Julia looked down at her feet ashamed.
Mirabelle clasped Chelsea's hands warmly, "Chelsea, you're welcome to stay if you would like."
"I-It's alright!" She said. She was blushing, not used to the motherly touch Mirabelle had. "Plus, you're full up."
"That's right…" She said thoughtfully. "Vaughn, could you spend the night at Chelsea's."
"WHAT?!" They both exclaimed. "NO!" Both turned to the other in surprise.
"Why does it have to be me?" Growled Vaughn.
"I'm an adult! An adult!" Protested Chelsea, "I don't need to be baby sat."
"Just go!" said Julia pushing the two out the door and locking it behind them.
They glanced at each other in defeat. "I could sleep in the barn?" She suggested.
He blinked in surprise, "but it's your house!" Was he really more scary to her than the barn that was eerily similar to the barn in the movie?
"Fine." She said.
They made it to the farmhouse and she unlocked the door. Neither made any move to step in.
She sighed, "I really hate Julia sometimes."
"Tell me about it" He agreed. "Chelsea…" He said tentatively, "It's alright if you're scared you know."
She laughed and walked into the house. "Why would I be scared? It's not like that was a true story! Plus it was those teens fault. They disturbed the grave then they did nothing to defend themselves!" She grimaced, "but I can't believe they won at the end, what a disappointment."
"Yes were rooting for the scythe-wielding zombie?" He asked skeptically.
"Gotta root for the home team!" She grinned.
"Because you're both farmers?" He asked.
"Right and that too." She said before walking over to her bathroom. He was left to ponder over her last sentence.
She emerged wearing a baggy black t-shirt and shorts. He gawked. "What?" She asked.
"You're not wearing your bandanna." He stated returning his face to neutral.
"I don't sleep with it on!" She laughed, "Here! Take your hat off too!" She said grabbing his hat. He protested and reached to stop her but she was too quick. She froze. Then a little flustered she put it back on. "Sorry." She said. "…. The bathroom's available." He nodded and stalked off.
She hopped onto the bed and sat with her back against the wall. Her heart was hammering, it was a weird sensation. She had never seen such amethyst eyes, and the way his bangs framed his face…
He came out a minute later having only removed his vest and boots. Crashing on the couch he glanced at the farmer.
"Goodnight." He mumbled settling himself down unto the couch.
"…..Night." She mumbled.
She turned off the light and lay down in her bed.
"Chelsea." He groaned after a minute, "Do you have to sleep facing me? This is already awkward enough as it is"
"…. I don't like sleeping around other people." She said.
"But if you turn around it'll be like I'm not here." He said.
"You never know who will stab you in the back while you're not looking, friend, stranger, family." She said.
He sighed and, in annoyance, slipped his hat over his eyes to block her out.
That night he woke up to weird noises. Chelsea was thrashing in her bed.
A nightmare. Of course. Of course she had to be having a nightmare. Wait, this was why he was here right? He groaned and turned on the light. He walked over to her bed. Her face was twisted in horror and she let out a small squeak.
"Chelsea." He said. She continued to toss and turn. "Chelsea!"
She cried as if in physical pain and gripped her stomach and chest with both hands. "It hurts! It hurts!" She cried. "Whywhywhywhywhwhywhy!"
He was freaked out now. This might not be a nightmare but a medical emergency!
He grabbed her shoulder and she jolted up and grabbed his arm in a death grip. Her deep blue eyes were blank, large and empty, just like Ruth's. "Who are you?" She said in a cold voice.
"Vaughn." He said.
She blinked in surprise and her eyes returned to normal, "Oh right!" She noticed the grip she hand on his hand and quickly let go. "Sorry!" She said.
"Nightmare?" He asked.
"Yeah." She said her hands were still shaking. She glanced at her cabinet wistfully but returned her focus on Vaughn.
"Chelsea?" He asked worriedly.
"Chelsea?" She said as if the name was foreign to her. "Chelsea." She said again in a more definite voice.
She got up and pulled a small container of pills out of her cabinet and popped one in her mouth before coming back and sitting on the edge of her bed.
"What was that?" He asked.
"Headache." She said a little too fast.
"So your dream…" He trailed off not really wanting to talk.
"It was about erm, the movie. Zombie farmers and such." She didn't give him many details which he was thankful for, he really just wanted to sleep.
He snapped at her, "You shouldn't have watched that movie!"
"Yeah." She said quietly as he made his way back to the couch. As he lay down, she thought again about the dream.
She wasn't exactly lying when she said it was about zombie farmers, except this time she was the zombie farmer and each of the people on the island became her victims. Each night her dreams began to stray more and more from the original memories they were based on, replacing total strangers with familiar faces.
Eventually her brother appeared in the dream and slashed her across the chest with a knife. She clasped her wound, relieving the pain she had felt that day, five years ago.
Just like that life changing day, the zombie farmer looked up at the blond man towering over her as she lay on the blood soaked ground.
"Why?" She asked him.
He did not answer, but there was no remorse in his cold eyes.
She shook her head slightly and decided not to go back to sleep. She would surely wake Vaughn again and there'd be hell to pay. She stepped out of the home, closing the door slowly behind her. She climbed her way to the roof with an acrobat's grace and watched the stars until the sun rose.
That's where Vaughn found her the next morning. "Chelsea! Get down from there!" He called.
She turned to him in surprise. "Hi!" She said cheerfully and jumped down. He flinched but she landed on her feet.
"Next time get down the normal way." He muttered before stalking off. She watched him go with a yawn and then turned to begin her farm work.