(Author's Note: So sorry! Teaching and regular updates just do not mix well. Especially lately, as it seems my workload has increased with the behavior issues that the majority of teachers are facing. I promise to continue updating as often as possible! Thank you for your support and your kind words! They keep me motivated!)


Theme Song: Don't Think Just Run - Beth Crowley


After a morning of plant watering and a little playtime with the animals, the farmer headed into town to buy the parsnips that she needed for the community center. The junimos were looking for some high quality ones, so she needed to get really good at growing them. She was determined to get them all, before the season ended. Otherwise… She'd have to wait a whole year to try again. That didn't sit well with her at all.

"Welcome to Pierre's! How can I help you?"

She was immediately greeted by the store owner when she walked in. It was one of the things she liked about shopping there. It made the place feel quaint and familiar. Unfortunately, the calm and peaceful morning didn't last long. She was just about to ask Pierre if he had parsnip seeds when the door behind her swung open again, slamming against the wall that made the storefront. A man with black hair came sauntering in, a sneer on his lips. The farmer could see Pierre's eye twitching before the man even spoke.

"Ahem," the man stood in the middle of the store, arms outstretched. "Come and get it folks… Coupons for 50% off your purchase at JojaMart!"

"50%!?" Pierre gasped.

The farmer stared at the man, dumbfounded. Was he… advertising in his competitor's store? What an underhanded, slimy tactic…. And the farmer must not have been the only one shocked, because there were other members of the town in the store, all staring at him with their eyes wide.

"Well? Any takers?" he prompted.

That was all he needed to say. The farmer watched as Gus, Marnie, Demetrius, and Jodi all walked over and accepted the coupons before heading out to take their business elsewhere. Pierre looked like his entire life had just been ended in that moment.

"But… I can't match those prices! I'd be selling at a loss!" the storeowner exclaimed.

"It must be so difficult for you… To lose your loyal customers like that," the other man purred. "But can you blame them? Joja Corporation is clearly the superior choice. Soon the whole town will realize that. Right, young lady?"

The farmer blinked as the stranger waved his coupons in her face, almost right under her nose. She could practically see Pierre shifting nervously as she narrowed her eyes on the papers.

"It must be difficult being so desperate that you have to stoop to dirty tactics to steal from the competition," she said, pushing his hand out of her face firmly. "At least he has customers that could be referred to as loyal. Yours will disappear the moment you can't keep your prices down…"

The man sniffed angrily, "Fine. I'll take my business elsewhere. No one is worth my attention here, anyway."

As soon as the man walked out, Pierre let out a wounded cry, "I can't stand that man!"

"Who is he?" the farmer asked, approaching the counter again.

"Morris," Pierre spat. "Joja's head representative here in Pelican Town."

"Well, he's a peach," the farmer shook her head. "A maggoty, rotten peach."

"You can say that again," the owner sighed. "Anyway, what can I get for you?"

"Hmm…" the farmer's eyes landed on the backpack sitting on the counter. It would be nice to not have to run back and forth so often, but she was supposed to be saving up to have her tools upgraded…

"Uhm… Parsnips seeds. Fifty seed packs. I'm trying to get really good at growing them. And I'll take that backpack, too," she poured the coins out on the counter.

"Ah, yes," Pierre took the bag, placed her requested seeds inside, and handed it to her. "I bet you run around carrying all sorts of things, don't you?"

She nodded, "Yes. Thank you. This will definitely help. Have a nice day!"

"You too," Pierre waved farewell. "Thanks for sticking around, Farmer!"

The farmer's next stop was the saloon, to see if she could find something Pam might like. Something cheap. She didn't have much after buying the new backpack, though hopefully she could earn it back quickly.

As she walked, she overheard Caroline musing to herself about getting Pierre to cook dinner. The farmer almost stopped to tell her about Morris, but ultimately decided against it. She didn't want to appear as if she eavesdropped on everything, even if Caroline was speaking out loud.

She bought some bread. It wasn't much, but it was all she could afford. She probably should have waited a little longer on the new bag, but what was done was done. She just had to find where Pam lived…

Evelyn was not far off, taking care of some flowers in the town square. The farmer smiled and approached with a small wave, "Good morning! How are you, Evelyn?"

"Oh, I'm doing fine," the older woman looked up with a smile. "Just taking care of these flowers. I'll be baking cookies today. I like to make flower shapes in the spring… Be sure to stop by and grab a few on your way home, sweetie."

"Of course, thank you!" The farmer beamed. "For the cookies and for taking care of the flowers. They're very pretty. It makes walking around out here a really beautiful experience."

"Oh, I do love flowers," Evelyn nodded. "In case you're ever looking for a gift for dear ol' Granny…"

The farmer chuckled, "Speaking of gifts… I don't suppose you could point me in the direction of where Pam lives? I have a birthday gift…"

"She's not far from my house, dear. Her and Penny live in an old travel trailer. You'll know it when you see it."

"Great! Thank you!" the farmer gave a final farewell wave, then headed off. Evelyn was right. The trailer was hard to miss, as was the extremely messy front yard. She tripped over a few objects on her way to knock on the door. She raised her hand and hit the door once… twice…

"Oh! Hello!" Penny greeted her.

The farmer opened her mouth to reply, but her heart was suddenly seized with a fear that she couldn't explain. There was a memory on the tip of her tongue that she couldn't quite voice, but it filled her with such dread, she was shaking.

"Uhm… Would you like to come in?" Penny stepped out of the way, concern written on her face.

"I-I…" the farmer willed her feet to move, but they seemed rooted to the ground.

"Farmer?" the ginger teacher's voice was bordering on panic now. "Is everything alright?"

Finally, her legs moved, and the farmer was able to stumble up the steps and into the RV. She turned her head to make eye contact with Penny, who had shut the door and was frantically looking for some way to help…

"I think I… I lived in a trailer like this. Before I came here. Right before I came here," the memory was dim, barely even there… But the more she looked around, the more prominent it became in her mind.

It was dark. The trailer's electricity had been going in and out for the past few days, thanks to the many storms that continuously rolled through that time of year… Currently the lights had been out for an hour or so, and it was starting to get cold. She had grabbed the cat and dog and was currently cuddling them under the covers on her bed to stay warm when she heard the sound.

Footsteps outside her trailer. Heavy.

A bolt of lightning lit the room, and thunder boomed, shaking the whole structure. She shot up, moving for the entrance to feel and make sure it was locked. A shadow loomed in the fogged up window on her front door, and she shrank back. Another bolt of lightning revealed the lock was secure, but she could hear the soft scraping of something in the keyhole once the thunder stopped.

Someone was breaking in.

She fumbled for her phone, but the device she used to boost her cell signal was out with the power. She couldn't get a signal. She couldn't call for help.

Slowly she turned to face the door as the lock clicked, and it swung open… The hulking shadow figure stepped menacingly towards her. The dog was barking. Her heart was pounding.

"There you are. I've finally found you."

"No!" she shouted, jumping up. Her movement startled Penny, who was frantically talking into the phone.

"I don't know! She said something about remembering living in a trailer and then just… Stopped responding to me. It looked like she was having some sort of panic attack, but I think… I think she's back." Penny looked over at the farmer for confirmation.

"I-I'm sorry. I just… I remembered something. I… I don't remember coming in or sitting down…" The farmer was gasping for breath, her heart pounding rapidly. "W-who did you call?"

"Harvey, she's okay now. Yes, that's fine. I'll ask…" Penny clutched the phone to her chest. "He's wondering if you'd like him to come by and speak with you…"

"N-no! I'm fine!" the farmer shook her head. "I-I mean… If he's busy…"

"She said yes, that would be lovely, thank you," Penny said assertively into the phone. "Thank you, Doctor. See you soon."

"That really isn't necessary," the farmer started, but Penny shushed her quickly.

"It wasn't for you. It was for me," the teacher explained. "I'll feel better knowing someone else who knows more about what happened to you is aware of what happened."

"O-Okay, that's fair…" the farmer looked at the ground. "Sorry if I scared you. I don't exactly know when these memory episodes are going to happen…"

"Do you want to talk about it?" Penny asked. "It seems like it might be something hard to deal with on your own."

"I mean, I just don't really fully know… what I remembered," the farmer tried to explain. "I used to live in a trailer like this… on my own. Me, my cat, and my dog. It was… Out in the woods. The countryside. There was a small town like Pelican Town nearby, but… I don't think it was Pelican Town."

"There are lots of little towns in the valley," Penny nodded. "Maybe one of the others?"

"Maybe," though, even as she said it, the farmer was feeling skeptical. "Anyway… I guess… I think one night I got attacked. Someone broke in and… Kidnapped me? I'm not sure…"

"Kidnapped!?"

"It was dark and the power was out because of a storm. I had just bought the trailer and was camping at a long-term campsite to get a chance to be out on my own…" the farmer bit her lip. "I think he took me to this abandoned cabin and then he-" she hesitated. "He cut my hair and attacked me. I'm not sure but I think I may have met him a few days prior and he followed me home. I must have reminded him of someone or something…"

"I'm so sorry…" Penny whispered after a pause. "That's just awful. You didn't deserve to go through that…"

"Lots of people don't deserve the things that happen to them," the farmer interlaced her fingers in her lap and gave Penny a sad smile. "To be honest, it doesn't feel like it really happened. I just now remembered it, and it's almost like… A book I read or a movie I saw more than something that happened to me. Almost like I'm watching my life through a screen, rather than experiencing it."

Penny nodded, as if she understood, on some level, what the farmer was talking about. They sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't until there was a soft knock at the door that they both jumped back to the present moment.

"Come in," Penny called softly.

The door slowly opened and Harvey poked his head in, hesitant to enter, "Hello. Sorry if I took too long. I had to leave Maru with instructions on how to help anyone while I was out…"

"No worries," Penny waved for him to come in and shut the door. "The farmer was just explaining what she remembered…"

Harvey sat and listened quietly as the farmer recounted for a second time what she could remember about the night she had ended up in Pelican Town. This time, talking about it seemed to clarify the memory even more. She recalled details about the pajamas she was wearing, which Harvey was able to confirm. She remembered falling through some wild berry bushes, which would explain some of the lacerations that had been present when Sebastian had found her. What she couldn't figure out, however, was where the snow came from.

"It was raining," she frowned. "There was a full on storm, but it wouldn't have been cold enough for snow…"

"Maybe the man kept you captive for a long time?" Harvey suggested, stroking his mustache. "Dr. Connelly said your injuries were nothing more than scars from a past trauma."

"Would you remember if you wandered the forest for a while?" Penny asked.

"To be honest, I'm not even sure what I'm remembering now is correct," the farmer admitted. "But it's the clearest, most recent memory I've recalled yet."

"Well, it at least gives us a place to start searching," Harvey stood and moved towards the door. "I can ask around some of the other small towns. I needed to see if I could build a larger customer base anyway… So I could take a trip and see if any have a missing person…"

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like," Penny placed a hand over the farmer's. "Rest as long as you need to."

"Oh!" the farmer shook her head. "I completely forgot why I stopped by in the first place, I'm so sorry! I was just looking for your mother. I have a birthday gift for her…"

"She went shopping at JojaMart," Penny explained. "She'll be home later, if you want to wait."

"No, that's alright! I've imposed enough," the farmer followed Harvey to the door.

"Oh, well… Feel free to stop by anytime," Penny said, clasping her hands in front of her. "Even if you just need someone to talk to."

"Sure thing," the farmer smiled. "I wouldn't mind that. Next time, we can talk about you!"

Penny smiled back, but didn't respond by saying anything. The farmer and Harvey headed out the door with a final farewell and then looked at each other. The farmer shifted awkwardly.

"Well… That was uh… That was something. Sorry you left work for that," she pulled her bag up so it sat more firmly on her shoulders. "I think I just gave Penny a scare…"

"It's alright," Harvey smiled. "I'd do the same for anyone in town."

"Right."

"It sounds like a disturbing memory to recall so suddenly…"

"It was," the farmer nodded. "But at the same time, it's a relief to know what happened. At least… Most of what happened."

They were quiet for a moment, then Harvey cleared his throat.

"You don't think the man is still after you, do you?"

The farmer let out a deep breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding as Harvey voiced her concern out loud, "If he is… Maybe we shouldn't be advertising my location so widely. But I'm not sure how else to find my family, or anyone who might know who I am."

"I'll try to be discreet, then… While I'm out and about."

"I'd appreciate that. Thank you. And thanks for coming to check on me. Sorry again for the scare…"

"No worries. I'm just happy that you're okay," Harvey smiled. "Good luck with Pam."

"Right. Have fun at work! Er… As much fun as being a doctor can be…"

Harvey chuckled, "Some days it can be fun. It was nice to take a walk and get a break from the office. Come by and see me if you remember anything else."

"Yep. Will do. See ya!"

"Bye."

The farmer turned and headed in the direction of the JojaMart before things could get more awkward. It was only when she was standing outside the strange corporate style building that she remembered Shane was probably working inside.

If he says anything about me stalking him, I swear…

She'd never been inside the store before, but once she stepped in, a flood of memories filled her mind of another store she was familiar with. She wasn't sure if it was a JojaMart somewhere else or an entirely different store, but something about it definitely felt like home. Maybe she should have been shopping there…

She shook her head to clear it and headed towards the many aisles. She did see Shane stocking some of the shelves, but managed to avoid his gaze as she searched for Pam. Just when she thought she'd missed the woman, she found her mumbling to herself about some of the products in the store.

"Pam!" the farmer approached, a smile on her face. "Sorry, I stopped by your house… Er… trailer and asked Penny where I could find you so I could drop a present off for you…"

"My house ain't pretty, but at least it's by the river," Pam was immediately on-guard, which caught the farmer off-guard.

"Sorry, I didn't mean- I just- sometimes people get particular about the name of their dwelling place. Anyway, Penny told me-"

"Hey, Penny's my baby girl. Be nice to her or leave her alone, got it?" Pam almost growled the sentence out, causing the farmer to narrow her eyes.

"Are you… drunk?"

"She's my precious baby girl," Pam slurred, stepping towards the farmer. "Little… bitty… baby…"

"Yeah, uhm… She's great. Penny." the farmer winced as the smell of booze hit her nostrils. Pam had definitely started celebrating her birthday already. "She told me I would find you out shopping. Anyway, here!"

The farmer held her present out just in time to stop Pam from coming closer. The woman looked at the wrapped bread for a moment, processing… Then finally took it from the farmer with a smile.

"For my birthday? Thanks!"

"Yeah… No problem…" The farmer started to back away. "Anyway… I'll… See you around."

She turned and crashed right into the last person she wanted to.

"Watch where you're going, Farm Girl!"

"Don't stand so close behind someone!" she shot back. "I don't have eyes on the back of my head, you know!"

They glared at each other for a few moments until Pam's laughter interrupted their staring contest.

"Ooh hoo… Just kiss her and get it over with…" the ex-bus driver slurred.

"Ew! Gross!" Shane snarled. "She probably kisses cows or something!"

"I don't even own cows," the farmer looked unamused. "Me thinks you doth protest too much."

"Oh, so you're saying you want to kiss me?" Shane's tone softened, but just a touch. He still sounded angry, as if the thought annoyed him.

"Well apparently I like to kiss cows, so… Yeah, I guess so," she grinned. "Your words, not mine."

Shane's face turned bright red, and for the first time since she had met him, he seemed to be at a loss for words. Finally, he just grumbled something about needing to work and walked away.

The farmer let out a breath, "For a second I thought he might actually go for it…"

"You have some fire in you," Pam punched the farmer in the arm, causing the girl to bite back a soft yelp and rub the pain away. "Keep it up, and you might actually win him over."

"I don't want to win him over or anything…" the farmer mumbled, mostly to herself. "I just want him to stop being a jerk."

The rest of her day was spent clearing land on the farm. She was feeling like she had socialized enough for one day, and honestly the state of the farm was starting to wear on her nerves. It was hard to get around the land the way it was, and she needed to have a better idea of what she had to work with. She also needed to upgrade her tools so the land clearing wouldn't take so long, but she had just spent all her money on the new backpack… It would be awhile before she'd be able to do that.

She did remember, thankfully, that stone was an item that the junimos had requested. She gathered the stone and brought it to the Community Center at the end of the day. She briefly considered going to the Saloon, but after her interaction with Shane, she wasn't in the mood to run into him again. He spent every night there, so a run-in was inevitable if she did go.

As she was crawling into bed and thinking about the events of the day, she made a mental note to seek out Sebastian so she could update him on her latest memory as well. He didn't seem as invested in helping her remember as Harvey was, but it seemed like something he might want to know.

She slept peacefully that night without any nightmares to interrupt her rest until a new day dawned and she woke to face the new challenges head on.