-1What was it that I have done?

"Who are you?"

What was it that I have said?

"Oh! You must be -"

What was it that I have accomplished?

"My name is --- and you are?"

It was her, her, and her. I once thought it was a dream, I thought it was nothing more than just a simple…

"Goodbye…"

"NO!" I awake in my bed. It was just a dream, I thought. But is this all just a dream, within a dream? How can any of this be real?

A while back I've been studying at a university for psychology. I'm currently 23 years old, and I never used to believe in fairy tales and the like. That is until one of my friends mentioned a name…"Harvest Moon" he said. "It's one of the coolest games ever! You just gotta try it!". So I did. I did try it. It was one of the greatest feats. I've ever seen. Though it was old, "Harvest Moon 64", I was entranced by it, I was brought into its world…

After I got bored of the game, my friend told me that this place, Flower Bud Village, truly did exist! I brushed the idea off my shoulder and continued on my way. It was a lie, I thought. It was all just a myth. Hah! How could a place such as THAT really exist in life? Though day, after day, it puzzled me. I was curious, and soon became furious. My friend passed away soon after for he had a terrible disease. Was this all a sign? I wanted to ask him more about this village. Where was it? How did he know?

I searched his house. Everything came to a halt. I could not find any information about this place…but then I realized I was just acting silly. It was just a game, I thought. It couldn't possibly exist in this world. The people there were just too nice, the girls were too easy to woo, and the farming was much easier than it would regularly be, if it were compared to life as it is now. So I went my way and never thought about it again. But then…

But then…

My heart stopped one day. I was rushed to the hospital as quickly as the paramedics could. I remember the cold afternoon that day was. It was damp, dark, and…so cold. I was in the emergency room, or so I thought. The doctors were rushing with their tools as fast as possible, they were trying to bring me back to life, for I have just died.

But in the recovery room, I swear…I heard a sweet melodic voice over my body, and she sung a sweet tune. I opened my eyes and saw this girl with glasses, blue hair, braids, and…a nurses outfit? Who could this maiden possibly be? She saw my eyes open, picked up her dress and dashed out of the room. I wanted to follow her, so I rose out of my bed and began to regain all feeling in my body. I stepped down on the cold floor, and swiftly, rushed out of my room, and began to follow this mysterious woman.

I saw her running down the corridor, so I picked up my pace to catch up to her. Taking the elevator as she did, I took the stairs to my right. I ran down the stairs as fast as the wind, and caught her at the main floor. I grabbed her arms and pushed her against the elevator's wall, and asked,

"Who are you?"

She said nothing. Only tears began to flow out of her eyes. Maybe I was being to harsh, so I released her arms. She brushed off any dust off of her dress and took a deep breath in, and said,

"Please…I don't want to forget you…"

I was puzzled again in my life as to what she was trying to say. She was still crying, and tears began to follow up in my own eyes as well. But what was this feeling? What was happening? My head began to feel fuzzy, and I was getting drowsy all of a sudden, but with all my strength I stood up and faced her and asked yet again,

"Who are you?"

She was shocked this time. As though she placed this spell on me and found out that I resisted.

"Call me Gina…if you have that much strength, I will show you…" she took my hand and guided me out of the hospital, where this darkness began to engulf me, I couldn't feel her hand anymore, I felt like I was sinking into the ground, I felt like I was suffocating; I couldn't breathe.

Introduction

I woke up in my room as I said before, thinking that everything was a dream. But no…this was not "my" room, I was staying at somebody's place; on the floor to be more exact. His name was Jack apparently, and allowed me to stay at his farm for the night so I could find myself a place to stay. I was comfortable in my bed as I saw Jack sleep across the room from me. I could smell that stench that farm's usually carried, and didn't like it. So I got up and stepped outside to get a little air.

Once outside, I took a long stretch, until I saw a girl about my height, with red hair come running across the yard to Jack's doorstep…of course with me in the way.

"Excuse me, do you know if Jack lives here?"

"And what if I do?"

"I…umm…well…you see…"

"You are not afraid of me?"

"Why should I be?"

"Do you know who I am?"

"Why sure! You're --- right?"

"GAH!" I just then had a searing pain in my head. I dropped to my knees, holding my head, screaming out at the top of my lungs. I tried opening my eyes to get a glimpse of this girl again, and she stood there worried. She was scared, I could tell. Sooner than later, I fainted right on the spot and I never knew anything of that night.

I awoke again, except I wasn't with Jack. I was with that girl, sitting at the edge of my bed, which was covered with an orange-dyed blanket, and with a lot of wool around. I noticed an ice bag on my head, and felt it to be really cold. What happened moments ago, I couldn't explain. Just then, the girl began to speak,

"How are you?"

"I'm…fine Ann" I was shocked. I knew her name! But how, I thought.

"Please don't worry too much ---"

"NO!" Another headache came rushing to my head and I grasped my head, clutching on to it as though something good would come out of it.

"Please! Not again!" Ann was caught in this dilemma again, and fell on her knees praying out loud, "Oh dear Harvest Goddess, please relieve --- from his sickness!" Again, she attempted to say my name, and more pain came to my head. I felt as though my head was about to explode from all the pain, but when I attempted to open my eyes again, I saw HER. It was HER…Gina…She calmly asked Ann what was the matter, and she spoke of my name yet again to see me crying out in pain, with tears rolling off my face. Gina could only stand there and take it all. I felt anger. It was swelling inside of me. Why couldn't Ann see that to stop this pain was to simply not say my name. I felt like lunging out at Gina and release my anger, but instead, I roared out my name at the top of my lungs,

"VINCENT!" My pain was ridiculously intense, "GOD DAMMIT CALL ME VINCENT!" The pain was still there…what else was there to do? "GINA! HELP ME! ANN!" The two bluntly stared at me as I ran out of water for the tears.

Suddenly, I felt a shock pulse through me, and rush through my head, it felt painful, but at the same time, nice.

"I am…I am…" I then fainted. Although, that's what I thought that had happened to me. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back in Ann's household, except with nobody around. It seemed that all my pain had subsided. "Vincent" I whispered to myself. No pain. Strange as it was, I continued out of Ann's room until I was in this big space of darkness. I began to wander through this darkness until I heard whispers…

"Another has come"

"Who is he?"

"Will he last?"

"What about that other one?"

"He did not have the heart…"

"'twas sad"

"Truly sad"

"Very sad"

"I pray for him ev'ry night"

"I pray for him ev'ry morn'"

"He is…"

I couldn't really understand what was going on, so I decided to move on when I suddenly bumped into a wall. Though I could not see in all this darkness I felt around the wall. I felt something as though it were a doorknob, and slowly turned it. A gust of wind came rushing through the door, and I imagined it lead to the outskirts of Ann's place…if that was still where I was. I ventured through the door and I happened to appear outside as imagined. I seemed to have stumbled upon a farm of some sort, but that of one that looked abandoned. I turned to my backside to see if Ann's house still existed, but it had vanished; right before my eyes as well. I walked around for a bit until I came to the barn. I tried opening the barn doors but had no luck in doing so.

I began to wander some more.

This place seemed almost too familiar…just like when Jack took me in.

After Gina had lead me through the darkness, I suddenly appeared in Jack's room. For some reason, I knew his name as well, but I did not bother with it.

I wandered around the ranch until I found a dark hole in the ground. I stepped towards it until I heard a familiar voice call out to me,

"Please! Don't go in there!" I turned about and found Gina standing by my side, with her braids undone and in a very posh dress I might add. "You don't want to do this…do you?"

"I don't even understand what the hell is going on…so what else should I do? I just wanna get back home"

"But you wanted to come here though!"

"Hey! I didn't know that coming here, would cause me so much fucking pain! I didn't know, that I would end up in a twisted dark world such as this, and to just have you watch me while I suffered…you…you bitch!"

"Vincent…please…calm down"

"Calm down? How the fuck do you expect ME to calm down? HOW? I'm trapped, ok? There's only ONE dark hole here, I can't go back inside Ann's house because it fucking disappeared! If you have another way out then please show me the way!"

"There is need of explanation…"

"Please, go on…" I said sarcastically.

"Apparently, you don't belong here. Your very existence is trying to be forced out of here by our world. What you have been experiencing is what our world can do to 'outsiders'. Through that hole is a dark maze that goes on for eternity and no heart that isn't strong enough can make it through. This is Flower Bud Village as you see it…to me it seems normal, but through YOUR eyes, it seems dark, destroyed, abandoned…everything. That's our world's way of saying 'get out'"

"Well…so now you're saying it was my choice to come here, and you willingly knew that this world would reject me. Great. First I have a heart attack, then I wind up here. I wonder which way was better to die. Hell, I'm surprised I didn't have another heart attack. Well you know what? Fuck you bitch. Fuck you. I don't need you, I don't need anyone, especially not you, Ann, Karen, Lyla…Nina…M-Maria…h-h-how do I know these people?"

"That was your doing. You wanted to fit into this world, so once I brought you here, you've become a part of this world already. You know everyone and everything. But our world doesn't like that idea and -"

"Fuck this talking! I'm outta here!" I jump into the dark hole and embrace the impact once I hit the bottom.

"No!" I hear Gina scream, as though she was trying to protect me. Even though all this sounds totally bogus, I have to buy it for now.

I land.

It's a cold dark floor I land on, but no pain whatsoever. I can still hear Gina's screams, and soon I can hear her crying. It begins to rain inside this place. I move forward, and I bump into a wall. I try to feel my way through this place and successfully move down corridor after corridor.

I feel like it's been hours.

I still haven't found my way out.

A strong heart huh? Do I have what it takes to get out of this maze? Can I really do it? Or am I just going to fail? No! I can't fail. I've gotta get back to MY world. I regret ever making the decision of coming here.

As I move through the maze I somehow feel stronger, faster, and more agile. I move faster and faster through the maze, still feeling my way through. More and more hours pass as I think about the time. I'm not even sure if time passes through here. It's still as dark as ever and I can't see a thing.

I get tired quickly, so I rest myself down on the cold floor and begin to think aloud.

"Gina claims that I know everything about this place…let me think…this is Flower Bud Village where Jack's grandfather apparently had a farm but passed away. He gave the farm to Jack. Jack then grows crops and courts the ladies in the village so that one day he could have a wife…damn…I wish I could have a wife…more or less a girlfriend" I lay my head down on the cold floor. "If I could only find…Ann…"

A flash of light!

I'm unconscious!

I wake up!

"ANN!" I leap out of Ann's bed and on to the floor. I shake my head a little and take note of my surroundings. I'm back in her room. Back in Ann's room! I'm back! But how I wonder? Suddenly, I hear a knock at the door.

"---! Are you there? Are you alright? I heard you call my name!"

Another pulse shoots through my head.

"Yes Ann, I'm alright,"

"Are you sure ---? May I come inside"

Another pulse shoots through my head.

"Please do" Ann opens the door and comes inside the room to find me laying down on the floor.

"Oh ---! Are you alright? Did you fall out of the bed? Please, let me help you up…" Ann takes a hold of my hands and pulls me up. Her hands feel so warm…much warmer than that dark hole. I squeeze her hand, and she squeezes back. She giggles and looks a little embarrassed and lets go. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, yeah…bad dream I guess" I look deeply into Ann's eyes and focus on her pupils. Ann does the same back to me, and it seems like we stare at each other for eternity. "Hey…could you do me a favor?"

"Yes? What is it?"

"Could you call me Vincent?"

"Sure thing ---!"

"Ouch!" Yet another pulse shoots through my head. I grab my forehead with my left hand and grasp it. I still don't understand what's going on. "Do you happen to know where a Gina is?"

"Gina? No…I think she's out running errands or something…I don't know"

"You seem to have made it"

"What?"

"Huh? Did I say something?"

"No…I…thought I heard something…"

"But do not digress…keep your heart strong. Keep it full of life, and love"

"And love? What are you talking about?"

"Are you feeling alright?" Ann looks at me with an awkward look on her face.

"Oh…I never thought you'd make it…I cried, and cried…but I'm so glad you're safe."

"Gina! It's you! I know it's you! Show yourself!"

"Not now unfortunately…you see, I'm 'running errands remember'? Teehee"

"Stop fucking around, and show yourself!"

"I love you so much Vincent…I really do…and your love towards Ann has shown you the light out of the darkness…our world is giving you a chance to live, as long as your love lasts"

"Love me? I love her? Me? What? How can I love Ann? I don't get any of this!"

"Well please hurry and do…or else you'll be trapped in the darkness again…"

I sigh deeply and go into deep thought. I ponder about what Gina is telepathically telling me. My strong heart, apparently now, was made from the love that I have for Ann…but I never even felt like loving Ann. I never did! I only just met her! I mean, sure I did want to be near her when I fell into the darkness, but nothing more than that!

…

But I wonder though.

"Say Ann"

"Yes?"

"Do you love me?"

"WHAT!" Ann gets flustered and red in the face. "Ah…umm…this is…s-so sudden, and…I…er…we just met…but…I dunno…"

"Heh, I knew it…how can I love her when she doesn't even love me?"

"Vincent…you should look closely at her…tell me, what do you see?"

I turn to look at Ann, but before I saw her, I saw nothing. She was gone, She disappeared. The sunlight from outside began to fade quickly. The sun was setting, the clouds were rolling in, and it began to rain faster than anything else that I have experienced.

"Oh no…"

The whole room turns black, the floor gets cold, and so do my hands. Soon enough, it gets so dark that I can't seem to see what's in front of me anymore. As I get up, I suddenly feel this rush of strength, and agility…oh no…that could only mean one thing…I'm back where I started. THAT FUCKING MAZE! DAMMIT!

"FINE! YOU WANT IT YOUR WAY! THEN FINE! ANN! I SWEAR TO GOD, I LOVE YOU FOREVER AND ALWAYS!"

Another flash of light!

And I end up right back in Ann's room again with Ann staring straight at me.

"D-d-do you really mean that?" I don't care to see what Ann is feeling right now. I could really care less about her. Screw this and a half more. I just want to get out of here, and if it means to love this girl, then so be it. I'll do anything to haul my ass outta here.

"Yes Ann, I do mean it"

"Oh Vincent! I love you too!" Ann lunges at me and hugs me. She squeezes me tightly and kisses me on the cheek. For the moment that lasted, I noticed that she called me by name, and it didn't hurt for me. What could this all mean? There is so much for me to know…

And so it begins…