Gosh, finally! College has kept me so busy. You wouldn't believe just how many little things there are to be done. Anyways, I've finally caught a break, and hopefully it'll stay like that for a bit longer. I know, I know, it's been almost 4 months since the last update, and I wish I could've gotten back sooner.

But the good thing is that one: my Eng 101 class is helping me a lot with writing skills, and my classes will end somewhat early in Dec so hopefully I'll get more stuff done around Christmas.

Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Everything was blue. All around him, as though someone had placed a filter over his eyes. But then there was something else, reaching down in soft tendrils. Was that light? He tried to reach it, but his arms could barely move. His brain and eyes became clouded, and he felt himself falling farther and farther from the light. Unable to hold on any longer, he closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness.

Suddenly something grabbed onto his arm and yanked. His body twisted sideways, and even with renewed vigor to open his eyes it was possibly the most difficult thing he'd ever done. As he finally managed to, he could see the light getting closer with each second. Everything began to shake and ripple in his vision, and the light danced in blinding waves. Muffled voices shouted out, but why, he did not know. The bright light ahead was now dangerously close, and the voices got louder.

The last thing he could remember was the light filling his vision.

~Summer 1st~

Jamie jolted awake in his bed, covered in a cold sweat. "Ugh," he sighed, "Good Goddess…"

In glowing read numbers, the digital clock on his night stand read 2:17. No longer caring about the weirdly chilling nightmare and instead worrying about getting back to sleep, he flopped down onto his bed once more and closed his eyes. He would worry about the strange dream in the morning, after his work was done. If he even remembered it by then, that is. He expected not to. He hoped not to.

He did. Somehow, the grouchy farmer had managed to fall back asleep but the nightmare still plagued his thoughts as he tossed and turned, bits and pieces flashing by in his mind. The morning came and went by in carefully structured routine. Like most festival days, Jamie would wake up earlier than usual (which was early to begin with), quickly and efficiently completing his work with time to spare before the celebrating began.

A shower, bathing suit, and sunblock application later, Jamie sat on the shores of Flower Bud's beach, away from the crowd. He did the same thing every year; waited for the swimming match, and went home once it was over whether he won or not. The first two times he won, he stayed to gloat, but soon realized that basking in the glory wasn't worth it if it meant listening the uneducated drivel of the townsfolk. So since then, he'd just come and go, and the townspeople got used to it pretty quickly. Most of the townsfolk chalked it up to Jamie's reclusive personality and thought no more about it.

Jamie didn't win every year, much to his chagrin. In fact, last year he'd lost to Alex, which wasn't so bad. Alex, while being as simple and trusting as the rest of the village, was a doctor. That had to count for something, didn't it? Medical school isn't really something just anyone can do. Keeping that in mind, Jamie was a little less cold with the doctor, and the two had eventually developed a friendship.

Glancing over to the crowd, he saw the new bakery's waitress arrive, along with the owner. 'What were their names? Calvin and Carrie or something?' he wondered. Whatever the case, the two were grinning and laughing, obviously enjoying their first Flower Bud Summer Festival. The guy was wearing a simple pair of black trunks and a t-shirt, seemingly due to modesty if his blushing at the girl's pointing to his chest and teasing tone were anything to go by. Unlike him, the girl was wearing what looked like a very expensive bikini, very pink and covered in intricate designs. She was tossing her hair and noisily chatting with Ellen and Maria as they marveled at it.

The pink color jogged his memory though, and he suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen his rival since the 28th. They hadn't really spoken, just passed each other on their ways in and out of the mine. Pigtails miraculously had said that she didn't have time to talk, though she still gave him a huge smile and an annoying wave goodbye as he walked back to his home. 'I should've asked her if she remembered to practice for today. Probably forgot all about it, irresponsible little—'

"There you are Jamie!"

Speak of the devil. And right behind him so he couldn't see her creeping up, the cheeky monkey!

"I've been looking all over for you, silly! Why are you all the way over here, away from everybody?"

He stood up and brushed the sand from his swimming trunks. Why he expected to see her in normal clothing, he didn't know. Her bathing suit was actually very simple, just a pink one- piece with a few squares outlined in blue and yellow on the side. To complement the colors, a blue hairband held one pigtail while a yellow one held the other, with pink sandy flip flops on her feet. Try as he might, he couldn't help the small jerk back of his head. Too bad she noticed.

"Heehee! I take it you like it," she taunted smugly. He could've gagged. Pigtails, attractive? In what universe? Giving her his best disgusted sneer, he looked her up and down again, this time with obvious distaste.

"Don't kid yourself, idiot. Anybody would flinch seeing those spaghetti arms and legs for the first time. And are you trying to look like a child? I mean, most women wouldn't still be wearing something like that at your age. …You are an adult, right?" he finished, actually letting some of his curiosity bleed through. He'd always known that Tina had to be at least 18 or so; the mayor wouldn't let her take a farm on if she were any younger. Still, he never could figure out just how old she was. For all he knew, she could be some 30 year old who just had a really young face, or surgery. Maybe now that he'd gotten her riled up, she would tell him. 'Well, looks like this'll work out nicely.'

"Ugh! Jamie, you're despicable!" she pouted. Shaking it off, she relaxed and casually crossed her arms, the insults sliding off of her. "Well whatever, nothing new. I also came over here to tell you that the race is starting soon, and we're supposed to go over to the starting point so Mayor Theodore can tell us the rules and stuff."

'You mean to tell me the guy that's halfway across this tiny beach can't just yell for me or something?' Jamie griped to himself. Where was Theodore anyways, and why wouldn't he just come get Jamie himself? Surely he couldn't be so busy that he had to send the rookie farmer girl on errands. He would have to ask about it later; the race was starting, and he'd be a fool if he let himself get distracted by such little things. Tina had already started trudging ahead, talking with Ann and Nina about what he could only guess were boring girly things.

'I never did get to figure out how old she was,' he noticed. He walked on in silence for a little more, trying to concentrate on the upcoming race. 'Wonder who's competing this year? Same old guys, probably. Let's see, I almost had it last year if it weren't for Alex being on that super health kick…'

Ahead, Tina began laughing even louder than before, pushing Ann and telling her to "get out" for some odd reason. Sometimes, Jamie wondered if there was ever a time where she wasn't laughing and giggling like a kid. The pigtails really didn't help, either.

'… Damn it, this age thing is gonna bother me the whole time, isn't it?'

Theodore's booming, jovial voice recited the rules of the match as Jamie approached the starting line. It wasn't like they'd needed them anyway: "No pushing, no pulling on anyone's limbs, no purposefully splashing anyone, no taunting, no taking anyone's swimsuit off, no fighting," and it went on and on. You get the picture. Basically, play nice, and no one in town ever had problems with that.

Tina stood next to him in line, doing a few last minute stretches. "You'd better prepare yourself Jamie," she grunted with a smirk, "Because today, I'm taking first place!"

"Please! Heh, I'm going to come in first, not you. Why don't you go home before you drown?"

Without giving Tina the chance to say any more, the shrill ring of Theodore's whistle sounded. The entire line of swimmers: Bob, Blue, Alex, Kurt, Joe, Ann, Carl, Eve, and of course, Jamie and Tina surged into the waves and each swam for one of the colorful bobs.

Jamie was doing quite well so far. Unlike the rest of the competitors, who were more concerned with socializing the entire race, was completely focused on winning. Thinking only of reaching the end before anyone else, before Tina, he ignored the sounds around him. At first, it was really only silly things. "I felt you tugging on my bikini, pervert! Quit it!" "Geez Carl, I never had you pegged as the athletic type!" Everything he was hearing went in one ear and out the other. As he approached his third bob, the green one, the only sound that mattered was the splashing of the sea as he trashed his legs and arms through it.

If only he had been a little more attentive about what was around him. Perhaps then, the coming disaster could've been averted.

After what seemed like an eternity, he felt the tips of his fingers brush against the bob. Victory was so close he could almost feel it; so close, he thought he could hear them cheering him on. No wait, that was wrong. They never cheered like that for him before, so what was…?

And then he heard it, and his blood froze in his veins.

"… I said she's drowning, Joe! Get Bob, help me find her, we lost her under the waves—Quick, hurry! HELP! SOMEONE, HELP!"

Eyes darting all around the water, he found the source of the screaming. Kurt was waving his arms above him, shaky and pale. This had to be bad, really bad—Kurt was always a rock of calm, but he sounded absolutely desperate now. It was one of the worst sounds Jamie had ever heard in his life.

Who could be drowning? They said "she". The only girls swimming in the race were Ann, who he almost immediately spotted at the shoreline, running for the mayor, and Eve… But then he saw her, bursting out of the water and grabbing onto the yellow buoy. "I don't see her," she panted frantically with a flip of her lemon hair; "I can't find her!"

'Oh Dear Goddess… Tina!'

BOOM! SURPRISE CLIFFHANGER! :D Muahaha! I did this on a whim. Don't worry; the next part will be out very soon, and this time I mean it. Enjoy the suspense.

In reality, I just don't want this to be too long. So what do you guys think? Have I improved?

Happy Harvesting!

-Aerois