Kids Say the Darndest Things
Shane came in from the barn after having just left Lewis in a damp pile of hay and kicked off his muddy boots before entering the kitchen. He stepped in to find his Aunt Marnie giggling like a schoolgirl and the old guy who lived in the mountains and wore a sword on his belt. What was his name? Marvin? What the hell was he doing here?
Weirder still, the guy was wearing Marnie's white apron and using the stovetop to fry up some scrambled eggs. From her place at the table, his aunt chopped vegetables that would probably be added to an omelet later. Marnie looked up, surprised to see him.
"Oh, hello, Shane!" the rancher greeted him. "I didn't expect you so early."
Shane shrugged. "Yeah, Emily wanted to make sure you didn't make everything on your own, so we planned on meeting here an hour earlier than the time we agreed on," he explained. "I took care of some trash out front on my way in." He was referring to Lewis, but his aunt did not need to know that her ex had been lurking outside her front window.
"You're so sweet!" Marnie grinned at him, looking pleased before gesturing to the individual at the stove. "You remember Marlon, don't you?"
"Uh, yeah," Shane eyed the visitor curiously.
His confusion must have been written all over his face, because Marnie turned her attention toward a single fairy rose in a thin vase at the kitchen table. "Marlon brought me a birthday present, and I invited him to join us," his aunt clarified, admiring the flower with a wistful gaze. "I didn't expect him to start cooking for me!"
Marlon sheepishly defended himself. "A lady should not prepare the meal when she is the one being celebrated."
Marnie could not see if from her seat at the table, but Shane noticed the guy's face was a bit ruddy - and he had a feeling it was not because of the heat of the stovetop. He smirked, This guy is already 100 times better than Lewis. Overall, the guild master was a little weird and old-fashioned, but he was treating Marnie right. That's what mattered to Shane.
Before the election, Shane would have dubbed any self-proclaimed "monster slayer" delusional. But thanks to Emily, the new mayor met a few of the non-human residents of Pelican Town. The discovery that there were other entities living on the outskirts of town made Shane question whether there was something living in the old caverns that might endanger the villagers. He made a mental note to talk to Marlon about that at some point.
Unfortunately, it was too early to call and hire a locksmith, so he would have to wait until after the breakfast feast for Marnie to do anything about it. Instead, Shane decided to relieve Marlon of his volunteer work to save the hash browns while he could. Taking up his cane, which had been propped up on the kitchen counter beside him, Marlon took a seat beside Marnie at the table.
Emily soon arrived with a large picnic basket filled with various jams, spreads, and toppings. "I couldn't decide, so I brought them all!" she revealed with a hearty laugh.
Shane eyed the contents of the container and his mouth to salivate at the sight of the jar of hot pepper jelly. "I guess I'm gonna have to try them all," the young mayor chuckled, his stomach speaking on his behalf. Maybe today would not be a complete loss after all.
Marnie sat at the head of her kitchen table, admiring all the smiling faces around her. Jas and Shane were both here today to celebrate her birthday. Her nephew of course brought his sweet girlfriend Emily, and even her unexpected visitor, Marlon, agreed to stick around to share a meal with everyone.
Things were looking up, despite how low she felt this morning. Shane and Emily were doing well and it did Marnie's heart good to see Shane so happy. Emily was a loving and supportive young lady and offered her help at every available opportunity. Not to mention Jas adored the blue-haired young woman who did not talk down to her like a kid. Marnie's sweet little girl was convinced that Emily was magical in some way and could not be convinced otherwise. The rancher doubted she could have found her nephew a better partner if she tried.
Time passed more quickly than Marnie would have believed possible and although Marlon was a bit shy, he was an excellent addition to their festivities. After everyone finished stuffing themselves full of delicious sweet and savory foods, Marnie thanked everyone for coming to celebrate her birthday. "It's so nice to have a full table again," she expressed, her lips pulled back in an upward curve that made her cheeks sore after a while. "I hope we can do this more often."
Jas plucked another pancake from the pile on the serving platter and began to smother it in syrup, whipped cream, and berries. "We should have breakfast like this every day!"
Emily beamed as brightly as a summer's ray of sunshine, "I think that's a great idea!" she agreed.
Shane, however, slumped back in his chair, rubbing his stomach. "I don't know if I can handle eating that much on a regular basis…"
Marnie chortled at her nephew's response. "It's hard to say 'no' to good food, isn't it?"
Marlon rose to his feet and grabbed his cane. "Thank you all for the meal," the older man expressed his gratitude with a sigh, "but I'm afraid I must be going. Gil is probably wondering what's taking me so long."
The rancher took this as an opportunity to send food home with her guest. "Oh, it's a shame he wasn't here to enjoy all this food with us," Marnie declared sympathetically. "I'll pack some food to go!"
When Marnie was determined, she was just as stubborn as any bull, so Marlon did not stand a chance at denying her. The man was sent out on his way with a few large containers and a spare umbrella to shield him from the rain on his walk home.
Emily and Shane shooed her out of the kitchen so they could clean up and Jas eagerly led Marnie to her bedroom to play with her dolls. The child handed her aunt the dolls she labeled as "mommy" and "daddy," which looked vaguely like Emily and Shane, while she decided to play with the children and the "grandma" doll.
It was then Marnie found the grandpa doll was shoved under the bed on the second floor of the dollhouse. "Jas, what is he doing under there again?" the brunette asked her charge. She thought they had a talk about that the last time Marnie found the doll crammed under the tiny bed frame. The girl giggled and pulled the grey-haired doll free, stroking his hair flat as she accounted for the strange position. "The old grandpa was hiding, 'cause we're not supposed to know he was in grandma's room." Then Jas walked the doll from the outside of the miniature dwelling and into the kitchen. "But the new grandpa is going to make everyone breakfast."
Marnie choked back her shock, instead coughing up the saliva that accidentally went down her windpipe. "Excuse me," she gasped, getting up and heading toward the nearest bathroom. I suppose Jas has always been a smart girl… she reflected as she drank a bit of water and leaned over the sink to inspect herself in the mirror. Did Marlon really make such a good impression on her this morning?
Her face was reddened from the effort of clearing her lungs, but overall, Marnie decided she looked alright. The dairy farmer had never been especially confident or considered herself a beauty, and she attributed the fact that Lewis pursued her originally because she was the only single, middle-aged woman in the village. Did Marlon have similar intentions?
She glanced out of the bathroom toward the kitchen and spied the fairy rose resting neatly in the vase. Lewis never gave me a bouquet, let alone a single rose, Marnie deliberated sadly. Roses were supposed to be a romantic flower and fairy roses were especially beautiful and fragrant. Marlon was such a gentleman and even if he was a bit bashful, he did not try to flee the instant someone else showed up at the house. He looked a little rough around the edges, but he had such a kind look in his eyes. Maybe…
The phone slammed against the receiver on the wall, startling the rancher out of her reverie. Marnie turned the corner and entered the kitchen to see Shane sinking into a chair and collapsing his upper body onto the tabletop in a slump.
Scanning the room, Marnie realized Emily was nowhere to be seen. Had they fought? "What's wrong, Shane?" the woman inquired her nephew in her most soothing tone, taking the seat closest to him.
Shane heaved a heavy sigh and lifted his head up to look at her. "Most of the locksmiths don't want to travel all the way out to Pelican Town for a job when they've got plenty in the city," her kin complained. "And the few that are willing to come out charge a ridiculous fee for service outside their normal travel range." Shane rubbed the stubble on his chin. "And the one guy I think the town can afford can't come out until tomorrow."
Marnie's brows furrowed. "Well, what's wrong with that, Shane?"
His dark eyes darted behind Marnie, as if to make sure they were alone. "That old guy on the beach won't sell me a mermaid pendant unless I have land to build a house," Shane muttered in a low voice. "And Lewis hasn't been able to open the vault with all the land deeds in over a decade, so I need to get a locksmith out today or there's no guarantee that I'll be able to ask Emily to marry me until Spring!"
Marnie had little time to consider Shane's words regarding Lewis' incompetence as she could feel her lips pulling back slowly into a widening grin. The black-haired man frowned. "And sure, I could wait, but she told me that she always dreamed of getting married in Winter because that's the best season for jewel-tones and I know we haven't been dating long, but we've known each other for years and it just kinda feels right, you know?"
The woman threw her arms around her nephew's head, smothering him slightly. "Oh, Shane, I'm so happy for you!"
Shane's eyes widened in a panic, and he slapped a hand over her mouth. "Shhh! Aunt Marnie, keep it down," he begged urgently. "Emily doesn't know!" She nodded to indicate her understanding and they released each other.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Shane sighed, leaning back in his chair, and crossing his muscly arms over his chest. "The old man at the beach only comes to Pelican Town when it rains, and the chances of that happening before Winter again are pretty low."
Marnie placed a gentle hand on her nephew's broad shoulder and tried to assure her nephew. "I'm sure things will work out, Shane. No sense worrying about it now," the brunette advised, rising to her feet. "Just do your job to the best of your ability and I'm sure good things will come your way."
"Well, since it's your birthday I won't argue," Shane grumbled, slapping his knees before standing up. He gave Marnie a hug. "I gotta get a place to secure all the documents ready for when this locksmith comes by tomorrow," her nephew explained. Despite his foul mood, Shane smiled at her. "I'll see you later, Aunt Marn. Happy birthday!"
Alex had spent the last few days trying to wrap his head around the fact that there was a wizard in town who literally popped out of thin air in the middle of Abigail's interrogation at the Stardew Valley Fair and offered to teach her magic. But the weirdest part by far was that he was the only one who thought it was crazy!
No one else even batted an eye, not even Maru. When he confronted her about it afterward, she could not provide any answers. "I'm sure there's a scientific logic behind it all that we just don't understand yet," she had replied, seemingly unconcerned by the impossible events that occurred.
So, if the smartest person Alex knew did not know how it worked, did that mean magic was real? The jock saw the acid splash with his own eyes, and it would have been impossible for that freaky guy in the purple cowboy hat to sneak up on them. In this sense, Alex was having a bit of a crisis. If magic was real, why was he the only guy in town not to know? Were they worried he would use it to enhance his physical abilities and claim a spot on a professional gridball team?
The idea offended Alex. Hell, he was even against supplements. All he needed was good, nutritious food, plenty of exercise, and a drive to be the best of the best. Alex would never resort to cheap tricks to achieve his dream.
But just because he was on the straight-and-narrow did not mean that everyone else was playing fair. Alex remembered the gridball recruitment event in ZuZu City the spring of his senior year, just before graduation. The all-star quarterback had led his team to victory at the national level, gaining the interest of teams from all around the country and Alex had been invited to attend.
And yet, once he was summoned to demonstrate his skills, Alex could not complete a throw to save his life. After a long morning of humiliation, he heard the headhunters talking shit about him in the bathroom that day: "over-hyped and underwhelming." Back then, the would-be professional attributed his sloppy performance to anxiety and Alex vowed he would prove them wrong someday. But now he could not help but wonder if someone had magically messed with his mojo.
The athlete needed answers he would not get from working out or sitting around thinking. Alex knew where he had to go. The spiky-haired brunet set down his weights and patted himself down with a towel and took a swig of water before putting his shirt back on. Then, once he felt hydrated enough, he pulled on his letter jacket and headed for the front door.
"I'm headed out, I'll be back later!" he hollered to his grandparents as he ventured out into the rain, not bothering to confirm that their elderly ears perceived his words. "Don't wait up for me, I might be out late."
Abigail laid in her bed, her head hanging off the mattress as she attempted to play Journey of the Prairie King upside-down in a desperate hope that changing perspective would help her achieve a single victory. Sadly, all it had accomplished so far was grinding down her teeth as she gnashed them in frustration and caused her to feel light-headed as all the blood rushed to her skull.
The amethyst-haired woman was still processing the news from her mother that Pierre was not her biological father. Sure, she had always considered her dad to be lame and old-fashioned, especially when it came to gender roles, but Pierre had been present her entire life. Abigail's mother had purposefully kept the truth from everyone, including Rasmodius, which fueled a certain resentment in the young woman.
If mom kept a secret like this for so long, what else could she possibly be hiding? Abigail contemplated bitterly. Worse yet, Caroline requested that her daughter not share the news with Pierre. Part of Abigail wanted to defy her mother. Pierre had a right to know. But the idea that her parents might divorce over this held her back. Sure, her parents were not exactly the prime example of a happy marriage, but Abigail could not shake the feeling that once one major shift occurred in her life, a domino effect would overwhelm her with a tsunami of rapid developments.
What if one - or both of her parents decided to move out of Pelican Town to either end or save their relationship? Part of her had always dreamed of leaving, but now the idea steeped her mind in the terror of the unknown. Besides, she was with Sam now. Could she choose to stay behind with him? She doubted Jodie would let her move in with them and it was not as if she had a job to afford to buy or rent a place of her own.
Her cerulean eyes glazed over as the swarm of enemies obliterated her pixelated cowboy who flashed in and out of existence as his final life was lost. So telling Pierre he was not her real dad seemed too daunting, but what if she did not say anything? Could she even do that for the rest of her life? Would accidentally letting it slip later be even worse if the man who helped raise her found out that both his wife and daughter had deceived him?
And what about Rasmodius? Abigail was eager to learn more about her latent magical abilities, but she did not entirely trust someone she only recently met. Maybe she could convince the wizard to let her friends join, too. At least that way it might be more fun and less awkward for everyone involved.
A snippet of the recording of their opening concert number brought Abigail's attention back to the external world. It was her alert that someone from the band sent a message in the group text.
*GUYS, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS.*
It was Violet. Abigail rolled onto her stomach, sent a *?* in reply, and awaited clarification.
*THERE'S A LEGIT BUILDING DOWN HERE IN THE MINES.*
This time, Sam chimed in. *Like a bunker or something?*
There was a pause before Violet replied with a few photos of frosty stone walls that were clearly not natural rock formations and a glassless window that showed only the stark darkness beyond the fortress.
*Oh, and there was a stupid slingshot in the chest on this floor. Sam, it's all yours.* Nobody but Sam liked them anyway.
*Any signs of who might have built it?* Sebastian wanted to know.
Abigail watched the little dots that indicated that someone was typing a response. *No, this room is pretty bare. I'd have to go down another level, but I promised someone I'd only go down five levels at a time solo and quite frankly I don't want to find out alone. Who knows what could be down there?*
The party barbarian sprang at the opportunity. *BUNKER RAID FIRST THING TOMORROW MORNING!* Abigail declared. Finally, a real distraction from all her personal problems. She could just beat the shit out of monsters in the mines to give her head a break for the day.
Sam joined her in the exhilaration. *Cave Exploration Squad, assemble!*
*I have class during the day!* Sebastian countered.
*Sounds like a personal problem, fam,* Sam teased with a little emoji to add insult to injury. *All those in favor of exploring without Sebby, say "aye!"*
*Aye!*
Abigail could not type fast enough. *Fuck yes!*
*...* The failed gamer could practically hear Sebastian's exasperated sigh from here. *Fine, but if you all get abducted or imprisoned, don't expect me to save you.*
The conversation went onward for a while, with each member of the scouting trio making their case as to why they should be saved regardless. Violet made the point that since she and Sebastian were dating and had already held hands, he was obligated to take responsibility. Sam, being the weirdo that he was, felt confident in his chances of becoming a highly desired love slave to their new overlords, even after all the eye rolling and teasing to the contrary. Abigail, on the other hand, believed she could take whatever the mystery monsters could dish out.
Once the playful debate finished, Abigail sent a text to Sam separate from the group chat. *Pick me up on your way to the mines tomorrow morning, okay babe?*
Then, the exhausted woman tossed her phone aside. If she was going to slaughter her way through a swarm of monsters tomorrow, she needed rest.
Not bothering to deal with personal hygiene, Abigail simply turned off the TV and gaming system before flicking the light switch off and falling into bed. She fell deep into a dreamless sleep.
Sam did not normally check Welwick's forecast for the day, but since the Cave Exploration Squad was going to be down a sorcerer today, the blond supposed it was best to figure out what they would be up against. Turns out luck was slightly in their favor and that's all he needed to know.
Since his skateboard was not meant for two people, Sam opted to leave it behind and walk to pick up his girlfriend on the way to the mines today. Since it was better for all of them to have some sort of food to restore energy on-hand, Sam dashed into the kitchen to grab a few snacks.
Vincent sat at the kitchen table, shoveling a sugary cereal into his mouth while their mother sat directly across from him, sipping a fragrant tea. Jodie beamed at her oldest son. "Good morning, Sam!" The blond was suspicious of his mom's unusually cheerful attitude since her birthday, but Sam was not about to interrogate his mother about it now. Those were both good things, after all.
"Morning!" He tossed a few bags of salty chips into his bag. "I'm gonna be hanging out with Abigail and Violet all day," Sam informed his mother as he scavenged in the fridge for something to-go. Jodie accepted the news without complaint and wished him a good day, which was still kind of unusual for his worry-wort mother, but in Sam's favor.
He downed the last dregs of milk directly from the carton and added a handful of Vincent's cereal into his gaping maw before heading out toward Pierre's General Store. "We're outta milk now, gotta go."
As Sam hustled toward the center of town, he spied Violet hauling a large orange gourd that completely concealed her torso. "Hey, V!" he hollered to the farmer, who acknowledged him with a bob of her head. "Don't you usually take the backwoods path to the mountains?" the blond mused aloud.
Violet shrugged, though it was hardly noticeable due to the strain already on her arms. "I would have," the wavy-haired woman admitted, "but I got a request from Caroline in the mail this morning to deliver a pumpkin for Abigail." She elaborated on her thought-process, "I figured I could save time if I just dropped it off now and walked up with you guys."
"I'll bet Abigail is gonna carve something freaky on a huge blank canvas like that one!" Sam speculated with a smirk. Violet nodded in agreement.
"I picked this one out specifically as a good carving pumpkin," Violet stated proudly. "I've gotta showcase the quality of my crops, you know?"
Sam snorted. "All I need to know about my food is whether it tastes good," he countered with a good-natured elbow to Violet's rib as they approached his girlfriend's house. Violet protested because she could not fend for herself while lugging the over-sized gourd, but Abigail quickly emerged from the glass-door of her father's store to save the farmer from any additional disadvantages.
The young woman's cerulean eyes dazzled with delight at the sight of the giant pumpkin. "That's the biggest one I've ever seen!" Abigail proclaimed, eager to inspect it with a light poke from all angles to confirm that it was real.
"Your mom ordered it for you," Violet illustrated to her enthusiastic friend. "Where should I put it?" she asked with a poorly concealed strain in her voice from the exertion.
"Oh, shit, sorry!" Abigail exclaimed, motioning for her boyfriend to help. "I'll take it to my room. Help me out so Violet can get a break, Sam!"
The two eased it out of the farmer's grip and carefully walked the great pumpkin back toward Abigail's room. Sam ordered Abigail to lower her end first so that her fingers would not get crushed, and the duo successfully lowered the orange monstrosity to the floor.
"Thanks, Sam," Abigail articulated, giving him a hasty kiss before grabbing her sword and heading back outside toward the last member of their party.
The group took their time trekking up the mountain to conserve their energy for the so-called "bunker raid" ahead as Violet tried her best to describe what she saw.
"It's like a whole building just… sank into the ground," their companion asserted, clearly disturbed by the idea. "No one puts windows on an underground bunker," Violet reasoned. "All you can see out there is just darkness."
Sam was less concerned. "Some people are weird, V. That might have been part of the design."
The blond noted that the farmer was not convinced, but there was no real sense in arguing when they would soon find answers first-hand. Sam was eager with anticipation. "I'll bet we'll find something really cool."
Penny sat at the table with her two darling students, carefully grading their previous assignment as they worked on the next lesson for the day. Jas, as usual, finished before Vincent and took the opportunity to speak to her teacher in a hushed tone.
"Miss Penny," the girl with ebony pigtails solicited. "Are you and Prince Elliott going to have to wait until Spring to get married? Can I be your flower girl?"
The emerald-eyed woman flushed at such bold questioning coming from such a child. "Jas, where in the world did you get the idea that Elliott and I were going to get married?"
Her pupil's dark eyes shone with intelligence. "I was playing with Emily yesterday when I heard Shane talking to Aunt Marnie," Jas began with a happy hum. "He said if he didn't buy a pendant from a mermaid by the end of the season, he was going to have to wait until Spring to get married." Jas hopped up so that her shins rested on her seat and leaned forward eagerly. "I think you and Prince Elliott should get married soon. You could all get married on the same day!"
Penny was about to clarify some details when Vincent interrupted. "Miss Penny and Elliott aren't even dating. Mom says you have to date someone before you can get married and have babies." Vincent crossed his arms over his chest in such a self-assured manner that Penny felt badly for correcting him.
"Well, actually, Vincent," Penny communicated sheepishly, the heat in her cheeks on the forefront of her mind. "Elliott and I are courting now, which is I suppose a more formal kind of dating."
It was Jas' turn to interrupt. "'Courting' means they want to get married someday, but they're going to spend time alone together just to make sure they like each other enough first." She directed her words toward Vincent in such a manner that Penny began to suspect that sweet little Jas enjoyed tormenting her classmate.
Vincent frowned, "B-but Miss Penny!" the boy protested with a quivering lower lip. "I wanted to marry you first!" he whined, as if calling dibs on his teacher's hand in marriage was enough to stake a formal claim.
Penny was at a loss for words. She did not want to hurt Vincent's feelings any more than they had already been, but at some point he was going to have to accept that while most adults found puppy love adorable for a while, his teacher was not an appropriate choice for a future wife. But, just like a knight in shining armor, Elliott entered the scene to save her.
The poet took the empty seat across from her and sat to better face the boy. "Mister Vincent," Elliott began in a gentle, but stern tone. "We formally engaged in a rivalry for Miss Penelope's heart, did we not?"
Vincent, puzzled by Elliott's speech patterns, answered hesitantly. "We did..." Penny had a feeling he was about to tag on the word "not" should the long-locked man indicate that the boy was incorrect.
Elliott nodded his approval of Vincent's acceptance of the facts. "And at that time, we agreed that Miss Penelope would be the one to make the final decision," the author reminded the student, who fidgeted uncomfortably under his rival's gaze. "True gentlemen always accept a lady's decisions, even if they are not in our favor."
The strawberry blond boy stole a look toward Penny. She gave him a sympathetic smile before he bowed his head in defeat. "Okaaaaaay," he relented with a sigh that seemed too heavy for his frame. Vincent directed his pout toward his romantic rival. "But if you and Miss Penny decide to stop playing ball on the court, I still wanna ask her to marry me."
Penny observed Elliott subtly concealing his amusement with a false cough into his elbow. The man straightened his posture and extended a hand to the boy, who accepted it reluctantly. "If Miss Penelope declines my suit at any point, she is free to choose any other suitor she so desires."
Elliott's amber eyes flickered toward Penny, and he appended his remark. "Though I should hope that will not be the case. I do not think my heart could recover from the loss of Miss Penelope's affections."
The brunette could tell from Jas' giggle that she failed miserably to stop herself from blushing.
Violet found Sam's prediction annoyingly accurate in a literal sense. The submerged structure continued onto the seventy-first level, and it was unclear how far down it would go. There was a suspicious lack of any obvious monsters, which put the gang on high alert. Violet was grateful for her iron pickaxe, which made fast work of the stone. She had already found an emerald, which would be used toward one of the bundles in the old Community Center.
While Violet worked, Abigail and Sam kept a sharp eye out for potential danger. All the while, the amethyst-haired woman filled in the details regarding her family situation. "So, I can literally throw acid, my dad's not my actual dad, my mom wants me to keep it all a secret, and my real dad is the wizard who lives in a tower at the edge of the Cindersap Forest," she summarized in conclusion.
Violet was taken aback by the news. "Well, that does explain the hair, though, doesn't it?" she pondered verbally.
Sam put in his two cents as they traveled down a frozen corridor, the frosty stonework expertly smoothed on either side of them. "And the major quartz munchies."
The farmer recalled witnessing Abigail consume a crystal. "Wait, I didn't just imagine that?!" Violet's mind was blown.
Chortling, Sam slapped his hand on the pastel-haired woman's shoulder. "Nope, Abigail really eats them up like a recycling machine."
Abigail got defensive in response to her boyfriend comparing her to a clunky device. "I didn't even know it wasn't a normal thing until Sam said I was the first person he knew to eat them!" the newly discovered magic-user insisted. She threw out another detail in her rebuttal. "My mom eats them, too! I just figured they weren't to my dad's tastes or he was such a tight-ass that he didn't want to spend the money on an expensive snack!"
Sam smirked and left Violet's side to wrap up his girlfriend in his arms. "Don't worry, babe," the blond cooed soothingly. "I'll feed your cravings for the harder stuff anytime you want a hit," he promised with a suggestive wink, giving Violet a sneaking suspicion that the skater's joke was a double entendre.
Abigail's face colored pink as she shoved Sam away at arm's length. "Just keep an eye out!" she snapped as Violet turned away to conceal her amusement.
The farmer promptly found a ladder further down into the mysterious icy building and the trio climbed down with Abigail and her steel sword taking the lead. The party's power couple scouted ahead while Violet broke up the stone in search of a way downward. One stone caught her eye, and as she split the rock to reveal its prize, the young woman shrieked with excitement. "Guys, you're not going to believe this!" she shouted, hopping with uncontrollable glee that she would have everything to complete the Treasure Hunter's bundle in the Community Center. "I've got a diamond over here!"
Violet became aware that her friends were nowhere in sight, so she sought them out by following the sound of footsteps around the bend. "Abigail, Sam!" the farmer called out to her companions. But rather than coming face to face with her friends, Violet's cobalt eyes met with empty sockets of a skull, burning red as a solid object rammed into her side with a heavy thud.