EPISODE THIRTEEN

"So where are you from, again?" Carl asked, leaning on the counter. Katie shrugged, sitting next to him in one of the stools.

"A place called Sugar Valley. You've probably never heard of it, though. We don't get as much attention as Mineral Town and Flower Bud." She sighed, thinking of how she'd failed at the Cake Contest a few years ago, and that Gwen had discovered some stupid endangered ferret and "saved" Sugar Valley from being destroyed to build an amusement park. Big deal.

"Ah. But isn't that where they found that ferret?"

"Yep. Now it's my turn to ask you something. When's your birthday?"

"Fall 16th."

"Oh. Wait. The 16th? But Carl, wasn't that yesterday?"

Carl looked a little embarrassed. "Uh, yeah…but it's okay, I mean…when's your birthday, Katie?"

Katie was about to protest, but then heard his question. "Err…Fall 29th," she said carefully, wondering if the suspected that she wasn't exactly eighteen yet.

"Oh, that's cool. We're born in the same season."

"So how old are you now?" she asked quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Twenty-one."

"Wow, seriously? You're so young, and you're running your own café?" Perfect, Katie thought. There was only about a three-year age difference between her and Carl---unlike Joe, who, Katie recalled, had turned twenty-four on Summer 10th this year…

But that doesn't matter, Katie reminded herself. Because I already like Joe. And age doesn't matter in love, anyway.

But before she could have second thoughts, Carl was talking again.

"…not such a big deal," he was saying. "We don't usually get much business. Now that it's getting colder, though, a lot of people stop in for warm Cakes and Hot Milk."

Katie nodded absent-mindedly, half-listening to what he was saying. Of course, six years is quite a leap…

---

Dia rolled over onto her stomach. She hadn't slept in what seemed like days. She had sometimes let her eyes slide shut, but quickly reopened them. The dream seemed to be etched on her eyelids, constantly replaying itself. She had desperately searched for some kind of clue, but she found nothing. Now it was just a mocking reminder of how she would soon fall into an endless sleep.

It was night; Dia could tell from looking out the window near her bed.

"Hey, Jamie?" Dia said, her voice scratchy. There was a long silence before Jamie answered.

"What?" she snapped, and Dia felt strangely relieved to hear her.

"Jamie…what are your dreams like? What is it…that you dream?"

"Shut up." She responded immediately, her voice sounding cold and harsh.

"But Jamie…I need to know. You can help me, can't you?"

"No."

Dia let out a sigh, rolling over on her side to wait for morning. Maybe she could think of a plan without the help of Jamie. But she'd need to do research on the Harvest Goddess, first…

---

A few days had passed. It was Fall 21st. Katie's birthday was coming up rather quickly.

Just eight more days, she thought happily as she cleaned off the tables. But Carl still hadn't allowed her to go to Perch Inn. He was always keeping her busy; washing dishes and tables, taking out the trash, running errands around the town. She'd wondered if it was all just so he could protect her…some of the villagers might still be suspicious of her.

She sighed. Really, how could they expect a seventeen-year-old-almost-eighteen girl to turn their Goddess person to a statue? She thought that she'd heard someone mention that she was behind Dia's sickness, too. But she'd gone over the scenarios over and over in her mind, and she'd come to the conclusion that they were all maniacs. There was no use thinking about it too much.

"Hey, Katie? You said you wanted to go the Perch Inn earlier, didn't you?"

Katie looked up quickly. "Yeah."

"How about you go now? Looks like you're finished with the tables, and I've got nothing else for you to do…"

"Really? Thanks, Carl! Oh, but…isn't it too late?" She glanced down at her watch. "It's already past seven."

"It's open until midnight. But you should hurry. It's getting dark." Carl was already starting to look doubtful.

"Yes, yes, I will. I'll be right back, Carl!" she said, hurrying towards the door.

"Be careful, Katie!" he called out after as the door shut behind her.

---

No. There was no time to lose while she waited for morning to come. She had to begin her research now.

Dia pulled herself out of bed, her legs wobbling as she made her way through the darkness towards her bookshelves. She realized that she hadn't been up and walking around since…since before she'd gotten her sickness? It was hard to remember a time when she wasn't sick.

She leaned on one of the bookshelves for support as she squinted to see the titles. She remembered that she'd had a book on magic once, back when she was living at the Clove's Villa in Sugar Valley.

"Ah!" she murmured, finally finding the book. She tried to pull it off the shelf, but it was getting increasingly difficult to hold herself up. In fact, maybe she would fall asleep right there…

After all, maybe going to sleep isn't so bad. Even if it means that I might die.

She could feel herself start to lose her balance, still gripping the book in her hands.

And dying isn't so bad, is it?

She was lying on the floor now, her head aching from the fall. She closed her eyes, welcoming the sleep that came.

Because, in the end, it is my only escape.

---

"Bye, Ronald," Katie said, reluctantly hanging up the Phone. She'd made it to the Perch Inn and had called Ronald using the Inn's Phone.

It had been nice to talk to him, but really it only made her feel worse. She sighed a little, seeing the "Toll: 10g" sign next to the Phone. She only had 112g, but she supposed that paying 10g would be worth talking to Ronald.

Glancing back at the man that seemed to be the owner of the Inn but was currently asleep (or possibly unconscious) with his head resting on the desk, she turned to leave, but an annoyingly familiar giggling sound stopped her.

Katie felt a little irritated by the giggle, unable to exactly place it. She looked back at where it had come from, hearing it again.

She knew that she should get back to the Calloway Café before Carl got too worried.

But she also knew that she had to know who was giggling.

After a brief mental battle with herself, her curious side won over and so she crept to the back of the Inn, stopping as she reached a door that she could only assume was the kitchen.

She put her hand on the door, straining to hear before she gently pushed it open. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of Gwen.

Kissing Bob.

The first thing that came to mind was how big Bob was in comparison to Gwen. Katie always knew that he was muscular, but this seemed almost excessive.

And then it all sunk in. Gwen was kissing Bob.

Oh, but this is a good thing, she reminded herself. This means that she doesn't like Joe, which means that you can have him for yourself.

And for once the thought of being with Joe didn't seem so great. When had this happened? When had she changed like this?

She backed out of the kitchen, letting the door shut quietly, still in shock before she bumped into someone.

"Katie?"

Katie slowly turned her head to face the person who'd called her name, praying that it wasn't who she thought it was. But it was, of course.

"…Uh…hey…Joe…"

---