Chapter 11

A Troublesome Arrival

When will these eyes see?

They can only view the night

Only a moon to light their path

They await for dawn

A new light, a new landscape

What can you show them?

What will they see?

Maybe it is too late,

Maybe they are too infected

This darkness is a disease

The calm evening is gone

And only the lonely night remains

"Well, that was exciting," observed Finn as they entered the watery cave, having just witnessed Paolo and Phoebe's musical apparatus that used a variety of the town's resources to recreate the Blue Bell's song. Thanks to that, Ben could ring his bell and, after singing back the melody, he did just that. With a smile and a quick bow, he thanked them and vanished to return to the Goddess' side.

"Only two more to go Molly!" Finn exclaimed, doing a happy dance. "And it only just turned May. Maybe we'll get the next one rung by summer."

"Well, maybe. So far everything has been relatively easy, hasn't it? Concerning the bells I mean. Everything else has been pretty busy though." Molly had spent countless hours on her farm taking care of the fields and caring for her animals. To be honest, she was exhausted and it didn't help that lately she's been having more nighttime adventures than she cared for. Besides the incident with Luke the other day, one of her chickens escaped from her fenced yard somehow and she was out until 2 am with her heavy-duty flashlight searching for it. In the end she had found it inside a blueberry bush. Apparently it was hungry for a late-night snack.

Then, the night after, Kathy invited her to the bar to hang out (after the incident at the Flower Festival they had a sort of reconciliation and were now friends) and she ended up back at her house around 1 o'clock in the morning. Normally it wouldn't be such a problem because she would sleep in until ten but she had to get up at six every morning to take care of the farm and that was what was killing her.

Molly sighed. Hopefully she could get some rest tonight, Goddess knows she needed it.

Finn beckoned toward the cave's mouth and Molly looked up only to see the light blocked by a figure standing at the entrance.

"Who's there?" said the figure, male by the sounds of it.

"Uhm, I'm Molly. Who are you?" she asked, not recognizing the voice. A tourist maybe? Hamilton had said that May was one of the busiest times for the island, well will be if they could get more ships in the harbor.

"Oh, I see, the girl father was talking about. But a more appropriate question would be why you are here. The gate should've been locked…" he said, taking a few steps in and allowing Molly to get a good look at him. He had really fair blonde hair and very blue eyes, although something about them seemed cold. He was wearing fairly fashionable clothes, ones that made him look like he attended a prep school of some sorts and, if Molly had to say, very handsome. Something about him seemed very familiar though and she had the feeling they'd met before. Not wanting to mistake him for someone else, and also because he looked very impatient, Molly decided to leave that question unvoiced and answered his question instead.

"Paolo gave me the key and I was…mining."

"Really? Because you don't have a hammer with you," he pointed out.

"I-, well no. I said mining but I was more just looking for the pearls in here," she said, quickly covering up her lie.

"Hmmm." He didn't look convinced but didn't say anything more about the subject.

Molly took the break in interrogation to ask him who he was again.

"My name is Gill. My father is Hamilton, the mayor," he said shortly.

"Oh, I see." Molly didn't think that he looked like his father at all. The mayor was short, probably five feet tall and, although Gill wasn't exactly tall himself, he was at least the average height for a man. His hair color was different and…well, just everything. He must take after his mother then, she concluded. But, that name did make him seem even more familiar and while she was trying to place him he suddenly took a step closer, frowning and looking in Finn's direction.

Finn glanced quickly at Molly and back at Gill who was now looking suspiciously at the space of air he was occupying.

"Is…something wrong?" she asked him. It was impossible for a normal human to see the sprites and yet…?

"Oh, no…I thought I saw something for a second, but it was just my imagination. By the way, do you know anything about the green bell that's recently gone missing from the Horn Ranch?"

"The green bell? No, I don't know where it's at." Why was he asking about the bells, was he trying to figure out their abilities?

"I see, that's too bad. There have been strange things happening with them apparently. I've been trying to do some research. Some of them already seem to be back in place and in good condition. I wonder how…" he said, trailing off.

"O-oh…?" she said, nervous. The other villagers did know that she's been going around trying to get the bells but how much they knew she wasn't sure. How did she explain why she was doing that without mentioning the sprites or the Harvest Goddess?

"Well, that's all I wanted to ask. If you'll excuse me I'd like to examine this bell closer so if you don't mind…," he said, looking pointedly toward the exit.

Molly didn't like how she was being dismissed but said goodbye all the same and quickly left.

"That was weird, wasn't it?" she asked Finn once safely out of earshot.

"Yeah, I thought he could see me for a second, but I guess it was just a coincidence."

"Yeah…," she said, absorbed in her thoughts. Who exactly was Gill and why was he researching about the bells? Did he have a theory and if so, what was it? Did he know about the Goddess? It also unnerved her that he looked at her so intently. He was definitely suspicious of her and she had the feeling that he wasn't going to give up that easily. She'd have to watch out for him.

"Do you know anything about him, Finn?"

"Not really, he hasn't been on the island since last year so that was my first time meeting him," he replied, tilting his head. "But he wasn't very nice was he?"

"Well…no, he seemed a bit too self-important if you ask me. I just keep thinking that everyone that lives here has to be nice but that isn't necessarily true is it?" Molly frowned slightly. thinking about this. Before she came to the island she would automatically see the worst in people and assume that they probably weren't nice or caring but now it's a surprise to see someone being rude or unkind.

"Well, that's not very important. I'm just glad that the bell was finally rung and now the oceans and rivers currents will become strong again."

"Right!" said Finn happily and together they went about their business for the rest of the day which included buying some more seeds and doing a bit of fishing before heading back for dinner.

Waking up the next day, Molly received a call from the mayor saying that all of the residents who were away because of the unreliable ocean currents have now returned and, if she wasn't busy, she could go and greet them. Molly agreed and, after getting ready and letting out her animals, she did just that. First she paid a visit to the Marimba farm and had a nice conversation with Anissa and Taylor and then said hello to Luna, the very enthusiastic and shorter sister of Candace from the Tailor shop.

Lastly, she went to the clinic and met Irene's grandson, Jin, who was to take over the small building as its official doctor. And, like a doctor, he tried to get her to stay for a check-up, saying that her complexion was pale and the bags under her eyes were far too pronounced. She denied that she was feeling sick and said that she was naturally pale and that her sleep schedule had just been off lately. Molly also didn't think that her circles were that dark (were they?) and walked out of the clinic feeling very conscious about her face.

Passing the Tailors as she made her way to the bar to meet up with Kathy for a quick lunch, she saw Gill coming in from the dock. Panicking, Molly sprinted to the Brass bar and slipped in the door as quietly as she could. Hoping that she escaped his range of vision, Molly closed the door and turned around, finding Kathy and Chase both looking at her with eyebrows raised.

"O-oh, Chase, you're here today?" she asked, embarrassed.

"Yeah…we have a few group reservations tonight so I'm preparing things a bit early," he said, still looking at her strangely.

"Group reservations?"

"Yes, you know, when a lot of people gather for dinner and call in advance…"

"I know what a group reservation is, I just thought it was unusual," she said, indignant.

"Chase knew what you meant, he's just being annoying as usual," Kathy said, putting down her cleaning supplies and coming to join Molly who sat down at the bar watching Chase making different dressings for salad.

Chase ignored her statement and Kathy and Molly shared a smile together. Since coming to the bar more often Molly was seeing a lot of Chase lately. When she was here the other night he had actually helped her drag Kathy to her room after she had drank too much and fell asleep at the table. Molly wouldn't say they were friends but she could talk naturally with him now and she felt that having gotten to this point was a feat in and of itself.

"So, what was that weird maneuver earlier?" Kathy asked her, grinning.

"Well, actually…you know Gill, the mayor's son?"

"Of course, everyone here knows Gill."

"Well, I met him yesterday and he asked me about the bells and seemed really suspicious, even though I told him I didn't know anything. He seemed like he wasn't going to give up so when I saw him as I was walking here I just instinctively ran in here to avoid him," she said, blushing a little bit. It was kind of silly, so what if she ran into him? If he did start asking her questions again she could just say she had plans and couldn't then.

"He was asking about the bells? Well yeah, he would be concerned. Gill takes being the mayor's son so seriously, he organizes all of the events and leaves Hamilton the 'conversing with people' part of the job. I'm sure he's pretty worried. I wouldn't worry about it, though. He's probably just suspicious of you because he doesn't know you," Kathy said.

"See that's the other thing, I think I've met him somewhere before," Molly said, resting her elbow against the counter.

"But how, you've never been here before?"

"I think maybe I saw him on campus once or something."

"You went to East Shore?" Chase's voice cut in.

"Hey, don't eavesdrop," Kathy said, waving him away.

"How can I not? You're talking right behind me. If you don't want me to hear, go somewhere else," he said, crossing his arms.

Before Kathy could say anything, Molly answered that she did go to East Shore for three years.

Chase just made a noncommittal noise and turned back to his stove top.

"Then yeah, you could've met him, right? Since Gill went there too."

"Right, but I just can't remember. It's been bothering me," Molly said, a bit frustrated. For some reason she thought it was an important memory but her memory wasn't good to begin with and there were just too many people that she might have run into, it was impossible to remember all of them.

"Don't think about it too hard, odds are it'll just pop into your head sometime," said Kathy.

"You think?" Molly asked, uncertain.

"Yes. And anyways, by the looks of you, it wouldn't do you any good to have another thing to worry about," Kathy said, her eyebrows turning up in concern.

"Huh? Is this about my complexion again?" Molly said, reflexively covering her face up.

"Again?" Kathy asked.

"Yeah, I was just in the clinic and Jin was bugging me to get a health exam but I'm fine really, just a bit tired," she said, chewing on her lip.

"I don't know Molly, you should still just take it easy for a day or two."

Molly nodded but didn't tell Kathy that she just bought a bunch of seeds to plant on her plot, not to mention the money it took out of her bank account and how she'd have to go mining to make up the deficit. Maybe she was taking on a bit more than she could chew but there wasn't an alternative so she let it go and spent another half hour eating lunch and talking with Kathy.

She went to leave and just as she was reaching to open the door, it swung open in front of her and there stood Gill, giving only the slightest expression of surprise.

Molly froze and took a step back, shocked. Really, these things always happened to her.

"Molly, just the person I was looking for," he said, putting a hand on his hip and still blocking the exit.

"Oh, why is that?" Molly asked, trying to keep her voice from giving away any apprehension she had.

"I had a talk with some of the residents about the bells and they said that you've been going around since you came here looking for them. A bit strange seeing as how yesterday you said you didn't know anything about them, huh?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

Molly couldn't help the blush that started to spread up from her neck but she kept her voice straight as she reminded him that she only said she didn't know about the green bell, which was true, and something she needed to research when she went to go visit the Wizard after this.

"Well, it doesn't change the fact that you didn't mention your involvement and I can only wonder as to why."

"There isn't a special reason, really. I noticed the bells were missing and in my spare time looked for them. It's only my job as a farmer living here to ensure that the bells belong in their rightful places, isn't that so?"

"That is certainly correct, but why are you so interested in returning them? It can't just be because you had free time," Gill said, finally coming in and closing the door behind him.

"Because I wanted to help, is there any more reason needed?" Molly said, crossing her arms now.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before he looked away and told Kathy, who was watching their exchange in silence a few feet away, to grab him a glass of water. Kathy cast one more worried glance their way before going in the kitchen to get a glass. Chase was still standing by his oven but appeared to be finished with preparations and was not moving. Molly wondered if he had been listening too.

"Is that all?" she asked Gill as he started walking away towards the bar area.

"For now," he said, not looking back and sat down in a bar stool, taking his water from Kathy.

Kathy came over and said she would call her later. Molly sighed, giving her a "told you so" look before casting one last narrowed look in Gill's direction, leaving to go to the Wizard's house.

Kathy went back to get her cleaning supplies and started to clean more tables asking Gill what his intentions were bugging Molly like that.

"Bugging her? I was just asking some questions," Gill said, shrugging and looking away.

"You're such a liar," Kathy said.

"I haven't said a lie since I arrived here, I think you're just making things into something that they're not," he said, turning in his seat toward her.

"And I see that you haven't changed one bit."

"Oh, you think so?" he said with an unconcerned air. Kathy threw up her hands but said nothing more and continued on with her duties.

Gill turned back around and looked down into his glass, moving the ice around with his straw. He was curious about Molly and, for the sake of the island, wouldn't rest until he got some information out of her. He looked up as a bowl of tomato soup was placed in front of him.

"Welcome back, Gill. It's been awhile," Chase said, leaning forward on his elbows.

"Thanks. It's good to be back," Gill said, appreciatively taking a sip of his soup. It was excellent, as always. Chase was one of the few people on the island he could actually talk to as a friend. And consequently, Chase knew that he liked any dish with tomato in it which was why he frequently came to the bar for dinner with his father.

"How were classes?" Chase asked.

"It went well. I learned a lot about management and various things about public relations, but I'm glad I've graduated. Coming back here only for festivals just wasn't enough. Things have really changed since the last time I was back," Gill said, having toured the island and observed the land and its occupants.

"Yeah, you haven't been back since winter, right? Things really have changed, haven't they? I was worried there for a while."

"Yeah…me too. I wonder what happened," Gill said, frowning a bit. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad things have gotten better but…"

"You're just frustrated you weren't the one that did it?" Chase asked knowingly. The island was more important to Gill than anything else and Chase knew from the moment he heard Molly talking about it that Gill was upset he wasn't around to improve things when they started going downhill.

Gill smiled, knowing he was found out. "I know I'm being immature," he said, resting his cheek in his palm.

Chase shrugged. "No, I think everyone feels guilty that they haven't done more."

Gill didn't mention that it was mostly his responsibility to take care of the island, not theirs.

"I graduated with a 4.0 and I still feel like I've failed…" Gill whispered, staring at the bottom of his empty bowl.

"Did you say something?" asked Chase.

Gill said no and gave Chase his empty dish to put in the sink.

"By the way…," Chase said, turning around to wash Gill's bowl in the sink, "are you really that suspicious of Molly?"

"I wouldn't say suspicious, just curious."

Chase was silent for a minute before asking why Gill was so interested.

"Well, all of the residents said the island started improving when Molly got here and she's looking for the bells. I just have this feeling that she is the main reason for all of this stuff happening…," he said, not wanting to admit it. How could someone who was new to the island be so important? And is she actually making things better and if she is, how, and why? He couldn't just shrug it off, he had to know.

"It really has, hasn't it?" Chase replied. "But, it could just be a coincidence, right? I mean, how can one person have the power to turn this island around?"

"Exactly. How did she do it?" Gill said, his brow furrowed.

"You totally dismissed what I just said. It's impossible, Gill."

Gill frowned and then sighed. "You're right, I'm getting too worked up."

Chase smiled, drying his hands. "Like always."

Gill conceded he worried too much and, after a thanks for the soup, went back to his office at the Town Hall to take care of some paper work and do a bit of researching on the girl in question herself.

During this time, Molly had walked up to the Wizard's house and, after a few attempts at knocking, was finally allowed entry, however reluctantly.

She was a bit nervous, the Wizard was quiet and spoke in short sentences. He also seemed annoyed that she was there and Molly guessed that he didn't have guests very often. Looking around his house she noticed a giant telescope on the second level and in turn saw the numerous posters of star charts and other universe-related things strewn throughout the place. Obviously he studied the universe, and quite seriously too.

"So…why have…you come?" he asked, sitting down at his desk.

"Well, we went to the Witch's house to try and find out more about the green bell but she wasn't home and so we wanted to ask you if you knew anything about her disappearance and the bell," she said, talking fast due to her nerves.

The Wizard didn't speak for a few seconds and then asked if there was perhaps a frog in the house while they were there.

"Yes, a giant pink one, how'd you know?" Finn asked, impressed.

The Wizard sighed. "That…was the witch."

"What!?" both Molly and Finn exclaimed. He then continued to explain that the Witch used a spell to try and restore the Goddess tree even though he advised her against it and ended up in that form as a result.

"Oh no, that's horrible. How can she return to normal?" Molly asked. She couldn't imagine being a frog and for as long as the Witch has been.

"I will need…to make a potion," he said, getting out a very old looking book from his bookshelf.

Molly came over and peaked over his shoulder to get a look but couldn't read any of it. Did Wizards and Witches use a different language than them? How interesting. Maybe Finn knew how to read it. She'd have to ask him later.

The Wizard cleared his throat and Molly backed up, giving him his space again.

"I will need…a hibiscus flower, cornmeal and high-quality butter. Until I have these ingredients…I cannot restore her," he said, closing the book and placing it on the shelf again.

Molly bit her lip. She already had the butter because of Raven and her newly purchased butter maker from Barbara but she couldn't get corn until June and she didn't even know where she could get a hibiscus. This was going to take a while…

"Okay. When I get the ingredients I'll come back, is that alright?"

"Yes. Well…until then," he said, dismissing her.

Molly walked to the door and, just before leaving, said a thank you and closed the door behind her.

"Well Finn…we'd better get to work," she said, rubbing her neck.

"Maybe you should take a few days off, like Kathy said." Finn was worried about Molly's health. He wasn't tired because he could sleep in. At first he was getting up with Molly but then she got angry at him and said that she could at least handle the animals on her own. Now he felt guilty.

"I'm fine already, geez. Why does everyone think I'm so weak?" she said, throwing her hands up.

"Nobody thinks you're weak, we're just worried about you," he said, coming to land on her shoulder.

"Well don't. I know my limit and I'll be fine as long as I don't have to chase another stray chicken tonight," she said. Finn didn't say anything but decided to keep a closer eye on her for now.

"In two weeks we have the Animal festival, so we have to get ready for that," Molly said as they walked home.

"Oh yeah. Do you think you can win a contest?"

"Well I don't have a pet, so that one's out of the question and I don't have a horse so the race is too but I think I'd be able to place if I have Raven participate," she said. Raven was a really healthy cow, her milk was always good quality and her coat and hooves were well taken care of. It was kind of silly, but Molly was proud of her cow. Speaking of her, as soon as Molly arrived at her yard Raven came right up, wanting attention.

"She's just like a dog, seriously," Molly said, laughing as she was almost pushed over by a nudge.

"She really loves you," Finn said, smiling.

"Oh yeah, can you speak animal?" said Molly, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah. I can."

Molly stopped petting Raven and stared at Finn. "Are you being serious?"

"Yeah. Didn't I tell you? All of us sprites can communicate with animals."

"That…is crazy," she expressed, but was impressed all the same. She looked at her watch, noticed that it was five already and went in the house to call her friend back on the mainland.

Finn sat on the table, watching Molly's expression change as she happily chatted with her friend and smiled warmly. He really hoped that she continued to be happy and make more friends on the island too. Now if only he could get her to the doctors…

"What's wrong, Finn?" Molly asked, hanging up the phone.

"Oh…it's nothing," he said, snapping out of it.

"So, what should I fix for dinner?" she asked, looking in their small fridge.

"Something with a lot of vegetables!" he said. Lots of vitamins for Molly's health.

"Really? You never ask for that. But alright, I'll make something up," she said and soon after, they sat down to eat dinner together like they do every night, watching the sun set over the farm.