She spoke to him in a daze. He didn't have to see the inside of the coops to know what kind of bloodbath was written on those old wooden walls. Marnie worked through shocked words and confusion to understand how bad the situation was while they stood in the kitchen keeping their voices low. Jas didn't need to hear.
"I've never seen a coyote do anything like that…" Marnie stumbled on what to say. "I don't even think a bear could make those kinds of claw marks."
She paused.
"I'm sorry Shane, but I couldn't find Charlie…"
She waited for him to implode with all his pent-up frustration with life, but it didn't. She lost eye contact but could see him turning on the autopilot.
"Was it just the chickens?" he asked.
"No. I can't find one of the cows…I'm hoping they're 's a big hole in the fence, they probably just wandered off…"
Marnie paused to regain her composure, still trying to digest what had happened to her sweet wiped tears from her eyes. He tried to mutter an apology for what had happened. But before Shane could his sweet aunt was crying, miserable about the animals she loved meeting their end in such a horribly cruel way. He wrapped his arms around her and let her weep. He had known such sadness, and he wished she wasn't feeling it. Marnie didn't deserve this. In between tears she spoke.
"I called Mayor Lewis...I want him to let everyone know there's something coming out from the forest. I don't want to see anyone get hurt…"
They asked if either one had heard anything out of the ordinary last night. Nothing, just the wind and country surrounding them whispering sweet in the night. Not a peep from the hens or the slashing of wood under long and unforgiving claws. When Shane did manage to sneak his way past his aunt to really see the damage that had her in pieces, it was much worse than what he imagined. Blood spattered, enough feathers to make up an entire chicken, the wood broken like twigs under feet. What was wrong was how easily the coops were broken, like this monster didn't care about the nails or thickness of the structures as its claws, fanged on five fingers, demolished and destroyed the only creatures that seemed to 'get' Shane.
As he turned there was only more red soaking into the walls, more than any live chicken had in its entire body. He thought about the missing calf that he knew Marnie was praying to Yoba would return safely. This was were the calf is, on the fucking walls, Marnie, its clear as day. He thought about Charlie and assumed the worst: if this 'thing' could take out most of their chickens and a calf, what would keep it from devouring one more? His heart got in the way because Charlie was special. But he was just like any other stupid chicken, young and plump to a hungry animal. Shane let it sting for a moment. His only friend in the world had meant a grisly fate. Another evil the world decided he could handle was added to the list. He kicked at the ground, the hollow sound rattling the thoroughly picked-clean animal bones. Whatever got in last night was more than hungry. It had been starving.
Before leaving for work Marnie dropped a bombshell.
"I need you to watch Jas for me after you get off work."
Shane wasn't up for telling his aunt no since she already did some much for him, but that also normally didn't cut into his drinking time.
"Why?" The words left his mouth before he had a chance to think or even stop himself.
"I don't want her home alone with whatever is running around out there. Don't worry, I'll leave you a twelve pack in the fridge," she said, rolling her eyes at the end. Shane accepted the offer which overall was a better deal. Home almost alone, away from others. Jas would normally just stay in her room and read.
"Fine, it's not a big deal," he said before he stormed off to work.
Summer air too hot and thick for his liking waved past Shane as he walked to work. He took in the damage to the outside fence, Robin would have her work cut out for her. The wood was slashed like paper between scissors. There were tracks that disappeared into the forest. It wasn't no coyote, but the tracks were not of a bear either. Shane looked up to see a shadow off in the distance, a tall figure, robed and wearing a wizard's hat. Drawing his attention back to himself, Shane continued his commute. He didn't want the hassle of whoever or whatever was off in the woods checking out the same tracks. Best to keep to himself. He knew the hassle of getting involved with others, and found it more wise to keep to himself. It's not like he would be of much help anyways.
He kept his head down as he passed by the town square, hearing the not-so-quick footsteps of Mayor Lewis pass by, and there they were: The thoughts he tried to keep at bay.
Marnie loves him so much, but he doesn't even care.
Everyone knows, but yet he's embarrassed by her.
I'm never going to let that happen to me.
He pushed it back. It's not like he would ever experience such a sensation. No one in the valley wanted anything to do with him for good reason. He made it that way, dealing himself that hand of cards. Stardew wasn't a bustling tourist attraction except for maybe during the fall valley fair, but all he had to do was stay away inside.
Stay away, Emily once said to him during a particularly bad night. Your aura seems really gray today, Shane, did something happen?
What the fuck did that even mean? Everything always happens and leaves him to rot, or he tries, tries so hard to make it and the universe crushes him. The world was not meant for Shane. However, he was here, waiting for it to part ways with him, and maybe he could then find some peace. A blue void stared him down. Was the Joja Mart really what his life had come too? He took a deep breath, he hoped no one would smell the beer he had this morning over the sweat and filth on him from not showering, he saw his reflection in the glass sliding doors. Pathetic.
How could the sun still shine this late in the day? Yes it was summer, and only five-o'clock but was it really necessary? Bright warm light hurt Shane's eyes as he exited the convenience store. The artificial lights were weak and fake. He took a minute to take in the warmth, as he had been freezing in the Joja Mart for a majority of the day, Morris had him stocking the freezer section.
He could smell the alcohol on me, that's why he put me back there…
Palms met eyes and dragged down his face, days-old stubble pricking his fingers. Why was everything so exhausting? Why did he care? At least there's the pub…
Ohh right Marnie wants me to watch Jas…fuck.
Marnie did promise beer in the fridge though, so that was something.
The sun set as he walked back home, and saw everyone funneling into the pub, including his aunt.
Why does she get to run around with Lewis and go out, but I have to stay home and watch Jas because she's so scared of whatever tore up the fence?
Because she pays the bills, that's why.
He felt another pang of misery. At his age he should have his own place, not leeching off his aunt out in the country. It's not like he was a young kid anymore. But here he was, walking home because he didn't have a car, to a place he wouldn't be able to afford if Marnie weren't so generous, after working a job that a kid out of highschool should be doing. But in a way he was lucky because he did have all these things. It could be much worse, but somewhere even that stung. He should be grateful for what he had but he could never have much more, and what did that do for him? It only drove him mad.
Marmalade and honey swept across the horizon as Shane approached the ranch, the fence still in pieces but most debris was cleaned up. He turned back to the cloud-dotted sky to see tints of purple touching the treetops. Night was upon them. He wondered about the inside of the farmhouse and what progress Marnie had made with cleaning up.
No more blood remained, but the scars of claws were still in the wood, Shane had to give his aunt credit, he didn't think she would be able to pull herself together enough to clean up that much gore. He wondered if Lewis had leant a hand. Probably not. He looked at the makeshift fencing and coops. He knew somewhere deep down that Robin had strung this together for them. She had probably helped Marnie with the clean-up while Lewis and Demetrius tried to identify what attacked their ranch last night. Did it matter? Did it really affect him? It did if that thing came back for seconds or thirds. Should he lock the doors and wait for it to go away? No that wouldn't do. He wasn't going to let whatever that thing was try and get into the house. It could eat him, rip him to bits for all he cared. But Jas? He didn't think so,
Perusing the neatly set up tools he thought about what might help. An axe? Pickaxe? No, too close range. Scythe? Unbalanced. He would drop that sucker the second that thing decided to swipe at him. Shane traveled back out into the pasture, keeping his eyes out for any large piece of wood Marnie or Robin missed. At the fence line, a yard or two away from the road was the perfect stick to sharpen into a point.
The position of the sun shouldn't have bothered Shane. He was a grown man, but as he stared out to where the stick lay, where the forest line began, with how fast night seemed to approach he questioned how much he needed to make that spear. No, he needed too. He couldn't be naive to a fault like Marnie. Whatever was out there had reason to come back again, and again, until nothing was left. But the trees hid something. They whispered threats within their leaves. Logic couldn't explain it, but his guts screamed, Don't go out there. Shane shook off the fear. He wasn't about to let anything stand in his way.
Be a man, go grab the damn stick.
Every sound was magnified as his sneakers crunched with that first step out into the grass. The twigs broke beneath his feet. He felt whatever was out there from last night watching his every move, waiting in the crevices of darkness to open him up and take his organs and meat for dinner. Shane's eyes didn't leave from where he felt watched as he crept like a lonely doe. A cracking of wood came from the nothingness in front of him. His eyes darted around as they looked for what had made such a small sound. He saw nothing. He was getting into his own head,
Just grab the stick and run back home.
He took another step, and another, the dread only worsening. What did he have to be so afraid of? There was nothing at the forest edge! It was just his mind playing tricks on him. But why did it feel like he was so vulnerable? Why was he shaking?
Not enough booze in your system, now grab the damn stick and go home.
He found his fingers reaching out towards the ground, feeling for the wood, not taking his stare off of the trees where he felt eyes watching him from. Dusk was upon him, and the grape shades of purple in the sky were turning black and stars were beginning to rise and shine. He didn't have much time.
Fight or flight kicked in once he had that branch in his palms, and he flew back home so quick he didn't have time to look back, front door locked and his heart racing.
"Uncle Shane… why do you have that big branch?" Jas' voice rang from behind him. He jumped in place before turning to the wide-eyed little girl, who he was hoping to protect with said branch.
"Oh, it's just you…" He said, pulling his hand to his heart, almost laughing at the fact that Jas had him jumping out of his skin. She tugged at the branch in his hand.
"Why do you have this?" she repeated.
"Because…" Shane stumbled. Had Marnie explained what happened to the animals? She had to, Jas had to have left the house today, or saw the damage to the fence, but what if she didn't? He didn't want to have to tell Jas about half their animals being dead and or missing.
"I just wanted it," he tried to dismiss her question before heading towards the kitchen as Jas followed him.
Shane placed the branch down and searched the drawers for a knife to bring the the tip of his spear to a point. Jas continued her Intrusive questioning.
"What are you going to do with it?"
"I'm going to make it into a spear." Shane answered her, a knife in one hand and opening the fridge with the other. Marnie had kept her promise, and soon he was cracking open a beer and sitting at the kitchen table readying his weapon.
"Why?" Jas again asked questions he didn't want to answer. "Aunt Marnie said something attacked the chickens last night and messed up the fence. Is that why you're making that spear?"
"Yes, Jas." Shane's voice was tired as he whittled the wood.
"It's not going to come after us, right?"
"I won't let that happen." Shane said. "Why don't you go play in your room?"
"What if it tries to eat us!?" Jas' spoke with fright in her voice. She was scaring herself, letting her little kid brain spring her into dark thoughts,
"I won't let it eat you."
"But what about you?" Jas said again, drawing conclusions to ideas that weren't real. He stopped what he was doing.
"I don't want it to eat you!" she yelled.
"Nothings going to eat you or me or Aunt Marnie…"
"Then why are you making that spear?"
Shane was done with her circular questions. It was time to get her mind focused on something else. He picked the little girl up and groaned about how big she was getting, and how if she kept it up he wouldn't be able to pick her up anymore, before carrying her to her room.
"If anything tried to hurt you I'd beat them up," she said.
"Thanks," he muttered with a smile before placing her down on the purple carpet. "Don't you have some toys you can play with-"
"Could you read me a story?" Jas asked, cutting him off.
"Not right now. Maybe at bedtime."
"Why not now?"
"Look, I'll read you a story when you go to bed, but if you keep bugging me I'm not going to, we gotta deal?"
Jas nodded in agreement before Shane tried to pull himself back to his spear project in the kitchen. The little girl stood in her doorway watching him walk away.
"I meant it, I'll beat up that monster if it tries to hurt you!"
The pattering of rain on the roof soothed Shane, who was now on his fourth drink, as he made progress on his spear. Jas had calmed down enough to where he could hear her playing, keeping herself preoccupied. His ears were open, waiting for the hens to make a noise, to coo in distress, for a sound of movement he would normally brush off as the country stirred. He was waiting for whatever was out in the woods earlier that evening to come after him. At the moment he could only hear the outside stirring, the rain drops, the nothingness as everything hid from the downpour. He felt the tip of the spear, making sure it was sharp enough.
BANG BANG BANG!
The knocking on the front door had him jumping out of his skin again. Fuck, why was everything making him so scared? But who would be out this late? He checked between the curtains of the window. He didn't recognize the figure, but he did know what the unknown person was holding.
Soaked and standing at the doorstep was a young man a few inches taller than him, dark hair curly, thick, and wild from the rain, a goofy grin spread wide across his face.
"Hey, I was out for a walk and I ran across this little guy. I thought he might be yours!" The stranger said with Charlie in hand.
In a quick motion Shane grabbed up his beloved bird, and slammed the door.