Sam and Faye did not have to go far at all. It was quiet in Haley's and Emily's house. Too quiet. With a quick look at each other, they went around and peered through the windows.

It seemed relatively normal in the kitchen. Gus and Clint were seated at the table, and Emily was serving them some food she cooked on the stove. Her cheerful smile was still in place and Gus was chatting excitedly with Clint, almost too suspicious for natural.

"Do you see Haley anywhere?" Faye whispered, careful not to attract their attention.

"No. Maybe she's in her room," Sam replied back, straining his neck carefully to try peering into their living room.

"Faye. Sam."

The two whipped around. Shane approached them, sneaking quietly as he rushed to their sides.

"Shane! Are you alright? What are you doing here?" Faye asked as she inspected him for any visible injuries. Like Sam, he had little to none.

"I'm fine. Sent your horse along with Leah, Marnie, and Jas to your place. Nothing's going on over there, so it's the safest bet so far," Shane assured her, "I thought I'd help out with checking on the town. What's going on here?"

"Emily's having a VERY late dinner or early breakfast with Clint and Gus. We haven't seen Haley," Sam informed. Shane eyed the front door, reached up, and quietly turned the knob. All three of the held their breath until they heard the door click open.

"I'll check on Emily and the others. You guys can look for Haley," Shane planned, his gaze averted sideways, "With luck, she's just looking at herself in the mirror."

As silently as they could, they edged through what opening in the door they made before it squeaked. To their relief, the trio in the kitchen did not notice. The alluring smell of cooked food wafted in the air, suddenly attacking the three of them with how hungry they were. Shaking off the feeling, they returned to their main aim and split up, crouching through the furniture. Faye and Sam settled beside Haley's bedroom door, looking back at Shane, who was down near the kitchen entryway. With a last look at each other, they inched forward, Faye carefully opening Haley's door. They recoiled in horror.

Haley was indeed standing in front of her mirror, clad in her underwear. She had a knife in hand, and she was hacking away at her stomach, thighs, arms, and face. An anguished, teary look was plain on her face as she desperately cut away at her body, sobbing desperately. Small chunks of skin and blood adorned her floor in blackened crimson. Her usually-flawless blonde hair was in gory disarray, and she was nowhere near letting up.

"Oh my god, Faye," Sam whispered hysterically as he swallowed down bile, "Why is she doing this?"

"That's not her Sam. She's not THAT desperate to stay youthful," Faye answered, fighting down her disgust, "Get what's left of her body. I'll get at the knife. Go!"

They both charged inside. Haley had barely a second to register what was happening before Sam grabbed her arms from behind. In front of her, Faye fought to yank the knife from her grip.

"What are you two idiots doing?! Leave me alone!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face as she kicked and thrashed against Sam's hold on her.

"Hurry up Faye! She's really slippery!" Sam groaned. Finally, Faye held the bloodied knife in her hands and ran out the bedroom door. Haley balled up her fist and smacked Sam in the groin, effectively escaping from his grip as he crumpled to the floor. She tackled Faye to the ground, who was hampered by living room furniture. In the kitchen, there was a scuffle as well.

"Sam! Get up!" Shane was screaming as he battled against Emily, whose demeanor became like that of a Stone Golem as her eyes shone neon green. Clint and Gus were passed out at the table, the food in front of them botched. Sam crawled out of the bedroom, struggling to get up.

"I'm working on it. Haley got me good."

Meanwhile, Faye was being overpowered by the now skeletal-looking Haley, whose rubied eyes burned through her sapphire orbs.


Faye's eyes fluttered open. Her body was sore everywhere from the beating she received moments before she blacked out. When her consciousness fully returned, she found herself struggling against tight bonds of rope that held her against a mass of pipes. She was undoubtedly in an old warehouse with whoever it was that lured her here.

"Mom…? Mom!"

"Faye! Oh Yoba, you're alive!"

Opposite Faye was her mother's lithe form blindfolded and tied in chains by her wrists and ankles. Her rich chestnut hair hung in limp waves over her face. The warehouse was dark save for sparse lighting that allowed her to see within a small distance.

"Finally awake, are you?"

A figure with unruly hair and a cape over his shoulders appeared, the glint of spectacles flashing against the warehouse light. Faye's eyes narrowed.

"Morris...LET US OUT OF HERE!"

"Now, now, not so fast," he cooed evilly as he approached her, "I know of the plans you have to assassinate me, but even having your sorry human of a father handing you assignments has GOT to wear down sometime."

"I came here for my mother, not you," Faye spat in his face, "Let her go. She doesn't have anything to do with all this."

"I can't let an opportunity like this pass," Morris grinned wickedly, "One of the top IT programmers and hackers in the city with a real killer instinct in my grasp? I could make you a VERY rich woman, more so than whatever measly change your superiors pay you with."

"I'm not into your corporate rat races, employing dirty tactics to exploit workers to the ground," rejected Faye sharply, "You're no better than slavers." Morris sighed.

"Well then, how would THAT answer leave your poor mommy here?" he whispered in her ear. He promptly turned around and began fingering Faye's mother around the neck. Faye saw her flinch, beads of sweat forming.

"Don't you touch her!" she screamed as her mother whimpered the closer Morris's fingers brushed her chest.

"I've got tags on you...your family...your friends…" he trailed off tauntingly, "Heck, I've even knocked off the last few pests you've sent at me. You'd be quite surprised how much reach I have over little cockroaches like you." And in a flash, he grabbed at her mother's shirt, ripping it open to expose her taut, toned body. Both women immediately reacted.

"You perv!"

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Morris only cackled as he began toying with her mother's stomach. She flinched as his face came inches from her own. Faye, tearing up, shuddered and sighed.

"Fine, you pig...You got me." Morris smirked.

"Good."

And the warehouse filled with anguished screams of helpless violation.


Tears had blurred Faye's vision, and her strength holding Haley at bay gave out. At once, Haley clawed away at her face until Sam appeared and threw her against the wall. Haley let out a demonic snarl as she prepared to pounce on them.

"You set those thoughts in my head," Faye murmured darkly, her glare venomous. Haley howled in laughter.

"Can't hide what you are," she snarled. Sam started forward until Faye stopped him.

"Help Shane with Emily, Clint, and Gus. I got this one." Sam took one glance and immediately headed for the kitchen as Faye engaged a now skeletal and devilish Haley in an all-out brawl. Her sword had fallen clean on the fluffy carpet.

"Shane! What happened?!" Sam yelled, looking at the slumped-over Clint and Gus at the table. The food in front of them was bleeding a rich indigo.

"Food poison with textile dye," Shane stuttered as he dodged a knife slash from Emily, "Drag Clint and Gus somewhere safe in this house while I get this one." Immediately, he and Emily crashed into the dining table, knocking it over as they scuffled.

Sam tossed Clint and Gus's torsos into Emily's open bedroom. Taking a hint from what had happened to him, he grabbed at Emily's dropped knife. Shane was already succumbing to Emily's obvious prowess when Sam charged and stabbed her in the back. He and Shane staggered back as Emily emitted a high-pitched shriek. A black vapor wafted from her mouth as she collapsed, finally subdued.

"Nice timing," Shane huffed as he and Sam hovered over Emily's still body. Sam nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, thanks," he said in slight amazement. They looked at their handiwork until their senses came to.

He and Shane dashed to the living room and they could not help but hold back an amused grin. Faye was on Haley's back, yanking at her hair with one hand and punching her face with the other as he legs locked firmly around her torso. Haley was screeching bloody murder as she managed to double over and throw Faye onto her back on the ground. She pounced began scratching away at Faye's torso until Faye fought back, sheer ferociousness on her face as she began mauling Haley in the face. Sam and Shane quickly went from amused to horrified.

"You're not gonna prey on Haley either," she spat with each punch per word. And with each punch, more black dotted the carpet. Just when Haley could not get any bloodier, Sam stopped Faye mid-punch and took her aside as Shane dragged Haley away from her.

"You got her already, Faye," Sam said quietly as he set down a still-boiling Faye on the couch, "Breathe. Calm down."

Faye shook as she fought to catch her breath. She had never been provoked like that in years. The thought that she was still that much vulnerable forced her to choke back hot, angry tears.

"Are you alright?" Sam's voice cut through her thoughts. She nodded, exhaling sharply.

"Yeah. I'll be fine," she told him quietly. She cracked a weak smile, "Haley was just scary."

"Faye, I think this is for you," Shane called out, "I can't take it out." Peering around, Sam and Faye saw a Stardrop glowing dully in a corner of the room, black and looking discarded. She got up slowly and took it gingerly before she went over to her abandoned pack, put it away, and grabbed two bottles. As she expected, groans of awakening echoed quietly in the still house.

Sam ran over and helped Emily to the couch as Shane crutched Haley over. As they came to, Faye handed them the two bottles.

"Here, drink up. You REALLY need these," she said gently, "Especially you, Haley." Haley was lying across the couch, nursing her head as she and Emily took the bottles and drank.

"What is this? It's amazing!" Emily grinned despite being quite bruised.

"Life Elixirs. Learned how to make those after a few trips to the mines," Faye explained, pushing the last few moments out of her mind, "Feeling better?" Emily nodded enthusiastically.

"Ugh. My hair's terrible. AND I'M NAKED!" Haley wailed as the realization hit her after her body recovered. She jumped up and sprinted to her room, slamming the door. Everybody could not help but chuckle quietly in the dark light of things.

"Em, lemme know when that girl's all done," Shane told her, jerking his head in Haley's direction, "We gotta get you guys and those two outta there." Faye jumped up.

"Gus! Clint! What happened to them?"

"Poisoned, but it's not too lethal." She then ran into the bedroom with another bottle in hand.

"Go on ahead. Got a bigger load here," Shane directed at Sam. He nodded in acknowledgement as Faye returned.

"They'll be coming to soon," she said, "Let's go." And with a hug from Emily, she and Sam headed out. The harsh wind was, at this point, much-needed fresh air.

"Sure you'll be alright? You can always talk if you need to," Sam nudged Faye gently, sporting his genuine smile. Faye could not help but smile back.

"Thanks Sam. I appreciate it a lot," she said in her steadiest voice.

Her mind, however, was chaotic. Memories that she had safely tucked away unleashed themselves like an opened Pandora's Box of nightmares. Even more, her pack felt five times heavier with three tainted Stardrops in tow. Aside from getting away from the humdrum of office work, she came to Stardew Valley for a fresh start from everything. From her past life. And from people who knew.

Not. Again.


A/N: Those "XX Years" years DEFINITELY left a lot for imagination :) I've always wanted to try attempting to write some darker stuff, and for now, this is what I came up with. Hope you enjoyed!