Sleep proved to be hard to come by after Steve left. For starters, I was alone again. I'd lost the only human friend I'd ever known. That felt awful. I jumped at any noise I heard, either hoping Steve had returned or fearing a monster had snuck up on me. More often than not, it was just a random animal wandering near my house, or more embarrassing, just the wind in the leaves. At least no one was around to see those moments, though, in a strange way, I sort of missed the friendly teasing. Still, the solitude had me on edge, but it wasn't the only reason why I couldn't sleep.

My mind refused to rest. I had so many supplies to gather for my journey if I wanted to figure out what exactly Steve was running from. I needed food, a bed, and supplies for tools and building. I had no idea how Steve just up and left without any sort of prep. Of course, I never really knew what he carried on him besides what he kept on his belt. Maybe he had been ready to leave at a moment's notice.

I tried not to let that thought upset me.

As if it all weren't enough, were the thoughts of what I'd find. Not just about Steve's past and whatever was chasing him, but what lay beyond the little piece of the world I'd seen. Steve had been heading west for years and had yet to find an end, so he must've traveled a long way and I couldn't help but wonder how much further he could go without changing course. I mean, there had to be an end to the world somewhere, right? The sun and moon both managed to circle it somehow.

A part of me wanted to attempt a search for Steve, after all, that would be the shorter, easier journey. However, there was no way of knowing for sure which direction Steve went. Sure, he said he always traveled west, but he'd told me that. If he didn't want me to follow, which I figured was very likely based on his whole stupid running away thing, then he could have easily gone a different direction to avoid me. The only way I knew I could go and hope to find anything, would be east. Maybe if I back-traveled, I'd find clues about whatever was lurking in this world that had him so scared. Steve had mentioned several houses he'd built over the years. There were bound to be answers at one of them. I just had to find them.

How hard could it be?

Very hard. It can be very hard, Alex. I leaned over the crafting table, my head in my hands. Steve had only been gone a few days and I was back to talking to myself. Great.

I'd always been talkative, ever since my first day, but I felt less crazy when there was someone to talk back to me.

If I was going to leave, I needed to be prepared. I spent the next few days after his ditching me gathering everything I thought might be useful. I had several stacks of wooden planks, a spare set of all my tools, iron armor, and three stacks of steaks. I also learned I could make a compass and was very surprised when it didn't point north like I expected it to. Instead, it seemed to point to my bed. Not what I had in mind when I made it, but not bad either. At least now I knew I could always find my way home.

After making the compass, I realized I could combine it with paper to make a map, which I did, after making a second compass. I still wanted to keep one on me. Once I created the map, I held a mostly blank piece of slightly yellowed paper in my hands. I had expected to be able to fill it in with all of the areas I'd explored, however, I couldn't seem to do that. All the map showed was a small circle of what sort of looked like my hill in its center. It only showed the faintest edge of the desert and swamp. It didn't even show the giant crevice to the south, which was odd. I'd been there and made the map, why couldn't I put those sights on it? I couldn't figure out how to update it, but I knew there was a way somehow, so I left it alone for the time being, figuring I'd come up with something eventually.

Next, I made a bed so I could sleep through the night and avoid the monsters who liked to creep out of the shadows. Though, this did raise a thought. How did Steve sleep while traveling? Was he making a house every night? That seemed exhausting, and not just because I found building so difficult. I also simply couldn't imagine him doing so each and every night. He probably just found some secluded and sheltered spot to throw up a quick wall and go to sleep for the evening. Whatever he did, I wish he had told me. There was no way I'd be walking throughout the night. It was unsafe and impractical. If I wanted to stand a chance of making it far, I needed to take precautions.

My days of preparation sped by at an agonizingly slow pace. I just wanted to get this journey started. At the same time, I was terrified. I'd never left home for more than a day. I always came back to my cave at night, except for all that time I'd spent in Morkmun searching for diamonds. Even then, I was still sort of home.

Odd to think of Morkmun as home, but I guess it is.

The idea of leaving was terrifying and exciting. I didn't know what to expect, or what I'd find, and there was only one way to know for sure.

Finally, as another day drew to a close, I felt certain I was ready. I had everything I might possibly need for this adventure, no matter how long it might take. I had tools, food, and supplies all tucked away in my pack. As I ate dinner at my table, I looked around the home I'd started and Steve had finished. It had come a long way from the simple cave carved into a rock. The birch wood walls and polished bits of andesite and diorite decor brightened up my once dingy home. As frustrated as I'd been with Steve for finishing my house, I couldn't deny it looked beautiful. He definitely knew what he was doing.

Once dinner was finished and the sun had set, I headed upstairs. However, instead of climbing into bed, I went on to the balcony outside of my room. It faced the west and I let my hands rest on the wooden railing as I studied the horizon. Steve had to be out there somewhere. Where was he? Was he already building a new home, or just camping out in a cave somewhere? Would he come back and find me gone? As much as I wished he would return, my gut told me he wouldn't. My gaze drifted skyward and I studied the stars, watched them as they made their slow trek across the sky.

Only once my eyes grew too heavy, and a chill had set into the night air, did I retreat to my bed. Once my eyes were closed, my dreams carried me through strange unknown lands. There were deep dark forests, vast deserts, and towering snow-capped mountains. I kept catching glimpses of Steve, but whenever I got to where I'd seen him, he was nowhere to be found.

The next morning, nervous energy bubbled in my stomach as I climbed out of bed and made my way downstairs. I grabbed a final steak from the chest and wolfed it down as I walked through my yard toward Sigrid's grave. I placed a hand on the polished white stones and felt their familiar smooth texture.

Goodbye, Girl. I'll be home soon. I promise.

With a final deep breath, I stepped away from her monument and turned to the East. With a steady gate, my feet carried me across the plain and into the woods beyond.

AN: I'm back! Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait, I feel awful, so I'm going to try getting this story going once again. I don't have any more time than I did a month ago, but I've been missing writing so ... Of course, this means updates may be a little inconsistent, but I'm going to do my best to get them out as quickly as I can.