Chapter 3: Shadows
Back at the farm that evening, Claire felt unnervingly restless and uneasy. She hadn't even gone to the store for groceries, although she was seriously lacking food in her house at the moment. Instead, she paced the room impatiently while her puppy, Bailey, watched her from his spot on the rug, whimpering slightly as he observed her movements with a concerned gaze. He could sense that something was bothering his new human girl.
Sighing, Claire abandoned her pacing and scooped the puppy up into her arms, taking a seat at the small table in the center of the room. She scratched him behind the ears, and he turned to lick her hand as she drifted off, lost in thought.
After the party that afternoon, Claire could only think about what Cliff had said to her. It had sounded silly, ludicrous even, and yet there was the tiniest ring of truth to it. A tiny part of her that believed his words could actually be true.
And that ring of truth was what made her feel so anxious.
"Claire… you're in grave danger."
Claire was so shocked, she didn't know whether to shout or to laugh, so she ended up making an embarrassing noise that sounded like a cross between a cough and a snort.
"What…?"
"…You heard me. You're in danger… We all are."
Cliff fixed his steely gaze upon the floor around their feet, not daring to look Claire in the eye, and the girl faltered at the intensity she could glimpse in his eyes. "...Strange things happen around this town… unnatural things. I-I've noticed it ever since I first visited the town, years ago."
Claire blinked. "Wh-what kind of things?"
Cliff shuffled awkwardly in his seat. "…Well, I-I think Mineral Town is… cursed. I don't know. But I have heard stories… And I've seen things that I… I can't even begin to explain."
Claire stared at him, feeling quite stupid. "What… what are you talking about?"
He leaned closer, his brown eyes shyly meeting Claire's own blue ones for just a split second, nothing more. His words came out in a nervous rush, his voice barely reaching a whisper. "Well… let's just say… that something is not quite right around here. Strange sounds. The feeling that you're being watched, when you're walking the road alone at night… A couple times, chickens and livestock were found… dead, their remains bloody and mauled to pieces. It… it's not normal, it's not natural."
"But… why are you telling me this?" Claire whispered back.
"Because… well, you're new around here, and… I can't help but feel you've made a mistake. I guess… someone needs to tell you the truth before you find out for yourself… the hard way."
And with one final sympathetic glance, Cliff turned and left, leaving Claire alone on the church pew. Looking down at her fork and barely touched cheesecake, she suddenly didn't feel very hungry anymore, and pushed the plate away.
Carter approached her as she stood up, the expression on his face sickeningly cheerful after what Cliff had just told her. "Well, Claire, it looks like our little party is coming to an end! I'm so glad you could make it today, and I hope you had an enjoyable time! Please, feel free to come visit the church anytime, and may the Harvest Goddess be with you in all your endeavors!"
Claire was gone almost as soon as Carter had finished speaking, mulling things over as she traveled the streets of Mineral Town back to her farm.
And now, sitting at home with her puppy on her lap, these thoughts still hadn't left her.
First the mayor, then the old man Barley, and now this whole thing with Cliff? He seemed like a nice guy at first, a bit quiet if anything, but that conversation was just… not normal… Oh yeah, and that weird little thing May told me, about the noises at night. As a matter of fact, those guys at the party, Ann and Elli and Trent, were acting pretty suspicious too, if you ask me.
Huh… what the hell is going on around here? What's wrong with everyone?
With one quick glance at the grandfather clock on the back wall, Claire saw that it was going on seven o'clock, and her stomach growled right on cue. She hadn't eaten much at all today, and there was barely any food in the house, but it wasn't too late.
After a moment's pause, and another noisy grumble of the stomach, Claire decided to grab a quick meal at the Inn, seeing as she had no other options. The food there was supposed to be great, anyway, and maybe that girl Ann would be there. She seemed nice enough, even if she had been acting a little strange back at the church.
She set Bailey down on the floor, gave him a gentle loving pat on the head, and slipped on her favorite sneakers before stepping outside and locking the door behind her. Making sure her house key was nestled safely in her front pocket, Claire ran a hand through her hair and briskly strode off in the direction of the Inn.
It was a warm evening in late spring, and a soft breeze rustled through the trees as she hurried down the worn stone-paved road past the blacksmith's shop, turning the corner at Aja Winery.
Claire passed the rows of thriving grapevines and headed toward the large white building next door, which she remembered to be the Inn, and pushed open the heavy wooden door. As she stepped inside, she was immediately embraced by a multitude of heavenly aromas- the warm scent of cinnamon apples and home cooked meals, and the underlying musky fragrance of wine.
Scanning the room, Claire glimpsed the winery owner, Duke, sitting at a table near the back wall, drinking from a frothing mug with an old bearded man she didn't recognize. At a closer table, she noticed the blacksmith's apprentice, Gray, sitting alone, stabbing at a plate of curry rice. He didn't look up as she entered the Inn.
Claire stepped up to the long wooden counter at the back of the room to place her order. Ann was nestled behind the counter, her legs tucked up on the barstool she was seated at, looking rather glum as she twirled her long braid between her fingers in boredom. However, the redhead instantly perked up as Claire approached.
"Ah, hello… Claire? Yes, Claire! Thanks for coming! What can I get for you?"
Claire skimmed through the menu in front of her. "Hmm… I'm not really sure, what would you recommend?"
Ann pondered for a bit, looking as though she were trying – and failing – to mask her glee at being asked for her own opinion on the food. "Well… I personally like my dad's stew the best, but everything on the menu is really good, trust me! Especially the desserts!"
"I guess I'll go with the stew then… and, uh, could I get a glass of milk to go with it?"
"Of course! That will be 500G. It'll be ready real soon, so you can go ahead and sit down anywhere you like." She gestured vaguely at the surrounding tables. "I'll bring it right out to you when it's done."
"Okay!" Claire handed her the money. "Thanks, Ann!"
"No problem!" Ann left through the door behind the counter, into the kitchen, and Claire wandered over to the table where Gray sat alone. Hesitating, she sat down at the chair directly opposite him.
Gray looked up at once, raising an eyebrow. "Can I… help you?"
"Oh, um… no… I just thought you looked a bit lonely…?" She trailed off at the look Gray was giving her, and instantly regretted her decision to join him.
However, Gray merely mumbled "whatever" and continued to stab at his curry rice with a fork, taking occasional bites.
"Well, here's your stew, and I've got your milk right here! Please enjoy!" Ann had appeared out of nowhere and placed a steaming bowl of thick stew and a glass of milk on the table, along with a spoon and paper napkin.
Claire quickly thanked her and dug in without hesitation. The stew was warm and hearty, filled with juicy chunks of potato and carrot, and she savored every bite.
She had just finished eating when the door opened and Karen entered the Inn, her hair disheveled from the wind outside, but looking attractive nonetheless. She quickly ran her hand through her hair in an attempt to tame it, and then sauntered over to the seat beside Claire.
"You don't mind if I sit here, do you?"
"Of course not," Claire responded, while Gray only shrugged indifferently.
Karen sat down, and Ann scurried over. "The usual, I presume?"
Karen nodded, and Ann turned to Claire while picking up the used tableware. "Anything else for you, Claire? A dessert, perhaps?"
"Sure… could I just have a slice of apple pie? Thank you so much."
As Ann turned away, Karen leaned over toward Claire, her tone lightly conversational. "So, how do you like Mineral Town so far? You know, since you just moved here and all?"
"Well… it's okay, I guess. A lot quieter than the city, but the farm is nice and big. Lots of empty space. And the atmosphere is… nice."
She went into her plans for Sunshine Farm until Ann returned, balancing a plate of apple pie in one hand and clutching several bottles of wine in the other, oddly enough. She handed the pie to Claire and set the bottles on the table in front of Karen, who promptly uncorked the nearest one and began to gulp it down, straight from the bottle.
Somewhat startled (and understandably so), Claire turned to Ann questioningly, but the red haired waitress simply rolled her eyes and took a seat on Claire's other side. "Don't ask. Anyway, I've been working for hours, so I think I deserve a break. Dad won't mind."
"Oh… okay!" Claire said while Karen helped herself to more wine. "I have to say, your dad's cooking is really good! This pie is delicious, and the stew was nothing short of amazing!"
"Thanks!" Ann beamed. "Dad really is a great chef, and he's been teaching me some of his cooking skills. In fact, the annual Cooking Festival was just last week, and we both entered in the contest. Dad won of course, but I wasn't far behind! It's too bad you missed it, I love that festival, but there's always next year, I guess. You know, if you're still around by then!" she joked.
"Yeah… it does sound like fun."
Claire and Ann continued to chitchat, as Karen drank through her bottles of wine, occasionally taking part in the conversation.
The blonde farmer finished up her slice of pie and patted her stomach comfortably. "Mmm… Ann, that was really great!" She dug out her wallet.
"How much do I owe you?"
Ann giggled. "Don't worry about it! Consider it on the house, all right?"
"Really? You sure?"
The brunette nodded. "It's no problem. Just a gift for our newest neighbor!"
Claire smiled in genuine gratitude, appreciative of both the girl's friendlier attitude from before and the generosity of the townspeople in general – first a dog, then a horse, a party, and now a free slice of pie as well. "Wow, thanks Ann! I owe you one!"
She gave a quick glance around the table, and noted that Gray was nowhere to be seen- he must have already left while the girls were distracted. Karen, meanwhile, was drunkenly slumped in her chair.
"Umm… Ann?"
Ann saw what the problem was and chuckled. "Not again… Don't worry Claire, she'll be fine. It happens every once in a while, though she usually has a super high tolerance for that kind of stuff; she just needs to sleep it off. Could you help me carry her into the back room?"
Claire nodded and grabbed Karen's arm. Ann took hold of the other arm, and together they dragged Karen past the kitchen and into Ann's small but comfortable living room, where they dropped her onto the red patterned couch. Karen lay facedown on the sofa, sound asleep and snoring loudly, and the other two girls quickly backed out of the room with their hands over their mouths in an unsuccessful attempt to stifle their giggles.
When they returned to the Inn's main dining room, Claire noticed that the room was completely devoid of life- all the other customers had gone, and the tables were now empty. It had to have been pretty late.
What time was it?
"Ten o'clock! Thank you for everything, Ann, but I really need to be getting back to the farm!"
Ann glanced at the clock on the wall nervously, absentmindedly picking at the large white ribbon tied on the end of her braid in a neat bow. "Um… that might not be such a good idea… maybe you should just spend the night here with me and Karen."
"No, I'm sorry, but I really have to get home…"
Ann tried to argue, but Claire wouldn't hear it. She called goodbye and turned out the door, leaving the innkeeper's daughter anxious and alone.
The wind had picked up considerably, and it whipped at her hair and clothes as Claire trudged down the street silently. The night was so quiet, but for her own footsteps on the pavement and the sound of the wind in the trees, that every other miniscule noise set her on edge. A snapping branch sounded like a gunshot to her overly sensitive ears, and the sudden hoot of an owl in the distance caused her to flinch involuntarily.
It was so quiet, but the silence was deafening.
The moon was a huge, glowing orb among the ominous clouds in the night sky, and Claire vaguely noted that it was almost full. Almost, because the sphere of silver light wasn't quite a full circle yet.
And then she heard it- footsteps.
They weren't her own.
Claire's footsteps were fast-moving, and quickened with every other step, but these new footsteps were too slow. Slow, but steady. And heavy- as if some giant thing were stalking her down the lane.
Nervously, Claire stopped walking and whipped around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary behind her. Only an empty road bathed in pockets of moonlight and dark shadow. The footsteps had stopped, and Claire was alone on the street.
All alone.
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she continued on down the road. She had probably been imagining it, anyway. How silly of her, really – she had grown up in the city, after all, filled with crime and pollution and any number of shady things, and yet this small town in the middle of nowhere was making her feel even more on edge.
Passing by a large clump of woods, Claire tried her best not to so much as glance over into the trees. She kept seeing movements out of the corner of her eyes, most likely her overly tired mind playing tricks on her. The night was full of shadows, dark forms that stretched across the road and through the trees, sending Claire's imagination into overdrive.
And then, there it was. A large pair of gleaming yellow eyes, staring directly at her from the cover of the trees to her immediate right.
Stifling a scream, Claire felt her heartbeat speed up in panic, and tried to calm down. It was probably just a harmless animal, a raccoon or something like that, right? Right? But why didn't it feel right?
Fear overtook her, and Claire broke into a run, her feet slapping loudly against the pavement. Behind her, she heard a rustle in the trees, and then the sound of heavy footsteps began, growing ever closer. She was being pursued.
Immediately, Claire picked up speed. It had to be right behind her.
Finally, Claire came upon the path to her farm, and she darted toward the front door of her cottage. Her body slammed against the door, and she could feel Bailey jumping against the other side, his frenzied barking echoing in her ears.
Frantically, Claire dug around in her pockets for the house key she had stored there. Her fingers met only fabric, and her eyes widened. What the hell! Where is it?
A quick search of the other pocket offered the same results.
Claire panicked, and hysterically bent down to search the ground around her. Had the key fallen out while she was running, perhaps? If that was the case, she was royally screwed. She got on her hands and knees to get a better look, her fingers rifling through the dirt without success as her mind screamed nearly unintelligible curses. Oh, shit! Shit shit shit!
Suddenly, she saw the faintest glimmer of light on the ground to her right, and whipped around to spot her house key lying in the dirt, its coppery surface reflecting the silver light of the moon. Without hesitation, Claire grabbed up the key and shoved it into the keyhole, rattling the doorknob around until the door finally swung open with one final push.
She darted inside without a second thought and slammed the door behind her, locking it securely, and then collapsed onto the bed with Bailey at her heels. Her breath came out in rattled gasps. She was safe for now.
Claire shuddered as she recalled the last thing she had seen before slamming the door shut – an enormous dark shape with reflecting gold eyes, watching her from the farm entrance. Motionless. Waiting.
She sat in that position for what seemed like hours, huddled on the bed with her arms wrapped around her knees, unable to move, unable to think, Bailey curled protectively at her side until sleep finally overtook her.