A/N: Just a mention about the protagonist in this story, Claire: she notices all these creepy things happening in Mineral Town since she moved there, as we've seen, but doesn't want to believe any of it. Part of her thinks she's just paranoid and is only imagining the strange words and reactions of the other villagers at times. But then there are other things she can't explain so easily, like the huge figure she saw the night after her dinner at the Inn. And, of course, the event that occurs in this upcoming chapter right here.
Anyway, that's all I have to say for now, so read on! Warning: expect some slight gore in this chapter. Though I don't think it's too bad, but still. Better safe than sorry, I guess.
-Cotton Candy Mareep
Chapter 5: Not Your Fault
After dropping her groceries off at home and fixing herself a fruit sandwich for lunch, arranging wedges of fresh cut strawberry and apple neatly between two slices of white bread, Claire headed down the road to Yodel Ranch. The ranch had such a tranquil atmosphere, with all the cows and sheep grazing peacefully in the fields, that Claire felt almost giddy at the sight, and she hummed to herself as she approached the house where Barley and his little granddaughter May lived.
As soon as she opened the front door, a small blur of black and red came hurtling into her, gripping her around the waist in a surprisingly tight hug.
"Oompf... May?"
The little girl giggled, still clinging to the blonde farmer.
"Claire! You came to visit!"
Claire couldn't help but smile at the joy evident on May's face. "Ahaha, yeah... actually, I came to buy an animal. Is your grandpa here?"
Just then, the old man came shuffling down the stairs from his room. "Ah, Claire... I thought I heard your voice! May, let go of her please. She's a guest, not a jungle gym."
May nodded and instantly let go of Claire's abdomen, while her grandfather chuckled and turned to shake Claire's hand in greeting. "So, Claire... what can I do for you on this fine day?"
"Hmm... Well, I was thinking about buying an animal or two for the farm, but I'm honestly not sure whether to get a cow or a sheep." She grinned apologetically. "What would you recommend?"
Barley paused in thought for a moment. "Well, that could be a difficult decision. Cows are more expensive, of course, but they give milk every day, whereas you can only shear the wool off a sheep every once in a while. Truthfully, I think it's really up to you when it comes right down to it."
Claire narrowed her eyes, making a quick decision as she watched May kneel down to stroke the small brown dog that lay asleep on the kitchen floor.
"Cow, then. After all, I do enjoy a nice glass of milk every once in a while. And it would be cool to just walk outside and get my own, haha."
Barley chuckled. "All right, sounds good! I'll bring the cow over tomorrow morning, if that's fine with you. It'll be... 5,000G. I hope that's acceptable?"
Claire winced slightly and pulled out her wallet, shuffling through until she had gathered up enough gold, which she handed to the old man. Her savings from her old part-time job at the café in the city were quickly diminishing.
"Good, good! Don't worry, it'll all pay off in the end! I have just the right cow for a beginner such as yourself! She's a sweet thing, gentle and easygoing, so she should be perfect for you!"
He glanced around and then continued. "Just so you know, most new ranchers start out with a chicken or two, and then move on to the larger livestock, cows and sheep. Chickens are much cheaper, and they give eggs every day, so it's a good deal. However, I don't keep chickens at my ranch – if you're looking to buy one, you're going to have to head down the road to the Poultry Farm. It's right next door – you can't miss it. In fact, you probably passed it on the way here, now that I think of it."
Claire nodded in appreciation. "Thanks! That sounds like a really good idea, actually. Can't believe I didn't think if it myself."
"So... still want that cow?"
"Oh, yeah... I mean, the chickens are a great idea, but a cow would be really useful too! And I think I can handle both... At least, I'll try." She shrugged her shoulders, and Barley chuckled.
"Okay, I believe you! You seem to be a rather capable girl, if I must say so myself." He grinned. "It's been a pleasure doing business with ya, Claire! Come again anytime you like!"
Claire nodded, and May piped up from her spot on the ground nearby. "Yeah, then you can come play with me! We could play hide and seek, or tag, or-"
The blonde smiled. "Sounds good, May."
Still stroking her dog, the little girl nodded happily in response as the blonde farmer turned to leave out the door.
"Bye Claire! Thanks for comin'!"
As she approached the Poultry Farm five minutes later, Claire caught sight of a girl sitting underneath the large oak tree beside the farmhouse, reading a book, and recognized her instantly as Popuri. She didn't know of a single person with hair as vivid pink as hers, and the name was pretty unusual too.
Popuri glanced up as soon as she heard Claire's footsteps, and casually tossed her book to the side. "Hiya there! Uh, it's Claire, right?"
The blonde nodded, and Popuri eagerly bounced up from her position beneath the tree.
"Cool! Um, did you just come to talk, or..."
"Well, actually, I came to buy a chicken..." Claire glanced around at the chicken-less yard, and her voice faltered. "Um...well, Barley at Yodel Ranch told me that you sell chickens here..."
Popuri nodded enthusiastically. "You bet we do! It's not called Poultry Farm for nothing!"
Claire raised an eyebrow. "So...where are the chickens, then?"
The pink haired girl snorted good-naturedly and pointed toward a cluster of enormous chicken coops, which Claire had not noticed originally. "Over there, silly! They're inside!"
"Oh...right."
Popuri leaned in closer. "You wanna see them? They're sooo cute! And I can show you the chickies that are for sale, so then you can pick out the one you like best! I was just about to go and feed them their breakfast, anyway, so you can join me! They're probably really hungry by now, poor things."
"Okay!"
The two girls walked over to the large chicken barns in the corner of the yard, Popuri bouncing with each step and chatting aimlessly as Claire simply listened. She was still rambling on as they came to the nearest henhouse. Strangely enough, the door was already wide open.
"And anyway, Rick sa- oh, shoot! Who left the door open? The chickies could get out!"
Before Claire could utter a single word, Popuri was through the door. Almost immediately, the former's ears were met with an ear-piercing shriek, and Claire dashed inside.
"Popuri, wha-"
She was stopped mid-sentence by the gruesome sight that unfolded before her eyes. An overpowering stench abruptly clogged up her nose, and she gagged, feeling instantly nauseous.
It was the stench of blood.
"Oh... Oh my Goddess..."
The dirt floor of the henhouse was littered with small mangled bodies. Not human bodies, but the bodies of chickens. Chickens that had been viciously mauled until they barely resembled anything but grotesque lumps of flesh, their innards scattered unceremoniously about the floor amid large clumps of white feathers. The blood was soaked into the surrounding dirt, and splattered the walls in a sickening fashion.
Claire coughed, fighting to hold in her recent lunch, as the disgusting stench filled her nose until it was a struggle to simply breathe.
Popuri merely stood still, shell-shocked, her arms pressed against her sides as if the horrible smell had no effect on her. After a few seconds, she spoke, her voice barely reaching a whisper.
"...Chickie Poo? H-Henrietta? ...Clover, Omlette,...No, not-Clementine? Oh, no..."
She paced the room, staring down at the bodies of her beloved chickens in disbelief. Her voice became increasingly higher pitched as she collapsed beside the remains of the smallest chicken, tears now streaming freely down her face.
"C-Clem...Clementine... no, it, no..."
She turned to face Claire, who was overwhelmed by pity for the girl, but had absolutely no idea what to do for her. She wanted to comfort Popuri more than anything, but was at a complete loss for words, and the scene of the massacre was making her feel sick.
Suddenly, a bespectacled young man dashed into the chicken coop, an apron flapping about his knees. Rick.
Popuri, what – I heard you scream-" He stopped.
"Holy... what in the hell happened?"
Popuri jumped up and ran over to her brother, throwing her arms around him. Her shaking sobs were muffled by his shirt as she buried her face in his shoulder. Rick tried to comfort her by patting her pink hair soothingly, and his eyes widened in shock as he surveyed the scene.
For the slightest second, however, Claire thought she saw another emotion in his face, before it was replaced by a look of utter repulsion. Something that looked an awfully lot like recognition, understanding.
And fear.
After about a minute, Popuri lifted her head, her eyes swollen and bloodshot from crying, not bothering to wipe the tears that still flowed freely from them. "Rick? Who...what could have done this? W-Why?"
Rick's face was expressionless as he replied blandly, "I don't know. Popuri... the other chickens..."
He pointed to the shadowy back corner, where a group of survivors were huddled together in fear, hidden nearly out of sight. Instantly, Popuri pulled back and approached the chickens with caution, whispering their names soothingly.
"Here, Bianca, S-Sunny… H-Henny Pen… Penny..." Her voice wavered as she stifled another sob.
Rick, meanwhile, glanced around the room to assess the damage. He looked over at Claire, and the blonde girl was slightly surprised to see the deep level of hurt in his eyes as he fought back tears.
"Claire... I-I'm so, so sorry you had to see this..."
Claire could hardly speak. Her throat felt scratchy as she whispered back, "I...It-It's fine."
Rick's expression hardened. "No, it's not fine. This is not fine!"
Frustrated, he gestured at the mess around them, and tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. Claire could barely hear him when he spoke again.
"I can't believe I let this happen...My poor sister, my chickens...Dear Harvest Goddess, I-I need to get out. I need to check on- check on my mother."
He turned to leave, and sighed.
"It's all my fault."
Claire threw out her arm to stop him, her mind set. "This is not your fault, Rick. I don't know who, or what, could have done...done this, but it's not your fault."
He stared at Claire, sadness reflected in his eyes behind his glasses. "I...I could have prevented this."
"No, how could you have prevented this? It has nothing to do with you, it- Rick, I've seen things around town, it-"
Rick interrupted her, somewhat coldly. "No... trust me, Claire, this is my fault."
Claire made to take his hand, sensing that he needed a hug, at the very least, but Rick roughly pushed her away and turned to stomp out the door without another word.
"Claire..." Popuri spoke up softly from the back of the chicken coop, one of the small white birds nestled in her arms, "it's really not Rick's fault. It-it's mine. I...I must have forgotten to close the henhouse door after I checked on the chickens last night, I-"
"Popuri... it's not anyone's fault, okay? Not anyone's fault but the monster who did this. I...I'm going to solve this mystery."
Popuri nodded, sniffling. "I'm sorry, Claire, but...I'm afraid you'll have to come back another day for your chicken, if that's okay."
"I understand. And...and if you ever need anything, I'm always around."
"Thanks."
Together, the two girls headed out the door into the yard, savoring the fresh air. Rick was nowhere to be seen.
"I...I should go alert the mayor and Officer Harris... And Zack, he'll want to hear about this." The pink haired girl grabbed Claire's hand and squeezed it in farewell before they went their separate ways.
And Claire was left alone with even more disturbing images burned into her mind, as well as a huge mystery to solve that she never could have imagined facing only days ago.
Later on in the evening, as she sat at her table sorting packets of summer seeds, Bailey asleep at her feet, the young blonde farmer was overwhelmed by these very thoughts.
I still don't know what that thing was I saw the other night. And I have no idea what happened at the Poultry Farm... Do I even want to know?
She sighed. Goddess, if only chickens could talk. They saw their attacker. They're the only witnesses we have.
Feeing a sudden burst of anger and frustration, Claire roughly slapped a packet of tomato seeds down on the tabletop.
Are these two events related in any way? And, if so, how? She shoved the pile of tomato seed packets away from her, and moved on to the onions.
...Who can I even talk to about this? Maybe... She racked her brain, sorting through her brief memories of her past few days in Mineral Town. Gray, Ann, Karen, Elli, Trent... Finally, her thoughts landed on the memory of a certain conversation from Carter's welcoming party at the church. Maybe... Cliff?
Sighing, Claire gave up on her seed sorting. She couldn't concentrate, and she had time to do it tomorrow, anyway. Right now, all she needed was a good night of sleep. However, after throwing on her favorite pair of polka-dotted pajamas and getting comfortable beneath the quilted blankets, Claire lay awake in bed for hours before she could finally close her eyes.
The last thing she saw before falling asleep was the image of Popuri leaning over the bloody corpse of her beloved chicken, Clementine, wet tears streaming down her face.
A/N: Who, or what, attacked the chickens at the Poultry Farm? And why does Rick insist that it is all his fault? So many questions! And now I feel really bad for killing off Popuri's poor innocent chickens.
-CCM