Summer - Part 2

He ran frantically through the forest, pure terror in his eyes. He leapt over logs and rocks, darted around or through bushes scratching and ripping his skin. He barely felt it and only hissed if he did. He just knew he couldn't stop running. He couldn't look back! He ran from a thicket and turned a corner only to stop dead in his tracks, catching his breath and going white as a ghost, covering his mouth and feeling his stomach churn and his heart drop. The farmer's glade. But-but how?! He had been going the complete opposite direction! How could he have possibly…? He heard a sound behind him and gave a cry, barrelling onto the property desperately and trying to disappear in the wheat and corn fields. But always he would catch a glimpse of a figure there, flitting in his peripheral vision, appearing at his side, always watching, always reaching out icy fingers to seize him and drag him to an unknown fate. He cried out in terror, throwing himself out of the way of what he could have sworn was a creature he was about to run into, only to find it was a scarecrow. Which really didn't make him feel safer. He darted into a patch of flowers surrounded by a fence of grape vines, and threw himself down on the ground, hiding himself there and covering his head, breaths wavering and body shaking from fear.

He sensed him before he heard or saw him…

A glow passed nearby, and his heart almost stopped. He was there in the flowering field. Searching. He cursed his heart's pounding. Surely it was so loud it was giving him away! He almost wished it would stop… Of course, if this thing caught him it just might. "I know you're there," a voice, deep and stoic and chilling stated. "Why do you hide in the shadows? Why did you come into my fields? Into my forest? Why did you come?" Harvey let out a shuddering breath. He was asking himself the same thing… When he'd stood at the edge of the woods, everything inside of him had screamed at him to go back. To turn around and not enter. He'd defied it, insistently telling himself it was only nerves and that his imagination was getting the best of him. He'd tried to talk himself out of it by considering the threat of wild animals. Evidently, he hadn't succeeded at that. He'd been so determined to show them there was nothing to fear… And now he'd never been more terrified in his life… Now he knew that yes. Oh yes there was something to fear. "Come. I only want to talk. I promise I will hear you. N'er do we break our promises." Harvey didn't move. He barely breathed.

He sensed him so close…

"I will find you, mortal. And if I do, there will be no bargains to be made," the creature declared firmly. Another step closer. Another. Another. Only one or two more and he would be done. He couldn't-he couldn't do this, he couldn't! He couldn't! Oh gods forgive him!

He gasped and quickly got to his knees, gazing at the creature in terror. So beautiful and fair... Yet never had he seen something more utterly horrifying... "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I came, I'm sorry! I just-I just wanted to pick some berries for my… my nurse! She works so hard all the time and she's so kind with our patients and so beautiful and…" He slammed his mouth shut before he could further embarrass himself with that train of thought. "I just wanted her to have something she loved. As a thank you!" The creature was quiet, watching him with unreadable, soulless eyes. "I just… I only wanted to give her a gift, something precious to her. I'm not a warrior, my lord, I can't fight my way through the mines to find a diamond, and I certainly can't afford one, so the next best thing was-was something not as permanent that she would still be able to enjoy for a while."

"That is your claim, then?" the creature asked. "That is your truth?"

He was quiet, staring miserably and helplessly up at the creature. He knew there was no escaping this. Why, then, should he even bother lying or concealing the full story? "No… no, my lord. Only half of it. The other half… I didn't believe in your existence. I didn't believe the stories the children told. I didn't heed the warnings, I didn't listen to my instincts. I chalked them up to fantasy. I was so determined to prove to them there was nothing to fear in this forest. I was determined to prove to them that… that you were just a man… And that they had no right to spread rumors about you that made you a monster and made them so afraid to cross you. I wanted to prove elves were a myth and that you were safe."

"Are they frightened?" the creature questioned.

"Yes," he answered in a breath. "So frightened. Even the ones like me who-who don't believe, and that's most of them."

"Am I to be feared?" the creature questioned.

Harvey was quiet. "I'm afraid," he finally replied. "But that question is one I can't answer for you. Whether you are or aren't is up to you, I sense."

"Am I a monster?" the creature asked.

Again silence as the two stared at one another. "You… you are the elfin king… Whether that means you're a monster is up to you," he finally replied, hints of bravery and anger and defiance and challenge all coming into his voice.

The erlking tilted his head, silently summarizing the doctor who knelt waiting, trying to be strong but obviously near to collapse. The man knew that he could neither escape nor beg for anything from the elf. Only wait for his own fate to be decided, helpless to stop it whatever it might be. The erlking debated, then the erlking acted. All at once his hand shot out, wrapping around the mortal's neck. The physician gave a strangled scream as he was pulled from the ground!

Stardew

Rasmodius sensed the world twist. He awakened from sleep with a frightened gasp, eyes wide and filled with fear and uncertainty, heart pounding rapidly in his chest. He sat bolt upright, throwing off the covers and putting a hand to his head as he willed himself to calm down, feeling a panic attack setting in. He didn't know why he had woken in such a state. He only knew something was very, very, very wrong. He looked at his hands. They were shaking. He was shaking. He swallowed tightly and rose, unsteady on his feet before catching his balance, willing away the feeling of faintness.

Something was so very, very wrong…

He turned to his window and peered out it towards the elf king's domain.

Something had happened. Something so bad…

Stardew

No one noticed the doctor's disappearance. It was as if he'd never existed in the first place. Not until the Luau was there the slightest inkling Harvey had ever existed. But from the mouths of babes…

"Where's Harvey?" Vincent wondered, looking around with a frown at all the townspeople here.

"Huh?" Jas asked. She peered around too. "Hey, he's not here," she said, surprised. "But he always comes to the festivals."

"I wonder if he's sick," Vincent said.

"We should ask Miss Maru," Jas replied.

"Okay," Vincent agreed, perking up. The two scrambled off to find Maru. Luckily, Maru wasn't very far.

"Excuse us Miss Maru!" Jas chirped as they came up to her.

Maru looked over. "Oh, hi Vincent, Jas. What's up?" Maru questioned. "Do I need to book you two in for a doctor's appointment?"

"No. We're not sick," Vincent replied grinning. "We just wanted to know where Mr. Harvey was."

Maru looked confused. "Who?" she asked.

Vincent and Jas started and exchanged surprised looks. They turned to Maru. "You know, Dr. Harvey," Vincent replied.

"Dr. Harvey? What are you two talking about? The only doctor available to us comes in from the city on weekends," Maru replied. Their eyes bugged wide.

"No!" Jas argued. "You're the nurse and Dr. Harvey's the doctor, and he's nice and always makes sure we're not scared, then if we've been good and if we're healthy he'll say that he thinks we should get a treat and asks you if the clinic has any rewards."

"Yeah! Then you say that you think you do, usually, and you get us little toys or other treats and you tell us we did really great, and then we say goodbye and you and Dr. Harvey, and you both wave as we go," Vincent backed.

"What? Vincent, Jas, are you two feeling alright? Aside from the city doctor, it's only me in that clinic. Alone. I'm the one who decides if you get a treat and then I pick special treats just for you," Maru said. The children looked bowled over. Maru shifted uncomfortably. This was weird. "Um, Marnie, Jodi, can you come here a minute?!" she called out.

Marnie and Jodi approached. "Is something the matter, Maru?" Jodi asked.

"Um, do either of you know a Doctor named Harvey?" Maru asked.

"No. Why?" Marnie asked.

Maru looked at the children, puzzled. "Because Vincent and Jas seem to think there's a doctor in the clinic named Harvey who's nice and likes to reward them if they're healthy or well-behaved," she replied.

"Vincent, is this another of your stories?" Jodi asked, frowning.

"N-no!" Vincent insisted. He couldn't believe what they were hearing!

"Jas, is this going to be like the elf king?" Marnie questioned.

"What? Aunt Marnie, you know Harvey really well! You've known him for years," Jas exclaimed, shocked. Both Jodi and Marnie were uneasily silent.

"Sam, I need you for a minute!" Jodi called to her oldest.

"Shane, come here!" Marnie called to her nephew. Both turned curiously then came over.

"Do either of you know a doctor named Harvey?" Jodi asked when the two reached them.

"Why?" Sam questioned.

"Because Vincent and Jas are insisting there's a doctor in the clinic named Harvey who we've known for years," Marnie answered.

Both Sam and Shane were quiet. Shane soon sighed in exasperation and just walked away. "Shane!" Jas protested. "Shane, it's true! You know him really well too!"

"Make the appointment Aunt Marnie!" Shane called back, waving.

"What appointment?" Jas asked.

"The appointment you and Vincent apparently need to get your heads checked. Look, there's no man named Harvey in Stardew Valley," Sam said. "I mean, I know a couple guys named Harvey online, but both of them are miles from here. Countries even. There's no Harvey in the Valley." The children were quiet, stunned.

"Vincent, Jas, are you feeling okay?" Maru worriedly asked.

They snapped out of it. "There is a Harvey who lives here, there is! He's a doctor and you're the nurse and he lives in the apartment above the clinic and he's nice and really, really cares about his patients and he's real! He's real!" Vincent screamed. Now all eyes were on the children, and a hush had fallen over the festival.

"Is something happening here?" Mayor Lewis asked, approaching as the others listened in.

"They're saying Dr. Harvey doesn't exist! Tell them he does, Mayor Lewis, tell them!" Jas said.

"Dr. Who? Children, I don't know what you're talking about," Lewis replied.

"The apartment above the clinic has been empty for years," Pierre confirmed. "No one lives there. Heck, I've been thinking of just tearing it out."

"Dr. Harvey lives there!" Vincent shouted.

"Vince, knock it off!" Sam sharply ordered his brother, making Vince gasp.

"Sam, be patient. You're scaring him," Jodi soothed.

"He's being ridiculous!" Sam protested.

"There is no Dr. Harvey in Stardew Valley, little ones. Don't turn this into an elf king incident, please? Not while the Governor is here," Mayor Lewis pled. The children could only gape. When it was apparent they had no further arguments to give, the adults drifted off and Maru took Marnie and Jodi aside to discuss making appointments for the two little ones.

Vincent and Jas stood there dejected and a little scared. They looked around nervously and spotted Elliott still lingering, looking intrigued. "Elliott, you believe us, right?" Jas hopefully asked.

Elliot was quiet. After a moment he shifted and looked around cautiously. Soon he turned back to them. "I don't know a Dr. Harvey. I've never heard of anyone of that name living here… Were you any less adamant than you are, I perhaps would believe it was only a story, but you're more firm about this than you even were about the elf, and you were right about the elf, so I'm not so quick to dismiss your claim. But how do you explain everyone else suddenly forgetting the existence of this 'Harvey'?"

"I… we don't know…" Jas answered, bowing her head.

"Maybe it was the elf king!" Vincent said.

"But the elf king is nice!" Jas protested.

"But only in the day. No one's crossed him at night or knows what he does if you do," Vincent said. "You said Mrs. Mullner told you to be careful and that he wasn't evil but wasn't good too, and Elliott warned us to be careful and to listen to his warnings. What if Harvey didn't? What if at night the elf king isn't so nice anymore? Or something happened that made him mad at Harvey? Could… could he wipe Harvey from existence…?"

"That is beyond the power of an elf," Elliott replied, thinking. "However, what isn't beyond their power is trickery and mind games." He had read long ago of the illusions of the elf king, how powerful they were. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility that the creature could have bent the minds of the townspeople to forget Harvey existed… Which wasn't promising for this 'Harvey's' fate. It meant the man, if he had indeed existed, could very well be dead or enthralled or imprisoned at this very moment.

"How do we find out for sure? How do we save Dr. Harvey?" Jas woefully asked.

Elliott inwardly grimaced. He wasn't sure if there was anything left of this 'Dr. Harvey' to save. But they had to try. "I shall help you," he said to the little ones. They looked hopefully up at him. "I shall help you try and find him and solve this little mystery of yours. It should be quite thrilling, actually. I relish the challenge. It may even inspire a new book."

"You're really going to help us? You really believe?" Vincent asked.

"I really am, and I really do," Elliott confirmed. "And I know just where to start, loathe as I am to do so. Meet me outside the woods after the Luau. We'll discuss the plan from there."

"Yes sir!" they both said, saluting him with grins then hurrying off to try and enjoy the festival before it was totally ruined for them, if it hadn't already been.

Stardew

Elliott watched after the children. "How dare you fill their heads with that crap!" an enraged voice demanded, and Elliott winced. Uh oh.

The author turned around slightly sheepishly. "Maru," he replied in greeting.

"Are you kidding Elliott? What are you doing humoring them?" Maru asked. "I get children should be allowed to use their imaginations, but when it gets to the point they actually start believing one of their fantasies is real? That's a mental health concern, not a fun game! You know full well no one named Harvey ever lived here."

"Actually, I don't know full well whether anyone named Harvey ever lived here," he replied, puffing up angrily. "In fact, there are a great many things I don't know, and you'd do well to take that attitude yourself."

"Unbelievable. First elves now an imaginary doctor. This is getting ridiculous," Maru said with a frustrated sigh.

"What if they're right, Maru?" Elliott asked.

"They aren't," Maru replied.

"There's no reason that they should be so adamant a doctor by the name of Harvey lived here just out of the blue! They've never mentioned an imaginary friend named Harvey before today, now suddenly they're spewing off this tale so vehemently and insistently that they're actually getting upset no one is believing them. A child is very, very good at fantasy, but no child could describe a character they crafted in their heads with such consistent and lucid detail, right down to exact words and living space of said character! Always a child's stories change, waxing and waning as they find other little things to add in, but there were no additions to this. There was nothing but raw truth in their voices. Tell me you didn't hear it!" Maru was silent. Elliott took it as a sign of victory. He huffed, straightening his jacket. "Before you go off tossing aside their suspicions as if they're nothing, I would suggest maybe you entertain the possibility they're the ones in the right."

"But they aren't!" Maru insisted. "I would know if I was working with someone!"

"You would, I admit, so let me ask you this. Can you truthfully say to me, completely unwaveringly, that their tale didn't spark in you any inkling of doubt and uncertainty at all? Can you truthfully say to me that you really don't feel there's anything missing in any capacity at all?" Elliott challenged. She kept quiet, looking ever so slightly uncertain. "If they happen to be correct, then something horrid has happened and it needs to be fixed or dealt with. If they're correct, something occurred that is potentially world changing, and that is hardly a matter you just shrug off. Perhaps, Maru, you should search for the truth yourself before declaring the imaginings of a child a fantasy. Good day." Turning on his heel, he marched off. She watched after him uneasily, then looked towards the clinic with a measure of uncertainty.

Stardew

Elliott met up with the Vincent outside of his home. The little boy was trying to sneak out a window and fell. Luckily into Elliott's arms. Elliott smirked at him, shaking his head. Vincent grinned sheepishly, flushing. Elliott chuckled and put him down on the ground, and the two slipped away to Marnie's ranch. Jas had already snuck outside by the time they arrived, and she went directly to them looking uneasily at the sky. "It's almost dark. The elven king said not to come into the forest after sunset," she uneasily stated.

"Don't fear, children. All will be well," Elliott assured. "We're going directly to the Wizard's tower, and he can help us. I'm sure of it. Or at least there we can find some answers."

"Okay," Jas uncertainty replied.

"Let's do it!" Vincent cheered.

"Shh!" Elliott and Jas both hissed. Vincent winced and muttered an apology under his breath. Elliott walked into the forest, keeping the children close by him just in case something dangerous was indeed lurking… He could swear he felt eyes on them and could swear he heard whispers in the wind…

It wasn't a lengthy walk to the tower, thankfully. They got there as the last light faded in the sky and darkness consumed. Elliott knocked firmly at the door, praying the wizard would answer. No response. He knocked again, louder. Nothing. He raised his hand to knock a third time, but all at once the door swung open. Jas and Vincent gasped, jumping back a bit. Elliott blinked in surprise, then a wave of unease came over him. He looked back at the children, then into the tower, then drew a deep breath and stepped inside, taking their hands firmly and getting ready to run and drag them right along with him if he had to.

"What's your business here?" a voice said in the dark. Candles lit up as if by magic, and they saw the wizard standing behind his cauldron glowering suspiciously.

"A bit of a conundrum I'm afraid, good sir," Elliott answered. "You see, the children here are insistent there's a townsperson missing. The only trouble is, no one but them has any recollection of this townsperson at all. Including me."

"Yet you're helping them," the wizard remarked.

"I've long believed children know more than we give them credit for," Elliott answered. "I believed their tales of the elf king too. I fear that perhaps this disappearance may be linked to him."

The wizard was quiet. "Who is it that's missing?" he finally asked.

"The doctor. His name is Harvey," Jas replied. "Maru says a city doctor comes in, but she's wrong."

"And they say Dr. Harvey's home has been empty for years, but it hasn't! If they just went up to look they'd see, but they won't. And Pierre says he's thinking of tearing it down, but he can't!" Vincent added.

"That's it," Rasmodius whispered, more to himself than them.

"What's it?" Vincent asked.

Rasmodius looked up quickly, as if just remembering they were there. "That's the reason I woke up a few nights ago near panic! That's the reason I felt like something had gone horribly, horribly wrong, because it did! A man went missing. A man's memory was wiped from existence!"

"And… and the man himself…?" Elliott asked cautiously, hoping the children didn't understand his own personal concerns.

The wizard seemed to catch on, quickly sobering. "Children, why don't you go browse my library? I need to talk to your friend here," he soon said. The children looked uncertain and turned to Elliott. He nodded at them, offering a smile. They shifted uneasily but soon obeyed.

When they were gone, Elliott approached the wizard. "Was the doctor wiped from existence as well, or only the memory of him? Is… is the man still alive?" he asked.

"I don't know," the wizard solemnly replied. "I can try to catch wind of his lifeforce, but it won't be easy. If this is indeed one of the elf king's illusions…"

"I know," Elliott cut off grimly. If the elf king didn't want this 'Harvey' found, he wouldn't be found unless they went right to the source, and even then it was a tossup.

The wizard began to brew something and soon scooped some of it up into a cup. He laid the cup down, peering into it. Elliott peered too. Nothing was there. Just blackness. The wizard's frown deepened. "There's nothing," the man finally said.

"Wait, look," Elliott said, pointing out a faint shimmer in the liquid. Rasmodius squinted and drew back slowly, lips parting. "Is it him?" Elliott asked.

"It is. He exists, but his lifeforce… it's barely there," Rasmodius answered.

"What does it mean?" Elliott asked.

"I don't know. Perhaps a trance, perhaps enthralled. Something's happened, and he's trapped and can't escape. Not on his own. He needs help… He needs help soon… If that help doesn't come, then one of two things will happen. Either the erlking will grow bored with his new decoration and end him once and for all, or he'll remain entranced for the rest of his days. And the longer he stays that way, the less he'll be remembered until even the children and I will forget he ever was. There's a time limit. It's a limit the elf king has granted. A strange sort of mercy, but a mercy nonetheless. There is a chance he can be saved, but it must be soon."

"How soon?" Elliott asked.

"Maybe a week, maybe a day, maybe we have only until tomorrow, who can tell? The sooner he can be rescued the better. If we dally too long…" the wizard gravely began.

"Then there'll be nothing to save. Rather, there will be, but we'll not know it," Elliott said.

"No one will, and he'll be imprisoned forever," Rasmodius confirmed. "He did something wrong. It's likely he stumbled on something he shouldn't have, or took a liberty that truly incensed the elf king. That woodland sprite isn't pleased. Should he come to me, as he often did in spring, I will try to argue for Harvey's freedom. Your job is to do the bargaining itself, or the rescuing. Whichever you need to. Just get him out as quickly and as soon as you possibly can… And be careful lest you end up like him next." Elliott nodded. "Keep the children out of this as best you can. They may well be the trump cards in this endeavor. He's fond of them, very much so. They might be the last resort if nothing else works." Elliott nodded in understanding. "Do you dare to try and bring the little ones home tonight? If not, you may stay here."

"If the elf king is fond of them, then with luck we'll be alright," Elliott answered.

"Hmm… Hold on," the wizard said. He snapped his fingers, vanishing. After a bit he reappeared, making Elliott jump in surprise. "Travel along the lower part of the lake, don't go up the sides or past where the trader usually stays. If you stray away from the lower lake, you'll doom yourself and them. He's out tonight, on the prowl, but he's staying close to his farm. His dance won't be heard or seen. He'll go into the secret forest for that. Your job is to avoid him until then." Elliott nodded then went to fetch the children and bring them home as quickly and silently as possible. He would fix this. He'd be sure of it, he vowed to himself.

Stardew

He gazed at her house quietly. He knew she'd probably laugh him out when he told her of his plan, but he felt obligated to at least try to get her to understand. He let out a breath and approached the door, knocking on it lightly. He heard her shuffling inside. Soon she came to it, opening it slightly. She frowned curiously. "Elliott?" she asked, opening the door fully.

"Greetings Leah," Elliott replied. "The summer air is simply marvellous, don't you agree?"

"I do. Not that I'm not happy to see you, I am, but why have you come here?" Leah questioned.

He was quiet, thinking the answer over. "I'm going to find Harvey," he said.

"Harvey?" Leah asked, confused. She remembered the Luau, then, and her expression softened and became concerned. "Oh Elliott, there's no such person as Harvey. He's a story concocted by two overactive imaginations. There was never a Harvey who lived here that I've heard of."

"He exists, and I'm going to find him and bring him back," Elliott firmly stated. "I know this will sound completely mad to you, but I feel I have little to lose at this point. Either I succeed, and all is fixed, or I fail and become just as he is now. Forgotten. The Elf King has him, Leah, and I know what you're going to say, that the elf king is just another of Vincent and Jas's fantasies, but you do know what I will reply with, don't you?"

Leah looked concerned, then resigned. "That just because we can't see or understand something doesn't mean it isn't there. That too often people brush off as impossible the things that are and the things that could be. That children know more than we give them credit for… And it all boils down to you believe in him. You believe he exists. He's as real to you as he is to those children, and you don't care who is of the same mind and who isn't, because you know it's so. You feel it," she said.

He smiled softly. "I have a sudden and inexplicable urge to kiss you," he murmured.

"I don't kiss madmen," Leah answered, smirking in amusement.

"Then you're missing out," he answered.

She giggled softly, looking down and blushing. Her smile fell and she soon looked up again, concern written on her face. "On the off-chance you're right, and Vincent and Jas are right, you said you could end up just like this missing Harvey person… Is it worth the risk, Elliott? To chase a fantasy you can't know is real or isn't?"

"The preservation of a life and of a man's memory, if I cannot save the life, is worth all the risk in the world," Elliott replied.

"A man that might not even exist," Leah said.

"He does," Elliott answered.

"You might not come back," Leah frustratedly insisted, pulling at her braid nervously.

"Then I will end up just as he ended up. Unnoticed and unmissed," Elliott replied.

"Don't do that!" Leah shot.

"It's what's become of him," Elliott answered, and she winced. "At least he won't be alone in it, should I fail."

"Elliott!" Leah said, about to argue. She was cut off when his lips lightly brushed against hers and stayed for a moment. He drew back. Her breath was still held as her head spun a bit from the surprise of it. His lips tasted good, she noted before kicking herself for the thought. She let out a shaky stream of air and looked up at him in surprise.

"Farewell, Leah," he said, bowing to her at the waist with a slight smile, then turning and quickly leaving. Leah gaped after him in concern. She nibbled her lower lip, looking towards the farmer's land. What if… what if he was right…?

Stardew

Maru stared at the empty apartment doors, holding a pen to her mouth and nervously drumming her fingers. She couldn't get Elliott's words out of her head. She shifted uncomfortably, biting her lip and straightening up. She looked around. Was there a key to it, she wondered? It was just to ease her mind, she told herself! Of course this 'Harvey' didn't exist. She'd know if he did. She just… wanted the confirmation so her mind could stop nagging at her and telling her to go see to be certain. She'd walk up the stairs, she'd find the place empty, and she could put to rest her tumultuous thoughts once and for all.

But what if Elliott was actually right…?

No, that was ridiculous! She frowned, steeling herself, and began rummaging around for a key to it. There had to be one somewhere. Why didn't she know where it was? This was her clinic! She went into an office and paused. Keys were there, laying on a desk. She stared at them. She… didn't remember having keys there. After a moment she went to them, picking them up. There was an H engraved on one, and a chill prickled up and down her spine. She looked nervously back. After a moment of gathering her courage, she went to the doors to the apartment, inserted the keys, took a breath, then turned them… The lock clicked…

Maru swallowed and stepped inside, looking around. She looked up the steps then began to climb them carefully. She cracked open the door at the top and peered in. She gasped, throwing it open with eyes wide. This was not an empty apartment. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth with both her hands. Someone was living here! Shaking, she stepped further inside and began rummaging almost frantically, searching for answers. How could this be? This apartment hadn't been used for as long as she'd lived here! Had it? Maybe it was a haunt of the Wildman Linus? It had to be! This couldn't be real! Her thoughts stopped dead when her eyes found a picture. A picture of a handsome brown-haired man sporting glasses and a mustache who looked to be in his thirties or forties, thereabouts. She gave a strangled gasp, reaching out a shaking hand and tracing the face. Who was this man?

You know who it is…

"H-Harvey?" she asked almost timidly, as if the picture could speak. But-but no! Harvey didn't exist! He was a figment of the children's imaginations. He wasn't a… Oh god, he was real… Maybe he'd died long ago? Maybe the kids were seeing ghosts! Oh, what was she thinking, there were no such things! She turned over the picture. Dated last year.

I took this picture when you weren't expecting it. You just looked so natural and so at ease. I couldn't resist that classy pose and your ponderous gaze. I really don't know why you don't like pictures, Harvey. You take great ones. I just wish I had Haley's photographic skills so I could do you even more justice.

-Love Maru

She covered her mouth with a hand again, shaking now as she turned the picture back around to look at the man in it. How could she not remember him? Why couldn't she remember?! She had to have known him well to have written such an intimate message to him, she had to have! Why the heck couldn't she remember?! It was freaking her out. She felt on the verge of panic. She felt sick and scared and uncertain. What was this even?! This didn't make sense! You didn't just forget the people you cared about overnight! Well, with some medical exceptions, but that wasn't the point! How could she have forgotten?

She slammed down the picture, catching her breath. She had to leave. She had to get out of here! She turned to go and froze. There, lying on a surface, was a journal. She stared at it, holding her breath, then let the air out in a stream and went to it uneasily, picking it carefully up and opening it to the last few entries…

Summer 7th

I don't know what I would do without Maru here to help me. I'm so grateful to her. She's a godsend. She works so hard, and she's so good with our patients, and so kind, and so helpful. She's sweet, she's smart, she's witty… I really, really like her. A lot… More than I should, I fear… She's still so young, and me? I'm only kidding myself. What reason could there possibly be for a girl like her to bother looking twice at an older man? One day she'll find someone closer to her age, and I know they'll be just so happy. I will be content to watch from the sidelines. I have to be. Maru, I wish you all the happiness in the world. May you always have everything you desire.

Summer 8th

Maru's birthday is on the tenth. I've decided I want to get her something nice. A thank you for putting up with me, I suppose, and to express my gratefulness to her. I want to give her a present just as special to her as she is to me, but I can't afford to. I know she loves diamonds. They're one of her favorite things. I wish I could afford one. I wish I had the courage to go find one. But I don't, to my shame. She loves battery packs, but that hardly seems very special a thing to give her. Then again, my only other options are the foods and fruits she loves. Perhaps I will go with the fruits. Strawberries are one of her favorite things, in season, and replenishable. Perhaps I should just keep a bowl of strawberries filled and accessible for her pleasure all season long. It isn't half of what she deserves, but right now with things as rough as they are, it's the best I can do.

Spring 9th

I think I might be in love with her. Maru that is. I wish I had the courage to tell her…

I'm going to get the strawberries for her now, and in the process put to rest these ridiculous rumors of an elfin king in the forest. I hope Elliott's nonsense about said elf king is truly just nonsense. I must admit, he… got to me more than I'd like to confess.

Maru had read enough. She slammed the book shut, took it, and marched right out, eyes filled with conflicted emotions. Confusion, concern, guilt, desperation, amongst others. She knew what she had to do. She had to find Elliott! If this was all true, he might be the only one with a clue as to how to fix this and make things right! If Harvey had really existed—Harvey did exist—she wanted him back! If only so she could demand answers and freak out at him for doing something this stupid, whatever it was he'd done that got him in this predicament. How could a whole community just forget the existence of one of their own? It wasn't like they were a big community! They were so small, in fact, that literally everyone knew everyone! Elliott. She had to find Elliott.

Stardew

She found him as he was walking up from the beach. "Elliott!" she called out, running towards him. He paused, turning curiously. He gasped as suddenly she was there in front of him, pressing the journal into his hands. "I believe the children's stories," she said breathlessly. "Please, bring him back. You have to bring him back! Is there anyway I can help?"

Elliott, more than a little taken aback by the sudden turnaround, took a moment to process her question. He considered her words, looked towards the forest uneasily, then turned back. "Tell Penny to meet me at the library. Immediately. Leave the rest to me," he answered.

"What's Penny supposed to do?" she questioned.

"Just trust me, dear Maru," Elliott answered. Maru looked hesitant but then nodded, hurrying off. Elliott looked at the journal and flipped it open to the last entries, reading through them. He winced. No wonder there had been so sudden a turnaround, he dryly noted. Goodness but the doctor knew how to write. Perhaps they had something in common after all.

Stardew

Penny listened in disbelief to Elliott's explanation of events, and stared in shock at the journal and picture Maru had shown her. Well, Maru had brought her the picture to convince her to this meeting, and now Elliott was showing her the journal, so really there was no further denying a man named Harvey was certainly supposed to be living here with them. With that damning evidence in her face, she was also forced to start to admit to herself that just maybe the children had been right about an elf in the woods too… She hoped they were. It would be so fantastical. Albeit if he had something to do with Harvey's non-existence, it could also be frightening.

"I'm going to try and get him back," Elliott said.

Penny quickly looked up at Elliott, eyes wide. "What? Why you?" she questioned in concern. She admittedly really, really liked Elliott. Not like a lover, though she'd nursed a bit of a crush on him when he'd first come to Stardew Valley, but as more an older-sibling figure and mentor. They bonded over their love of writing and books, but her crush had eventually become something more platonic. She would go to him for advice, he would provide it. She would ask him questions about the books she read, if he knew those books he'd help explain them. She would hide away with him when her mother was being overbearing, he'd help ease her day and take her out for a boat ride or teach her some piano. He even would help her with her curriculum for Jas and Vincent, so yes. She was close to the writer. He was her teacher, he was her brother, he was her friend. She… she didn't want to lose him…

"Because with the fae one must be most shrewd and cautious with their words, and…" he began.

"There's no one in this valley more skilled with words than you," Penny finished for him, understanding immediately. If anyone could make a bargain with the Fair Folk that was airtight, it would be Elliott.

"Precisely," Elliott confirmed, nodding.

"So why come to me?" Penny asked.

"Because I need you to be my contingency plan in case I fail too," he answered, and her heart sank to hear those words spoken so bluntly. "Then with luck, at least you will know as well exactly what is happening. You may even succeed where I failed and was forgotten. I want you to keep a record of my existence, just to be safe, and keep it close to you always. Then should anything happen to me, should I suffer the same fate Harvey has, at least there will be hope in you."

"I-I don't know if I can," she modestly and shyly remarked, bowing her head.

Gently he tilted her chin up with a finger to make her look at him. "Penny, you can. You will. I trust in you," he reassuringly said.

"If the elf king really does exist, you're insane to go and try to bargain with him," she protested.

"I know," he answered.

"Oh no. Jas and Vincent! They're playing in the woods right now. What if he finds them?" she fearfully questioned.

"The erlking is fond of them. He will leave them be. It's quite likely the only reason he went after Harvey was because the good doctor made a mistake. Said or did something wrong that antagonized him," Elliott answered. "The erlking is not evil, Penny. Nor is he heroic."

"He just is," she finished for him quietly. "I know. I've read enough fairy stories to understand that."

"Can you do this, Penny?" he asked.

"Do you believe in me or not?" she quietly asked.

"I do. But I need you to believe in you too," he replied. "Because if you don't… I don't want anything to happen to you, but if he senses weakness or uncertainty in you, then you doom yourself. You know that, right?"

"Yes," she answered quietly.

"I need you to believe in yourself, sister. For my sake and yours both," Elliott reiterated yet again.

She looked up at him a long moment before straightening up a bit more, hardening herself. "Yes," she answered. "I'll do it. If something goes wrong, and it better not, I'll pick up where you left off." And probably do more too. Like rally the townspeople, because she was unsure any one of them could take on this force alone.

"Good girl. Be safe, Penelope," Elliott replied. He kissed her cheek gently before turning and leaving her with the journal and picture of Harvey. Penny stared at them and realized with a sinking feeling that she had no memento of Elliott with which to recognize him if she forgot. Quickly she set to writing down her interaction with him as she thought about the problem. Leah. Leah probably had a likeness of him carved somewhere. That would be a starting point should the worst happen. She made a note of that. At least if Leah had something, Penny would know what she was looking for if this didn't end well. But it would! It had to…

Stardew

Elliott made his way towards the Elven King's glade cautiously, butterflies flittering in his stomach and nerves aflutter. He paused outside the entrance. He saw the lights. He drew a breath and approached, plugging his ears with earplugs and drawing carefully near, though being sure not to step into the circle of light. He crouched low, crawling carefully through the fields, and watched as the Elven King danced with the Junimos hopping all around him dancing along, and… and fairies. Elegant and graceful. Elliott softly caught his breath. It was true… It was all true… It was so beautiful to see… So utterly beautiful… He felt his eyes almost misting, felt a sudden urge to just stay there forever and watch, but he couldn't lose sight of why he was here. He couldn't let himself fall under the spell.

He crawled nearer ever so slightly, then crouched behind the grape vines, peering cautiously from behind them. Then he saw Harvey and stiffened. The man was enveloped by ivy crawling all over his body, keeping him in place though it didn't look like he would have moved even if he'd been free. He was entranced, Elliott realized immediately. Utterly and completely helpless to do anything but gaze in awe at the fairy dance. The writer almost felt like he was about to get caught in the illusion too, and so he knew he had to act now or not at all. If he waited much longer, he would be as helplessly enthralled as Harvey was. He rose, pulling out the earplugs stopping up his ears.

"Elfin King, I come to bargain for the freedom of the man you've ensnared and whose memory you've erased from the minds of all those who knew him!" Elliott called out. The Junimos disappeared with surprised squeals. The fairies scattered in alarm with little gasps. The elf king stayed still, not turning. Soon, however, he did, and the look in his eyes told Elliott that if he didn't play this game correctly, he was a doomed man.

"Who are you to come upon my land uninvited and interrupt me and my kin at our merrymaking?" the erlking coolly answered.

"Who am I? A doomed man, should I fail, but I was prepared for such an outcome," Elliott answered.

The Elven King silently read him. "What is this mortal prize to you that you would risk everything for his sake?" the fae soon questioned.

"My doctor," Elliott answered. The elf snorted, biting back a laugh as if he couldn't believe the answer. As if he couldn't believe a mortal with no deep connection to another would be willing to risk his life for said other. "Do you find it so hard to believe I would be willing to risk death to save a mere acquaintance?" Elliott questioned, approaching Harvey and stopping in front of him with back turned to the elf in a show of boldness, certainty, and defiance. He examined the enthralled doctor in silence, who was seeming to come out of the trance he'd been in now that the dancing and singing were done. Lucidity appeared to be coming back to his eyes. Elliott looked him over and spotted something at his hip. A long, thin, iron shard. It wasn't meant to be a weapon, Elliott realized. It was meant to be a poison. It was sharp enough to pierce the body. Not kill, but pierce and stick and poison the fae from inside. The Author smirked to himself. Clever, clever doctor. He was impressed. Harvey had taken his advice after all. Subtly he slid it free of the ivy and Harvey and kept it near to him. The elf king was quiet. Elliott turned to him again. "I want to bargain for his freedom."

Again, no response. The fae just stared. "E-Elliott?" Harvey mumbled, voice weak and hoarse and exhausted. "What-what are you doing here? Where am…" Harvey caught his breath and fell silent. He'd remembered. Elliott looked back, giving him a smile. "Take heart, dear doctor. Everything is under control."

"Elliott, what are you doing?" Harvey asked, pale as a ghost. Elliott simply winked and turned back to the elf. Harvey could only gape, trying to figure out the writer's plan, trying to get into his head. It was no easy feat to anticipate what the man might be doing, but none of what the doctor was concluding was good.

"How is it you came to remember him?" the erlking asked.

"Your illusions didn't touch the children. They remembered. I simply believed. The poetic mind of an author, I suppose," Elliott answered. "I believed, and I acted."

The elfin king remained silent a moment more. "You have nothing to bargain," he soon answered.

"Come now, what terrible slight did he dishonor you with that he deserves this fate?" Elliott asked. "There is always an arrangement that can be made."

"I should happily exchange his freedom for yours," the elven king answered, unimpressed with this turn of events.

"I have another proposition," Elliott said, approaching him. The elf king warily watched. Suddenly Elliott withdrew the iron shard he'd taken from Harvey and drove it into the body of the elven king! The fae stiffened, making a sound of pain as his hands went automatically to where the shard had entered him. His lips parted in disbelief and he looked slowly down at where it had been driven.

"Oh my god!" Harvey exclaimed. Slowly the elf king looked back up, shocked.

"Iron, a poisonous, unnatural metal to your sort if memory serves. Now I can't pretend to know much about elfin weakness, but I would guess iron embedded in your body can hardly be good for you. Even if it shouldn't kill you, I have little doubt it must be agonizing," Elliott said. The elf king made a strangled sound, mouth twitching as he felt the change within him. Elliott's smile fell a bit when he noticed grey veins starting to appear in the elf king's face, creeping towards the head, then became a full out frown as the elf king's eyes began to blacken, and as he made a strangled sound, similar to what humans with a food allergy would do when their throats began to swell up after eating something they shouldn't. But this seemed worse somehow. Still, Elliott knew he couldn't let his leverage go, as much as he was starting to regret what he'd done. The fairies were coming out looking fearful and alarmed. The Junimos were appearing as well, gazing worriedly at the elf. "Your life for his freedom, with all his memories and feelings intact, and all the memories and feelings of everyone who knows him intact," Elliott said. "No loopholes, no cheating. Just simple and direct." The elf king was quiet. "He can save you," Elliott said as the doctor gaped in horror at the rapidly weakening fae. The elf made a pained sound, sinking to his knees and starting to shudder. The fairies were gasping and whispering and longing to come near, but also fearing to lest the mortals had more iron on them somewhere.

"Agreed," the elf king breathed. "No tricks, no cheats. I will set him free."

"You and all your company," Elliott quickly added, catching a potential loophole. He would set them free. That wasn't to say the fairies would.

"Damn you, mortal!" the elf king shouted, fury and rage darkening his eyes as he looked up at Elliott appalled.

"It all could have been so simple, you know. If ever your sort actually meant what they said without alternative motives hidden behind their words," Elliott replied.

"Damn you!" the elf king spat again. Elliott stepped back, a little unnerved at the rage flowing through the elven king.

"Let me help you, please!" Harvey begged.

The elf king's eyes darted over to him warily. "Release him," he commanded of the fairies, relenting in disgust.

The fairies cast a spell on the ivy and quickly it withdrew from Harvey's body. Harvey gasped as he felt his bonds broken. Immediately he dove for the Elf king and laid him down. Swiftly he found the entry point and set his jaw. It had gone deep. "This is going to hurt," he warned. The elf king growled in response but said nothing. Immediately Harvey set to work as Elliott looked nervously around at the icy and dangerous glares of the Fair Folk. Oh, he had made a very, very bad mistake. He felt his confidence wavering and felt immediately he was going down a slippery slope. They would sense his fear and weakness soon enough if he didn't recover his courage… But with all their eyes upon him like this… It was no easy task. He turned attention back to Harvey, trying to focus on that. The doctor was quick and efficient. Within ten minutes he had dug the iron shard from the elf king's body and thrown it away from himself and into the water, obviously stricken with guilt. Elliott was not impressed. That was literally the only defense either of them had had. Now their fate lay solely on whether the elf king kept his word or not. They always kept their promises, he kept reminding himself. Always… But he couldn't help but feel a little bit of concern that he might end up being the one to drive the elf to make an exception…

The elf recovered at an alarming rate, the gray veins withdrawing and his glow returning to him. He gasped deeply and sat up swiftly before rising to his feet. Before either Harvey or Elliott could comprehend it, there was a blade in his hand, sharp and deadly in the moonlight. The two could only gape in fear. The elf king glared spitefully at them both, eyes narrowed. His gaze came to rest on Elliott and the silence seemed to drag on and on before finally the king returned it to his sheath. "You are well with words, mortal. Be wary of it. Those who can contend with the fair folk do not oft contend for long," the elf king stated, all hints of anger dissipating as his expression returned to neutral. "Go on your way in peace." He clenched his fist, resting his arm against his chest and bowing his head ever so slightly to the men. They assumed it was a gesture that meant goodbye or something similar, and warily they backed away from the elven king as the Junimos emerged once more, and the fairies looked on in anger, unimpressed but not acting against the men. "Author," the elf king suddenly said. They paused and looked back. "The next time you make a bargain for the life and freedom of another, do not forget to include yourself in the deal." Elliott seemed confused, then suddenly caught on and blanched, looking sick. He'd bargained for Harvey's freedom. He'd forgotten about his own. He stood stock still, honestly expecting the elf king to reach out and ensnare him. Harvey braced himself and glared at the fae as if challenging him to try it, looking ready to fight if need be. The elf made no move to do anything against either of them. "Go on your way in peace, both of you," he instead said to the two mortals. "And remember how close to your doom you came this day." Harvey bowed his head in acknowledgement and started away. Elliott was still frozen and pale, actually looking like he was subtly shivering. Harvey winced and reached out, taking the other's arm and gently pulling him away from the not-so-farmer's fields and towards safety as Elliott continued in his shock.

Stardew

They emerged from the woods and came into the town square only to be greeted by every resident who made this place their home, looking overwhelmed and frightened and so, so relieved. Maru threw herself into Harvey's arms, mouth quivering and eyes brimming with tears as she clung to him. Startled at first, he soon wrapped his arms around her gently and drew her near, stroking her hair. "I brought you strawberries," he lamely offered.

"Risk your life for strawberries again, you're going to need a doctor yourself," she answered, sniffing as she drew away from him wiping her eyes. Penny offered Maru the journal Elliott had given her. She took it, looking at it, then pressed it back into Harvey's hands. The man looked mortified, quickly realizing what likely had been done. She bit her lower lip then stood on tiptoes, quickly pecking his lips before drawing away blushing as her parents and brother gawked in shock and disbelief at her. She got the feeling she was in for a lecture, if her father's furious expression was anything to go by. She wasn't looking forward to that, but at the moment she couldn't bring herself to care. Elliott had brought him back…

"Harvey, we're so, so sorry," Mayor Lewis guiltily said. "I don't understand how it was possible that we could-could just forget!"

"It wasn't you. It was… it was the elfin king…" Harvey admitted in shame, hanging his head as he blushed deeply. He couldn't believe he'd just said that out loud. If he hadn't literally just barely escaped with his life and freedom intact not five minutes ago, he would have kicked himself in the head for that remark then signed up for a psychological evaluation. The rest of the town looked stunned at this declaration, then uneasy. They separated without a word, a heavy and anxious silence falling upon them. From children and Elliott they expected it, from the wizard and Linus and Willie and Evelyn they understood it, but to hear it from Harvey's mouth? That was something else entirely… If this proved to be true, if the elves had come back, would they be worse off or better? That was a mystery none of them were eager to have solved for fear of what the outcome would be…

Stardew

"So, you chose monster."

"Had I chosen monster, there would have been no one left that remembered you. Had I chosen monster, you would be dead. Forgotten. As if you had never existed."

"What are you saying?"

"Had I not wanted you found again, doctor, rest assured I would have been certain of it."

"Why are you here?"

"To mend bridges. I came not into this land with the desire to instill fear and create enemies. I grew wary of battle long ago. But I cannot change my nature. I cannot change what it is I am. Whether it makes me allies or enemies I care not. It is as it is."

"You kidnapped and enthralled me."

"I did. I also won you a new and undying friendship with a man you did not think could ever become one. I also threw down the wall that kept you from the arms of the woman you love. The Fair Folk give neither blessing nor curse with rare exception. It is how mortals interpret our gifts that make it one or the other."

...

"Have you come to take me back?"

"What reason have I to take you back, author?"

"Then why these past weeks have you lurked on and off outside my cabin?! I've been unable to sleep for the paranoia! If you've come to take me, take me! Don't make me suffer this!"

"Is that why you came out finally? In the hopes I would finish it, as it were? I come not to harm you, mortal. I come to admire you. Countless millennia of experience to my name, yet a mere writer with an iron shard managed to do what thousands upon thousands upon thousands have failed to. Brought me to my knees and cast me at the feet of death. I did not expect it of one such as you. I did not expect a warrior's heart to burn within your breast."

"No warrior's heart burns within me. I never even expected I would do such a thing. I acted with the heart of a poet, and played the role of a character in a fantasy. I reacted as I would have written a creation of mine in the same situation to react… Your smile... I dislike being unable to understand the sort of smile it is."

"You have nothing to fear of me, mortal, as long as you make not the mistakes of others who trod where they ought not to have trod… But I give you and the whole of the town my word, that no longer will Cindersnap Forest be cause for them to fear at night. I will leave them be. The Secret Woods, however, are mine. Woe to whosoever determines they will not heed my warnings in regard to them. I have given ample notice, I have told of what may happen to those who stumble across my subjects at their merrymaking. You know the cost of your curiosity. There are no further excuses to be made. Especially since you have made it now abundantly clear to all that there is indeed elven magic in this valley once more, to my annoyance."

"Just you will leave the Cindersnap forest be, or all of your sort? Ah, and there is that smile again. Really, you must stop that. It's very nerve wracking."

"No harm shall befall a mortal who should come across my own at their merrymaking outside of the dark forest. Should they deign to do otherwise, it is with me they will contend."

"Only at your merrymaking, then."

"You are a clever mortal. Perhaps too much so. I will make no further promises than I already have. The rest must be based on trust, for without it there will e'er be fear permeating a beautiful and peaceful valley I wished no fear upon…"

Stardew

The farmer was still missing. Rumors were beginning to spread of the possibility he might have run afoul of the elves. Elf, the likes of Elliott, Evelyn, and Linus would correct. They spoke not of the truth of the elf king. Search parties began to go out during the day to try and find him. As the weeks dragged by, their hearts sank lower and lower as they realized that he would not be coming back, though they still wondered at who it was who answered their bulletins and letters, if it weren't the farmer. When Penny suggested casually that it was the elf king, the valley became suddenly much quieter. No ads were put up anymore, and no letters were sent out. Until one day the creature—as many had taken to calling him to the personal disgust of those who knew him, say for Evelyn and Rasmodius who understood fully that was exactly what he was—came among them.

It was at the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, late that night, that the elf king appeared in all his splendor. The villagers had been talking and enjoying each other's company when suddenly a hush fell over them as a presence was felt. All eyes turned to the trail, and there he was. He emerged from the woods in his robes and crown, awing all. On either side floated a fairy, flanking him. They could only gape, frozen in shock as he walked among them, through them, to the edge of the dock, and paused as the jellies approached. The eyes of the townsfolk were fixed on him as he stood, and they saw the jellies go towards his ghostly glow as if he were a beacon, dancing in front of him like it was he alone they were trying to entertain. He knelt at the edge, reaching down his hand to the water. Their leader, green and bright, brushed against his fingertips, and the elf king smiled softly. The smile fell once more and he rose, turning and walking away from the dock and the villagers without a word, leaving them in silence.

The next day, the farmer made his reappearance…