Again, Eve was up and ready to start the day right when the rooster had crowed. After a quick shower and a quick glance to the television for the weather, she was heading out the door toward the fields. However, someone was at her door and she jumped. Clint was looking rather awkward as he was standing on her porch, shifting his weight around a little.
"Oh Clint…good morning!" Eve said with a smile on her face. Clint nodded back, fiddling with something in his hands.
"Uh…hi there…Eve. I mean, good morning." Clint replied back, though it sounded rather forced. He looked around for a moment before continuing. "I uh…noticed that you've been breaking some rocks open and finding some ores inside. That's good!" Eve nodded at him.
"Yeah, I went to the mines yesterday! It was an adventure to say the least. But I did find some copper in there…do you need some?" Clint shook his head and shuffled a little bit where he stood.
"Oh no, nothing like that. I mean, well…what I wanted to say is…if you want to get the most out of the ores you find, you're going to need a furnace." And then he took what he was holding and gave it over to Eve. "And it just so happens that I had an extra set of blueprints lying around. Here, I want you to have it." Eve looked at the bunched-up piece of paper and then took it from him. She smiled as she glanced through it.
"Wow, thank you Clint! I'm sure this will come in handy!" Clint rubbed the back of his neck a little, a small smile and blush appeared on his face.
"Yeah well…the furnace allows you to smelt metal bars. The bars can be used for crafting constructions and tool upgrades. And you can sell them too!" he paused for a moment to compose himself. "So…when you've smelted a few copper bars, consider having me upgrade one of your tools. It can make your work a lot easier." Eve nodded as she stowed the plans in her bag.
"Wow, that would be helpful! Thank you Clint…but how did you know that I was finding these ores?" Clint looked awkwardly to the side.
"Uh…well…Marlon told me…" another awkward pause ensued. "Okay, I'm heading home. Take it easy!" Clint rushed off the porch and off the farm, basically power walking away until he was out of sight. Eve watched as he left, a little confused as she watched.
"Well, it doesn't matter…I guess it just means he was watching out for me or something." She took a closer look at the blueprint. "Copper, stones, and some coal will make a furnace. Let's see…" Eve got the materials from the chest and walked to the side of the house. Carefully following the directions listed on the paper, she crafted the furnace. She wiped her brow and smiled at her work.
"It doesn't look half bad! Now then…" she put in five pieces of copper into the try, and then some coal underneath it. After lighting the bottom tray up, the furnace roared to life and Eve stumbled back a little shielding her face from the light and heat. After a few minutes of the burning, it seemed to burn out on its own. Eve was cautious as she opened the flap and saw that the copper had melted into a full bar.
"Wow!" she almost went to reach for it but at the last moment, recoiled. It would be very hot right now and surely she would burn her hand. She brought the tray out and let it cool as she went to do her chores. Some of the crops looked like they were growing and they were almost done. Mostly the beans and potatoes. Eve watered them happily as she was humming to herself.
"Alright, just a little more right? Then you'll be fully grown." She said to the crops. By the time she was done with the watering, the copper bar had cooled enough. She took it out of the tray and examined it carefully. It was heavier than she thought, but she was amazed.
"This is so…cool! If I can get more of these, I should invest in making something! A tool or maybe a new building…" she put the bar in the chest and started smelting another bar. Now it was really time for her to start her day. She grabbed her fishing rod and started heading toward the beach.
"I'll go see Willy! I want to tell him about how I've been doing!" she said with a smile as she headed toward the town. As she was reaching the town square, she saw Lewis walking up toward the park. He looked…down. Something was clearly on his mind. Eve thought back to last night at what Marnie was talking about. Maybe it had something to do with that.
"Hmm…" Eve was quiet as she followed Lewis at a distance. She went up the stairs and saw he was heading for the old community center. With trepidation she walked over to him, looking at the old building.
"Lewis?" she called out to him, but he didn't meet her gaze. His eyes were fixed onto the community center for a moment before turning to Eve. He didn't look surprised to see her.
"Oh, hi there Eve…" he said, and then turned back to the old building. He let out a long sigh. "What an eyesore." Eve looked at the old building with him, again feeling that pull toward the building. She looked at Lewis and it seemed like he couldn't feel the same pull she did. She tried to focus back on Lewis.
"Is this what Marnie was talking about last night?" Lewis nodded and turned to her.
"Yes…this is the Pelican Town Community Center…or well…what's left of it anyway." He turned back to the building. "It used to be the pride and joy of the town…always bustling with activity. Everyone would come here…even Jaden would…" his head then drooped down. "Now…just look at it. It's shameful…these days, the young folk would rather sit in front of the TV than engage with the community…" Eve put on a smile and looked at Lewis.
"Well, it's not that bad right? I'm sure this is salvageable…" and as if right on cue, a window flap had rusted off completely and fell off. Eve just looked in amazement and Lewis just looked at her before shaking his head.
"Listen to me…I sound like an old fool." He walked toward the door. "The Joja Corporation has been hounding me to sell them the land, so they can turn it into a warehouse. Pelican Town could very well use that money, but there's something stopping me from selling it…I guess old timers like me get attached to relics of the past…ah well…" he looked at Eve. "If anyone else buys a Joja membership, I'm gonna go ahead and sell it…" Eve could feel a shiver go down her spine as she heard that. She could understand why Joja would want the old building but hearing the way Lewis said that…she couldn't help but feel the heaviness in his words. The scene last night played in her head again, Marnie's angry expression was in her head. This had to be something that Lewis had been holding onto for a long time, and the confrontation was the tipping point. Lewis let out another sigh as he tried to smile at Eve.
"Here, let's go inside. I'll show you the interior…" Lewis then took a key from his ring and unlocked the door before going inside. Eve approached and as she put her hand on the door, a calming aura overtook her. Again, she could feel that pulling, and this time it was letting her in. Lewis didn't seem to notice anything, but she could. It was strong, almost overwhelming, but not quite. As she walked in, the place was more the same. It was an old building that was clearly in disrepair. The walls, the floor…it all seemed to be falling apart. Plants were even growing out of the floor with the help of the sunlight that was coming from the holes in the ceiling and the old windows. As the wind blew through the building, it would creak as if it were going to fall apart at any moment. Lewis was looking over at what looked like a little hut to the left made of wood and leaves, confused as to how it got there. Eve looked at it and never saw something like that before.
"What's this? Hmm…I guess Vincent and Jas must've been playing here…though I don't know how they got in here." He said with a shrug. "This place is even more dilapidated than I remember…" he said as he started to walk around, looking at everything. Eve was following until she saw a little creature in the corner, next to the fireplace. Eve jumped and looked at it. It looked like a little green apple, but it had a face with tiny arms and legs.
"What is that?!" she exclaimed, and Lewis looked back at her with a confused expression.
"What?" he asked, and the moment he looked toward where she was looking, the creature disappeared in thin air. Eve looked amazed as Lewis was looking around, but still didn't see anything. Eve couldn't believe what her eyes had seen. She rubbed her eyes as she looked at that spot.
"But…but I saw…something…" she mumbled as Lewis looked at her with a concerned look.
"What's the matter? Eve, are you ill?" he asked. Eve shook her head and walked toward the spot a bit.
"No, I swear I saw something. It was…weird. It was a little creature and it was green, and it looked like an apple and…and…" Eve looked down, starting to doubt even her own eyes. "I…that sounded…weird…sorry…" Lewis walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey now, it's okay. You said you saw something? I wouldn't be surprised if this place was full of rats and other creatures like that. This place is pretty old." As Lewis continued to talk, another one of the same apple creatures popped up behind Lewis, jumping and lifting its little arms up. Eve looked past him, and her eyes went wide.
"THERE!" she pointed at the little apple creature. Lewis turned around again and once again, the creature vanished into thin air. Lewis inspected the spot but then looked back to Eve, looking at her with a mixture of fear and worry.
"Okay, now you're worrying me Eve…" he sighed and shook his head. "Look I'm going to head home. I need some lunch. You should get some food too, alright? And don't work too hard…" Lewis then turned his back to her and started to walk out of the building. Eve looked down, looking confused, worried, and even scared. She swore that she saw something. She saw that creature for a second time. She wasn't going crazy…was she?
"But…but what was…" she mumbled and then knelt, covering her face with her hands to try and regain some sort of sense. Lewis reached the door and turned back to Eve for a moment.
"Hey. I'll keep this place unlocked from now on. Maybe you can help catch that rat if you have some extra time…take care of yourself Eve…and…I'm sorry about the scene last night. You weren't a part of that…" and then he walked out the door. Eve nodded and looked around the old building, knowing that she saw something that was out of the ordinary. It looked like a slime that she found in the mines, but it wasn't. It looked…cute. Like it was trying to get her attention. Eve stood back up and looked around.
"Strange…I want to explore this building further…there is something going on here and I'm going to figure it out!" She took a breath and started to walk around the old building. It really was in a bad state, and she felt a bit unsafe being in the building. She wondered how it got to be in such a sorry state. It couldn't have just been the ware and tear from years of being abandoned, could it? Eve walked to the left passed the tiny hut and saw a few rooms with the doors off the hinges. One looked like a storage room while the other was some sort of empty room. She walked into the room and looked around at it. "Like a playroom or something?" she asked herself but saw a shelf. On it were bolts of cloth of different colors and lots of thread.
"A craft room maybe? Wow look at all of these. Mom would have had a field day…" she kept looking around the room and felt very calm. She didn't exactly feel scared, but more…at peace. Whole. Memories of the past started to go through her mind, of happier times. Being with her mother while she made clothes, being with her father when he was working at his job. Going to school or piano lessons and being with her friends, including a younger and more hyper Joyce. Then she saw what looked like a book on the ground. Eve looked at it and went toward it. "Is that book…glowing?" When she reached the book, she knelt and tried to pick it up. She lifted with all her might, but it wouldn't budge. It was stuck to the ground as if attached to the floor itself. She let out a huff and then just sat next to the glowing book. "What even if this thing…" she got a closer look at the book and found she couldn't read anything that was on it. It was in a language she didn't understand…she wasn't sure anyone could read this.
"If only Gunther were here, he'd really have a field day with this…but then again…maybe it'll be like Lewis where he doesn't see it and I do… but I know this is real! I'm touching this! It's a real thing!" she sighed and got up, giving up on trying to figure this out. "I'm not crazy…this is real…" she looked around a little and again, the creature popped up. A little green apple-like creature was hopping by the door. Eve looked at it in amazement, and slowly got a little closer. "Hello…" she said to the tiny being. "You are some mysterious creatures aren't you…?"
"…. .. … … . …. …"
"Wait, hold on what?!" Eve exclaimed as she heard something in her head. A tiny comforting voice that spoke in a language she didn't understand. Her eyes widened as she looked at the creature, a mixture of intrigue and fear was in her eyes. "Can you…understand me?" she asked.
"… .. …. .. … ….. ….."
Again, the voice spoke to her. Eve was flabbergasted but frustrated that she couldn't understand the tiny being. Soon, she sat on the floor and beckoned the creature over. Eve put her hand out.
"Will you come here? I won't hurt you I promise…"
".. …. .. …. …" and the little creature walked over and hopped on her hand. It felt lighter than air as if she wasn't holding anything at all, but she felt some soft pokes on her hand as the creature touched her skin. It was warm, comforting…much like the feeling she felt when she entered the community center for the first time. She held the creature to her face to get a closer look. It was slightly transparent, as if made of light, but they were physical beings since she was feeling its tiny feet on her hand. She was examining the creature when it stopped and disappeared from her palm. Eve looked at her hands and then looked around.
"Hey! Where did you go? Hey!" She got up to look for the creature. As she was looking, she saw a black figure looking in from the doorframe. Eve froze as she looked at the figure. "H-hey…" she stuttered, but soon the figure moved out of sight and toward the main room. "Wait! Come back!" she called out, but by the time she was in the main room, the figure was going out the door. "HEY!" Eve dashed toward the door and flung it open and saw the figure looking over the town. A wisp of purple could be seen and more of the details in the robes gave a very strange yet mysterious feel. When she went to approach, the figure disappeared into the air, as if it was a ghost. Eve ran toward them, but they were already long gone. Eve was panting, and she fell on her butt as she looked around. She looked back at the community center and then into the air. "What is going on here…?" she said as she got up.
As she went to close the door to the community center, a thought popped into her head. The previous night, Abigail said something about a wizard living in the forest. She still hadn't been in the forest yet, she kept putting it off. The thought that maybe it was true and that's who this person was popped into her mind. "There is no way a wizard exists…right? But then again…" she looked at the door. "If those tiny creatures exist, then there is no telling what does or doesn't exist…" She let go of the door and walked back into town. There was still a lot of daylight, so it couldn't have been that late. A lot of thoughts were swirling around in her mind, it was almost dizzying. Nevertheless, she made her way down to the beach.
Down at the beach, Eve let out a sigh and looked around for a moment. She looked around a little and saw toward the small run-down shack was a bridge leading to a whole different part of the beach. She went over to the bridge and saw it was broken. She knelt down and inspected it.
"Hmm…maybe I could fix this…those shoal pools could be something to see…" Eve got up, but then heard a voice behind her.
"Oh hi…" Eve turned and saw Alex was standing there, the gridball still in his hands. Eve looked and smiled at him, though her first interactions with him weren't exactly pleasant ones.
"Hi Alex. Are you enjoying the day?" Alex gave a little shrug and then paused for a moment while looking at her.
"Uh…it's…Eve right?" Eve paused for a moment and then nodded at him.
"That's my name yeah…" Alex turned back to the ocean and Eve felt like the conversation was over at that point. She was silent for a moment before starting to walk. "Good talk then…" she mumbled.
"I was just enjoying this great weather Eve. What about you?" he asked, though it sounded like he was having a hard time finding the right words. Eve stopped and looked over at Alex, crossing her arms over her chest to think.
"Oh, well, the weather is very nice. I'm here to visit someone, and maybe do some fishing." Alex nodded and then looked at the ball in his hands and back at Eve.
"Hey!" he called out and took a few steps back. "Go long!" Eve was startled as Alex threw the ball. She took a few steps back and jumped for the ball, but it escaped her hands and tumbled onto the ground. Alex cracked a smile at her, while Eve went to collect the ball.
"Heh…nice try!" he said to her. Eve nodded, panting a tiny bit from the surprise.
"Oh…thank you. I never was the sport type of girl to be honest. Was more of the nerdy girl who liked to read." Alex chuckled and collected the ball from Eve.
"I'm going to be the first professional gridball player from Stardew Valley. There's no double in my mind." He said and looked at the ball. "I already led my school's team to the regional playoffs…and now I'm just training and getting stronger, so I can claim my spot on the roster of the Zuzu City Tunnelers. You just wait!" Eve nodded as he spoke. This was really the first time he had talked to her at length like this. She wasn't sure about sports, but hearing him speak so passionately about the sport made her smile.
"I believe you! I mean, since you're training so hard. Your family must be proud." Alex looked over at her and smiled back, giving a thumbs up.
"Thanks, I'll remember that!" he replied and looked around the beach for a moment. "You were looking at that old bridge, right? That's been broken for years. We just forgot about it I guess." Eve looked over and thought about it again.
"You know…I may have the wood to fix that old thing. Would you want to help me fix it? I could use a strong guy like you to help me carry everything." She knew she was fluffing up his ego, and it seemed to be working. He flashed a confident smile at her.
"Yeah no problem! I can consider it some extra strength training! Just let me know when you have the materials and I'll help you." Eve nodded and replied with a thumbs up.
"Thanks Alex! I gotta get going, but I'll see you later!" She walked past him and toward the pier and harbor house. Alex put up a hand and waved.
"Later Eve!" he said and went back about his business.
Eve arrived at the dock and took the fishing rod out of her small bag. As she got closer, she saw Willy was fishing over the side, looking very intensely at the water. As soon as the fish bit down, Willy jerked the rod up and quickly reeled in his catch. He smiled at a fish flopped out of the water and was on the deck. After inspecting the fish and writing something down, he plopped the fish in a bucket and let out a sigh. Eve smiled and walked over.
"Hi Willy!" she called out to him. Willy waited for a moment and then jerked the fishing rod he was holding up into the air, and back as he started to reel in the fish that was on the line after a small battle, Willy managed to get the catch into a nearby cooler. After a moment of getting the hook out of the fish's mouth and securing it in the cooler, he turned and smiled at Eve.
"Well welcome back here lassie. Come on over." He said and sat down on the cooler, lighting up his pipe to take a break. Eve walked over and stood near him as she cast her line out into the sea. Willy let out a pleased hum as he watched. "You remembered the proper stance. Very good. You'll be a master angler in no time." He chuckled and Eve did as well.
"I think I'll stick to farming. I had my first harvest recently too! I couldn't believe that what I was doing was actually working." Willy blew out some of the smoke that was in his mouth.
"Oh really? That's very good. What did you grow?" Eve felt a tug on the line and jerked back, feeling the fish on her line. She was surprised for a moment, but then started to reel the fish in.
"Ah…I…I grew…parsnips…" she said while fighting the fish. "They looked…pretty good! All things considered!" she then managed to get the fish out of the ground and smiled at her catch. It was a herring, different then her last catch. She looked around for something to put the fish in, but Willy had an idea. He got up and grabbed a bucket from the side of his house and put it near Eve. Eve smiled as he put the fish in, taking the hook out of its mouth very carefully. She let out a breath and then at Willy. "Sorry, but they did look good! There was a little problem with a crow, but other than that it was great! And I used the money to buy more seeds! To do it all again. I mean, if it isn't broken, don't fix it right?" as she talked, she cast out her line again. Willy sat back down on the cooler and started to smoke again.
"Well, I'm glad that the farm life is bearing fruit, but you need to make sure to keep a cool head Eve." He closed his eyes and took a breath in. "You may have had a good first harvest, but you can't let one success get to your head. It's important that you keep working hard to become a better farmer and person and use the skill of your success to grow. I'm glad you're going in the right direction, but just don't allow yourself to slack off." Eve paused for a moment and then nodded. It wasn't something she was expecting to hear. She thought that he'd be happy for her, like everyone else she had told. Finally she said something wrong?
"Oh...I-I understand…do you mean that I can always be better? That I can constantly improve?" Willy nodded back.
"Exactly. Think about ways you can improve your farm, and make goals for yourself. If you continue to improve, then your farm will as well…and then life will become easier." He chuckled a little. Eve nodded and felt the familiar bite of something on the line. This time, she pulled out a bundle of seaweed. She grimaced a little but put it in the bucket for later before throwing the line out again.
"I understand. I guess I was a little over happy about the situation…but…" she looked down. "I'm just glad that I'm doing this right. That I managed to grow something at all…" she paused and took a breath in. "I didn't know anything about farming…I still don't know everything that I want to know. I just don't want my grandfather to think I'm not…doing this right." Willy paused before speaking up again.
"Eve, I'm not trying to make you feel like you don't have anything to celebrate. You do. Harvesting anything on that old plot of land is an accomplishment." He got up and walked over to Eve and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you. Your grandfather I'm sure is proud of you. All I am trying to say is that I know you have the potential to go even further. Raise the farm to newer heights. One crop is a good start…but not a finish." Eve thought about it and nodded. She smiled at him.
"I understand now. Thank you, Willy." The man smiled back and pulled the cooler closer to where Eve was fishing. There was a moment of silence before Eve spoke up again. She thought about the community center again and what she had seen. Maybe Willy would know something about that? "Willy…have you ever been to the community center?"
"Oh I know about the ol place. I used to manage the fishtank there." He took a puff of his pipe. "I'd clean it, feed the fish, replace the fish if one of them passed away…this was before I started going on the big fishing trips I do now but…it was the little things that I enjoyed." Eve nodded and looked at him. Maybe bringing up the creatures wasn't the best idea, since she wasn't even sure what she saw. She thought for a moment and decided to go in a different direction.
"Did my grandfather go there?" she asked. Willy paused for a second and nodded.
"Yeah. He spent time there. He'd often go there or the saloon and relax with the other villagers. He loved to talk about the goings on of his family. His daughter and granddaughter mostly." Eve's eyes widened, and she nearly let go of the fishing rod. She turned to Willy, putting the rod down on the deck.
"He'd talk about…my mom and I?" she said. Willy chuckled and nodded.
"Oh, he'd gush about his talented daughter and budding granddaughter. When he'd get a letter from your mother, he'd read it to anyone who would listen. He wanted everyone to know about how his family was doing even when they were far away. Up to his dying day, he was happy to hear about his family." Eve smiled and sat down on the dock, putting the fishing rod down.
"I didn't know that…what kind of things were in those letters?" Willy thought about it for a moment.
"Oh well, when your mother or father would receive good news about their jobs, or just general life. It was mostly about their daughter and how she was doing in school, if she was making friends. I vividly remember one letter where he said that his granddaughter was taking piano lessons, and he beamed from ear to ear…" Eve could feel her hands ball into fists. Fresh tears were forming in her eyes.
"I miss the piano…" she said, pausing for a moment. "He must have been sad…when the letter stopped coming from my parents." Willy closed his eyes for a moment.
"It was near the end of his life when the letters did suddenly stop." He looked at Eve, noticing her change in mood. He sat down next to her on the old wood. "What happened…if I can ask…?" Eve bit her lip to try and hold back the sobbing, but it was not working.
"It was after a piano lesson when my parents and I were in the car. We were going to dinner at a nearby play place, just for a night of Friday fun. We were nearly there laughing and talking…my dad was paying attention to the road. While making a turn, someone was speeding into the intersection. They were weaving in and out of traffic and…they hit our car head on. I don't remember much, but I woke up to people yelling and metal bending. I was pulled out of the car and into an ambulance. I don't remember passing out, but I woke up in the hospital after that." She paused as she tried to compose herself. "I made it, but my body was really hurt…burns and scratches everywhere, but my heart was also damaged by a piece of metal that lodged itself into my chest…they got it out, but it was never the same after that. And my parents…they…died…" she let out a sob. "I…can't imagine how grandpa must have felt…knowing that his daughter was gone before him…and he didn't know how to get a hold of his granddaughter…" she couldn't help it after that. Eve curled up in a ball and started to cry into her knees. After being so casual about it for years, it was only now that she was truly grieving. Not only for her parents, but not her grandfather who surely died in despair. Willy waited for a moment and allowed Eve to cry before going to her side and putting an arm around her. He pat her back as she cried to comfort her.
"Your grandfather did not die unhappy, Eve." He started to talk again. "He died knowing that he had passed on his gift to you…that one day you would come to this place he loved. He must have felt for you, seeing as you were alone…but he was happy in knowing that one day…you'd come back." Eve looked up at Willy, and the old fisherman smiled. "Keep your chin up…you're alive. You're alive now to take up his land and make it better than it was before. You're alive now to continue what he started…and you're alive now to make him proud. It was a terrible accident, yes, and I grieve for your parents…but you are alive…and you'll continue to live in their honor. So, chin up lassie." Eve sobbed a few more times before wiping her eyes. She sniffled and then hugged Willy.
"You're…you're right Willy…thank you…thank you for reminding me of that…" she managed to choke out. "I mean, I know…I'm alive but…now I have so much more to live for there I thought…thank you." Willy let go and pet the girl on the head.
"We all had our experiences like that. Like me ol pappy. Watching him get weaker while we were traveling wasn't easy…but I knew I had to live on for him too. You're not alone Eve…don't think that you are." Eve smiled and wiped her eyes. She got up and took her fishing rod.
"Thank you…I do feel better…it's been a while since I've talked about it." Willy got up and sat back down on the cooler.
"Feels good to sometimes talk about it eh?" Eve chuckled and cast out her line again. The pair started to talk and fish together for several more hours. When the sun started to set, Eve had a bag full of fish and was being led to the end of the dock by Willy.
"Thank you again…would you mind if I came back some other time and talked?" Willy nodded and gave a thumbs up.
"Of course lassie. Come by anytime. I don't plan on going on another long trip anytime soon." Eve nodded and waved as she made her way down the beach. It was then that she thought she heard the end of a piano song. It sounded familiar, like something she played when she was a kid. She looked around for a moment before looking at the shack.
"There?" she asked herself and walked over. She gingerly knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" a male voice asked. Eve was surprised someone was actually living in this tiny home. She cleared her throat.
"Oh um…Eve? The farmer?" there was some shuffling before the voice spoke up again.
"Ah Ms. Eve, please come in!" Eve walked through the door and found Elliott at a small writing table. He smiled at her as he gestured to the small shack around him. "Welcome to my humble…" he paused for a moment. "Well…shack!" Eve went over to him while looking around.
"I didn't know you lived here. I thought you lived in the forest or something." Elliott shook his head.
"Oh no, I live here! I do like the pleasant sound of the waves lapping up on the beach, and while it's…cozy, I do enjoy it. Let me give you the tour!" he turned to the wooden desk. "This is my writing desk where I spend most of my time." Eve looked at the desk and saw a bunch of papers scrambled about on it, with all sorts of brain storms and tiny pages of potential scenes on them. She nodded a little at it.
"So, I guess this is where you do your writing? Since you're a budding author and all." Elliott nodded and let out a sigh.
"For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a writer. Have I told you that?" Eve shook her head.
"Well, you didn't really go into it much. Just that you were writing and starting to author a book." Elliott nodded a little bit.
"Well, that's why I live out here by myself really…I figured a lonely life by the sea would help me focus on my literary aspirations…" he turned back to his desk. "Everyone back home said I was nuts…that I could never make it as a writer…can you believe that? They said 'for every successful author there's 1000 who fail miserably. Such pessimism…it's sickening…" Elliott turned back to his desk and then looked at Eve. There was a moment where their eyes locked, and he smiled at her. "But...I can see it in your eyes...you believe in me Eve. You've got that spark." Eve paused and felt her cheeks get rosy.
"W-well-" Elliott continued to talk, a happy expression on his face. He took one of her hands in his.
"Now that's inspiring! That's what I'm looking for! Someone who truly thinks dreams can be achieved." It was then he noticed Eve's expression on her face. A dazed expression with a red face. Elliott released her hand, and cleared his throat, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, a thousand pardons. I was caught up in the moment." Eve shook her head, and smiled at him.
"It's okay." she chuckled. "It's admirable how passionate you are about this. I feel like I've still got a ways to go now when it comes to my work." Elliott and her both chuckled. Elliott turned to his manuscripts for a moment, but then turned back to the white haired farmer.
"A question. What kind of books do you like to read?" he asked her. Eve looked around for a moment, thinking about her choice.
"Well...and this is going to seem very silly. I like mystery books. Those whodunit novels where you follow the main characters train of thought, but only when they figure it out fully do you get to know and undo the twisted mystery." Elliott nodded as she spoke.
"Mystery huh? Well it's definitely an exciting genre. I'll remember that." he nodded and clapped his hands together.
"Well enough talk about me! Then...say...you probably know a lot about plants, don't you?" Eve shrugged a little bit and adjusted her stance a bit.
"Well, sort of? I've only been farming for a few days. Why do you ask?" Elliott turned to the rose that was in a pot on his writing desk.
"Would you mind taking a look at this rose, here? I'm afraid it's not doing so well…" Eve nodded and walked over to the rose, taking a look at it. She plucked off a few dead leaves before inspecting the soil. She touched it, and it was saturated with water.
"I see...you're over watering the flower. See how the water is just sitting on top of the soil?" She took the pot and went outside, dumping the water out. She quickly repotted the plant with fresh new soil from nearby and watered it a little from the lake water nearby. Elliott followed her and watched, observing how she was caring for the flower. Eve then returned to the flower to him, putting the pot in his hand.
"I'd move your writing desk over to the window more, so the rose can get more sun. Only water it from the lake water, because seawater has too much salt in it." Elliott nodded and smiled.
"I thank you Eve. I'll remember that." the two returned to the shack, where Elliott moved the desk and placed the rose in the sun. "There...it already looks better." Eve smiled and then looked at the piano in the shack.
"Do you play?" she asked. Elliott looked as she gestured to the piano. The writer nodded.
"Yes, I do. I enjoy the sound once in a while. It's one of the only things I brought with me when I moved to the valley. I was playing earlier today for a spell even." Eve went to the piano and examined it. She looked over at Elliott.
"May I?" she asked, gesturing to the bench. Elliott nodded and bowed.
"By all means, please." Eve smiled and sat down at the piano. She felt the ivory keys under her fingers and glided along them for a moment. She started to a few chords that resembled a familiar tune. While she messed up a few times, soon, the years she spent behind the keys were coming back, and she started to get more familiar with the notes. Elliott sat on his bed and listened to her play. It wasn't long until he recognized the song she was trying to play.
"Clair de Lune...Debussy yes?" Eve smiled as she kept playing, but stopped after a bit. She couldn't remember the full song, despite her best efforts. She got up, but turned as she heard clapping. Elliott was clapping for her. "Bravo! The portion you did play was beautiful. I am guessing that you have played before?" Eve rubbed her neck and nodded.
"Yes...when I was a kid. I had to play that song for many recitals when I was actively practicing. I haven't played in years, but...I guess it's like riding a bike. You never really fully forget." Eve chuckled and looked a little embarrassed. Elliott clapped again as he got up.
"Well it was beautiful. You're welcome to come here whenever I am home if you wish to play again." Eve looked smiled at him.
"Thank you!" she said and then looked outside. The sun was almost set. "Is it that late? I guess I should start heading home." She went to the door and opened it. Elliott walked over as well, holding the door for her.
"Allow me to walk you home. It's the least I can do as you've helped with my flower and treated me to that lovely rendition." Eve looked back at him.
"Oh you don't have to." Elliott put a hand up.
"No, I will not have a lady walking home in the dark by herself. Come now." he gestured her to the beach. Eve let out a sigh and then nodded.
"Thank you Elliott…" the man closed and locked the door behind him, and the pair walked through town together.
It was a very quiet walk, with neither of them really talking besides the occasional observation. Eve felt tense and a little awkward. She didn't really know what to say to him anymore, as the conversation faded as soon as they left the shack. She felt even a little panicked. Soon enough, however, they arrived at the farm gates. Elliott stopped as Eve opened the old gate.
"Um...thank you for walking me home. I appreciate it." Elliott again bowed.
"It was my pleasure. I hope we can have more conversations like this one, Ms. Eve." the farmer nodded and smiled.
"Of course! I had fun. Don't be a stranger though. If you're near the farm, come on by...I don't have a piano but I can try and entertain." Elliott let out a laugh.
"I will keep that in mind. Until next time, Ms. Eve." As Elliott turned on his heel, Eve spoke up again.
"Just...Eve…" Elliott looked back, and smiled at her.
"Just Eve then. Have a good night." he walked off and Eve felt blood rush to her face. She let out a sigh and shook her head as she turned and entered the farm. As she did, she saw a dark figure looming near her house. She gasped and looked concerned.
"Hey!" she called out, taking her sword out so she'd have something to defend herself with. The figure looked over at her and stared for a moment before vanishing into thin air. Her eyes widened as she watched, not believing what she just saw. "What…?" she asked herself, but then remembered this afternoon, outside the community center. Someone else had done the same thing earlier. It was the same figure. "What is going on…?" she asked as she put her rusty sword back in her bag. She saw she had a letter in her mailbox. She grabbed it and went inside the cabin, locking the door. After getting ready for bed and turning on the lamp, she read the letter.
"My sources tell me you've been poking around inside the old community center. Why don't you pay me a visit? My chambers are west of the forest lake, in the stone tower. I may have information concerning your...rat problem…" Eve looked at the name at the bottom, and there was one. "From M. Rasmodius Wizard? Wait, the wizard! He's real!?" Eve started to wonder how long that man had been watching her while she was in the community center...and why he didn't just approach her when she saw her. Eve let out a sigh and looked out the window.
"Looks like I'm paying a visit to this...wizard...tomorrow…"
Author Notes: Sorry for the delay. Work has been making things very difficult for me to write, as when I get home I'm extremely tired. But I'm not giving up. Please enjoy the chapter and leave a review if you'd like. Thank you!