Alma's Paradise

by ValleyWriter

The SVT reads, "'I kept looking at the envelope, thinking things would get better. I could hold on.' The family all thought Grandpa Phillip had sold the farm, but in fact, he had been saving it for his only granddaughter, Alma. And though she knew nothing about farming, fishing, or foraging, the decision was an easy one: it was time to honor his wishes and move to Paradise Farm."

83. Saturday, 27th of Fall (Spirit's Eve)

CW: Discussion of sexual assault and harassment

Saturday, 27th of Fall

Marnie's rooster crowed and stirred Alma awake. She felt one of Harvey's arms under her head and the other draped across her waist. He was still quietly sleeping, and she didn't want to disturb him. But even though she tried to move carefully and quietly out of his grasp, he began to stir too. "Mm, good morning," he moaned.

"Morning." Alma propped herself up on her elbows and moved his hair out of his face. "Did you sleep okay?"

He nodded and rubbed her back, peeking up at her with one eye. "Did you?"

"Like a rock."

"So the sleepover was a success." He lifted his arm that was lying flat and opened and closed his fingers. "I can't feel this arm."

"Sorry, I guess that's my fault." She chuckled, took his hand in hers, and began rubbing it between her palms.

"It's a small price to pay," he said with a smile. Then he winced and pulled his hand back. "Ooh, but there come the pins and needles." He rolled onto his back and massaged his arm and hand.

"I'm afraid I don't have coffee," Alma said as she sat up on the edge of the bed, "but how about something for breakfast? Eggs and fruit with some milk, maybe?"

"That sounds wonderful. And don't worry; I thought you might not have coffee, so I, uh, I brought some."

"Did you!"

Harvey stretched and moaned as he said, "As long as you have a way to heat up water, I can take care of it."

Alma leaned over him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, careful not to blow her morning breath on him. "Always thinking ahead."

As she sat back up and shifted her weight to get up, he put a hand on her arm, and she turned back to look at his sleepy face. "It's Saturday. And Spirit's Eve. The penultimate day of autumn. Are you … Are you in a hurry to get on the farm?"

She smiled. "I don't have to be, no."

"Come back then?" He opened up his arms again, and she contentedly curled onto his chest. They both closed their eyes again and stayed still in the embrace for several minutes. Alma even felt Harvey's fingers twitching a little, like he had dozed back off to sleep. But then he spoke: "I'm just going to say it: this … this feels right." The way he spoke was almost drunk with sleepiness, and she knew this was honest, with no filter. "It feels like you've always belonged right here." He took a breath and moaned a little, then said, "Sorry, maybe I - I shouldn't say anything. I don't want to make you feel - "

"No, no, it's okay," she said, repositioning a little so she could see his face. "Listen to me a minute." She reached her hand up to his face and gently touched his cheek. She could feel the rough stubble along his jawline. "I never want you to feel like you need to apologize for saying how you feel. Please. I've had too many people lie to me; I want to know what's really on your mind. Your honesty means so much to me, and it's something I really love about you." She gave him a soft kiss and settled back onto his chest.

"Well, then," he said a bit hesitantly, closing his eyes and stroking her arms, "let me let this sleepy brain keep talking."

"Please do."

He took a deep breath. "I know … I know it hasn't been very long. I haven't even known you a-a full year yet. But … you and I have already lived a lot of life … and I know there's something different about you. I - I love you like I've never loved anyone before. You've turned my life upside down. You're like a breath of fresh air. And moments like this … make me feel like you've just … always been here. It feels like you've always been a part of my life. And I'm - I'm so sorry that isn't true. I'm so sorry we haven't had long together. I wish I could go back in time and save you from the people who have hurt you before. I wish I … I wish I could have brought you joy a-and peace a long time ago. It's such a … strange sensation to feel that way - to desire to go back for more time with someone you hardly know, but … I feel that deeply for you." He squeezed her arm and kissed her head. "So instead I'll just have to make up for lost time, I guess. So I will sleep next to you every night if I need to, to help get you away from your past faster."

"Don't tempt me," Alma chuckled.

"I know, I know," he chuckled too. "But I-I could really get used to it. I don't think I ever want to go back to my empty bed." He couldn't help but laugh at himself. "I really do need to stop talking! You can't possibly want to hear this!"

"No, I do, I do. Because hearing your unfiltered thoughts solidifies in my head how sweet you really are, and that - " Now she was the one wondering if she should stop herself.

And just as if he knew what she was thinking, Harvey spoke up: "It's okay. I want to hear your feelings too."

She swallowed hard and continued, "That helps me build up trust in you. I told you before that I'm scared of you. But it's not you necessarily - it's the thought of being in another committed relationship. I'm … scared of going all in and then, after I've committed myself to you - to us - finding out that you are just like every other man I've known. But, just like you said, I feel like you're different. But … I don't completely trust that gut feeling yet. It's been let down too many times. But I want to, Harvey. I want to be all in with you and let my guard down and trust you and love you with everything I have. So … hearing what you really think - how you really feel - that all helps me see the real you sooner rather than later. Does that … Does that make sense?"

"Yes, Alma, absolutely. And you're completely valid in that fear." His eyes opened and looked into the space in front of them, trying to wrap his mind around what she's said. "Can I ask you - and feel free to not answer if this is too personal or if you're not ready yet - But … can I ask, besides your ex-husband, how many … how many other men have mistreated you? What did they … What did they do to you?"

Alma's eyes opened wider too, darting around in an anxious wave. "Are you … sure you want to know?"

"If you're sure you want to tell me, yes."

She sat up a little, and he did too. He kept one arm wrapped around her shoulders, and the other held her hand in their lap. "First I would say was as far back as middle school. There was a boy, Tom, who liked me and was really sweet to me, and I liked him too … but we didn't know how to go about being a couple. No one did at that age! So I think we each had expectations of what our relationship would look like, but those expectations did not match. And, you know, we were, like, thirteen, so of course we didn't communicate well. I thought we would just hold hands in the hallways between classes, sit together at lunch, talk on the phone, maybe go out and do those things together sometime - maybe sneak a kiss here and there. But he felt like there was a lot more involved, and I know he specifically said I needed to go down on him and show him my breasts. In his mind, that was appropriate for a girlfriend at our age." Harvey shook his head and turned away, and Alma could sense he was angry. "And, you know, I thought maybe he knew more than I did, and I didn't want to be a wrong girlfriend, so even though I didn't feel comfortable doing those things, I did them. And when we broke up a few months later because I didn't want to do them anymore, he essentially told everyone about it, and word got out that I was, you know, pretty loose for a thirteen-year-old.

"That pretty much set the stage for my relationships in high school, where boys I liked knew I could get talked into doing something if they could … I guess, manipulate me enough? And I was weak enough in my self-confidence to not fight it. I don't even know how many guys I was with in high school. Maybe … ten? Fifteen? I never had, you know, penetration but … pretty much everything else - especially for him. I never orgasmed from someone else but led to several for others, you know? I just thought … that was kind of how it was supposed to be. If I wanted to be loved, I needed to serve him."

"Oh, Alma …." Harvey's voice was wrenched in pain, and she noticed the hand draped over her shoulder was clenched in a fist.

"Then, when I moved away to college, it was a new start for me. I knew things were messed up, and I knew I didn't want that anymore. I made a point to stand up for myself and not be talked into something unless I wanted it. And even though I told myself to take my time and not rush into a relationship, I met Eric in my freshman year and … fell in love pretty quickly. He was different, and that difference was too refreshing. Our relationship wasn't rooted in physical desire; we genuinely enjoyed each other's company, and I felt like he really cared for me. I told him about my past and, because of it, I asked not to have sex until after marriage. And he respected that. And, in all honesty, that was part of the problem. I had no idea what kind of sexual addiction he had until after we were married and sexually active. And, again, I didn't really have much of a comparison; I thought his sex drive was normal and maybe mine was low. All the other guys I'd been with were obviously sexually driven, so I thought something was wrong with me. I thought maybe all the fooling around I did earlier on had somehow messed me up. And I think … you know the rest."

She looked at him from the corner of her eye, and she could see his brows were tightly knit together and his jaw was clenched. "I'm sorry, but that …. So much about what you said just makes me so angry. How can people take advantage of someone else like that - so badly mistreat them for their own satisfaction?!" His face softened, and he sighed. "But … now I do really understand what you've been through. And your feelings … all make sense."

"When I came here, I told myself no more. A relationship was not on my radar. I wanted to get away from romance. But … well, here we are."

"Do you feel like you rushed into this? I mean, are you - do you feel like you're in a healthier headspace in our relationship?"

"Absolutely. Talking with Katherine really helps a lot too, of course. But, yes, I … I feel like I finally am beginning to understand what a healthy relationship looks like." She looked down at his hand and stroked it gently. "But … you understand some of my hesitation too."

"I do. And you know I never ever want to hurt you like that. I am patient - or, at least, I strive to be - and I would much rather see you happy and peaceful than - than get my own satisfaction. Besides, sexual satisfaction to me is far less important than this more … holistic satisfaction. I care so much more about knowing that you are fully mentally, emotionally, and physically at peace." He pulled her close and rested his head on hers. "Alma, I am so, so sorry."

She wrapped her arm around his waist and held him tight, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. They held each other for a moment, and then she asked, "How about you? Can I ask … a bit more information about your past relationships?"

"There's not a lot to tell," he scoffed. "You know I'm an anxious person, so you can guess how difficult it has been for me to be in a relationship. I have never, uh … never actually been sexually active with a woman because I have … always been too scared to be. I've been scared of doing the exact things that those men - those boys -have done to you. And that has, uh, actually been the reason why some women have ended their relationship with me."

"Really?!"

"Yes, yes. I wouldn't often move forward with many physical advances because I was too scared of how I - how I might perform or how I might make them feel. And maybe I was … too reserved? Too standoffish?"

"But … you said before that you have been thinking about me a lot. I believe the words you used were that you wanted me and nothing but me. So … do you feel like that fear is gone?"

Alma could feel his heartbeat quicken, like he was getting increasingly nervous or uncomfortable. "Gone? No, absolutely not. In my mind, being a sexually attractive man means having a lot of confidence - which I do not have. But, yes, I admit that … I do feel quite physically attracted to you, and it is … difficult to control myself. Maybe that is because you make me feel confident. You give me a great deal of strength and courage, so I … I feel more … well, more sexy around you. But, again, like I just said, I have enough control to stop myself in order to help you feel safe. That is my top priority." He kissed her head again.

She smiled and looked up at him. He turned his head down to her, and they shared a quick kiss. Alma settled back onto his chest and sighed. "What I'm hearing from this conversation is that, as cliche as it sounds, we really do … kind of fit each other. Don't we?"

"I certainly think so. And I'm much more awake now, so you know it's not my tired brain just saying that now."

She could hear his heartbeat calming down in its rhythms - and his stomach growling. She chuckled a little, looked up at him, and asked, "How about that breakfast now?"

"And I can make the coffee?"

"Perfect." She patted his stomach and began to push off to get out of the bed, but again, he held her arm and pulled her back a minute. "Harvey, I have to get some work done on the farm today before the festival!"

"I know, I know, and I can even help you if you'd like. Just …." He lifted his head and looked at her with pleading eyes, gently pulling on her wrist. She gave a smile of concession and crawled back toward him on the bed, giving him a nice, long kiss. He held her face in his hands, and when she separated from his lips, he looked into her eyes. "I meant what I said before," he said quietly. "I love you more than I've loved anyone else. And now that I've heard more about your past, I can confidently say I love you more than anyone else has ever loved you. You mean so much to me, Alma. I never, ever want to see you hurt. I am so proud of who you are, and I like the person you make me be too."

She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his. "Ditto." She kissed his forehead then pushed off the bed again, saying, "Now, come make us some coffee because both of us have some pretty terrible morning breath."

"Yep, can do!" They both got out of bed; Alma threw Harvey's flannel on over her T-shirt and went to the kitchen to start frying eggs, and Harvey went to his duffle bag to get out his coffee and filter. He grabbed their mugs half-full of wine from the night before and brought everything with him also to the kitchen.

"So what was that about you being able to help me today?" she asked, cleaning off some blackberries in the sink.

"Yeah, you heard right," he answered, coming next to her. "Do you mind if I pour these out?"

"Go ahead." He dumped out the old wine and rinsed out the mugs, and Alma put the blackberries in little ramekins on their plates. "But what about the clinic? Don't you need to work today?"

"It's Saturday, so I'm on call. But since it's also Spirit's Eve, Rasmodius is setting up the maze in town and will likely be doing so all day. I doubt anyone's going to come in." He filled a kettle with water from the tap and placed it on the stove. "If there's an emergency, though, I can always go. It's not like it's far away."

"Well," Alma said, putting a frying pan on the burner next to the kettle, "I would love the company! It'll be fun to have you around."

"You know from when I helped you water those crops a week or so ago that I'm a good farmhand," he said with a smirk.

"That's right. I did say you could come back any time."

"And here I am!"

She looked over at him with a smile. "Here you are." He smiled back and looked back down at the mugs, pushing up his glasses. Alma felt her hand over the skillet to check the heat and then cracked four eggs into the sizzling pan. She added some salt and pepper, turned off the heat, and put on a lid. Harvey scooped some coffee into the filter that was sitting inside the brim of one of the mugs. When the kettle began to whistle, he turned off the heat and carefully poured the hot water into the mug through the filter, then he moved the filter to the other mug and poured water over to fill that mug too.

"Where might I find, uh, I believe it was 'a splash of milk and a little sugar,' right?"

She looked at him with surprise. "That's right. I'm impressed." He gave a little smile. "Milk is in the fridge, and there's sugar in the cabinet." He went around her to the fridge, poured in a little milk, then stirred in a little sugar from the cabinet too. Alma uncovered the eggs, separated them with the spatula, and placed them on their plates. Harvey looked at her with the mugs in his hands, and she looked at him with the plates in hers. "Care to eat out on the porch?"

"I think that sounds like a lovely idea." She smiled and led the way to the front door. She propped one plate in the crook of her arm to pull the door open, and he went through, carefully carrying their mugs of hot coffee. They carefully sat down on the steps of the porch, and when they exchanged one plate for one mug, Harvey leaned over to give Alma a quick kiss and said, "Bene sapiat." Alma gave him a knowing smile. "It's Latin. The Greeks say kali okresi. I, uh, double-checked them recently to make sure they were right."

This little gesture nearly brought tears to Alma's eyes. She took his cheek and pulled him in for another kiss then kept him close to say, "Thank you." She scooted a little closer to him; the morning late autumn air was quite chilly, but they both enjoyed being outside in the freshness of the morning.

They ate and looked over the farm, and Harvey asked, "So what do you need to do today?"

Alma chewed her bite before answering, "Just my usual go-around. There aren't many crops left," she said, using her fork to point to the field in front of them, "but I'll harvest and water what's there. Then I'll go check on the animals, gather eggs, and milk the cows and goats. On the way I can check the tree taps and get mushrooms from the cave." She pointed around the farm as she said these things, and Harvey's eyes followed. "I guess I won't be able to go into town to sell anything at the store, so I'll just drop stuff off in the shipping bin for Lewis to pick up later." She took another bite then said, "It all shouldn't take too long. I'm not sure what I'll do to fill the time, but I'm sure I'll find something that needs to be done. There's always something to do around here."

Harvey nodded as she spoke, and they both continued enjoying their breakfast while overlooking the farm. Bisclavret came and sat next to them, and Harvey patted his back. "How many animals do you have in total now?"

Alma pointed out each animal as she said, "Well, of course, there's Bisclavret here keeping things under control. Then there's Henriette and Little Red, my chickens, and Jemima Puddleduck and her baby, Prima Donna. Beatrix the bunny is my newest addition there. Then if you look over by the barn, you'll see Lottie the cow and there's little Poppy the goat too. But I don't see … Io anywhere …." She craned her neck to look around but couldn't see her white cow.

"Io, as in the priestess Zeus turned into a heifer?" Alma just looked at him and smiled, and he chuckled and wagged his head. "I should've known, I guess."

Alma drank the last of her coffee and checked the time. "It's nearly nine o'clock now. Think it's about time to get to work?"

Harvey nodded and downed the rest of his coffee quickly too, standing up with his plate. He helped her up, and Bisclavret followed them inside. "How about I do dishes while you go change first?"

"Thanks," Alma said, giving him a quick kiss as she gave him her dishes. She went into the bedroom to quickly make the bed, then she got changed into her overalls. She came back into the living room just in time to see him putting the last plate away and drying his hands. "Your turn," she said, walking toward him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he put his hands at her waist. "I hope you brought clothes that you don't mind getting dirty."

"Kinda sorta. But I can always change at my apartment later."

"True." She gave him a quick kiss then walked into the kitchen. He crossed and went into the bedroom. Alma brushed her teeth and washed her face in the sink, and just as she was drying her face, Harvey came out in a T-shirt and jeans. It accentuated his tall, trim figure. "Well, look at you! I've never seen you in jeans! You look good. Ready to work?"

"Sure, yes, let's do it." He held the front door open for her then looked over the farm, putting his hands on his hips. "So, uh, what can I do first?"

"Well," Alma said as they both went down the steps, "the first thing I usually do is take care of the crops. There's not a lot out here, but we can first see if there's anything that needs to be harvested."

"What about this?" Harvey pointed at the ancient fruit plant, at the bluish bulb that was hanging off the vine.

"Yes, that's some more of that ancient fruit I showed you! I've been keeping a few in the chest just to keep on hand, but maybe I could sell this one. Or, you know, we could see what it tastes like …?"

Harvey squatted down to get a closer look at the fruit. "I'm not sure yet if I want to ingest that. Maybe you should sell it. Find out how much it goes for."

"All right, well, I'll let you pick it and toss it in the shipping bin then!" She turned to the chest, took out the watering can, and went to the small pond to fill it while he carefully plucked the fruit from the vine and took it to the shipping bin on the other side of the cabin. Alma heard the familiar plop as she came back toward him and said, "Congratulations! You've just done your first bit of farming business!"

"Well, from the seller's standpoint, anyway," he said, wiping his hands.

"Now I'll give you a choice: you can either water the rest of the crops, or you can go to the little cave over there and harvest mushrooms."

"Do you - Do you need to water them? Tomorrow's the last day of the season. Is anything else going to grow?"

"Probably not, but I'm not sure! And I wouldn't want the little guys to be thirsty as they die. They've only got a bit longer, so might as well make them comfortable."

Harvey couldn't help but smile. Alma had such a caring heart. "Well, I'll water then," he said, and she handed him the can.

"Then I'll go get the mushrooms." Both of their jobs just took a few minutes; Harvey was finishing with the last few crops as Alma came back with an armful of mushrooms that she then also put in the shipping bin. He gave the watering can back to her, and she swapped it out for the milk pail in her chest. "Ready to check the animals?" He smiled and nodded then followed her to the coop. The chickens and ducks were wandering around just outside the coop, and Alma made sure to give them all a little attention. "My grandfather always taught me that happy animals make better produce, and Marnie agrees. There's no sense in having farmmates that are upset. So I always give them all a little love every day." Harvey carefully reached down to touch one of the chickens that passed by him, but it rushed away from his hand. Alma laughed a little and said, "I guess they're not used to strangers." She waved him inside the coop, and he ducked and followed her inside the little door. "They still have enough hay, so that's good, but I'll let you look for eggs while I get the mayonnaise. There's probably two chicken eggs and a duck egg or two lying around - maybe a duck feather, which is pretty valuable." Alma pulled out the finished mayonnaise and looked over her shoulder at Harvey picking up eggs and putting them carefully in his shirt tail.

He walked over to her and smiled. "Two chicken eggs and one duck egg."

"Perfect." She put the two mayonnaise jars in her bag and looked over the eggs. The duck egg was the lowest quality, so she cracked it into one mayonnaise machine and let it begin to spin. "Wanna toss an egg in there? They're more valuable as mayonnaise than they are as eggs."

"Uh, okay. What do I do?"

"There's already oil in there that will get added as it spins, so you just separate out the yolk from the white, drop it in there, and close the lid." Harvey did as she said, and when he popped the lid closed and the machine started whirring, she gave a small applause. "You're a natural. It'll be ready to pick up tomorrow morning!" She put the other egg in her bag, and he followed her back out of the coop. "Oh, I forgot," she said with a turn as they both came outside. "Was there any hot water left in the kettle from the coffee?"

"Uh, yeah, there was."

Alma pulled out the milk pail from her bag and handed it to him. "Would you put a bit of that water in here and grab a rag from the drawer to the left of the fridge please?"

"Sure thing, boss!" He took the pail and rushed up the stairs and back inside the cabin, and Alma reached into her bag and went to the shipping bin to go ahead and drop off the mayonnaise and egg. She got a filter and a milk jug from the chest too.

In just a moment, he came back out and bounded down the stairs, handing the pail and the rag to her. "Have you ever milked a cow before?" she asked as she began to walk toward the barn.

"Can't say I have!"

"Oh, and look over there!" She pointed toward the pine tree she had tapped close to the barn, and they both rushed that way. "My tapper is full, and I can sell this pine tar." She poured the sap into a jar and pushed the cork into it tightly before putting it in her bag. "Okay, the cows. Come on, I see Lottie over there." They both walked to the brown cow grazing in the grass, and Alma patted her hock as she came around her. "Hey, sweet girl. I brought a friend with me today. Say hi," she said to Harvey.

Harvey patted the cow's side. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Lottie."

"Okay," Alma said, crouching down with the bucket, "so the first step to milking is to wipe down the udder." She squeezed the rag to drain some of the warm water then proceeded to clean the entire milk sac and teats. "I learned from Marnie's book that this not only cleans everything, but the warm water also stimulates letdown."

"Makes sense," Harvey said with a nod.

"Then you first spray a bit of milk on the ground to make sure it's okay - no blood, no curdling, no debris, that kind of thing." Alma demonstrated by squeezing on the teat and spraying some milk on Lottie's hoof. "Everything looks good, so then you just kind of pinch off the teat with your thumb and forefinger and use your other fingers to start squeezing from top to bottom. You have to make sure to be gentle but firm. And then when you get more comfortable, you can go faster and maybe even," she said as she wrapped another hand around another teat, "double up!" She milked for a while until the bucket was full, then she poured it through the filter into the milk jug. "Wanna give it a try?"

"Sure!" Alma moved out of the way as Harvey pulled up his pants and got down on one knee next to the cow. "I guess I should empty out these two quarters before moving on to the others, huh? To prevent mastitis?"

"It's like you're a doctor or something!" she laughed.

Harvey wrapped his fingers around the teat and pulled down to release the milk. After a few nervous squeezes, he became more comfortable and began working on the other too. "So why do you milk into this bucket and not just straight into the jug? Is it because it has a wider mouth - " Just then, Lottie took a step forward, knocked over the pail, and scared Harvey onto his backside. Alma couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, no, I'm so sorry! Will that cost you?"

"Not too much. But, yeah, that's exactly why I use the pail first. I've learned that lesson the hard way! Just go back at it and try again. No big deal."

"M-Maybe you should do it," he said, pushing off his knees to stand up again. "It's a bit hard for these long legs to get down there like that. And you're so much more efficient."

"Well, all right," Alma said, scooting next to Lottie again. She continued milking the cow until the udder was completely empty, and Harvey helped her pour the milk through the filter and into the jug. "Now you can close that up, and it's ready for Pierre!" She stood up and gave Lottie another pat while Harvey screwed a lid on the milk jug. "Great job, girl."

Poppy passed by behind them with a bleat and began nipping at Harvey's shirt tail. "Well, hello little one! Are we milking this one too?"

"No, she only produces milk every other day. I already got some from her yesterday. So she just needs some lovin', and it looks like she knew where to go to get that!"

"What's her name again?"

"That's Poppy."

"Good morning, Miss Poppy," Harvey said as he patted her head. "My shirt tastes good, huh? Don't, you know, actually eat it because it might cause an obstruction in your abdomen. Wouldn't want that."

"Let's go in the barn. I'm a little concerned about Io, and I'm anxious to know she's all right." As soon as Alma walked through the barn door, a squeal escaped her lips.

"What?! Is everything okay?! I don't - I don't know veterinary medicine!"

"No, Harvey, come look!" Harvey rushed next to her at the door of the barn, and he gasped too. Io was standing in the hay with a calf lying next to her. "I didn't even know she was pregnant! Wait - how did she …? I don't have a bull!"

"Hm. I don't know. That may be a better question for Marnie." They slowly approached Io and the calf, and Alma made sure to give Io lots of good pets and pats. "I meant when I said I don't know veterinary medicine, but I will say: that calf looks healthy to me! Mom's already cleaned it too!"

"I guess I would like to know it can stand and eat." Alma slowly came next to the calf. "Can you get up for me, little one?" she said with a little prodding at its back hip. And sure enough, the baby cow stood on its wobbly legs, went right next to Io, and started nursing. "Well, she's a good listener!" Alma laughed. She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "It's … bizarre that I'm getting emotional about this."

"No, I don't think so!" he said, coming next to her. "It's a big success for you and your farm. And it will allow you to produce even more milk and cheese, so that's great all around!" He put an arm around her and squeezed her tight. She looked up at him and smiled through the tears that were forming in her eyes. He gave her a kiss and said, "Congratulations, honey."

Alma wiped her eyes and laughed a little. "Wow. A baby cow." She looked carefully as the calf nursed and gestured toward her. "It looks like she favors the front left teat, so we should probably leave that one alone. She'll drain it. But we still need to milk the others. Better let me do it since Io is going to be especially protective."

"Fair enough. Anything else I can do in the meantime?"

"Check the cheese presses?"

"Ooh, yes, I can do that." He walked to the front wall of the barn where Alma had lined up the cheese presses. Harvey could hear the sound of milk spraying the inside of the milk pail as he opened the lids and removed some cheese. "So this goat cheese is from the milk you got yesterday?"

"That's right! Just lift up the cheesecloth, and it will bring the cheese with it. Then make sure another cheesecloth is in there before you pour in the milk we got from Lottie. We'll fill the other with this milk."

"Got it!" He carefully removed the two cheeses still in their cloths then made sure the cloth was placed neatly in the press before he lifted the jug and slowly poured the milk in. He watched the curds separate in the cloth and the rest of the milk strain out. "Now I just … close it?"

"Yep, close it and clamp it down. It will do the rest!" Harvey put the lid on top of the press and screwed it down as tight as he could. She came over and brought a small jug of milk. "Great job! My turn!" She double-checked the cloth in the other machine then poured Io's milk into the machine, put on the lid, and clamped it down. Alma put the milk jug back on the ground with a groan then stood up and smiled at Harvey. "You're doing a great job of helping. Would you like the honor of naming our newest addition?"

"Me?!"

"Sure! I'm beginning to think you might bring good luck!"

"Hm … did Io have a daughter in the mythology?"

"Oh! She did! Keroessa!"

"Then there you go. You can call her Essa for short."

"Essa. I like it." She looked around the barn and slapped her thighs. "Welp, don't look now, but that's about all the work I need to do! We'll just go drop these cheeses and the pine tar into the shipping bin, and that's it!" Alma pulled her bag over her shoulder, and Harvey picked up the cheese, carefully removing them from their cloths as they walked out of the barn.

They dropped the items in the bin, and Harvey looked expectantly at Alma. "Anything else?"

"Hm … what time is it?"

Harvey looked at his watch. "About noon. Still ten hours until the festival tonight."

Alma put her hands on her hips and looked around in thought. "Can't go into town, so I can't run any errands for anyone. But … I can go to Robin's or Marnie's. Right?"

"I suppose," Harvey said with a little shrug. "What would you do there?"

"Well … I don't guess I need anything from Marnie. The calf seems to be taken care of already. But Robin …." Alma looked around the farm, thinking about the various structures now on the land. "Robin has told me before that she can help me organize the buildings. Like, move them around the property. Now that I know roughly how big everything is, I think I might want to do that. And I dunno, maybe it'd be easier to do that today when it's a little slower for her and before the winter cold settles in."

"You mean she can just … reposition the buildings?"

"Something like that. I dunno; I haven't done it before! But it may be worth a shot."

"Well, if you don't need me for anything else, I might get my things and take care of a few things before the festival tonight. I still need to shave, for one thing."

"I don't know," Alma said slowly, coming toward him. She put her hand along his jawline. "I'd kinda like to see you with a beard someday. I bet you would look quite handsome. Maybe you could try it in the winter or something."

"Maybe. And go baby-faced in the summer?"

"Nonono, don't be crazy!" she laughed. She brought her fingers to his lips and smoothed out his mustache. "Never ever get rid of the magic mustache." They kissed and held each other close, when Poppy came and nipped at Harvey's shirt tail again. He pulled away and looked down at the goat, laughing. "There may not be anyone around," Alma laughed, waving her away, "but there's also no privacy. Sorry."

"It's all right. I don't mind. Let me go get my things." Alma walked with him into the cabin and watched him gather up his stuff into his duffle bag again. "You keep the coffee. I can always get more from Pierre or Gus. And sh-should I leave my sleeping clothes here?"

"If you - If you want to." He hesitated a moment, looking at the shirt and flannel pants in his hand. Then he left them on the bed and smiled at her. "Thanks again for coming. It really … means a lot."

"And you seem to be feeling a lot better, which is the most important thing."

"I do, yes, very much."

He looked up at her earnestly and stopped to say, "I meant what I said. Any time you need me, I'll be right over. No expectations, no pressure, no strings attached. Okay?"

"You don't do this for all your patients, do you, Doctor?"

Harvey looked back down at his bag and chuckled. "Only Mr. Mullner." Alma doubled over in laughter, and he began laughing too. He watched her laugh and felt peace knowing that she was relaxed and happy. He zipped up his bag, tossed it over his shoulder, and folded his coat over his arm. "I meant everything else I said too," he said, coming closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead. "I love you so much, Alma. I'll do anything for you if it helps you through this."

"You'll even be a security blanket?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It would be a joy."

"And I'll be there to help you through things like the Spirit's Eve Festival. I'll help you during the day, you help me during the night."

"Deal." He gently pulled her closer, and they enjoyed another passionate kiss. "Do you want me to walk you to Robin's?"

"It's not on the way."

"I don't mind."

She patted his chest and began walking to the door. "I'll be fine. You go home, and I'll see you tonight." She opened the door for him, and they both walked out and stepped down the stairs. He turned and gave a little wave on his way down the path, and she waved back from next to her chests. As soon as he was gone, she sighed and looked down at the chickens that were gathering around her. "I already fed you today, ladies! You'll get nothing more from me!" She gathered some wood and stone from the chests just in case then pulled her bag tight over her shoulders and headed north into the mountains.

"Good afternoon, Alma!" Robin greeted. "Happy Spirit's Eve! What can I do for you today?"

"Well, if your business is anything like mine, it's a bit slow today, isn't it?"

"Yes, actually, you're my only customer today! I've been piddling around on different projects here at the house. Everything okay on the farm?"

"Everything's just fine. I just wondered if I could do a bit of window shopping and maybe even move some structures around. You said you'd be able to do that, right?"

"Yes, I could do that for you. Here." She moved the catalog in front of Alma. "You look through that, and let me get the mockup of your property." Robin shuffled around under her counter and pulled out an image of Paradise. "You just show me where you want things moved, and I can take care of it in a jiffy."

"Wow, that's amazing. Well, first of all, since I have ducks now, I'm wondering if I can move the coop closer to the little pond - to make that kind of their own pond. And then put one of the silos behind the coop to store their hay."

Robin made those changes to the rendering. "Like that?"

"Yeah, that looks perfect. And then maybe we could move the greenhouse closer to the cabin and the crops?"

"Whoa, I didn't even notice that greenhouse! Did you do that yourself?!"

"Well, I had some help, but … yeah, kind of."

"Impressive work! I'll have to check that out in person someday! But, yes, move it … about here?"

"Perfect. And then we could move the barn a little more out into the open land so the animals could have room to graze freely? And move the other silo behind that?"

"I can do all of that!" She moved the images around and looked up at Alma for her approval. "How's that look?"

"That looks great, Robin. I think that will do it for now."

"And, you know, I've been meaning to ask you, what is this over here?" Robin pointed to the shrine in the northwest corner of the property.

"Oh, that - the wizard set that up in honor of my grandfather! Wasn't that sweet?"

"The wizard who lives in the tower by Cindersap Forest?"

"That's the one, Rasmodius!"

"Wow. Do you know him? He seems a bit … strange. Just like – Have you met the wild man that lives behind our house?"

"You mean Linus? Yes, he's a sweetheart, isn't he?"

Robin shrugged a little. "I don't know, I've not gotten to talk to him much. I guess I don't really mind him as long as he doesn't bother us."

"The last thing he wants to do is bother you all, trust me. And Rasmodius is nice too, though a bit eccentric and … a bit socially awkward, I guess."

"Well, you're right, it was nice of him to set up that memorial."

"Yeah. It makes my grandfather feel a lot closer," Alma said with a knowing smile. Then she looked down into Robin's catalog of farm structures. The cheapest thing she didn't already have was another small cabin. "One day," she thought, "I'll get one of those so Dad or Gavin and his family can stay. But maybe when things get a bit more settled down." She kept flipping through the pages. Next was the mill, but she still didn't have enough cloth for that. Hopefully, though, now that she had Beatrix, wool would come quickly, and she could make some cloth. The next most affordable structure was a well, which she originally didn't think she needed. But if the small pond was going to be for the ducks, maybe … maybe she needed something that was a bit more accessible from the crop area. It was a thousand gold and just seventy-five stones, which she had. "Can I get you to build me a well, Robin?"

"I thought you didn't need one?"

"Well, I might fence in the coop around that pond, so … it might not be a bad idea. Wouldn't hurt anyway." She pulled out the gold and the stone and handed it to Robin over the counter.

"Sure, I could do it! I'll get started on your well first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Great, thanks so much! I'll see you tonight?"

"Yep, I'll be there! See you then, Alma!"

Alma set off outside the shop and checked the time. It was almost five o'clock. There was still plenty of time until the festival. Alma huffed, thinking of what would be the best way to spend her time. "Catfish," she reminded herself. She hurried back to the farm and was surprised to see all the buildings moved into the spots Alma had requested. Was Robin a witch too?! It did look good, though, so she was pleased with the way it was coming together. She grabbed her fishing rod and headed south to the river.

The sun was starting to set, and Alma enjoyed the golden light coming through the trees as she cast out her line. She waited patiently and caught a few things she didn't necessarily need but knew she could sell. There were a few times when she had something more tricky on the line, but she lost it every time. And before she knew it, it was dark, and it was coming up on ten o'clock. She was yawning but told herself the festival would help her stay awake. She picked up her line and made her way back to the farm to drop off her things before going into town.

As Alma came to the square on the dimly-lit street, she first heard Jas's protesting: "But Aunt Marnie! I wanna go in the maze! I'm not scared!"

"You say that now," Marnie said, "but I know as soon as you get to the entrance, you're just going to come running back here with tears in your eyes. Nope, we're not doing that tonight."

"No fair!" Jas cried with a stomp of her foot. She folded her hands and hmphed.

Marnie caught sight of Alma coming through the shadows. "Oh! Hi, Alma! Welcome to the festival, our last celebration before winter comes through. It's starting to get quite cold …."

"Yes, I am excited for the festival but not so excited about winter. I'm not sure how winter's going to look for me as a farmer."

"Well, crops won't hold out much longer, but it's a lot more focus on your animals, that's for sure. But have you had a productive fall?"

"I have, yes! Very productive. I think I've set myself up for a successful winter too. Fingers crossed!" She looked down to Jas who was still pouting. "Now Miss Jas, where is this super spooky maze I'm hearing about?"

She pointed an angry finger up the stairs on the cliff. Marnie rolled her eyes and shook her head at Alma. "Don't mind the drama queen. I'm sure you can handle it since you've been going into the mines!"

"Let me go check it out, and then I'll come back with my report, Jas, okay?" The little girl looked up at her through her eyebrows and slowly nodded. "All right then," Alma said, standing back up and winking at Marnie. "Off I go then!" Just before the stairs, Pierre had a little booth set up, and Haley was standing there looking really unsure. "Haley? You all right?"

"Eek! Don't look at me! I'm too scared! I'm not here!" she squeaked.

"I saw nothing! Did you see anything, Pierre?"

"No, and I haven't heard or seen anything for the past several minutes," he signaled to Alma with wide eyes.

Haley hmphed much like Jas, and Alma couldn't help but giggle a little. "Well, what are you selling for the festival?"

"Just some decor. Take a look!" Alma looked over his collection: a jack-o-lantern, a rarecrow, a decorative gravestone, and a funky rug. None of it was really calling out to her except the jack-o-lantern, but she knew it would die by tomorrow. "If I buy the recipe for the jack-o-lantern, will that teach me how to make one using the materials I can forage and stuff?"

"That's right!"

"So I could make my own next year?" Pierre nodded. "Yeah, I'll take that." She handed over the gold, and he gave her the recipe. She stepped away to look it over before sticking it in her pocket, and when she looked up, she saw all the tables and decorations on the square. A smile crossed her face, and as she walked down into the heart of town, she saw Marlon standing next to a large cage of skeletons. She was surprised but also not. "Hey, Marlon. Where did you get these guys from?"

He let out a dry chuckle. "Oh, you'll be finding out soon enough, I think."

"What, in the mines?!"

"That's right, miss. Don't get too close to the cage."

She stepped away a little bit and got closer to Sebastian. "I have no idea how these skeletons are walking," he said. "Creepy. It's pretty cool, though."

"Well, if you want to know more about them, there's your expert right there. And maybe you could go check them out in the mines sometime!"

"No, I think I like them best behind the cage."

"Fair enough."

"One of my iridium-infused maces would make quick work of these things," Clint said from the other side of the cage. It sounded almost like a challenge.

Alma started to step away from the increasingly awkward encounter, and when she passed Shane, she could see from his face that he also felt a bit trapped. "Why is there no more pumpkin ale?" he pleaded quietly.

"I bet we can find something, come on." Shane followed her to one of the tables filled with food and drinks and a jack-o-lantern at the center of each one. Leah and Emily were at that table. "Hello, ladies!" Alma greeted, picking up a plate.

Leah covered her mouth and waved. "Mm, hi. Sorry … mouth full of blackberries."

"Do you like the jack-o-lanterns, Alma?" Emily asked. "I carved them myself."

"I do! They look great! And I just bought the recipe to know how to make my own next year! Maybe you can help me then."

"I would love to!" she answered with a big smile. "You know I love a good craft!"

Alma smiled and nodded as she started piling food on her plate. Cinnamon raisin bread, pumpkin soup, vegetable casserole, cranberry sauce, ale, and so much more! It all looked delicious! She made her way to another table and saw Robin and Demetrius getting a bite to eat with Jodi and Caroline. This was her kind of crowd. "Hey guys!"

"Hey! Alma!" Caroline greeted. "How do you like the Spirit's Eve Festival?"

"Oh, it's great! This food looks amazing! And I'm excited to try out the maze! How about you all?"

"Not me, thanks. I get scared very easily," Caroline answered with a dismissive chuckle. "I'll leave the haunted maze to the younger people."

Everyone else laughed. Jodi said, "Well, my younger people aren't all excited. Sam's in there now, I think, but Vincent's upset that I won't let him go into the haunted maze … but he's just a little boy! I think he'd be terrified and have nightmares, and that wouldn't be fun for any of us!"

"Fair enough," Alma said. "What about Maru? I saw Sebastian is enjoying the skeletons, but Is she doing the maze?"

"I think so?" Robin said, looking to Demetrius.

"I haven't seen Maru in hours, come to think of it …. I hope she's all right."

"Oh, I'm sure she's fine, hon. She's very resourceful."

"Mm, this is true." Demetrius's worry quickly dissipated as he took another bite of casserole.

"Well, Alma," Robin said with a slap on her shoulder, "winter's almost here, huh? It's a great time to stockpile on wood and stone."

"You're right. I'm thinking of building some fences and paths around the farm to make things look a bit more … organized."

"Well then kiss all that stockpiled wood and stone goodbye!" she laughed. "But you'll figure it out."

Alma took another bite of her food too and bobbled her head back and forth in an unsure response. "Have any of you seen Harvey, by the way? He was supposed to be here."

They all looked around to each other and around the crowd. "I thought I saw him a while ago," Caroline said, "but … now I'm not so sure."

"If you're around, he'll turn up," Jodi said with a wink.

"That's right!" Robin egged on.

"I think I'll go look for him and get some more food on the way!" Alma said with a salute of her fork as she moved to another table.

"Why, hello, Alma," Elliott greeted. "It's chilly, isn't it?"

"Yes, that winter air is moving in, right? Must get cold right there next to the ocean."

"It does, but I don't mind it so much. It's always refreshing and good for clearing the mind."

"Almost as refreshing as this pumpkin ale, am I right, Pam?" Alma laughed.

"That's right, kid!" she said, lifting her glass. "I'll come to any event with free grub. You won't see me in the haunted maze, though."

"I don't blame you when there's this good of a spread out! You've outdone yourself again, Gus!" Alma said.

"Thank you, Alma, thank you." Gus took a humble bow. "I enjoyed it, of course. It's a lot of fun to cook with pumpkin. Such an interesting fruit."

"Well, we are enjoying the fruits of your creative labor, good sir!" Elliott said, again with a raised glass.

"Hear hear!" Pam echoed, taking a drink.

Alma took a sip of her drink too and went to the last table. "Good evening, Alma," Mayor Lewis greeted. "Have you ventured into the haunted maze yet? It's quite spooky."

"Mother won't let me go into the maze!" Vincent interrupted with a big cry.

"Your mother's right to make that decision, young man! It's too scary for someone your age!"

Much like Jas, Vincent crossed his arms and turned away with a pout. "Tell you what, Vincent," Alma said, crouching down to him, "I'll tell you the same thing I told Jas: I'll check it out myself and report back to you with what I think. Okay? You trust my judgment?"

Vincent looked at Alma through his brows. "Okay," he mumbled.

"I won't let you down!" she said, standing up again and scrubbing his hair. "Mayor Lewis," she asked, "you haven't seen Harvey, have you? I haven't seen him anywhere."

"No, come to think of it, I haven't. Maybe he's still in his apartment above the clinic?"

"Hm, maybe. Let me go check. And I'm gonna check out that maze just for you, Vince!" Alma quickly ate the last of her food as she walked between the tables and made her way to the front door of the clinic. She knocked a few times and called Harvey's name, but there was no answer. "No, he said he'd be here," she said quietly to herself, scanning the crowd. "He's got to be here somewhere." When she rounded the corner of the clinic, she looked past Pierre's stand to the stairs up the cliff and to the maze. She figured it was about time to go check it out. She threw her plate and bottle away on her way.

At the top of the stairs, the maze was walled in by tall hedges. Torches sparsely lit from the top, and ornate headstones with the mark of Yoba stood at the entrance. Her first fork had four paths: she could go left, take one of two paths in front of her, or turn right. Maru stood there at the third entrance, looking lost. "Hey, Maru! You just starting the maze?"

"No, unfortunately, I've already been here a while."

"Oh, well, maybe we can help each other out." Alma reached into her bib pocket and pulled out her notepad. She drew a quick sketch of what she could see so far. "Which way have you tried?"

"I think I've already been this way," she said, pointing to the path to Alma's right. "No, wait …" Then she pointed the other way. She craned her neck around the hedge then looked at Alma with a shrug. "I'm lost."

Alma chuckled and said, "How about we go this way?" She continued down the path that Maru was already standing in. It also forked, but one way they could already see was a dead end. "Well we know that way won't work. Let's go this way." The path wound around, but there were no forks, and after passing a pumpkin, they soon found themselves back at the beginning of the maze.

"Okay, yeah, this is where I keep ending up!"

"So then it's gotta be this way or that way," she said, pointing to the long path that went to their right.

"This way looks promising," Maru said. "I'll go check it out."

"Yeah, I have a feeling this one is a dead end, but I'll poke my head in there." Alma went into the second path and was surprised to see Harvey huddled in the corner of the dead end. "Harvey! There you are!"

"Oh! Alma! You found me!" He rushed to her and hugged her tightly.

"I've been looking everywhere for you! Have you been in here this whole time?"

"Well … y-yes, practically."

"Why did you come in here by yourself? I thought you would wait for me!"

"I - I wanted to scope it out and see how bad it was before you got here. But the truth is I got too scared, and then I got turned around, and then I just - I just, you know … panicked. So I came here to hide."

"Aw, Harvey, I'm sorry that happened," she said, hugging him again. "How are you feeling now?"

"B-Better, now that you're here."

Alma smiled. "Think you're ready to get out?"

"Yes p-please."

She took his hand and led him out of the dead end. "You could just leave through the entrance here - "

"The entrance was right here?! I c-could have taken just a few steps and gotten out!" He facepalmed and ran his hand down his face. "How embarrassing. Don't tell anyone."

She laughed a little and kissed his cheek. "I won't." He gave her a little, pitiful smile. "So, yeah, you could leave through the entrance if you want to, or …" She kept one hand held in his and wrapped her other hand around his arm, scooting close to his side. "You could come with me, and we could go through it together."

Harvey's fight-or-flight instinct was telling him to just get out, but when he felt Alma's hand squeeze his, he knew it was all right. "It's just decorations," he told himself. "None of it is real. Nothing is actually going to hurt me … right?"

"Right. I'll make sure of it."

Harvey laughed and patted her hand. "My hero."

Alma smiled then pulled out her journal. She crossed out the path to the dead end he was hiding in and looked ahead to the final path to the right of the entrance. "Maru went down this way, and she's gone. That's a good sign! It's the only choice left, so let's go. You ready?" Harvey took a deep breath and nodded. She took his hand and began walking down the path, and when they turned the corner, he shrieked at the robotic zombie hands coming out from the ground and grabbing at the air. "It's all right. They're just animatronic. Look." She kicked at one, and it was unfazed. Let's just walk around them." Harvey clung to her shoulders and stayed close behind her, looking down at her feet and making sure to put his feet exactly where hers were. "Look, I see Penny up ahead!" She took note of an opening on their left but wanted to see where the end of the path went first. Ahead, Penny stood at a cauldron in front of a little cabin that had more headstones and torches at the entrance. The door to the cabin was blocked, though, so they couldn't get in. The cauldron looked just like the one in Rasmodius's tower, bubbling with thick, green liquid. It made Alma gag remembering the awful taste of the drink he gave her back in the spring.

"So many strong spices in one mix," Harvey said. "It's … dizzying! Don't breathe that in, Alma!"

"The vapor from this cauldron …" Penny said, almost in a dazed state, "It's making my head spin, but I … can't seem to leave …."

"Miss Penny!" Harvey said. He stepped from behind Alma and placed his coat sleeve up to her nose and mouth. "It's best not to breathe this in, I think. Why don't you sit for a moment?" He helped get Penny to the ground, and she took a deep breath.

"Thank you, Dr. Harvey."

"Of course. Take a minute to rest, then try to get out of here as soon as you can."

"Well, speaking of," Alma said, looking at her drawing, "this looks like another dead end. But there was an opening back at the zombie hands. That must be the way to go."

"You mean we have to g-go back?"

"Yeah." She took his hand again. "You've done it once; you can do it again."

"Okay. Sure. I - I can."

"Just hold on to me." She led him back through the reaching zombie hands and took the path through the opening. The way was lit by a television screen covered in static with the flash of a monster's face every now and then. They walked past it through the winding path and saw Alex coming back toward them. "Hey, Alex! You finding your way okay?"

"Yeah, I'm trying. There's something weird over there," he said, pointing farther down the path, "but how do I get to it? There's gotta be a secret passage somewhere around here."

"A s-secret passage?" Harvey cried. "Isn't it hard enough already?"

"I wouldn't put it past Rasmodius. We'll keep an eye out. Thanks!" They turned the corner in the path, and it opened up to the fountain, surrounded by pumpkins. Abigail was there too, looking quite frightened. "You doing okay, Abigail?"

"I was u-until …." She pointed down the path that opened from the area where they were. "I can't go on … spiders …."

"S-Spiders?!" Harvey sputtered.

"Giant ones!"

"And probably fake ones, am I right?"

"Yes, b-but they're so big! I feel like they're going to crawl all over my skin! I can't do it!" She stepped back and started making her way to the path that went backward.

"Now, hold on, Abigail, you can do this! You're going to face worse than spiders if you go into the mines!" That didn't seem to comfort her. Alma took a breath and looked at Abigail like she wanted her to do the same. Harvey stepped aside and took some deep breaths by the fountain too. "Just imagine you have your sword with you! Take a breath, and scream on your way out if you have to. But I believe in you. You can do it."

"She's right. Take your time, remind yourself they're not real, and face them when you're ready."

Abigail took another breath and smiled a little. "Thanks, Alma. Thank you, Doctor."

They both nodded to her, then they looked at each other. "Are you ready?" Alma asked.

"I think so. Let's go!" She took his hand, and she noticed he didn't cling so tight. He was definitely more relaxed now. She looked at him and smiled, and he smiled back. But then, as soon as they passed the corner, he jumped and gasped at the giant spider decoration. Large spider babies were also on the path, and just like with the zombie hands, Harvey was careful to step where Alma stepped. There were no more forks in the path; it just curved around several corners until it opened up to the gravel area where the playground usually was. Tonight, though, it was made to look like a graveyard, with headstones and skulls and bones sticking out of the ground. Sam was standing at the back wall of hedges. "Hi Sam! You think we're near the end?"

"That's odd …."

"W-What is it?" Harvey asked.

"Well, I just came from the last bit of the maze, but … it's just a dead end up ahead. So there's no exit? No reward? Just … an end?"

"Hm. That doesn't seem right."

"I could've sworn there was someone ahead of me when I went through the maze, though. Where'd they go?"

Harvey and Alma looked at each other. "A secret passage, perhaps?" Alma asked.

"Oh, a secret passage! Well, if you figure it out, let me in on the secret, okay?"

"Will do!" Alma said with a little salute.

They continued down the path, and Alma smiled at Harvey who was now next to her instead of behind her. "You seem quite a bit more relaxed now, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm … I'm okay now." He squeezed her hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

They came to a sign with a question mark on it. "Well, if there were ever a place with a secret passage, I think this would be it, wouldn't you?" They looked all around the dead end but didn't seem to see anything different. Alma felt her hands along the hedge wall and, to her surprise, her hand slipped right through. Harvey looked over at her, and she let her body lean into it. "You coming?" she laughed. He rushed over and used his hands to push his way through the hedge. There was a pumpkin and rather large oak tree in front of them, and as Alma circled the tree, she saw an opening in the hedges behind the tree. "This way," she said, waving Harvey on. They were now outside the maze next to the cliff wall, and Alma could see a mineshaft door ahead of her. She poked her head in first. It was very dark, but her glow ring made it easier to see. "Come on," she said. "It's a tight squeeze, but you can fit for sure." They felt their way along the tight, dark cave path until it opened back into the night air. And right in front of them in the darkness was a treasure chest. "Well, lookee here!" Alma laughed. She and Harvey approached the chest. "Would you like to do the honors? I've come across a few treasure chests in the mines and while fishing, but maybe you haven't yet …? And you did such a great job going through the maze!"

"I-I think it should still be you to open it. I couldn't have gone through it myself, that's for sure! It's your victory to win. I insist."

"Then how about we do it together? We did the maze together, so we should get the reward together."

"Well … all right." He smiled and put an arm around her.

"You get one side, and I'll get the other." They both crouched down in front of the chest and unfastened the locks on their sides. When it was undone, they looked at each other, nodded, and slowly opened the lid. Inside was a beautiful golden pumpkin. "Oh wow! It's like a pumpkin trophy!"

"I should've known it would be you to find the treasure!" Harvey and Alma looked up above the cliff and saw Rasmodius and Linus standing in the forest. "Well done, Alma. And you too, physician. I'm surprised you made it, after cowering in that dead end for several hours."

"Oh great," Harvey muttered, covering his face. Alma chuckled a little and took his hand.

"Of course, the affairs of mundane folk matter little to me, but the elementals like a chance to see you up close. It was for them that I created this silly maze. And again, they are impressed with your intuition and tenacity, Alma."

"Well, thank you for setting up the maze. It was fun! Maybe make it a little more scary next time?"

"What are you saying?!" Harvey whispered loudly to her.

Rasmodius chuckled. "Yes, maybe so. Next time."

He waved his cloak over his shoulder and retreated back into the woods. Alma could hear Linus's voice quietly say, "Good show, old friend."

"Yes, it was entertaining, wasn't it?" Rasmodius answered as he came back.