Monday, 15th of Winter

Alma woke up to the sound of the rooster and felt Harvey's warmth next to her. She turned to look over her shoulder and saw him peacefully sleeping next to her. She turned, scooted closer to him, and wrapped her arm around his middle, and he sleepily moaned and brought his arm around her shoulder. He used his hand to move her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Morning," he mumbled.

"Good morning. You want coffee?"

He put his other hand on her arm that was resting on his chest. "Not yet." Alma closed her eyes again, listened to Harvey's heartbeat, and felt the gentle rising and falling of his chest. She felt so safe, and she couldn't help but contrast this feeling to sleeping next to Eric. She didn't want him to touch her. Every touch made her want to hide. She always felt trapped in his arms, violated by his glance. Her eyes shot open, and she took a deep breath to remind herself where she was. He was gone. Harvey was here. He was safe. She lifted her head to look at his face. She could feel the breath from his nose, then he shifted his head to the side and slightly opened his eyes to look at her. "Yes?"

Alma lifted up slightly and brought her hand to his face as she kissed his cheek softly. "I love you."

He smiled and closed his eyes. "I love you too."

Then she patted his cheek a little and asked again, "Coffee?"

"Yeah, sure," Harvey answered, pushing up to his elbows. Alma got out of bed and pulled Harvey's flannel on over her tank top. Bisclavret stirred and followed her into the kitchen. She began to heat up the water then looked in the fridge to see what she could make them for breakfast. She didn't have any more eggs, but she knew she could easily get some fresh. "I'm gonna go get some eggs real quick, Harvey," she called into the bedroom as she pulled on her overalls. "I'll just be a minute."

"All right. I'll keep an eye on the coffee."

Alma pulled on her coat and boots and stepped outside. Bisclavret followed her, jumping out into the snow. She hurried to the coop; got the eggs, loved on the chickens, ducks, and rabbit; and picked up the mayonnaise too. On her way back to the cabin, she saw some mail in her mailbox, so she grabbed the letter and the package and brought them inside with her. "Woo, it's cold!" she said as she closed the door behind her and kicked off her boots again. Harvey was there in the kitchen, pouring coffee for both of them. Alma put the mail on the table and brought the eggs to the kitchen. "Thanks, honey," she said, picking up the coffee for a sip.

He crossed behind her and took his coffee to the table. "You got a package from Marnie?"

"I didn't see who it was from," Alma answered, whisking the eggs and milk together. "Could you open it up for me and see what it is?"

Harvey put on his glasses and opened the letter, reading:

"'Dear Alma,

You're such a good neighbor, I thought I'd send over some animal feed to make your job easier. Keep it up!

- Marnie'"

"Oh, how sweet! So it's probably hay in the package then."

"That is very nice of her," Harvey said, pulling the tie loose on the package and peeking inside. "Yes, looks like quite a bit of hay."

Alma poured the egg mix into the pan and heard the satisfying sizzle. As it cooked, Alma checked her funds for the day to see if she'd be ready for that barn upgrade yet. "Oh, I forgot to tell you!" Harvey looked up at her in anticipation. "Yesterday, I dug up another treasure chest!"

"Oh! Did you!"

"Yeah, in the mountains near the railroad tracks! I sold it to Lewis last night and got another five thousand gold for it this morning!"

"That's great, Alma! How did you know it would be there? Just luck?"

"Well, actually, that's something else I haven't really told you." She scooped the eggs onto their plates and brought the plates to the table, sitting across from him. "At the beginning of the season, I saw a strange creature, like a walking shadow. I startled it, and it gave me a magnifying glass. It seemed like it had stolen it and felt caught, so it gave it to me as if I were the rightful owner. It ran away, and its footprints went all the way into the sewer. And since then, I've been finding scraps of paper and pictures and things around town - just like the lost books - and am able to read them with the magnifying glass."

Harvey's face looked skeptical as he listened and sipped his coffee. He took a bite of the omelet and said, "Another spirit of some kind?"

"Maybe. But it was able to talk in English. It was more anthropomorphic. Anyway, one of those notes had a big X next to the railroad tracks, so I dug it up and found the treasure chest."

Harvey's face then changed to concern. "Do you think it was someone else's treasure? What if it belonged to that creature? Do you think y-you might get in trouble for digging it up?"

"Well," she said with a shrug, taking a bite of egg, "too late now. Time will tell, I guess."

Harvey's expression seemed to say he wasn't content with that answer. But he knew there wasn't anything he could do about it. Just as he was bringing his coffee up to his lips, the phone rang and startled both of them. He gasped, spilled coffee on himself, and stood up from his seat. "I - I'm so sorry!"

"No, no, it's okay! I'm sorry!" Alma put her hand to her chest and tried to catch her breath again as she reached for the receiver of the phone. "Hello?"

"I'm going to go change," Harvey whispered, pointing to the bedroom.

Alma nodded and listened to the phone. "Oh! Yes! Sorry, I forgot! Uh … yes, that's fine. I - I can still keep the appointment." Harvey turned around with raised eyebrows. "Yes, I'll hold." Alma covered the speaker of the receiver and whispered loudly, "It's Dr. Katherine's office. I forgot I had therapy this morning."

"Oh! Then I - I should go to give you some privacy."

"Okay. I'm so sorry."

"No no, it's fine!" he said, continuing to the bedroom. He closed the door behind him.

Alma quickly grabbed a towel from the kitchen to wipe up the spilled coffee as she waited for Dr. Katherine to come to the phone. "Yes, I'm here, Dr. Katherine, how are you?" she said, fumbling with the coffee-stained towel and the phone cord.

"I'm fine, thank you, Alma. How was your week?"

"Oh, pretty fine. Nothing too noteworthy, I guess."

"No nightmares?"

"No, not for a while now."

"And last time we talked, we discussed these sleepovers with Harvey. Have those still been happening?"

Harvey stepped out of the bedroom, pulling his tie tight. He had his dirtied pajamas under his arm and quietly said, "I'm going to take these home to wash."

Alma nodded to him and said in the phone, "Yes, they're, uh, going well."

"Are they happening often?"

Alma watched Harvey quickly drink the remaining coffee in his mug. "Uh … I think three times this week, maybe?" He picked up their dishes to take to the kitchen, and though Alma waved to him to stop, he shook his head and continued to the kitchen.

"Okay, and are you still feeling comfortable with them?"

"Yes, I think so." She looked over to the kitchen and saw Harvey roll up his sleeves and begin washing the dishes.

"Is he still respecting your boundaries?"

"Yes, definitely."

"And have you changed those boundaries at all?"

"No."

"Okay. I'm not saying you shouldn't; I just want to make sure you're not feeling pressured to compromise your feelings of safety and security. You can slowly bring down those walls as you feel comfortable." Harvey dried his hands and brought his shoes from the front door to the chair. Alma watched as he put them on and tied them. "One thing I know we've talked about that I'd like for you to keep in mind as you and Harvey become more intimate is our sensate practices. Start identifying what repels you, what feels neutral, and what feels good, and make sure you communicate all of those things to him."

"Yes, I remember us discussing that. I've been trying to put that into practice."

"Good, good to hear it."

Harvey stood up, grabbed his coat from the kitchen counter, and kissed Alma on the cheek before rushing out the door. "Love you," he mouthed to her from the doorway. She waved to him from her seat.

"Yes, in fact, Harvey has already started doing a bit of that too. He asked me the other day what feels good."

"Excellent! So it sounds like you are not only upholding your boundaries but really communicating to meet each other's needs. I love to hear that." Dr. Katherine and Alma continued their discussion, and in what seemed like no time at all, the hour was up. "Okay, next week still okay for you?"

"Yes, that will be fine. Thank you, Dr. Katherine."

"Of course. Buh bye."

"Bye." Alma heard the phone disconnect, and she hung up her phone too. She got up and went into the kitchen to see if anything needed to be cleaned, but Harvey had done all of it. She smiled and shook her head. She crossed over to the bedroom and saw that, there too, the bed had been made. "That man," she chuckled. She went back to the living room; pulled on her boots, coat, and bag; and went outside to get to work.

After doing her rounds on the farm, Alma went into town, thinking about what she needed to do that day. She wanted first to go to Pierre to sell things to him, then she wanted to see Clint and probably Gunther after that. Maybe she would visit Rasmodius to see if she had indeed picked up the void essence he wanted, and then she would gather wood until it was time to check out the night market on the beach. As she passed the bus stop, she remembered last night when she thought she heard Junimo nearby. She decided to stop and check it out.

"Hey kid," Pam greeted. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, not much. Just dropping by. How's it going for you today?"

"I'm just passin' time, same as always." She watched as Alma went past the bus, examining the ground carefully as she walked. "Are you, uh … lookin' for anything in particular?"

"Just wanted to check to see if there was anything unusual over here."

"Well, there is the mine cart there. Seems to be working again!" Alma looked up at the mine cart, and sure enough, the line connected to the mine was steaming, indicating that it was generating power. "Lewis must have gotten someone to fix it, maybe for the fellas at the Adventure Guild or somethin'."

"Well, look at that." Alma took a closer look and saw a sign posted:

"Choose destination:

Mines

Town

Quarry

Cancel"

"You gonna try it out?" Pam asked.

"Yeah, I guess I will. I'm headed into town anyway, so I might as well see if this will get me there faster!" She climbed into the cart and made her selection to go into town. She held tightly onto the sides of the cart and felt it unlock, slowly picking up speed.

"Good luck, kid!" Pam called with a salute.

As Pam spoke, she faded into the tree line at a quicker and quicker pace, and soon Alma was shouting as she was flying through the snowy forest on the rails. She closed her eyes tightly and gripped the sides of the cart, and soon, she could feel the cart slowing down. She opened her eyes and saw that she was approaching Clint's smithy until she finally clicked into place. "Wow!" she gasped. "That was … exciting!" She carefully climbed out of the cart, still feeling her heart race from the adrenaline rush. "I'll be back for you, Clint," she said as she passed by the door to the smithy.

As Alma approached the bridge into town, she noticed something poking out of the snow. "Ooh, another lost book!" She quickly pulled out her hoe and dug up the thick book. "Good grief, this one's hefty!" She wiped off some of the snow and couldn't see any sign of a title on the front cover, but she went ahead and put it and the hoe in her bag before continuing across the bridge to sell her things in Pierre's shop.

Alma made quick work of selling her things to Pierre and was happy to have that much more money toward buying the final barn upgrade. She went back to Clint's shop and knocked the snow off her boots before entering. "Hi, Clint! Staying warm?"

The blacksmith shrugged. "The weather doesn't really matter to me. I typically stay near my shop year-round. Depressing, huh?"

Alma gave a little shrug too as she approached his counter. "You gotta do what you gotta do to make a buck, right?"

"You here to pick up your watering can?"

"Oh yeah! Thanks!" He handed it to her, now made of a sturdy steel. "Looks great," she said, putting it in her bag. "And I have some geodes I'd like to process too, please. These seem a bit different. I wondered if maybe you could tell me some about them."

Alma took out the geodes and placed them on his counter. "These are called omni geodes. They're called that because they have lots of different kinds of stone inside. They're pretty hard to find, too. You got them in the old mines?"

"Uh … not exactly. They were a gift."

Clint gave her a suspicious glance, then said, "Well, let's see what's inside. They're usually pretty valuable." He brought them over to his anvil and broke each of them open. "Oh yeah," Clint said, looking over the stones, "that's some good stuff there." Alma actually recognized both of the gems: one was a fire quartz, just like the one she had donated to the community center. The other looked to be the same kind of material her new sword was made of.

"Thank you so much, Clint. I'll see you around."

"See ya, Alma," he said as she headed for the door.

She went south to the library, where Gunther greeted her upon arrival. "I've got quite a few things for you!"

"Oh?" She first placed the stones on the counter. "Oh!" Gunther pulled his gloves on tighter and first held up the red stone.

"That's fire quartz, right?"

He looked at her, and a smile grew across his face. "You're learning." Then he turned his attention to the other stone. "And this one is obsidian. An igneous rock, a volcanic glass made from lava that has cooled quickly with little crystal formation. Very strong."

"Could you, say, make a sword from it?"

"Oh definitely. It'd be both fashionable and formidable." He looked at her above his glasses. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I got one yesterday." He nodded, an impressed expression on his face. "Oh, I also found this," she said, pulling out the book. Gunther's expression changed. He was being his normal playful and charming self, but now he suddenly looked … almost concerned. "Everything okay?" Alma asked.

"Oh, uh, yes, I, uh … I'm just taken aback by the size of this one."

"Yeah, it looks academic, doesn't it? Maybe an old reference book?"

Gunther quickly took it with him to the back room. "Maybe." She heard rummaging and grunting, then Gunther called out, "This deserves a reward!"

"Oh no," Alma said to herself. She saw Gunther's shadow emerge first, but it seemed much larger than Gunther. Then when he came through the doorway, she shook her head in disbelief. "Gunther, I - I can't take this! What am I supposed to do with this?!"

He grunted as he carried the large bear statue through the door and placed it on the floor behind his desk. "Well, I think it'd be a lovely addition to a nice, rustic cabin outside of town. Don't you?"

"Gunther," Alma sighed. She put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. He grinned at her and raised his eyebrows in expectation. "Okay, fine. But there's no way this is going to - " But she was amazed that as he hoisted it over the desk, it seemed to magically get sucked into her backpack. "Well. I stand corrected."

"I'll, uh … get that book cleaned up and ready for you to check out as soon as I can. The last two you brought me are ready for you to see, if you'd like. You still enjoying the book on dwarves?"

"Yes, I've been meaning to get it back to you. I'll do that soon." Gunther nodded, and Alma made her way to the back of the library to look at the newest additions to the Lost Books collection. One was a hardbound collection of research notes titled Technology Report! She glanced over a page:

"The blueprints for an advanced pieces of machinery called a 'Crystalarium' have recently been published.

This machine can grow crystals from almost nothing, providing their owners with endless supplies of valuable gems!

Here's how it works: Place a gem of your choice inside the crystalarium …. Now be patient, it can take up to several days …. But eventually the crystalarium will grow a copy of whatever you placed inside! You'll know it's ready when it stops wiggling. Once you remove your gem the crystalarium will start working on yet another clone …. You'll never need to restock it unless you want to change the kind of gem it produces!

Unfortunately, the crystalarium doesn't work with the extremely rare gemstone known as 'Prismatic Shard' …. For some reason, the EMF from the shard interacts negatively with the crystalarium."

Alma figured this was written by Dr. Demetrius, but maybe it was by Clint? Or Gunther? Maybe even Maru? Or one of the men in the Adventurers' Guild? Whoever wrote it, it was kind of old news to her; she had had her crystalarium for a while now and knew how it worked. She didn't know, however, that it couldn't work with every stone. It made sense, though. She flipped through the pages, wondering what other research might be inside. Then she put it back on the shelf and picked up the other new book titled Secrets of the Legendary Fish:

"Fishermen speak of five rare and unique fish that can only be caught by skilled anglers. Once caught, they will never appear again.

The Crimsonfish lives in the warm ocean waters of summer. It's been sighted on the far eastern side of the beach.

The Glacierfish, which only appears in winter, can be caught off the southern tip of arrowhead island in Cindersap Fores … near where the river meets the ocean.

The Anglerfish has been spotted in fall, north of town where the river flows down from the mountains.

There's rumor of a strange, twisted fish that lives in the sewer.

The final fish, of a species never before caught, is known simply as 'Legend.' It is rumored that he lives in a log submerged in the mountain lake, and only ventures out on rainy spring days to nibble at the frog's legs. Only the most skilled fisherman can hope to catch this one.

Train at fishing and be persistent, and eventually you will catch these elusive fish. Make sure to respect the water and don't remove too many fish from the ecosystem."

Alma wondered, again, who wrote this one. Her first guess was Willy, but maybe it was his father or even grandfather, who he had spoken of before. She wasn't very ambitious about fishing, but still, it was interesting to see a possible goal of legendary fish to catch. She put it back on the shelf and said goodbye to Gunther on her way out.

"What in the world am I going to do with this huge bear statue?" Alma wondered as she walked through town. She looked up as she passed the saloon and remembered: wasn't there a bear statue in there? It was just past noon, so Alma pushed on the door and let herself in.

Gus was behind the counter cleaning glasses. "Hi, Alma! Please relax and enjoy yourself."

"Thanks, Gus." Her eyes wandered to the fireplace and saw the large bear statue on the far side, against the wall. "I actually have something for you, if you want it." She pulled off her bag and somehow took out the gigantic statue, placing it between the bar and the fireplace so that the fireplace was now flanked by two bears.

"Wow! Where did you manage to get that?"

"Gunther, at the museum. I figure it will look a lot better here than in my cabin."

"Well, thanks! Now we're doubly protected."

"Sure, no problem," she answered, pulling her much-lighter bag back on her shoulders. "Well, I'll see you around!"

"Sure you don't want a drink before heading out?"

"Not this time," she said, turning from the door. "I've got some errands to run. Have a good day!" She went through the door back out into the snow and made her way across town to Rasmodius's tower. Just as she brought her hand up to knock, the door creaked open.

"Hello, Alma," the wizard called from inside. Alma gently pushed the door and came in, and as she stepped past the threshold, the door closed behind her.

"Uh, hi. I brought something that I think you're looking for." She pulled her bag around one shoulder and reached in, pulling out the dark spherical object. "I wasn't sure, but is this - ?"

"Ah, you've brought it," he said, approaching her and taking the object from her hand.

"So that is void essence? Which is … what exactly?"

"It is an orb quivering with dark energy. It is extremely important in the formulas and rituals of arcane magic." Alma slowly nodded, pretending to understand. Rasmodius turned to her and lifted his chin, giving her an unusual look. "You've earned my gratitude," then he held out his hand, "and a one thousand gold reward." She put her hand under his to catch his coin purse, which he dropped in her palm. "Now go." And he flipped his cape and turned back to his podium.

Just as she was about to go, Alma heard a creaking sound from the back of the house. "What was that?" she asked quietly.

"Why don't you … investigate?" he asked, peering at her from over his shoulder. She looked at him for a moment then shifted her glance to the small set of stairs at the back of the room. "I trust you enough to allow you into my basement. Treat what you find there with respect." She slowly walked that way, passing by Rasmodius, his bookshelf, and his fireplace. On the second floor was a room like a study, filled with bookshelves, crystals, and strange-looking herbs and plants. But at the base of the wall between two bookshelves, there was a small door. Alma looked behind her to see if there was any sign of the wizard but didn't see him anywhere. She got on her hands and knees, climbed into the little door, and went down the ladder.

It was a dimly lit basement with a few barrels, some candles, and some sort of markings on the floor to indicate a place to perform magic. But the most notable thing was a large gold shrine-like figure in the corner of the room. It looked like a horned monster with fierce teeth and a long tongue hanging out over a bowl that it held in its hands. There was a marker above it:

"The Shrine of Illusions

Make an offering of 500g to change your appearance?"

"Uh … no thanks." Alma stepped away from the shrine and looked around the small room one more time before she climbed back up the ladder. It didn't seem like there was anything else to interact with there. Why did Rasmodius want her to see that? She climbed back up the ladder and went back to the front room of his tower, where he was standing at his podium.

"Well, you chose not to change your appearance, I see," he said.

"Did you … want me to?"

"Not necessarily. But," he said, carefully looking up at her, "I only give … trusted friends access to my basement."

"Oh! Well, thanks, Rasmodius." Alma was genuinely taken aback and touched by this gesture.

He came out from behind his podium as he continued, "I know that you are beginning your journey as someone who is in tune with the spiritual, and though I am aware that it is all very new for you," he looked her up and down then lifted his chin a bit as he said, "a wealth of evidence thus far leads me to trust that your heart is pure."

"Like … what?"

He looked up for a moment, as if he didn't expect he would be asked this question. "Well, for one, the Junimo certainly put their faith in you. And I am aware of your grandfather's presence and his feelings for you. Welwick had much to say about you at the fair. You have taken it upon yourself to seek knowledge of Ivanov and Chalcedony. And the way that you are more often than not the one who brings me tools and resources I ask for …. This all shows me that you have good intentions with your spiritual connections."

"Well, I … I'm flattered, Rasmodius. It's nice to know you think of me that way. I see you as a helpful resource and friend to guide me through the spiritual world, so to know that you trust me too is … nice." He nodded to her and began to turn back to his podium. "Which, actually, reminds me that I have a question for you." He stopped and looked over his shoulder a bit. "Are you familiar with a shadowy figure that lives in the sewer? I saw him - uh, it? a few weeks ago, right at the beginning of the season. And he gave me a magnifying glass."

"That's Krobus," he answered, continuing his way to his podium and turning the pages as he spoke. "He's a shadow person. Mostly harmless. He's fascinated by humans but is scared to be detected. He runs a shop in the sewer where you can buy rare goods, like the void essence you've just brought me."

"Oh, okay. Krobus. That all makes sense … I guess. And, uh, what about the dwarf in the mines? Do you know him too?"

"I do, yes. He also runs a shop. And whatever you do, do not mention Krobus to him - or vice versa."

"Why not?"

"Oh, you know, only a thousand-year war between the dwarves and shadow people."

"Oh! Do you speak Dwarvish then?"

"Olus, ah taitsu."

"And how can I learn it, so I can communicate with him too?"

"I believe the librarian has a translation guide."

"Gunther? Why didn't he mention that to me?"

Rasmodius simply shrugged, not even looking up from his book. "If there are no more questions, I'd like to ask that you take your leave. I have much work to do."

"Yeah, I believe that's it. Thanks for everything!" Alma walked toward the door, which opened for her and then closed behind her. She checked the time; it was about three in the afternoon. The night market would be opening in a few hours. What could she do in that amount of time? It wasn't enough time to go to the mines, but too much time to just sit around. She looked around and, upon looking at all the trees in the forest, had an idea. She remembered the wood she needed for the barn upgrade. She pulled out her ax and started into the woods. She picked up felled wood first then chopped down trees after collecting what she could find. After a few hours, her muscles became sore and tired, and even in the cool of the winter air, she was sweating under her layers. She wiped her brow as she checked her collection; she thought now she probably had enough for the upgrade. She could buy it tomorrow. And she checked the time; the market was opening right about now. She put her ax away and made her way to the beach.

"Oh wow!" Alma quietly exclaimed as she crossed over the beach bridge. Lights were strung all over the pier, and exotic ships lined the coast. The reflections off the snow made the colors of the boats glow; it made Alma feel like she was in a completely different place!

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she heard a voice say from the treeline. She looked over and saw Linus standing a little off, and he waved and smiled.

"It is, yes!"

"These people are travelers, like me," he said, looking a bit forlorn. "I feel a connection."

"Then why don't you go say hi? I can buy you something if you'd like."

"No, thank you, but I'm okay just staying here to listen and watch."

"Are you sure? I hear there's free coffee. It can help keep you warm."

"I'm all right, Alma, really. But thank you. Your generosity and kindness do not go unnoticed, believe me."

"All right, if you say so. I'm going to go check it out. See you later, friend!" She came onto the pier and first saw Shane and Jas standing at the entrance. "Good evening, you two! It feels strange to see you out at night and not at the saloon, Shane!" Alma chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm taking a night off from the saloon for Jas's sake …." He reached for the young girl's hand, and she smiled up at him.

"Can we see the mermaid show? Please please please please?" This caught Alma's attention; she remembered the note she had picked up that mentioned something about a mermaid show.

"I already told you: not until you're older."

"Aw," she whined. "I wish I was old enough to see the mermaid show …."

"What is the mermaid show?" Alma asked Shane.

"It's in the boat on the far side over there," he answered, pointing that way. "It's a musical performance by some, eh … rather scantily-clad mermaids."

"Oh, I see." She crouched down to get closer to Jas. "Well, I'm sure there's lots of other cool stuff here for you and your uncle Shane to see, if you ask nicely." Jas nodded emphatically, her face barely able to contain her excitement. Alma stood back up and said, "I'm going to go check it all out for myself. You two have fun!" She continued down the pier with a wave and saw Emily standing at the end. "Hi Emily!"

The blue-haired girl turned and smiled to Alma. "Oh hi! Isn't this cool? I always love it when the night market is in town."

"Yeah, this isn't quite what I was expecting, to have it actually be boats set up like this. It feels so … exotic!"

"I think this boat's my favorite," she said, gesturing to the purple boat in front of her. "It's so unique!"

"It is, for sure. I've never seen an all-purple boat like that. It doesn't have a shop set up?"

"No, I think it's a cargo boat that carries some of the stuff for the other vendors. But it is so beautiful, isn't it?"

Alma nodded, then she happened to look up and see Abigail behind them, standing in front of Willy's shop next to a mysterious, hooded figure. "Oh, hi Abigail! Enjoying the night market?"

"This is so mysterious," she said. Then with an excited lift of her shoulders to her ears, she exclaimed, "I love it!"

Emily and Alma both giggled. "I bet you wish you could just board one of these boats and ride off into the sunset, huh?"

"You have no idea," Abigail said with rolling eyes.

Penny was a little further down the dock, standing in front of another boat, this one a beautiful green with many Arab-looking vases and pots on board. Alma stepped her way and was stopped by the shrouded figure. "I can send you home for 250 gold."

"Uh, no thanks," she answered.

"Suit yourself. I'll be here if you change your mind."

Alma continued to Penny and asked, "What about you, Penny? Wish you could ride one of these boats out of here?"

"Oh, maybe. There is certainly something that draws you in, isn't there? Can you smell that? The air is so spicy here …." Alma lifted her nose to sniff the air, and Penny was right; there was a distinct spicy scent that mixed with the smell of the sea. "It smells so good, doesn't it?"

"What do you think it is? Some kind of incense? Hookah maybe? Or some cooking spices?"

"I don't know, but I do think I like it," Penny said with a shy smile.

Alma saw that a small set of stairs would allow her to board the boat. "Well, do you want to climb on?"

"No, I'll pass for now, thanks," Penny said.

"Suit yourself!" she answered, climbing onto the stairs. She dropped down onto the boat and felt it sway with the water. Then Alma saw that a rickety plank actually connected this boat to another boat - one that had a large neon sign of a sultry mermaid. She looked through her notebook and found the note she remembered: "Mermaid Show: 1-5-4-2-3." Alma stepped onto the makeshift pier and carefully followed it all the way to the mermaid's boat. She opened the door that had a large clam shell on the front and walked immediately into a dimly lit show space with a curtain-covered stage in front. Alma looked around a moment, wondering if she needed to pay admission or talk to someone, but as soon as she turned to see if anyone was around, the curtain began to separate. A rather voluptuous mermaid sat inside a large clam shell on stage, surrounded by fairies fluttering on either side. Music began to play, and the mermaid opened her mouth to sing a beautifully haunting melody. Alma stood entranced, drawn in by the siren's song. She felt like she was under neon waves, surrounded by mermaids dancing and harmonizing in operatic tones around her. She closed her eyes to really let the music seep in, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the stage again, with mermaids all around her in the darkness surrounding the stage. Lights glittered around her with the final note, and the curtain drew to a close again.

Alma stood in the dark silence a moment, still feeling mesmerized. Then she remembered the note: "1-5-4-2-3." She looked around the dim room to see if there was anything that could be numbered. There were six shells on the curtain, and five shells lining the stage. Alma approached the shell on the far left and was surprised to hear it make a beautiful tone when she touched it. "One …" she began to realize. She moved to the shell on the far right. "Five …." Its note was an octave higher. "Four, two, three," she said, touching the corresponding shells. It played the carrying melody of the mermaid's song, and as she stepped back, she saw the shells light up in order again, with fairies appearing above! The third fairy held something and gently gave it to Alma. "Wow. Thank you!" With a nod and a smile, the fairy and all of the others disappeared. She looked at the object in her hands: a beautiful pearl. She carefully put it in her backpack then turned to exit the boat.

Alma walked back over the pier and onto the boat in front of Penny, and when she stepped back onto the main pier, she looked ahead and saw Leah looking at a painting that a man was selling. "Hi Leah! Is there some artwork for sale?"

"Yes, Lupini himself is here to sell his artwork! What do you think? Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is! It would look great in your cabin." She turned to the eccentric-looking man and asked, "How much is it?"

"I'm selling this painting for twelve hundred gold. What do you say?"

Leah looked at the painting carefully. "Hmmm … a Lupini original for twelve hundred? Not bad …."

"You'll make the right decision," Alma said, patting Leah's shoulder.

She continued on board another ship just to her right, hearing the squawking parrot perched above the ship's red lantern. A pair of glowing red eyes looked out from the window of the small ship. "E-Each day … s-something new …."

"Okay, let me see what you have today then!" Alma said, trying to set the shopkeeper at ease. A dark hand handed her a catalog of goods: mostly seeds, a hat, a few decorative stones, some rarecrows, and a fireplace made of iridium. "Nothing for me tonight, thanks," Alma answered, handing back the catalog. "But I'll check back tomorrow." As she walked back onto the pier, she looked past Leah and saw Clint leaning against the wall of Willy's shop. "Hi, Clint! You seem a bit … nervous. Everything okay?"

Clint shrugged a little and looked to the side, where Alma just now noticed Harvey was standing, looking over a boat with the traveling saleswoman she usually saw in Cindersap Forest. "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow …." the blacksmith answered. "I hate going to the doctor, even just for a regular check-up."

"I'm sure it will all go fine. Dr. Harvey will take good care of you."

Harvey turned when he heard his name. "Oh! Hi, Alma! Yes, Clint, you have an appointment tomorrow, don't you?"

"And I think he's a bit nervous," Alma added.

"Maybe the mermaid show will calm my nerves?" Clint asked, looking between the two of them.

"Oh, uh - " Harvey was dumbstruck and looked nervously at Alma. "M-Maybe, I guess, if that's something y-you enjoy."

"But what if they think I'm ogling?" Clint asked with a nervous gulp.

"Well, then just don't ogle! Close your eyes and just try to enjoy the music. I saw the mermaid show not too long ago, and the music is breathtaking!"

He shrugged again. "Yeah. Maybe."

"Everything will be okay, Clint. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes, Doctor." Clint looked back to the boats, and Harvey turned his attention to Alma.

"Hi there. I wasn't sure if you were coming tonight or not. And you already visited the, uh … the mermaid show?"

"I did. It's not as risqué as everyone seems to make it out to be. At least, I didn't think so. It was beautiful! Have you seen it?"

"No no, I don't - I'm not - It's not my thing."

Alma chuckled and put her arm in the crook of his. "Fair enough. I got a pearl from it!"

"Oh, that's nice! Do the Junimo need that for anything?"

"I don't think so. I'll just hold onto it." She gestured over to the traveling saleswoman's cart. "I'm surprised to see you were shopping here. Didn't you say she was a swindler?"

"I was just looking. I rarely buy anything at the night market. It's more the atmosphere I enjoy. Winter can be a dreary season, but events like this make it brighter!" he said, putting his hand on hers.

"You're right! It feels magical." She looked toward the saleswoman, who waved at her.

"Surprised to see me? I trade by sea, too! The pig likes a good swim."

"The pig?" The saleswoman gestured to the side of the boat, where the large purple pig was looking quite content holding onto a floatie and sporting a swim cap and goggles.

"Well, look at that!" Harvey laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen a happier pig!"

"Oh, she loves it," the saleswoman laughed. "Now, what would you like to buy?"

Alma looked over the wares and didn't see anything that struck her. "Nothing tonight, I think. But thank you! You know I'll see you around."

"Yes ma'am! Enjoy the market!" she said with another wave.

"Care to walk around with me?" Alma asked Harvey as they turned the other way.

"Of course. Where do you have left?"

"I think I've seen everything over here," she said as they rounded Willy's shop, "but I haven't seen what's on this side. I'm not planning on buying something unless I really need it, though; I've just saved enough money to buy the last barn upgrade from Robin tomorrow."

"Oh, that's good!"

"It's still fun to window shop, though." They came first to a sailboat filled with produce and plants. "Hello there," Alma greeted, looking over his selection. "What do you have to sell tonight?"

"Good evening, ma'am. I specialize in outdoor decorations. Does anything catch your eye?"

Alma saw decorations for the upcoming Feast of the Winter Star, several seasonal plants, a banner, and a few torches. "No, not tonight, thank you. Maybe another night this week, though!" She and Harvey got back on the pier and continued to the west side of the market, where Alma spotted a Middle Eastern man sitting on an ornamental red carpet with a fancy coffee pot. "Ooh, look, Harvey! Coffee! Let me get you some."

"It's for me?"

"Of course!" She approached the merchant with a big smile. "Good evening, sir!"

"Hello there!" the man greeted. "Care for a cup of coffee?"

"Yes please, one for me and one for him, if that's all right." She watched as he artfully poured the coffee and handed her two mugs. "Thank you so much!" Alma went back to Harvey and handed the mug to him. "Here you go, hon."

"This is my favorite stuff! The night market coffee is the best I've had."

"Ooh, then I'm excited to try it!" They both took a sip. Alma squeezed her arms closer to her body like she was giving herself a hug and made a happy moan. "Comfort in a mug."

Harvey nodded. "It's like you read my mind."

Alma took another sip and looked ahead, surprised to see what was at the end of the pier. "Is that a submarine?!"

"Yes, and I believe it has a fishing excursion as part of the ride. You'd probably be interested, but I will gladly stay up here."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure, yes," he said with another sip.

"Okay, well, yeah, I do want to check it out! Will you hold my coffee for me?" She handed him her cup and went off the pier toward the submarine. The front of the ship had a picture of an anglerfish on it, and she wondered if that might be one of the fish she could catch on the ride. She pushed open the vaulted door and stepped inside. "Hello," she said to the stout captain standing in the corner by the controls.

"Ahoy there! Want to take the deep-sea fishing tour? It'll cost ya one thousand gold."

"Oh, uh …." Alma wondered if she had enough to spend on that and still have enough for the upgrade tomorrow. She remembered, though, that she did also drop some things off in her shipping bin at home for Lewis to pick up tonight, so she should wake up with more money waiting for her. "Yes! Yes, I think I do want to do that!"

"All right then. Hold on tight. We're going down!" Alma stood close to the big window that looked out into the ocean. She could see the horizon line thanks to the moonlight and the strings of lights along the pier, but as they broke into the water, it became harder and harder to see anything. It was eerily quiet, though there was a strange moaning sound as the pressure increased around them. Alma had never experienced anything like this before. After a while, when it was nearly pitch-black outside the window, the floor of the submarine slowly opened, revealing the dark ocean water. "Help yourself and just let me know when you're ready to go back up."

Alma couldn't hardly wait. She pulled out her fishing rod and threw it into the hole. It took a while for her to catch anything at all, and after a while, the only thing she was able to catch was algae! A few hours had passed, and Alma didn't want it to get too late. She was sad to concede, but she began to pack up her fishing line again.

"Shall I take us back up?" the captain asked.

"Yes, I think so. Doesn't seem like luck is on my side tonight."

The floor of the submarine began to close again, and the captain said, "Sometimes it's like that." Going up seemed to go faster than going down, and Alma felt the strange sensation of getting lighter as the pressure decreased. "I'll be here every night this week, though, if you'd like to try again."

"Okay, good to know. Thank you."

After a few moments, they broke through the surface of the water again, and air hissed as the captain released the pressure. "All right, you're free to get off."

"Thank you so much. Have a good night!" She stepped off the submarine and went back to the pier, where Harvey was waiting for her.

"How was it? Did you catch anything?" he asked, handing her coffee mug back again.

"No, not this time. I might try again tomorrow night. We'll see. For now, though, I think it's time to head home for bed."

"I think so too. Shall I walk you home?"

"I'd love that." He held out his arm for her, and they walked up the pier back onto the beach.