Isolated (Stardew Valley)

Chapter Seven

THERE MAY BE only a few festivals in this little town, but boy, did the townsfolk take them seriously.

So seriously that there was one festival called the Flower Dance, an event where the younger citizens were bound up in tight suits and flowing dresses, forced to dance with partners under the spring heat.

"That is such a stupid festival," I told Abigail the day of. She was in my ranch fussing over the white dress her mother forced her to wear.

"Right? I really hate dancing in front of everyone... it's so embarrassing! Mom makes me do it, " growled Abigail. "I'm paired with Sebastian every year so at least it's somewhat tolerable."

I wasn't planning on participating in the event and wanted to skip the whole thing in general—after all, did I really need to spend a whole day filling myself with pastries and standing during a humid day?—but Abigail and Sam practically begged me to go with them. Maybe watching them make fools out of themselves would be somewhat enjoyable.

Looking down, I was clearly underdressed: wearing my typical green overalls, worn out from its use.

"Come on, let's go before Mr. Lewis gets fussy at us for being late," said Abigail with an eye roll. She pushed open the front door and stopped in her tracks. "Since when did you have a secret admirer?"

Confused, I peered over her shoulder and noticed a small box. It sat on the porch, wrapped neatly with a green ribbon.

"I don't receive gifts," I said defensively, not knowing where it came from.

"At least open it! Aren't you a tiny bit curious?"

Maybe I was. Hesitantly, I grabbed the box in my hands and untied the silky ribbon. Half expecting some sort of bomb to erupt or a nasty prank in it, I removed the lid. Instead, I all I found appeared to be green material. Smooth and silky, barren of any creases.

It was a dress, I realized. It looked identical to Abigail's, except for its dark green colour. The colour that reminded me of the pine trees just outside the ranch. There were intricate patterns on the sleeve; swirls and lines that looked like leaves rustling through the wind.

It was beautiful, I had to admit that. But it made me suspicious. Who would ever send something like this to me?

There was no note attached to the box, no indication of who could have sent it. It was a box and a dress. As simple as that.

"Well, someone wants you to look nice," said Abigail with a wiggle of her brow. "It's better than your old pair of overalls, am I right?"

I shook my head and gestured for her to leave so I could change. The dress was more comfortable than it seemed, the material made of sheen silk. Back at Joja, everything revolved around one thing: business. As such, I never had opportunities to wear dresses, not one like this. Flowing and free.

"Not too bad," Abigail commented outside once I stepped out. "Let's go ruin this festival with our horrible dancing!"

★

The dance took place far off to the west, beyond even the Wizard's tower. A part of me hoped that all our disturbances would cause us to be late and miss the festival, but another part itched to see all the excitement and dread over this one day. We arrived just as the afternoon sun reached its peak.

The area used to be blocked off, but now we were able to enter the mysterious clearing, steered by the fences lined with ribbons of bright colours. Music flitted in the distance, ranging from traditional Valley songs to popular city ones. Up ahead, I could see many people swaying to the music and mingling in their own groups.