Isolated (Stardew Valley)

Chapter Fourteen

THERE WAS SOMETHING hot that warmed my cold skin, waking me from my sleep. Back to reality.

I opened my eyes groggily only to see pitch black. After blinking a few times, my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and there was something moving, something orange. A fire.

It was a small one, with scattered rocks surrounding the base and few twigs and leaves in its pit. The cackling of fire surged like an orange wave. Even while little, it still provided the comfort of heat during this chilly night.

Night—it was night, with the moon shining its faint light around us and peaking out just behind the cover of trees. As the blended surroundings started to clear, my awareness started to sink in. I remembered meeting with Alex at the beach—he was talking about his parents. I remembered bringing him to Sam's house with the small shred of hope that whatever tension he had with the trio could be dissolved, that they'd come together to produce something new. Then there was the fight, the blood, the punches. And then... darkness?

I wasn't laying down, but rather sitting, leaning against something hard. My head was tilted at an odd angle so a curtain of hair hung over my face. I shifted slightly and saw that the "something" was Sam's body. We sat on a crate large enough to fit the both of us, and I leaned against his shoulder while I slept for support.

I squinted again through the darkness and realized where we were. The fire pit. The surrounding trees. The faint sound of water folding against each other to signify the quiet lake. This was a place I knew all too well, a place I've always made note to avoid, a place that brought goosebumps trailing on my skin whenever I was near.

This was Linus's area.

I nearly gasped in surprise. Hearing this, I felt Sam turn to look at me, and I shut my eyes again. My throat felt hoarse and dry, my mind still felt reeled. I was not in the mood for talking or confrontations.

Sam turned his head away. "Sorry for that nasty punch, dude. It was a heat in the moment kind of thing, you know?" he said nervously with a chuckle. I opened my eyes just a bit.

Through the flames, I could make out Alex's bruised face. He held what looked like an ice pack to his cheek, wincing as the cold touched his injuries. He sat across from us.

"No, I deserved it. I shouldn't have called you a lapdog, or third wheel..." Alex sighed. "I always envied the friendship you guys all have. It doesn't feel the same with Haley."

There was silence between the two boys. It wasn't awkward, no, but comfortable silence, with the only sound being the shuffling of trees and the gentle night breeze.

"I'll talk to Abigail and Sebastian, ask them to lay off you for a bit. I'm sure they'll understand," said Sam quietly. Alex murmured a small thanks.

"About time you guys stopped acting like children."

Both of them were startled by the sudden movement. I had sat up and stretched my arms out, with neither of them noticing. Sam got up and looked down at me, and I could see Alex attempting to stand. "June! How do you feel?"

I thought about it. Was I okay? I felt fine. My thoughts still felt hazy and my body felt weak, but I guess that was normal for a farmer who woke up at 6 AM daily, working for hours on end, sleeping at midnight, and living on a constant cycle. "Just peachy. Why are we here?"

Alex gave a careful look behind his back. "Linus insisted we bring you here. He left a while ago to get something."

Linus was the voice I heard before passing out? I nearly scoffed. He was a man who refused to live by the town's way of life, instead surviving on resources of the Valley. Why he did that, I did not know, but the few conversations I had with him told me to stay away. And so I did. Until now.