"Pelican Town to Sims Town" - A Stardew Valley, Sims 3 Fanfic

I don’t know anything about Stardew Valley, but from looking at your pictures you did a great job re-creating the characters. What a great idea to bring characters from another game into sims. Love it. ❤️

@ZeeGee Thanks. :kissing_heart:



Chapter 2

A light, lukewarm breeze kissed Abigail’s cheeks as she stood tall and confident, walking along down the sidewalk towards the main road that led into town. She closed her eyes for a moment to breathe in the planet’s aroma through her nose and slowly released it through her mouth. There was no hint of any flower fragrance in the air, which would definitely indicate Spring, and it was a little too hot this mid afternoon for it to be. Summer, she thought with a smile. I wonder if this place has a beach. And what might its seashells look like? Oh the many wonders this world surely has to offer! She fully intended to do some crazy exploring at her earliest convenience, with or without any of the other girls, but right now…she was on a mission to get Penny some help.

She took note of the many different houses that were in the same neighborhood as theirs and they all had an air of vacancy about them. No children played outside and there were no cars in the driveway, not even bikes. Hedges looked overgrown and the only flowers were weeds. It made her feel a little uneasy, worried that they were the only six people residing in this vast countryside. Nonsense, she assured herself, why would there be a town if there are no people to occupy it?

When she reached the main road and stopped at the intersection, a sharp breeze fluffed her hair from a taxi that whipped on by heading toward town. Even a large truck was coming down the road toward her in the opposite lane. See! There are others around. What'd I tell ya! Gazing out at the spacious buildings in town – spacious to a Pelican Town resident anyway – she drew in a breath and said, “Aright Abby, let’s do this!”

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But she froze in her tracks for a moment. She could sense a presence nearby…actually two...and felt a strong connection to them. Who from this world could she possibly feel such a deep connection to?

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“ABBY!” she heard two very familiar male voices call out to her from behind. She turned in an instant and gasped.

When their eyes met, her smile lit up brighter than the sun. “SEB! SAM!” she cried with excitement as the two men came running towards her.

Sebastian practically threw himself into her outstretched arms and Abigail greatly welcomed him. “Oh Abby,” he said, squeezing her while pressing his cheek against hers. “You’re here!”

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“Oh my gosh Seb,” she said, tears forming in her eyes, and then broke the embrace as Sam stepped closer to her. “And Sam,” she said, taking him into her arms as well and holding him tight. “My buddies!”
“It’s so good to see you Abby!” Sam expressed.

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“I can’t believe you guys are here too,” she said, stepping back a bit and wiping a tear from her eye. “I feared I’d never see you again!”

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“We’re just as surprised to see you here too,” Sam said. “I mean, look at you!” he paused, studying her polished, curvy body with an approving grin.
“Indeed,” Sebastian chimed in. “You look…wow, Abby.”

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Abigail tried to hide a blush. “I hope that’s a good wow,” she asked, brushing some hair behind her ear.
“Oh most definitely!” he assured, inching a little closer to her. “Your appearance in this world is so...lustrous, flawless, and…beautiful!”
Now she blushed.

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Sam rolled his eyes. “Anyway,” he interrupted, “how’d you get here Abby? The Wizard?”
“YES!” she cried. “Something about going on a quest for him--"
“Yup!” the boys said in unison.
“--and then throwing us into this whole different world,” she asked, gesturing toward the landscape and the sky. “What’s this all about?”

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“No freaking clue,” Sam replied. “He was pretty vague on the details.”
“YEAH he was!” she agreed.
“Was it just you he sent or did he send others with you?” Sebastian asked.
“Oh no, he called some other girls over to his tower from town as well, which,” she paused with a grimace, “at the time seemed a little creepy…”
“Who?” Sam didn’t hesitate to ask.
“Leah, Maru, Haley, Emily, and Penny,” she replied, counting with her fingers. “We just arrived here about an hour ago.”
Maru…, Sebastian thought of his half-sister. So she’s here too.

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Sam threw a look over at Sebastian. “We’ve been here for about two,” he said, “and we were also sent here with a few other guys from town. Our house is just up the hill,” he motioned with his head.
“We finally decided to head out and go investigate the town,” Sebastian added.
“Me too!” Abigail grinned. “So who all came with you?” she asked, facing Sebastian.
“Alex, Shane, Harvey, and Elliott,” he replied.

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So the six bachelors and six bachelorettes of Pelican Town the Wizard chose to send here together on a mysterious quest? Abigail thought, arms folded. Just what is he up to? But then her eyes widened as she instantly became aware of something. “Doctor Harvey is with you?” she asked in a tone of urgency.

That took the two boys aback for a second. “Yeeeah,” Sebastian confirmed.
“Unfortunately…” Sam muttered with an eye-roll.
“No, fortunately!” Abigail corrected. “You two need to go back and get him and bring him over to our place immediately!”
“Why?” Sebastian asked through a surprised chuckle. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Penny,” she revealed. “Not long after we…materialized, or whatever happened, into this world she fainted and so Maru and Leah took her into a room to look after her until she woke up. Well apparently she woke up, had a major freak out, and then fainted again…

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…That just doesn’t sound good to me and Maru even expressed her body’s trippin’ out; that’s why she needs a Doctor. That’s actually who I was going into town to look for.”
“Man that really su'cks for Penny,” Sam expressed, scratching at the back of his head. “Guess this event was a little too hard on her nerves.”
Sebastian nodded in agreement.
“Yeah well, she’s not getting any better so,” she paused, slapping at both boy’s arms to make sure she had their attention, “hurry and go get Harvey and meet us back at our place. It’s just down this road.”
Sam peered in that direction. “Hold up,” he said. “There are a few houses down that road. Why don’t you come with us to get Harvey so you can lead us back to the right house. That will save a lot of time.”

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“Oh…right,” Abigail agreed, somewhat scolding herself for not thinking that logically. “Okay then, let’s go!”


***********************

“Hey Emily! Get your butt in here, I gotta show you something!” Haley called out to her sister from one of the bedrooms. When she didn’t hear an immediate response she huffed and began tapping her toe. A single minute passed and then she shouted in her high pitched, annoyed voice, “EMILY!”

The door opened and in walked an irritated Emily herself. “I was in the bathroom Haley, geez! What is it?”
“Check this bedroom out,” the blonde said, “I took a look at each of the three bedrooms in this place and this one seems to be the one that was created just for us!”
“What now?” Emily asked in confusion.
“Yeah! It’s like the bedroom Penny is in looks like it fits her style and interests, even Leah’s. The spacious bedroom upstairs, which totally should’ve been ours,” she rolled her eyes, “had like this chemistry table and telescope facing the window which obviously is for Maru, and there was this bed that had a galaxy-like patterned comforter on it that just screamed Abigail.”

Arms folded with an arched eyebrow, Emily asked, “So you’re telling me that each bedroom has pretty much been assigned to two specific girls, and decorated to suit their unique interests?”
“That’s what it looks like to me,” Haley replied with her palms in the air. “If you don’t believe me go check them out yourself.”
“No…I believe you.” Fascinating. It would seem the Wizard knows more about us than we realize...
“At first I was like, ‘What the hey!? I don’t get my own bedroom?’” Haley went on, “but thinking about that stingy Wizard I was like, ‘Of course not.’ Then I was thinking that if I had to share a bedroom with any of the girls here I would prefer it to be you so…”
Emily cracked a smile, heart warmed by her sister’s comment.

“But yeah, check it out,” Haley said again, “This room is totally divided, with separate wallpaper and everything! That gorgeous side over there naturally is mine,” she pointed, “and this side is obviously yours,” she said with a hint of disapproval in her voice.

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Emily gasped. “There’s a dress form mannequin so I can make more clothes! Sweet!” But her excitement was very short lived as she thought on that for a moment. “How long exactly are we going to be here?” Her heart thumped wildly against her chest.

Haley paid no mind to her question because she was already on her side of the room admiring herself in the tall, standing mirror situated in one of the corners.

“Hey Emily,” she addressed, “do you think my butt looks bigger in this world?”
Emily just shook her head as she approached her. “It looks the same as usual Haley…”

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Not entirely convinced, Haley struck a few modeling poses in front of the mirror while Emily gladly shifted her gaze elsewhere. This sort of thing always reminded her of how much prettier and sexier her younger sister was than herself; not to mention more knowledgeable about fashion and how to rock it, despite her impressive talent in making her own clothes. Whenever she and Haley were in a public place together the men always seemed to eyeball and flock to Haley, married or not. Emily always tried hard not to let these things bother her, to see the beauty in herself that she certainly has, but society made it difficult to do. Even in a tiny, sheltered place like Pelican Town.

“Oh yeah,” Haley said with a smirk, snapping Emily out of her thoughts. “There isn't any look I can't rock, even in a brand new world."

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“Cool,” Emily glumly said, “I’m gonna head to the bar to make a drink. Would you like one?”
“No thanks. You really should avoid those you know…”
Emily rolled her eyes as she turned, leaving the room with fire in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Leah was heading back to the bedroom after grabbing a snack and nearly bumped into Maru as she was exiting it.
“She’s still out huh?” Leah asked her, referring to Penny.
“Yup,” Maru sighed. “I do hope Abigail returns soon with a Doctor, or anyone who has more medical knowledge than myself.”
Leah nodded. “Well, while I was getting a snack I figured you were probably hungry too so I grabbed a banana for you.” She held the fruit out to her.
“Oh, thank you,” Maru said with a smile, taking it and tucking it into her back pocket. “It’s like you read my mind.”
Leah beamed. “You’re welcome.”

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The two stood in silence for a moment, Leah wondering why Maru wasn’t digging right into the banana if she was as hungry as she hinted at. “So…how are you doing?” she tenderly asked. “I imagine you have a lot weighing on your mind too since arriving here.” She gave her a slight, probing look, getting the feeling that Maru needed to talk.

Maru sighed. “Yeah, I do. I’ve been thinking about my family and how they’re going to react when they find me missing…especially my dad. He’ll blame Sebastian I’m sure,” she said, lowering her head and shaking it. “I don’t understand why he treats him the way he does.”
“Who?” Leah asked for clarification.
“My dad, always neglecting Sebastian,” she answered, raising her head. “I love that he’s proud of me and always encouraging me to pursue my dreams – granted his overprotective nature can be a bit suffocating - but…I feel like all my happiness and success has come at Sebastian’s expense.”

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Leah gave her a mournful look, encouraging her on with her eyes.
“My dad was always quick to help me with anything, cheering me on, and leaving Sebastian in the dark. That’s why my brother hates me--"
“Oh sweetie, he doesn’t hate you.”
“Yes he does…and if I were in his shoes I’d probably hate me too. He was a toddler when our mother remarried and I’m sure he was expecting a father who would love, care for, and spend time with him even though they aren’t blood related. Well come to find out his step-dad much prefers the child that shares his blood. The fault is my dad’s, so I shouldn’t blame myself, but…” She lowered her head again. “I just wish I could’ve told him how sorry I am about everything before I left…and that I don’t find joy in our dad’s favoritism.”

Leah placed a comforting hand on Maru’s shoulder. “Make that your first priority when we return.”
Maru smiled appreciatively. “Well...I guess I better get back to Penny’s side.”
Leah nodded. “Of course. I’ll stay out here and keep watch for when Abigail returns.”
"Thanks."

When Leah found herself standing alone in the middle of the room, her thoughts wandered back to all the concerns she had for everyone she was close to back home…especially one man in particular. She was missing him in a way she never imagined she would. He was her best friend, the first to befriend her since moving to Pelican Town. Being a city girl she didn’t exactly know how to interact with small town folk, and it was awkward, but he just up and welcomed her with open arms; no questions asked and no judgment passed. Their personalities just clicked and every day since they’d find some way to see each other and hang out. They knew everything about each other and she couldn’t help wondering how was she going to survive in this place not being able to confide in the one person who truly knew her.

How will I get through this without you? She thought with a frown.

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:blush:

Author's Note: I hope that y'all will enjoy Chapter 3 and it's unexpected twist. :smirk: I would please ask that if there's something you don't care for in this chapter, or in all the ones following, kindly keep it to yourself. I've enjoyed the heck out of writing this chapter and am super proud of it, and I've been having some hard struggles in real life lately so I don't need any extra negativity. :pensive: Thank you. <3

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Chapter 3

Leah was forced out of her thoughts when she heard Emily cry, “Blech,” who made her way to the bar, taking a drink from one of the bottles and instantly spitting it out.
“What’s wrong?” Leah turned to ask.
With a sour expression on her face, Emily replied, “I dunno what this is, but it’s certainly not an alcoholic beverage!”
Leah shook her head with a chuckle. “Maybe it’s what alcoholic drinks taste like in this world?”
“I doubt it,” Emily replied, a little burp escaping her mouth. “Oops! Excuse me. Oh yuck! That made me taste it again!”

Chuckling louder, Leah’s gaze returned to the front door and her body startled a bit as it burst open. In came Abigail with an unexpected familiar face accompanying her. Leah gaped.
“Harvey!?”
Even Emily gasped at his presence.

“Surprise!” Abigail chimed, throwing her palms in the air with a cheeky grin. “The bachelors of Pelican Town are here with us too!” Five other bodies approached from behind them.

“Which room is Penny in?” Harvey asked, not wishing to waste anymore time.
“Oh, this one,” Leah answered, pointing behind her and Harvey hastened his step in that direction.

“Hey guys!” Emily greeted, stepping away from the bar.
“Hey!” they all answered in different tones of excitement.
Once Emily saw Alex she shouted, “Haley, get over here! You won’t believe who just arrived!”
“You ladies look positively radiant,” the man with the longest hair of the group expressed, stepping forward. When Leah’s eyes met with his, her heart skipped a beat. She prayed this wasn’t her aching heart and mind playing tricks on her.

“ALEX!” Haley squealed with joy once she entered the main room and took notice of her friend.
“Haley!?” Alex exclaimed. “Woah girl...you’re lookin’ HOT as usual!”
Haley jumped right into his outstretched and muscled arms. “Why thank you! You too!”

In that moment Leah didn’t hesitate jumping into her best friend Elliott’s arms either. “Oh Elliott you’re here,” she breathed, “oh how I missed you!”
“Leah,” he whispered beside her ear, “you have no idea how much I was missing you too!”

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Shane stood alone behind them all, slouching, hands in his pockets and wearing that blank expression he always did. Emily hated for him to feel left out so she shot him a smile along with a little wave and he gave her a slight nod of acknowledgement. Ever the loner, she thought.

Sebastian broke away from Abigail and Sam’s conversation to get a better look around and when he didn’t see her he turned and asked to anyone listening, “Where’s my sister?”
Emily heard. “She’s in the bedroom with Penny, but I wouldn’t go in there now that Harvey’s there. You should wait until he’s done looking her over.”
Sebastian shrugged in consent and took a seat at the nearest couch to wait.

Conversation floated all around them, but Elliot and Leah heard nothing as they broke their embrace and gazed deeply into each other’s eyes.

“Leah you look so beautiful!” Elliott remarked. “Usually I am a man of many words, but I can’t think of any right now that would adequately describe your exquisite beauty in this world.”

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Leah’s cheeks turned a dark red. “Well you don’t look half bad yourself Elliott,” she stated. “As if all your wavy locks didn’t look lovely enough,” she ran her fingers through his hair for a second. “And they’re so soft.”
Her touch sent a pleasurable shock wave through Elliott’s body.
“So,” she started, drawing in a breath to calm her fluttering heart, “you guys answered the Wizard’s call to his tower too I see.”
“Yup,” came the reply. “It seemed too intriguing not to.”
“Indeed. But sending us to a whole different world? Isn’t this the most bizarre thing ever!?”
“VERY bizarre!”
“And oh my gosh I thought I was never going to see you again Elliott! Or at least not for months, heaven forbid, years! I mean,” she pressed her hand to her heart, “I was dying on the inside thinking about it!”

Elliott would never wish for Leah to feel such torment, but those words pleased him. He inched closer to her as he revealed, “Oh Leah, my heart was breaking at the thought too.”
“Really?” she beamed.
“Yes. So much so, I sat down and wrote a poem about it while the guys were all bickering after our arrival.” He reached into his jacket pocket.
Leah held a hand to her heart again. “You wrote a poem about me?” That was just about the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her.
“Well, sorta,” he answered shyly, unfolding the paper. “Would you like to hear it?”
“Gladly!”

Elliott lightly cleared his throat as he began to read:

Nothing here seems good without you,
Everything is so gloomy and blue,
Why did this happen,
Why are we apart?
You are so special to me,
You stay in my heart,
I can't bear this distance now,
I promise we’ll be together soon,
If the fates will allow.

Light tears formed in Leah’s eyes at the conclusion and her smile lit up her entire face.

“I know it’s not that great,” Elliott blushed, tucking the paper back into his jacket pocket. “It’s just something I quickly jotted down to help calm my nerves.”
“No,” Leah corrected, “it was absolutely beautiful and so incredibly sweet! You’ve filled my heart with so much warmth with those words.”
“Well then, knowing that warms my heart too.” He blushed.

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For a moment their hands brushed each others and Leah didn’t hesitate taking Elliott’s into hers. Noticing, Elliott glanced back up at her with a twinkle in his eye. He’d never looked so handsome to Leah before. She was beginning to feel a vast array of intimate emotions for her best friend in this moment that she never dreamed she’d ever feel for him and found it hard to keep them contained. “Come with me,” she whispered, leading him by the hand toward the stairs. Elliott’s face beamed as he gladly followed.

Shane watched as the two practically tripped over each other while heading up the stairs and just shook his head with his mouth set in a hard line.

Meanwhile, when Harvey gently knocked and opened the door to the bedroom, Maru looked over her shoulder to see who entered and her mouth dropped, quickly forming into a bright grin.
“Doctor Harvey?” she asked in surprise. “Is that really you?”

He returned the smile. “In the flesh,” he quipped, with his hands spread apart. “It’s good to see you Maru.”
Maru rose from the bed and came to him, the two taking each other into a hug. “Thank goodness you’re here!” she expressed. “Oh this works out perfectly!”

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When they broke their embrace, Harvey’s attention quickly returned to Penny. “Alright, bring me up to speed on everything that’s happened with Penny so far,” he said, grabbing a nearby chair and placing it beside the bed, sitting himself down. As Maru explained, he did a quick exam of the patient, taking particular notice of Penny’s shallow breathing and enlarged pupils.

“It would appear she’s been in a state of shock ever since your arrival,” he informed, once Maru concluded speaking.
Maru’s face instantly went pale. “Oh my gosh I didn’t even think about treating her for shock!” She slapped a hand upon her forehead, disappointed in herself. While she didn’t actually work alongside the good Doctor in the clinic, her job was in the lab and sometimes manning the front desk, she’d certainly learned a few things watching him in action. Treating for shock was always the first thing he did in most urgent cases that came through the door.
“It can very easily be overlooked,” he said in a tone of comfort, “especially when another condition is so obviously present.”

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“Did I fail her?” she worriedly asked. “Please tell me she’s going to be alright.”
“No you didn’t fail her,” he replied, “and yes she will be.” He pulled the afghan from the other bed over Penny’s body to warm her. “She just needs to wake to get more oxygen into her system; and I wish I could see where her blood pressure is at.” He shook his head. “I’m going to need you to elevate her legs for a bit to get the blood flowing to her brain, while I keep an eye on her pulse and do my best to carefully wake her.”
Maru nodded and did just that, gripping Penny’s ankles, and struggling to face Harvey while trying to keep her emotions in check.

Looking up from his stethoscope and taking notice of her distress, Harvey reassured, “It’s alright Maru. You did very well caring for her under the circumstances.”
Maru cracked a smile at him. “Thanks. And forgive me,” she sniffed, “my strength is weakening. There’s so much I’m worried about and it’s difficult to hold it all back.”
Harvey nodded, understanding completely, and slung the stethoscope over the back of his neck again. “Would it help you feel better to know that your brother is here too?”

Her eyes instantly lit up. “Yes, it does!” Oh thank goodness! Now I know dad isn’t ripping into him. “Is he okay?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “Granted we were all feeling a bit frantic when we landed in this place, but once we gained our bearings, we’ve all been faring just fine. I think it really helped Sebastian to have his best buddy here with him.”
Sam, she thought. Perfect!
“He’s out there with the other guys if you want to see him. I’m sure he’ll be very happy to see you.”
“Yeah,” she nodded, “but he can wait until I’m done assisting you. I promised Penny I wouldn’t leave her side and surely she’d wake up if I went out there.” Her eyes rolled with a smile.
“True,” he chuckled. “Well, I’m seeing a little more color in her face so hopefully she’ll wake up momentarily.” He leaned over and took Penny’s hand, gently rubbing at it while whispering her name to help the process along.

Meanwhile, when Leah and Elliott reached the top of the stairs he found them walking into a grand room, most likely a recreational area because of the TV, treadmill, and large bookcase, with two doors in the far corner which he assumed led to another bedroom and bathroom. Leah stopped in her tracks with her back turned to him, biting at a nail for a moment. He chuckled as he asked her, “Why have you brought me up here?”

He watched her inquisitively as she paced for a few seconds and then turned to face him with an alluring smile. In a split second she lunged towards him, planting a deep and intense kiss upon his lips, gripping his back to hold him there. Even if his lips hadn’t been occupied, Elliott was speechless.

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When she removed her lips from him she gazed into his eyes with that same alluring smile. Elliott’s mouth dropped hard like a cannonball and he just stared at her in shock.

“L-Leah,” he stammered, “why did you...I-I thought you--”

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“Elliott,” she stopped, gently pressing her finger upon his lips. “I know what you’re thinking and I know exactly what you’re going to say…”
Elliott froze; his eyes, and heart, begging her to go on.

“Right before I moved to Pelican Town,” she began, “I was so lost and depressed. I didn’t even know who I was anymore. I tried to make something of myself in the city, explored many things, even had what I thought to be a strong relationship, and...one day everything just suddenly fell apart. I needed a change of pace, a change of scenery; a place where I could really focus on me and grow in my artistic talents.” Then she chuckled, “I don’t know why I’m saying this because you know all this, but,” she paused, locking eyes with him and inching closer. “Ever since that fateful day when I arrived in town and you offered your friendship to me, you opened my eyes to the beauties of life and all its possibilities. You believed in me...when no one else in my life ever really did. Throughout our friendship many things about myself have changed. Even some...interests have changed,” she said, taking his hand and gripping it tightly. “And finding myself in this new world just a couple of hours ago, without you, I felt this gaping hole in my heart, just like I felt when I left the city. And I suddenly realized it was because I was missing the one person that completes me in my life. The missing piece to my heart's puzzle. The one I was destined to be with all those years ago, I just couldn’t see it.” She smiled with tears weighing upon her eyelids. “You.”

Elliott’s cheeks flushed as his smile lit up in the purest of joys. “Really?” he asked, just to be sure. “You want to be with me? Romantically?”
“Yes, silly!” she chuckled, then went back to being serious. “I love you Elliott. I’m sorry it took us being apart for me to finally see that. And that adorable little poem you wrote for me back there made me fall even harder for you.”
“Oh Leah,” he whispered, pressing his forehead upon hers, “I have always been in love with you. Since the moment I first laid eyes on you. I never thought this would ever happen and...my heart has had this chronic ache ever since. But...you are my best friend and...I wanted to be respectful.”
“Oh you were!” she expressed, gently lifting his chin. “You really were! And that’s another reason why I love you so much! Elliott, I don’t ever want to feel like I’ve lost you again!”
“You won’t,” he promised. “Come ‘ere.” And he pulled her in close to him…

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...and opened his mouth to hers, caressing his lips upon her lips, in a kiss he’d been practicing in his dreams for years.

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They gripped each others shoulders so as to pull the other in for another kiss after each and every breath. They drank deeply of each other, making up for lost time.

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Please continue reading the remainder of this chapter on my Blog...
(You'll have to scroll down a bit to where I left off here...sorry about that.)


:blush:

I'm not sure why anyone would be negative about your story. Even though I don't know the characters, the pictures are beautiful and the story is fun. :heart: And your writing is amazing, as always. I think you missed your calling. :wink:

"ZeeGee;c-17400910" wrote:
I'm not sure why anyone would be negative about your story. Even though I don't know the characters, the pictures are beautiful and the story is fun. :heart: And your writing is amazing, as always. I think you missed your calling. :wink:

@ZeeGee I was moody that day when I wrote that...have had some struggles lately. :disappointed: That being said when you're writing fanfictions there's always a risk that diehards will not agree with the way you portray the characters that they've come to love and connect with so much too...

Thank you for reading and for your sweet comments. <3 You brighten my day. :kissing_heart:

Chapter 4 will be posted soon! :mrgreen:

@emorrill Sorry you're struggling. I feel your pain truly. Anyway, now I understand why you would say that. Because I have no attachment to the characters and don't know any back story their past doesn't matter to me. :)

Alrighty everyone, Chapter 4 is here! :mrgreen:

This was an extremely enjoyable Chapter to write, but also a very challenging one. ;) (I'll spare you all the details and get right to it. :p ) I hope it gives you as many laughs as I had while writing it. :lol:

It will be broken up into 2 Parts due to it being too long for one post. Enjoy! :mrgreen:

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Chapter 4

When Harvey and Maru exited the bedroom, Harvey went straight ahead to round up as many of their hometown friends as he could, while Maru turned toward the living area and found Sebastian sitting on one of the couches. When their eyes met, they both widened in surprise and Sebastian rose from the couch to greet her.
“Maru,” he said, approaching. “Thank goodness you’re here safe, and that it’s really you!”
“I was just about to say the same thing to you,” Maru said.

For a moment, they both hesitated in giving each other a hug. Mostly because of the fact that they didn’t do that...ever, and also because of Sebastian’s sudden change in attitude.

“Maru what were you thinking heading over to the Wizard’s tower?” he practically yelled at her. “If anything were to have happened to you dad would’ve tanned my hide for sure!”

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Maru knew that and wasn’t sure why she found herself responding so defensively. “Hey! I wasn’t the only one who heeded the call to his tower! You’re here too you know, so don’t lecture me about making the same mistake you did!”

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Her brother froze for a second with contempt written all over his face.

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“Still,” he responded with, “it’s different with me, and the other guys, going in there. It’s a whole different scenario when he calls a young woman into his tower, let alone my little sister!”
“I knew he wasn’t going to do anything creepy,” she said, arms folded and rolling her eyes. “Besides even if he had, I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah right,” he retorted. “You may think you can, but you’re still young and innocent Maru.”
“Oh so you view me the same way dad does? Like I’m still a child?”
“Hell no!” He took that as an insult. “It’s just the fact is, if anything bad happens to you dad immediately throws the blame on me! I’m the one who gets the flak for it. So why can’t you just think about that for once, before you go gallivanting into some place you shouldn’t be!?”

Maru snapped her mouth shut and just looked down at the floor. Arguing is not what she had in mind when being reunited with her older brother. His reaction was very much justified and in regards to the very concern she addressed with Leah earlier; feeling horrible and worried about it. It was high time things changed between her and her brother. They were no doubt going to need each other now more than ever being stranded in this world for a time.

“You’re right,” she began with, “I should’ve been more thoughtful of you and...I’m sorry I haven’t been.”
Sebastian gave her a surprised and questionable look.
“You think I haven’t noticed the way dad favors me over you? You think that I love the heck out of that? And his doting? Well, I don’t,” she revealed, “in fact his overbearing nature drives me bonkers sometimes to be honest with you, but more than that...I always wished he would’ve given the same care and attention to you. He really should have.”

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Sebastian looked down with his hands in his pockets, digging at the floor with the tip of his shoe.
“You want to know the first thing that came into my mind when I arrived here?” Maru continued. “The thought about how much dad was going to kill you for my disappearance when you clearly had nothing to do with it. And I found myself wishing I could tell you how sorry I am about this. About everything, especially when I feared I’d be stuck here for a long time.” She looked away, batting her eyelids to keep the tears away. “I couldn’t bear the thought of what he was doing to you!”

Sebastian looked up at her, touched by her words. He began to feel a great remorse; mostly for always keeping himself shut away in his room and never properly getting to know his little sister, assuming that she looked down on him the same way his step-father did. “I don’t know what to say,” he quietly said. “I didn’t think you felt that way. I’m...I’m sorry.”

Maru cracked a smile. “Thanks...Sebby.”
“Oh please, don’t you go calling me that too…”
She laughed. “Okay, okay, I won’t. But seriously,” she paused, “I’m really sorry for the way dad has always treated you Sebastian. Hopefully now that we’ve both disappeared he is seeing the error of his ways.”
“Yeah,” he said with a huff. “He’s probably having a freak out and doesn’t know who to let it out on since I’m not there. Take that dad…”
Maru stifled a chuckle, agreeing. “Well...I’m really glad you’re here, and not just because I’m relieved to know dad isn’t clobbering you.”
He smiled. “Truthfully Maru I’d rather you not be here,” he said, “because we don’t know how dangerous this place might be, but...you’re right in that you aren’t a child anymore. And I heard about how well you took care of Penny in a time of panic so,” he dug at the floor with his shoe again, “I guess I’m glad you’re here too.”

Maru smiled brightly and opened her arms out to him. Sebastian felt a little awkward in doing it, but it seemed like the natural thing to do in this moment. They hugged. For the first time either of them could remember.

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Meanwhile upstairs, Elliott and Leah continued to blissfully cuddle in the nude on the bed, until they heard Harvey’s voice call from behind the door.

“Leah? Elliott? You two up here?”

The two lovers instantly pulled the covers over their bodies. “Don’t come in here!” Leah shouted. Elliott gave her a wide eyed look as if to say, “What the heck was that for!?” She just rapidly shook her head and shrugged.

“What are you guys doing?” Harvey casually asked.

There was a long pause as the two tried to think of something believable to say. “Uhh,” Elliott uttered, “Leah found that the shower was dripping so I offered to help her fix it. But we kinda made it worse and got all wet so we're helping to dry each other off.”
“What!?” Leah mouthed to him.
He too responded with a head shake and a shrug.

Harvey raised an eyebrow for a second, but brushed it off by saying, “Okay...well could you two hurry please because I’ve called all of us to a meeting downstairs.”
“Got it!” Leah promptly acknowledged, “We will. Thanks Harvey!” She hoped that would get him out of the way and it worked.

She and Elliott giggled as they worked on getting their clothes back on.


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Part 2 in the next post. :)

It's loaded with dialogue and not as many pictures so I hope y'all don't mind. LOTS of important and funny info will be revealed! :lol:

Chapter 4 Continued...

“Alrighty, do we have everyone here?” Harvey asked, glancing amongst the crowd and counting.
“All except for Leah and Elliott,” Haley remarked, smacking on some gum she found in her bedroom end table.
“Gee I wonder why?” Shane muttered.
“Sorry everyone, we’re coming!” Leah declared, racing down the stairs brushing at her hair with her fingers, Elliott trailing behind her. Everyone in the room gave the two a questionable look. They both sat down in the empty loveseat facing Harvey which they were surprised a couple of the others hadn’t chosen to sit on instead of in a chair or on the floor.

“Nice of you two to join us,” Harvey said with a little smile and then cleared his throat. “Alright so I’ve called all of us here together so that we can discuss this ‘quest’ the Wizard sent us on in this new world.”

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“What quest!?” Sam blurted out.
“Yeah!” Alex added. “I don’t recall him giving us any details about it, unless one of you heard something I didn’t.” Haley nodded at his comment.
“That’s exactly why I’ve brought us together to discuss it,” Harvey said, “but first, let’s talk about what happened, from the beginning, that brought us all here. Starting at the beginning should jog all of our memories.” He then looked over at the guys sitting on the left to the guys sitting on his right. “Guys do you mind if I’m the spokesperson for all of us on how we were summoned to the tower?” They all nodded, except for Shane.

“Yes, I mind,” the lone wolf of the group replied, “because the ladies might be interested to hear each of our accounts about it.”
“They’re pretty much the same,” Harvey interposed, annoyed by Shane’s minding which he knew he was only doing to pester him.
But Shane ignored his comment. “Besides who made you the leader here anyway?”
“It kinda makes sense since he’s the oldest,” Sam voiced.
“What?” Sebastian asked him, “I thought Elliott was the oldest.”

All eyes glanced over at Elliott and the man simply scrunched up his nose and shook his head with a knowing smile. Sam shot Sebastian a wide, happy grin, feeling victorious.

“Look this isn’t a matter of me being the oldest or not, or trying to be the leader,” Harvey said, “I just thought it would be a good idea for all of us to come together and discuss this so that we’re all on the same page and can figure out what exactly this quest is all about.” All the girls nodded to that.
“Whatever…,” Shane muttered again.
“Shane knock it off and let the man speak,” Elliott firmly addressed.
Shane glared at him. “Make me bard boy!”
Elliott’s mouth dropped in surprise at his name call. “I’m not a bard,” he countered, “I’m a writer!”
“Well you sure look like one to me!”
“Hey!” Leah cut in, eyeballing Shane. “No one talks to my boyfriend like that!”
“WHAT!?” everyone cried out, staring at the new couple.

A dead silence filled the room as Leah tried to gather what she was going to say.

“Yes,” she began with, “Elliott and I are officially a couple now.” She gripped his hand and turned toward him with a loving smile. “It took us being apart like this to realize just how much we love each other. And we didn’t want to waste anymore time.” Elliott returned the smile with a blush and wrapped his arm around her, bringing her in for a cuddle.
“Aww!” Emily faintly squealed.

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Sam leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed, picking at the cuticles on his fingers as he said, “I guess it’s not too surprising since you two have always paired off together at the seasonal festivals.”
“Yup, and they totally had s'ex upstairs,” Shane muttered again.
“Alright…,” Abigail stopped all of them, particularly Shane. “Please continue the discussion Harvey.”
Shane shook his head with an eye roll.

Harvey just stood there with a furrowed brow, still trying to process all that was said and revealed, but snapped out of his thoughts quickly. “Okay so from the beginning,” he restarted, “we were all going about our everyday business until we received a telepathic beckon from the Wizard right?” They all nodded their heads. “Saying something like, ‘I need you to come to my tower immediately. I have an important quest for you to embark on. Please make haste.’”
“That’s what we heard too, right ladies?” Abigail confirmed. They all said, “Yes.”
But then Haley added, “It was trippy! I was all like, ‘Who the blazes is talking to me,’ and then he kept repeating it over and over again until I said, ‘Fine! Okay! I’m coming!’”
“Ditto,” Alex added, “It took me a few seconds to filter it out since my Grandpa was screaming at the TV as usual.” He shook his head. “I don’t think the Wizard would’ve taken No for an answer.”
“The fact that he reached us telepathically is mind boggling,” Maru uttered, staring at the coffee table.
“Mind blowingly AWESOME!” Abigail chimed in. “Oh how his powers intrigue me! It didn’t take me long at all to acquiesce to his request!”
“Aqua what now?” Shane asked with a confused look.
“Nothing,” she dismissed.
Emily glanced past Harvey and replied to Shane, “She means she immediately heeded the Wizard’s call with excitement.”
Shane pinched at the bridge of his nose. “Such big words...my brain can’t handle it.”

“Anyway,” Harvey said, “summoning us individually, the Wizard made it sound like it was a quest just for us, which I think was the idea to get us all intrigued about it so we wouldn’t refuse.”
Sebastian and Maru shot glances at each other, confirming to each other that that was the reason they both went to the tower.
“So it was only natural that we all were quite surprised to see the rest of you arriving at the tower with us,” Harvey went on. They all gave off different face expressions to that. “And now we know that he summoned us guys first, because you ladies arrived here...an hour behind us? Is that right Abigail?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“Why he didn’t send all twelve of us off together, I’ll never know, but it’s not important.”

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“Maybe that would’ve required too much brain power that he doesn’t possess,” Sam said with a chortle. Sebastian playfully swatted his friend’s leg in agreement, chuckling too.
“Perhaps,” Harvey acknowledged. “I don’t know how it was for you ladies, but once all six of us men arrived, the Wizard appeared out of nowhere before his bubbling cauldron and smiled, almost slyly, before thanking us for coming.”
“Yup,” Haley confirmed, “and that’s when I felt creeped out!”
“That’s when I started to feel a little nervous too,” Leah added.
“Understandable,” Harvey said, “so tell us ladies what happened next for all of you?”

The girls all glanced over at Abigail for some reason, as if they deemed her the spokesperson for them. In a small way, the young woman was touched. “Well,” she cleared her throat, “he asked us if we wouldn’t mind him starting off with a chant and we all just kinda stared at him mindlessly and nodded.”
“Uh huh,” Harvey acknowledged, stroking the edge of his mustache. “Then what happened?”
Abigail lowered her gaze from him, her forehead wrinkling, deeply searching through her memories and then suddenly recollecting. “I remember the cauldron glowing brighter and brighter the more he chanted. He spoke in some strange language I’ve never heard before. Beneath the green smoke I could faintly see a dark blue liquid with white specks on the surface, like the nighttime sky. Then when he finished the chant he said something like, ‘The six of you I have chosen to embark on a quest of ...enlightenment’...I think that was the word.”
“That’s right!” Emily blurted out. “I remember him saying that word too.”
“I really don’t,” Haley admitted, “I was just standing there thinking, ‘Ugh get on with the details of the quest already!’”
“I was standing there thinking the same thing,” Alex said, looking up at her with a blushed smile.

“What else did he say?” Harvey encouraged on.
Abigail’s brow wrinkled again. “I’m not sure...I’m surprised I even remembered all that because I didn’t earlier…”

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“Well after he said that,” Harvey continued, “I remember him saying, ‘once you allow yourself to become enlightened then will you discover what will give you the greatest happiness in your life.’”
“He said that to you guys?” Maru asked, biting on a nail. “I'm pretty sure I would've remembered something like that.” Then she turned to her brother. “Do you remember hearing that too Sebastian?”
Sebastian froze guiltily for a second as he shot a glance at Sam and Sam met his gaze with the same expression. “Uhh, no, sorry,” he replied, “Sam and I were kinda feeling giddy about the whole adventure so we weren't really paying attention. We were all like, ‘Sweet! We’re going on a quest for the Wizard! Rock on!’ And we high-fived.” To which they did right in that second.
Maru squeezed at her forehead with her forefingers and whispered, “Unbelievable.”

“Okay!” Haley addressed with her hands spread out, “Did any of the rest of you catch what Harvey and Abigail heard?”
The others just shook their heads, with Shane saying, “I think most of us just didn’t give a cr’ap about his wizardly mumbo jumbo and just wanted him to tell us what we were supposed to do on this quest.”
“Yes!” half of them concurred.
“He didn’t really give us the chance to ask any questions though,” Elliott said, “because it was towards the end of that ‘mumbo jumbo’ that the smoke began to rise from the cauldron and engulf us.”
“Yes, but what he said at the end there is key,” Harvey stated, gripping his chin. “‘Once you have completed the quest, then will you return. How long it takes to complete will depend upon the hearts of each and every one of you.’”
"Ohhh," they all said, remembering that part now.
“My gosh Harvey how do you remember all this?” Emily asked, rubbing at her temples.
“Compliments of medical school,” he said, looking down at her with a grin.
“Alright then so what does it all MEAN?” Elliott frankly asked.

Silence once again filled the room as everyone thought for a moment.

Alex spoke first. “So the Wizard vaguely said that this quest is about becoming enlightened in something in this world? And in so doing we will find the happiness we’ve always been searching for?”
“That is correct,” Harvey pointed at him with the finger that was resting on his chin.
“Way to go,” Haley complimented her friend, playfully bumping her elbow against his shoulder. Alex blushed.
“As far as I’m concerned,” Shane chimed in, “I already found all the happiness I need in Pelican Town.”
“Oh really?” Abigail asked him, with folded arms and an arched brow. Harvey and Emily glanced over at him with a similar look.
“...Yes,” Shane responded, hesitating to meet everyone’s gaze as he did.
Then Emily looked thoughtful. “That’s the thing...why would he send us here to find the greatest happiness in our lives. Couldn’t we just have easily been able to find that in Pelican Town? Or in the whole of Stardew Valley?”
“Apparently not,” Harvey said, having had the same thought.
“I mean, that’s where our life is...it’s our home,” Emily continued. “What does this world have to offer that our world doesn’t?” The others nodded.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of what it has to offer, but that it’s not some place...comfortable.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”

All eyes were glued on Harvey, except for Shane who just slumped into the couch with his arms folded and scowling, wishing for this meeting to be over already.
“Harvey?” Maru encouraged.
The doctor sighed. “So this is just my deduction which could quite possibly be incorrect so if the rest of you have any other thoughts, I welcome it. I think,” he paused, “this quest is meant to help us personally, not to help the Wizard. He sent us to this whole different world to challenge us, to help us grow in some way; maybe discover something about ourselves we don’t know is there. Because I don’t know about the rest of you, but I felt like I was in an awful stagnant state in my life back home.” They all lowered their eyes, clearly feeling the same; Shane included. “Maybe the Wizard took notice of that and is giving us this opportunity as a push in the right direction. And whatever we’re meant to learn or discover here will send us back home and lead us to that true happiness we’ve always desired in our lives.” He shrugged. “That’s what I think.”

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There were a few nods of agreement.
“But if this quest is supposed to help us as an individual grow,” Alex stepped in, “why did the Wizard feel the need to send all of us here together?”
Before Harvey could answer, Elliott answered, “Maybe it’s because we need each other to find life’s greatest happiness.” He looked over at Leah and kissed her forehead.
“I agree,” Harvey said, “we’re here to help and support each other. That’s why I think he concluded his little speech with ‘how long it will take to complete this quest will depend upon the hearts of each and every one of you.’ Helping someone comes from the heart. However it could very easily mean something much more than that.”
“Your deduction makes a lot of sense Harvey,” Leah chimed in, leaning forward with her fingers laced together, “and it may very well be correct, but I can’t help thinking...why would the Wizard want to help us? What’s in it for him? As far as I know he’s a cold and arrogant man who's never had any interest in the residents of Pelican Town, let alone our personal lives.”
“Perhaps he wants to change that,” Abigail spoke, her voice soft, facing away from everyone. She found herself really liking that idea and hoped it was true, especially since she always felt this strange connection to the mysterious Wizard.

“So we still don’t have a definite answer as to what this quest is,” Haley said with a hint of frustration. “Or even if it’s a quest at all! No offense to your thoughts Harvey, but I want the specifics. What exactly do we all have to do to get out of here?”
“I’m with her,” Sam added. Sebastian nodded his head too.
“We all want the specifics Haley,” Harvey acknowledged, “but we don’t have them. There’s a reason the Wizard didn’t give us much information which proves we’re supposed to discover the details and purpose of this quest together. My thought was just one idea, yet I could be way off. That’s why I suggest that first thing tomorrow we break up into groups and explore parts of the town and the countryside. Get familiar with it and meet some of the town residents. I’m sure there’s tons of clues out there that will help us figure out what we’re supposed to do to complete this quest. We are supposed to become ‘enlightened’ after all.”
“Oh you’re sure to become super enlightened with all those drugs you’re carrying on yourself Harvey,” Shane muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear.
“WHAT!?” everyone cried out.
“Medicinal drugs,” Harvey immediately corrected.
“Suuuure,” Shane countered, “he’s got like five filled syringes within his inner jacket pocket. Yeah! Those be rocket fuel!”
“Like I said, they are emergency medical drugs,” Harvey reiterated, turning his gaze to face the others. “The Wizard summoned me to go on some unknown quest, so I felt the need to be prepared in case of an emergency.” Most of them nodded their heads at his cleverness.

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“What kind of meds are they?” Elliott curiously asked.
“Epinephrine, Adrenaline, a Sedative, a Tranquilizer, and some Antivenom,” the doctor replied, “though I doubt the latter will do any good here…”
“How’d you know he had all that Shane?” Sam asked.
“Caught a glimpse of them when he was frantically checking all of our pulses after we arrived for whatever reason,” Shane replied with a scoff. “Like ANY of us wanted you touching us Harvey!”
Harvey shrugged with his hands spread apart. “I just wanted to make sure our bodies transferred over properly and were functioning normally.”
“Well, checking your own pulse would’ve been proof enough geez,” Shane expressed.
“I know,” Harvey sighed, “and I apologize to all of you guys for that. I just panicked a bit and...I guess I’m so used to looking after all of you that I inherently wanted to make sure you were alright.” They all lowered their heads, while Shane just shook his in disbelief. “So, back to the original subject, are we all in agreement that a thorough investigation of this world tomorrow is in order?”
“Yes,” some replied, others simply nodded.

“I’m just wondering how long we’re going to be here,” Maru said with some anxiety. “It could be months...even as long as a year.”
There was a hushed silence.

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“I know…,” Harvey spoke, trying to stay strong in his demeanor, “and we will need to prepare ourselves for that. Which is why we must learn everything about this place as soon as possible and cooperate with each other the best we can, even when some of us don’t particularly like each other.” He shot a slight glance at the man sitting on his right.
“You got that right,” Shane declared, referring to just about everyone in the room, but mostly to Harvey.

“Something tells me we’re gonna be here for a while,” Sam said, “because why else would the Wizard set up our bedrooms to include stuff that we enjoy? Is that how the rooms are for you ladies? Like there’s a drum set in the room that I share with Sebastian and there’s even a keyboard and guitar.” He and Sebastian high-fived at that awesomeness again. “Although I didn’t find a skateboard…” He frowned.
“Ditto,” Alex added. “I got all this workout equipment in my room, even a football was nestled in the corner for me to throw around! I mean, how did the Wizard know?”
“Oh we totally discovered the same in our bedrooms here. Isn’t that right Emily?” Haley asked, shooting a smirk at her sister for that validation. Emily simply nodded.
“I didn’t notice that in the room upstairs,” Leah said. “Which bedroom is mine?”
“That’s because you were too busy getting--”
“Enough Shane!” Harvey snapped at.
“You share a room down here with Penny,” Haley informed Leah. “The room across from yours is mine and Emily’s and Maru and Abigail yours is the room upstairs.”
Maru and Abigail glanced at each other and just shrugged. “Did you happen to see a flute up there by chance?” Abigail asked Leah.
“No sweetie, I’m sorry,” she replied and Abigail frowned. “However there is a very nice telescope up there for you Maru.” She winked. “Guess I did notice that.”
Maru smiled, but then she gaped. “Oh my...whose bed did you two do it in!?”
All parties involved went bug eyed and Leah instantly spit out, “I’ll change the sheets I promise!”

Soon there was a whole plethora of conversations going around and Harvey felt the need to hush them. “Alright everyone, let’s keep it down,” he said, gesturing with his hands. “Penny’s trying to sleep on the other side of that wall.”

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“So are we done here?” Sam asked Harvey with a hint of a whine. “I’m starving! And tired.”
“Yes, we are,” Harvey answered with a sigh, “this was a great discussion everyone. Thank you. Let’s make sure we get plenty of rest tonight because it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”

They all stood up from their seats and continued to engage in some light conversation - mostly about plans for tomorrow - then the guys would return to their house so they could all turn in for the night.

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Shane, keeping his distance as always, wiped the sweat from his brow and glared while saying, “This blows! I’m gonna go find me a Bar!”

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“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Abigail said, overhearing.
“Mind your own business Wiccan! I can do what I want!”
“She’s right Shane,” Harvey said, coming over with Emily following behind him. “We still don’t know what dangers might be out there so it’s even more unwise to go venturing out in the dark. You can join some of us who are investigating the town tomorrow and we’ll find the Bar then, alright? You can wait.”
Shane folded his arms with an eye-roll and muttered, “Yeah, whatever.”

Harvey and Abigail stepped away to converse with some of the others while Emily carefully approached Shane. “You know, I’d love to have a drink right now too,” she said, hands clasped behind her back, “because goodness knows this situation definitely calls for it! But...we can be strong without it for now.” She craned her neck to the side, trying to make eye contact with him. “You got this!”
Shane shot her an unamused look and then glanced away again while shaking his head.

He was beginning to feel a great deal of anxiety, along with some tremors - which is why he mostly kept his hands in his pockets - and the fears going through his mind began to terrify him. Beads of sweat formed upon his brow again and it annoyed him. Weakness, in any form, was something he’d never allow the others to see.

Over my dead body...



:blush:

A wrap up "Shane song," I feel is appropriate to leave here. (I have a few just for him. :p )
Linkin Park may not be everyone's cup of tea, and usually they aren't mine, but over the years I've discovered they have some pretty deep and meaningful music.

Chapter 5
Part 1

Just before the men departed from the ladies’ humble, otherworldly abode that evening, it was decided who would be doing the investigating tomorrow and who would be staying behind at the houses to gather various information from there. Harvey wanted at least one person to stay behind at each house in case one of them needed to return home due to an emergency and would need some help. Also he felt it good to have someone around in case any random visitors showed up at their doorsteps for whatever reason. It would be a great way to interview a local, and hopefully be a good thing making themselves known to the general public.

Abigail chimed in to express finding what she assumed to be a handheld gaming device sitting deep within one of her pockets. Her two guy friends cried out, “Seriously!?” as they reached into their pockets and found the same device too. “Sweet! Playing a video game anywhere we go? Rock on!” Not everyone shared their enthusiasm for gaming on the go though, particularly Harvey and Maru, for they felt there had to be an even greater and more purposeful use for the small electronic device.

Upon closer inspection Maru quickly discovered that the device was a wireless telephone, with all of their numbers miraculously programmed in, and much smaller and more portable than the ones they were used to back home. Everyone found that to be even more cool, particularly Haley who scared everyone with her scream-like outburst while they were checking out their new phones.
“OMG! You can write little messages to people and send them off! Check this out!”

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One press on the screen and soon Alex’s phone made a little chime and lit up to show Haley’s message to him. He shot her a smile after reading it.

“Ooooooh!” They all breathed in fascination.

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“These are perfect!” Harvey declared. “They will be most helpful in keeping us in touch with each other, especially during our explorations in the morning.”

Right after Harvey spoke, Shane somehow dropped his phone and cursed under his breath as he bent himself down to pick it up. The Doctor lifted an eyebrow at him, wondering. Once Shane stood upright and saw that all eyes were on him, he asked in a rather rude tone, “What? These things don’t have a very good grip on them.”
“Totally!” Abigail agreed. “And with my butterfingers that’s double the chance I’m gonna--,” and as soon as she said that, she dropped the phone. Instead of instantly going to pick it up like Shane did, she just stood there with her hands behind her back wearing a very cheesy grin on her face with flushed cheeks. They all chuckled.

“These are the spiffiest things ever!” Emily declared, tapping and swiping away on her phone. “I could see myself getting addicted to this thing pretty quickly!”
“They will most likely require some charging,” Maru gathered, “at least every night. I wonder how we do that?”
They all thought for a second. “Well, there’s wall outlets here too,” Alex said, “so maybe there’s a way for us to plug these into them.”
“Perhaps,” Maru said, drawing her lower lip between her teeth as she more thoroughly inspected the phone. “It doesn’t have a plug, but it looks like a much smaller plug goes into it through this port here. So maybe that has a cord that connects into the wall.”
“Guess we’ll find that in the kitchen,” Haley expected.
“Or our bedrooms,” Leah said with a little shrug.
“Yeah I vote the cords are in the bedroom,” Sam said, “that’s where I’d be charging my phone every night.” Then he turned to his buddy. “Quick Seb! Let’s head back to the house and see if I’m right! That’ll be so RAD!” And they bolted for the door.

“Hey! Wait for the rest of us!” Harvey called out to them, but they were already heading off down the road. Shane had promptly followed after them, as well as Alex. Elliott stayed behind for a moment to hold Leah and kiss her goodbye.

Harvey then turned to face Abigail with a sigh and said, “Alright. I’ll be here first thing in the morning to check on Penny, probably around eight.” Abigail nodded. “Then right after that we’ll lead our investigative parties into the town and countryside alright?”

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“Yes sir,” she replied, throwing out a playful salute.
Harvey smiled. “You ladies have a good night,” he wished them and turned towards the door. Elliott stood aside to let Harvey out first and then blew a kiss toward Leah before exiting and shutting the door behind him.


***************************


Early the next morning, Harvey arrived at 8 o’clock sharp and Abigail was quite impressed with, although not expecting, his punctuality. Glad I didn’t wait long to get myself dressed once I woke up! She shuddered to think.

Once Harvey stepped over the threshold his eyes met with Leah’s, standing a few feet before him, who was in a silk nightie and just about ready to enter the bathroom for a shower. His face flushed a little, but his presence didn’t seem to bother Leah at all. “Oh you’re here,” she addressed him, “I just woke Penny up and told her you’d be here any minute and that she should get dressed.”
He nodded.
“So I’d give her a couple of minutes…”
Harvey simply nodded again. He wasn’t used to seeing a woman so exposed, except for in a professional setting like his clinic, and he rubbed at the back of his neck while thinking, Perhaps I should’ve called to let them know I was on my way over. Then again I did say…

“You’re thinking you should’ve given us a little heads up call before your arrival huh?” Abigail asked him with a smirk, interrupting his thoughts.
“How’d you know?” he asked, his arm falling back down to his side.
She shrugged. “Lucky guess.”
“Well I told you I’d be here at 8 o’clock. I just assumed you’d tell the other girls.”
“I did, but you said you’d be here around 8 o’clock, not AT! Besides, since when are Doctors on time for appointments?”
Harvey shot her an unamused look, but wasn’t too insulted by her comment as it was more often true than not. “I apologize for not being more specific,” he said, “I just assumed that...you know what? Nevermind.” He always had a hard time understanding women and would forget that they don’t think along the same lines as he does.
“No I should’ve advised the girls to be all up and dressed long before eight,” Abigail said, “I’m just not used to telling anyone what to do, even something as simple as this, and half of these ladies are older than me.” She sighed. “It’s not going to be easy with all of us living under one roof like this. It feels like Summer girls camp when I was a teen all over again…” Her eyes bugged out at the thought.
“Ohh I understand,” Harvey said, with a muffled chuckle. “Back at our place it’s like a very un-enjoyable Boy Scout Campout where everyone’s bickering with each other because they don’t really want to be there.”
Abigail burst out laughing! “Oh man,” she whispered, rubbing at her eyes. Her dad once told some humorous stories about those Campouts when he was a boy. “Anyway, I’ll bet Penny’s ready for you now,” and said, gesturing her head towards the bedroom.

Harvey stopped before the door for a second to compose himself and then lightly knocked on it. “Come in,” he could faintly hear Penny say.
“It’s me, Harvey,” he informed while slowly entering. He froze a few feet before her bed when he discovered her still laying upon it in her somewhat revealing pajamas.
“Oh...Doctor,” she greeted, lifting her head up a bit. Her heart suddenly fluttered. “You arrived sooner than I was expecting.”

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“Forgive me,” Harvey said with a flustered look, “I should’ve allowed you more time to get dressed…”
“No, it’s alright,” she assured. “I sat up for a moment to do so, but,” she paused, “I got really lightheaded so I laid back down.”

“I see,” Harvey said, pulling the chair close to the bed again. “Did you sleep well last night?” He asked while sitting himself down.
“I did for the most part,” came the reply. “I woke up a couple of times tossing and turning. I think it's because I’m not used to this bed.”
Harvey cracked a smile as he’d done the same last night in his new bed. “Were you feeling any nausea then? Or now?”
“No, just lightheaded.”
“Have you had anything to eat or drink yet this morning?”
She nervously shook her head.
He noticed and thought it was a little cute. “I want you to drink a lot of water today okay? At least eight glasses full; that should ease your lightheadedness considerably.”
She then nodded.
“Alright then, how about you try sitting up again so I can take a better look at you.”

Hearing him say that made Penny blush a little, but she knew he was being totally professional while she was being completely silly. She told herself to quit crushing on him, but seeing him in this new world light kept making her heart go pitter-patter and was keeping her anxious thoughts at bay and...she rather liked it. Not to mention that’s just what she needed right now; a distraction from her worries.

Carefully she sat herself up and once she did she rubbed at her forehead, feeling wobbly. She took in a few breaths to help keep herself erect and conscious.
“You alright?” Harvey asked, placing a caring hand on her arm while trying to look into her eyes.
“Yeah,” she replied, boring her fingers into her forehead. “Oof, I’ve never felt this lightheaded in all my life!”
“It’ll get better soon once you start moving around and get re-hydrated,” he said, while reaching into his coat pocket. “Alright look at my nose here while I shine this light into your eyes. Good.”
She meant to look at his nose, but she got lost in his beautiful hazel eyes instead. He went on to feel at her neck a bit and then took her left wrist to check her pulse. She caught him cracking a smile as he stared down at his watch counting and she wasn’t sure why.

“So how do you feel mentally?” he asked, stopping the check-up for a moment and looking her in the eye, his fingers laced together in his lap. He wanted to assure her she had his undivided attention.
“Well...I definitely feel a lot less freaked out than yesterday,” she replied. “It’s really a comfort to know more of you from Pelican Town are here too.”
He nodded. “Anything feeling overwhelming to you? Even something simple like getting out of bed or dressed?”
“No,” she answered, shaking her head. “Mostly I’m just worried about what’s going to happen to us here or what I’m meant to do here. And I’ll always be concerned about my mom, Jas and Vincent back home. I can’t help that.”
“Of course not,” Harvey sympathized. “And speaking of, let me tell you everything we discussed as a group last night and what we think this quest is all about.”

Penny listened very intently.

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“I see,” she said when he was done, staring down at the floor. “I can’t imagine what greater happiness I’d find here, since it’s given me nothing but anxiety. I was really happy and enjoying life back in Pelican Town. I mean...for the most part. I was finally beginning to discover my purpose there.”
“I could see you were,” he smiled, “but the Wizard seems to think we all need something better in our lives and this was the way to make it happen so,” he sighed, “here we are.”
“Well who is he to say what I need in my life?” she asked rather bluntly. “He doesn’t know me!” She closed her eyes and lowered her head again. “Why did he do this?” A tear tried to escape from her eye.
“That’s still the greatest mystery,” Harvey replied, “but all we can do is focus on accomplishing this quest as quickly as possible so we can return home as soon as possible. Do you feel like you’re up to it? Like you can handle it?”
“I don’t know…,” she sniffed. “I want to be...but I don’t think I’m strong enough for this.”

“Hey,” Harvey said, gently lifting her chin and brushing away a tear. “I’ll admit I don’t feel like I’m strong enough for this either, but you Penny...you’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for.” She stared at him curiously. “These past six years I’ve seen you endure many hardships, some that would knock most people down hard, and yet you always walk away from them with your head held high, a smile on your face, and burying yourself in the service of others. To me that’s a rare gift to have. You haven’t lost it being here. You can DO this!”

Penny smiled brightly at him with a blush, her heart fluttering once again. His sweet words buoyed her up and almost literally took her breath away, especially the touch of his finger on her chin. “Thank you,” she said, as he removed his finger, working to catch her breath for a much different reason than anxiety. “And forgive me for not properly thanking you earlier for looking after me. I’m sorry to have been a bother…”
“You weren’t,” he assured, “and I’m glad I was here to help.”
“I wish there was some way I could repay you...”
“You don’t have to repay me,” he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m a doctor, it’s what I do.”
“Still, I have to find a way to repay you. It doesn’t feel right not to,” she continued breathlessly. “Wow,” she paused, holding her hand to her heart, “I don’t know why I can’t seem to catch my breath again; I’m not feeling anxious!” That's right, don't give yourself away!
“Here,” Harvey said, taking her hands. “Let’s try standing up and we’ll practice that breathing technique again okay?”
“O-Okay.”
“Steady now…”

They did the breathing exercise together for a good couple of minutes until Harvey felt she was relaxed enough to take a quick listen to her heart. Penny had her eyes closed, focusing on relaxing and taking those deep breaths when Harvey jokingly stated, “Heeey, it’s a normal heartbeat!” Penny’s eyes shot open as they were met with Harvey’s smile. She couldn’t control what her heart did next, as usual.

“Aaaand there it goes again,” Harvey playfully continued with a smirk, removing the stethoscope from her chest and then draping it over his neck.

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Now Penny’s cheeks really got red! “Oh gosh,” she whispered in embarrassment, facepalming and chuckling. “Ohhh I’m so sorry Doctor. Really, I am.”
Harvey just stood there grinning with his arms folded and let out a sigh. “So what do I have to do to get you to not feel so nervous around me anymore?”

Penny’s heart fluttered more wildly than it had earlier, being presented with this rare, golden opportunity. She laced her fingers together behind her back and smiled coyly at him with her head tilted. “Well...maybe if we spent a little more time together,” she hesitated at her boldness, “and became friends...then the fact that you being a doctor wouldn’t make me feel so nervous anymore.” Though she knew perfectly well her racing heart was no longer the result of “White Coat Syndrome.”
Harvey nodded in thought for a moment. “I like that idea.” Now he was blushing. “And I’ll start off this new friendship by insisting you call me Harvey.” He smiled.
The hopeless romantic side of Penny felt like squealing, but she managed to keep herself well composed. “Well, Harvey, whatever you all discover out there that looks like a great place to have dinner or a good spot to hang out, be sure to let me know.”
“Will do.”

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At that moment Penny seemed to have lost her footing, feeling a touch of dizziness, and Harvey instinctively reached out to catch her while saying, “Woah...careful…”

He held her so closely that their faces were mere inches from each other. Staring into each other’s eyes for a moment they both blushed and then quickly stepped back from each other, nervously scratching at their heads.
“So...umm...you should take it easy today alright,” Harvey counseled her, “Lay down and rest if you need to and I’ll go get you a glass of water.”
“No,” she stopped him, softly placing her hand on his arm. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll get it. Promise.” She smiled. “You should really get going with the exploring. I’m sure the others are waiting for you.”
He returned the smile with a nod. “If you start feeling any worse give me a call right away okay? And I’ll be here. If you feel some anxiety coming on, don’t forget to breathe.” He winked.
“I won’t,” she grinned, her face beaming. “Guess I’ll...see you later?”
“Yeah. See ya,” he said and turned toward the door. When he opened it he looked back at her with a little smile and then closed it behind him.

Penny stepped backward a couple of feet until her calves hit the bed and allowed herself to blissfully fall back onto it. Feeling so love-struck she couldn’t stop smiling while staring up at the ceiling, the image of Harvey and his flirting back with her consuming her mind. That was a pleasant surprise. I guess his interest in Maru has passed? She thought for a split second and then shrugged it off. She felt like a giddy teenage girl again swooning over her first real crush, wanting nothing else in the world, but to BE with him! It’d been years since she ever felt this way about a guy, almost to the point that she’d forgotten what it felt like to fall in love. Was she falling in love? She couldn’t be sure. Harvey was the last guy on her attraction radar so how did he suddenly jump to the front here and now? Perhaps because he is an actual MAN compared to other guys she dated in her life thus far and that aroused her. Or maybe it was due to his gentle, compassionate nature and caring personality. Either way she found herself falling head over heels for him and he seemed to reciprocate her affection. She began to wonder, her smile finally chilling out, would dating Harvey be a way for me to find that happiness I’ve been missing in my life? She pondered on the thought.

Oh surely there's more to it than that! Besides...what does the Wizard know about love?





Gonna end this with a cute, and very accurate, song to express just how Penny is feeling laying on her bed there. ;) Give it a quick listen.

Any of y'all remember The Wilkinson's? I LOVED their music back in the day! <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sajb7rypbCQ

Continuation of Chapter 5


Just as Penny finished getting herself dressed she heard another knock at the door. Her heart raced at the thought of it being Harvey again, but most likely it’s not, she thought. “Come in.”

“Hey,” Maru sweetly said as she entered the room. “We’re just about to head out, but I wanted to see how you’re doing first.”
Penny’s smile beamed. “You’re so sweet. And seriously the bestest friend a girl could ask for.” The two gave each other a hug and afterward Penny sat herself back down on the bed again, still feeling a little lightheaded. “Thank you for looking after me, I’m feeling tons better,” she happily informed her friend, “except for this lightheaded feeling, but Harvey says that should ease up once I get rehydrated.”
“I’m so glad,” Maru expressed, “and speaking of Harvey, I ran into him when he was on his way out of the house and...he had this giant smile on his face. I swear I haven’t seen him grin like that in...ever!”
“Oh?” Penny asked, hiding a blushed smirk.
“Yeeeah,” Maru said looking at her with a smirk as well. “What were you two talking about in here?”
“Nothing really,” Penny replied, nervous to meet her gaze while twirling one of her bun-like ponytails.
Maru folded her arms. “Something tells me more than a check-up was going on in here…”
Penny’s mouth dropped in surprise. “It was nothing like that!” she exclaimed. “Seriously! We were just flirting a tiny bit…”
“Harvey? Flirting? He’s awful at that!”
“He really wasn’t…,” she blissfully said, staring into the wall and reliving that beautiful moment.

Hearing that surprised Maru, more so than the fact that Penny was flirting with him out of all the guys, and it felt strange for her to realize she may not know Harvey as well as she thought; or her best friend for that matter. Was something in this world coaxing everyone toward another side of themselves? Is this all part of the Wizard’s plan? She shook her head, hoping not, and felt even more determined to research the heck out of this place. She could sense mystery everywhere.

“You okay?” Penny asked her.
“Hmm? Oh, uh...yeah,” Maru replied, “I just got a little lost in some thoughts there.”

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Penny surveyed her for a moment. “I hope that my flirting with Harvey doesn’t bother you…”

Now THAT took Maru by surprise! Her eyes widened as she asked, “Why would that bother me?”
“Oh...I dunno,” Penny hesitated for a moment. “It’s just we both know Harvey’s had feelings for you in the past and I know you were never interested in return I just...always wondered…”
“I don’t think he ever had any serious feelings for me,” Maru countered. “He just asked me one time if I’d like to go to lunch with him and it made me feel a little uneasy,” she paused. “I mean my immediate thought at the time was, ‘Uhh, he’s my boss and like...10 years older than me! Eww.’”
Normally Penny would’ve chuckled at that, but instead she frowned. “He’s 10 years older than me too...are you implying there’s something wrong with that?”
“No! Well...okay...maybe a tiny bit. It’s just such a big age gap. But then again,” she scratched at her temple, “I guess age doesn’t really matter the older we get so...and I’ve never pegged him to be the cradle robber type.”
“He’s definitely not. And really, if you think about it, there’s not a whole lot of options in the single ladies department for him in a tiny town like home.”
Maru shrugged. “Good point.” Why didn’t I think about that?
“So,” Penny continued, eyeballing her carefully, “I was thinking of asking him out. Do you think I should?”
“Of course!” Maru quickly expressed, “I think you two would have a lot of fun together.”
“You seriously don’t have any feelings for him?” Penny had to double check. “I mean, I know you Maru. We’ve known each other our whole lives and you’re my best friend. It’s because of that that I wouldn’t ever want to do anything to hurt you.”

Maru looked her friend directly in the eye with a gentle smile and said, “Penny trust me...I’ve never had any feelings for Harvey. He’s always just been my work buddy and fellow geek,” she chuckled. “Really, you have nothing to worry about,” she assured with a dismissive wave of her hand.

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“But thank you for being so considerate,” she added.
“You’re welcome,” Penny smiled, then glanced away for a moment with a lovesick sigh. “Oh Maru...I never thought I’d ever feel this way about him since he always made me so nervous, but,” she paused, heart fluttering, “I really like him.” She met her gaze again. “He’s so much more charming than I ever imagined him to be. I can’t stop thinking about him.”

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“Aww, well then go for him girl!” Maru said, playfully swatting at her friend’s shoulder. “Harvey’s a great guy and you two would make such a cute couple.”
“Oh...well...uh,” Penny uttered shyly, standing up from the bed, “I dunno if he’s looking at becoming a couple, but I certainly wouldn’t mind it.” She grinned happily.
“Well you said he was flirting back with you right? So...that certainly means there’s potential for you two to hook up. Plus that man’s not getting any younger and he knows it!”
They both laughed.

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“Thanks girl,” Penny said, giving her dear friend a hug.
“You’re welcome sweetie,” Maru said, squeezing her for a second and then breaking the embrace. “I keep wondering if there’s something in the air around here...Elliott and Leah suddenly hook up, Haley and Alex seem to be flirting more than usual, and now here you and Harvey are crushing on each other.”
“I know,” Penny breathed. “It’s wonderful isn’t it?”

“...Sure,” Maru said, then looked away in thought, feeling a sinking in her stomach. She really wanted to say, Honestly, it feels suspicious. And I don’t like it.


****************************

On this day of exploration it was decided that Abigail, Leah and Maru would go out and explore different areas of the countryside, collecting plants, rocks, gems, soil, insects, and other small wildlife to study to help them gain more knowledge about the world. With Maru in possession of a chemistry table and Harvey in possession of a rather fascinating “ZRX-9000 Science Research Station” they figured there had to be a reason for that. Whether for studying or analyzing - to aid in that “enlightenment” the Wizard mentioned - or for some other purposeful reasons they didn’t have any way of knowing and figured it best to be prepared with an inventory of items.

On the guys end it was decided that Harvey, Alex and Shane would brave the town, meeting the locals and checking out the buildings and resources available to them. Sebastian and Sam gladly offered to be the ones to stay behind at the house in case anyone came over for a visit, but mostly it was so they could jam out on all those new instruments in their room that were familiar to them, yet so foreign at the same time. Elliott mentioned discovering something called the “World-wide Web” on the computer when he was typing down some thoughts on living in a new world and found it to be a treasure trove of billions of information and knowledge. “I’m sure to find out ALL about this planet’s history,” he said, “and I’ll report back anything important and helpful that I find.”

Two vehicles sat parked out in front of the men’s house, a large truck and a motorcycle which Sebastian was overjoyed to discover! However Harvey advised that he control himself from riding it until they familiarized themselves more with the town and countryside. Sebastian obeyed, much to his displeasure, but knew it was the wise thing to do. In the meantime he would just polish it up like he did often with his motorcycle back home.

So Harvey, Alex and Shane squeezed themselves into the truck, Shane insisting that Alex sit between him and Harvey, and headed toward the town. Harvey found his driving skills to be a little rusty, but got back into the hang of it in no time.

Their first stop was the Grocery Store to see what was available there to meet their everyday necessities. Even though they all knew life in this world is really no different than life back home, except for the more advanced technology, Harvey was still determined to leave no stone unturned in their quest to familiarize themselves with this place. Shane was none too thrilled at Harvey’s choice for the first stop. He was losing patience more and more by the minute since he woke for the day, wanting nothing more than to find a bar. I guess they wouldn’t serve me a drink this early in the morning anyway, he thought with a miffed eye-roll, but then his eyes lit up. Maybe they have an alcoholic beverage section here in the store! They should! SCORE! He promptly exited the truck.

“Move it Harvey!” he ordered, whipping right past the Doctor to enter through the door first. He faintly heard Harvey say, “Geez,” as he almost lost his footing, but Shane didn’t care. His tunnel vision was leading him to only one thing.

The light at the end of the tunnel opened fully to reveal a wide range of colorful bottles, nestled in the back corner of the store where alcoholic beverages were usually kept, even at the Joja Mart where he worked as a stock-person back home. Shane studied them all carefully. It came as no surprise that the names were odd, but they all ended with the word ‘Juice.’

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“What the hell is all this Juice stuff!?” he spoke just a hair above a whisper and kept on inspecting the bottles, grabbing each one and turning it over to read the exact ingredients. “This is NOT the area where juice is located!” He began to feel an impending panic, his breath growing heavy and his hands trembling more rapidly, as not even the word “alcohol” was showing up anywhere on the bottles.

“Son of a B***h!” he muttered through gritted teeth.

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On the other side of the store Alex declared a little louder than he intended, “Oh good they have some.”
“What is that?” Harvey asked from the medicine aisle, looking over the top of the shelves at him.
Alex blushed for a second. “Feminine hygiene products. Haley asked me if I would check and see if they have some here at the stores.”
Harvey’s eyebrows rose. “Are you sure she doesn’t need you to pick some up for her?”
The color drained from Alex’s face. “I don’t...think so,” he nervously replied, whipping out his phone. “I think I’ll message her and ask.”
Harvey nodded in agreement and looked back down at the shelf, expressing a tiny chuckle as he continued to study the items on it. The names were different, but he got the general idea of what each box or bottle was supposed to treat. Then he heard a slight squeaking sound as Shane came to a halt in front of the checkout counter.

“Welcome to Darris Teeter’s Grocery,” the lady greeted him. “Is there anything I can help you find?”
That’s the same exact thing she said when we walked in, Harvey thought with an arched brow. And in the same exact tone too...
“Yes, actually,” Shane replied in frustration. “Where are your alcoholic beverages?”
The lady stared at him blankly, head co’cked, with that ever present smile on her face. “I’m not sure what you mean?”
“ALCOHOL!” Shane shouted, his hands outstretched. “Beer! Wine! Vodka! Whiskey! Rum! Any of those ringing a bell? Or are you really that stupid!?”
“Alright Shane,” Harvey stopped, stepping forward and lowering Shane’s arm. He spoke softly towards his ear, “The names could be different here; everything else is. Let me handle this.” Shane grumbled, turning away, as Harvey stepped closer to greet the lady. “Hi,” he began, “you’ll have to excuse him. We come from WAY out of town and it would seem you all carry a wide variety of items that we aren’t familiar with. If someone wanted to say...drink something that would make them feel really good, like as a release from all of their problems, what might the name of those beverages be?”

The lady gave off the same, robotic expression. “I don’t understand. Is there anything I can help you find?”

Pursing his lips for a moment, Harvey decided to try a different approach. “I’m sorry I haven’t properly introduced myself,” he said, holding out his hand. “My name is Harvey and you are?”
Alex and Shane shot each other a glance as if to say, “What the hell is he doing?”
The lady took his hand and answered, “Roxanne.”
Harvey continued to hold her hand while placing his other hand over it. “Roxanne...that’s a very pretty name. And this is a wonderful little establishment you have here.”
“Thank you! It’s my father’s store.”
“Oh really?” Harvey said with wide eyes while continuing to grip her hand. “Well do tell him that I’ve never seen a finer grocery store in all my life with such a great layout and fully stocked shelves.”
“Stocked shelves my a**,” Shane muttered.
“I will do that,” the lady smiled, not pulling her hand away much to all three of the men’s surprise.
A sinking feeling started to develop in Harvey’s stomach for a few seconds before finally releasing the woman’s hand. “So...uh…” he stammered, “what does your family like to do outside of manning the store? We’d love to hear about some fun and recreational places to visit here.”
“Nothing,” came the simple reply with a shrug. “I hope you enjoyed your visit here at Darris Teeter’s Grocery. Have a lovely day. Come again soon!” She waved.

The three men shot each other some confused glances and then promptly turned and exited the store.

Outside, Harvey gripped his chin in thought, while Alex and Shane shared some of their thoughts about that interesting experience.

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“Did that girl seem a little off to you?” Alex asked the both of them.
“I’ll say!” Shane said without hesitation. “Who doesn’t know what an alcoholic beverage is? I’d say that chick is a few cards short of a full deck!”
Alex laughed.
“She’s cuckoo for Stardew Puffs I tell ya!”

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“Maybe,” Alex said then paused to think. “She seemed kinda...robotic.”
“Precisely,” Harvey said. “You two stay here for a second, I’m gonna go back in there and test something.”
Shane rolled his eyes while stepping out of Harvey’s way as he entered the store again. “Really Harvey? Can’t you just give your nerdy brain a rest for a while?”
“I won’t be long,” the Doctor replied.

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Once the door closed, Shane and Alex shot each other a look of curiosity, but brushed it off quickly. Shane then shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced around at the buildings, the pigeons flying overhead, and the scenery, shaking a little bit. Alex found that odd.
“You okay man?” he asked, feeling an unusual concern for this guy whom he almost always didn’t get along with.
“Yeah!” Shane replied with a hint of irritation. “Why do you ask?”
“Sorry it just...looked like you were shivering or something when it’s pretty hot out here.”
“I’m not shivering, I just had one of those random muscle spasms. You should know which kind I’m talking about Mr. Athletic.”
“Yeah I do,” Alex promptly answered, which he would’ve said even if he hadn’t. He could see he angered the beast and wasn’t sure why.
“I’m fine!” Shane felt to asservate. “I’ll be even more so once Harvey gets his a** back out here so we can find a bar! Or I'll leave you both and find it myself!”
Hmm…

Right after Shane said that, the door to the store opened and out came Harvey, saying goodbye to the cashier lady. He wore a blank expression on his face and didn’t even acknowledge his two companions as he walked right on past them, stopping before the street, and sighing, staring out at the clouds hovering over the mountains in the distance. For a few seconds, no one spoke; and no vehicles drove by either. There was just the silence of nature, except for the sound of a gentle breeze rustling the leaves on the nearby trees.

“What’s wrong?” Alex finally asked. “What was it you were testing out?”

Harvey sighed again and then glanced over his shoulder at them as he replied, “When I went back in there that lady greeted me in the very same way and tone she greeted us twice before. There was no, ‘Oh hey you’re back,’ or ‘Did you forget something?’ So I asked her, ‘You don’t remember me? I was just in here a few seconds ago.’ Then she replied, ‘Nope,’ and repeated the greeting.’” He stared back at the clouds again.
Alex was surprised for a moment, but then shrugged. “Maybe she has short term memory loss?”
“No, it’s not that,” Harvey said. “This doesn’t make any sense…”
“Well you’re a doctor Harvey,” Shane mocked, “figure it out.”
“I did.”

Now the two stared at his backside with great curiosity.

Harvey finally turned to face them and revealed in a grim voice, “She’s not real.”

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49593256402_3febf76746_c.jpg

Alex’s eyes widened.
“What!?” Shane cried. “Have you finally lost your marbles Harvey? How can she NOT be real? We could see her, talk with her, and you even touched her! Which by the way you held onto her hand for a disturbingly long time!”
“Because I was discreetly checking for a pulse. There wasn’t one.”
“What is it with you in checking everyone’s pulse! Leave us all the hell alone!”
“I had a suspicion so I--”
“Can’t you just quit playing doctor for like ONE second in your life and--”
“Shut up Shane!” Alex ordered. “And let the man talk.”
“Excuse me!?”
“Harvey, are you sure she had no pulse? I mean, she looked pretty darn real and lifelike to me.”
“Positive,” the doctor replied. “Her skin was unusually cold too. That woman in there is not a living, breathing human being.”
There was a pause. “So...are you saying she’s an android?”
“Possibly.” He stroked his mustache. “Which would be really quite fascinating, but at the same time,” he paused, “I have a bad feeling about this.” Alex’s eyes bored into his, begging for an explanation; Shane simply didn’t care. “Let’s just hope she’s the only android around here. If in fact that’s what she is.”
Alex’s brow furrowed, unsure of what he meant by that.
“We should be on our way…”
“‘Bout time!” Shane emphatically agreed.


***************************





To be continued... :)