#us89

*****

Grief. Betrayal. Fear.

Strength. Love. Courage.

The people of Stardew Valley had felt all these things over the last year.

They gathered in the community center together to share in John’s favorite bottle of scotch in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. But Shane did not linger.

He departed quietly from the building, stepping out into the rain. The world was darker, now, as night neared. He wandered aimlessly until he found himself standing by the lake by Marnie’s ranch. He watched the unsettled surface of the lake, disturbed by the rain that fell.

At the corner of his eyes, a dark figured moved. A familiar glow caused his heart to race for a moment. His eyes turned, locked on to Krobus’s as the creature approached him.

“Thank you,” he said simply. His eyes blinked once.

Shane hesitated. “For what?”

“For not hurting all of my comrades,” Krobus said. “Najia trusted me, and you did, too.”

Shane broke his gaze, turning back to look over the lake. “I trusted Najia.”

Krobus’s gaze shifted downward. “Nevertheless,” he said. “You could have hurt me. You could have killed them all. We owe you our lives.”

“Your people already gave us their lives,” Shane muttered.

“Yes,” Krobus said softly. “I know of their sacrifice for you in the sewers.”

“Then I guess we should be thanking you.”

“No thanks,” Krobus said. “They were honored to help you; honored to risk their lives for the people that helped save their world.”

Shane bit his lower lip, but said nothing.

“I hope to have the strength and courage of you humans one day,” Krobus said. “All this time, I only hid from our enemies. While my comrades suffered, I remained in hiding here in the valley. I am ashamed.”

Shane raised his drink to Krobus, but the creature only tilted his head to the side, staring blankly at him.

“Well, we’re not any better,” Shane said. “I’ve done my share of running and hiding.”

“I don’t think so,” Krobus said. “Cowards wouldn’t save the people of their enemy.” He looked up at Shane. “Please don’t tell them I’m here.”

Shane said nothing for a moment. When he turned to speak, Krobus was gone.

*****

It had been six months since the war that brought darkness upon their land ended. The people in the valley moved forward with their lives, living off the land for yet another year. Haley had given birth to a little boy and all was well in their little community.

Sheila, Morris’s wife, was still unaware of what had happened to her husband, but had adjusted well in the valley with her two children.

Marlon and Gil officially announced their ‘retirement’ from all adventuring, swearing an oath that should another war come to their doorstep, “You valley folk are on your own!”

With the start of another autumn, the people of Stardew Valley prepared themselves for the quickly approaching winter. They made continuous trips out into the world they once feared, their weapons still in their possession as they raided stores for the appropriate supplies needed.

Now that things had settled down, Shane was determined to make Jas’s life as close to normal as possible, which resulted in the long drive across the country and back into the city he hadn’t seen since the invasion.

His stomach twisted nervously, unsure of what to expect when he got to the city. He knew it would be desolate, but with the light of day now on his side, he wasn’t sure what to expect. It would surely seem less intimidating, but what scars and traumas would the light reveal to him?

Shane’s stomach continued to twist as he drove across the bridge into the city and through the empty streets. Cars were scattered along the roads where they were left when the invasion happened. But to his relief, there were no bodies. No blood. No sign of any kind of struggle. Surely all washed away over the last year and a half.

Shane pulled into the driveway of the last house he had been at. He sat in the truck for a moment, the engine still running, before he worked the courage to get out. But, instead of going inside the house, he walked around.

Shane looked across the backyard. The blood had washed away and fresh, green grass made the yard over grown. The bodies he remembered so vividly were gone; likely just bones that were hidden in the tall grass. He pushed the image out of his head as he spotted the black and white soccer ball among the weeds. He picked it up, turning it over in his hands, and a small smile crept onto his face as images of Greg and Jess played through his mind. He wanted everything to be as normal as possible for Jas. Playing soccer together seemed like a start.

He made his way back into the driveway and tossed the ball into the bed of the old, green truck. It bounced against the rusted spare tire where a dirty, off-white piece of paper slipped out, making it obvious it had been hidden there for some time. Shane eyed the paper carefully and noticed his name scrawled on the front of it, folded in half. He picked up the paper, staring at the familiar handwriting for a moment, before opening it. His eyes traced the letters on the page and he smiled.