Stumble - (Stardew Valley)

4 - Breaking Down

      I pounded on the door of the ranch, "Shane! Open up! Open this door right now!"

     "Polly? Are you alright, dear?" Marnie opened the wooden door, her tone soft. "I saw what happened after the festival yesterday. Shane hasn't come out of his room since. He has work today, too. I'm worried about him."

     "Yeah, well you'll be even more worried when I'm done," I snapped.

     "Calm down, do you want me to get him for you?" Marnie asked.

     "Sure," I muttered. Marnie opened the door a tad further so that I could come in.

     "Please, help yourself to some water, I'll get him out here shortly," she smiled, then walked up to a door next to the kitchen and knocked gently. I went into the kitchen, Jas sitting at the table.

"Hi, Jas," I gave her a small wave. Her eyes darted up to look at me, then back down to the doll in her hands.

     "Shane?" Marnie knocked on Shane's door again after a few moments. There was no response. She twisted the doorknob and pushed open the door. "Oh dear."

     After pouring myself a glass of water from the pitcher on the kitchen counter, I went inside Shane's room. I nearly dropped my glass when I saw him.

     He was face-down on the wooden floor, unconscious. Several beer cans were scattered haphazardly around him, all empty. The nauseating smell of sweat and alcohol hit my nose, making me gag. Shane was barely breathing, the only sign of life being the occasional twitch of a finger. And to think I had been loathing this man for the past day. I felt sick.

     "Polly, can you do something? He's out cold," Marnie sighed. Perhaps this happened more often than I thought. Slowly, I crept towards Shane, squatted down, and gently shook him. He groaned in protest, still unmoving. I looked at the water glass in my hand, a sinister idea creeping into my mind. I stood up from my crouched position and dumped the water on his head. He sat up, screaming.

     "Shane! What's the matter with you? All you do anymore is mope around your room and drink beer!" Marnie shouted. I winced at her sudden change in volume.

     "You wouldn't understand," Shane retorted. He was faced away from Marnie and I, staring at the wall in front of him. I heard small footsteps come up behind me. Jas.

     "I'm worried," Marnie hadn't noticed that Jas entered the room. "What's your plan? Don't you ever think about the future?"

     "Plan?" Shane scoffed. "Hopefully I won't be around long enough to need a 'plan'."

     Jas let out a sob behind me, then ran out of the room bawling. My heart dropped in my chest. Marnie shot Shane a venomous look, then scurried out of the room to comfort her niece.

     "Jas..." Shane's eyes filled with tears, "I'm sorry..."

     He broke down crying on the floor, his head in his knees. He wrapped his arms around his neck as he sobbed, squeezing himself into as small of a ball as he could manage. I squatted down beside him.

     "Do you need to talk?" I spoke softly, trying to comfort him. I was lost in this situation, not knowing if I should scream at him like Marnie, wrap him in a hug, or simply leave.

     "I'm sorry, Polly," he choked on his tears, "I'm such a disaster. A small, stupid, worthless disaster."

     "You aren't worthless, Shane. Everyone has worth," I scooted a bit closer to him. He lifted his head, his green irises a stark contrast to the redness around them.