Emo boy [Stardew Valley]

Chapter 23 - Helpless

I wake up the next day with my plush cat in my arms. Perhaps Sebastian felt as though I needed her to have a peaceful sleep after the news I received yesterday. It makes me happy to know he cares about me, but unfortunately his reassurance wasn't enough to calm me down entirely.

I head out right after waking up to visit Pierre in his store and ask him about the situation. When I arrive there, I notice him pacing around behind the counter. I clear my throat and approach him carefully. "Excuse me, I know you're not open yet, but this is important." He immediately stops pacing and puts on a confident facade. "Ah, our local farmer, welcome. Do you need to buy seeds for your crops very urgently? We just received fresh ones yesterday.", he advocates but I have to decline.

"I actually came to talk about something.", I exclaim and he lowers his brows and looks at the counter. "Somehow I can tell what this might be about." I hesitate and try to plan out what to say in my head, then I try my best to explain. "Abby told me about the whole Joja situation. I want to help, but I don't know how. Please, tell me, what is it that you lack? How can I make up for it? How do we save the community center?"

He holds his hand up to stop me from rambling. "Joja has been threatening us for years now. We had nothing to worry about at first. However, unfortunately, we don't have as much money left and it's a struggle to withhold this town, my store included, we're trying all we can to fix this problem, but-" Pierre gets interrupted mid sentence by a voice I can remember. I haven't heard it in years, but it fills me with such an unbelievable amount of resentment.

"-but you don't have to work yourselves to the bone, Pierre. I promised Mayor Lewis I'd take his little town under my hat and turn it into something worth the money.", the man wearing his black suit and round glasses states arrogantly. I watch him as he walks towards the counter. "And you are?", he asks me after examining me from head to toe. "I'm the new farmer. The farm used to belong to my grandpa." I explain to him with my brows furrowed.

Of course he doesn't recognize me. I was just one of his many worthless workers after all. "Ahh, the farmer. Good to see you here. I've been admiring your beautiful farm from afar and came up with so many wonderful ideas of what it could be turned into. If you would be so kind and sign this here contract I brought, I would give you the money and help you build up something far greater than your rotting old farm.", he tries to convince me enthusiastically.

I don't hesitate to slap the contract out of his hand, without once breaking eye contact. "I refuse. I know exactly how you treat your workers. I know about your plans and I will never leave Pelican Town in your meaty claws. Our town stands for family and community. I'm not letting you take any of this away from us." He scoffs and chuckles arrogantly before turning around and slowly heading towards the exit.

"Suit yourself, lady. Soon you will come to realize that there is one thing far better than family or friends or any of those other silly things you claim to fight for. And that, my dear, is power." The door slams shut, and Pierre and I are left alone once again. He sighs to himself and walks towards the big living room. I attempt to stop him. "Wait, please tell me how to help. There has to be a way, right?" He shakes his head "I doubt it. Give it up, and look for a good job while you still can."

I stop and watch him walk away defeated. A feeling of frustration builds up inside me, but I can't let those emotions win. I refuse to bow down to Joja's selfish CEO again. He will find out what defeat tastes like and I will be the one to serve it to him.

Walking through the town and speaking with as many of the townspeople as possible about this issue has made me realize how helpless everybody feels. Almost nobody feels capable of winning this battle and not a single person knows where to even start with fighting. I've been to the museum, I've talked to Gus, even had conversations with the people that regularly shop at Joja's to ask them what would make them reconsider.

I found no solution anywhere. I have no idea where to start. I'm seated at my desk in my small office that Robin constructed for me, reading through my Grandpa's old documents and diary entries, trying my hardest to find some type of way to fix this. I need to figure out when this problem started, and how.

The door creaks open and somebody steps inside quietly, then places a plate filled with different cut fruit and vegetables on the small table right next to my desk, the only free spot available currently. I turn around to face Sebastian and show him a thankful smile, even though it's difficult for me to move my exhausted muscles. He shows me a grin, but his face is filled with concern.

"A snack will do you good, I thought. Are you sure you don't want to go to sleep? Or at least lie in bed with me? It's already 1am, Sami...", he asks me carefully but I shake my head in return. "Don't worry. I'll come to bed once I find what I'm looking for." He sits down next to me. "What if you don't find anything? And shouldn't you at least take breaks? You don't have to figure this all out by yourself so suddenly. There's still enough time."

I interrupt him "There isn't. This has been going on for years. Somehow I feel as though my grandpa sent me here to fix what he wasn't able to. He's been around since the very beginning of Pelican Town. There has to be some type of information I can find." He gently places his hand on mine. "Is there a way for me to help you? So that you can sleep for a bit?"

I try not to make him worry, but it's difficult. I'm exhausted and feel hopeless because of my lack of success so far, but I feel like this is my fault and my problem. That sudden urge I felt to leave everything behind and move here was surely a sign for me to finally fix this problem. What else could it be? This is my calling, my destiny. I know I need to solve this somehow. I carefully remove Sebastian's hand from mine and show him one last grin.

"I promise, I'm doing okay. I can manage. Thank you for the snack." I can feel his gaze lingering on me for a while, before he finally gets up and heads to bed, leaving me on my own again. Hours and hours pass, my eyes falling shut but my brain shaking me awake again every five minutes. I'm on the verge of giving up for now and allowing for my body to fall asleep, when an old envelope falls into my hands. I glance at the recipient. "Mayor Lewis?" I mumble to myself.

It seems as though my grandpa never sent this letter out. I open it carefully and take out the piece of paper, beginning to decipher his handwriting. It's easier now, because I've been reading nothing else for six hours.

Dear Lewis,
I believe there's something you're failing to realize about that old community center and the indescribable things that have been happening there. It's not a reason for you to abandon it at all. In fact, doing so will result in much bigger problems. The events that have been occurring are to warn us. To help us. The creatures there are not evil. They are on our side. Whatever you do, do not give them to Morris. Do not let him touch that building. I promise you, I am not going insane. It all has a meaning.
Please, Lewis, listen to me.

The community center? Is that why Joja is so desperate to get that exact building into their hands? I've been told it's been left to rot for over a decade, but nobody ever told me why. There has to be something in that building that can help me. That's what my grandpa said, and I trust him. He would never lie. He wanted to protect Pelican Town so bad, and I will continue his legacy.

I start to ponder about how to get into the building. Who could have the key? And what are the creatures? Perhaps I can ask Gunther in the museum? Or those who used to visit the community center regularly. So maybe Lewis knows something?

I begin to daydream about the situation. So much that I start dissociating from reality, and eventually falling asleep on my chair. As soon as I wake up, I'll have to find more information about whatever those creatures are he was talking about.