Line Without a Hook: Stardew Valley & Shane story

Chapter 9

"Shane, wait. Where are you going?" I hollered after him, picking up my pace to catch up with him. 

Shane had essentially bolted out of the festival and was leading me deeper into Cindersap Forest. I had finally reached his side and looked to his face for answers. However, there was just an emotionless expression on his face. I swear this man was such a mystery to me. Instead of questioning it, I fell back a few feet and followed him from behind. 

We had walked in silence for about four minutes until he stopped in his tracks. He looked off to his right. We had stopped at a small pond with a little dock leading off into it. The moon was now out and it shined onto the reflections of the water, making it appear brighter outside than it really was. 

"Wait here." He ordered, walking toward Marnie's. I wondered what he was up to and why he wanted me to wait. My feet were tired from standing all day so I decided to sit. I walked onto the dock and sat down at the edge. I took my shoes off and began to kick my legs in the air. I looked up at the moon and saw it was a full moon. No wonder it was so bright out. 

I began to hear creaking behind me and my head spun around. I saw Shane carrying something in his hands. As he approached closer I noticed it was a drink of some kind. I had assumed it was beer but it could also be soda by the appearance of the can. 

"Here, have a cold one." He states, handing down a can for me to grab. I grabbed the cold can and looked at the label, realizing it was in fact beer. He sat down next to me on the ledge and cracked open the can. I looked at the can again and decided to open it up. 

We sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the crickets chirp and the wind dance over the trees. I had only taken a few sips of the beer at this point. Shane had taken numerous sips throughout our silence. 

"Buh...life."

I looked up from my can and stared at Shane. He stared off into the water. "Life?" I questioned.

 "You ever feel like... no matter what you do, you're gonna fail?" He took a long swig at his drink and sighed. "Like you're stuck in some miserable abyss and you're so deep you can't even see the light of day?" I studied his face and still could not read anything. He didn't show an ounce of emotion and it hurt me to see. He was opening up to me and I could tell it was difficult for him to do. "Yea, I get it." I said, looking down at my drink. 

"I just feel like no matter how hard I try... I'm not strong enough to climb out of that hole." He closed his eyes and finished his drink. I took a long swig at my beer and finished it. I shivered slightly at the taste it left in my mouth. He looked at me and rested his head on his hand. He did a small smile. "Heh... fast drinker, huh? Woman after my own heart."

My face flushed and I looked back down at my empty can. He stood up from his spot and slightly crushed his can. "Just don't make it a habit... you got a future ahead of you still."

"I don't know if I even have a future." I said quietly. He looked puzzled and reached his hand down for me to grab. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up. "Why would you say that? You're a young, attractive, city girl. You all have futures ahead of you." I chewed on my lower lip for a moment. Even though he called me attractive, it still felt like an insult. 

"When you said you're stuck in a miserable abyss... I know what you mean. I'm stuck in my own." I admitted, looking at the water ahead of us. He put a hand on my shoulder and turned me to face him. 

"I've seen them Emma. The scars."  My heart began to beat faster and the world began to turn. "What do you mean?" I questioned. 

"The night you passed out at the saloon. I brought you to the forest. I saw them then." He stated, looking down at my wrists. I covered them by crossing my arms and began to walk away. "How are you in so much pain that you take it out on yourself?"

 I stopped walking and turned around. "You drink alcohol to numb the pain. I do it in other ways." He thought a moment before shaking his head. "I don't think I'll ever understand your point of view."

He was right. I don't think he would ever understand my point of view. How could someone in so much pain take it out on themselves? At least he wasn't be arrogant about the situation. 

"It takes a lot to fake happiness, Shane." My head was still spinning. I wasn't sure if it was because of the alcohol or the fact Shane found out about my self harming tendencies. 

"Boy, don't I know it." He replied, running a hand through his hair. I shifted the weight on my feet and stared at his face. Small silence fell again.

"Maybe we aren't so different." I stated, turning around again to leave.

"See you around, Emma." He said from behind me. I began to walk away to my farm, not looking back.