Compassion and Oblivion

Chapter Three: Getting Started

The next two and a half weeks were a blur of phone calls, cardboard boxes, and a lot of emotions. You hadn't felt this excited for the future in a depressingly long time, and it was a welcome change of pace. You had called your parents with the news about Grandpa's gift to you, and asked if you were doing the right thing. Having their full support in your decision calmed some of your fears of the unknown. You still had some lingering anxiety about making such a big decision so suddenly, but you knew that you couldn't stay here and allow Joja to continue to suck the life out of you.

Putting your two weeks notice in at work had been easier than you'd expected. Your manager accepted the signed resignation with complete and utter nonchalance. There was no resentment nor surprise to see you go, the lack of emotion was actually unsettling. To them, you were just another expendable employee who would be replaced by another without hesitation or remorse. However, one of your cubicle neighbors who had been with the company longer than you must have noticed the gleam of excitement in your eyes upon returning to your desk.

"You just quit, huh?" she said with a chuckle. "I've seen that look all too many times before. Good luck, kiddo."

You gave her a smile and a nod before jumping into your daily workload. If you talked to each other for longer than a simple 'good morning', the managers would be there to berate you for dilly-dallying.

Every night after work, you packed more and more of your life into boxes. You carefully wrapped your dishes in newspapers, and neatly tucked them into a labeled box. Thankfully you didn't have many - you're just one person, after all. You gave your framed pictures and any other fragile items the same treatment. As you suspected, it wasn't all that difficult to get everything into the boxes.

You know what's difficult? Taking all of those boxes down two flights of stairs and loading them into a moving truck. Luckily enough for you, you bumped into your neighbor, Mrs. Jones, who was more than happy to lend you her teenage son to help you move the heavier objects, after seeing you struggle. Having an extra set of hands really made all the difference.

Before you knew it, you had said goodbye to that wretched apartment and deposited your keys in the rent drop box. It was time to hit the road, and hope that you're capable of driving a small moving truck...hopefully, without wrecking it. Leaning against the passenger seat was your Sector 9 longboard, and lovingly placed on the dashboard of the truck was a worn, glow in the dark yo-yo. You connected to the truck's sound system and started playing your favorite playlist to get you pumped up for the drive, and started directions to Stardew Valley on your phone's GPS. A little over two hour drive time, estimated arrival time was around 9:30 AM.

The drive was terrifying at first. Navigating through city traffic in a box truck was not something you'd ever want to have to do again. Once you got out of the city and onto the back roads, you felt a lot more comfortable. Thankfully, it hadn't snowed in a few days and the roads were clear and dry.

You made excellent time on the drive. Soon enough, you're turning into the long drive leading up to your grandparent's cabin. You pull the truck off to the left of the house, avoiding as many rocks, branches and overgrown weeds as you possibly can, given the state of the property.

You notice the front door is already open. Two people walk out to your porch, looking excited to greet you. One is an older man, sporting an impressive handlebar mustache. He is wearing an expensive-looking messenger cap, green dress shirt with a yellow necktie, and brown pants with matching suspenders. The other person is a much younger, very pretty woman, maybe in her late thirties if you are to guess. She has stunning, bright red hair, tied back in a ponytail with long bangs to frame her face. She's casually dressed in a long sleeved yellow shirt with a brown, hooded vest on top, and dark green cargo pants. Her eyes are warm and welcoming, and her smile soft. Suddenly, you feel a little bit self-conscious about your hair - which is pushed back behind a headband - and your old, worn out clothes that you picked for moving.