Intoxicated (Stardew Valley)

Chapter Eighteen

GRANDPA'S VISIT CAME sooner than expected, one that of course I was looking forward to, but not during this time.

I was a mess from these past few days, a terrible one at most.

It was only recently when I stumbled upon Grandpa's shrine on the Northwest corner on my farm. It had faded ever since, worn down through the years. Moss and vines slowly grew from its corners, covering it so you could barely make out Grandpa's name.

There was a note on the shrine, crumpled and losing its white and pristine colour. It said that he would return on the dawn of the third year. I wasn't sure how, but I knew that it wasn't lying. I had experienced a fair share of Pelican Town's supernatural, and there was no doubt that Grandpa was connected to it as well.

And so, on the night before my decision to execute my plan of leaving this town, Grandpa visited me in my dreams.

I had gone to sleep, drunk out of my mind, and sadness overwhelming me, only to enter a place I couldn't exactly pinpoint.

"What..." I thought to myself, only seeing darkness in front of me. I looked down, expecting to see my arms and legs, but I was greeted with nothing. Where was I?

My eyes sought out for anything in this darkness, but I saw absolutely nothing. No trees or animals, not even a single soul. Simply pure darkness.

Suddenly, I saw it. At a glance, I could see a blue light looming in the distance. It was swaying back and forth, and I had to squint to see if I was imagining it. But it was still there. I stayed frozen until the blue light came closer, and as it neared, I could make out the familiar features of Grandpa. I let out a gasp, but I didn't hear the sound in this quiet place.

"Grandpa...?" I let out, reeling from the shock.

He looked the exact same as the last time I saw him on his death bed several years ago. His face was ghostly pale from the exhaustion, accompanied with many wrinkles. He wore his familar hat to cover his white hair, and his long beard was still overgrown, just as I remembered.  He looked weak, as if he could disappear any moment.

Despite the look of exhaustion on his face, he still held a bright smile at me, showing that he was truly happy–wherever he was now.

Grandpa folded his arms together as his translucent figure floated in front of me. "My dearest grand-daughter," his raspy voice spoke out. "It's been many years since we last spoke. You were just a little girl...Do you remember?"

I nodded, remembering the last time I saw him before he passed away. I was so young and didn't understand what was happening. I knew I should've visited Grandpa more and appreciated all that he had done for me. "I would never forget, Grandpa," I whispered back, looking at him.

"And look at where you are now," he said, gesturing to myself. "Though you may have forgotten me, I've been here all along. You see, my body has departed from this world, but my heart remains here in Stardew Valley, with you and this farm."

I knew that deep down, there was always a spiritual presence with me. I didn't want to admit it out loud, but I always knew that it was Grandpa. He was here with me since I stepped foot into town and saw all that I've been doing, all the mistakes I've done.

"I know that you're in a dire situation right now, Mae. You're torn between this town and the ones you love the most." I looked up and saw understanding, but disappointment in his old eyes. "Do you really want to abandon the farm? After everything you've been through?"

I wanted to look away in cowardness, but my gaze stayed on Grandpa. He was disappointed in myself, and so was I.

I had come here to forget everything about the city and to move on from the past. To my surprise, I loved it here in Stardew Valley. Was I really willing to throw it all behind and make it another lost chapter of my life?