California

Chapter Three - The Arrival

(A/N - This is a longer chapter, which I wasn't intending to do. I was going to add images to give a rough look of what the house looks like, but I'll put those in their own chapter. Enjoy!)

Apart from California, there were few people onboard the bus, all sitting in muddied silence. The seats and windows shake with every small bump in the ragged pavement, jostling everyone onboard back and forth. The air conditioning pumps through only a few filters, whistling with the extreme pressure. It smells slightly of diluted gas. As the world slides by the window, there are small movements from amongst the passengers. It wasn't too long until the bus exited Zuzu City, the buildings and city scenery replaced with rolling hills and forests.

It would be an hour until the bus made it to Stardew Valley, but California didn't mind. It just meant she would have a longer amount of time to prepare the farm when the warning from her father eventually came; that her mother had found a way to travel to Rosewood Acres. The excitement the night before had kept California up for most of the night, but exhaustion was now catching up to her. She decided to take a doze, setting a timer for an hour. Her eyes fluttered shut as she drifted off to sleep.

An hour later and California was josled out of her sleep by her alarm. After waking up slightly, she scanned the bus. There were fewer passengers onboard, but there were some new faces. Uninterested in starting a conversation, California gazed out the window, the music still playing in her headphones becoming background music. The countryside passed by like a bad movie California seen too many times before. The bus had left the monotony of the motorway behind a long time ago and now the heat and the bumps of these unmade roads prevented California from going back to sleep. The grey rain clouds, travelling in the opposite direction, were left behind, replaced by the light blue sky with white, fluffy clouds drifting. The countryside stretched out from the road like a great quilt of golden, brown and green squares held together by the thick green stitching of the hedgerows. It rose and fell like giant waves on a gentle ocean and was dotted with animals. Occasionally there was a farmhouse or barn, but it was mostly green fields or forests.

The bus was abruptly plunged into darkness for a few seconds as it entered a tunnel. The driver reacted accordingly and turned the low lights on, as well as the headlights of the bus. Every few meters, there were old, dim light sources, but the bus was travelling too fast for California to focus on it. In the barely lit tunnel hemmed in by the brick walls California spotted the end of the tunnel, just a pin prick of light. As the bus headed for the end of the tunnel, it began to slow down, and an automated voice came over the speakers "Approaching Pelican Town stop. All passengers leaving at this stop must collect their luggage and prepare to exit when the bus comes to a halt. Thank you for travelling with us today. Again, the bus is approaching Pelican Town stop."

California unplugged her headphones, and as the bus exited the tunnel, leant over to grab her rucksack, which had slid across the floor to the other side of the back seat. Once the bus had come to a complete stop, she stumbled to the front, thanked the driver, and walked down the stairs, off the bus. As the bus pulled away, California surveyed the bus stop. There was nothing except a sign to indicate that this was a bus stop. There was an old beaten path leading from the stop to an overgrown country lane. A few trees dotted the small clearing, and a fence separated the clearing from the overgrown lane. Gazing to the other side of the road, California spotted more trees, and what looked to be an old, rusted mine cart rail.

California was jolted to reality when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw that it was a lady, who looked like she was hiding her laughter. "Sorry, you were gazing off, I didn't mean to scare you." She smiled.

"No worries, I can be startled easily." California replied, before taking a moment to look at the lady. She wore moss green trousers, a yellow woolen t-shirt, a brown fleece vest and a plaid neck scarf. She wore hiking boots and her long, light ginger hair was pulled back into a high pony-tail. She began to talk, catching California's attention. "Anyways, hello! You must be California Sparks! I'm Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to Rosewood Acres. He's there now, tidying things up for your arrival." Robin turns and gestures to the grey pickup truck, which had been parked in the overgrown lane. "If you'd like to jump into my truck, I can take you to the farm."