Written in the Sky: A Stardew Valley Fanfic

Chapter One: A Promotion?

I stared at the computer on my desk, watching orders come in from different cities and counties. I had to place each order in a file and send it to the Export Hall by the end of the day. It seems like a simple job, but it's a lot harder when you have thousands of companies placing orders for Joja Cola or Joja Wallpapers or seeds for farmers.

Joja Corporation is huge when it comes to cheap produce for families or cheaper seeds for farmers. I've been working with them for three years, and every day I wonder why I didn't go to college or find a better job. The pay is pretty good, but not good enough for some people. Some of my coworkers are currently living on the streets or barely able to pay rent.

"Psst, Gale." I turned to my left to see my friend Jaysen peeking over the wall that divided our offices.

"Jay, are you crazy?! Get down before Mavrin catches you!" I hissed at him.

"He's in his office. I'm not going to get caught!" He whispered back. Jaysen is one of the corporation's biggest daredevils. He's always getting off task and doing goofy things, yet he never gets caught. Our manager, Hiram Mavrin, knows what he's doing. He strives to get Jaysen caught and fired, but everyone knows Jaysen is the best liar in the entire city. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he quit just to become a lawyer.

"What do you want then?" I asked Jay.

"Am I not allowed to take a break to talk to my best friend?" He said with a goofy grin.

"Technically, no." I told him, looking around.

"Did you hear that we got a business war going on down in Pelican Town?" He asked me.

"Yeah. My grandpa told me about that last week. It's actually been going on for a while, but things have been getting pretty heated."

"What's the sitch?"

"A general store owned by some guy named Pierre and one of our stores are battling over who has the better store." I said, looking back at my computer. "My grandpa says Pierre's has fresher and healthier produce but the Joja Mart has extremely low prices."

"We always have low prices. Low enough to draw in enough customers to put other stores out of business!" Jay exclaimed. I put my finger up to my lips and glared at him. "Sorry. My buddy's uncle's store got put out because of our store downtown."

"Ouch. I'm sorry."

"I say we set every Joja Mart on fire and watch it burn!" I raised my eyebrows at him.

"That's arson, and we'd go to jail for life." I heard footsteps coming towards us, and I quickly looked over to Jay, who had already disappeared behind the office wall.

"Miss Gale." I looked up to see Mavrin hovering over my desk. He was holding a clipboard and looking down at me with a serious gaze.

I stood up. "Yes sir?"

"Based on our recent progress reports, you have been excelling at your filing rate." He flipped a page up and tucked it behind the clipboard. "And because of your excellent work, the corporation would like to offer you a managing position for the Export Hall."

Me? Getting promoted to Manager?! I looked at Mavrin with a wild expression. "I-I don't know what to say sir."

"I figured you'd say that. I will give you until the end of the week to decide." He tucked the clipboard under his arm. "I trust you will make the right decision."

"If she says no, can I get the promotion?" I heard Jay's voice behind me.

"No. Get back to work, Sullen!" Jay made a pouty face and he disappeared behind the wall yet again.

I arrived home around 9:00 PM, sore and exhausted from sitting and staring at a screen all day. "Dad? Are you here?" I called out.

"Living room." I heard him answer. Real estate in Zuzu City is pretty expensive, so I've lived in the same apartment with my dad my entire life. My mom passed away when I was six, so I don't remember a whole lot about her. Dad's been trying to get me to go on dates with different boys or girls around the city but I keep refusing. I only get two days off from work and I mainly use that to get some exercise or hang out with Jay.

When I walked into the living room, Dad was sitting on the couch neatly packing a pair of clothes into a suitcase. "Dad? What's wrong?" I asked, dropping myself on my knees.

"Your grandpa is sick. We're heading to Pelican Town tomorrow to see him." He said. "Go pack a few things. It's a two hour trip from here to there."

Without hesitation, I ran to my room and quickly grabbed an old backpack. I threw an extra pair of clothes into it and then grabbed a few other things to bring, including a picture of my family when I was five. Before neatly placing the photo in the bag I ran my fingers over the picture of my mother. Her beauty always amazed me, and I always dreamed of one day looking like her.

"Gale, hurry up!" I heard Dad call. "We're leaving at seven tomorrow morning!"