Liminal Space | A Stardew Valley FanFiction

Chapter 2

Bullets of rain slammed against the siding of the cabin, jolting me awake. From behind me, a dim, flickering light worked to illuminate the shadowy corners of the room, accentuating the ghostliness of the space and casting lackluster highlights onto the posters that cluttered the wall. Beneath the storm, I could hear nimble fingers flying over a keyboard.

Here we go.

"Good morning, sunshine," Sebastian hissed as I sat upright. "Surprised you get anything done on that farm, sleeping this late."

I glanced at the clock. 9:06 AM.

You've got to be kidding me.

"Unlike your room, the farm isn't a dungeon," I snapped. "I wake up with the sunrise. You'd be surprised at what natural light can do for productivity."

"Are you done?"

The blue-tinged glow of the screen reflected onto his already cool-toned skin, washing him out and draining his face of any life. The darkness threatened to consume his features as the screen flashed, the underside of his jaw a sharp, black line that separated the rest of his body from the glare.

"If it really bothers you that much, I'd be happy to sleep in Maru's room."

His eyes snapped away from the computer and landed on me, inky and bottomless. "She already dealt with this last time you pulled this shit. I guess it's my turn now."

I raked a shaky hand through my hair, the tangles causing tears to prick the inside of my eyes. Sebastian's mind was like a time capsule—always stuck on what happened before.

"Sebby!" Robin called from the top of the staircase.

"For Christ's sake," he groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I'm working!" He yelled.

"Sebastian, come up here please! Callie, you too!"

"Mom—" he pleaded, annoyance poisoning his tone.

"You've got visitors, sweetheart," she said, closing the door before he could protest any further.

Relief flooded over me: an out. I pulled my legs out from under the covers, quickly tidying the sheets before silently heading upstairs.

"Callie!" Abigail sang as I opened the basement door, launching herself into my arms. Her drenched hair dripped purple water down my back.

Another pair of arms joined the embrace, water droplets now cascading down my face and onto my pajamas. "Jesus, Callie, we are glad you're okay," Sam exhaled from above me. "Heard through the grapevine that the farm is, like, rubble."

Robin cleared her throat from behind us. "Sore subject," she reminded him gently.

"Right," he said with a smile, ruffling my hair and stepping backwards. "My bad."

"You guys are soaked," I remarked, causing Sam to roll his eyes.

"Great observation, Cal," he sneered, earning a slap on the arm from Abigail.

"It is, well, hurricane-ing out there," she said sheepishly. "But we just had to see you."

"Well, I hope you all are real fond of each other," Robin laughed, slinging her arms around them. "Because you won't be leaving until I deem it safe. You're lucky I didn't kill you for trekking up here in weather like this."

"Oh, no, that's okay," Abigail said. "My dad wouldn't—"

"Uh uh," Robin said, holding a hand up to stop her. "I don't care. I will talk to Pierre. You aren't leaving."