The comet had buried itself halfway in the autumn ground. It certainly looked that way moments ago but now Abigail wasn’t so sure. The dry knoll spattered with red grass she observed around her was completely undisturbed.

A distant maniacal laugh echoed in the distance, inspiring big birds to squawk and flee their trees. It reminded Abigail of the myth of a spurned wife and betrayed lover who turned into a bitter green witch, vowing bad things to happen unto others as the world has done to her. Her mom used to terrify her into obedience with this maniacal hideous witch myth. But as she grew up the same bitterness grew into her heart and dreams, making her sympathize with the green witch. Every so often her laugh would echo ever so slightly across the valley and she would feel her heart swell for the witch in sympathy.

But the one Abigail just heard wasn’t from the usual witch. No. This one came from inside mines. And the very walls shook from its disturbing sound.

She stepped across the entrance, wary. Vaulted beams of wood lined the cave walls going in. There was no welcoming door. It was an open archway framed by iron and wood. An inky blackness swirled as she took a cautious step towards it. No one would dare come in the caves at this time of night since it was dark, barren and rarely visited. Yet, the deep rumbly maniacal laugh taunted her.

“Abigail!” barked a gruff voice, it was older and in a rich baritone sending tingles under her skin. It was Alex. A retired ex-football star living with his grandparents. “I could have sworn I seen a meteor going down.” He mumbled, scratching his head as brown locks of hair fell over his forehead.

A squeal caught at her throat. “I saw it too! A comet crashing down right here then it’s gone. It’s crazy!”

He seemed to be wearing his running gear. Green jacket and what looked to be expensive designer sneakers. Shrugging, he said “Ain’t it a meteor?”

“Hardly the point, Alex.” She looked around the valley, “It just disappeared. A huge chunk of rock gone. What the hell happened?”

“Maru will know.”

“Aren’t you at all worried?”

“Be thinking a meteor crashing might be causing some ‘splosion. It’s fall, lot of dry shmutz lying around. Since..” he let a slow sweeping gaze on the valleys of mountains around them. “No smoke. No fires. Guess there’s no point to worry.”

Her jaw dropped just as a mischievous rakish laugh echoed from levels underground. “Don’t you hear that?”

Alex pushed forward without a moment’s doubt. Firing floodlights from a mechanized lamp he held in his hand. “That’s odd.”

“What is it?” She hissed under a whisper, falling into step behind him keeping close to his back.

“The minecart looks like it’s been used.”

“Eh? Thought it bogged for ages.”

“It isn’t.” He budged the steel levers and swept a fine dust over a control dashboard. “It isn’t rusted. Even the buttons look brand new.”

“Really? Must have been the farmer.” she muttered. Offside their town, there was a complete beginner for a farmer from Zuzu city who had suddenly arrived to take over the abandoned farmhouse. Twice a week, the farmer would come bearing gifts for every townspeople and for some reason, isn’t the talkative sort despite the farmer coming to socialize at a weekly basis. “I truly didn’t peg them to be tech savvy with 70’s engines.”

On his hunches, Alex whistled as he spied underneath the dashboard. “Completely functional. Not a speck of age.” Then he stood to his full height, both hands resting on his hips. “You know I’m not surprised. They did say their previous job was from a tech company.”

“Wasn’t it a call center?” Another hollowed laughter rumbled the cave walls. “That’s weird isn’t it? Should we check it out?”

Alex turned to her with a frown, blinking slow “A what?” He looked around the shadowed cave with his lamp. “Just a quake.”

Narrowing her eyes at him, “Don’t you find it weird that a comet appeared and disappeared?”

He rolled his eyes, a dimple appearing on his semi-bearded cheek when he smiled. “We get weird stuff happening all the time. Don’t mean we pry. Otherwise we end up like a madman in that tower.”

“Don’t speak about things you barely know about, Alex.”

A nervous chuckle bubbled out of him, “I barely know about anything.”

“I’m serious.” She clipped, her echoes bouncing around the space.

He sobered, peering down. His long brown lashes fanning over his cheeks. An otherworldly grace seemed to hung around him. She figured it was his simple humble quality about him that seemed entirely unnatural since the guy had a larger than life sports career that so few people can imagine. “Of course, Abigail. Best to go home. Cave monsters get restless at this time of night.”

She was tempted to leave. “Should we go check it out?” Pointing at a ladder going underground, “I mean we’re already here. Aren’t you curious at all?”

He seemed conflicted. “Abigail, I take care of two seniors back home. I can’t be the reckless one. Let’s not risk it. Come on. Don’t your parents know you’re out here all by yourself?”

Her face heated in a blush. “Fine. You go on ahead. I got me and my wicked kris. I can take of myself.”

Alex glanced at the backpack she carried behind her and sighed. “There is no reason for me not to believe you. Here. Take this.” He dropped a whistle made of heavy metal on her palm. It looked to be mechanized with gears, its weight unusually hefty. “I’ll stand by here waiting for you. Use that whistle once if you’re in danger and I’ll run out and send for the guild. Whistle three times if you’re in immediate danger—“

“I’ll be fine.” She said much too quickly, her heart and mind racing at the thought of going underground. Marlon has been guiding her several times in the past but never on her own. It seemed tonight that she was going at it alone with no guide. Chills raced up her spine about what was to come. The fear of the unknown was her ultimate crux. The reason she hasn’t left Stardew Valley yet.

If I could get through this, she thought. Then, sure as hell, I’ll be braver, more sure about leaving this godforsaken valley.

He raised his palms, “Hey I take care of two elderly seniors 24/7. One sweet as sunshine and one cold as heck. I worry. Let me watch out for you.”

“I might take a while. A long long while. You don’t have to—“

“I want to.”

She pursed her lips, conflicted about arguing further. Abigail was no stranger to Alex’s football career. In each of his games, she had watched how at times in the middle of the game comes a point where he gets this gleam in his eyes. A determined spark that broke the most formidable barriers in every one of his games. And it’s the one he’s giving her now. This man won’t be moved.

“All right.” She sighed. “Look we don’t know what just happened out there. Something from the sky fell across this cave and it disappeared. I’m getting the feeling that it might have something to do in here so you staying here could be dangerous. At least.. how about..” Her gaze wandered around the dirt cave. “Have you got a weapon on you?”

“No. I only came out of my house for a run.” Before he could say more, Abigail swiped his lamplight off him and searched at the corners. “Wait. What are you doing?”

“There it is.” She pried open a wooden chest seated right next to a broken elevator and dug around.

“Should you be doing that?” he asked, worried.

From the bottom of the chest, she lifted off a rusty sword and a wooden mallet before setting it down on top off the chest pile. “This is the guild’s storage chest. They put unwanted items off their backpacks to lessen weight when exploring caves. It’s basically just trash and they don’t ever go back to it. But they suppose it could prove useful to someone else in case of emergencies.” She presented the two weapons to him on each hand. “And this is definitely an emergency. Which one you think best suits you?”