The Return parts 1-5
by Butterscotch
When you hear the words Harvest Moon:Friends of Mineral Town, you automatically think "horror story", right? Well, maybe not...Anyway, here's my new (and long!) story...
The Return Part 1 A Hot Summer Night
Its whispers echoed with those of the wind to form a secret conversation only understood by those that have long since left this world for another. ....It was a muggy summer night. Karen tossed and turned, trying to find a cool spot on her sheets. Finally, she got up and went outside. It was no cooler outside than inside, so Karen decided to walk to the beach. She had never been for a walk so late and night before and as she passed the graveyard her arms broke out in goosebumps. Karen decided to go the long way around when she went home. The air was indeed cooler at the shore, too cool. Karen could see her breath when she exhaled. She rubbed her arms as she walked along the shoreline. Twenty minutes ago she had been sweltering, now she was freezing. As she turned to head home, Karen saw something out of the corner of her eye. She whirled around and screamed. to be continued
The Return: part two ~"I've Come For What's Mine" ~ By Butterscotch...
The cool night air grew even colder and a mist swirled around Karen's ankles as she staggered backwards. A young woman with long dark hair was walking towards Karen. Her thin arms were outstretched and she was smiling.
"Karen!" exclaimed the woman.
"...Joannna?" Karen stared in disbelief. As she took a closer look she realized that it really was Joanna. Joanna was only a few years older than Karen and the two had played together as kids. Joanna had not aged well; she had lost weight, far too much, and her once-shiny black hair was scraggly and shot with gray.
"Yes, Karen," Joanna smiled. It was the most horrible smile Karen had ever seen. It empathzied how much weight Joanna had lost; she looked like a grinning corpse. "I've come back for May. I want to take her with me,"
"Barley won't like that," Karen replied.
"May is my daughter and I've come for what's mine."
Part 3 ~ Joanna ~ by Butterscotch...
Joanna moved past Karen, who quickly stepped back from her former playmate. Joanna's dress fluttered against Karen's legs and Karen jumped a little. Joanna did not notice, she just kept walking home.
For a long time Karen just stood there breathing heavily. She could not decide between going home the short way and passing the graveyard, or going home the long way and passing the Yodel Farm. In the end, Karen stayed at the beach all night. Zack found her there the next morning, huddled near the stairs.
"Joanna's back,"she told Zack as he lead her home."She's back but she's wrong,Zack. She's wrong."
Zack shuddered as he looked into Karen's eyes. It was obvious that her encounter with Joanna had left her badly frightened. Zack decided to pay Barley a visit.
The Return: part four ~ May ~ by Butterscotch...
Karen was right. Joanna was wrong, horribly, strangely wrong. Barley was so glad to have her back that he did not seem to notice. Zack did not stay long, despite Barley's insistence that he stay for breakfast. Zack hurried outside and took a deep breath. In the warm summer sunshine he realized how cold it had been in Barley's kitchen.
"Zack?" said a small female voice. Zack jumped and yelled. The speaker was only little May. Zack had heard that May took after her mother but, aside from the black hair, he saw little resemblance.
"Y-yeah, May?"Zack said.
May crept closer."I'm scared. Mommy scares me,"she whispered. Tears glittered on her eyelashes.
"Well, you just don't know her well that's all," Zack said in an oddly hearty voice.
"No, I'm not scared of her like I'd be scared of a stranger. It's a different kind of scary, like a monster or something."
"Joanna is your mother, May,"Zack said patting her on the head. "You have no reason to be afraid of her." As he hurried away Zack could feel May's dark eyes following him.
The Return: Part Five ~ May Flees ....
"Let's go for a walk, May," Joanna said, holding her bone-white hand out to her daughter, who quickly shoved her hands in her apron pockets.
"I can't, Mommy," May said. Joanna frowned and May hastily added:"Today is church day, the day I play with Stu and Mr. Carter."
"May, you play with your friends all the time," Joanna pouted. "All I want is just a little of your time."
May backed away from her mother, her hands fumbling for the door knob.
"I know," piped up Barley."Why don't you go with May, Joanna?" Both mother and daughter frowned at this suggestion.
"I don't want to go to a church," Joanna snapped. May's hand reached the door knob and she flung open the door. She fled into the warm summer outdoors.
"May!" Joanna shrieked. "Come back here!" May , of course, did not listen. Instead, she ran even harder. Joanna tore after her.
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