As night enveloped the farm in a cloak of silence, Anna lay on her bed, sharing the room with her sister Amy. The day had been a whirlwind of excitement, milking cows, whipping up unfamiliar dishes, chasing after sheep, and shushing clucking chickens. Each moment felt exhilarating, yet a heaviness weighed on her heart.
Despite the thrill of farm life, Anna's mind drifted to darker places, haunted by thoughts of Jack. The memories tugged at her, pulling tears from her eyes. She desperately wished she could push them away, erase the sting of betrayal. She recalled the messages she had discovered on his phone, words that contradicted his promises and painted a picture of a life she had never wanted, a child he cared for while neglecting his own family.
Sitting up in bed, Anna wiped her tears, determined not to let this pain rule her. Yet the tears seemed relentless, a leaky faucet she couldn't turn off. She glanced over at Amy, blissfully asleep with the braids Anna had woven earlier. A faint smile crossed her lips at the sight of her sister, but it was fleeting.
With a deep breath, she shook off her sorrow. "What time is it?" she murmured to herself.
[8:12 PM]
"Alright, I've got to make a move."
Brushing tears away once more, she slipped out of bed, conscious of her sister's light sleep. The last thing Anna needed was for anyone to discover her quiet escape. Tiptoeing to the door, she froze when she remembered its stubborn squeak.
"Oh no," she muttered.
"I need to do something about that."
[ Would you love to purchase oil from the system's store? ]
"Nah," Anna uttered, her voice barely above a whisper,
"I've got this one."
In a stroke of desperation, Anna approached the lamp on the table by the window, lifted it, and blew out the flame. Darkness enveloped her, and panic set in. This wasn't her familiar space; one misstep could send her crashing into something that would rouse Amy from her sleep .
"Where is that darn matchstick?" she breathed, her palms gliding over the table in search of it. Finally, she felt the cool surface of the matchbox and carefully struck one.
With a flicker of light, the lamp flickered back to life. She cast a glance at Amy, still undisturbed, and felt a renewed sense of urgency.
Pouring a bit of oil into a spoon, she carefully drizzled it onto the door hinges, a furtive hope in her heart.
"Let's hope this works," she whispered, inching the door open.
To her relief, not a creak, not a sound escaped as she slipped into the dimly lit living room and out of the house, the lamp guiding her path like a beacon in the night. The cool air greeted her with a promise of freedom.
"Oh my God!" She gasped, a wave of relief washing over her. The moment brought back memories of her younger self, sneaking out only to be caught red-handed.
[ + 20 Exp ]
"System, I heard you mention I can buy things from your store, but I don't see any currency in my status."
[ The system doesn't use currency; you can purchase anything from the store using time. ]
"Huh?"
[ For instance, if you asked for oil, a specific amount of time would be deducted from your total time to complete your task. If 24 hours is taken away, you'd have 6 days instead of the usual 7. You can also use points. ]
"I think I've got it," Anna sighed, absorbing the information.
She couldn't help but thank the bright moon for illuminating her path, and her mother for making her secret mission so attainable.
Earlier that day, she had accompanied her mother to the village market, where she had pointed out the spot where the dancers rehearsed. Anna had a knack for remembering places and the routes to them, and soon she was following the familiar trail, the sound of drums leading her like a siren's call.
As Anna hid behind the trees that surrounded the arena, her heart raced in splendor. She watched as the dancers moved in perfect sync, each step woven into the rhythm of the music. It was mesmerizing, but now she faced a challenge: how to approach them without looking lost or foolish.
Scanning her surroundings, she noticed a handful of spectators at the far side of the arena, clearly not dancers.
"May God help me not to step on a snake today," she whispered a quick prayer before carefully making her way through the bushes, aiming to join the onlookers.
But the universe had other plans. Just then, something slithered over her legs, and before she knew it, Anna bolted from her cover, crashing into the dancers like a startled deer.
"Well, so much for keeping my cool," she muttered to herself, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry!" she stammered, ready to retreat with her head bowed low. But one of the dancers, a woman with a warm smile, stopped her in her tracks.
"Don't worry about it," she reassured Anna, her laughter ringing like bells.
"I've had my fair share of accidents too."
"Haha, I'll never forget that moment," chimed another dancer, and Anna couldn't help but be enchanted by their kind-hearted nature, even after the interruption.
"You seem like a dancer," the first lady remarked, studying Anna's face.
"And those hips, absolutely!" chimed in the others.
"Sweetheart, you'll have all the men drooling," teased one dancer playfully.
Before Anna could protest, the girl who had initially spoken grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the center of the group.
"Hey, Jonah!" She called the lead drummer.
"Let's see what she's got, give her the simple bonga-bonga!"
"I… I…"
"Don't be shy!" she urged, stepping back to let Anna take the spotlight.
"Dance!" their collective voices rang out, but Anna froze, suddenly paralyzed by self-doubt. In that moment, she remembered just how terrible she was at dancing.
'System, what you done to me?'