Green hills as far as the eye could see. A beautiful sky filled with puffy while clouds and a shining sun. Fertile land that could grow any crop. Trees that bore the sweetest fruit. It was a landscape that could be described as nothing less than perfect. It was the image that many think of when asked to describe heaven on Earth for it resembles Earth in its original form. It was the picture many had of Earth before the rise of elf, human, orc, catkin, dwarf, or any other advanced civilization. For millennia this was the case. Over the period of a thousand years the landscape slowly became the paradise described. Thousands of rainfalls allowed the grass to grow tall which covered the countless rolling hills. It took hundreds of seasons for the landscape’s trees to grow. This was only possible for no civilization cultivated the land, it remained untainted. It remained this way for thousands of years but this period came to an abrupt end and the landscape described would cease to exist.

In the year 2580 AC, a group of human farmers from Atrad migrated into Zefren. They were escaping a savage dust bowl which had decimated their crops and were seeking new pastures. They meant to migrate to the city of Thessalon, which at the time was a major farming town. However, the leader of the expedition had read the map upside down so instead of heading to Thessalon, they went 150 miles south of it. The major blunder was quickly discovered to be a major blessing. They found paradise, they found the land untainted by any civilization. Quickly the land became populated as the immigrants quickly went to work building structures, farms, and all the staples of civilization. The pioneers of this land were fully confident that the land they settled on will reap benefits for generations to come.

For a while this was true. The beautiful landscape, though no longer as beautiful because of the arrival of humans, did reap benefits for them. The crops were bountiful, the yields were large. The pioneers quickly became rich and the town expanded outward, taking up more and more of the landscape. It was at this point the now rich pioneers decided to name their growing town. They decided to call it Harvest for it was always believed that the harvests would always be grand. Within the span of thirty years the name of the town would become a sick joke to the inhabitants. The pioneers were so zealous in their desire to cultivate the land no one did any research on the land itself. Had they done so, they would have found out that just beneath the fertile soil was rock. It had taken hundreds of years for the dirt to slowly accumulate but it only took the span of a generation to reveal what lies underneath. There simply wasn’t a way for the land to rejuvenate itself from the intense farming. Quickly the harvests became smaller and smaller year after year. The town, instead of expanding outwards, contracted inwards. Soon people started to migrate away from Harvest, seeking what their parents did, a fertile land. However for most of the inhabitants they could not afford to move, they had to make do with a soil that was bound to become infertile. After another generation the once beautiful landscape was no more, it was a fragile thing that was shattered. It would be expected that once the Earth beneath their feet died, the people would have had no choice but to flee but humans are stubborn. The town of Harvest did not disappear from the Earth, a small community remained making do with what little the ground could still grow.

***

A single man stood alone hitting the dirt beneath him with a rake. He sought to loosen the ground in order to plant the seeds he had bought from the market. He had to ensure the seeds were planted just right, otherwise they wouldn’t grow and he would have wasted the money he spent which wasn’t his to begin with. The job would’ve been easier had his horse still been alive but the old bronco passed away last week. That meant he had to do all of the work on his own which was a major pain on his back but he had to do it regardless, he was the man of the house. As he worked he began to sweat. The green plaid shirt, the blue overalls he wore over them, and his straw hat began to become wet. The only article of clothing that was exempt from being drenched in sweat were his big brown boots but it’s not as if they were clean, they were covered in dirt. It was unfortunate he was already becoming tired, he hadn’t even raked the entire patch of land. He also had to plant the seeds themselves later on. It would take him all day to accomplish these tasks which is why he had gotten up early, it was 6:00am and he’s been at work for 3 hours. It was quite dark because the sun hadn’t risen yet. He was able to work so long only because he had a lit lantern near his feet.

“Do you need help dad?” the voice of a boy called out to him from behind.

The farmer picked his head up, surprised by the voice.

“Warren what are you doing out here?” the farmer asked, continuing his raking.

“I saw you and thought you needed my help” the boy answered.

The farmer turned around and saw the boy standing there. He was wearing blue and grey striped pajamas and had on a pair of brown boots. The boy’s face as a younger version of his. He had brown eyes, brown hair that dropped a bit down his forehead, and a short nose.

“I’m fine son. You need to get ready for school, you start high school today, don’t want to be late.”

“I’d rather be here with you. Can’t school wait until after the harvest?”

“Nope. You’re 13 now son, this is the time when you have to start thinking about your future. How you do in high school is going to determine which college you go to”

“I don’t want to go to college. I want to help you on the farm. That’s more important.”

“No, your education is more important. Now go get dressed and get your horse ready.You have to be there by eight and have a long trek to go. Don’t forget to say goodbye to your grandpa.”

“But-”

“Now!”

An angry pout appeared on the boy’s face showing that he wanted to argue more but he knew that once his father raised his voice the discussion was over. Upset but obedient he turned around and began his way back to the family house which was 4 dozen feet away from where the farmer worked. As he headed back the sun started to rise. It illuminated the area around him so he got a good look at his home. It was home, but wasn’t necessarily a house. The building was actually a large shack made out of old wood. The walls were logs stacked on top of one another and the roof was made out of plywood. The best piece of craftsmanship were the wooden stairs that led to the front door but that was only because it was bought pre-made unlike the rest of the shack which was built by the family themselves. On the porch of the house was an old man sitting in a rocking chair. He wore the same outfit the farmer wore and in fact looked like him. If the young boy had a younger version of his father’s face then the old man had an older one. His skin was very wrinkly and his brown eyes were open but weren’t looking at anything in particular. It was as if the light was on but no one was home.

“Hey grandpa. I have to get ready for school now. Dad wouldn’t let me skip to work with him. I start high school today” the boy greeted as he ascended the wooden steps onto the porch.

The old man didn’t say anything in return. He continued to look outwards, towards the sunrise.

The boy nodded his head accepting the silence as a valid response. His father told him his grandpa could still hear but he wasn’t so sure. Not knowing what else to say he headed inside his home. He quickly bypassed the living room which consisted of one couch facing a fireplace to enter his room which was the first door on the right in the hallway that connected to said living room. Inside he went straight for his closet, stepping over his pile of old adventure books which were right by the door. He opened the closet to take out the clothes his father told him to wear. He took out a black t-shirt and grey cargo pants. They weren’t farmer attire which made him feel awkward. His father told him that he didn’t want to enter high school looking like a poor farmer which was strange because everyone they knew was a poor farmer. He reluctantly put the clothes on. After that he closed the closet and went over to his bed which had his backpack on it. The bed was made of straw so after he picked up the backpack he had to wipe away a bit of straw off it. He double checked to make sure all his school supplies were in the right place and once vindicated, headed out his room into the hallway once more. Instead of making a left which would lead him out the front door he took a right which led to the back door. He opened it and traveled 2 dozen feet across the dirt to get his horse which was in the stables located behind the shack. The family didn’t have much livestock but his father did everything in his power to ensure they had horses, which mostly meant taking out loans.

There he saw his horse, a grey stallion with a flowing white mane. Before he got on he took an apple out of his backpack and fed it to the horse. He then checked to make sure the harness was on tight. Content that it was, he got on. He rode around his house so that he was in front of it again.

“Bye grandpa I’m leaving!” the boy called out.

No response.

He turned the other way to see his father still working the land.

“Dad I’m leaving!” he hollered to ensure his father could hear him.

“See you son!” the farmer yelled back.

With that he rode away from the farm heading to the nearby dirt road to begin his 2 hour journey to reach his highschool. As he rode on a feeling of guilt filled within him, he truly thought going to school was a waste of time knowing that his father was working so hard.

The journey to Warren's new high school took an hour and a half. The journey was always tranquil as he got to be alone with his thoughts for the dirt road he travelled on never had company. He alone enjoyed the scenery of brown grass on the countless hills as the sun slowly rose. It was a normal sight to him for he made this journey to town often but he never got tired of it. The journey itself was definitely more enjoyable than the destination itself. The town of Harvest was an eyesore. There were few buildings and they were shabby. The roads weren’t paved, they were mud roads. The town plaza located in the center of town was essentially empty land, looking more like a barren lot than anything else. The town wasn’t only ugly, it was boring. There were no parks, no theaters, no place where people could enjoy themselves. The closest thing they had to a club was an empty farmhouse that hosted various events. The only place to socialize with others was at the town’s single barbershop where men would congregate and stay long after they got their hair cut. The women and children had no place at all. But all of this was only supplementary to the real reason Warren hated town. He hated the people. His family had a negative reputation in town and they let him know it. They would always say something within Warren’s earshot. Whenever he came to town he could hear the disparaging comments about his family. If it were up to him he’d be in a fight with whoever badmouthed his father but he knew it would only cause trouble for him This is why Warren hated going to school and knew high school would be more of the same.

Harvest High School wasn’t exactly a step up from middle school. It was located in a battered building right next to the primary school building so Warren knew exactly where he was going. It had most of the same teachers, same classroom layout, and kids as middle school. Harvest was a small town so everyone knew each other so the people one met in 1st grade were the ones they’d graduate high school with. It wasn’t the type of town where high school was a new experience; it was the same just that the kids were slightly taller and dealing with hormones. Warren arrived in front of the building and let out a sigh. Next he went to a nearby post and hitched his horse to it. After making sure the rope was tied tight he went into the high school building, he knew which classroom he was assigned to because of the packets mailed beforehand, even knowing where his seat was so all he had to do was go in and sit down. It didn’t take him long to find the classroom as the layout was the same as his last school. He entered the classroom and took a seat in the back row near the window. The classroom was simple, there was a blackboard and desks. That’s all there was, the school board couldn’t afford anything else. The entire high school was a single storied building. There was no school library, students had to use the one library in Harvest. If they wanted textbooks, they had to order them beforehand which took a few weeks to arrive. Warren was one of the last students to arrive as most of the seats were already filled, the one next to him being excluded. No one greeted him, it had become common practice for the kids not to talk to him. He recognized all of their faces for they were the same ones he had to look at day in and day out last year. He looked out the window due to the lack of anything inside the classroom being interesting. He began to daydream when the teacher’s voice (the same teacher he had last year) snapped him back to attention.

“Hello everyone it’s nice to see you all back. I hope you’re all ready to learn. Isn’t it exciting? You’re all freshmen in high school now!” the female teacher excitedly exclaimed.

The students remained awkwardly silent.

The teacher sighed and said “Yeah I suppose it doesn’t feel like much has changed has it? But things have I swear, this is when all of you make memories that’ll last a lifetime.”

“Pfft like what?” A student asked.

“Well….wait you guys don’t have any places to hang out at. There’s really nothing to do in town. Wow this place is awful” the teacher realized.

She continued “You guys can ugh….wow your guys’ pessimism has affected me. Ok forget it let’s just learn.”

The teacher started writing on the board but abruptly stopped herself.

“Wait! New student! Totally forgot! Things will be slightly different this year. We have a new student joining us. You guys be nice.” the teacher ordered.

“Who would want to move to this place?” a kid pondered out loud.

“I know right? Everyone’s goal here is to move away” another added.

“Ok you can come in now, sorry for making you wait so long.” the teacher apologized as a girl entered the classroom.

She was wearing a blue sundress decorated with depictions of red flowers. Her hair was hazel brown and it was tied up in a long ponytail. Her eyes were also hazel brown. It was a nice appearance but it did not fit her surroundings, neither the classroom or the town itself.

“Joanna is there anything you would like to say to the class for your introduction?” the teacher questioned.

“Yeah one thing. I’m going to become the number one adventurer of all time! Thank you”

The class looked at her with puzzled expressions.

“Ugh...good for you Joanna. Go take your seat, you’re right next to Warren. Like your dress by the way”

“Thanks I hate it.”

The girl walked over as she heard the students mumble to themselves in confusion. Some made snide remarks, others were in awe of her sundress. The only student who didn’t have anything to say was the girl’s new seatmate Warren. He hadn’t been paying attention at all, he was looking out the window the entire time.

“Hi I’m Joanna” she greeted in an attempt to get Warren’s attention once she sat down at her desk.

It failed.

“Hi”

Still no response.

“Heyyyyyyy. Heyyyyyyyyyyyy.”

Frustrated, Joanna took out an eraser from her bag and threw it at his head.

“Huh?” a confused Warren said, looking around trying to figure out where the eraser came from.

“Hi I”m Joanna.”

“...Ok”

“I’m going to be the number one adventurer of all time”

“Good for you”

“You don’t talk a lot do you?”

“Nope”

“Psst Joanna. You shouldn’t talk to Warren” the girl who was sitting on Joanna’s other side whispered to her.

“Why not?” she whispered back.

“Well since you’re new I’ll let you in. Warren’s family is full of a bunch of good for nothings. His dad owes everyone in town money. His dad is drowning in debt. I heard his mom left their family because of it.”

“Huh, interesting. Anyway Warren, what are your hobbies?” Joanna asked, completely ignoring what she was just told.

“Joanna be quiet, class is starting!” the teacher shouted.

“Sorry!”

A few minutes passed as the students focused on the lesson before them. Everyone besides Joanna. She started to jitter until she couldn’t contain herself anymore.

“Warren...you’re going to be my friend. I can see it” Joanna whispered to him.

“Not happening.”

“Ohhhh so you want to make this a challenge? Ok we’re definitely going to be friends now”

Warren didn’t respond. He just sighed.