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Chapter Text

Morris looked forward to the look on that failure Pierre’s face when he saw the Joja construction workers showing up at the old Community Center and soon to be Jojamart. It had taken patience and cunning, but Morris had finally done it. In the rush for last minute Winter Star preparations, Morris had brought in one more membership for Jojamart, and as expected Mayor Lewis had finally seen reason and sold the old Community Center. The old man had seemed sad to let it go, but Morris knew that sentimentality wasn’t enough to keep him from the money Joja was willing to provide for such a strategic investment. Morris had known he could wear Lewis down eventually, and it had paid off.

Morris straightened out and filed away the last of the paperwork involved in the sale and checked that the construction orders were already well in progress. Morris, being the perfect manager he was, had gotten everything all ready to send off as soon as the opportunity came, so starting the very next day a team was to arrive and begin the transformation of the center into the warehouse. And following that, surely the transformation of the whole town, as this was just the next step of Joja corporation’s plans.

“Thank you, Lewis. You’ve made an excellent choice for your town,” Morris stood. “I’ve got some preparations to finish up. I’ll leave you to your own work,”

“Yes, yes,” Lewis said, distracted by reminiscence or plans for the money, Morris didn’t care. He slunk out of the mayor’s office and started back towards Jojamart.

As he came to his turn just at the path from the beach, that son of the carpenter crossed his path. Morris stopped. That reminded Morris of another piece of his agenda, hiring Robin to the Joja construction division.

“Hello...Sebastian?” Morris started.

Sebastian stopped, and turned to stare back at him. His expression blank, dead almost, with notes of disbelief and contempt, or maybe that was just what Morris had come to expect from some residents.

“I have excellent news for Pelican Town, and your mother in particular. Construction begins on the new warehouse tomorrow. We are always glad to welcome skilled new workers to our team. I am sure your mother would thrive as part of Joja corporation, and this opportunity would be especially convenient, being just south of your home.” as he spoke, Morris thrust a business card into Sebastian’s hands. “Please let her know about this excellent opportunity.”

Sebastian made a rude gesture and turned around, continuing on his way without a single word spoken in the “exchange.”

“Social skills as corpse-like as his appearance,” Morris muttered.

Apparently Sebastian heard, and looked back over his shoulder. He grinned, and a chill ran down Morris’s spine.

Probably a better bet to speak to his mother directly.

Morris hurried back to Jojamart, and met no one else on his way, which he was suddenly grateful for. He wondered why he’d bothered in the first place; he didn’t need that punk kid’s help. He knew what work he had to do.

#

Shane was finishing up his shift when Morris re-entered his domain.

Morris considered reminding him about his tasks for tomorrow, as Morris would be busy supervising the start of the warehouse, but he needed to send off the last report for the purchase ASAP, so he made a mental note of it and returned to his office.

He was deep into the work when an unwelcome interruption arrived.

“Morris,” it was Shane.

“A bit early for you to be stopping work, Shane,” Morris replied.

“My shift is over,” Shane nodded to the clock. Morris frowned, technically correct, but he should really be doing more to help right after closing on such an important day, right before Winter Star.

“You put me on the schedule tomorrow. I told you, I can’t work then,” Shane said.

“We need you here tomorrow, Shane,” this interruption was not resolving quickly enough. Morris tapped his pen on his desk, itching to shut Shane up and get back to work. “I said as much,”

“And I said you’d have to figure something else out. I’m not coming in tomorrow,”

“Don’t you value your job, Shane? Being reliable is an important quality of-”

“I’ve been nothing but reliable, you’ve got me working damn near every day this season, and I have showed up each time. No one will even come tomorrow. It’s the Feast of the Winter Star!” he sighed, rubbed his eyes. “I promised Jas, alright? I can’t miss out. Come on, Morris, just one day off.”

“I’m terribly sorry, Shane, but that just isn’t a possibility. Joja needs you,” Morris ignored any further attempts to protest or argue.

Shane left in a huff. Morris spent long hours on his own preparing for the next day of Winter Star, and the work to get the Joja warehouse up and running. He added a conversation with Robin to his schedule for the next day and hoped he could avoid another encounter with Sebastian.

#

Dobson was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Morris signed it. And Morris’s name was good upon ‘Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to.

Old Dobson was as dead as a door-nail.

Mind! I don’t mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country’s done for. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Dobson was as dead as a door-nail.

#

Morris felt another chill as he entered his home. It had been a good day, but a very cold one. That was all, still, Morris had a strange desire to hurry up and turn on the lights. He set down the keys with a clink.

Then there was another clink. A rattle. Morris froze, the chill air plummeting further in temperature and the darkness seeming deeper. Then more horrifyingly, a pale light crept down the hallway. Morris could do nothing as a figure appeared. Translucent, wrapped all in chains. It stepped toward him, and among the terror, Morris felt a sense of recognition.

“D-Dobson?” Morris squeaked out.

“Morris,” Dobson grumbled, and came forward. The chains rattled, and Joja brand crates dragged behind him. “Morris.” as he walked, it sounded like he stepped among money and garbage.

“What are you...what are you doing here? What has become of you?” Morris shook under the distant and haunting gaze of his former Joja supervisor.

“You will end up just like me Morris,” Dobson groaned. “After a life of manipulation, serving evil, greed. Tethered down to horror. A meaningless specter, forgotten to time. Even you hardly think of me, Morris.”

Morris shuddered. “No, that can’t-” he rubbed his eyes, exhaustion sadly departed his body in this nightmare, had he passed out at his desk again?

“You have one chance to change your fate,” Dobson said. “Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits. You must listen to them. Unless you want to be able to rival this,” he rattled the chains with a gruesome smile. Then he dispersed, slowly walking away, each step thudding and rattling.

The room seemed once again more like reality, the edge of the chill gone, the colour returning, but Morris sunk to the ground, shaking.

Eventually he found it in him to scramble into bed, though it was a long time before he found sleep.

Chapter Text

Morris woke, with a start, yet a gentle sense that there was some pause or stillness. He sat up in bed, still not over the horror of earlier, though he was beginning to believe he’d just dreamed it now.

Then another ghostly face appeared in front of him.

Morris screamed, and tried to run. He tumbled out of bed, still twisted in the sheets.

“I had hoped you were expecting me,” the figure said, though perhaps the anticipation that had been already created only worsened Morris’s reaction.

“First Dobson...what’s going on,” Morris fought to stand, though as the figure moved to float in front of him, he froze again.

“So, Dobson did warn you,” the ghost said.

“What do you want?” Morris wearily sat up. “I knew Dobson but who are you?”

“You can call me Grandpa.” he said with a smile, and Morris realized this ghost felt much warmer than Dobson had. There were no chains, and the glow of him lit up the room with a softer blue light. He had a beard, a cap, and a friendly look in his eyes. “I was a farmer here in Pelican Town. Perhaps you’ve seen my old farm,”

Morris had. Joja had been trying to buy the property for years, but the ownership of it was not available. Morris had taken it upon him self to attempt it when he’d first moved to this location, but Lewis had firmly explained that it wasn’t for sale, and there was nothing he could do about it. The deed to the place was not in his hands. Eventually Morris had given up. If this was truly the owner’s ghost, though, perhaps now would be his chance to get the place. Was that what Dobson was going on about? Was this his chance at success?

“Oh yes, what a beautiful property. It must have been truly a sight to see back when you were...well, alive,” Morris tried to grin. “Shame nothing is happening with it now,”

“A shame,” Grandpas eyes went bright but distant, seeming to glow with a past world. “Though I have hope that someday it will be glorious once more. But that is not the purpose of my visit here,” his eyes focused back onto Morris, who wasn’t keen on being the target of the ghost’s suddenly piercing look.

“I am here to show you the past. Winter Star past.” the ghost said, and there seemed to be power in the words and the room around, though Morris didn’t want to pay attention to that, instead seeming puzzled.

“Winter star? Yes, it's tomorrow, why does that matter?”

“You will see. Now come with me,” and Grandpa gave Morris little choice, grabbing his hand, and then they were off, out of the window, over the valley. Morris screamed again. The view hurtled away, and as the colours reconciled them in his vision again, there was a completely different scene below.

“What happened?” Morris gasped.

“We’ve just traveled to Zuzu city, quite a few years ago.” Grandpa explained.

They flew down toward a house that was too familiar to Morris.

As they landed, a tiny, younger version of Morris ran by. The scene unfolding in front of him felt unreal yet Morris recognized it as a memory, and he was captured as he watched.

The younger Morris and his neighbour Jordan were making snowmen.

“Mine’s going to be way better than yours!” Jordan said.

“No it won’t!” Morris replied.

“Then let’s prove it! Whoever builds a better one gets a Joja cola!”

Morris carefully rolled the snow to the perfect size. They were just about to put on the finishing decorations when a snowball shot out and smacked into Jordan’s snowman, knocking one of the arms off.

“Hey!” Jordan shouted.

Another neighbour, one that Morris had never been friends with, showed up, holding another snowball. “Watch out,” the kid grinned meanly.

“Stop it!” Morris said, but could do nothing as the other smashed at both snowmen.

“What are you doing with these snow goons anyway, what are you, babies?” when they were sufficiently trampled, he ran off to laugh and join his friends.

Morris stared at the ruined creations, tears filling his eyes. But then he looked over, where Jordan was starting to roll another ball.

“What are you just standing around for? The competition is still on. Or have you given up?” Jordan grinned.

Morris shook his head quickly and got to work rebuilding. “Mine is still going to be the best.”

Morris of the present frowned. “We were always competing. But why are we here?”

“The story continues...” Grandpa didn’t elaborate, only revealed another scene. Morris recognized it as his optimistic start working at Joja.

He’d just started working for Jojamart. Morris and Jordan were walking through the sterile halls of a Jojacorp office building, toward the meeting room.

“I’m going to take Joja to new levels,” Morris insisted eagerly, maybe aggressively. “And Joja Corporation is the future. They’re modern and efficient. All their business ventures are successful, and we’re at the cutting edge of technology,”

“So, you think you can get the promotion by being a suck up, huh?” said Jordan. “I know I’ve got what it takes. I think you’re a fraud,”

“You would know a thing or two about fraud after that incident last month,” Morris smirked. Jordan almost hid the wince, but Morris caught it.

“You’re so cutthroat. Guess that’s your best quality though.” Jordan paused as they reached the room. “Well we’ll just have to find out who got it, could be anyone’s game. May the best man win,” he stuck out his hand, which Morris shook.

“Yeah, well, you’re good for keeping me on my toes, at least. Can’t relax too much,” Morris admitted.

Jordan ended up getting the promotion, and Morris dedicated himself to his work even more.

Watching from the future, Morris knew what he was doing better now, but those things he’d learned in his first month on the job, that hope he’d go so far...and where was he now? Manager yes, of that tiny Pelican Town. Morris swallowed down any negative feelings. That’s what this strange trip was for. Dobson had always seen his potential, and now Morris had to take it to new levels. Maybe he’d revolutionize Pelican Town.

“I understand now,” Morris said, confidence regained. “I know what Dobson wanted me to understand. I’ve got to stop wasting time. It’s time for Stardew Valley to embrace Joja, and I’ve got a lot of work to do to make that happen. You can take me back now,”

Grandpa sighed. “I have one more part of the past to show you, Morris.”

The world whirled away and was replaced with the familiar palette of a Jojamart. A more experienced Morris sat at his desk working. It was late in the evening. One of the many years Morris worked on Winter Star. He often did, because there were always people needed to work then, and Morris was always happy to be that person. Unfortunately, many others weren’t, which tended to mean more work for him. But he was used to it and prepared to do the work. He wasn’t the type to waste time on silly things.

Which year was this? So many blended together, at Jojamart.

Joja had had a great year. Sales were up, new locations were being opened all over the map. There were plans to open new Jojamart locations even in some remote towns, finally bringing the franchise to where it was needed. Joja brand was expanding the kinds of things that were made, getting close to the dream where anything a person might need could be bought at Joja. Really making anything possible. Morris prepared a speech to present these findings at a meeting in the new year, since a good year meant more work to make use of that progress. The phone rang. Another call from his mother. Well. He’d said he wouldn’t come. He didn’t for the holidays, they knew he was busy, he really wished they’d just respect his life, what he was doing with it.

As the phone rang again, a sense of dread filled Morris of the present. Finally, Morris of the past answered it.

Morris couldn’t hear the words that his past self was listening to, but from the expression crossing his own face, and whatever gut feelings he had that were in tune with the world, he was starting to feel he knew what had happened, which Winter Star this was. Jordan had fallen ill, left the company, and gone back to their hometown. Morris was deep in work at Joja, and never visited, didn’t even consider doing so.

Against Morris’s will, Grandpa drew them closer. Quietly from the phone, Morris heard the lines he always would have remembered anyway.

“Well, he would have been glad you’re doing well anyway. He said to wish you well before he passed.” it was said in such a casual, distanced way, which had made Morris furious with his mother at the time, that she could be so careless and distant when someone had died, as if Morris hadn’t been so much worse. Why should his mother put such care into presenting the death of someone she hardly knew, when even Morris who’d known him had been so cold?

The doubts of that dark time, which Morris thought he’d moved past, swept up again.

“Why are you showing me this? What do you want from me?” Morris begged.

Grandpa shook his head. “So, you have regrets. You had love, and you lost it. That’s what I can show you, the past. What was. Who you were and what you let happen. But that is not all you need to learn to understand, Morris. As you’ve been told, there are two more spirits yet to visit you. I can only show the past. Your present isn’t as rosy as you’ve told yourself,”

The world spun faster than it had from that phone call and Morris found himself violently back in his bedroom. Grandpa was nowhere to be seen.

Chapter Text

Morris’s thoughts stilled. The gentle sound of the sea, waves lapping, a stillness in the steady motion surrounded him.

Another figure rose up to him, as if rising from the sea, lifting from water that wasn’t there, and yet was.

Morris looked up, more uncertain than ever at the purpose of all this, but now it was seeming really like this strange ghost business was happening whether he liked, understood, or accepted it or not.

This ghost reminded Morris of the fisherman at the docks, but much older. His face was grim, weary, as he looked at Morris. There was some longing that swept over the room as Morris looked in his eyes. He looked away quickly.

“You’re not ready yet. No. You’ve got more to see,” the man sighed, like a whisper of wind across the water. Seafoam curled off his words. “Of course, this business has to happen in winter. I’ve never worked as well in snow as rain, but I can make it work. The world around you is in transition, Morris. You are so focused on making your mark on it, you haven’t paid any attention to the world around you right now.”

Speaking of the world around him, Morris was suddenly completely unable to focus on that, as it spun and blurred around him.

Morris found himself inside a cozy house, festively decorated. It was the kitchen, and it was not familiar, though when Shane and Marnie appeared, Morris realized where he was.

“I don’t know what to do about it, Marnie. I don’t want to let Jas down, but Morris wouldn’t-” Shane shook his head. “Who’s going to be at jojamart anyway? Everyone in this town will be at the feast. Maybe I just won’t show up. I’ve already missed enough with Jas. And I really need to be here for her now, cheer her up.”

Marnie looked conflicted as well as Shane expressed his concerns.

Morris had started with a note of irritation seeing Shane and his attempts to get out of work. But those words sort of chilled him. Missed enough. Just like Morris had missed his chance. Those years he’d ignored any other people in order to work the days no one else had. Maybe he should have gone to that party Jordan had hosted. Now all his friends were dead.

Morris shook away these doubts. He still needed to value the others being reliable. In order to reach Joja’s potential for this area as he’d have to, he would have to stick to his decisions. Maybe that’s why he was here, to strengthen his resolve. Not go soft when it was most important, despite any opportunities for doubts.

Then Jas walked in, sniffling. She coughed a bit and Shane and Marnie turned toward her, moving to approach.

“Jas, what are you doing up?” Marnie asked.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Jas said. “Keep coughing.”

“We’ll get you something to drink, okay?” Shane said.

“Hopefully she will feel better by tomorrow for Winter Star. It would probably make her feel much better to have Shane there.” the Mariner said. “This isn’t all that is happening right now.”

The Old Mariner sailed them away. Then their ship started to sink into the water. Morris yelled but the Mariner just laughed, and quickly they were submerged.

The world around was cold, dark, but as they travelled, Morris heard a song. Sadness far greater than that around the Old Mariner swelled up everywhere. With the Mariner, it felt like the sadness was pressing in all around him, crushing him. Now the song made something inside him well up, some sorrow in the melody that rewrote itself on Morris’s heart.

The ship stopped and dissolved from under them, they stood on the ocean floor. Garbage sat around Morris’s ankles. He could taste a foulness in the water. A mermaid lay in the garbage in front of them, singing the song.

“A mermaid,” Morris forgot he was underwater and didn’t question his voice.

“This will be her final song,” the Mariner said. “That is why it is so sad. She knows.” he gestured at the garbage around. “She is sick. It’s getting worse.”

Morris looked around.

“Ever since Jojamart moved in here, this started. It’s unbelievable, the amount of garbage that place can output even in such a small town. It is poisoning some of the beings here. This water was the mermaid’s home, and she chose not to leave, to try to fight for it. But this is her last battle, Morris. This is where the mermaids of this cove will win or lose,” he stared right at Morris, who couldn’t hold his gaze, and was lured back to the mermaid’s song.

The tragedy went on for a few more minutes, in which Morris could not move nor think, but then it faded away. The mermaid, now silent, closed her eyes.

“I have one more thing to show you,“ The mariner said eventually, and guided them once more to another place.

This time Morris immediately knew where they were. “The old community center?”

“Come inside,” the Mariner passed through the door and Morris somewhat hesitantly followed.

Morris gaped at the little gathering he found. Strange huts sat in corners of the room, and little round colourful creatures were hopping around and chirping. They were clearly distressed.

“What are these? What’s going on?” Morris asked.

“They are the Junimo.” the Mariner explained. “And they know what you are planning for this center, and what it will mean for them.”

“They live here?” Morris frowned. That would complicate the project. “Does Lewis know?”

“No,” the Mariner said. “Few in the valley do. But they are a part of the community none the less.”

Morris stared at the gathering. He shifted awkwardly. There was a strangeness to the environment. This whole night had reeked of magic, hadn’t it? When Morris had been assigned to Pelican, people had commented on the rumours of it being a magical place. Morris hadn’t really cared at the time. Any mentions of magic fighting back against Joja’s advancements had seemed laughable. Now Morris was getting worried. Would this get in the way of the plans for the valley?

“This place is more than a building,” the Mariner said. “I’m sure you understand that by now,”

“I do,” Morris said, and he fully meant it. Even before tonight, he knew. It was significant in some way, it was powerful. It wasn’t just a building to Joja, either, it was a symbol of its significance in this town. It meant that the place was as good as approved for Joja development.

“It goes even deeper than status,” the Mariner said.

A mind-reader too, huh? “I see.”

The Mariner stepped away, and the two were back in Morris’s room.

The Mariner stared at Morris a long time. “If you make the right choice, I might even see you again some day. If you don’t, well, this is it.” then he dissipated into sea foam and seagulls. Morris was left standing in the dark, uncomfortably aware of his senses and the movements of the night outside.

Chapter Text

There was supposed to be one more ghost, right? Well, now Morris was prepared at least, so hopefully this last experience would be less freaky and he could just get this over with and forget the whole experience.

Morris shuddered. The temperature in the room dropped and the lights dimmed. A figure in a dark hooded cloak emerged from the shadows.

“Morris,” there was malice in his voice, and it felt personal.

Morris shook where he stood. “What do you want?” what he’d meant was more like what do you want to show me, or where are we going, but this was all that came out in his panic.

The figure pulled back the hood to reveal Sebastian, looking pissed. “You really don’t have a clue, huh?”

Morris stared. “You’re dead?”

Sebastian grinned and Morris felt the same dread as earlier. “Hey, you already figured I was dead normally, right?”

“What happened?”

“No idea. Not complaining though, since I get to show you the worst part,” Sebastian threw his hood back on, grabbed Morris’s wrist, and they rushed off through cold and darkness.

It was outside the community center again, though this time it was a Joja warehouse? But the place was battered. Windows shattered.

“Are those...bullet holes?” Morris asked.

“Yep. Your Joja friends went pretty hard fighting back. The Junimo war was brutal for how short lived it was.” Sebastian looked around and sighed. “After this place went Joja, the spirits were pretty angry. Abby, the Wizard, and Kent launched an attack. Took the place back.” Sebastian motioned for Morris to follow, and went over past the community center, to the south. A bunch of small graves stood there, and a brilliant rainbow of flowers and plants, fruits and vegetables, herbs, all blossomed around. Several Junimo stood at the graves, looking solemn. The air in the place was floral and fresh though, as though even in death, the Junimo brought magic and life.

Sebastian’s hood was off again. As Morris looked back at him, he stared at him with that look that Morris really didn’t like. Without a word, Sebastian started heading toward the bridge, and Morris understood to follow him.

As they passed by town, they heard voices. Happy ones, celebratory. Morris glanced over and saw the Tree of the Winter Star, and the feast all spread out around it, as the inhabitants of the Valley shared the meal together. He saw a slightly grey-haired Shane and a shockingly older Jas enjoying the night.

As they approached the other side, Morris saw that the Jojamart was in the same state as the warehouse, though in some ways even more broken down. Garbage littered the place. An old Joja cola can rattled along the ground as the wind blew it, but other than that the place was still. Sebastian led him around back behind the Jojamart, where there was a single grave.

“Whose is this?” Morris asked. Sebastian just pointed to it, standing back. The thing was buried in Joja trash, so Morris had to dig through.

He froze. As if all the blood left his body. He was more ghost than Sebastian.

His own name stared back at him from this poorly tended grave. Surrounded by waste. All he’d ever fought for lying in ruins around.

Joja corporation had given up on this place. On him. All he’d ever wanted was to be a part of something bigger, to make his mark on the world. Was this really all that he left?

“This can’t be right,” Morris swallowed thickly.

“It happened.” Sebastian shrugged. “You dedicated your life to Joja.”

“They took it gladly,” Morris said, staring at the grave. “This can’t be right. I...I was supposed to save this place. Transform it.”

“Well, I’ve got to say, this place will be feeling the effects of this for a long time.” Sebastian stared off into the mountains, smoke wafting from his lips. When had he lit that cigarette? Why was Morris questioning the abilities of the suddenly supernatural nuisance?

“Well what am I supposed to do with this?” Morris stood sharply, a sudden rage returning to his bones. He wasn’t that weak anymore. That’s what got him here. “Why are you showing me this? I don’t want to know, alright? Why torment me? I know you don’t like me but was this really necessary?” and tears gathered in his eyes.

“This is Winter Star Future,” Sebastian said. “None of this has happened yet, Morris. Don’t you finally get it? This is what you are meant to see. This is what you are doing. Is this what you want? To be forgotten, to have poisoned the world, to ultimately have been trampled by it? Joja is happy for your sacrifice,” Sebastian said the last part creepily like some of Morris’s bosses had said in the past, though obviously not those exact words. “Joja has forgotten you more thoroughly than anyone at that feast, Morris. If you understand nothing else we’ve shown you, understand that,” Sebastian’s dark eyes dared Morris to deny it. Defend Joja.

For a moment he tried. But no defence appeared. Morris shrunk. Stared at his grave, at the hollow Joja riddled with signs of battle and neglect.

“Please just get me out of here. I’ve had enough, alright? I don’t want this. I don’t want this.” Morris begged.

Sebastian pulled the hood over his face, and everything went dark.

Chapter Text

Morris opened his eyes to his normal ceiling, no longer dark with night or glowing with ghostly power. Morning sunlight managed to get in through the gaps in the blinds. Cautiously, Morris sat up. He looked at his hands, at his room above the Jojamart. It was not destroyed. Everything was as it had been. No bullet holes. No garbage.

Morris rushed down into Jojamart.

He nearly jumped as the door opened, and Shane walked in.

“Shane!” Morris rushed over to him. “Shane, what day is it? What year is it?”

Shane took a step back. “Are you on something? It’s fucking Winter Star and I’m already rethinking showing up,” Shane took another step back toward the door, but Morris rushed forward and pulled Shane into a hug.

“Thank Yoba, it’s not too late,” Morris released Shane. “Happy Winter Star! Take the day off, Shane!”

“Alright, thanks, I will,” Shane replied and hurried out the door. Morris took barely a moment to grab his boots and some essential Joja documentation, then he headed out into the snow, hurrying to the community centre.

As he rushed through town, everyone was starting to set up for the feast. “Happy Winter Star everyone!” Morris shouted as he sped past, ignoring the range of shocked, horrified, and all around confused looks he got as he nearly tripped up the stairs.

The construction crews were already there.

“Stop!” Morris shouted, out of breath, as he arrived on the scene. “This project has been cancelled!”

All the Joja employees just sort of stared blankly at him.

“Cancelled?” Lewis approached. Apparently he’d been watching the start of the end of the community centre.

“Lewis!” Morris smiled. “Just who I was hoping to see! Happy Winter Star!”

“What’s this about? The project was cancelled?” Lewis looked confused.

“I’m cancelling it right now. Hang on,” Morris stomped up to the community centre. He pulled out the key Lewis had given him on its sale and unlocked it, before turning around. “All of you stay out there. Don’t do anything,” he glared, and they responded helpfully, shrinking back and putting down their equipment. Morris carefully entered the center and closed the door behind him.

He looked around. The room was still and dusty as he remembered from the night before, and the Junimo huts were where he remembered them. There was no trace of the Junimos yet, though.

“Hello?” Morris said. “Junimos?”

After a pause, one appeared. It chirped and ran off into a room. Morris followed, and found a golden note in a strange script. The Junimo was no where in sight.

“What do I do with this?” Morris muttered, but even as he said it, he knew what he had to do next.

#

Morris sold Lewis back the Community Center for a fraction of the cost.

“You can do this?” Lewis said. “I thought the sale was final,”

“It was,” Morris admitted. “I’m probably going to have to fake my death after this.”

Lewis gave him a look. “Why are you doing this?”

Morris was at a loss for how to explain. “It’s magic.”

“What?”

“The Community Center is magic. And Joja corp-” Morris shook his head, the sense of betrayal only beginning to sink in. “They’re full of lies. They are...Joja is not what I thought it was. I guess I finally realized that.”

Lewis smiled at last. “Well I’m glad to hear it. Thank you.” he looked at his watch. “Well I guess we’d better get moving. The feast is about to start.”

Lewis and Morris entered town square together, and Lewis went over to his spot. Morris lingered a bit awkwardly on the edge of the square, before deciding to head over to where Shane’s family was, at least to maybe break him the news that his boss was dead.

Morris tried to slip behind Sam, Sebastian, and Abigail, who were chatting before everyone sat down to eat. Maybe he should tell Sam too, though with Sebastian there, maybe it could wait. Though Morris wanted to check that Sebastian actually seemed alive, of course indicating that he was concerned or curious about that would be strange.

“I had the weirdest dream last night, man,” Sebastian said.

“Oh yeah? Let me guess, it was about the fish and the jukebox again wasn’t it?” Sam said around a mouthful of stolen pre-feast pastry.

Sebastian “Nah, Morris was-” Sebastian stopped, at that moment happening to make eye contact with Morris.

“Morris?” Sam grimaced. “More like a nightmare, right?”

Abigail elbowed him, and he spun to see Morris, and nearly fell over.

“Yo Sebastian, I told you to lay off the dark arts, didn’t I?” Sam grabbed at his friend’s hoodie.

Sebastian just stared at Morris, who imagined his thoughts were racing, trying to make sense of what had happened. What was real. Morris related.

“Uh, Happy Winter Star,” Morris stammered out, then darted off towards Shane’s table, which the more he thought about it didn’t seem like a particularly good idea after all.

“Shane,” Morris said, then cleared his throat. “Hello Marnie, Jas. Happy Winter Star.”

Marnie smiled, though looked confused, and Jas watched shyly from her spot beside Shane.

“Happy Winter Star,” Marnie offered. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Yes, I didn’t expect to be here myself. I was um...finishing some business with Lewis, and we were nearby, I thought I’d say hello.”

“Business with Lewis?” Marnie asked.

“Yes, the warehouse project was cancelled. I sold back the community center?”

“You what?” Shane finally spoke. “Seriously Morris, what are you up to? What happened?”

“I died.”

“What?”

“Officially, I died. That’s my story. When Joja comes looking for me for ruining their plans for this town, I’ll have faked my death. Become someone else. That’s the plan.”

Shane still stared at him, uncomprehending.

“I’ve given up on Joja corporation and all of their-” he glanced at Jas. “Garbage.”

Shane narrowed his eyes.

“I might have had what felt like a near death experience yesterday and realized the true fragility of what I have spent my whole life building.”

“And you immediately turned around to sabotage and fake your own death?”

“Yes?”

“Damn,” Shane said, then winced at the sharp look from Marnie he didn’t even have to see to feel. “Uh, follow me a second.”

Morris followed Shane out of earshot from the tables.

“So, how’d you die?” Shane asked.

“Huh?” Morris said. “I uh, hmm. Does it matter?”

“I mean I’ll need to know to report to Joja. I’m the one who found your body, right? When I came in to work this morning? What am I telling Joja?”

“You’ll do that?” Morris expected Shane to be more irritated about this.

He looked almost impressed, though. Or maybe he thought this was funny.

“It would be more of a pain not to,” Shane shrugged. Morris wasn’t sure whether or not that was true. “I guess an enemy of my enemy is my friend, or something. Not that we’re friends.”

“Okay…” Morris thought for a moment. “Um...I was crushed by the Joja cola vending machine?”

Shane rolled his eyes. “Alright. That works.” he stared at Morris again, kind of judgementally, but like, rather than Morris was this nuisance barely worth looking at.

“Well, see you at your funeral,” Shane waved, and returned to his family.

The feast continued, everyone (even Morris) having too much of Gus’s many amazing dishes.

“Morris?”

Morris overheard his name quietly from over by the tree. He looked over at the same time Abigail looked up. She was holding a gift. After an awkward moment, she approached him.

“I swear this gift wasn’t there a second ago, then it appeared, like, out of nowhere. Which is kind of creepy. It has your name on it, though, but the from is blank. What’s with the wrapping, too?”

The pattern of the wrapping paper had ghosts on it. It took Morris a second to gather the courage to take it from Abigail.

“You got Morris a gift?” Sam asked, approaching with Sebastian, who seemed as troubled by the appearance of a ghost gift as Morris.

“No!” Abigail responded sharply. “I just found it and thought it was creepy. Wait, was it from you Sebastian? Don’t you dream about Morris or something?”

“Wasn’t me,” Sebastian said shortly. He and Morris shared a look.

Morris took a deep breath and opened the box.

Inside there was an envelope, with a wax seal on it. Morris lifted it out and set the box aside.

He held his breath and as he unsealed the wax, he could feel the three onlookers watching tensely as well. He pulled a letter from the envelope and started to read.

Morris,

If you are reading this, you made the right choice. I knew there was hope yet for this place, and for you. My grandson lived a life much like yours. I had hoped to leave my farm to him, but he has sealed his fate, throwing away the deed to the farm and pledging his life to Joja.

In stead, I will leave the farm to you. Enclosed is the deed to Carol Farm, my pride and joy. I hear you’ll be needing a new identity.

I know you will take care of it, as you always take full pride in your work.

Grandpa