Ian snapped back to reality, suddenly aware of the time. The faint chatter of his coworkers and the rustling of the autumn wind had been nothing but background noise as he'd spiraled deeper into his thoughts.
The confusion and strange message were still lingering in his mind, but lunch break was over, and he hadn't realized how much time had passed. His stomach was no longer tight with hunger, but something about the weight of what had happened kept him distracted.
Ella and Jay were already making their way back to the worksite, ready to dig into the next round of planting. Ian stood up, his legs a bit stiff from sitting on the cold ground for too long. They headed back to the freshly tilled field, where rows of baby blueberry plants awaited their tiny homes.
The task ahead was simple enough: dig holes, plant trees, and water them. But as Ian reached for his shovel, something strange happened. As soon as his hand gripped the handle, he felt a connection.
It wasn't just the weight of the tool in his hand or the familiar feel of the worn handle. No, this was different. It felt like the shovel had become a part of him, like it was an extension of his own body. The sensation was so odd, he couldn't quite place it.
He tried to ignore the feeling, dismissing it as fatigue or the weirdness from the lunch break. But it lingered, that strange bond between him and the shovel. He gripped it a little tighter, not sure what to make of it. The feeling was uncomfortable but not painful. Still, he didn't have time to dwell on it. There was work to be done.
With a deep breath, he focused on the task at hand. He plunged the shovel into the earth, the cool soil giving way with ease. His hands worked methodically, but his mind kept drifting back to the strange sensation he'd felt.
As he dug, something else caught his attention. A small pop-up window appeared in front of him, almost blending into the background of his vision. It was smaller than the previous one, less intrusive, but it was there all the same.
[XP +1]
Ian froze, his heart skipping a beat. He stared at the notification for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing. XP? Experience points? Was this some kind of joke? His gaze flicked to his coworkers, but they were all busy with their own tasks, not noticing anything unusual. He tried to shake off the thought, but the small window lingered in his vision, taunting him.
Ella, who was walking by to pass him a baby tree, noticed Ian's sudden stillness. She stopped in her tracks, looking at him with a concerned expression.
"Ian? You alright?"
Ian snapped back to attention, shaking his head. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine." He glanced quickly at the pop-up window, but it had disappeared, leaving him with nothing but confusion.
Ella raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You look kinda spaced out there for a second."
Ian forced a smile, trying to shake off the odd sensation that had settled in his chest. "Just tired, I guess," he said, trying to brush it off.
Ian took the baby tree from Ella and placed it carefully on the ground beside him. He paused for a moment, adjusting his grip on the shovel. Without thinking much about it, he began digging again, each scoop of earth falling away with rhythmic ease. As his shovel hit the dirt again and again, the small pop-up notifications kept appearing, almost like clockwork. [XP +1] Each time, it seemed to stack on top of the last, a new one appearing with every motion of the shovel.
Ian tried to focus on the task, to push the strange feeling out of his mind. But the notifications wouldn't stop, flashing in the corner of his vision like they were keeping track of his every move. It was distracting, but this time, he decided not to give it any more attention. It wasn't worth thinking about. There were bigger things to worry about. The work needed to get done.
He dug deeper, the shovel cutting into the earth, each scoop earning him a small, invisible reward. [XP +1] The sound of the shovel against the dirt was oddly comforting, and yet, the pop-ups kept appearing, each new one another reminder that something was off.
By the time he finished digging the hole for the tree, the notification had stacked up so many times he had lost count. He pushed the thought aside, focused on the task in front of him. He carefully lowered the baby tree into the hole and began covering it with soil.
The moment the last of the dirt settled, a new message flashed before him. [New tree planted XP +20]
The notification was so unexpected, it almost made him stop in his tracks. +20? What was that supposed to mean? He wasn't sure. He quickly pushed the window aside, not wanting to appear distracted again. He didn't want his coworkers thinking he was losing his mind.
Ian forced himself to concentrate on the next task, the next tree, the next hole. He worked as hard as he could, ignoring the increasingly frequent pop-up messages. [XP +1] It became almost routine, the notifications flashing in his peripheral vision, each one an odd intrusion into the work he was trying to focus on.
Time passed, and the afternoon seemed to drag on until finally, at 4 PM, Lucas appeared, his broad figure casting a long shadow across the field.
"Alright, everyone, wrap it up for the day," Lucas called, his voice carrying across the space.
Ian felt a sense of relief, though it was mixed with exhaustion. He dropped his shovel and walked toward the truck, ready to leave for the day.
As he was heading toward his car, Jay jogged up beside him.
"Oi, Ian! Want to stop for a drink?" Jay asked, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, a casual grin on his face.
Ian hesitated for a moment, but then shook his head. "Maybe tomorrow. I'm just tired today," he said, offering a weak smile.
Jay raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Alright, mate. See you around."
Ian gave him a quick nod and walked toward his car, eager to leave. After stopping by the store to pick up a pizza for dinner, he headed home.
When he arrived, he could see Lucy sitting in the living room with one of the other tenants. She was a beautiful young woman, around the same age as Ian, with long, dark hair and a warm smile that lit up her face. She was dressed casually in a sweater and jeans, looking every bit the college student she was. Her name was Mia, and she was studying at the university nearby, always friendly and easy to talk to.
Ian greeted them both quickly, but his mind was elsewhere. He didn't stop to chat. Instead, he headed straight to his room, dropping his things by the door and heading for the bed.
"Do you think he's afraid of me now?" Lucy asked with a sigh, her voice tinged with guilt. "Did I hit him too hard this morning?"
Mia's smile softened as she looked at Lucy. "I'm sure he's not scared of you, Lucy. But maybe you should talk to him. He's probably just feeling a little off."
Lucy frowned, her heart sinking a bit. "I didn't mean to hit him. I just... I was irritated. He kept setting the alarm and I was so tired..."
Sophie chuckled lightly, "I think he knows you didn't mean it. But why don't you invite him for dinner? That might help."