I never knew my parents. I never knew their names, their personalities, what they even looked like. I never knew if they actually planned to have me, or if I was an oopsie baby. I knew they were secret agents, and they died in the line of duty…so I like to think they worked hard and were very passionate people. I mean I had to inherit it from somewhere…right?
I work as hard as I can without overworking myself (most of the time I do anyway.) and I’m passionate about what I do and my goals. Is it monotonous, yes. But in the end – when I use the new toilet, sleep in my new bed, look out my new windows…when I see the walls and the house that all my hard work has paid for – in the end, it’s all worth it.
Ana Amari
0.02 – Slice of Paradise
Dig, dig, dig. That’s all I did in the mornings. I would dig until there were no more valuable rocks. Then I would move on to harvesting. I would harvest strawberries, bluebells, snapdragons, mushrooms, and glowfruit. There were blackberry bushes around the island, but they weren’t harvestable yet. Along my harvesting route, I would check logs for frogs. I still hadn’t found a frog worth much, but it doesn’t stop me from breeding them with my high valued one.
All the digging made me filthy, though, I guess sleeping and peeing in bushes (not sleeping in peed in bushes) doesn’t help the hygiene issue. I could go to the mainland and shower at a gym or something…but it’s a little embarrassing. I will never admit this, ever, to anyone: I am a proud woman. I don’t like accepting help, I don’t like asking for it.
On my route, I found a cave with roots and overgrowth. I had never noticed it before. Should I really go through it? I had no idea where it led. But…you only live once, right?
The first thing I saw was a natural pool. For a brief moment, I wondered if this was paradise…and if so, was it all mine? I quickly stripped to my undies and jumped into the pool. It did nothing for my hygiene, if anything I felt grimier. But oooh, the water felt amazing on my aching bones and muscles. I never realized how much work I was putting myself through. I swam around and soaked in this little slice of paradise.
I spent the afternoon diving, swimming, and basking in the sun. I made a mental note to come here again soon, after my house was built and things settled into a relaxing routine.
I came home, well after the sun had set. My plants needed watered, and I was in dire need of a shower and a meal. Which coincidentally, I had a new shower and an ice chest with some walls. The Watcher must love me, either that or things sold and contractors came in with my odd request. Either way, I could take a shower and sleep with a full belly…but first I needed to water my moneymakers.
The shower felt heavenly, a second slice of paradise for the day. I washed the dirt, the mud, the slime and algae. I washed my stress and aches, and my problems. I felt happy. No. Elated for the first time since I moved to the island. All because I had a proper shower, and would be eating a bowl of fruit loops against the first walls to my house — my real slice of paradise.
Now all I needed was a real bed.
0.01 – Won the Lottery
Truth be told, when I won this island in the lottery…I wasn’t expecting to be spending my days on the mainland. I spent my first week at this über library, they had top of the line things…things I didn’t have at home.
They would let the hungry use their kitchens to make food: I was hungry and needed food. I felt bad that I would come here mostly for the food. But no one seemed to care about it…or at least they haven’t said anything. They mostly left me to myself.
I tried yoga, it helped clear my mind and to focus on what really mattered: Building up my property, providing for future generations, finding a spouse to help actually provide future generations. Future aside, right now I needed to make some money, and conventional jobs weren’t going to do it. I would have to rely in what the island provides…with my Watcher given knowledge of plants I should be drowning in simoleons soon enough.
Home, Sweet Home. It’s not much, empty land with a trophy from the lottery people…which is why I’ve been avoiding this place. Until now I didn’t feel like I won anything, just an empty island…but this island isn’t empty: There’s plants, rocks, logs. And soon enough, I’ll have walls and futniture.
Dusk was fast approaching, so I decided to do some fishing with the little amount of energy I have left. It had been a while since I last fished, so I wasn’t expecting to catch anything huge.
After the sun had set, I caught a large salmon. I was temoted to keep it for food but I needed money and I had no place to keep it fresh or cook it.
On my way back home, I checked some logs and lucked out on a high value frog. If I could only find another to breed them, I would be golden. I decided to check some more logs, I was very determined.
The last of my energy was spent going up the hill and to my sleeping bush. I had a smile on my face, a pep in my very sluggish walk, and hope and determination on my mind. Winning this lottery was the best thing that had ever happened to me.