Page 12 of Snatched By the Scarecrow

I type out a Google search, and sure enough, it comes up. Jamison Heart. A young man who passed through for a short time to get his car fixed while on a road trip, but never returned to pick up his car. To this day, there’s been no trace of him.

I do another search, this time looking for missing persons cases in this area over the years, but nothing else comes up. Relief floods my system, and I laugh. I’m being ridiculous. I knew the crime rate here was low. This is all just lore. Last night was just a dream, and having Silas call me a willing sacrifice is simply because I watch too many horror films and read too many scary stories.

Moreover, even if the people of this town did give into the sacrifice shenanigans hundreds of years back, it’s not like they do it now. More than just one person would have had to disappear.

My doorbell rings, and I clutch my chest. It takes me a minute and another ring of the bell to get myself together. I roll my eyes at myself for even being a little scared by all this just as my phone chimes with a new text. I snatch it off the bed and see a message from Ava.

AVA:

Rang the bell and left your costume for you by the door. I totally forgot to tell you that tonight is close to your place. You’ll be able to walk. I’ll ping you the location when I’m there.

I read over her message as my heart settles into a more normal beat. I shoot a quick text back.

ME:

But there’s nothing around me?

AVA:

You’re in a small town now, Harper! Most of our get-togethers take place in a field around a bonfire.

I rub my hand over her face, unsure what to make of this information. I’m going to be hanging out in a field, the night after my strange dream of Silas chasing me in a cornfield, and after I just learned all this information?

“Fuck,” I groan. “It’s lore,” I remind myself yet again. But there’s the part of my brain that says I’ve always believed in lore before.

No. Nope. This is ridiculous. I’m not going to be a sacrifice for a harvest god tonight. That is absolutely stupid of me to even think about. This is a regular town, and Silas is a regular scarecrow that most definitely does not come alive once a year to kill someone. Everything is going to be fine.

Chapter 5

I tug at the peasant style sleeves of the knee length white dress, to what I can only guess is a milkmaid costume. It fits well enough, snug around my tits to make them look perfect without a bra. There’s a brown corset belt that goes with it to cinch me in, snatching my waist so that my generous hips are accentuated.

I paired the look with a pair of brown gladiator sandals because I don’t have anything else that will work with this outfit, and I curled my dark hair lightly, after I applied a natural-style look of makeup.

My tattoos are on full display in this dress, and I must admit, I look cute as a milkmaid. I would have never picked this kind of costume, but it was nice not to worry about what I was going to wear.

I sway from side to side in my floor length mirror, the soft fabric brushing against my thighs and sending a pulse through my sex. I still haven’t been able to get that under control, but after my adrenaline rush earlier it’s been more manageable, and I don’t feel as needy as I did before.

My phone pings, and I know who it is before I look at the screen. It was nearing eleven the last time I checked, so it’s got to be my instructions from Ava on how to get to wherever this gathering is.

I’m correct in my assumption and note that it’s not far from here—it looks as if it’s in the field over from mine. As far as I know there isn’t a house anywhere near that field, so it must belong to the city or just someone’s land who lives further down the road. It’s not like I looked at property lines when I rented this place.

I message Ava that I’m on my way and grab my purse, sliding my phone inside, before I snatch a cardigan, and put it on to combat the brisk air outside. Once I get to the bonfire, I should be able to remove it, so my costume doesn’t become a complete waste.

The moment I step outside and lock the door, I turn toward the direction of where the party is. In the distance I can see the faint yellow glow of fire, and know that’s where I’m heading.

I stop at the top of the steps, staring straight out to where Silas is. The moon is mostly covered by clouds, and I can’t see him with how dark it is, but I know he’s there. I’ve felt that way since I saw him in the field for the first time yesterday, and even more so after last night and today. After what I learned on my internet search I should probably be scared of him, but I’m not.

I’ve found myself stopping at my windows to look at him more often than I should in the few hours since my internet deep dive, and when I close my eyes, I see flashes of his face and swear I can feel his touch from my dreams. The scratch of his mouth against my lips, and the heat of his bulge pressing into my sex.

I blink in his direction one more time before I force myself to leave.

A cool breeze flutters through my hair and around my legs, the corn rustling as I go down my drive and toward the road. Soon my porch light fades away and I’m surrounded by darkness. I get out my phone to use the flashlight, so I don’t break my ankle, checking to make sure I’m still moving in the right direction. Eventually the map says to turn straight into the stalks.

I’m about to call Ava when I notice there’s a path cut from the corn. It’s not too wide, and on the dirt, I see footprints. I light the way and try to forget that this feels an awful lot like my dream. Though I’m not about to get chased and caught by a sexy scarecrow; instead I have to be social.

I take a few turns and when I hear voices, I know I’m finally in the right place. I turn a corner of the path and see the deepening glow of the bonfire.

“You know this is how it has to be.” I hear a man say.