Tales of Horror

Peter's Farm

Liam peter was only twelve years old when he had lost his parents. His grandparents could not leave him alone in the city, so they took him with themselves to their small town where they used to do farming. Buckle-boots was a very old town and most of the people living here are elders as young people has fled off to big cities. And as a result, he didn't make any friends of his age to play with.

It was evening and he was coming back from the chicken's shed. Suddenly, some bustling coming from among the harvest of corns attracts his attention. Getting close to sound, Liam was standing in front of a child younger than him who was shaping a scarecrow with dry grass. Liam advises him by saying that it is not the right time to stand the scarecrow because the red sand storm was coming tonight. Instead of thanking him, the child laughs and answers in a way in which Liam feels as if he is mocking his concern. He turns his back leaving that rude child there. that night...a very strong storm hits the buckle-boots. The entire night Liam was tossing and turning on the bed, thinking about the scarecrow. So the first thing he does after opening his eyes is to run directly to the field and to his surprise, the scarecrow was standing still. He founds a note in the scarecrow pocket when he was searching for any damaged part. The note was asking him "will you be my friend??" Liam happily shakes his hand to announce that from now on we are friends. For a second, it appears as if the scarecrow sewed mouth had formed a curve. 

Here the grandfather was confused why his chickens keep on decreasing day by day. Liam gets attached to the scarecrow very much and names him "straw-man" and would share his lonely thoughts with him. No one even could guess that Scarecrow would come alive every night to creepily staring at the child through the window by hanging to the wall. One night in the middle of, the grandfather wakes up due to some noises coming from their chicken's shed. He thinks that the thief has come again to steal their hens. The grandfather thinks that he can catch the thief so he goes to the shed alone. The old man was shocked to see a scarecrow biting off his weak chickens and chewing them with his small but chain-saw looking teeth. The straw man turns his head fully backwards to see a trembling old man who was according to him disturbing his meal time and he roars in a sharp-pinched voice but no one can hear as the shed was quite far from the main house. 

The silent night has passed and a new day begins. Liam sat down to eat breakfast but before he could start, he looks up and finds her grandmother with a worried expression. His grandmother was concerned about his husband because she has not seen him from the morning even before he could say in response, she tells him not to worry as he had gone out of town many times before too. In the waiting, three days had already passed and grandfather had not returned yet.  Liam suggests her grandmother inform the sheriff so that they can do something about this. The sheriff tells them not to worry too much and also promises that he will find them soon. Again tonight, the red storm was going to hit the town. By the time they came back.... the wind was blowing very strongly. Grandmother prepares to cook dinner but as she grabs the knife, a huge blackout leaves the entire house in darkness. Holding a fire lamp, she goes to the basement to check the fuse. "ohh my knees !! it was all his work, don't know where he has gone off too!!" shrinking her nose she complains "from where, is this odour coming from?? surely, some rat has died here" the smell was so strong that she has to forget about fuse and had to look for the dead rat. As she lit the room, she cries in horror....sewer rats were feeding on his dead husband's body. His body was lying open as if an animal was kept in a butcher's shop. Liam comes down in hurry after hearing his grandmother's scream. He couldn't process the situation and tear rolls down his face. But at the same time, he notices something standing in the corner of the room watching them. "Grandma... how did my scarecrow come here ??"  With him saying that the straw-man started to move with first raising his left foot and walking to get close to Liam. "H-E-L-L-O  M-Y  FRIEND'' the straw man speaks with a smile. Liam rushes to pick his grandmother from the side of his grandfather's body and comes a few steps back. The straw man asks, " why you going away??" looks at the dead body "I did this to become human just as you want me to!!. Seeing him coming closer to them....Liam screams "No" and throws the fire lamp towards the scarecrow to gain some time to escape from the basement. The fire holds the scarecrow till they come out. The winds were blowing hard and taking advantage of this, they went and hid in the field. The scarecrow was holding a spade fork and shouting that " try your best to hide because I'm the best at finding." Liam was thinking about what he could do now and the next moment...the straw man was standing in front of them. Grandmother fainted with his single hit and he puts the spade fork on Liam's throat. Liam was giving his all to stop him from putting pressure on the spade. In the storm, only two figures could be seen. and now comes that moment in which spade was almost touching his skin and a drop of blood falls on the ground. Liam thinks that his game is over but suddenly winds stop blowing. The red storm had gone and with it, the scarecrow's power has also gone. It rolled on the ground like a lifeless doll. 

Everything had ended for Liam. He lights the fire on the straw-man and his last look before turning was filled with hate and disgust. We see rings of smoke going up in the sky and suddenly the fire on it is extinguished. The little boy from the beginning was standing next to him and says to him " So, you failed again but don't worry I had found another child and this time you won't fail. Look! next storm is coming very soon"

End.......................