creepshow (wattys2018)

Cornfield

The weather was exceptionally hot one summer afternoon. Amy Cho and her best friend, Samantha Evans, walked arm and arm down the deserted dirt road that led to their house, a vast corn field blocking their view of anything that wasn't directly in front of them.

The girls were adopted by the same couple a little over three months ago and had clicked instantly. They were told the news not too long ago that they were moving, and now, three short weeks later, they were all moved into their new house.

At first they had been excited, especially because of the location. The girls had been so use to a big city that a quant house in the country was a grand adventure. The whole drive down to the small town of 'Terrere', the girls chatted nonstop about their destination, but the second they opened the car door everything changed.

The old house was small, nowhere close to their previous home, and had a much more rustic feel. It was painted a dull grayish, black that made the girls feel uneasy, and all the furniture looked as though it had come straight out of the Victorian era. Even their optimistic mother had her doubts, saying that the house wasn't as 'southern' as she had once expected, and that she thought such a house was odd for the area.

They had exchanged a weary glance, and brushed the bad thoughts away, completely set on making this place 'home'. They unpacked their rooms and did everything they could to get settled everyday after their arrival. Today was the first day since the move that the girls had actually done something else.

"It's too hot." Amy complained, letting her head fall back as she stumbled carelessly into Samantha.

"I know, but I think Mommy and Daddy are mad at us so I don't want to be at home. They haven't spoken to us in days." Samantha pouted.

"They're not mad, they're just sick, remember?" Amy reassured her sister, patting her arm gently as the house came into view.

They jogged the rest of the way down the hill and burst through the front door. Amy raised her finger to her lips and lowered her voice. "Let's go check on them, and then we can go play some more."

They walked quietly to their adoptive parents room and peeked their heads in slowly. Upon seeing the adults laying on top the bed, they stepped inside the room and approached them.

"They don't look so good." Samantha sighed as she peered down at the bodies that were beginning to turn a light blue color. "Maybe it was your special tea?"

Amy reached and grasped a chunk of the woman's hair in her tiny palm and tugged her head up, letting it drop back harshly on the pillow and lull to one side. "No. I've been making it for them since they adopted us."

"But maybe they were allergic or something and it just took time to show." Samantha brushed her hair over her shoulder and frowned over the bed at her nine year old sister.

"It wasn't the tea. I gave it to my last parents too. I saw my first mommy make it one time." She sat gingerly on the edge of the bed and lifted the half full tea cup into her hands. "They didn't finish it all."

"Well, what do you put in it? Are it sure it wasn't the tea?"

"I'm sure. It's just tea bags, water, and some sugar that my first mommy use to give to the rats. She put it in my daddies tea too. He was really mean to her and the tea made everything all better!" Amy smiled, placing the cup back down on the beside table.

"Look." Samantha exclaimed after a long moment of silence. "There's a boy outside."

The girls dashed to the window, standing on their tip toes to see out. Sure enough, a young boy, no older than Amy and Samantha, stood just at the edge of the corn field. He was dressed in overalls and a clutched a long, sharp object in his hand that glimmered each time the light hit it.

He smiled at the girls before crooking a finger at them, motioning for them to follow as he dashed back into the rows of corn. The girls smiled at each other, glancing at their parents one last time before skipping outside, straight into the cornfield.