Corn Stalked 2: Converted (Children Of The Corn)

Chapter #8: A Decision to Make

*One Month Later*

Summer was finally starting to come to a close. Days were getting shorter, the leaves didn't look as vibrant of a green as they had at the start of summer and the nights were a bit cooler than normal recently. But that's what is expected in late August.

What's also expected in late August is the preparation for harvest season. The other children and I were busy day and night getting the new field ready. We had planted it about a month ago, right after Issac had completed everyone's individual punishment with the lashings....Mine had since then started to heal, thanks to Katherine and occasionally Sarah, who would put some healing ointment on my cuts from time to time. Now they were just scars on my back.

Even today, when I was busy watering the corn alone out in the field, the sweat dripping down my back didn't affect them. I hardly noticed they were there anymore, really. I still wore a few bandages over the gashes though, just to be safe. After I was done in the field, Katherine would need to change them.

I stopped watering the corn now as this thought crossed my mind. It came into my head every time I went to Katherine's house.....

....It had been a month since Malachai and mine's moment in Katherine's kitchen....and Malachai and I hadn't spoken since. Mostly because we seemed to be purposefully avoiding one another. Whenever I would go to one of Issac's sermons out in the clearing, Malachai would sit on the opposite end of the group from me, if we were in the church, he would stand in the back still, but on the other side of the room. If we were both set to work in the cornfield at the same time of day, he would make sure to never work near me. Even if my area was the only one that needed tending to, Malachai would find an excuse not to.

I sighed, running a hand across the back of my most likely sunburnt neck. This whole thing with him and I was my fault. I was the one that made the move on him. I was the one that then pushed away from him. And I was the one that left without explanation and left him behind feeling confused.

I knew I had to talk to him about it. But how could I now when Malachai made it his job not to be around me anymore. He had even seemed to become more irritable since that day, wearing a constant glare or a frown, never smiling. This made me sad, I hoped that I wasn't the whole reason of why he'd gotten this way....

I was finished with my work now, taking my watering can back through the corn with me towards my grandparent's barn. Once I'd gotten there I found Maybelle, my grandparent's cow eating her hay calmly. She grunted a bit when she saw me.

"Hey old girl." I greeted, petting her head. She gave my hand a few licks before going back to eating.

I smiled, setting my watering can down and grabbing a milking bucket and a stool. Time to get some milk to take back to the others in the clearing. I was the only one Maybelle was even comfortable with doing this anymore. Maybe because she knew I wouldn't hurt her? Or did I have some of my grandparent's nature that told her I was ok? Whatever it was, I was the only one that could milk her.

But now, as I sat down to get started, a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"AAH!" I yelled, falling off of the stool and onto the dirt floor. My eyes darted quickly to who the hand's owner was.

"Mary?" I spoke when I saw it was her.

"I'm sorry I startled you!" She apologized.

"It's fine, I was just off my guard. But what are you doing in here? You don't have any chores in here today do you?" I inquired.

"No, no I don't. But I...had a problem I thought you might be able to help me with." Mary told.

"I'll try my best. What's up?" I wondered.