5. 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.
I slow my steps but continue moving forward, listening to their conversation.
“I know, but that doesn’t stop me from wishing there was another way,” a woman who sounds like Ava says. “It’s easier when I find them annoying.”
A mixture of voices laugh before another woman says. “That guy last year was so obnoxious. He wouldn’t stop talking about his crypto currency.”
“It’s not like we had to deal with him for long,” the male voice from before says. “We never have to.”
The group standing around the bonfire comes into view: Mike, Olive, Ava, and three men, plus four other women.
I debate stopping to listen further, to try and understand what they’re talking about, but a twig snaps under my foot, and I freeze in my tracks.
Every head turns in my direction, and my breath seizes in my chest.
My skin crawls, and my gut tells me to turn back and run home, but I force my feet to stay planted.
I shouldn’t be having such a wild reaction to them.
They’re just people; people who live here, people who are my neighbors.
It’s stupid that I’d want to run from them, but not from a potential murderous scarecrow. My body is seriously screwed up today.
“Harper!” Ava yells.
She rushes over to me, giving me a hug. Nothing about the hug feels warm like yesterday, instead it feels almost forced.“I’m so glad you found us alright!” She pulls back and takes me in. “You look good enough to eat in this costume!”
I’m about to say that is a weird thing to say to someone you don’t know very well—or at all for that matter—when she points to the wolf ears, and black nose and whiskers painted on her face.
“You like? I have a thing for the Big Bad Wolf,” she wiggles her eyebrows.
I force a smile on my face. “Looks good.”
“Come on, I’ll introduce to you everyone!”
Making myself breathe, and act normal, I follow her toward the bonfire.
“You know Mike and Olive,” she says.
The couple is dressed as what I can only guess are a nurse and doctor by Mike’s scrubs and Olive’s short white dress with a red cross on it.
“Hi,” I nod.
“Hey!” Olive replies. “Sorry again about yesterday. I swear we’re cooler than that.”
I wave her off because I really don’t want to get into it right now. “We can start over.”
She nods, “I’d like that.”
“Me too,” Mike adds.
Thankfully, after that she leads me to the others.
Each introduction feels like meeting your coworkers rather than friends.
They are friendly enough, but I swear I feel at least one or more of them staring at me while I’m being introduced to another one.
Every time I look to see if they are, nobody is.
Once I’ve met all of them, Ava offers me a lawn chair by the fire between her and her friend Jeremy, who reminds me of a beanstalk and is dressed like a pirate. Super tall, thin, and wears glasses too big for his head. He seems okay, better than Mike, but he hasn’t said much to me yet.
“Would you like a hard cider?” Ava asks.
“Um—”
“Come on!” She urges. “At least have one! It will warm you up and relax you a bit. Plus, my little microbrewery makes them.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “You have a microbrewery?”
“Yep! I have to do something with my time!”
“They’re really good,” Jeremy adds.
I look around the fire, seeing everyone now seated or standing around the flames, waiting for me to give my answer.
Feeling hot, I remove my sweater and agree. “Just one.”
Ava does a little dance in her chair and another woman named Mary brings me over a can, and the aluminum is tepid against my palm. I pop open the top and find that everyone is staring at me like me drinking this is going to be the highlight of their year.
“Are you all this excited to see if I like it?”
Ava snorts. “Sorry, we’re being weird, aren’t we?”
“A little.”
“Everyone, stop being weird to our new neighbor. We want her to stay a long time.”
Mike says something under his breath, but it gets cut off by Olive swatting him. I don’t take a sip yet, deciding they can wait.
“How long have you been making cider?” I ask Ava.
“A few years now. This is a new seasonal one that has pumpkin spice flavors.”
“Ah,” I hum. “Good fall flavor. I bet it’s popular.”
“It is!”
“We all like it,” Jeremy says. “I’ve already had two cans.”
“He’s my biggest fan,” Ava blushes.
I observe the two of them, and note they’re giving each other eyes. They must be together, or if they’re not, they want to be.
“So did you all grow up here?” I ask.
“Yep,” Mary says. “Born and raised.”
“Wow,” I say.
“We’re all different ages but we’re by far the youngest in town,” Ava adds. “So, are you going to try it or do you not drink?”
Annoyance creeps up my throat. I don’t like feeling pressured to drink it, but at the same time it’s obviously important to her that I try this damn cider.
I bring it to my lips and take a sip. The flavor of apple, nutmeg, and cinnamon hit my tongue.
I take another drink, getting a hint of something else that I can’t place along with the taste of fermentation.
“Good?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “I’m usually more of a gin and tonic type of woman, but it’s nice for the season.”
“Glad to hear it. Now drink up, we’re going to tell some scary stories, and the alcohol makes them more fun!” She lifts her own can, and I lightly hit mine against hers. Everyone else cheers and drinks.
I relax back into my chair and study the orange and yellow flames of the fire. I take another sip of the drink, the alcohol heating my insides.
“Ava, you go first,” Jeremy says. “We all like your scarecrow story.”
At the mention of a scarecrow, I turn to Ava. Her eyes are on me, the flames flickering in her eyes.
“Okay,” she says. “Would you like to hear more about Silas, Harper?”
I dip my chin and she begins her story, feeling very sleepy suddenly. My eyes try to droop, but I force them to stay open.
“There’s something you should know about Silas, Harper.”
“What’s that?” I ask, my limbs heavy.
“He’s not just a scarecrow.”
My hands go numb, and the people around me get up from their chairs. I tell myself to get up and run but I can’t. The can of cider in my hand drops to the ground, and my vision swims.
“What—what’s happening?” I slur.
“Don’t fight it Harper. It will be easier that way,” Ava says.
I slide to the cool ground and my eyes shut, my stomach turning over with nausea.
“I can’t believe we’ve never tried drugging before,” a man says.
“I know,” a woman answers. “Way easier than the guy last year. All that blood in the farmhouse was hard to clean up.”
“I hate runners,” another man says. “And who knew head wounds bleed so much!”
Lips brush over my ear and my body twitches with a last-ditch effort to move—but I can’t.
“I’m so sorry, Harper, I really did like you,” Ava whispers. “But Silas demands a sacrifice.”
Everything goes dark.