Seojun couldn’t believe it when Leah revealed the shocking truth about April’s identity. The whispered rumors of the “murderous scarecrow” that Tracey and her husband had shared didn’t quite fit the puzzle. It was all part of April’s twisted plan, a carefully crafted backstory for a terrifying new persona. But Tracy and Bailey’s memories told a different story—they remembered being killed by April himself, not some mythical scarecrow.
“Ah...oh...wow...uh...”
Seojun managed to stutter, his words failing him as he stared at the horrific sight before him. The murderous scarecrow, no longer needing to maintain its disguise, crouched forward with a twisted grin, and the mutilated bodies of Tracy and Bailey lay mangled on either side of it.
“Hmm...” Seojun mulled it over, realizing confronting the murderous scarecrow, Tracy, and Bailey like this made more sense than trying to punch them. His weak fists would likely just leave him with broken fingers rather than accomplishing anything.
Seojun’s mind reeled as the pieces fell into place. April, the seemingly innocent boy, had been the murderous scarecrow all along - that evil spirit in disguise! The realization hit him like a freight train, leaving him utterly floored.
The endless sky stretched overhead, a brilliant azure canvas without a single cloud in sight. The relentless sun beat down mercilessly, and Seojun could feel the sweltering heat scorching the soles of his feet ever since he stepped into the cornfield. Suddenly, the air shifted at the sound of the girl’s words, transforming from a suffocating furnace to an icy chill that pierced his skin.
The pitchfork’s blades glinted ominously in the harsh sunlight, held high as if to challenge the heavens. Seojun’s brow furrowed as a voice, dripping with disdain, whispered into his ears. “You’re not planning on dying that easily, are you?” The voice, though strange, was familiar - it was his own. A surge of injustice coursed through his veins.
The ravenous memories of the Laurens gnawed at Seojun’s mind like starving phantoms, filling him with revulsion that tightened his throat. His hand lashed out instinctively, sending the corn husks scattering across the dirt floor in a frantic flurry.
April brushed off a large rock and sat down, his voice filled with excitement as he began to tell the chilling tale of the murderous scarecrow.
“The legend of the murderous scarecrow has been whispered in our village for generations.”
As Seojun’s eye fell on the falling white corn, he couldn’t tell if the liquid that soaked it was blood or the melted, liquefied remains of rotten flesh. One thing, however, was certain: the Laurens were no longer among the living. A lump rose in his throat, and he swallowed hard, the sound too loud in the creepy silence.
“A child?”
Seojun’s gaze drifted down to the mop of brown hair on Tracy’s head, and his heart skipped a beat. The image of the emaciated, mummified child he had found earlier flashed through his mind, jolting him like a lightning bolt. Biting his trembling lower lip, he asked cautiously, “Have you tried calling 911 yet?”
Seojun’s noble determination to save the girl dissipated like a puff of smoke within three minutes of venturing into the cornfield. The towering stalks, which had seemed intimidating from afar, now loomed over him, making him feel as insignificant as an ant. As a man of above-average height, he wasn’t used to feeling this small.
A blue pickup truck barreled down the dusty highway, its exhaust fumes mixing with the sand and dust that clung to the breeze, as if they were permanent residents. Upbeat country music poured from the half-lowered windows, the tarp-covered truck bed pulsing with the twang of guitars and banjos.