The air was crisp and chilly with a thick, low lying fog that hovered silently, obscuring the ground. An owl hooted somewhere off in the distance, its sound echoing into the dark cornfield, followed by another distinctive sound. "Son-o-fa— Clark!" Chloe barked as she felt her big toe slam into an unseen tree stump in the muddy path before her. "Okay, now that I've sufficiently injured myself can you please tell me why you've dragged me all the way out here in the middle of the night?"
"You'll see." Clark called over his shoulder from several paces ahead.
"No actually Clark, I can't see. I'm the one without x-ray vision, remember?" Chloe squinted her eyes, focused on the ground and moved forward slowly, her arms groping into the blackness ahead of her. After a few moments she felt her torso slam into something firm and warm and smelling of fabric softener.
"Hey watch it!" Clark whispered.
"Oh yeah, I'm sure that hurts." Chloe laughed, trying to gain her bearings. "Where are we? And why are we whispering?" Chloe heard a rustling sound followed by a click; suddenly there was a bright beam of light shooting from Clark's hand onto the ground. "A flashlight Clark? Seriously? Where was this hiding before I almost broke my neck out there?"
"I forgot I had it." Clark said sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders. The concentrated beam of light illuminated the area around them which consisted of tall, densely packed corn stalks and rows of pumpkins of every shape and size. "But this is what I was talking about before."
Chloe looked around expectantly for a moment or two before she realized what was going on. " Clark, when you invited me over for Halloween I expected a party or at least a scary movie marathon. But then you said were going to take me somewhere fun. Clark, I know you grew up on a farm and all, but this—this is not fun. This is a pumpkin patch in the middle of your cornfield."
"Ohhh but there is something most fowl going on in this evil cornfield!" Clark said in a thick, drawling voice as he held the flashlight to his chin, the light casting eerie shadows on his face.
"You are such a nerd farmboy!" Chloe giggled. "But I'll take the bait, what's up? Krypto-freaks? Another escapee from that Phantom Zone place? Some kind of shady Luthor scheme?"
"No—better." Clark whispered, bending down so that his face was mere inches from hers. "A pumpkin thief."
"What?!" Chloe yelped, giving him a strong whap with her purse. "Tell me you're joking? Pumpkins?"
"Nah," Clark said as he turned around and trudged closer to the pumpkin patch, motioning Chloe to follow him. "I wish it was something more traditionally exciting, this being Smallville and all, but no—it's all about pumpkins. Specifically, these." Clark knelt down before several titanic sized pumpkins, their deep orange flesh speckled with dirt. "See these are my mom's organic show pumpkins, for years her and my dad would grow them and enter them in the Topeka Organic Agriculture fair. It takes a lot of work to get them to grow this big." He said, pausing to run his hand down one the size of a small washing machine. "And the other day we discovered that not only have several of the regular sized ones disappeared—ones my moms sells to the farmer's market—but one of her show ones is gone as well."
" Clark, it's probably just a bunch of teenagers who got bored with cow tipping and moved on to pumpkin smashing. Beside, why would someone steal a giant pumpkin anyways? More importantly, how could they? That one over there is the size of Volkswagon!"
"Well, there are plenty of reasons why." Clark stood up and walked around, surveying the area. "First prize in the fair is ten thousand dollars, so that's enough incentive there. I don't care as much as the how as the who. And that's why were here."
"Okay, but why do you need me for this? It's not like I can Google Kent's pumpkin thieves or anything. You're the one who is able to catch the hooligans with your stealth and the ability to see in the dark. Hmm, kind of like a cat actually."
"Har, har." Clark sniffed, perching himself on the corner of a stray bale of hay. "Actually I thought it would be nice to have some company that's all. Besides, you like this sort of thing."
'Oh yes, pumpkin intrigue! Alert the Daily Planet! Stop the presses!" Chloe snorted, seating herself next to him. Clark rolled his eyes, turning his head to stare off into the field.
"Kid if you want. You know its fun, even if don't want to admit it."
"Uh huh." Chloe giggled, poking him in the back. "I think I know the real reason you dragged me out here."
"Oh really?"
"Yep. You're waiting for The Great Pumpkin."
"So immature."
Chloe broke out into a fit of laughter that reverberated around them. 'I'm sorry." She said between attempts to catch her breath and regain her composure. "Really, no I'll behave."
Clark turned to give her a skeptical stare and nodded his head. "Sure, I'll believe that when I see it."
"No really, I'm serious. Actually I was thinking it may be a good idea to turn off the flashlight. You're not going to catch anyone if they see that thing shining a mile away."
"Good point." Clark turned off the flashlight and the two were enrobed in darkness. The fog was beginning to dissipate and the skies above were crystal clear.
"Wow, I forgot how many stars you are able to see out here." Chloe said, leaning back and propping herself up on her elbows to stare at the star punched sky. "I guess the past year or so I've grown used to the smog filled Metropolis sky, where the only stars you see are on TV."
"Yeah, it's pretty amazing."
"You can say that again." Chloe felt Clark recline next to her and soon they were both staring skywards.
"It's pretty amazing."
Chloe tilted her head to see Clark giving her a grin, his features visible in the glow from the moon that had just emerged from a lone, passing cloud. "You know, I miss this."
"Miss what?" Clark asked, shifting slightly to give her his full attention.
"This—Smallville. As much of a big city girl as I am, I could see myself living in the country again someday. Maybe have a vacation home there or something. Or maybe when I retire."
"Come on Chloe, I know you. You won't retire. You'll have to be dragged off from The Daily Planet kicking and screaming."
Chloe rolled her eyes and looked upwards once more. "Well at least you think I'll be working at The Daily Planet long enough to retire from there, so points for that. But no, I'm serious. There's something about this place that's, I don't know, special."
"Like all the Krypto-freaks?"
Chloe laughed and felt herself flop backwards, stray pieces of hay pricking the back of her neck. "No, I don't mean that."
"What do you mean then?"
"Maybe it's the way small town people care for each other, the friendliness and sense of community. Don't get me wrong, I love living in Metropolis, but you can only take so many disgruntled cabbies and obnoxious strangers before you start to yearn for the simple life, ya know?" Clark nodded his head and Chloe continued. "It's just nice to come back to Smallville once in a while to get a break from it all. Besides, where else do I get the chance to hang out with my best friend in the middle of a cornfield at night?"
"Yeah, take that Metropolis." Clark snorted, tossing a fistful of hay into the air dramatically. Suddenly the sound of twigs snapping in the distance silenced them and then both bolted upright, Clark's eyes frantically searching.
"You see anything?" Chloe whispered.
"Yeah, a deer a few yards away."
They both sighed in defeat and Chloe leaned her head upon his shoulder, shuddering. "I'm freezing, this sweater is pretty thin."
Clark slipped his coat from his body and wrapped it around her shoulders. "I'm sorry Chloe. I shouldn't have brought you out here."
"No, I'm having fun." Chloe replied, pulling the jacket around her closer. "I'm just not impervious to temperature like someone I know. Oh, and besides, I think I've solved the mystery of the disappearing pumpkins."
"Oh really?"
"Ever hear of a little thing called the headless horseman? Ichabod Crane?"
"Ah snark, how I've missed you."
"No Clark, I'm serious here. He's the headless horseman! He needs a head! He uses a pumpkin! It's too perfect!" Chloe giggled, picking pieces of hay from the ends of her hair.
"Uh huh, a five hundred pound pumpkin for a head?"
"Um, well it could be a very large headless horseman."
Clark glanced down to see Chloe's smirking face, her eyes full of mischief. "Yeah, I'll pass on that wall of weird theory and conclude that the mystery shall not be solved tonight. The thieves probably heard you giggling two towns away and decided to go trick-or-treating instead." Clark glanced down at the watch on his wrist. "Tell you what. If we leave now we can still make it in time for the midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at The Talon."
"Oooh, sounds like a plan. But only if you do the Time Warp with me?"
"Of course, cause you know how much I love to dance." Clark laughed as he stood up and extended his hand towards her, helping Chloe to her feet.
"And this time," She began, fishing in the pocket of the coat wrapped snugly around her and pulling out the flashlight. "I'll lead the way. I'd like to make it to the movie in one piece." Chloe directed the beam of light into the field and marched onward and Clark trailed behind her as they disappeared into the night.
Moments later, as the now full moon shown eerily above, the sounds of hooves came pounding down the path. Slowly at first, then building in intensity as the rhythmic pounding grew nearer and nearer. A high pitched whinny of a horse sent the night creatures in its path scurrying for cover as it teared through the cornfield, shredding anything in its way. A monstrous figure wearing a black cloak that rippled out behind it sat atop the steed, leaning forward, its grotesque hands outstretched with purpose. Faster and faster it went until it was a blur of writhing power headed towards one goal. As it rounded the corner it swooped down and grabbed its prize, lifting it high in the air and placing it on its stump of a neck, letting the steed rear up in victory.
THE END!!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
MUWHAWHAWHAWHAW!