Tractor Scars 2

I ran as fast as I could to the farm with groceries in hand. My scarf even fell off and I didn't notice until Manna, the wife of the owner of the winery, caught up with me and gave it back.

When I arrived at the entrance, I was expecting the thing to be there, since it is supposed to be something of a vehicle. I scanned the farm for a sign of something sticking out in the snow but I couldn't see anything.

I went into the house first to warm up. Doctor wasn't there for some reason. Maybe he went out? When he does that, he usually leaves a note but there was no note.

I grabbed a bottle of milk and heated it up. Then I went outside to go look around.

Just then, I remembered that the 'thing' was going to come from the south side of the farm. Dangit!

I whistled for my horse, Snackee, and we galloped to the far side of the farm. Poor Doctor was there, in his white coat and scarf, shivering his toes off, standing next to, hey, what do you know, a snow-covered tractor!!!

I got off Snackee, staring at the dark blue tractor, with a slight dusting of snow on top. Then at Doctor, whose scarf was covering his cheeks and mouth but he had the sweetest look in his eyes.

"Happy Winter Thanksgiving, Claire! I know it's a day late but-"

It was hopelessly cold and it was snowing but apparently, he didn't care because he waited out here for me and the idea of kissing in the snow was kinda cheesy, but utterly romantic.

When we separated, we stared at each other's eyes. Then I let myself go loose.

"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHH MY GODDEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!! YOU GOT ME A TRACTORRR!!!! WOOOOWW!W!!! And it's BLUE!!! MY SECOND FAVORITE COLOR!!!" I practically glomped the tractor. It was almost twice my height and I wouldn't even think about the weight, much less the cost.

"Ah, don't stick your face to the metal, dear. It'll stick to your skin!" he reprimanded me.

"Oh, shut up, honey, let me enjoy my tractor!" I said as I awkwardly climbed up the seat. I squealed with joy when I saw that there was a big red bow on the steering wheel. "Now tilling the fields will be so much easier!"

"Why not give it a test drive?" Doctor smiled as he reached up and handed me the keys, which also had a red bow on them.

"YEAAAAY!!!" I grabbed his arm instead and raised him onto the tractor. "Let's test drive it together!" I said, scooting aside so he could sit.

"But Claire," he said with a joking smile. "There's only one driver's seat."

"Oh, what would happen? I'm smaller than you. We fit. Sit!" I grabbed his shoulder and plopped him down next to me then I turned on the ignition with a satisfying hum of the engine.

"Ready?" I grinned at Doctor, who looked like he was going to fall once we started moving.

"There…THERE AREN'T ANY SEATBELTS!" He exclaimed, searching around for a seatbelt.

I sighed. "This is a tractor, honey. If I had to put on the seatbelt, drive it around, take the seatbelt off and get down, then get up on it again and put on the seatbelt, it would be more of an inconvenience, wouldn't it?"

"Um, um…that's the point of the seatbelt and it would be safer-AAAAAHHH!!!" I pushed on the pedal and the tractor plowed on slowly. I was having the time of my life while my husband was clinging on my arm.

"Honey, we're going really slowly. There's nothing to be scared of," I told him.

The tractor hummed as we went along, making tire tracks in the snow. I turned the wheel slowly and made a u-turn.

"Haven't you ever ridden a car before? Come on, you studied in a suburban place," I said. He was still clinging to me. "Besides, weren't you the one who chose this tractor?"

"Not me, Zack recommended it. He said it was a good one so I left it up to him to decide," He said shakily.

"Well, Zack's choice was good! If you had ordered the tractor yourself, you might've custom made it to be made out of pillows."

I sped up the tractor a little. Doctor just tightened his grip on my arm.

"Here, I got you some warm milk," I handed him the bottle.

"Keep your hands on the wheel!!!"

"Honey…I have driving experience, just so you remember."

Doctor let go of his vice grip on my arm and sipped the warm milk. After a few more rounds around the farm and a few more sips of milk, he started to calm down and enjoy the ride.

"You could've just given this to me during the spring thanksgiving, you know. A tractor's kinda useless during winter and maintenance is kinda rough when it's cold," I said.

"Well, the tractor didn't make it to your birthday last month so I figured I'd give it to you in the next festival."

When I looked at him, he had a kind smile on his flushed face.

"Thanks, I really like-WAAAAHH!!!"

"AAAAAHHH!"

The tractor ran over a big rock and shook. I heard glass shattering.

I held onto my steering wheel as I braced for another bump. The tractor shook again and I hit the brake.

I sighed. Only a split second later did I realize Doctor wasn't beside me anymore. I looked back and I just stared at the snow.

The tractor's tire tracks made interesting patterns in the snow, looping this way and that. The tire tracks led to Doctor, who lay on the snow, surrounded by a gradually growing beautiful red flower. Glass fragments sparkled by his hand and on his thigh.

His tousled hair was gracefully spread out over the snow. His eyes were closed and they looked peaceful. His rosy cheeks complimented the red flower and the snow. His soft, pale lips were slightly open.

Only did I realize that what I was looking at wasn't beautiful at all when blood started coming out of those soft pale lips.

It was a peaceful winter day.

Was.

One rock was the catalyst of it all.

The low humming sound lingered until it was pierced.

The pure white snow was colored with fright.