I turned to see a figure stumbling inside, the same way the scarecrow had. I backed away, but there was something familiar about it. As I came closer, I realized it was Louisa, carrying something in her hands. She let out a groan as she dropped it, before falling to the ground. I ran over, relieved.

I quickly shut the barn door while staring down at my sister. Louisa groaned, clutching something tightly while shaking all over. Her dirty blonde hair was a mess around her shoulders, and her pajamas were covered in dirt with the sleeves ripped. There was a bucket filled with water next to her.

"Louisa! Louisa, are you alright?" I called.

Louisa raised her head. Her cheeks were smeared with dirt and there was a cut on her forehead. I reached out to help her up, noticing a bruise on her arm under the tattered sleeve. She bumped the bucket, sending some of the water on the floor.

"I'm fine," Louisa groaned. "But getting rid of that scarecrow is going to be harder than I thought."

"I told you," I agreed. "What did he do to you?"

"Not much," Louisa assured, pressing her hand against the cut on her forehead. "But he managed to take the pitchfork from me. He wouldn't have hurt me at all if it wasn't for that."

"I knew you shouldn't have left!" I exclaimed.

"It wasn't that bad. I managed to do some damage to him," Louisa assured. "He's much thinner than he used to be. You know, with less straw. More than he did to me, probably."

"But he's still out there," I groaned, listening to the smashing and tearing sounds outside. I glanced at the bucket of water. "How did you get that?"

Louisa grinned. "I managed to get it just as John was about to spill the water everywhere, like he did with all the other jack-o-lanterns."

"Well, good thing you saved the least important thing," I quipped.

"It is important," Louisa insisted. "It might slow him down if I threw it at him and he got all wet."

"I don't think it would," I quipped. "It'll take more than that to stop him."

"Maybe you're right," Louisa admitted. "I guess I was in over my head."

Louisa heard the whinny from the end of the barn and glanced over in surprise. She walked over and gently petted Sandy. "I'm right here," she soothed. "You must've been scared when I left."

I hesitated. "Louisa, I think I know how John freed him," I called.

Louisa glanced over at me. I quickly explained about the scarecrow looking just like her dad.

Louisa's eyes widened. "I think you're right, Fern. Except my dad would never do anything like this. It had to be John. Oh, why did he have to come to life?"

I lowered my head. "This is all my fault. I freed him."

"Well, he's definitely happier now than he was in the jack-o-lantern," Louisa quipped. "But you were right. I was in over my head to think I could get rid of it by myself. I guess we should get back to the farmhouse and wake my parents."

"But how can we do that without him seeing us?" I asked.

"Oh, that's easy," Louisa assured. "He didn't even notice me until I tried to stab him. He was too focused on all the chaos he was causing."

"I don't know." I hesitated. "Maybe we should wait here until he leaves."

"And let him cause even more havoc?" Louisa demanded. "We need to tell them as soon as possible, before he stops moving. Then they won't believe us."

I knew she was right, but I was still afraid. I jumped as I heard thuds from outside the barn. I knew these weren't from Louisa.

"He's getting closer," Louisa whispered, putting her arm around me. "But don't worry. He shouldn't be able to get in."

The thuds became louder, until they were right outside the door. I jumped out of my skin as the bangs echoed through the barn. Louisa wrapped her arms around me. Then I heard a frightened whinny.

"He's going to wake up the horses!" Louisa exclaimed, glancing over. I could barely hear her over the booming thuds.

"He's going to break the door before long," I muttered, glancing over as well. To my relief, only Sandy was awake.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he won't," Louisa assured. "It only seems that way. He's probably using the pitchfork to hit the door."

The thuds faded, replaced by a low scratching sound. I shuddered, imagining the pitchfork being dragged across the door. It sounded like nails on chalkboard.

"He's definitely going to damage the door," Louisa muttered, looking less confident. She winced as the bangs returned, occasionally interrupted by the scratching.

"What do we do?" I demanded. "Should we hide up in the loft?"

Before Louisa could reply, there was another high-pitched whinny. We both glanced over at Sandy as he began whinnying in terror. The sounds outside faded away. Soon all we could hear was the terrified horse.

Louisa got up and hurried over to Sandy, who raised his head eagerly upon seeing her. He slowly calmed down as she petted him gently, until he went quiet. For a moment, it was completely silent. I began to relax. Then the sounds outside started again.

"Not again!" Louisa groaned. "I thought he'd left. He'll probably set the horses loose again."

Sandy started whinnying again too. As soon as he did, the thuds outside began to fade away again. Louisa stopped stroking Sandy and turned, her eyes widening.

"He's afraid of Sandy," Louisa muttered. "As much as Sandy is of him."

I walked over to her, inspecting Sandy. He looked relieved now that the banging had stopped.

"I don't think he is afraid of the scarecrow," I said. "I mean, he's just scared of what he can hear. I'm scared as well. It does sound pretty terrifying."

"Maybe you're right," Louisa agreed. "But John must be afraid of the horse, even if he wasn't when he led them out. As long as he can hear Sandy, he'll stay away from the barn."

I jumped as the thuds returned, more muffled than before. Louisa didn't try to calm Sandy this time as he started whinnying.

"See, Fern? We don't have anything to worry about," Louisa remarked as the noises outside faded away.

"I'm not sure about that," I admitted. "I mean, he's still out there. He starts again whenever Sandy becomes silent."

"Maybe he's worried about the sound," Louisa suggested. "I'm afraid he'll wake up the other horses, too. He might actually do that." She winced as his whinnying became louder. "Maybe we should take him out of here before he does."

"Out where the scarecrow is?" I demanded.

"Maybe he'll scare John away," Louisa suggested. "I mean, he'll probably be able to tell by now that it isn't Dad. I think he realized that last time when we found him. He'll keep him distracted."

"And then we'll be able to get by to the farmhouse," I finished. "But should we really set him out?"

"I think we'd better, until he wakes up the rest of the horses," Louisa insisted. "Then we'll have to deal with them too."

Louisa carefully unlocked the stall and swung it open. She tightly clutched Sandy and stroked him reassuringly while leading the horse through the barn. He seemed frightened, but calmed down slightly now that the sounds were gone. I knew they'd start up soon, unless the scarecrow had left. Louisa hesitated in front of the door.

"I think the scarecrow has left," she remarked. "I can't hear him anymore."

She carefully pulled open the barn door. To my relief, there was nobody there. Sandy started drumming his hooves against the floor and whinnying again. Louisa reached down to pick up the bucket of water just as he was about to kick it over.

"Should we really let him out?" I whispered.

"He's getting a bit restless," Louisa explained, gripping the horse as he struggled to pull away from her. "I think he wants to be let out. I'm sure he can deal with John if he sees him."

I wasn't sure about it, but Sandy eagerly stepped forward as Louisa loosened her grip. She gripped the bucket with one hand while clutching the horse with the other.

"Why do you take that with you?" I asked while following her out into the farm.

"I told you, it might be useful," Louisa insisted.

It was quiet again now, but I knew the scarecrow was around. I followed Louisa in the direction of the farmhouse, trying not to focus on the state of the farm. Thankfully, I couldn't see much in the darkness. I almost tripped over some of the scattered plants. Then I froze as I heard the shuffling footsteps.

Sandy did as well, his ears pricking up. Louisa didn't notice at first, trying to steer Sandy to the left. She stopped as she realized he wasn't moving. She reached up to gently pet him. "What is it, boy?"

Sandy raised his head and began to turn around, until he faced me. Louisa tried to stop him as she turned as well, before freezing. Her eyes widened in terror as she stared past me. I didn't have to turn around to know what it was. I froze as well, but Sandy didn't seem scared. He began to approach, keeping his head raised. Louisa tried to pull him back, but he pulled away.

"Oh, no," Louisa groaned. "Does he think that's Dad?"

I quickly ran past the horse over to my sister. I clung to Louisa, too afraid to glance up. I knew the scarecrow was there, but I just hoped Sandy wasn't fooled by him.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to be. I turned my head as I heard him whinnying and stomping. He was charging back on his hind legs, kicking at the scarecrow. He tried to fight back with his straw-filled arms, only for a clump of straw to fall off. He tried to dodge as Sandy kicked at him again, more bits of straw falling to the ground. He was quickly withering away the more Sandy attacked him.

"Go, Sandy!" Louisa cheered. He could barely hear her as he fought the wilting scarecrow. "He'll tear the scarecrow apart in no time. Come on, let's get to the farmhouse."

But I kept watching the surreal sight in front of me. John gave up attacking Sandy and tried to dodge instead, clearly afraid of him. He probably realized the scarecrow had tried to take him from the farm, and was getting back at him. John gave up and turned, about to run away. But the horse wouldn't let him leave. I watched as Sandy lowered his head and charged at the scarecrow. Before I could see whether John jumped out of the way, Louisa grabbed my arm and pulled me away.

I tripped again as I followed Louisa, sprawling out on the ground. She turned and ran over to help me up, placing the bucket next to her. I glanced down at the pumpkin I had tripped over. To my surprise, it was completely whole. Before I could stop to think about it, I reached down to pick it up, jumping at the grin carved on the front.

"Good idea. Maybe you should take it before John destroys that as well," Louisa suggested, picking up the bucket of water.

I didn't know why she thought that mattered, but I tightly gripped the jack-o-lantern as I followed her to the farmhouse. As soon as we were there, I froze. I could see a dark figure flailing at the front of the farmhouse.

"He's there!" Louisa exclaimed, pulling me back. "He must've run away from Sandy and gone there."

"What do we do?" I demanded, hoping she wouldn't suggest going up to him.

To my relief, she didn't. "Let's go around the back," she suggested.

I carefully followed her around the farmhouse, until the scarecrow disappeared from sight. I could hear the thuds echoing. He must've started banging on the door as well. Louisa crouched down at the back of the farmhouse.

"What do we do now?" I groaned, dropping the pumpkin to the ground while crouching down next to Louisa.

Louisa reached out and pulled at the hatch. I watched as the passage opened up again. "We can get in through here," she suggested. "Or at least, you can. Then as soon as you're inside, you could wake up my parents. I'm sure they'll know how to deal with this."

I peered into the dark opening. I was afraid of heading inside, but I was secretly afraid of waking Louisa's parents as well.

"It'll be quick," Louisa insisted. "Just remember how you did it from the other end. You should see if that pumpkin fits in there. Maybe that'll help."

I pushed the jack-o-lantern into the opening. The large, round pumpkin just managed to fit, leaving a bit of room. I kept pushing it, expecting it to get stuck, but it didn't.

"If that thing can fit, you can as well," Louisa insisted. "It's a good thing you're short and skinny."

I crouched down behind the pumpkin and lowered my head through the passage. "You should take the pumpkin out first," Louisa suggested.

"I'd rather keep it there," I insisted, pushing it forward. "You know, in case something goes wrong." I stuck my head into the musty darkness, coughing as the dust surrounded me. "Could you help me, Louisa?"

"If you insist. It's probably better to get that thing out of the way, anyway." Louisa gave me a push as I disappeared further into the passage. I winced as I banged my head. The passage was much narrower from this side. I spread my arms out in front of me while pressing my legs together.

Suddenly, Louisa gave an exclamation. "There he is! Sandy's back. Maybe he'll get rid of John."

I could hear the horse galloping in the distance. "No! Sandy, come back!" Louisa called. "Don't do that! Sorry, Fern, but I've got to calm Sandy down. Do you think you could stay here until I get back?"

She didn't want for me to answer. I could hear her running off. She clearly cared more about the horse. I was about to pull my head out of the passage, but then I hesitated. Maybe Louisa was right. The sooner I was in the house, the sooner I was safe. I took a deep breath and pulled myself forward, gripping the ground with my hands and feet. I kept my arms stretched out, pushing the pumpkin forward until the passage was wide enough for me to lift my head.

Suddenly, the jack-o-lantern came to a stop. I realized I had come to the end of the passage. I reached out my arm and pulled the stones aside, like I had seen Louisa show me. When I caught sight of light, I gave the jack-o-lantern one last push. I watched as it rolled into the farmhouse and fell to the side. Then I crawled in as well, until my head and arms were sticking into the farmhouse kitchen. I glanced around at the old stoves and rickety wooden table, relief washing over me. But I was stuck in the passage.

I stretched forward and managed to pull one of my legs out. I kicked my leg while pressing my hands against the ground. I pressed my foot down and pulled my other leg out, crouching on the kitchen floor. I stumbled slightly while standing up, glancing around in relief. But as I turned, I realized I had kicked the jack-o-lantern. I watched in terror as the pumpkin fell in front of the fireplace.

I crouched down and reached out. To my relief, it hadn't fallen in. I reached out and righted the pumpkin up. Then I pulled away as my hand burned from the heat. It probably wasn't a good idea to bring that thing along, but it could've been worse. I pulled the jack-o-lantern away. The carved grin was burned at the ends from the ashes. I shuddered at the sight.

I knew I should've told Louisa's parents, but I was afraid of doing that. I poured myself a glass of water, trying to calm down. Then I hurried to the front of the house, deciding I'd see if the scarecrow was still there. To my dread, I heard terrified shrieks and yells along with the bangs and thuds. Something terrible was happening to Louisa.

"Louisa!" I called. "Louisa, are you alright?"

Louisa screamed. I heard a long scratching sound and the rustling of straw. Then she went silent. I knew the scarecrow was doing something to her. I was terrified of checking, but I was even more terrified by the idea of something happening to my sister. I reached out and carefully opened the door. As I peeked through the door, I jumped at the sight. The scarecrow was standing over my sister, carrying a long pitchfork. Louisa was lying on the ground, shaking all over as tears trailed down her face. She looked more terrified than I'd ever seen her.

"No! Stop!" I shrieked. "Get away from her!"

The scarecrow was distracted by my scream. He lowered the pitchfork and turned his head to me. I jumped back at the wide smile on the burlap sack. Then he stepped away from Louisa and began to approach me, seeming to realize the door was open. I shrieked and reached out to shut it. As the door slammed shut, I was alone in the house again. Then I heard the scarecrow banging against the door. Every thud made me shudder. I knew I needed to save Louisa, but she wasn't in any state to be moving, and I couldn't let the scarecrow in either. I needed to get rid of him.

I ran all the way back to the kitchen. I knew I had to stop the scarecrow. I stared at the jack-o-lantern on the ground. That was when I got the idea. It was a reckless idea, but I was too terrified to think clearly, and I didn't have time to come up with anything better. I only cared about saving my sister. I couldn't stand the thought of the scarecrow doing anything to her. She had been brave enough to leave the barn to fight the scarecrow. Now I needed to be as well. But it was harder to defeat him than we thought. Maybe I needed to use more extreme methods.

I needed something to hold the fire in. I took out a match out of one of the drawers. Then I crouched in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames. Before I could reconsider, I held the match inside. I quickly pulled it out as soon as it lit on fire. I stared at the flame for a moment, wondering if I was going to go through with this. I jumped as the fire began to spread. I dropped the match, and it landed in the jack-o-lantern. I stared down at the pumpkin in horror as the fire began to spread. I knew I could've put it out with water, but I realized this might be my only chance to stop the scarecrow. I took the dishtowel and wrapped it around the jack-o-lantern, the heat burning my hands. Then I stood up and hurried back to the front door as fast as I could.

When I opened it, the scarecrow turned his head, staring eagerly at me. Louisa had managed to get to her feet, shaking slightly as she brushed herself off. She stared at me in shock. As the scarecrow began to approach, I threw the jack-o-lantern at him. It landed right in front of him.

My heart sank, but John didn't notice at first. Then he took a step forward, and the jack-o-lantern tipped over. The fire caught the old jeans and spread up the scarecrow, the same way it had before. Only this time, it didn't bring him to life.

Louisa and I both stepped back, watching in shock. John waved his arms wildly and turned his head frantically as the fire spread over him. But he couldn't escape as the flames overtook him, the same way they had to the farmhouse years ago.

I shrieked as the fire began to spread over the ground. The next moment, there was a large splash and spray of water. Louisa had thrown the bucket over the scarecrow. Unlike the jack-o-lantern from years ago, it was just normal fire. It was quickly extinguished by the water.

There was a silence. I stared at the pile of blackened straw and wet clothes on the ground. I couldn't believe he was really gone. Louisa stepped over the ripped burlap sack and kicked at the ashes.

"I can't believe it, Fern," she whispered. "He's… he's gone. He's really gone, for good."

"I guess so," I muttered, stepping away. I knew John would never come back to life again. It really had been simple. I knew he deserved it, but I couldn't help feeling slightly guilty.

"And it's all thanks to you." Louisa beamed. She reached over and wrapped me in a hug. "Now the farm isn't cursed anymore."

I wrapped my arms around her. "I'm just glad you're okay. I was terrified when the scarecrow got you. I thought he'd do something terrible to you."

"Sandy kicked me by accident," Louisa explained. "While he was trying to kick John. Then as he ran to my side, John attacked him. Thankfully, he managed to run away, but then I was alone." She winced. "He's stronger than I thought, even as a scarecrow. He must've been worse in his life."

"He didn't mean to burn down the farmhouse," I said. Louisa stared at me. "I read in the journal. He was going to, but he changed his mind. He only kept the jack-o-lantern that he bought from Gloomsdale. It must've spread through the farmhouse."

"It's a good thing that one didn't," Louisa remarked. "The water spilled, but I filled it again with the hose. But how did the jack-o-lantern do that? There's not enough fire inside, is there?"

"You know, all the rumors about my town," I explained. "And when the fire was put out, his spirit must've been kept inside the same jack-o-lantern." I glanced around at the lifeless scarecrow. "And now, he was burned as well." I felt less guilty. He was defeated by the same thing that he used.

"You're right," Louisa agreed. "But unlike the farmhouse, he'll stay that way. We'll just have to explain why the scarecrow is gone." She reached down to pick up the singed clothes. "It's too bad. It did a good job at keeping the birds away."

"Maybe you could make a new one," I suggested.

"No way," Louisa insisted. "I think we've had enough of scarecrows. Besides, you could be our scarecrow, like you were before. That seems to be the only thing you're good at."

I laughed instead of getting offended, like I usually would. Then I helped Louisa clean up the remnants of the scarecrow before following her into the farmhouse.

I'm not entirely sure how to do Fern putting fire in the jack-o-lantern and carrying it to the front door, but it seemed symbolic with John's defeat that I couldn't leave it out.