It took a while for Louisa's parents to notice the scarecrow was gone. What they noticed first was that things were going much better on the farm. No more animals went missing or escaped, no more plants were destroyed or smashed. I spent most of my time up in my room. I wasn't afraid of what had happened in the farmhouse anymore, but I felt relieved, thinking it was only a few more days until I left. Louisa and I got on much better than before. I knew I'd miss her.
They chalked up everything that had happened as a string of bad luck, though Peter did say he knew he shouldn't have let visitors in the farm. Eventually, Louisa and I did tell them everything we had been through. It was when they noticed the jack-o-lantern was missing.
"Where is the jack-o-lantern?" Janet demanded one day at dinner. "Wasn't it here just days ago?"
"What?" Peter exclaimed, raising his head. "You're right! It is gone. I can't believe I didn't notice. It's been there for so long, I barely notice."
"I noticed before," Janet admitted. "But with everything else that was going on, I didn't think it was a big deal."
"Are you serious? Of course it was!" Peter insisted.
"Uh, it doesn't matter, does it?" Louisa asked. "I mean, it's just a jack-o-lantern. All of the others got smashed, anyway."
"It wasn't like all the others," Peter insisted. "It kept the farmer's spirit inside. You know how dangerous he was. Now it's who knows where…" He trailed off while catching sight of me.
"You don't really believe that old myth, do you?" Janet quipped. "Don't say it in front of the children."
Peter glanced over at me. "Oh, it's just a superstition," he explained. "I don't believe any of it."
"Well, I do," I admitted. "I mean, Louisa told me all about it. About the farmer who used to live here. He started a fire here, didn't he?"
"You shouldn't scare your sister," Janet scolded.
"Well, I suppose that doesn't matter now," Peter added. "Do you have any idea where it is, Louisa?" Louisa glanced away. "Please tell us. We really need to know. If you decided to take it…"
"She didn't," I added. "I… I took it."
"Fern," Louisa scolded.
"You did?" Peter exclaimed. "When was this?"
"A few days ago," I admitted. "Right before the horses went missing."
"I knew it!" Janet groaned. "I mean, I suspected it. It reminded me of that old farmer legend you told me about. I began to think you might've been onto something, with all the strange things that kept happening. But I didn't realize it could have something to do with the jack-o-lantern going missing."
Peter narrowed his eyes at me. "What exactly happened to the jack-o-lantern, Fern? Be honest."
I hesitated. "I… I kind of lost it," I admitted.
"What?" Janet demanded. "Lost it?"
"I mean, I'm sure it's still somewhere in the cornfield," I explained. "I dropped it near the scarecrow, and…"
"Don't tell them, Fern," Louisa interrupted.
"No, tell us," Peter insisted. "We need to know. It's very important."
"Well, if you say so," Louisa agreed. "I guess we should tell them."
We quickly told them everything, from the first time I dropped the jack-o-lantern on the scarecrow to the last, where it was burned to ashes. They listened in amazement.
"I can't believe it," Janet muttered. "That the scarecrow was doing all those things, all this time… but at the same time, it makes sense. It always seemed to be nearby. But I didn't want to believe it."
"It's true," Louisa insisted.
"Didn't I tell you?" Peter demanded. "I told you the jack-o-lantern had old John's spirit inside. I knew he didn't actually perish in the fire."
"Not back then, but he did now," Louisa added. "And it's all thanks to Fern."
"There's just one thing I don't understand," said Peter. "Why were you out in the middle of the night?"
I hesitated. "I… I was going to run away," I admitted. "I hated it here. Things kept getting worse, so I decided to leave."
"You did?" Janet demanded.
"I don't know what I was thinking now," I admitted. "I was just desperate to escape. But then, even worse things started happening."
"Well, I'm glad you didn't," Louisa assured, putting her arm around me. "Because we couldn't have gotten rid of John without you."
When it was time to leave, I was almost sad. Louisa helped me pack after I sat at the kitchen table for one last dinner. Even Peter laughed and joked with me. Then my parents came, and it was time to go. They waved and called to me. To my surprise, Jeremy was with them. He got out of the car and ran over to me. I eagerly wrapped my arms around him.
"Jeremy! I'm so glad to see you," I exclaimed.
"You too, Fernie." Jeremy smiled at me. "Your parents decided to take me along to surprise you. How was the farm?"
"Oh, it was… well, not the best," I admitted. "But I did like seeing Louisa."
"Hi!" Louisa smiled. "Are you really Fern's cousin? She's told me all about you. Are you really as great as she makes you out to be? She really seems to adore you."
"Louisa!" I hissed. I smiled at Jeremy. "She's always like that. Imagine dealing with that every day."
"Hey!" Louisa shoved me. "You weren't easy either. You always made things worse."
"You're lucky," Jeremy quipped. "I almost wish I was here as well. Halloween in Gloomsdale was a nightmare, even though I tried to stay in our new house the entire time. I guess your dad was right about that place."
"Oh, you don't wish that. It wasn't better on the farm," I insisted, exchanging looks with Louisa. "You should hear about everything we went through."
"Well, Fern, looks like it's time for you to go," Janet said. "Your parents must miss you."
"I will," I assured. "I'll join you in a minute, Jeremy. Can I just say goodbye to Louisa?"
"Sure, if you want. I'm just glad you'll be joining me. It was lonely all by myself." Jeremy ran back to the car.
Louisa gave me a tattered bit of twine. "Remember this, Fern?" she asked, holding up the two fraying pieces. "It's the bracelet I gave you. But it's broken now."
I took the pieces from her. Bits of plants were still hanging from the twine. "Oh, yeah. You're right. I thought I lost it."
"I found it in the cornfield," Louisa admitted. "You know, when I went out to look for you. But I was more focused on finding you. I almost forgot about it."
"I can't wear it anymore. But I'll keep it," I assured. "As a memory, I guess."
"I'm going to miss you, Fernie," Louisa said.
"You will?" I laughed. "I only caused problems."
"And you solved them too," Louisa added. "The farm would've been cursed if it wasn't for you."
"You could've done it easily," I reminded.
"But I didn't," Louisa reminded. "You're the one who saved me. I know you were probably terrified, since you hate being here so much."
"I guess the farm isn't that bad," I admitted. "I thought so at first, but I realized it would be even worse with scarecrows wandering around."
"Well, there is a lot of work here," Louisa admitted. "Maybe one day, I'll come to visit you."
"Maybe you should," I agreed. "Jeremy and I would like to see you."
"Things have to be easier in your town," Louisa said. "It couldn't be nearly as crazy as everything that happened here."
"I wouldn't be sure about that," I quipped. "It was where John got that jack-o-lantern, remember? In Gloomsdale, something is always happening."
This is part of a larger series along with the others I've published here, that are all centered around a town called Gloomsdale. Some, like this, take place outside the town, but have some connection to the place. You know, like Fear Street and Shadyside.