I stumbled backwards, taken aback. At the same time, I was almost relieved. I wasn't sure I wanted to run into them, knowing they'd be mad at me. But there was something about the tall mannequin that freaked me out. Then I froze as I heard footsteps and yelling behind me.

"Fern!" I relaxed as I heard Louisa's voice. "Fernie, are you there?"

I turned around as my sister burst out from behind the stalks. She was breathing heavily, carrying a pile of corn in her arms. I stepped towards her in relief. "Louisa, I'm so glad to see you," I said. "I thought I was never going to find you."

"So did I," Louisa admitted. "Mom and Dad let me go off to look for you, since I know my way around here so well. What were you thinking, wandering off like that?"

"But how did you know how to find me?" I demanded.

Louisa grinned, gesturing to the basket in my hand. I glanced down, realizing there was half the corn there used to be. "The corn you collected must've dropped while you were walking. It left a nice trail for me."

"Oh," I muttered sheepishly. I had been so busy trying to find the bracelet, I hadn't even noticed. "I thought your parents would be impressed by how much I got."

"Don't worry, I picked up all of it," Louisa said, dropping the corn in her arms into my basket.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Don't tell them I dropped it, will you?"

"They'll be more mad at me for losing sight of you," Louisa insisted. "They told me to keep an eye on you."

"It was my fault," I insisted. "I was so busy picking corn, I didn't realize when you left. And then…"

"I guess you decided to go exploring," Louisa suggested. "It's understandable for somebody your age, I suppose, but…"

"No, it's not that," I interrupted. "You know that bracelet you got me? I kind of, well…" I raised my hand.

"You lost it?" Louisa exclaimed. "Well, that's fine, I suppose. It's the least of my worries."

"I was trying to find it," I explained. "And it was only after I realized I couldn't see any of you."

"Well, at least I've found you now," Louisa said. "Come on, let's go."

I turned around, staring at the tall figure. "Louisa, what's that?"

"Huh?" Louisa raised a hand to shield her eyes. "You mean, the scarecrow? I hope it didn't scare you too much."

"The scarecrow?" I exclaimed. I noticed the tall pole behind it, holding it up. "I thought it was one of your parents. That's why I came over here. It really freaked me out."

"I guess it would," Louisa agreed. "It even scares me sometimes. It has this terrifying, huge grin on the face…"

"Where is the face?" I couldn't help being curious. I walked up to the scarecrow, staring at the faded, old clothes and rotting straw. I glanced up, jumping as I caught sight of the face. It was a lumpy burlap bag with a menacing grin painted on, as eerie as the one on the jack-o-lanterns. The round black eyes stared into the distance, above the wide, grinning mouth.

"Fern!" Louisa grabbed my arm and pulled me away.

"I was just curious," I insisted. "You're right. The face is scary. It's just like the pumpkins."

"It's scarier," Louisa insisted. "You would think so, if you knew the story behind it."

"Huh? What story?" I demanded.

"Oh, I shouldn't tell you," Louisa insisted. "You've had enough of a shock, and Mom and Dad wouldn't want me to. Let's just get out of here."

I followed Louisa through the cornfield, staying close behind her. I was relieved nothing too terrible had happened, like yesterday, but I couldn't get the grinning face of the scarecrow out of my mind. I was relieved when we found the others.

"Louisa, there you are!" Janet called. "What on earth took you so long?"

"I had a little trouble finding Fern," Louisa explained. "She decided to wander off…"

Peter narrowed his eyes at me. I held up my basket. "Look at all the corn I got," I announced. "I was so busy getting it all, I didn't notice you were gone."

Peter inspected my basket. "That is a decent amount," he admitted. "Louisa should've been keeping an eye on you."

"You're right. It's my fault, really," Louisa admitted. "Fern was only looking for the bracelet I gave her."

"You mean, that thing you made?" Janet asked. "I thought it was for yourself. That was very kind of you, Louisa. It's too bad Fern lost it."

"Let's leave before another one of you gets lost," Peter suggested.

He stared warily at us as we made our way out of the cornfield, but he wasn't yelling like before. As soon as we were out, I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't like wandering through the endless field with the stalks towering over me and brushing against my sides.

"How much of the corn will you sell?" I asked as Peter took the basket from me.

"Oh, most of it," Peter replied. "It makes good money. Everyone loves our vegetables."

"I bet they do," I agreed. "I think I might've even bought some at home. Did you know I live in Gloomsdale?"

"You do?" Peter stared at me in surprise. "Your mother never told me."

"Well, it's true," I said, trying to please him. "Your farm is very nice. It must be hard work running it all, but you do a great job." Even if they put up too many jack-o-lanterns, I thought. "I'm sorry I made things harder." Louisa smiled approvingly at me.

To my relief, Peter looked pleased. "You did get enough corn for us," he admitted. "We'll be able to make soup tonight with the leftover."

"Can I show Fern the horses at the barn?" Louisa asked.

Peter hesitated. "Are you sure you should be riding?"

"Oh, no. I'll just show her," Louisa insisted. "Fern likes horses, don't you, Fernie? Didn't you have horse posters in your room?"

"Come on, let them," Janet insisted. "What's the harm?"

I followed Louisa to the barn, the shingles glinting under the morning sunlight. The door creaked as Louisa opened it. The farmhands were inside, sweeping the hay in the stalls.

"Hi, Nadia! Hi, Aidan!" Louisa called. "This is my sister, Fern."

They glanced up at me. "Nice to meet you," Nadia smiled. Aidan scowled without saying anything, continuing to sweep the floor.

"Where are the horses?" I asked.

"Just this way." Nadia let go of the wheelbarrow and turned.

Louisa and I followed her through the barn, trying to step around the old straw. Aidan glared at me when I bumped into him. He was much less friendly than his sister. For a moment, I thought he was going to aim his pitchfork at me.

"S-sorry," I apologized, backing away.

"Aidan doesn't like strangers," Nadia explained. "He never did even at the circus."

"He didn't even like me at first," Louisa added. "Can you believe that, Fern?"

"Were you really at a circus?" I asked.

"None of your business," Aidan retorted.

I quickly left him and followed Nadia. "I heard there was an incident with the tractor yesterday," she remarked.

"That was my fault," Louisa admitted sheepishly. "I thought I could drive it by myself, and…"

"No, it was my fault," I interrupted. "I'm the one who grabbed you, remember? And your parents were so mad at me."

"I'm glad, to be honest," Nadia admitted. "That thing needed to be replaced, anyway. Maybe now, they'll finally get a new one."

I couldn't help feeling relieved to hear that. Nadia came to a stop at a row of stalls. It reminded me of the stables back in town, only smaller. I heard soft whinnying from several horses as they poked their long heads out. Nadia raised her hand to one of them that whinnied happily.

"Sandy! How are you, boy?" Louisa asked, petting a cream-colored horse on the side of his head. "I haven't seen you in so long! You aren't still giving the others a hard time, are you?"

I watched as she went around, saying hello to each of the horses. She was clearly fond of them, but I felt a little shy. I had been afraid to even get close to the horses at the stables back at home.

"Come on, Fernie, don't be shy," Louisa insisted. She led me to a small, dark horse with spots along the neck. "Say hello to Pepper. She's very gentle. Go on, pet her."

Pepper stared back at me with big, dark eyes. I cautiously raised my hand and pressed it against the side of her head. She closed her eyes, nuzzling her head into my palm. I began to relax. Then I jumped as I heard a loud snorting from the horse Louisa was petting. I glanced over to see Sandy tossing his head, causing Louisa to step away.

"He's just restless, I think," Nadia remarked. "It's been a while since they've had the chance to go out."

"We could exercise them," Louisa suggested. "I'd love to go riding again."

"So would I," I agreed.

"You would?" Louisa asked.

"I mean, I went riding a few times at the stables back at home," I admitted. "I'm not that good at it, but I did like it. But I'd understand if I couldn't. I mean, I wouldn't want to mess up again…"

"Don't be ridiculous, Fern," Louisa interrupted. "Of course you can go riding."

"Yeah, that's right," Nadia agreed. "The horses are very gentle, most of the time. It's good to see you aren't afraid, despite how young you are."

"Well, I am a little afraid," I admitted. "But more of what your dad will say. He did tell me I couldn't, remember?"

"Well, he didn't technically say that," Louisa reminded. "And Mom seemed fine with it. She's right. A horse is different from a tractor."

"Very different," Nadia agreed. "For one thing, you can't just fix them or buy a new one when one of them breaks. Well, I guess you technically can, but it'd be a lot more difficult."

My hand was starting to go numb, but Pepper was leaning against it, and I was afraid to move. "Looks like she likes you," Louisa remarked. "You should go riding, Fern. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. You should take Pepper. She's very gentle."

I was excited as they helped the horses out of their stalls and led them out of the barn. I walked next to Pepper, staring at the grey patches covering her dark coat. I could see where she got her name. Aidan glanced up at us. "You're taking them riding?" he asked.

Nadia nodded. "They were excited about it, and it's been a while since they've gotten exercise."

To my surprise, Aidan grinned for the first time. "Remember how we left the farm on two of them? At least, until they threw us off. I thought you were knocked out for a moment, but all you cared about was losing the horses."

"Well, they were a good form of transportation for us, if not the most reliable," Nadia insisted. Seeing the look on my face, she reminded, "Don't worry, I'm sure they won't do the same to you." Truthfully, I was more afraid of making the horse crash. "Aidan, get the equipment, will you?"

Soon they were tacked up and ready to go. Louisa took Sandy by the reins and led him out into the paddock. I watched as she climbed into the saddle. I stood warily behind Pepper, until Nadia helped me on her. I gripped the stirrups with my feet as I was jolted into the saddle. I watched as Louisa's horse began to walk around the paddock. Then I jumped as Pepper began to move, tightly gripping the reins.

I sat completely still at first as I bumped up and down in the saddle, relieved that Nadia stayed right beside me. I tried to follow Louisa, but she was much more skilled than me. Her horse was moving faster, while Pepper was walking at a slow pace. I began to relax at the steady bouncing below me, like I did on the tractor, until I came to the end of the paddock. Nadia grabbed Pepper's reins and steered her to the right.

"Just pull the reins when you want her to go in the opposite direction," Nadia instructed. "Like you're pulling her that way."

I had heard that before at the stables, but it was harder on the farm. I began to relax again, until I heard a voice yelling. As I glanced over, I realized it was Peter, standing right outside the paddock as he yelled at us.

"Get down from there!" he called. "What did I tell you?"

Louisa glared at him. "We aren't doing any harm," she insisted. "We just wanted to exercise the horses. Fern wanted to go riding, and…"

I winced, lowering my head. I didn't want her to blame me, but thankfully, he kept yelling at her, telling her to get down. Louisa yelled back at him, beginning to argue with him while on horseback. I didn't know how she had the nerve. Nadia left to speak to Peter as well, trying to reason with him. I felt uneasy without her by my side. I raised my head as I heard Louisa's horse whinny. I realized he was near the end of the paddock, and Louisa was too busy arguing to notice. Just as he was about to bump into the fence, he reared up on his hind legs. I gasped at the sight, but Louisa quickly turned her attention back to the horse. He lowered back down and turned to the side as Louisa tugged the reins, beginning to move faster than before. Louisa tightly gripped the reins as he began to trot around the paddock. I could tell something had spooked him, but I wasn't sure what.

I lowered my head to my own horse, who was going at the same slow pace. I began to panic as I heard the other horse's hooves thudding against the ground behind me, rapidly increasing in speed. I knew it wouldn't take long before he ran into us, but I was too afraid to speed up as well. I frantically tugged Pepper's reins, trying to pull her to the side as well, but I pulled in the wrong direction. She turned to the fence, and I began to worry she'd crash there instead. Nadia stared at me in concern while Peter kept glaring at Louisa. After my close calls, I was terrified of crashing again. I just knew I had to get off the horse.

I kicked my feet out of the stirrups and frantically tried to get off, ignoring Nadia's yells. I wished she hadn't left my side, but it was too late now. I pressed down on the saddle while trying to stand. I tried to swing one of my feet back into the stirrup, but I couldn't get a firm grip. My heart pounded as I heard the heavy thuds near me. I wasn't sure exactly where they were coming from, but at that point, I was too terrified to be thinking clearly. I swung my other leg over the saddle, desperate to be off, only to feel my foot slip from the stirrup. I frantically gripped the reins, but I tugged them too hard. Pepper began to walk again, and the motion caused me to fall off. I let out a scream as I fell to the ground.

I lay there on my side, my ears ringing and heart pounding. I could hear the others yelling and the thuds of the other horse, though they were beginning to slow down. I could see both of the horses walking across the paddock, one of them faster than the other. My heart sank as I realized I was lying in the grass of the paddock, about to be run over by either of them.

To my relief, Nadia jumped over the fence and headed over to me. I felt her strong hands gripping my arms and pulling me up. I swayed slightly as I stood, the side of my body aching and my head spinning. Pepper had come to a stop, and Louisa's horse had slowed to a walk, but I was still terrified by the sight of them. I could hear Louisa scolding Sandy.

"Come on, Fern. You're alright.'" Nadia put her arm around me and helped me over to the fence. I was relieved when I was out of the paddock. I waited for my heart to stop pounding. I knew it could've been worse. I hadn't exactly been thrown off. In fact, it was my own fault I had fallen off, but it was still terrifying.

I turned to the paddock and watched as Louisa leapt off her own horse, climbing over his side like I climbed over the fence. I didn't know how she could do it so easily. She scolded him some more. Both he and Pepper stayed still as Louisa ran over to me.

"Fern! Fern, are you alright?" Louisa's brown eyes were filled with concern. "Are you hurt?"

I brushed myself off. "No, I'm fine," I assured shakily. "It was just a scare, that's all."

"I'm so sorry," Louisa apologized. "I should've controlled Sandy. I just don't know why he freaked out like that."

"Can I just get back to the house?" I pleaded, rubbing my head. I realized they were right to be reluctant about letting me ride.

"You should get back there as well, Louisa," Peter snapped. "I don't know what you were thinking. I knew it was too dangerous for you to ride."

"But nothing happened," Louisa protested. "I mean, except to Fern. But it wasn't that bad. Right, Fernie?"

"Uh…" I hesitated. Even though I knew it hadn't been, it was still terrifying. I remembered the panic I had felt when I realized I was about to fall.

"You shouldn't have brought her along either," Peter scolded.

"If you hadn't shown up, he probably wouldn't have freaked out," Louisa insisted. As he started to scold her, she added, "Alright, I'll do what you want. Just let me check on Sandy first. I want to make sure he's alright."

"If he's alright?" I asked in disbelief. "He was about to crash into me."

"Did you really think that, Fern?" Louisa asked, climbing over the fence. "I turned him in the other direction. He didn't even come close to you. He's just easily scared, that's all."

"I'm the one who was scared," I muttered.

I watched as Louisa gently patted the horse, seeming to forget about how she had been scolding him. Nadia went to check on Pepper as well. I didn't know how they could handle being near them. As they began to lead the horses to the gate, I stepped back. I didn't even want to see them anymore.

"You're right. I think you'd better be leaving," Peter told me roughly. "You've done enough for one day."

I let him lead me back to the farmhouse, wishing I had never left. As soon as I was there, I climbed up to my room and flopped down on the bed. It seemed only disasters happened ever since I arrived on the farm. First crashing the tractor, then getting lost in the cornfield, and now this. Even though none of them were that bad, aside from the tractor, I knew they were all my fault. I wasn't suited for life on the farm. I'd probably cause even more trouble for them.

I stayed in bed until Louisa came up. "Hey, Fern, how are you feeling?"

I glanced over at her. "I'm fine," I muttered.

"Pepper really gave you a scare, didn't she?" Louisa asked, crawling over the attic. "She's usually very gentle."

"It's my fault," I admitted. "I just panicked, and I wasn't thinking clearly. Like when you were driving the tractor…"

"Well, I can't blame you. It was pretty scary to hear Sandy chasing you, wasn't it?" Louisa asked.

I nodded. "But you could control him. You weren't scared at all."

"Oh, I was," Louisa admitted. "Even I was worried he'd crash into you, before I pulled him away. And I've had much more experience than you. You aren't used to riding, are you?"

"I did a few times at the stables," I admitted. "But I guess it's harder on the farm. Just like everything else here." I lowered my head. "I'm always messing up, and I haven't even been here long."

"You are young, and you aren't used to living here," Louisa assured. "I do sometimes too. I've fallen off the horses a few times as well."

"You did?" I asked.

"Well, more like they kicked me off," Louisa admitted. "You're lucky. It was much worse, being thrown off. It was my own fault for trying to ride bareback, like Nadia told me they used to at the circus." I gaped in shock. It was hard enough riding in a saddle. "And I still got back on afterwards."

"I don't know how you can do it," I admitted. "I'm terrified just by the thought."

"I was scared as well, when Sandy panicked like that," Louisa admitted. "I thought he was going to throw me off again."

"It's a good thing he didn't," I remarked. "But it's too bad he freaked out."

Louisa looked sheepish. "Actually, I made him trot. I just wanted to get away from my dad's yelling. I told you, he's always like that." She scowled. "He's had me working at the fields all day, feeding all the animals and harvesting the crops."

"He has?" I asked.

"You're lucky," Louisa muttered. "He doesn't make you do that, just because you're new. He blames me for not keeping an eye on you." She glared at me. "And since you crashed the tractor, I can't even use that anymore. It's much harder without it."

"Uh, sorry," I apologized. "You know I didn't mean to…"

"I wasn't sure how to drive the tractor either at first," Louisa admitted. "It took me a while to get the hang of it."

"I bet you never crashed it, though," I said.

"Well, no," Louisa admitted. "But I did go too fast a few times. Is that why you grabbed me like that? Did you want to drive that badly?"

I hesitated. "No, it wasn't that. I guess something scared me."

"You wanted to get off, like on the horse?" Louisa asked.

"No, I… I think I saw something," I admitted. "Something in the way. It freaked me out."

"You did?" Louisa asked. "Was it one of those jack-o-lanterns?"

I stared at her. "How did you know?"

"That's what Sandy saw," Louisa explained. "There was one at the end of the paddock, behind the fence. It must've freaked him out as well. None of the animals like them much. They get scared by the grins we carved on them."

"I was as well," I admitted. "They look really creepy. Why do you have so many of them all around the farm, anyway? Just to give light?"

"Don't worry, there isn't any fire in them," Louisa assured. "They'd be too scared of adding fire. We always put them up around this time. Every year at autumn. It's a good thing the pumpkins are in season around that time. But sometimes I wish we didn't. It's a hassle having to put them out and step around them when I'm trying to plant the seeds or harvest the crops. But at least they're not around for long."

"Every year?" I asked. "Couldn't you take them down? I mean, I know it's almost Halloween, but…"

"We can't," Louisa insisted. "Even if we wanted to. They're supposed to protect us."

"Protect you?" I repeated.

Louisa hesitated. "That's the original use of jack-o-lanterns. You've heard the story about them, weren't you? That they were supposed to protect whoever used them?"

"No, I haven't," I admitted. "So it's some kind of superstition?"

"I guess so," Louisa admitted. "But I can't help thinking it's real. That if we put up enough of them, it'll be enough to keep John away…"

"Huh?" I repeated. "Who's John?"

"Oh, no one," Louisa assured. But I didn't miss the fear that flicked across her face. "He's just an old farmer who used to live here. Actually, sometimes we even call them john-o-lanterns."

"And you're worried about him returning?" I demanded.

Louisa hesitated. "I really shouldn't tell you. It'll just scare you even more."

"Please tell me," I pleaded. "It can't be worse than everything that's happened."

"Oh, alright. If you insist," Louisa agreed. "I had to do all those chores because of you, anyway." I could tell she was annoyed with me. "And it wasn't easy with all those pumpkins in the way."

"So what does this farmer have to do with them?" I asked.

"John lived here many years ago," Louisa explained. "And he hated the farm. He hated living here, he hated the crops and animals, he hated the other farmers. He hated everything about it. Kind of like you."

She glanced pointedly at me, and I lowered my head. "I don't hate everything about it," I insisted. "Just most things. But if he hated it so much, why did he stay?"

"His family wouldn't let him leave," Louisa explained. "They insisted he stay to ruin their business. It was their farm, you know, and they were very proud of it." Louisa hesitated as if she was about to add something, but quickly went on. "Then one day, he decided that if he couldn't leave, he'd…" She trailed off.

"He'd what?" I asked.

"No, I shouldn't tell you exactly what happened," Louisa insisted. "It's too frightening. All I can say is that the farmer perished one day, in a tragic accident."

"I see," I muttered, deciding I didn't want to know too much. "So is that why you put up all the jack-o-lanterns? To remember him?"

"Well, not just that," Louisa admitted. "The rumor is that John didn't die. At least, that's what Dad thinks. They say his spirit still haunts the farm, trying to destroy it again. And that he comes out every year around the time of the accident."

"So that's why," I realized. "You think the jack-o-lanterns will protect you."

"Yeah, that's right," Louisa agreed. "I know, it sounds dumb. But Dad sounds really serious about it, and I'm afraid of going against him. They're supposed to scare John off, or something."

"Well, at least that explains why I keep messing up," I joked. "It's because he's trying to make things harder for us."

Louisa laughed. "I'm not sure about that. The jack-o-lanterns must be doing a good job. John could make far worse things happen than that."

"I guess you're right," I admitted. "It's just because I'm not used to the farm. And the story isn't even true, is it?"

"The part about the accident is, at least," Louisa insisted. "That's why we never fill the pumpkins with fire, so another one doesn't happen. We probably wouldn't anyway. It's too much of a hazard."

I suddenly remembered the glowing jack-o-lantern I had seen in the kitchen. "You don't?" I asked, confused. "But what about that one?"

"Huh? Which one, Fern?" Louisa asked.

I was about to reply when I heard voices from below. "Louisa, come down! It's time for lunch."

"Coming, Mom!" Louisa called. "You should come too, Fern. You must be starving."

I followed her downstairs, my head spinning. I couldn't stop thinking about the story as I made my way through the old farmhouse. I tried to forget about it as I ate, but I couldn't stop staring at the jack-o-lantern above the fridge, the dim light glowing through the hollow eyes and mouth. I was afraid to ask Louisa about it in front of her parents, but there was something strange about it, even more than the other pumpkins. The wide grin seemed more real, and not just because of the light illuminating it. I realized it reminded me of the scarecrow's.