It was time for Tim and Monica’s yearly tradition of going to the pumpkin patch. Every year they would go and pick out the biggest and best pumpkin they could find to carve for their town contest. Tim got done with work a little late this time and arrived home at 6: 30 pm. Monica was anxious to go even though it would be dark by the time they got to the pumpkin patch. Tim suggested that they go the next day but Monica insisted that it be tonight since today was the first delivery of pumpkins to the patch. Tim gave in to Monica’s wishes as they planned to head to the pumpkin patch.
The night air was a little cool so Monica put on her green hooded sweatshirt. Tim just grabbed his black and white flannel shirt and put it on over his t-shirt. During the thirty-minute drive to the farm that holds the yearly pumpkin patch, Monica and Tim discussed what to carve this year.
“I think that we should carve a mean-looking wolf head in the pumpkin this year,” Monica said.
“I think Mr. Adderson did that last year,” Tim said.
“Okay, how about Dracula?” Monica smiled.
“No, we need to do something that hasn’t been done in a while,” Tim focused his eyes on the road.
“That’s true,” Monica looked out through the windshield.
Tim slowed down when he saw the street light to the Smith farm driveway. He pulled in and slowly drove past the Smiths’ fully lit-up house, and headed toward the back of his property. Mr. Smith uses three acres of his land to hold the pumpkin patch each year as a way of helping out the community. Tim saw the beginning of the pumpkin patch and pulled off to the side of the driveway and parked.
“Look at all of them. I swear they have more and more pumpkins every year,” Monica opened the car door and got out.
Tim got out and walked around the front of the car to catch up to Monica as she entered the patch. Mr. Smith called over to them as he walked towards his house and told them that he would be back in a few minutes.
“Okay, Mr. Smith. (Mr. crazy eyes, Monica whispered) take your time,” Monica yelled out to him.
Tim and Monica wandered around the patch searching for the perfect pumpkin. Each time Tim would point out a pumpkin, Monica would look and tell him bigger. By this time, the sky was dark and the only light that was shining was from the large light post that Mr. Smith put up for the pumpkin patch. While Monica strolled among the numerous pumpkins, she thought she saw someone walking near the tree line. She stopped for a moment and stared into the darkness.
“Hello, Mr. Smith, is that you?” Monica called out.
Tim looked at Monica, “he’s in the house.”
“I thought so… But I could swear that I just saw someone over there,” Monica pointed.
Tim looked off into the distance but didn’t see anything. Monica shrugged it off and went back to looking for the perfect pumpkin. As she got near the back of the property, she smiled from ear to ear.
“I think I found the one,” Monica called out to Tim.
Monica rushed over to the gigantic orange pumpkin and pointed down, “Yes, it’s perfect. And I know just what we can carve into it,” she yelled.
Tim carefully made his way through the pumpkins to Monica, when he heard the rustling sound of leaves behind her.
“A clown,” Tim yelled.
Monica looked at Tim, “how did you guess that?”
“No, look out, it’s a clown!”
Monica turned around and saw a big-nosed, red-haired clown coming toward her with a butcher knife. She screamed and ran toward Tim but then tripped over a small pumpkin. The crazy-eyed clown hunted Monica down and stabbed her in the back several times. Tim knew that there was nothing he could do for her now and tried to head toward the car. Just as Tim got free and clear of the pumpkins, the crazy-eyed clown threw a knife and hit Tim in the back of his thigh. Tim fell to the ground in pain. He tried to crawl to his car but suddenly found himself surrounded by three other clowns.
Tim looked up at them, “why are you doing this?”
The two smaller clowns just stared at him while the third clown reached out her hand.
The crazy-eyed clown with the red hair walked up to his family of clowns, took his wife’s hand, and looked at Tim, “It’s time for the community to give back.”
Please join me again next week for more of: Spook Season Stories, story 6 of 7.