Code: 767

Chapter 1

The autumn day began; Eric rose out of bed and started off his morning getting ready for another exhausting day of labor. But, he had no choice, as working on the farm was the only way Mr. Bradley let Eric live there. It was a deal, made between the two, about six years ago, when Eric was starving and homeless. Mr. Bradley sought help anyways, as he had no other family member to help him.

“Morning, Eric. Ready to begin?”

Eric looked up from his buttered toast with high spirits and replied, “Yes, sir.”

He was in a fine mood this morning, as his day off was tomorrow.

“I will try and get all of the work done early tonight, so that I can have the evening as well as tomorrow. Of course, if that is alright with you, sir.”

“Oh yeah, I have to tell ya… I can’t give you the day off tomorrow.”

Eric looked at Mr. Bradley with confusion, and then his face turned angry once the reason was given.”

“Why must I make paths in the corn field tomorrow? Remember last year? There weren’t too many families that did the corn maze.”

Mr. Bradley exchanged Eric’s angry expressions, “That cuz we made the admission price to expensive. I ain’t puttin’ this up for a debate. I’ll find somewhere else down the road to put your off day.”

Eric wanted to be thankful, but he felt cheated. It was a tiring week for him.

“I don’t wanna see you mad now, remember last time you got mad? We almost had a situation cuz of your… well your powers.”

These “powers” Eric had, were supernatural ones. He was born with them; he didn’t know yet how to control them or why he was given them. From as far as he could remember, he never had parents to ask them about this secret. And it was a secret. Mr. Bradley is the only one to know about it, but one misstep from Eric, and he will be kicked out and his secret will be revealed. 

 Eric ate his toast and went out the door; the farmer’s golden retriever was behind him.

“Porter, isn’t it amazing how fast someone’s mood can change? In the blink of an eye everything went from good to crap.”

Porter just looked down at his paw and licked it.

Eric took the tractor out to collect some pumpkins and gourds. They are sold to the people that don’t want to take the hay ride out to get them on their own. Mr. Bradley usually drives the families out to the patch while Eric runs the register.

Out at the pumpkin patch, Eric’s mood continued to be salty, spatting aloud to himself, “The busiest month of the year coming up and I have to work straight through the week. Well at least Sunday will be a little better; I only have to do school work. But then again, that is still work.”

He was very furious now, remembering that he was only given off two Saturdays last October. Conflicted now; it was hard for him to be grateful for Mr. Bradley’s hospitality, when he was thought of as a worker far more than an adoptive son. There was no love or caring in this relationship, yet he did keep Eric off the streets and give him a second chance. He kept asking himself whether it was still worth it, though.

 Towards the end of the day, gray clouds started to fill the sky. Eric was still occupied with his duty out in the pumpkin patch. Minutes later the preoccupied boy noticed the gray clouds darkening. Knowing it was time to get back to the house, he gathered the pumpkins and gourds, put them in a crate, and traveled back.

Mr. Bradley was standing outside the front door watching Eric walk up from putting the tractor away.

Mr. Bradley yelled out to him, “There yah are. I need yah to get the goats and sheep into the barn before the rain comes!”