Experiment Scarecrow

Chapter 19

Somber clouds loomed overhead, threatening rain--the early morning breeze twisting into a nipping wind, stinging at Brooke's rosy complexion once again. She tugged the hood of her lavender jacket up over her head, marching onward into the western wind continuing to push back.

As she entered the thicket resting directly before her house, the baring branches swept against one another, forming whispers among the treetops as it formed a temporary barrier against the wind. But as soon as she left the thicket, the wind returned, blustering against her petite figure.

Keeping her head down, she raced up the driveway and into the security of the porch. She followed the same routine, setting her back down inside and slipping back under the barbed-wire fence, careful to avoid the barbs as she weaved through, before bounding beyond the tree line. Her fingers crept to the pocket which held her phone, carefully pulling it out to relocate the missing poster of the boy.

Brooke sighed, pinching her fingers to zoom in on his face once again. Today she decided to try and prove her hypothesis, even if it meant facing a possibly enraged Scarecrow. A tinge of fear and regret swirled within her, desperately grasping at any thoughts to send her back into the direction of the house; but a torrent of credence battled back, forcing the fear to temporarily retreat to the back of her mind.

Her fingers gripped around the phone in her hand, forcing down a deep breath as she continued to trudge through the trees, the compacted leaves no longer crunching underneath her feet as they once did--the sound instead replaced by a soft squish from the moisture trapped below them, wafting the scent of an earthy decay into the air.

Finally, the trees faded, clearing from view as she entered the glade once again. Her eyes flicked to the church, sending a barrage of butterflies fluttering inside her stomach from the returning fear. She slipped the phone back into her pocket, stepping through the field of grass and under the cover of the church.

Once inside, her eyes quickly readjusted to the light, soon becoming focused on the slender silhouette rushing toward her. Instinctively, she jumped back in surprise, eyes widening.

"Sorry! I-Brooke, I need to tell you something," Scarecrow burst out; his words quick in a panic.

"Oh... Scarecrow, I need to ask you something, 'er... tell you something too?"

"I-Wait what?" He frowned, his eyes flicking to the door before grabbing her hand to drag her back toward the altar. "You tell me first then."

She jerked forward, forced to follow him behind the altar; his willingness to touch her hand no longer coming as a surprise. "O-Oh, ok?"

He plopped down behind the altar, the wind rattling through the roof above as the room fell into another temporary silence before she sat down in front of him, eyes glancing in worry to the rafters. "Um..."

Scarecrow shook his head. "It happens all the time, what were you going to tell me?" he pressed, forcing her to meet his gaze again.

A quiet sigh escaped, her fingers picking at the hem of her sleeve again. "Promise me that you will not get mad," she whispered, a hint of fear appearing in her tone.

He tilted his head, his glowing eyes flicking down to her fingers nervously fumbling with her sleeve. "Hm... ok... I'll try not to?"

Another frown crossed her face, anxiety continuing to ripple through her before she cautiously pulled the phone from her pocket again. Her eyes flicked up to meet his, noting him beginning to tense as he had done before.

In silence, she scrolled back through her phone, finding the image to reveal to him. But she froze, eyes flicking up to meet his own; the recognizable fear striking her again. "Um-H-Has anyone ever... um, liked you before?" she asked instead, pushing the phone face down on her leg to hide the screen.