The small town of Duskville was known to be big on Halloween celebrations. To the point where some even called it Terror Town.

  Jack-o-lanterns, wire ghosts, too many plastic tombstones to count, Somnu came across this and more as he passed through the busiest street of the town on his way to work. Cackling women in witchy dresses were doing their best to decorate for the big night.

  After all, if you’re a fan of the holiday and want to have some fun, Duskville is the place to be on the last day of October.

  Having grown up here, Somnu used to be a big fan himself. Duskville townsfolk were horror fanatics, whipping the fear out of their children at a young age, and Halloween was the perfect test of courage.

  Somnu used to dress up as a scarecrow and go into horror houses or run through fear challenges, proudly proclaiming how fearless he was.

  “Nothing can scare a scarecrow!”

  He used to proudly shout. That was years ago. Now, he was nineteen.

  Nowadays, he might occasionally walk down the street on the big night, wearing his scarecrow clothes from work and watching everyone partake in the holiday activities.

  Most years, that was enough for him.

  I might stay home this time, I’ll probably be tired from work anyway…

  “!”

  Snatched out of his thoughts, Somnu felt a cold shiver run down his back and turned to look for the source of unease.

  His vision was blurring again, but he could have sworn he had felt an ominous gaze glaring at him. A brief image of sewed lips releasing hot steam blocked his eyes, only to clear into a carved pumpkin a moment later.

  I should have spent more time resting… I’m starting to lose it. He shook his head and turned back forward.

  As he hurried past everyone prepping for the big night, Somnu quickly left the busy street and took a shortcut through the familiar fields. Duskville was a big town, but before long, the scarecrow was at the Emberlyns, an old retired couple living alone.

  They always came out to greet him together, and gave him some food and water a few times a day. Somnu never complained.

  However, today, only old man Emberlyn stood on the porch.

  “Good morning, kid. You’re late.” The old man said with a slight snicker before taking a sip of his coffee while leaning forward.

  He was slightly tall and thin, with naturally-tuned muscles. His gray beard and short ponytail of the same color under the straw hat made him easily recognizable, but what stood out the most was the round necklace hanging over the white tank top and between the open sandy flannel. Instead of the usual dog tags this type would wear, Mr. Emberlyn wore one that resembled some kind of spider web. It even had some metal feathers hanging down from it.

  “Been a while, huh? Overslept?” Old man Emberlyn added.

  Did this old geezer go senile? I was here yesterday. Or is he making fun of me for being late? Somnu felt an eyebrow begin to twitch already. I knew he was going to say something…

  “Morning… Yeah, you could say that.” Somnu tipped his straw hat a bit, blocking his eyes, then curled the corners of his lips slightly. “Or you’re just up too damn early, old man. Did you even sleep?”

  “Hah, I’ve been up since 4 am, kid. I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Want some coffee before you start?” The old man turned slowly, as if going to grab Somnu a cup.

  The action made Somnu raise an eyebrow slightly, but he let it go.

  “Liar, I bet you were out like a light at eight last night.” The scarecrow then turned and walked to the field next to the Emberlyn house. “I’m good on the coffee, I just had one. I’ll swing by when I need something.”

  He wasn’t lying, he had a few throughout the night actually.

  “You did? Was the Duskville punk up to no good again so early in the morning?” The old man chuckled. “And here I thought you had simmered down a bit.”

  “Keep that up and I'll go full punk on your ass. Maybe that will teach you to respect your juniors.” Somnu shot back.

  “I’d like to see you try, kiddo.” Mr. Emberlyn scoffed slightly and turned to go back inside. “Give them hell, scarecrow kid.”

  “You bet.”

  For the next few hours, Somnu did his job. He chased away crows and birds sneaking in to eat the crops. It wasn’t just birds though, rabbits, rodents, squirrels, and even deer at times. The scarecrow’s job was extensive, unlike what most would think.

  Something about protecting the crop that can’t defend itself while beady-eyed crows and animals constantly put them in danger, ready to tear them out root and stem, it made Somnu feel fulfilled after a long day.

  That’s why he had always loved scarecrows. The lonely protectors who suffer by themselves. They only instill fear for the sake of protecting others.

  For that, he could only respect and idolize them deeply.

  That’s why he worked hard every day as a professional scarecrow, it was his calling. And that’s what he was doing again today at the Emberlyn farm, protecting the crop.

  Despite the blurry episodes here and there, he shook them off and continued working, confident they were nothing.

  Either way, Somnu even made sure to check on the crop and put his other skills, like cleaning and tending to them, to good use where he saw they were needed. Protecting the crop as a scarecrow also meant making sure the next harvest would be plentiful.

  That was Somnu’s job, and he liked it.

  He had nothing to complain about.

  Nothing at all.

  ***

  A while later, around noon, Somnu walked back to the Emberlyn house. The old man was sitting on the porch, a glass jug filled with cold water accompanying him. He wasn’t alone, not far from him, his white horse was mowing the grass.

  “Hey, Betty. Having lunch?” Somnu greeted the animal.

  “Neighh!”

  “Good work, kid. Get yourself a drink.” Old man Emberlyn gestured for Somnu to take a seat.

  “Thanks, I’ll take you up on that.” The scarecrow sat down next to his employer for the morning and poured himself a cold glass of water. A second later, he had already downed it.

  “Anything odd out there?” Mr. Emberlyn inquired.

  “You might have lost some tomatoes at the edges.” Somnu reported his findings as he saw them.

  “Figures. Sometimes you gotta sacrifice the few for the many.” The thin old man looked out onto his farm. “Planting the bad seeds at the edges keeps the good ones in the middle safe.”

  “Or maybe just get rid of everything that threatens the crop.” The scarecrow said.

  “Heh, just what a scarecrow punk would say.” The old man snickered.

  “Don’t put those words together like it’s a normal thing. You’ll ruin my reputation.”

  “And since when do you care about your reputation, scarecrow kid? It didn’t matter to you before.” Mr. Emberlyn leaned forward, pouring himself a new drink. “We need the animals as much as they need the crop, remember that.”

  Hearing that, Somnu felt his eyes shaking, forcing him to close them for a second. The world returned to its normal clearness a moment later as he slowly dared to open his eyes again.

  Despite their frequency, Somnu was convinced these blurry episodes were nothing. The sweat beads forming on his forehead, the sudden chill running down his spine, the tightness threatening to choke his throat, he blocked them all out.

  There was something else laying heavy on his mind now, so he focused on that instead.

  “...” Somnu hesitated for a second, then built up the courage. “Hey, I need to ask you something.”

  “Hmm? What is it, kid?” The old man raised an eyebrow. “Spit it out.”

  “Where is Mrs. Emberlyn?”

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “...?”

  “You know, she’s the one who usually makes the coffee, so…” Seeing Mr. Emberlyn give him a questioning look, Somnu felt the need to explain.

  “Oh…” The old man tipped his own straw hat and covered his eyes. “Well, you see, she went to bed and didn’t wake up…”

  “!”

  Somnu narrowed his eyes, his stomach in tight knots.

  “... Yet.”

  “What?” Somnu blurted out, his mouth left half-agape.

  “She’s sleeping, you oaf.” The old man snickered again. “You should’ve seen your face.”

  This bastard…! You scared the hell outta me!

  “Go to hell!” Somnu blurted out.

  “Been there, done that.” The veteran replied without a second thought.

  “You think it’s funny, geezer?!”

  “A little, yeah.” Mr. Emberlyn chuckled. “You’re smart, but too honest. That makes it easy to mislead you.”

  “I was really worried, dammit!” Somnu got up and started walking away.

  “She was up all night waiting for our granddaughter.” Mr. Emberlyn explained. “She got here just before you did, then they both passed out together.”

  “Your granddaughter?” The scarecrow stopped and turned back.

  “That’s right. Around your age, I think.” The old man raised an eyebrow, then narrowed his eyes at Somnu. “You stay away from her now. She’s quite the beauty, but we don’t want anyone scaring her away.”

  “Excuse me?!”

  Instead of an answer, Somnu was just met with the old man laughing at his own pranks.

  Don’t tell me that girl from the bus was heading here…? Somnu wondered. Had I stayed, we would’ve come here together… Dammit! Damn you, universe!

  “Wipe that scowl off your face, I’m kidding. She’s going to the Halloween festival tonight, you can meet her there.” The old man smiled with two slightly raised eyebrows, as if insinuating something.

  This old bastard is driving me crazy!

  “I’m outta here, still got two other jobs today.” Somnu turned and waved with the back of his hand.

  “Alright, thanks for the hard work, kid. See you tomorrow.” The old man paused, then added. “Be sure to go home and freshen up before tonight, you hear?! It’s high time you get back out there and find someone again.”

  “Shut up! Isn’t it time for your nap already?!”

  ***

  A moment later, the scarecrow was out of earshot. Mr. Emberlyn watched him walk away with slightly narrow eyes.

  Ever since waking up, something had been bothering him. Like an odd dream he couldn’t quite explain, and it was connected to the scarecrow somehow.

  As a veteran, he knew when a bad feeling was signaling something. He didn’t like it, not one bit.

  Especially since today was the anniversary of that dreadful night.

  “Be careful, kid…” The old-timer said, his words hanging in the air. “May your day be endless. And may she watch over you always.”

  ***

  It was already 9 pm, and the busy street of Duskville was bustling with activity. The Halloween festival was on full throttle.

  After deliberating over the matter since noon, Somnu had decided to swing by at the end. He had changed into his spare scarecrow outfit instead of trying on the costume still hanging on the wall, years later. It wouldn’t fit him anymore anyway.

  Walking down the street, all he could see were families, friend groups or couples stopping at vendors and partaking in the activities. He remembered the time he had his first date here, but now…

  What am I doing here? I still have to take flowers to the gravestone tonight. Me meeting a girl here? This is stupid… There is a reason things are the way they are… I need to take things slow if I want to change…

  Even if I saw her again-

  “!”

  Just as Somnu was lost in thought, his eyes landed on what he came here to find.

  There she was, standing on her own, the girl with the silky golden hair reaching just below her shoulders. She had her back turned to him, but she radiated a presence that was difficult to ignore. He was sure it was her. She seemed to be wearing some kind of superhero outfit.

  Wait, I know that character… Isn’t it that Nightmare Slayer superwoman? An old one, but still a classic and popular choice. Somnu questioned. She’s into that stuff too? Jackpot! A sign from the universe itself!

  With all the free time that came with not sleeping all night, Somnu had pretty much read every book or novel, watched every show, played every game he could. Some nights, he would even practice learning a new language or expand his knowledge on some newfound research. Those were the only things that helped take his mind off.

  Humans naturally needed sleep, no one could go a few days without it, lest they are overwhelmed by hallucinations or the pain. For Somnu, the pain wasn’t as severe, or perhaps he simply got used to it. Either way, finding distractions was the only thing that helped him. Thankfully, all that entertainment had prepared him for moments like this.

  Come on, just go talk to her! You got the perfect excuse! Nothing can scare a scarecrow!

  He built up the courage and took a step forward to face one fear at a time, but just when he opened his mouth to say something, a group of girls suddenly surrounded her.

  “?!”

  “There you are, new girl!”

  “Welcome to our Terror Town, haha!”

  “Hush, you’re going to scare her away!”

  They brought her snacks, seemingly showing her around and introducing her to the town.

  Dammit! Why, universe?! Are you working with the old man, huh?! Is this a joke to you two?!

  Back hunched again, Somnu turned around and began to walk away.

  “Ah!”

  “Somnu!”

  Right in front of him stood the other two people he had briefly seen on the bus too.

  Crow-shit! Definitely not now!

  Without a second delay, he took off running in the opposite direction, passing the golden-haired girl, unintentionally making brief eye contact with her. Her irises shone with a light blue, a breathtaking aqua color that almost stopped Somnu in his tracks. They certainly made his heart skip a beat.

  Damn you, universe!

  Nevertheless, Somnu kept running through the crowd, feeling his pursuers on his tail.

  “!”

  Suddenly, his vision blurred yet again, and he saw himself running through a damp forest of some kind. However, he knew that couldn’t be real, the many gazes on him made that abundantly clear, and quickly brought him back to reality.

  With everyone’s eyes on him, he knew he needed to find a better hiding spot. That’s when the horror house in the distance called out to him.

  Screw it!

  In an instant, he was already running towards it and entering the tent of horror.

  ***

  A ways behind Somnu, his two pursuers stopped and looked around, but were too late. After all, Somnu was known to be good on his feet.

  “Where did he go? He’s too fast!” The tall guy in the firefighter outfit kicked the dust off the ground.

  “I don’t know… We lost him again…” The glasses-wearing sister in a witch costume looked down and sighed.

  “Why does he keep running away? We’ve always only wanted to help him!”

  “...”

  ***

  “Somnu? That you?”

  Inside the horror house tent, Somnu immediately met one of the organizers. Someone he recognized as one of his old classmates. Despite living in a town, he had managed to successfully avoid meeting most of his old classmates before. And for good reason.

  However, now, the worst one to run into out of them all, was standing right in front of him. For some reason, he was wearing a zombified clown get-up.

  It made Somnu’s vision act up again, before quickly recovering.

  “Enzo… I’m just here to look around.”

  Just my luck…

  “...” After a short pause, Enzo narrowed his eyes and said, “Let me give you a tour. We should-”

  “No, I’m good. It’s more fun alone anyway. See ya!”

  “Wait!”

  Without waiting for him, Somnu had already hurried ahead, then started running through the haunted house.

  Everyone noticing him thought he lost his mind from fear.

  I’m not afraid! I’m not afraid of anything, you hear?! He asked, despite using his inside voice while still running.

  Then, one more time, his vision blurred and he saw himself running in a dimly lit narrow hallway.

  From that, the image changed again.

  The damp forest, the crow, the cockroach… the scarecrow with sewed lips… They changed too fast until suddenly, they stopped, and so did his breathing for a second.

  A single white and violet butterfly seemed to pave a trail for his gaze to follow, leading him to something that shook his very core.

  “?!”

  The scarecrow’s entire body came to a halt as soon as he saw it, a piercing cold invading his spine.

  An uncontrollable shaking overtook his hands and lips, forcing his teeth to clatter against each other. The lack of oxygen absent from his lungs made his chest as heavy as his stomach.

  Sweat poured down his face like never before.

  In front of him lay a makeshift corpse just beneath a bloodied symbol of a grinning skull.

  He had stumbled onto a reenactment of his mother’s murder inside the horror house. A crimson light came leaking in from an opening in the tent, painting the scene red.

  “!”

  Then, before he could begin to process the reality of his situation, he felt a sudden impact at the back of his own skull.

  His world turned upside down and a second later, he was laying in a pool of his own blood.

  Dying.

  Slowly, his eyes began to close.

  What… happened? His thoughts drifted along with his consciousness.

  The sounds of ringing in his head and crows cawing in the distance under the blood moon rang in his ears until those too, faded.

  The last image of his mother’s murder accompanied his eyes as they closed. The grinning skull symbol was all that remained in the darkness.

  I’m sorry… Mom… I’m sorry… I couldn’t… avenge you.

  For the first time ever, Somnu was going to sleep.

  To experience what a dream felt like. He hoped that, unlike his waking nightmare, his sleep, at the very least, would be filled with a good never-ending dream.

  He couldn’t have been more wrong.

  His worst nightmare was yet to come.

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