The Spirited Scarecrow

by Marnie Atwell

  He collapsed on top of her, slipping into unconsciousness from the pain. April wriggled until she was no longer pinned by his body. Her eyes quickly scanned his body to determine his injuries. The first thing she noticed was the lack of movement in his chest area. She tenderly touched his shoulder blades, allowing their energies to mix. Within seconds, she discovered his broken ribs and collapsed lung and began rectifying the problem. Once the damage was fixed and he was breathing again, she rested on her haunches, before rubbing her forearm across her face to remove the sweat that had accumulated.

  Force rolled onto his back and smiled at her. “I would have fully healed in a couple of hours.”

  “I would have too, but you chose to heal me.”

  “You were about to wail with despair,” he rose to a sitting position, his eyebrows cocked. “I couldn’t have that now, could I?”

  “I was not about to cry like a baby,” she growled, springing to her feet and placing her hands on her hips.

  “Were too,” he scrambled to his feet, mimicking her.

  The scowl on her face would have frightened anyone else. He found it amusing. “You know, you really are quite lovely when you are angry,” he stated, seeing her in a new light. “Your eyes are beautiful, mesmerising.” He stepped closer, lifting a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. He gazed into her eyes, leaning forward. April felt herself getting caught up in the moment. She watched his advance and wondered what it would be like to be kissed by him. He was almost there when she heard herself say, “Don’t!”

  Force froze. “Don’t what?”

  “Don’t kiss me,” she whispered.

  He pulled back and ran his hand through his hair. The length of the prickles on top of his head felt a bit long. ‘Need a haircut,’ he thought, but said, “Want to finish the race or head back to the pub?”

  April wasn’t sure what to do. They had gone from a light hearted, friendly competition to an intensely emotional situation that she didn’t know how to deal with. There were so few Gatherers on Earth, only a handful located in Australia. She couldn’t afford to take the risk of losing one of the few friends she had. Or could she?

  Three thousand years was a long time to be alone. Rochelle had been dating Toren for nearly five hundred years before he was taken from her. Most human relationships were lucky to reach fifty years. That was why the Golden Anniversary was such a big deal in their lifetime. Gatherers were practically immortal, which would create an eternity of awkwardness if the relationship went pear-shaped. She had always been attracted to Liam but had managed to keep their relationship platonic. Apparently, this was something that she needed to spend more time thinking about.

  “We should head back,” she decided. “Breakfast is on me.”

  “You would have won if I hadn’t knocked you off your feet. Name the day, and I’ll clear my schedule.”

  “Technically, you plucked me from the air, Liam. Anything could have happened between here and the finish line. Why don’t we have a rematch?”

  “Fine,” he stated, turning them around and heading back to their rooms. He grabbed her hand and held it lightly in his own. Her body stiffened as she glanced down. “We’ve done this many times before, April. I’m sorry I wanted to kiss you. Nothing has to change between us. We can be the same as we were before. I won’t overstep the boundary again. You have my word.”

  She wondered why that comment left a hole in the pit of her stomach.

  Chapter Four

  Briella began sketching the pumpkin patch as it had been before the pumpkins were animated by her magic. She drew the shelter that she and Scout had hidden beneath during the wild storm that had assaulted the town. Briella extended the scene to include the vegetable patch to the east and the cornfield to the north-east.

  Scout wondered why Briella was going to such lengths when the purpose of the activity was to see if the Jack-o-lanterns she drew would be as perfect for the party as the real pumpkins she’d brought to life. She understood Briella’s creative streak could take her in unexpected directions at times, but she hadn’t been displaying the traits that would indicate that mood was currently upon her.

  Scout glanced at Briella’s face and started at what she saw. Instead of the intense concentration that was usually plastered across her face, she saw a vacant look in her eyes and a relaxed jaw. The pencil glided across the page with confident strokes, but it was as though Briella was being used as a puppet. “Briella, are you all right?”

  “Hmmm?” she received as an answer.

  Scout placed her hand on Briella’s shoulder. “Brie, look at me for a minute,” she commanded in a soft, yet authoritative tone. Briella ignored her, adding a murder of crows circling high above the ears of corn. When she started drawing poles fit for a scarecrow, Scout really became distressed and reached for her phone.

  “What’s up Scout?” she heard through the speaker

  “Force, come quickly. I think Briella’s being possessed by a demon.”

  “Say again?” he asked, placing her on speaker phone so April could listen in.

  “Briella is drawing things and not responding to me at all.”

  “What things, Scout?” April questioned.

  “I think she is about to draw a scarecrow.”

  April nodded her head in understanding. “Do you know what is going on?” Force asked for Scout’s benefit.

  “Have you and Briella been talking about scarecrows, Scout?”

  “Yeah. I thought she might like to make one. I didn’t know she was frightened of them at the time.”

  “When Briella becomes overtired, she has difficulty in keeping her fears at bay. She tends to go into a fugue state where her mind is able to rest, but her imagination takes over, putting her into a sleep-walk kind of situation. Once she finishes her sketch, she will either fall into a proper sleep or fully awaken. Either way, we need to make her face her fear of scarecrows or her condition will continue to worsen.”

  “Has this happened before?” Scout inquired.

  “Yes, when she watched the movie, ‘IT’, based on the Stephen King novel. Briella was scared of clowns for months. I thought her fixation was going to kill her.”

  “We’ll get her through this, April,” Force said.

  “We sure will,” Scout agreed, hanging up the phone to monitor her friend. April and Force arrived ten minutes later to find Briella sound asleep on the floor, snuggled beneath her bedspread. “I couldn’t fly her to bed. She is too heavy for me to carry over that distance.”

  “You didn’t think to sprinkle her with magic?” Force asked.

  “Don’t be silly, Liam. What Scout did for Briella was perfectly acceptable,” April stated defensively.

  “Of course it was,” he shook his head. “I didn’t mean to imply Scout had been negligent in her duty of care.”

  April rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Liam. You need to work on your people skills.”

  Force pursed his lips as he headed for the door. Time to go to his room. “Kids are so much easier to deal with than adults,” he muttered under his breath.

  “I heard that, Liam.”

  Force closed his eyes and sighed. ‘She’s punishing you for wanting to kiss her and changing the rules of the relationship. Don’t take her comments to heart.’ he thought. “Later,” he called over his shoulder.

  “Did something happen while you were gone, April?” Scout asked with a perplexed expression on her face.

  “Why do you ask?” April hedged.

  “Your energies are mixed up.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It looks like part of your energy is attempting to integrate with Force and part of his is trying to assimilate into yours. I can see it swirling, looking for a way to connect.”

  “We had an incident on our run this morning, and we both got hurt. Liam and I healed one another. There must have been some residual energy left over. It will dissipate in time.”

  “How much time?”

  “It de
pends on how much energy we are talking about. I didn’t think I had expended so much that there would be residual energy,” April frowned, walking towards the kitchenette. “That would explain why Liam and I were drawn to one another,” she mumbled. “As soon as the energy wanes, our feelings should return to normal.”

  “What was that?” Scout asked, fluttering behind her.

  “Nothing,” April smiled, turning to face her. “Can I get you some nectar?”

  “That would be lovely,” Scout answered. “How are we going to tackle the scarecrow thing?”

  “Firstly, I am going to give Briella a makeover. Her red and black ensemble is not conducive to facing and letting go of her fear. I think a lovely combination of yellow and pink will be bright enough to wash away the terrors that lie deep within her.”

  “Can I watch? I’ve seen the results of your beauty sessions and would really love to see the processes that take place to make that happen.”

  “Of course, Scout. I have a surprise for you that you might like. Or not,” she shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”

  “What is it?”

  “Part of your witch costume for the party. It is Briella’s idea. Come, and I’ll show it to you.”

  April grabbed a blossom from the bottom cupboard and handed it to Scout. She led her to a section of the fairies’ new house that would become Scout’s bedroom and opened the door of the wardrobe. Inside, on a hanger, was a set of plum coloured hair extensions. “I thought you might like to try these. I believe it will look nice with your new witch’s hat.”

  Chapter Five

  April detected the feelings of apprehension that swirled in Scout’s mind. She placed the hanger back in the wardrobe and said, “Maybe some other time.”

  Scout felt terrible. April had been cautiously excited to show Scout her latest labour of love. She noticed the flash of disappointment that crossed April’s face before she could hide her feelings from view. It was only for a moment, but it was long enough to make Scout suck up her fear of change, and to allow April to introduce her to something new.

  “Take that back out, please April. Show me how it’ll look.”

  “Are you sure, Scout? It is not a permanent change but it will take me about thirty minutes to weave into your existing strands.”

  “How long will it last for?”

  “As long as you want. I can take it out whenever you like.”

  “I’ve got nothing else to do. There are no monsters on the radar and Briella is asleep. How about you?”

  “I wouldn’t have shown you if I didn’t have time to do it now. There is no way I would give you time to think about something like this. You would talk yourself out of it before you gave it a chance.”

  Scout laughed, “I can’t get over how well you know me.”

  “You are not hard to read, Scout. Your feelings might be complex, but you like to keep things simple. No surprises.”

  Scout harrumphed. She’d always thought of herself as a complicated creature. It was a kick in the guts to realise she was actually quite simple to read. “Where do you want me?”

  “Over there,” she pointed to the bench separating the kitchenette from the living area. April collected a bar stool from another section of Scout’s new house. It was carved from wood with a green leafed cushion tied to the seat for comfort and a high back to support the upper body

  She placed the chair on the laminated surface and placed a magnifying glass in front. “Sit with your front resting against the back of the chair, Scout. That will give me easier access and allow the hair extensions to fall naturally.”

  Scout did as asked and took a couple of calming breaths. She could feel the tension in her body and with a few reassuring words to herself, felt her body relax.

  “That’s great, Scout. This shouldn’t hurt, but if you feel me pulling a little too tightly on your strands of hair, don’t be afraid to let me know. I would like this to be a pleasurable experience for you.”

  Scout couldn’t see that happening. She didn’t enjoy being touched by another, so couldn’t understand how someone playing with her hair could be considered pleasurable. Scout was pleasantly surprised. April had a gentle touch, and it was almost relaxing having her massage the strands of hair before threading the tip of the extension and weaving it in. Although Scout’s sleep had been restful and restorative, she felt her eyelids begin to droop.

  “You okay, Scout?” April asked.

  “Yeah. Feeling a little sleepy,” she answered in a surprised tone.

  April merely smiled, feeling immensely pleased with herself. Knowing people, and fairies, better than they knew themselves was one of her many talents. While Scout was under the assumption she was happiest when she was alone, April knew that deep down she craved small doses of intimate interactions with others. A conversation that only occurs between two close friends. A hug of friendship. A burst of laughter so intense, it causes pain in the abdominal region. A person who is willing to give up half an hour of their day in the pursuit of making another feel happy, as April was doing for Scout.

  “Talk to me so I can stay awake,” Scout said tiredly.

  “What do you want to talk about?”

  “How often are you and Briella going to come and stay?”

  “I don’t know,” April confessed. “The staff at Starlight Investigations feel we have already overstayed our welcome. They are happy with us making day trips to chill out together, but don’t want us having extended visits.”

  “How did Rochelle and Toren manage their relationship?”

  “When they weren’t working on a case, they made sure the time they had together wasn’t wasted on frivolous things.”

  “Like what?”

  “Sitting around all day watching the television, or playing game consoles. They lived in the minute and for each other. It didn’t hurt that Toranthian had a friend who owned a helicopter. He spent a lot of time flying them from one area to the next so they could ensure they weren’t shirking their duties to the humans for their own pursuits.”

  “Why don’t you have a boyfriend, April?”

  “We’ve discussed this before.”

  “Tell me again,” Scout pleaded.

  “I am immortal. Humans are not. End of story.”

  “What about Liam and Callum? A couple of hot guys with gorgeous personalities.”

  “They are colleagues and off limits.”

  “Hmmm. That tells me a few things.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Yep. You like one of them but are afraid of taking the first step. What I can’t work out is why. Rochelle and Toren were together for five centuries. That is not something that can be kept hidden from the authorities, so I am guessing they turned a blind eye to the relationship. That being the case, why would you not pursue your own happiness with one of the Gatherers?”

  “I do not wish to pursue a relationship with Liam or Callum. I am not afraid of what the Starlight Investigations team or our Queen has to say on my choice of partner. I have simply not met anyone I like enough to take the risk of getting hurt.”

  “That’s a lie, but I’ll let it go. It is none of my business anyway, whether or not you are dating. You are a beautiful woman, April, both inside and out. I’d like to see you happy.”

  “I am happy. I don’t need a relationship to complete me.”

  “That is not what I meant,” Scout said defensively.

  “I love my life, Scout. Be assured that I am content and wouldn’t change a thing. There, I’m done. Come, take a look.”

  April picked up a compact that lay to her right. She opened it to reveal a mirror under the lid and foundation in the base. Pointing the mirror towards Scout, April waited anxiously for her reaction. The look on her face was priceless.

  Chapter Six

  “April?” Briella’s voice broke through April’s thoughts. She glanced over to the studio and saw Briella stirring beneath the covers. She placed the compact on the benchtop, “Br
iella’s awake. I’ll leave you in peace to admire my handiwork.”

  Scout barely acknowledged her words. She was astounded by the change in her appearance. She appeared to have lost years off her age, and her face seemed even more pensive than usual. April must have put something in her hair to change the colour to match the strands. Gone was the lilac, to be replaced by plum. Scout wasn’t sure if she liked the tone or not. It would take a few glances at her reflection before she would be able to decide for sure. It didn’t look terrible, just different.

  Scout turned around to peer over her shoulder. The locks fell almost to waist length. That would be a problem should she choose to keep them. There were all sorts of things that could get tangled up in her hair. It would be lovely to go for a fly and see what it felt like to have the wind blowing through her hair.

  She sometimes glanced at Briella a little wistfully when they were in flight, Briella’s hair blowing alluringly behind her, gently brushing her skin. Scout would finally know what that felt like, but wasn’t sure the length of the hair suited her. Briella fluttered over for a look and was flabbergasted. “Wow, Scout. You look beautiful.”

  “Thanks, Briella,” she muttered, giving her friend a quick glance before returning her gaze to the mirror. “I’m not sure whether I like it or not.”

  “Do you have the hat?” Briella turned to April.

  April walked to the wardrobe and opened another door. She pulled out the hat and placed it on Scout’s head.

  “Oh, yeah,” Scout said. “I like that,” she nodded her head. “I’m beginning to see the picture in your head, April.”