Force grabbed the feet of the scarecrow and placed them carefully on the platform. He manoeuvred the scarecrow until it rested securely on its post. “Mr Scarecrow, ready for duty,” he stated, snapping to attention and saluting the guard.
Briella expected the scarecrow to return the salute and found herself feeling disappointed when he didn’t. “It is so weird, I keep expecting him to act like a real person.”
“Maybe subconsciously, you want him to be,” Scout suggested. “You could sprinkle him with some fairy dust and test out our theory.”
“What theory would that be?” Force inquired.
“That non-living things that are sprinkled with Briella’s fairy dust, which ultimately come to life, can be controlled by her.”
“When did you come up with that theory?” April asked.
“While I was in the House of Horrors. The creatures that came to life from my drawings were bound to do whatever I commanded them to do,” Briella said with embarrassment.
“So, you think that if you were to bring the scarecrow to life with your wayward magic, he would have to do what you say?”
“That’s the theory. I’m not sure Briella is ready to test it though,” Scout said, looking at her friend. A quick shake of the head confirmed Scout’s thoughts. “I didn’t think so. You’ve made heaps of progress with your magical issue, Briella. It is probably a good thing not to push the boundaries too far.”
“I agree,” April said, “especially considering the fact that you have kept it a secret for centuries.”
“Next year will be different again,” Briella reminded her. “We won’t be facing the same issues that are occurring this year.”
“I know. But, we will face whatever comes, together,” April replied.
Briella nodded and fluttered up to the scarecrow’s face. She viewed him sadly. “I don’t know why I was ever scared of you. You are quite pathetic actually, hanging there for your entire lifespan. Whatever that may be.” She landed on his shoulder and gazed out over the meadow. “I might just stay here for a while.”
“Do you want some company?” Scout inquired.
“Nah. Some time alone will do me a world of good.”
“I might head into the woods for a couple of hours if that’s okay with you two?” Scout glanced over at April and Force.
“Fine by me,” Force stated.
“I got some things to take care of. I’ll see you all later,” April stated, heading towards the pub.
“Where are you headed?” Force asked curiously.
“I need to return something we didn’t need,” she answered.
“What is it? Maybe I could use it for another project.”
“I don’t think so,” April said with a secret smile.
“Can I walk back with you?”
“Of course. What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“Callum and I have an appointment.”
“You’re working a job?”
“We have to convince people that you have a husband and I have a twin brother.”
“Oh, right.”
Their voices faded to nothing as they wandered back to the pub. Briella took note of their body language. They were relaxed and seemed to be enjoying one another’s company. Briella wondered how long that would last. Would April have upset Force in some way before they reached the building? More than likely.
She thought about the relationship that existed between the four of them. There was no way they would be able to make this holiday thing work. Briella realised how she had started to lose part of herself living with Scout. With each passing day, she was beginning to take on some of Scout’s mannerisms and thought patterns. She also saw how Scout had changed in the few days they had been living together.
While Briella had wanted her to become more comfortable with change, she realised Scout was becoming a different person altogether. If they became too much like one another, would they still get on or would they start disliking one another?
“Oh, I’ve made a terrible mistake,” she told the scarecrow. “I’ve always loved Scout, just the way she is. Why would I want to change her?” There was no answer forthcoming. “You’re no help,” she swung her legs and kicked him.
“Would you behave yourself if I sprinkled some dust on you?” she asked the scarecrow, looking up at his face. His eyes stared vacantly across the field. A couple of crows circled cautiously above. They cawed to one another with annoyance that the humans would be so cruel as to place a scarecrow near their corn. “Should I risk it? What is the worst that could happen?” Briella tapped a finger against her chin.
“The humans could discover the existence of magic. The Gatherers would need to wipe their memories before they were able to share their discovery with the world. No big deal. She stood on his shoulder and tapped her foot. “Of course, there was the dream. You chasing me through the cornfield, threatening my life. Was that my fear manifesting itself in my dreams, or was it a vision, a prophecy of what is to come?”
Briella didn’t know what to do. She wanted somebody to talk to. Someone she could discuss her issues with. She couldn’t very well tell Scout, April or Force. Other than the Locator Fairies, no-one knew of her existence. The nearest fairy was too far away to get to before nightfall, not that she wanted them to know her business anyway. Her best shot at getting things straight in her head was to bring the scarecrow to life and talk to him. But would he listen to her, and would he be smart enough to have the right answers? She could sprinkle her dust and find he doesn’t have the answers and that he is not under her control like she hoped.
Briella breathed deeply. “Life is supposed to be lived, not worried over.” She sprinkled some dust then held her breath.
Chapter Fifteen
The scarecrow twitched. His body produced small shudders that gradually grew to the point where Briella had to fly away or be thrown off. His eyes blinked numerous times while they acclimatised themselves to the sunlight. His mouth opened and closed continuously, while his throat worked furiously to create sound.
The legs were so restless they came off the support ledge while his arms jerked wildly, trying to tear himself free of his restraints. Briella was afraid he would injure himself and flew in to offer assistance. “You need to unhook your arms from the pole before trying to raise them!” she yelled.
The scarecrow looked at her blankly, not comprehending her words. She turned around and spread her arms out like his. Then she showed him the motion required that would unhook his arms. He copied, raising them and lifting himself off. With a terrible thud, he fell to the ground, smacking his head and crushing his hat beneath him. “Ooof,” the air was pushed from his torso.
“Are you okay?” Briella asked, hovering above him.
The scarecrow rolled onto his back and gazed at the sky. He blinked several times before raising himself into a seated position. “Bright,” he said.
“Yes, the sun is dangerous. You shouldn’t look into it directly.”
“Why am I here?”
“I created you,” Briella admitted while wringing her hands.
“Why?” his attention soon turning to the circling birds above. “Birds,” he snarled launching to his feet and flapping his arms in the air. The birds squawked as they flew south, the scarecrow in hot pursuit.
“Wait!” Briella cried. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her.
“What?” he asked, dancing on his feet. He was itching to continue the chase.
“You mustn’t leave this area,” she said.
“What area?”
She glanced around and saw that there weren’t enough objects to use to define the boundaries for him. “Do you understand distance?” she queried.
“Distance?”
“Ooh,” she growled, fluttering up and down. “You must keep the birds away from the food. Especially the corn. If you go too far from the cornstalks, they will be able to pick at the kernels.”
“They are not to eat the cor
n,” the scarecrow agreed. He ran back to the cornfield and ran around the perimeter. “No birds,” he stated.
“No birds,” she agreed. “They will come back.”
“I will be waiting,” the scarecrow crossed his arms and nodded.
His eyes continuously scanned the sky, looking for his adversaries. “You don’t need to be so vigilant. You will hear the flapping of their wings when they return.”
“I cannot hear yours,” the scarecrow said.
“I’m a lot smaller than a crow,” she stated the obvious.
“Indeed. Other types of birds will come for the food.”
“Yes,” Briella said.
“Then I must be vigilant. They may be small like you, and I may not hear them. I must keep my eyes moving.”
“I thought we might be able to talk,” Briella began. “I’ve got some issues and could do with some advice.”
“Maybe when I am finished working. I cannot be distracted from my duties,” he said.
Briella put on her sad face which did nothing to sway his opinion. “May I sit on your shoulder? I’m going to get awfully tired flapping my wings all afternoon.”
“Do you not have anything better to do than to watch me work?”
“Actually, no. I told my friends I needed some time on my own.”
“You are not going to have that if you stay with me,” his eyes continued to scan above.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she landed on his shoulder. “You can be with someone and still be alone.” She sat forlornly, slowly swinging her legs.
“That does not make sense.”
Briella didn’t argue with him. What was the point? He was more focused on chasing away the birds than holding a conversation with her. Actually, it was more than not wanting to talk to her. He didn’t really have any interest in her at all. “Do you have a name?”
“Why would I need one?” he answered.
“Everybody has a name,” Briella said. The scarecrow said nothing. He continued to look for birds to chase. “I would have been better off with a dog,” she muttered. “Way more loyal, although, he probably would have tried to eat me by now. Of course, I might have been able to control him and told him not to eat me. But then maybe he wouldn’t have listened and eaten me anyway. Oh, my goodness. What has my life come to? I need to get back to my normal routine. I need to go back to our apartment.”
Briella felt a weight lifting from her shoulders. Two revelations in one day. It had to be a world record for her. She considered leaving the scarecrow but wasn’t sure if he would stay near the cornfields. Just because he had so far, didn’t mean that would continue. She wasn’t sure if he was doing what he was told, or afraid the birds would get the corn.
What if a bird was to fly near the pumpkin patch, or over by the tomatoes, cucumbers and cauliflowers? Would he chase them over there and then continue onto the watermelons, pineapples and grapes the neighbours were growing? She would have to stay and ensure he remained unnoticed by the humans.
She could always tell him to strike a pose should a human wander into view. Of course, she had no way of knowing if he would follow her command without it being tested. Briella searched the area. There was nobody in sight to test him with. “Do you want to play a game?” she asked him.
“Working,” he replied.
“It will help you scare the birds,” she lied.
“Sure, what do I have to do?”
“Stand as still as you can in a freaky pose.”
He eyed her strangely. “That is ridiculous. Why don’t you go find something else to do? Like I said to you before, I have a job to do.”
Briella flew to the edge of the forest and sat on a rock. She grabbed a small mushroom from the base and began to chew. “I should have asked Scout to stay.”
Chapter Sixteen
Briella was bored out of her brains. She wished she hadn’t brought the scarecrow to life. Her favourite show would be coming on television soon, and now because of the scarecrow, she was going to miss it.
Briella paced along the top of the rock. She had to watch where she put her feet due to the uneven edges. Pretty soon her neck was beginning to hurt. “God, if I’m this bored now, what is night time going to be like?”
She heard them before she saw them. A murder of crows was racing towards the cornfield. Briella raised her head and watched their advance. “I’ll be damned.” Her eyes were curious, her mind racing as she tried to work out what was going on. Her brain came up with the bright idea that the earlier crows had come back with reinforcements.
Briella placed her hands on her hips. Her eyes were rooted to the sky. She turned her head so that the scarecrow came into view. He was standing no more than twenty metres from the edge of the cornfield. His stance was aggressive as he prepared himself for their onslaught.
At first, they did nothing, continuing to circle ominously above. Briella smiled. They were scared of him. She had done well in her selection of materials for his construction. The corn would be safe, and the scarecrow would have something to keep him occupied until nightfall. Briella glanced towards the woods. She wondered what Scout was doing and thought it a shame that Scout would not get to witness the scarecrow’s first success.
The birds cawed to one another. More coming to join them until the group consisted of more than one hundred. There were enough bodies in the air to cast a shadow over the cornfield below. Briella’s stomach began to twist, the mushroom no longer sitting so well inside. Her mouth began to water, and she swallowed uncomfortably. She glanced at the scarecrow with worried eyes.
He eyed the birds with concern. There were so many of them. He had expected to chase the odd bird or two. Not an army of them. He watched their flight patterns, trying to discern their plan. As the first of the birds began their bomb dive, he threw his hat to the side and flexed his non-existent muscles. “You should have given me more padding, fairy,” he yelled, never taking his eyes off the birds.
Briella had to admit he was right. He looked like a skinny weed about to be cut into threads by a line of lawn mowers. “You’ll be all right,” she yelled, not knowing if he could hear her. The monsters in the House of Horrors had been able to understand her through mind-link. Would it work the same for something created out of man-made objects?
The first of the birds reached the scarecrow, his arms coming up to pluck them from the sky. They changed direction at the last minute, staying just out of reach, before beginning their climb. The next line of attackers swooped, one of them managing to get its beak into the back of his head. “Don’t worry about the ones that have passed,” Briella shrieked. “Keep your eyes on those that are still coming.”
The scarecrow was turning in a circle, his arms waving madly above him. Briella worried that she hadn’t given him the skills required to take on such a task. She didn’t know enough about them, having been too scared to approach them in the fields. She watched in horror as the third assault began, crows approaching from all sides. “You are supposed to be afraid of him!” she shouted at them.
Her arm came up as the first bird reached him, as did the scarecrow’s. His fist connected with the bird’s chest, sending it spiralling through the air. “Whoop,” Briella cried with excitement. A bird swooped from behind him. She lifted her back leg and threw it over her head, resulting in a forward roll. The scarecrow did the same, taking out another bird. Briella glowed with happiness. “So, we are connected, after all.”
The birds circled above, wary of the creature below them. Their leader had told them tales of destroying other scarecrows in the area and laughing at the humans who put them there. None of those had ever fought back. Their leader was not about to be thwarted. To back down would mean losing his place as head bird and he couldn’t have that. There was no way he was going to live out his days as an outcast.
He organised them into a circle and gave the order to attack. All of the birds descended as one. Briella gasped with horror. Her scarecrow was going to be torn to bits. Ther
e was no way he could fight them all off at once. Many of them would be able to sink their claws into his clothes, ripping them, allowing the birds to use their beaks to tear him apart.
Briella’s wings flapped furiously. She had to help him somehow, but if she flew into the middle of their onslaught, she could very well die herself. Briella searched in vain for something that would even the odds. She realised the only things she could do was to show pride for her creation and bear witness to his end.
Her hands flew to her cheeks as she screamed in pain. As the birds neared, she wrapped her arms around her midriff and braced herself for what was to come. What happened next was something she would remember for all time.
It was like a scene out of a Jackie Chan movie. Legs and arms were everywhere, his body spinning and twisting through the air. Birds were flying in all directions, and not of their own accord. The scarecrow was kicking feathers and holding his own. He was a force to be reckoned with, and the reckoning was being held that minute.
Briella’s eyes widened in surprise. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. He was an organic machine of epic proportions, and he was there because of her. “I created him,” she said in awe, unable to believe she was capable of making something so wonderful. “This cannot be so,” she muttered.
Injured birds littered the ground. The remaining birds took off in fear, never to return. The scarecrow moved from one bird to the next, tending to their wounds. He spoke quietly, yet firmly, instilling in them the desire to stay away from the fairy’s garden. The birds that were able to fly left. Those that couldn’t, would be treated by April or Force as soon as Briella located one of them.
She fluttered in front of the scarecrow’s face. “You were amazing,” she said quietly. “How did you do it?”
“Instinct,” he replied sadly. “I did not want to hurt them, but they left me with no choice.”
The Spirited Scarecrow Page 6
