Page 25 of Property of Hayride
Hayride snickers. “It’s one of the scarecrows.”
I blink. It’s just a scarecrow? “Why are the eyes red?”
“Makes it look spooky.” He’s far too amused at my reaction.
I huff. “So not funny.”
“Well, then I’ll take you to meet him.”
Wait. “Uh, I don’t think so.”
“He’s harmless, Nat. Come on.”
I let Hayride lead me into the cornfield, moving through the stalks that seem to swallow us up the second we step inside. They’re monstrously tall and dense, but they don’t snuff out the red eyes glowing ahead of us.
I’m gripping Hayride’s hand as we approach, ready to run and scream if it starts to move or hop down.
“Just straw. See?” Hayride pats the clothes. “Nothing to worry about.
I look at the scarecrow’s face and his button eyes. He’s sort of cute. During the day, he’s probably a lot less menacing. The dark isn’t helping him appear less threatening.
“He’d never hurt you,” Hayride promises. “They’re protectors, you know.”
Oh? “I thought they just scared the crows away.”
He chuckles. “You read too many stories.”
He’s not wrong.
“Come on. It’s getting late.”
I only glance back once, and the scarecrow’s eyes are still glowing red. One of them goes black for a second, like the light went out. Then it’s back.
Weird.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say it winked at me.
When we arrive at the Mayfield Inn, we spot Ellie as soon as we enter. Hayride must know who she is because he walks right up to her.
“Hey, you got a minute?”
She nods. “Sure. Come to the break room. I don’t want guests to hear this.”
Hear what? An admission of guilt? Something spooky?
Ellie leads us out of the lobby and down a hall, making two more turns before we enter the employee lounge. It’s not much to look at, but I suppose it’s adequate. There are long tables with chairs, a big fridge, and a coffee/tea station. I also spot a microwave.
“What can I help you with?” Ellie asks as she takes a seat. She’s not wearing the same clothing as last night. Right now, it’s the hotel uniform in shades of gray, white, and maroon.
“I need to know what really happened to Thad Scott.”
Ellie gasps. “What do you mean?”
I tear my gaze away from Ellie and stare at Hayride. Does he know something that I don’t?
Chapter 7 Hayride
“You haven’t told us everything, Ellie.”
