مترسک شبگرد فصل 28

The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight - Chapter 28

The scarecrows stopped moving. They stood still as statues as they watched Mark pull off his scarecrow head.

Mark stared back at them, holding the burlap bag between his hands. His hair was matted wetly to his forehead. He was dripping with sweat.

The scarecrows hesitated for a moment more.

A long, silent moment.

I held my breath. My heart was pounding.

Then I let out a happy cry as the scarecrows all reached up with their straw hands—and pulled off their heads!

The dark hats and burlap heads fell silently to the grass.

None of us moved. We were waiting for the scarecrows to fall.

Waiting for the headless scarecrows to collapse and fall.

But they didn’t go down.

Instead, they reached out their arms and moved stiffly, menacingly forward.

“They—they’re coming to get us!” Stanley cried in a high, trembling voice.

“Mark—do something!” I shouted, shoving him forward. “Make them stand on one foot or hop up and down. Stop them!” The headless figures dragged themselves toward us, arms outstretched.

Mark stepped forward. He raised both hands over his head.

The scarecrows didn’t stop, didn’t copy him.

“Hey—hands up!” Mark shouted desperately. He waved his hands above his head.

The scarecrows edged forward, silently, steadily.

“Th-they’re not doing it!” Mark wailed. “They’re not following me!”

“You don’t look like a scarecrow anymore,” Grandma Miriam added. “They don’t think you’re their leader.” Closer they came, staggering blindly. Closer.

They formed a tight circle around us.

A scarecrow brushed its straw hand against my cheek.

I uttered a terrified cry. “Noooooo!”

It reached for my throat, the dry straw scratching me, scratching my face, scratching, scratching.

The headless scarecrows swarmed over Mark. He thrashed and kicked. But they were smothering him, forcing him to the ground.

My grandparents cried out helplessly as the dark-coated figures surrounded them. Stanley let out a silent gasp.

“Sticks—help me!” I shrieked as the straw hands wrapped around my neck. “Sticks? Sticks?” I glanced frantically around.

“Sticks? Help me! Please! Where are you?”

Then I realized to my horror that Sticks was gone.