Sarah's mother was unraveling.
Her hands shook as she gripped her phone, dialing her husband's number for the fifteenth time that evening. Each time, it rang… and rang… and rang. But no one ever picked up.
She tried texting him.
No reply.
She paced the living room, biting at her nails. Maybe he'll come home when it's dark… maybe he just needed to clear his head, she told herself. But deep down, the fear was already settling in.
When Sarah returned from school, she could see it — the worry etched into her mother's face.
"Where's Dad?" she asked again, her voice small.
Her mother forced a thin smile. "He's… somewhere. I don't know, but… he's somewhere."
Sarah frowned, unconvinced. She took out her phone and called her father too. The line rang — but, just like with her mother, no one answered. She sent a text. No response.
The silence was deafening.
Sarah's mother's pacing grew more frantic, her footsteps restless on the wooden floor. She kept glancing at the door, as if expecting him to walk through at any moment. But the hours dragged on, and nothing changed.
Finally, Sarah muttered, "I'm going to the field. That's where… that's where all his troubles started. Maybe… maybe he's there."
Sarah's mum watched her go, her own chest tightening. She didn't like the idea of Sarah going alone — especially at night — but something told her to stop Sarah but she just do stood there still thinking of a husband but just decided to follow Sarah
The field was quiet under the fading light. The scarecrow stood motionless in its usual place, its head tilted just slightly, as if listening. Sarah's mother stopped several feet away, taking deep breaths to steady herself.
He's fine, she told herself. He's probably just lost his phone… or something came up… He'll come home.
But night fell. No headlights pulled into the driveway. No phone call came.
She couldn't take it anymore. With trembling fingers, she dialed 911. Her voice cracked as she explained that her husband was missing. They assured her they would begin searching immediately.
She hung up — and suddenly, it was as if something took over her body. Her feet moved on their own, carrying her back to the field.
She found Sarah there, sitting in the grass, staring at the scarecrow.
"Come inside," her mother urged. "Have you seen your dad? Has he called?"
Sarah shook her head. "No… but I keep calling."
Her mother exhaled heavily. "The police are looking for him."
But then… she saw it.
Something she was certain hadn't been there before.
A dark red stain clung to the vines that twisted up the scarecrow's legs. It wasn't paint. It wasn't rust. It was something far more… human.
Sarah's mother froze, her heart pounding in her ears. Her husband's warnings about the scarecrow slammed back into her mind — the way he had begged her to leave, the fear in his eyes.
She wanted to look closer, but a wave of dread pushed her back.
"Let's go," she said sharply, grabbing Sarah's hand.
Sarah cast one last glance at the red-marked vines before following her inside.
The scarecrow stood in the darkness behind them, its head still tilted… watching.