Cassidy sat down on the side of the road next to the hunk of junk that was supposed to be a car. Thick, chalky fumes bellowed out of the sputtering engine, dissipating high up in the sky. She sat with her head in her palms, incoherent curses coming from her older brother on the other side of the failed work of engineering. Eventually, a defeated Henry slowly trudged over to Cassidy and sat down next to her on the side of the road. 

“That thing is as good as scrap metal,” he stated plainly. “As is it, it has more use as a frying pan.” 

Cassidy scoffed. She stared out at the bright orange sky behind the dense, and seemingly endless forest in front of her. The sun set slowly in the faint distance behind the city’s skyline. 

“I’m not getting any service,” Henry muttered. “I assume you don’t want to camp out tonight, Cas,” Henry joked. 

“Of course, I don’t. I have school tomorrow. I’m not sleeping on the ground when we’re this close to the city. We could literally throw a rock and we’d be home.” 

“That’s a long ass throw. It’s ten miles from here, Cas. I don’t exactly love the idea of walking ten miles alone at night in the city. Especially with a sixteen-year-old girl.” 

Cassidy bristled at the remark.  

“Okay then,” she snapped back, “what do you want to do? Since you’re such a genius.” 

“Well…there’s an old car rental place a few miles that way.” Henry pointed in the direction of the thick woods. “It’s only two miles or so. I think it’s our best bet. Even if they’re closed, they might have service so we can call someone. Cause I got nothing.” 

Cassidy reluctantly nodded. She slowly stood up and began to walk down the embankment and across the field towards the woods. Henry followed closely behind. 

The woods were thick and dark. The setting sun was no longer visible, and the orange sky had turned to a deep, mesmerizing black. Through the canopy, little glimpses of the stary night could be seen. Although two miles were shorter than ten, the going was tough and monotonous. 

“I can’t see anything!” Cassidy finally cried. “Do you know how much further it is?” 

“I have no idea. Just keep to the left. We’ll know we’re there if we see lights.” 

They continued on. The only thing either of them could hear was the snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves beneath their feet. After a little while longer, they came to a stop. They could see the moon high above through an opening in the trees. 

Suddenly, a whoosh of cold air blew throughout the forest. Trees and their branches shook in the wind, and it felt like ice against Cassidy’s neck. She shuttered. It sounded almost like whispers. Secrets being passed from tree to tree. All mocking the lost siblings and their sense of navigation. 

A twig snapped. 

“Henry!?” Cassidy cried. 

“I’m right behind you.” 

“Oh…” 

“We should keep going,” Henry reminded. “We have to be getting close by now.” 

Cassidy slowly started back up again. She could feel Henry’s presence right behind her as they continued…until she didn’t. 

Cassidy stopped dead in her tracks.  “Henry!” she called out. She looked around desperately for him, but it was too dark. He was completely invisible.  

“Cassidy.” He said plainly. He tapped her shoulder, sending her jumping out of her skin. 

“You can’t do that. You have to let me know you’re here at all times.” 

“What, like wearing a bell?” 

“No. Just…talk about something.” 

“About what.” 

They started their slow trek once more. 

“About the woods. How’d you know about this route?” 

“It was on the news a few years ago.” 

“What for?” 

Henry didn’t answer. 

“Henry?” 

“A murder. The mayor was found out here with his secretary’s body. They spent weeks on that story. They showed these woods for weeks. They talked about him being found near the rental place.” 

Cassidy was quiet. Then she stopped. 

“Is that it over there?” she pointed. To the right, through the trees, a little light could barely be made out. Cassidy hurriedly began to trudge through the brush to get to the light. 

“Wait, Cas! I don’t think that’s it! 

Cassidy disregarded her brother’s warnings and ran until suddenly the denseness of the forest cleared up. A huge clearing, seemingly from nowhere, appeared right in front of her. The light she had seen was in fact not from the car rental place, but a torch. It stuck into the ground, its flame cackling and bursting with fury and life. She looked up. 

Cassidy fell to the ground in shock. Right in front of her loomed a massive, 40-foot-tall spire made of rocks, piled high enough to touch the clouds. Situated atop was a scarecrow.  It stood tall and silent in the wind, looking out upon everything inferior below. It sat within a ring of candles. 

“Cas! Are you okay?” Henry called as he ran up. 

His jaw dropped as he looked up in disbelief. 

“What is this place…” 

Cassidy stood up, unphased. She began to walk over to the curious structure. 

“Cas! What are you doing? Are you insane? We need to get out of here! Now!” 

“Calm down, Henry. I’m just going to get a look of our surroundings. I don’t trust your sense of direction.” 

“Cassidy! Why are you so determined to get us shot!” Henry screamed through his teeth. “We aren’t supposed to be here! This is obviously a ritual ground!” 

Cassidy ignored her desperate brother’s pleas. She climbed up the pile, feeling the cool, smooth surfaces of the rocks on her hands and knees. She stood up at the top next to the scarecrow. The wind howled fiercely, still sounding like whispers…angry whispers. Cassidy took in the view. Thick woods surrounded them for miles. No car rental shop was anywhere in sight. Neither was the city. Neither was their car. Nothing but trees. 

“H…Henry…” Cassidy shuttered, looking down to her brother. 

Henry sprinted over and awkwardly scaled the pile. Cassidy shook with fear. Henry reached the top and embraced her protectively, dumbfounded at their situation. 

CREAK! 

Cassidy jumped. 

They looked over to the scarecrow. It blew in the wind, turning slowly to face them. Henry stepped back to the edge.  

“Cassidy. We’re leaving.” 

The scarecrow’s supportive pole fell. It was standing on its own. 

“Run! Cassidy, Run!” 

Henry jumped down off the top rock and began to scramble down.  

“Where are you going?” it slowly whispered through the wind. 

Henry stopped. He looked up. The scarecrow stuck its hand of straw out. Cassidy stood at the top, fully entranced. The hand of straw brushed her arm. She looked up to meet its eyeline. The deep, black holes in place of eyes were unforgettable. Voids of complete nothingness. So lifeless. So cold. Yet so mesmerizing. So uncanny. 

“Cassidy!” 

Henry scrambled back up and swatted the hand of straw away. He grabbed Cassidy and began to motion her back down the rocks. 

“What’s the rush?” the scarecrow murmured. 

“Don’t touch her! We are going home!” 

“And how do you expect to do that?” it questioned. “Look around. This is your home.” 

Henry refused. He stepped out of the ring of candles and desperately pulled on Cassidy’s arm. She wouldn’t budge. He pulled harder.  

RIP! 

Cassidy’s sleeve ripped off and fell into Henry’s hand. His knees began to tremble. He started to break down in tears. His hands shook. 

“I’m begging you. Let her go. She is innocent. Let us go home. We’ll forget! We’ll never tell anyone about this! Ever!” 

“You must not have heard me.” The scarecrow hissed. “This is your home.” 

Suddenly the ring of candles burst into life. Large flames erupted all around Cassidy and the scarecrow.  

“This is our home now.” Cassidy said demonically. 

Henry began to sob uncontrollably. He could feel his little sister slipping away from him. Somehow. Somehow, he was taking control of her. 

“Cas…please!” 

In a desperate last attempt to get his sister back, he yanked on her hoodie as hard as he could. His grip slipped. His calves burned. The cloth fell out of Henry’s grasp, and he tumbled backwards down the rocks.  

BUMP!
SMASH! 

CRACK! 

Henry’s head bounced off a rock. Everything went dizzy. Everything hurt. Henry laid at the bottom of the rocks, dazed, feeble, and completely defeated. Through a dizzy gaze, he looked back up to who he used to be able to call his sister, before  his eyes went heavy and everything turned completely black  

… 

Hours went by. The sun peered through the clearing. A warm breeze danced playfully around the branches, blowing them steadily. The birds chirped and the squirls played. A distant jumble of city noises, cars honking, angry pedestrians, and metro trains roaring, filled Henry’s ears as he felt himself drifting back into consciousness. He had a throbbing headache. 

Where am I? 

His question was soon answered. He looked around, his vision slowly coming back to him. He turned to look over to where the rock tower once loomed. The torch was gone, the rocks were gone, and the candles were gone. What wasn’t gone was Cassidy and the scarecrow. Cassidy laid lifelessly on the ground. The scarecrow’s limbs of hay flapped in the breeze. His black holes for eyes still ominous. Henry ran over to his sister. He shook her desperately, trying to find any sign of life. 

“Cassidy! Cas! Please Cas! Wake up!” 

He flipped her over onto her back. There was a deep stab wound in her chest. Blood had poured out like flood waters breaking through a dam. 

 Cassidy was dead. 

“What did you do? What did you do!?” he roared at the scarecrow. “You killed her!” 

The scarecrow laughed evilly. The creature had no soul. No humanity. No purity. It was the true embodiment of malice. 

“I didn’t kill her. You did. Remember?” 

Suddenly Henry heard murmuring coming from behind him. 

“Did you hear something?” came a faint gruff voice.  

“It came from over there.” Responded another. 

Henry looked back. It was the car rental building, only a few hundred yards behind him. The people walked closer through the brush towards the murder scene. 

“Good luck.” Laughed the scarecrow. “You’ll need it.” 

Henry looked down at Cassidy. When he looked back, the scarecrow leaned over and fell back, breaking into hundreds of little pieces of hay and fabric, being carried off by the wind. Everything was gone. Henry felt the thick, red blood on his hands. He heard the people running towards him. He knew it was over. Everything was over.