Corn Field
Josefina had come home from the city, to attend the funeral. She’d not been seen near the family home for more than a decade, trying to forget her past. A quick drive past the old family home revealed a familiar white board porch, with sight of a large cornfield at the back. The service at the local church had, in the heat, been uncomfortable rather than sad, the glances of recrimination and disdain from one-time friends and neighbours. With no-one left from the family she had been obliged to return to tidy the affairs of her now-deceased father, a man she hated still for his ignorant, sometimes violent neglect of her long-dead mother, and the sudden death of her mother and Josefina’s sisters. When the others had left her alone at the graveside she spat into the mound, denied her revenge by his sudden passing, the memories of life under his roof flooding across her flesh, drenching her in the sweat of panic.
“At least I’m free of you now, you old bastard.” She watched her spittle slide down an ear of corn which had been blown there, just that moment.
Later, she sat alone at a small table, away from the bar. Her long, dark hair merged into her black suit, and as she sat crossing one leg over the other. She stared through the bubbles in her stale yellow beer, observing the other occupants of the bar, each of them alone, they in turn stared at something else, or beyond. Her eyes alighted on one, at the bar, snakeskin boots and cowboy hat: Antonio, she seemed to remember, but he hadn’t been close, and certainly hadn’t been present at the funeral. He noticed her attention, smiled quietly, and nodded back at her.
Well that’s nice, she thought. For the first time today she relaxed a little, leaned back and brought the beer to her lips. She kept her eyes on Antonio, feeling a subtle agitation creep up her legs and across her thighs. He stood up and pushed the stool, removed his hat and walked cautiously across the short distance between the bar and the tables. Nobody noticed, and the bar tender continued a slow rotation of washing up and drying endless glasses.
“Hey, thought I’d pay my respects.” He dipped his head slightly and sought her eyes.
“That’s not necessary but thank you anyway.” She returned his look and allowed him to probe her soul.
“You look like you could do with some company?” He raised his eyebrows, taking a small step back, “but tell me to get lost if I’ve overstepped the mark.”
“Ah, no, it’s been a shitty day, I guess I could do with some human company.” She laughed grumpily.
“Ah, like that then.” Antonio drew a chair, and sat. “I heard about your dad.”
“You probably didn’t really hear about my dad, he was a mean son-of-a-bitch, and I’m glad he’s gone.”
“Well, I’d heard he was rough on your mom and his girls.” Antonio was cautious again.
“You don’t know the half of it, but that’s in the past, I don’t care any more.” Josefina leaned in to the table. “What’re you doin’ here, still after all these years? I thought you’d be long gone too.”
“Oh, I am!” He laughed, “I’m a small-time lawyer, up in the city, just back to see my folks,” he smiled, “hence the hat. Always makes ’em laugh.”
They talked for a while, updating each other on their lives, chatting about the people they’d left behind, the differences between their new lives and those in the country, bought some more drinks and created a warm glow around their table. In time though the darkest hours crept in and the bar was due to close, so Josefina reached for her bag.
“Well, it’s been nice to spend time with you Ant, but I think I’d better make my way back and face my old family home before it gets too spooky.” She stood up, steadying herself with the table.
“Oh, you look like you might need a little help!”
“I don’t think you’ll be any better.” She grunted, shuffling her shoulders, to ease the creases in her jacket.
“Ok, so that’s true, but I’d be happy to see you to your door, in this late night.”
“Hmm.” She looked at him, her eyes resting on his smile, and strong jawline. “I suppose I could have a worse escort.”
“Escort huh, seems I’ve gone up in the world.” He offered her his arm and they stumbled out of the bar, leaving a cold breeze from the door to swirl idly amongst the mausoleum of customers staring still into their respective beyonds.
It was a short journey. She drove, he left his car outside the bar, and said he’d pick it up later.
“Actually, there’s funny thing about your place.”
“Are you trying to cheer me up?”
“Well, I noticed yesterday, that cornfield behind.”
“What about it?”
“It’s just that I ain’t seen it before.”
“Nothing to do with me, but it’s the season, all that yellow across the county,”
“But I think it is yours, or it was your pa’s.”
“Pa? Is that what you called your dad?”
“Oh, now, I just––“ Antonio grinned. “I don’t know, it just popped into my head.
“Well pop it out again.” Josefina gripped the steering wheel tight as she spun into the drive of the house she’d managed to avoid all day. It was outside the main run of house, at the end of a long drive surrounded now by darkness and rustling corn.
“Can’t see much.” Antonio sat in the passenger seat, staring at a wide garage door.
“I’m not going any further.”
“Ok, I’ll see you to the door, then be on my way.” He paused, then wrenched open car door and stepped out, his actions mirrored by Josefina, both of them laughing like teenagers.
“I’d ask you in, but I don’t know where anything is, and I’d rather have a clearer head.” They had reached the porch, and she hooked the key from her bag, staring at its ugly, unsettling shape.
“That’s not a problem.” Antonio’s eyes smiled through the disappointment, but he was gracious. He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “I’ll say goodnight, and thank you for the evening. I hope tomorrow is a better day for you.” She turned into his kiss and for a long minute they were locked into an intense embrace, before she pushed his shoulder slightly, and they parted.
“Oh, I need some air.” Josefina shook her head, “but I must face this myself. Thank you, now, I’m gonna look you up you know.”
“I’m counting on it.” Antonio sighed and walked backwards, watching her unlock and enter her old family home. He turned and headed back to the bar, to retrieve his car and dream of better days.
***
Antonio never saw Josefina again. Two days later he heard a news report on local radio.
MYSTERY DEATH STRIKES AGAIN AT THE GARCIA HOME
Police released a statement this morning saying they received a tip-off to go to the Garcia household, the scene of a gruesome family murder ten years ago. The last remaining family member, Josefina Garcia was found dead in bed, her eyes open, as if in shock, and her entire body was covered in sheafs of corn.
The unnamed source also noted that the extensive cornfield at the back of the property had completely disappeared, with just black stalks left to the wind and the sun.
[ends]Part of a new series of micro-fiction stories, released as These Fantastic Worlds SF & Fantasy Fiction Podcast on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher and more. Also on this blog, These Fantastic Worlds.
Text, image, audio © 2020 Jake Jackson, thesefantasticworlds.com. Thanks to Frances Bodiam and Elise Wells, Logic ProX, Sound Studio, the Twisted Wave Recorder App, Apogee Condenser microphone, and Alfons Schmidt’s fantastic Notebook app.
More Tales
There are many other great stories in this series, including:
- Age
- Crossroads Hotel
- Cosmic Hall
- Righteous
- Lost Voice
- Break Out
- Daily Mask
- The Big Man
- Bewildered
- Two Faces
- Shaman
- The Three Laws
- Ophelia A.I.
- Henge
And a carousel of 10 audio stories from the podcast with information about submissions.
Here’s a related post, 5 Steps to the SF and Fantasy Podcasts.