The Scarecrow Counts to Twelve
horrorEveryoneWren climbs the fence and walks straight up the hill toward the scarecrow. Up close it is taller than it looked. Burlap face, stitched smile, button eyes that seem to follow. Wren stops one step away and says out loud, "Why us? Why our house?" The straw arm twitches, then slowly bends, like it is about to point somewhere new.
The straw arm finishes bending and points down at the dirt between them. Wren kneels and digs with their hands. A few inches down, their fingers hit something hard and smooth. It's a small wooden box, old and damp. Wren pries it open and finds eleven tiny carved figures inside, each one shaped like a little person.
What happens next?
2 ways forwardWren counts the figures. Eleven. Each one matches a family that left. At the bottom of the box is space for a twelfth figure, half carved, with Wren's own face starting to appear in the wood. Wren understands: finish the carving and they're chosen. Snap the box shut and maybe the spell breaks.