The Patch

Content Warning: Light reference to death/violence.

Cars were in and out of the dirt parking lot all day. Pumpkin season was the nursery’s second busiest time, right after Christmas tree season. The grounds were like a mini fall festival. Parents drove their children out there to pick the pumpkins they’ll carve up for Jack-O-Lanterns. Couples young and old came to sip cider and stroll among the fallen leaves covering the nature trails. It was a rustic experience for people that didn’t have access to that kind of thing, and that was definitely how it was marketed on their social media.

The most prominent worker, at least according to Instagram, was Miss Caroline. She was young and fresh out of college with an adorable smile and a great energy for all things outdoors and plant-related. She was a natural with children, and folks of all ages loved her sense of humor and the stories she told almost daily on social media. In a short time she had made herself an asset to the team, always front and center wearing her favorite dirt-smeared overalls with pride. The afternoon rush was expectedly hectic, and Caroline was in the thick of it all. She answered questions, helped children pick the perfect pumpkin, posed for selfies, and gave online shoutouts. Satisfied customers left with big smiles on their faces and bright orange pumpkins in their laps. During a slight lull in business, Caroline took the time to step inside the office. In private she could let her smile fall away, check a text on her phone, roll her eyes at the inane questions she was being sent. The work never stops. 

Another car pulled up while she was inside. A man and his two children, a boy and a girl, got out. The kids immediately began scampering around the grounds looking at pumpkins. Their father followed, looking a bit tired but contended enough to be here. Caroline watched them stroll between the rows for a few minutes before deciding she had better approach. Right before she left the office she took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face, turning Miss Caroline back into “on” mode.

The gentle afternoon sun reflected off that smile as she approached. The kids recognized her from the nursery’s social media, and greeted her like they knew her. “And what are you guys looking for today?” she asked, the enthusiasm radiating from her very being. The kids answered that they were looking for pumpkins, as if Caroline had no idea why a family would come to a pumpkin patch in October. Their dad held back, amused, and didn’t interfere. Caroline showed them around the patch, told them where the “super special” pumpkins were that she didn’t let just anyone look at. The kids started inspecting the gourds, picking them up to feel the weight, passing over any that had those rough gray patches on them. Caroline eventually held back and let them search on their own, casually stepping away and circling back to their father.

“Homemade cider?” She offered him a cup and a smile. He smiled back and shook his head, muttered something about how he was the designated driver. She chuckled like she hadn’t heard that hundreds of times before. “I promise you the only thing it’s spiked with is a little nutmeg,” she reassured him. “It’s a nice little pick-me-up for the parents that need it.” She winked at him. It wasn’t exactly flirting, but it wasn’t chaste either. The father accepted the cup and thanked her. He took a sip of the sweet apple goodness and watched his kids scamper around.

“Mom couldn’t make it today?” Caroline asked. She normally wouldn’t pry into a customer’s life like that. After all, there could be many reasons why you wouldn't see a mother in a family. Maybe there was a separation, or he was a widower, or had a husband. But something behind his eyes told Caroline that this man had a wife who was very much in the picture, and for whatever reason she had not joined her family on their trip to the pumpkin patch. If the man was offended at the question then he didn’t let it show. “She wanted to be here, but she had to work. You know how that goes.” As a single young girl working in a pumpkin patch, Caroline wasn’t very familiar with the expectations of a soulless corporate job that could keep parents distant from their families. Lucky old her. Still she nodded sympathetically at the mother’s absence. “Yeah, I know it can be difficult sometimes. But you seem to be doing well, all things considered.”

A flash of disbelief crossed the father’s eyes as Miss Caroline walked away. He took another sip of his cider and started thinking to himself. Was he doing well? He couldn’t say with confidence whether his marriage was a good one or a bad one. It’s not like he had any serious complaints. Sure, their schedules could get a little hectic and they were tired all the time, but that was every marriage. He loved his wife, and he adored his kids. It was just that sometimes they couldn’t be in the same place at the same time. They both had jobs to do, sometimes hers just happened to hold her over late. And that’s how he winds up driving forty-five minutes out past Sticksville to go to a hokey pumpkin patch just so their kids can pick out pumpkins for carving. And who will most likely end up having to carve them, scraping out those disgusting smelly guts and seeds, and slicing cuts into his palms trying to make a damn toothy grin?

The father continued to stew over his cider as Miss Caroline talked to his children. They presented her with their pumpkins, and she complimented their choices. “Oh yes, there’s a strong stem on that one,” and “That’s a smooth skin, and the perfect shade of orange.” The children beamed at her praise. She smiled and guided them back to their father, who broke free of his train of thought. She cashed them out on her phone and watched them stroll happily back to their car, the dad’s shoulders slumping ever so slightly more than when they’d arrived. 

The sun had barely come up on the quiet street of houses. Families were moving around inside, getting ready for their busy days. The sidewalk was empty, except for Miss Caroline, who strode confidently down the street. She looked radiant, no longer in her trademark pumpkin patch overalls, but in a beautiful jade dress that clung to her slight figure. Nobody looking outside took much note of her in spite of her odd outfit, or the fact that a stranger was walking down the street so early in the morning. They just shrugged and went back to their coffees. Her brown hair, no longer tied up, bounced as she strode towards a certain front door. It was locked but opened for her without resistance when she turned the handle.

She found the father, Jake, sitting on the couch in a daze. He didn’t look up at her when she entered, showing no surprise that she was suddenly in his home. She smiled with pride; that spiked cider had worked like a charm. Her superiors would be pleased with her progress; it was hard to get the timing right on these things. She floated over behind the couch and placed a clean hand delicately on his shoulder. She crouched down so her lips were right next to his ear. “Is your wife home?”

He shook his head slightly. When he answered there was no inflection in his voice, like he was sleepwalking. “She left early.” Caroline tutted, and the sweetness in her voice vanished. “Seflish bitch.” She glanced upstairs. “Have you awakened the children yet?”

Again he shook his head. Caroline stood up. “That’s good.” She waved a hand dismissively towards him as she turned away. “Leave her a note that says you’re leaving her and taking the kids. When that’s done, go down to the basement and stay there until you die. Don’t make any noise if anyone comes home.” She felt him stand up and obediently head towards the kitchen to write the note. She climbed the stairs to the bedrooms, smiling and becoming Miss Caroline once more.

The children were just waking up as she opened their door. She stood in the doorway, smiling down at them. “Miss Caroline? What are you doing here?”

She batted that perfected smile and spoke with her sweetened tone. “We’re going to go somewhere special today, you guys. Your parents wanted to surprise you; it’s going to be super fun!” The kids smiled at her and leapt out of their beds. Their parents had told them to not go anywhere with strangers, but this was Miss Caroline. They knew her.

“Where are we going? What will we do? Will our parents be there?”

Caroline’s lips came together into a tight smile. “Maybe. Grab your coats.”

Thanks for reading! Part 3 will be out next Friday! Cuz Halloween! Part 1 can be read here.

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