Page 26 of Curses and Cornstalks
“Not your ex, right?” she asks, looking mortified.
“No, no. Definitely not.” My nose scrunches automatically, but thoughts of him are quickly replaced by thoughts of walking with Atticus. “He’s nice.”
Even though he tried to kill me.
He let me go, after all.
That would sound insane to anyone else.
“Have you been talking?” she goes on, prying for more information. I have to answer her questions carefully so I don’t back myself into a corner. There’s no way I can tell her about my trip to the cornfield, and I especially can’t mention Atticus.
“Not really.” I can’t exactly call or text him. Besides, I’ve only seen him once. “There’s no way it could work out anyway. It’s not really worth pursuing.”
Madelyn leads the way up the steps and pauses when she reaches the porch. “No one is telling you to get married, Cass.Have some fun. Live a little. If it’s just a dick appointment, that’s fine.”
I snort a laugh.
He’s somewhat human, but does Atticus even have a dick?
My face heats at the thought.
“That smile on your face tells me all I need to know.” Madelyn smirks and keeps walking, pushing the front door wide for me to follow.
I hesitate in the doorway, chewing the inside of my cheek as I consider visiting the cornfield again. Surely, one more visit won’t do any harm, and Madelyn is clearly on board—even if she has no idea what’s going on.
What’s the worst that could happen?I ask myself as I trek up to my room to clean up for breakfast.
If he didn’t kill me last time, I doubt he’ll try it again. And if he does, maybe I’ll be able to sweet talk my way out of his vines for a second time.
Not to mention, I’ll have to come up with another convincing story to tell everyone so they don’t send out a search party. I can’t risk anyone going after Atticus; even though he can’t die, I can’t stand the thought of him being hurt.
After fidgeting around my room for several minutes, I land in front of the vanity mirror and stare at my reflection. My cheeks are pink and my hair is a mess, but there’s a glimmer in my eye that I haven’t seen in a long time. Hope. Excitement.Giddiness.
I can lie to myself, but what I want more than anything is to drive across town and slip into the haunted stalks of corn again. Even if it’s just once more, I want to see the sentient scarecrow who’s barely left my mind over the last several days.
The admission has my cheeks flushing even brighter red, and a smile curls my lips.
I’ve made up my mind.
Tonight, I’m going to see Atticus.
Steppinginto the cornfield at night is much more daunting than during the day, even with a flashlight clutched tightly in my hand.
Were those stalks really that tall and thick last time?
Rather than the hoodie and jeans I wore last time, I opted for a brown knitted dress with long sleeves and a pair of fleece-lined leggings. Perfect to keep the chilly air at bay, though it’s already made the tip of my nose go numb.
I even put on a little makeup and curled my hair, letting it fall in perfect waves down my back.
I got dolled up for a scarecrow.
The thought is almost enough to make me laugh, until I remind myself he’s not just a scarecrow.
He’s Atticus.
And he might not havesavedmy life, but he did decide to let me go and led me out of the cornfield.
Heat warms my cheeks as I look up at the sky. A thick blanket of clouds mostly hides the moon and stars, turning the field in front of me into a fortress of darkness. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, even though I know there’s nothing to fear.
