The scarecrow village part 2: Hunted

"We're here! Home Sweet Home" George said with a smile almost reaching both of his ears. We've been debating whether we will buy this house or not. We just got married a few months ago when he suddenly announced that we will be migrating here in Japan. That very news made my jaw drop on the floor but his "good news" does not end there because on that very day he also announced that he already bought a house and a lot and was waiting for its contract to get it signed. It was all so sudden that's why I was against it but in the end, he won. George gets our luggage and put it inside the empty house together with his work-related stuff. He's a Mystery writer while I work as a cop back when we are not married. 

"Dad, Can I put my tumtum in my room, please?" Ramil said to his father. Ramil is George's 5 years old son from his previews marriage. He is sweet but he's still conscious of me. Maybe for him, having a mother, year after her mom separated his father is still a shock for him...so I try really hard to get his trust and be his new mother. I lean down and cuffed his face... I smile at him and look him in the eye. His Clear blue eyes mirroring my image.

"I'll help you get tumtum on your room," I said. Ramil shyly nods and walks past me towards the second floor. I heard George chuckle and it made my blood boils more. I love this guy but his antics are what I hate. He doesn't know when to laugh or not. 

"What?" I asked annoyed but he just cuffed my face and kiss my forehead.

"Ramil's heart will open up for you soon, don't worry," He said. I roll my eyes on him as I said.

"It's because of this sudden new home that he's heart move farther away from me," I said and turn my back on him but the jerk slaps my butt and hugs me again.

"I love you, Beautiful," He said in the sweetest voice he can utter leaving me no choice but to reply.

"I love you too, Jerk!" I said and kisses him. When a loud thud was heard upstairs. We run as fast as we could only to find Ramil standing on the corner of his room with a broken picture frame on his hand. His hands were bleeding making us panic.

"Oh God, Sweetheart are you okay?"I asked as I carefully pull the broken picture frame off his bleeding hand. I sigh heavily after seeing some glass shard still stuck in his tiny hand.

"Where did you get this buddy?" George asked but the little boy just points at the bed. George sigh and smiles.

"Good job not crying, little buddy! Dad's so proud of you!" He said and ruffle his hair. Ramil broke into a tiny smile and look for me.

"TumTum and I made a friend," He said making my brows connect in wonder.

"Friend?" 

"Yes, He's under the bed where I got the picture frame. He said it's his family" He said. I quickly hid him behind my back and George hid us behind his. What if a stranger is still in this house? And that stranger is hiding under that bed. My heart thumps in nervousness as George cautiously lifts the bedsheet. And upon lifting that bedsheet there is nothing...but a small dirty stuffed animal.

"Oh look, Is this your new friend?" George said after sighing heavily, relieved of that pressure we experience a few seconds ago. Ramil nod and smile to his dad again. He reaches for the stuffed animal but I reached it first.

"Sweetheart let's treat your hand first okay? I'll wash your friend while dad was treating your wounds" I said. Ramil just nod and left the room with his dad. I check the picture on the picture frame and it was an old photograph of a family but the head of the father was torn from the picture, probably left by the previous owner of the house. Something feels off, It's weird. 

***

Where am I? Where is this place?! What is this? 

I open my eyes because of a loud voice talking in a foreign language.

"Sakumotsu no ā kami wa Watashi Tachi ni Anata no shukufuku o ataete kuremasu. Korera no gisei o tori nasai." A lady was on her knees chanting something as if she's praying. I try to move my hands but I was tied in a pole unable to move away from that spot.

"Who are you?!" I cried, but the lady ignored me and continue her prayer.

"Who are you?!" I asked again but she just ignores me again. Then I roam my eyes around but I saw nothing except trees, a fire with a crazy woman in front of it surrounded by scarecrows and...

"A-Akane-san" My attention was caught by a dying voice. I turn my head and saw a guy gasping for air. His throat was slashed and was bathing on his own blood making me automatically close my eyes.

"A-Akane-san. N-Nigeru" He repeated while reaching for me. His golden ring glints with the fire

"N-Niguru? What do you mean?" I asked but the guy falls down on the ground dead. I gasped for air as I wiggle free, seconds later after his death a group of guys wearing scarecrows outfit held me and forcefully spread my legs.

"Nooo!!!Nooooo!!!"

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!" I gasped for air as I hurriedly sit up on the bed. My heart was thumping loudly inside my chest as my headaches like hell. 

"Honey, Are you okay?"George said while caressing my back trying to calm me. I gasped for more air to breathe, grabbing a fistful of his shirt before nodding multiple times to him. George then hug me tightly and lift my face and wipe it.

"What did you dream about? You're even crying" He asked. I touch my face and I am really crying. I sniff and hug him tighter.

"I, I don't know. I can't really remember but I was inside a forest...There, there was an old lady praying in Japanese and then there was a guy who's neck were slashed and he's calling me Akane-san or something" I said in between sobs.

George just hugs me tightly and hush me while caressing my back. He just keeps doing that until I calm down and fell asleep again.

"It's gonna be fine" I heard him say before I fall asleep again.

Morning came. I was busy doing the laundry and unpacking things. I woke up earlier than usual and can't sleep anymore so I start to work on unpacking and cleaning the house. The father and son are still asleep since it's only 4 am. I washed my face and put the empty boxes on the attic. Looking at this place it was quite good. It was a 3 story old house but sturdy and maintained. It has an attic on the 3rd floor, as for the 2nd floor It has 3 rooms including the master's bedroom. While on the first floor it has a bath and shower room, dining, kitchen, living, a small laundry room beside the bathroom, a small office, and a garden. Knowing the price it's not bad. 

After putting the boxes down I stretch my body a little and roam my eyes on the room, using my phone to light the place. There are other boxes here left by the previous owner of the house.

According to George, he gets this house from a real estate friend for a very low price, since the previous owner is very eager to sell this house due to financial difficulties. Maybe that is also the reason why they just left some of their belongings here on the attic. I raise my hand to light the corner of the attic beside the window after a red box caught my eyes. 

"Wow, This is fancy" I mumble to myself after seeing that it was a fancy Japanese box that has a flower embroidered on it. I smile a little before getting it and opening it. It has a notebook, used crayons, and a photograph of a child dated way back in the late 1920s carrying a stuffed toy.

"Wait" My brow furrow as I scrutinize the stuffed toy the child in the picture is carrying and upon realizing it my eyes caught an image by the window. I saw a woman staring at our house but what made me run is when I saw our Ramil walking towards the woman. I quickly run down the attic to catch Ramil while calling for George. I saw George hurriedly run outside our room and asked what is going on.

"I saw Ramil! A strange woman is taking Ramil!" I exclaimed hysterically.

"What?!" George exclaimed as we dashed outside the house but upon exiting the house we saw nothing. No woman or Ramil.

"Where?" I heard George said in between huffs. I roam my eyes and search for them but there is really no one here.

"M-maybe they already left! What should we do George?!" I asked and searches again.

"Hey, Hey, Calm down. Look around you. There is no house here except ours and the city is almost 20 minutes away from here when you are riding a taxi, so there is nowhere they could hide. See? If they are running here we can see it all the way to the city. If there really a person hiding here it's inside the house which is impossible because every door and window is locked" He said. I roam my eyes around and there really is nothing in here except our house. We are in the middle of the field with just a village a few kilometers away from here.

"B-But I saw them...I saw Ramil being taken awa--"

"Dad?"

Our head automatically turns on the voice coming from the door of our house. Ramil is standing there while rubbing his eyes. His left hand is carrying Tumtum and the stuffed toy he called a friend. I quickly run to him and hug him.

Days past after that incident I keep getting this weird feeling. It always feels like someone or something is in the house. I know something is weird in this house because my detective instinct is telling me. I try to convince George to go back to the city but he refused, telling me that this is the best environment for him to write his novels. So I try to investigate things on myself. First I rampage more in the attic where I found the strange fancy box to look for clues as to who is the family living here way back 1920s. I checked the notebook from the box but it's just a random doodle of a child. I even called my friend which is a history professor but he said he'll look up to it. I also called George's friend who is the real estate agent of this house but he said that he can't get a hold of his client anymore. So I just keep things to myself for now. After I gather every proof that something is going on in this house I will slap it to George and leave this house. Plus that nightmare, It keeps bothering me. I roam around the house as I gather the laundry when I passed by Ramil's room. I heard him talking to someone and that made me curious so I sneak a peek inside his room and saw him looking below the bed talking to someone while drawing something on his sketchbook. I quickly open the door and startled me. 

"Who are you talking to dear?" I asked. Ramil just shook his head with wide eyes. I sigh and approached him. I place the laundry down and talk to him.

"I heard you talking to someone. Who are you talking to sweetheart?" I asked again but he averted his gaze and cast it downwards sneakily taking a glance under the bed. 

"I-I was just talking to tumtum and, my friend." He said after a while. I nod at him as my heart thumps out of nervousness. I don't usually believe in supernatural things but I think this is beyond what the human eyes can see. I was about to pull out the picture when my eyes caught Ramil's drawing. I withdrew my hand and get his drawing.

"This..."

"Oh. That is me, this is dad and this is you. We are inside the house eating popcorn while watching a movie" He said. I smile at him cautiously and point the two images in his drawing.

"What about this one. Who is this?" I asked and point at the little guy staring at us from the laundry room. My heart was thumping loudly inside my chest as he smiles at me.

"He's my friend, he is the former owner of Junie the monkey." He said and smile wildly while pointing the stuffed monkey we found on the first day we move. My grip on the paper tightened as I swallow the lump forming on my throat and point at his next drawing.

"What about this? Who is this Ramil?" I asked and point the woman standing outside the house.

"She's Ramil's mom. She can't enter the house because she was not buried inside the house. Her name is Akane" I gasped as I clench my chest. I quickly get Ramil and take him with me.

"George! George! We gotta fuckin' leave this house!" I exclaimed but I saw George walking out the laundry with an ax on his hands.

"George?" I said and get the kitchen knife in my pocket. He looks at me with wide eyes as he said.

"We got to leave the house," He said. I nod multiple times as I descend the stairs. George is still standing in his spot. 

"George it seems like a crime happened here," I stated as I gather our important things scattered in the living room.

"Yes, It bothers me when you tell me those things so I investigate it myself and I found this." He said and pull out a torn drawing. My eyes widen when I saw the drawing. It was a guy burying someone in the garden. My eyes furrowed in confusion as my eyes shifted on Ramil's drawing and on the ax in George's hand. I quickly run inside the laundry room and found the wall was broken and a skeleton of a child was inside. I gasped as I cover my mouth in fear.

"I think the father in that photograph is the killer" George gathers our things and puts it inside the car but someone already broke the car's tire making us step back. George bit his lips in frustration and said.

"Someone is inside the house. We can't go in there."

"But where are we going? In the village?!" I asked. George nod but Ramil stop us.

"We can't, My friend said that we can't go in the village," He said. I lean down and asked Ramil what he means. He looks at me with worried eyes and whisper.

"His father died in that village" 

 Our mind is in chaos. So it is not the father? Wait, Now that I thought of it the photograph was way back 1950s so there is no way the father is the person inside our house. Our mind is still lost when We heard someone walking in the stairs. I quickly hid Ramil behind me and point the kitchen knife.

"Who are you?!" I asked as a man in a scarecrow outfit descend the stairs with an ax on his hand. I can't believe someone is living with us ever since that day we moved here. But where could he be hiding all this time? I search my brain as I notice the attic. 

"He'd been living in the attic" I whispered making George gulp.

I point the knife at him and warn him but the guy is not deterred. He slowly descends the stairs with an ax and points it on me.

"Shit!" I quickly get down and retrieve the knife again when Ramil's cry was heard all over the house. I saw George bleeding, his right arm is laying on the floor.

"George!" I exclaimed and point throw the knife blindly making the scarecrow guy hid.

"George!" I exclaimed

"I'm FINE LET'S JUST RUN FIRST!" He said but the scarecrow guy suddenly charges towards us making George counter his attack.

"Run!" He said as he stops the guy. I run quickly dragging Ramil with me. It suddenly rains so hard and we got no place to go. So I run towards the village despite the warning from Ramil. We enter an open barn but to our surprise, there is a dead body lying inside the barn. I cover Ramil's mouth as we hid behind the hays. George. I stifle my cry as I remember George's eyes before we left him in the house.

"Where is dad?!" Ramil asked in between sobs. I hug him and kiss him on the forehead and ask him to not talk. I heard footsteps around the barn and hears the creaking of the door and to my horror, the hay started to move.

"Fuck you!" I exclaimed and kick the person behind the hay only to find Cedric with a bleeding nose.

"Hey, It's me." He said while groaning in pain. He is my best friend since high school and a history professor.

"What are you doing here?!" I asked. He looks at me still in pain and said. 

"I arrived here earlier than your call. I was doing research on this village's history."

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