Fantasy & Magic: Stories & Contest Entries

The Harvest

Covid-19 carried Mom away, and we buried her next to Dad. I didn't return to grad school. We had no money and my kid brother and sister were still in high school. I had to look for a job. By Labor Day, I was offered the job of assistant housekeeper to the Dakes family, a rich, reclusive family living in a large mansion in the middle of an immense farm. The mansion had a conservatory attached to the house, stuffed with plants.

Mrs. Johnson, the head housekeeper, admitted me to the mansion, and took me to the Servant's parlor, where the house staff could rest without disturbing the Dakes. Mrs. Johnson explained how to behave with the The Family. They're European nobility, although they don't use their titles here. The family fled Mrz during World War I, fleeing persecution of some sort. I was to address the men as sir, Mrs. Dakes as ma'am, and the daughter as Ms. Ursula, until her 21st birthday, when she came of age. Age for what, I wondered. There were five of them: grandfather, Valter; his son, Ferenc; daughter-in-law Elizabeta; and grandchildren, Van and Ursula

There were seven household staff. The important ones were Mrs. Johnson and her daughter, Lisl, both from Mrz, who tended the conservatory and greenhouse; four others, and me. My name is Amy. I was to help Mrs. Johnson and Lisl.

My work was easy, except for the conservatory. Some plants were ordinary houseplants, but one group was unlike anything I'd ever heard of or could google. Lisl was inflexible on proper care of these odd plants. They had thick and fleshy leaves. Once I picked up a broken leaf, and it oozed red sap on my uniform's white sleeve.

Lisl saw it and snapped at me. She told me never to pick anything from the plants, for the sap was noxious. She made me take my shirt off right there and rinse the stain under the faucet. She examined the spot, even sniffing it, and said, "I've got to burn this."

I stared at her open-mouthed, until she caught my look, and said, too quickly, "The Dakes are allergic to the sap. Very sensitive. If you caused them to be exposed to it, they'd fire you. You work hard and well, and I want to keep you here, very much. OK?"

She smiled tightly, watching me carefully. She was lying about something, but I needed the job, so I said, "Thanks, Lisl." She relaxed and fetched me another shirt, so I wouldn't have to sneak through the mansion in my bra.

The weird plants used a special fertilizer, made by Lisl, using meat, bones and things not regularly used in fertilizer. Early October the plants fruited in clusters of bloodred, seedless berries. The fruit was made into a special wine, drunk by all the Dakes, here and in Europe, except for Ursula. I helped Lisl make the wine, which took a few weeks.

Lisl told the Dakes, "Amy grew this best crop ever." The Dakes smiled at me for the first time, and gave me a fantastic bonus.

One night when the moon was full, I spotted Ms. Ursula wandering sadly around the conservatory in a negligee. She seemed most interested in one plant, calling it Donald.

"Ms. Ursula, Lisl told me to be careful of the plants, because the sap can be harmful. Can I help you with something?"

"Do please be careful, for my parents will be furious if these plants are harmed in the slightest." Her hand rested lightly on Donald, and the fleshy leaves curled around her fingers like rings. There was a rustling noise, like someone whispering. "The fruits that are vital to us. The special fertilizer Lisl makes gives them a, a special quality that strengthens us and slows our aging, we believe. Grandfather is 102."

My eyes widened, for I'd thought him in his 70's. I wondered if the fruits really did help someone age slower. I nodded slowly.

"If you drank the wine, you'd have to drink it for the rest of your life, or, well, you'd be sick. The benefit is only for my family, here and in Mrz. That's why my father is pleased the crop is large. There's only 16 of us left, and we marry only within the family." She chewed her lip. "Van will marry cousin Tabith on April 30. My engagement will be announced on my 21st birthday to my second cousin Laszlo. That's when I will first drink the wine." Tears fell from her eyes.

"Congratulations?"

She shook her head. "He's disgusting. I tried to elope with my boyfriend, but the car...crashed (another lie?) and he went for help. They never found him. Alligators." She removed her fingers from Donald's leaves with care, petted the plant, and left.

I gave Donald special attention after that, and he throve. Ms. Ursula noticed this on her regular nightly visits, and gave me an envelope with $5000. I tried to refuse, but she insisted until I agreed.

I tended to Donald and talked to him. He grew lush and flowered, and began to set fruit for Beltane, for the Dakes used the old Pagan holidays. This crop would become wine for the wedding and Ursula's birthday.

One moonlit night, as I watered Donald and spoke to him, his leaves curled around my wrist. I tried to remove them gently, but they clung. Again the rustling.

"Donald, let me go, please."

Donald released my hand but the leaves whispered, "Please, please save my Ursula."

"Hunh?"

"We eloped, but the Dakes brought us back. The family is sorcerers, who drink who fertilize these plants with our remains and drink the blood wine made from the fruits for a longer life, a sort of vampirism. Ursula will be initiated on her 21st birthday, against her will. See the old Mrz priest in the town, for he is here to destroy their evil from our world. The Dakes' sorcery put my soul in this plant, and they used my remains for their devilish fertilizer. This plant will wither and die after fruiting, but if Ursula drinks blood wine, she'll be trapped forever."

"I'll visit the priest, but I don't know witchcraft or spells or anything."

"The Mrzian priest will help you."

I visited the priest my next day off. Over tea, I told him Ursula told me of her family history, and someone informed me that he could tell me how to free her. His eyebrows rose.

"Donald? Her lover?"

I nodded.

"I was going to baptize her and marry them. That poor boy is assumed lost in the swamps, or gotten by gators. Can you get to the fruits or help with preparing the wine?"

I told him I helped prepare the wine. He smiled, pleased and sorrowful at the same time. He gave me a bottle of holy water and told me to mix it with the juice when it was fermented. I pocketed it and left.

The fruit on Donald and the other plants was harvested on Beltane. I helped Lisl make the wine, and put the holy water in. I saw no change in the juice.

The bottles were ready for the wedding on April 30. The entire Dakes family, American and European, were seated at the grand dining table for the wedding feast. Van and his bride seemed happy, eating and drinking gluttonously, as did all the family. Ms. Ursula alone ate and drank little, sitting next to Laszlo, a creep who slept with Lisl in the conservatory.

At last the special wine was poured into large wine glasses and set before 15 of the Dakes, and small glasses were given to Mrs. Johnson and Lisl. I was offered a glass, but refused. Ms. Ursula alone drank sparkling water.

Mr. Ferenc Dakes lifted his glass, toasting the newlyweds, and everyone emptied their glasses. Nothing happened. The glasses were refilled with the last of the wine, except for one bottle reserved for Ursula's birthday. Mr. Dakes announced the engagement of Ursula to Laszlo. Again the glasses were drunk. Soon the party ended, and the family went to their beds.

In the morning all the Dakes were dead in their beds except for Ursula. The coroner gave the cause of death as food poisoning, cause unknown.

Ursula buried her relatives, not really mourning. She sold the estate. She was incredibly rich, heiress to all the Dakes' properties. She poured out the wine meant for her in the garden. She, the old priest, and I buried the remaining blood wine plants, and the priest gave them last rites. She also gave me a fortune of my own, insisted I take it with her gratitude, and said to call her if I needed anything at any time.

The old priest blessed me, and he and Ursula left for Europe.