Corn Stalked (Children Of The Corn)

Chapter #1: Summer Vacation

    "It's boiling back here." I complained from the back seat of my family's black SUV.

    "Well maybe if you took off your jacket, you'd be cooler." My mom, Renee Perkins, suggested from the front passenger seat of the car. Her strawberry blonde hair blowing from the open windows.

I groaned and blew a piece of my short blonde hair from my face and crossed my arms. The sleeves of my jean jacket were already rolled up, just how I liked them. I guess I'd just have to manage.

    "Are we almost there? I feel like I've been staring at nothing but cornfields for days." I sighed.

    "We'll be there soon Sammy, about another 20 minutes till we get to your grandparent's plantation." Jack, my father, stated from the driver's seat.

    "I still don't get why you guys have to leave me here." I sulked.

    "Oh Sam, relax. It's just until the end of the summer. Once your father and I have successfully sold the house and signed for the new one, we'll come and get you." Mom defended.

    "And then our new life can begin!" Dad cooed.

    "Yeah, but until then, my life is going to be nothing but a festering pot of haystacks, corn and boredom." I snarked.

    "Come on Sammy, try to have a little enthusiasm." Mom pleaded sweetly. She stared at me in the car's rearview mirror, her blue eyes begging.

I turned my own blue-eyed gaze away from her and out the window. Corn. Nothing but corn for miles and miles. Is this really all there was in Nebraska?

After what seemed like a year of watching cornstalks blur past the car window, we arrived in a small town called Gatlin, and a small cottage began to come into view just outside of it. Turning into the dirt driveway and parking the car, my parents and I got out, me getting out a bit slower. I stared up at the house.

It was a two story farmhouse, painted white with a black shingled roof, plenty of windows and an attic. And standing on the big front porch were my grandparents; Joan and Thomas Perkins.

My Grandma was a very slim woman, sandy colored hair fading to grey and shiny blue eyes.

My Grandpa was a huskier man, grey hair that used to be blonde, and hazel eyes.

They both grew big smiles as my family approached, running down the driveway to greet us. Grandma Joan was the first to engulf me in a hug.

     "Sammy, sweetheart it is so good to see you again! You've grown so much since the last time we've seen you!" Grandma beamed, ruffling a few strands of my hair.

I forced a believable smile at her and hugged my Grandpa Tom.

    "Samantha we're so glad to have you staying with us for the summer!" He greeted.

    "Thanks so much for taking her in you guys." Dad spoke.

     "Yeah you two are really helping us out by doing this. I hope it won't be too much for you." My mom added.

    "Oh it's no problem at all! Any chance we can get to spend time with our granddaughter is one to leap at!" Grandpa Tom waved off.

    "Besides, we're going to have so much fun!" Grandma Joan chimed in, grinning widely at me.

    "Yeah...uh....I can't wait!" I cheered half-heartedly. I felt my mom nudge me in the spine for the weak response.

But my grandparents didn't seem to notice.

    "Well then, Renee and I should probably be going. Thanks again mom and dad." Dad nodded.

    "Don't mention it son. We'll take good care of her! You two just focus on selling that house." Grandpa replied, clapping my dad on his shoulder.

    "We will! Goodbye Sam. Be good for your grandparents ok? And...try to have a good summer." Mom begged, lowering her voice as she spoke the last part.

    "I'll try. I promise." I assured.

This made a small smile appear on my mom's face. She pulled me into a hug then. My dad hugged me next.

    "Have a good summer honey. We love you." He said.

    "I love you guys too." I responded.

With that, my parents hugged Grandma Joan and Grandpa Tom before leaving down the barren empty road. My grandparents and I watched the car go until the haze of the heat had turned it to a blur. They turned to me then, looking rather jovial.

     "So how old are you now Sam? The last time we saw you, you were 10 years old." Grandma wondered.

    "I'm 16, 17 in September." I answered.

    "God it's been so long. You've grown so much. Into a flowering young woman!" Grandpa remarked.

This made me blush a small bit and grow a real smile. I guess the time gap was a lot bigger than he'd thought. Well, a compliment is worth showing some of my interest I guess.

    "So, what do you two normally do for fun around here?" I asked.

This made my grandparents smile from ear to ear.

    "Oh, well the day is usually filled with work. Feeding the chickens and Maybelle, our cow. Grandpa stacks the hay and weeds the garden while I sweep around the porch and house. And at night we eat dinner and have pie while playing cards normally. Sometimes we'll watch tv or read, we have plenty of books here!" Grandma Joan explained enthusiastically.

My face slowly fell as she finished telling me this. Jesus, old farm folk really need to learn the definition of the word fun.

    "Oh...great!" I nodded.

    "What do you like to do Sammy?" Grandpa questioned.

    "Well, I normally just hangout with friends or other kids my own age. Are there any kids around here?" I inquired.

Suddenly, my grandparents adopted very serious expressions. They stared at me like I'd just praised Satan as my God or something.

    "Yes, there um...there are some kids here but...-" Grandpa began.

    "They're all normally too busy to.....hang around. So, it would be best to just...-" Grandma continued.

    "Not to bother them and...let them do their work." Grandpa finished.

I stared at both of them, raising my eyebrows. Their expressions and voices were so shaky, so nervous.

Was it something I said?

    "Oh...okay." I finally stammered.

    "Come on, let's all get inside. We can show you to your room!" Grandma suggested, leading me towards the house.

*SNAP*

The sound of a stick cracking made me turn my attention to the nearby cornfield, where the sound had come from. My grandparents did the same with weary faces.

But nothing. Not even a breeze. Nothing to claim responsibility for the noise.

    "Come on, let's keep going." Grandpa pushed.

We continued to go inside, but I kept my attention to the field. It was odd, there was no breeze.

But I swear I'd just seen the corn move.