Cornfield

The Lovers

Danny opened the basement door and slowly walked down the stairs. I could tell he was trying his best to avoid the blood. Kaitlyn and I did the same.

The three of us stopped at the bottom of the stairs. I saw flashing lights coming from the theater room.

Danny looked at me and then the theater.

I turned and tapped Kaitlyn. I pointed to the first aid kit across the room.

Kaitlyn nodded. Slowly, she walked across the room to the cabinet above the washing machine. She grabbed the kit and walked back to Danny and me.

I looked at Danny. He was focused on the theater. He took a few steps forward. He looked back at Kaitlyn and me. He waved us over.

I looked back at Kaitlyn.

She nodded forward.

I followed Danny. The closer we got, the louder I heard the soft singing coming from the theater.

'And down will come baby, cradle and all.'

Danny stopped in the doorway.

I looked from behind him at the screen. 'Are those intestines?'

Danny nodded.

In the shape of a heart around the screen were two strings of small intestines that were dripping blood.

Flashing on the screen were videos that played over the audio of Rockabye Baby. A video of a person getting their fingernails ripped off appeared on screen. The cuticle of the nail stemmed blood that traveled down and around the finger.

I flinched.

Another video flashed on. Children's laughter played as decapitated baby heads appeared on screen. Blood began flowing from the babies eyes.

Kaitlyn gasped from behind me.

I looked back at her. She turned away. I reached out for her, but she pushed my hand away. I hesitated before looking back at the screen.

A baby carriage rolled into the middle of the street. A baby's cries rang out. A truck barreled onto the street; flattening the carriage. I winced and buried my face in Danny's back.

I took a few moments to regain my breath. When I lifted my head, Danny walked further into the room.

Kaitlyn grabbed my hand, as we followed.

Danny stopped a few paces ahead.

I looked to my right and noticed Cornfield sitting squat on a small bench in front of the rows of plush chairs.

Kaitlyn shook from behind me.

In his hand were two hearts that were stitched together.

I froze when I turned and saw what was on the floor.

Natalie's body was lying there. Her body was mutilated from the waist down, but the bottom half was nowhere in sight. I noticed that her left hand was shredded to the bone. Her eyes were opened as she looked at the body across from her, who she was stitched to on her right hand. The other body had to be Caiden, but his face wasn't his. It was caved in areas like the temples and cheeks. Flies clung onto that area, as if they were picking apart flesh. The top part of the skull was broken along with the cheeks and jaw. His skin hung loose from his face. His lower half from the waist down was also missing.

I shuddered. The scent of copper and decaying flesh filled my nostrils. I placed my hand over my nose to protect it from the smell. It didn't help much, but I kept my hand there.

Rockabye baby still played, but it seemed amplified. I felt the notes slipping through my body.

'Down will come baby, cradle and all.'

I shook my head. I looked around the room to keep myself grounded. My focus ended on Cornfield. I watched as he crushed the two hearts in his hand. Slipping out of several holes were hundreds of maggots. All of them swirling around. Some bored more holes while others fell to the ground or wriggled up Cornfield's arm.

Kaitlyn immediately let go of my hand and ran out of the room. I could hear her hurling.

I gagged.

'When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.'

Slowly, Cornfield turned around and faced Danny and me. My breath was ripped from my chest. I was silent, but I was screaming. Cornfield's eyes were boring inside of me. I felt the fire they held inside my chest.

'Scarlett, run!' Danny cried.

I couldn't hear him over the song.

'Rockabye baby on the treetop.'

'When the wind blows, the cradle will rock,' I whispered along.

The smile in Cornfield's eyes grew bigger.

'Scarlett!' Danny yelled.

'When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,' I continued.

A disgruntled voice cracked through the speakers. 'And down will come baby, cradle and all.'

Suddenly, a harsh high pitched scream rang through the speakers.

I blinked and looked around, as I slightly jolted.

Cornfield was still grinning at me.

Danny grabbed me by the wrist and ran out.

Kaitlyn was hunched over in the middle of the floor, dry heaving.

'Kaitlyn!' Danny cried. 'We gotta go.'

Kaitlyn looked up. She got to her feet.

The three of us ran upstairs and out into the kitchen. Danny closed the door behind us, locking it.

Kaitlyn dropped the first aid kit on the kitchen table and immediately started pacing the kitchen floor. She ran her fingers through her hair, as she looked around frantically.

Danny turned on the lights, as we all fought to keep our bearings.

I was hunched over with my hands on my knees, trying to please my lungs with as much air as I could. Rockabye Baby still rang through my head. It was the only thing I could focus on. Every time I blinked, I saw myself back in front of Cornfield. His eyes. His icy blue eyes. They weren't cold, though. They burned the strongest fire I had ever seen. I still felt it burning in my fingertips.

'Scarlett!' Danny cried.

I blinked and turned back toward him.

He was leaning against the basement door.

I blinked again.

'You scared Kaitlyn away,' Danny whispered.

I looked out the porch door. I saw Kaitlyn pacing in the distance.

'What happened to you down there?' Danny asked.

'I...I don't know,' I muttered. I looked down at my hands, as I flipped them over again and again. 'It was like an out of body experience. I couldn't control myself.' I could see the slight shakes coming from my hands with every movement.

'You're humming Rockabye Baby a lot.'

I blinked, looking up. 'I am?'

'It's why Kaitlyn left. She couldn't take it anymore.'

I hesitated.

'Go talk to her,' Danny added. 'She's freaking out. I don't know how long she's going to last.'

I shoved my hands in my pockets. 'You could say that for all of us,' I mumbled. I hesitated once more before I walked to the porch door.