I was in the shop when Uncle Dave walked in and saw that photo his mom had given me earlier.
“Hey! Now how’d you get a hold of that thing anyway?”
“Pearl gave it to me earlier when I stopped by. Not really sure why but I kinda like it. Jesus don’t look all that gentle and passive here. He looks kinda devious, maybe a little pissed-off.”
“That thing drove my dad near crazy. Started more’n a few fights between him and mom. She couldn’t hang it up so she’d just leave it in random drawers or whatever. Dad would find it and lose his shit. Don’t know why it bothered him so bad but it sure as hell did.”
I just liked the fact that I had an autographed picture of Jesus Christ, manufactured and sold by a legally suspect radio station outside Del Rio Texas back in the 50’s. That’s shit’s pretty cool. I’m not big on gifts but that’s the kinda gift I like.
We loaded up the bale wagon and rolled out to the field where we had our little herd corralled. Eight new calves from the spring were all lookin’ good. Five steers and three heifers. Next weekend we’d brand and tag all of ‘em, give ‘em their shots.
We were done and parked ten minutes early. Spit curled up in the shadow of the wagon’s rear tire. I didn’t want him chasin’ after Neil or anything. He’d wake back up when them crows came, so we’d have to calm him back down before walkin’ away.
Them crows came right on time, stayed six minutes while Spit leapt and snapped at ‘em, and then they left. Hagerty was out there in the back of the field alright. Uncle Dave and I hopped the fence, and like good Romans we waved our right hands to say ‘hello’, and to show we weren’t packin’. Neil extended both arms out to his sides at ninety degrees and just held ‘em there. We took it to be an invite and started walkin’ towards him. He just kept his arms stickin’ straight out like a coupla two-by-fours.
As we got closer we slowed our pace and started the salutations. “Mr. Hagerty? Mr. Hagety. Hello. Welcome to Mud Creek.”
He didn’t move. Didn’t twitch. Didn’t nothin’. We took another couple steps forward. Still nothin’. There was definitely something amiss and I decided to close in. Twenty feet away and it was clear that this was an actual scarecrow. Gray hoodie and blue jeans. Same as what Neil was always wearin’ out here. And we just seen ‘em move not three minutes ago. Now it was some clothes stretched around a cross-shaped frame. I unzipped his hoodie and out fell our Ouija board and planchette.