Blood Pumpkins

 Blood Pumpkins

     “Jimmy, someone is knocking on the door.” Bella said quietly.

     “Bell, calm down. I’ll be back. Maybe it’s the Mailman.” Jimmy said.

     “We don’t even have a mailbox yet.” She said with a concerned look on her face.

     Jimmy leans down and kisses Bella on her forehead.

     “It’s okay, baby.” He whispered.

     Jimmy steps high and walks over Pumpkin the cat. Pumpkin doesn’t move for anybody. She will just lay in the middle of the floor and blend right into the wood pattern. Jimmy stops at the mirror in the hallway just before the front door to check if he has dirt on his face. Twisting and pulling the rusty door knob a few times, the door swings open.

     “I watched you two move in yesterday. I’m sure you’re busy getting settled in and doing the whole unpacking thing, so I won’t take up much of your time. Just wanted to drop off this fresh Pumpkin Pie I made this morning for you two.” The old man said.

     “Yea. We have tons to unpack. Bell! Come meet…”

     “Winston.” He said.

     “Winston! He brought us a Pumpkin Pie!” Jimmy shouted.

     “Come inside, Winston. Have a slice with us. We have whip cream in the fridge. She can’t live without it.” Jimmy said.

     “Some other time. I have to check on my pumpkins soon.” Winston said.

     “Please, come in and tell us about the people that used to live here. We found boxes upstairs we have yet to open. I’d feel more at ease if you told us some history of the place.” Bella said.

     “Maybe some other time, Darling. Bell. That’s a unique name.” Winston said.

     “Yea. Jimmy calls me Bell. Which is short for Bella, which is short for Isabella.”

     “Look how deep orange this pie is. Almost blood red. This is just pumpkin?” Jimmy asked.

     “My one of a kind pumpkins, yes. Special seeds from 1,000s of years ago. They keep me alive and healthy.” Winston said with a wide yellow smile.

     “What’s that awful sound?” Bella asked.

     “Sorry, Youngins. Those are my wolves. They must have caught themselves a Coyote. Coyotes been having a feast on my chickens these past few nights.” Winston said with sharp eyes.

     “Go check on your dogs. I’d hate for them to get hurt.” Bella said.

     “Wolves, darling. They can take care of themselves. I don’t want them to get sick from eating the Coyote. Speaking of eating. You kids eat up! That pie is as fresh as it will get. Your whip cream would be great on there.” Winston said as he walked away.

     “Thanks for the pie!” Jimmy and Bella said in sync.

     “That was nice of him. Seemed like a polite man. I hope he comes by, or we can make him a casserole to take to his house? I would really like to know who lived here before us, babe. This place feels, off.” Bella said.

     “Off? What happened to being in love with this old house?” Jimmy asked.

     “I do love it. I do, but, I just have a feeling is all.”

     “You and your feelings…” Bella looks at him carefully, “…which I respect and love, but have been wrong in the past, baby. That’s all I’m saying.” Jimmy said leaning in for a kiss.

     “Let’s get a slice of this pie. Get the whip cream.” Bella said as she pulled away and walked towards the kitchen table.

     “Baby. You sure we can trust this pie? He seemed nice, but I don’t know…” Jimmy said.

    “It looks and smells delicious. Plus, we don’t have food in here yet and I didn’t see any fast food places around.”

     “I guess it looks okay… It does smell great.”

     “Well, get me a plate! You want me to eat it with my hands?” Bella said wrinkling her nose at Jimmy.

     “I’d love to see that. Here you go, baby.” Jimmy said leaning in for a kiss, finally landing on her forehead.

     “There has to be some Beets in here. It’s so dark.” Bella said as she put a forkful into her mouth. She watched Jimmy get a forkful in his mouth and waited for his reaction.

     “Pretty good fucking pie.” Jimmy said.

     “Yes, Sir.” Bella said with her mouth full and whip cream on her lip.

     “I still have room for some more pie after this…” Jimmy said with a smirk.

     “I’m sure you do, cowboy.” She whispered.

*

     “Rise and shine!” Winston screamed.

     Opening her eyes one at a time, “Jimmy.” She whispered.

     “I hear y’all snoring all the way from the Pumpkin Patch! Come give an old man a hand or 4!” Winston said with a belly laugh.

     “What fucking time is it, baby?” Jimmy asked.

     Focusing on the clock for a few seconds until the red numbers became clear, “5:00 AM.” She said.

     “I know y’all awake. I don’t hear anymore snoring. Get your spring chicken legs down here and help an old geezer out! Be but a few minutes!” Winston yelled from the yard.

     “What do we do?” Bella asked.

     “Fuck. Doesn’t sound like he’s asking. Shit. We only been in bed for a few hours. Let’s see what he wants and we’ll come back to bed. Okay?” Jimmy said.

      “Okaaaay.” Bella moaned.

      Both got out of bed throwing clothes at each other and getting dressed. Shirts inside out and slippers half on, they went downstairs and out the front door into the cold morning breeze.

     “Y’all normally sleep so late?!” Winston said with a sneer.

     “If we’re up all night unpacking, yea.” Jimmy said.

     Slapping Jimmy on the shoulder, “Great pie. We snacked on it all night. Now what can we help you with, Winston?” She asked.

     “I have a huge pumpkin I need help moving onto my lift. I can’t roll it on there.” Winston said.

     “Lead the way.” Jimmy said monotonously.

     “Great! This one got big! Haven’t had one this big since my wife was alive. She helped last time. Just follow me, it’s just down a few rows.” Winston said.

     Following Winston’s hunched over, slow frame, “I am going RIGHT back to sleep after we get this pumpkin where he wants it. So don’t start any chitchat about the house’s history. Okay? We can do that later tonight.” Jimmy whispered.

     “I will ask him over for dinner.” She smiled.

     “Here she is!” Winston yelled. “Just put your hands high on er’ so she doesn’t get hurt.”

     Jimmy and Bella looked confused, “Hurt?” They both asked.

     “Well, yea. Pumpkins can bruise and get all tore up if you’re not careful. She needs love, this one.” Winston said with a yellow smile.

     Jimmy and Bella start pushing on the large pumpkin until it started to roll.

     “That’s it! Keep going. Just a few more rolls. Make sure she stops right side up on that net and I’ll use the forklift to take her the rest of the way.” Winston instructed.

     “Why not just use the forklift from the start?” Jimmy asked.

     “She needs to be on that net before I can lift her. She’s too fragile to push with equipment, Son.” Winston said.

     “Jimmy.” Jimmy corrected him.

     “Oh no!” Bella yelled. “I’m sorry, Winston. It cracked on this side.”

     “What did you do to her?!” Winston’s whole body language changed and his voice sounded younger. “I told you to be careful.”

     “I didn’t mean to. It happened on the final push. It, she is where she needs to be. Maybe you can glue her back together?” Bella asked.

     Looking down at her hands she sees they are covered in blood.

     “Bella! Are you okay?” Jimmy asked while taking his shirt off to clean her hands and look for the cut.

     “I think so. I don’t feel any pain.” Bell said.

     “You don’t, my dear. But she does. You caused her real pain. Please, leave. I’ll finish up here. I hope I can save her.” Winston said.

     “Baby, I’m not bleeding. It’s from the pumpkin. This can’t be blood. Maybe it’s rotten?” Bella whispered in Jimmy’s ear.

     “Sorry about the pumpkin, Winston. Can we have you over for dinner tonight to repay you?” Jimmy asked.

     “Dinner? Yes. But now I need to tend to my baby.” Winston said with concerned eyes.

     “It will be done around 6. I hope you like meatloaf!” Bella said bubbly trying to lighten the mood.

     “That’s fine.” Winston barely said.

     Walking back into their yard, “Was that pumpkin bleeding?” Jimmy asked.

     “It felt like blood. When it cracked, I noticed the white flesh under the orange skin, then the red liquid came oozing out. He did say they were special pumpkins.” Bell said.

     “Special, huh? Especially creepy.”

     “Well, we have his time tonight to ask about his special pumpkins and the history on this house.”

*

     “He’s here, Jimmy.” Bella said bouncing as she watched him walk across the field into their yard.

     “Okay, okay. Calm down. Go in the kitchen and I’ll bring him in there.” Jimmy said.

     Looking at him with wincing eyes and a scrunched up nose, “Go to the kitchen, huh? Nice.” Bella said.

     “Bell, baby. You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

     “Mmhmm.” She hummed as she walked away with a playful smile on her face.

     Waiting by the door, Jimmy waits for the old man to knock. After a few minutes of silence, he opens the door.

     “God Damn, boy! Scare the fuck out of me, won’t ya?!” Winston said as he was mid-knock.

     “Shit. Sorry, Winston. Come in.” Jimmy said.

     “Oh, you brought another pumpkin pie?! We loved the last one” Bella said from the kitchen doorway.

     “Made it from the one we harvested earlier.” Winston said with a yellow smile.

     Winston walked through the living room looking at everything carefully as the couple talked at him in the background. He was in his own head thinking about the objects his eyes were fixated on.

     “Winston!” Bella said loudly.

     “Huh. What? Yea, sorry, darling. My hearing isn’t so great anymore.”

     “It’s okay. Come eat, I said. It’s getting cold.” Bell said with a pretty smile.

     Jimmy led the way to the kitchen and sat down next to the empty seat where Bell will sit and Winston sat at the end of the table.

     “Stay seated, boys. I’ll bring the food to ya.” Bell said.

     She walked over to Winston first and put a big slice of meatloaf on his plate, along with mashed potatoes, gravy over the mash, corn, mac n’ cheese and a biscuit. Jimmy got the same.

     “I hope you don’t mind me putting ketchup on the meatloaf already instead of gravy; it’s the way I was taught.” Bell said.

     “Just the way I like it. Thank you, darling.” Winston said.

     “Sorry about the double starch, she’s from the Midwest.” Jimmy said.

     “Nothing wrong with mac n’ cheese with mashed potatoes… What’s that sound at the door?” Bella asked.

     “Those are my companions. They tag along, if you don’t mind. I like to keep them close.” Winston said with a mouthful of meatloaf.

     “As long as they don’t scratch at the door. I just put that up today.” Jimmy said.

     “It’s just a door, honey. Winston, tell me something about this house.” Bella said with curious eyes.

     “No one really stayed in this house. A couple would buy it and leave town a few nights of being here.” Winston said as he shoveled another spoonful of meatloaf in his mouth.

     “What do you mean, leave” The couple asked together.

     “Well, they would always be gone after a few days. I would see cops out here weeks after people left asking if I saw them. Of course I noticed people moving in.”

     “Wait. So they would move in and leave once they move their belonging inside? That doesn’t make sense.” Jimmy said.

     “I know. Eat that Pumpkin Pie, kiddies. Don’t want it to sour.” Winston said.

     “I could go for a slice. How about you, baby?” Bella asked Jimmy. He nodded in agreement. “How many people have disappeared?”

     “Shit, lost count. I been here for 50 years. My main focus is on my pumpkins. Always on my pumpkins. They need blood to survive…”

     “Blood?!” Bella asked loudly.

     “Baby, don’t move.” Jimmy said softly.

     Bella hears loud growling behind her left ear. Both of the wolves sat on the kitchen floor by the sink with their teeth showing. Blood oozing out of their mouths and eyes pure white as they watch the couple.

     Bella lets out a loud scream and jumps up to run when Winston cut her off. “I wouldn’t do that!” He roared. Winston’s voice was deep and youthful. Standing tall and strong, he lifts Bella right before one of the wolves have a bite.

     “This was supposed to go smoothly. Why can’t you be like the other couples and just eat the fucking pie without question?” Winston said.

     Jimmy kicked his chair at the wolves and jumped the table at Winston. Slipping on the pumpkin pie, Jimmy found himself on his back with one of the wolves’ mouth around his throat.

     “Hold him there, boy. Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy; you have some fight in you, son! I think I’ll let him turn you, I need a third wolf to keep my extra pumpkins safe. Bite down, boy.” Winston said with a sharp, toothy grin.

     The wolf bites down on Jimmy’s neck and is thrown to the corner of the kitchen. He hits the floor and curls into a ball clutching his stomach. He locks eyes with Bell and opens his mouth to talk but nothing comes out but blood. With wild eyes his skin turns grey and his eyes milk over.

     “What are you doing to him?!” Bella cries out.

      “He is going to be a new companion for me. I think he will do a great job, don’t you, honey?!” Winston said. Although it wasn’t so much Winston by this point. Standing 6’6’’ with tufts of coarse hair all over his body. Eyes bright green with a wide, sharp, yellow smile, the Monster said, “You… my dear, will make for a sweet pumpkin pie. The finest one yet!”

The End