A Pencil Presents

Stories / Issue 3

The Figure in the Cornfield

Issue 3 · · A scary one. Don't look out the window.

The first time Ethan saw the figure,he thought it was a scarecrow.
It was standing in the middle ofhis family’s cornfield, about 100yards from his bedroom window.
It was tall and unbelievably skinny.Its arms nearly touched the ground,and its head leaned sideways atan unnatural angle.
Ethan stared at itfor a few seconds.
Then he blinked.
It was gone.
PROBABLY JUSTA SCARECROW,he whispered.
But there was somethingstrange about it.

His family didn’t own any scarecrows.

2:46 AM

Ethan woke up to the sound ofsomething scratching his window.Scrrrrrrrr…2:46
He opened his eyes.Scrrrrrrrr…
He slowly turned his head.
The curtains were moving.But his window was closed.
He grabbed his phone andturned on the flashlight.
Then he pulled the curtains apart.

His blood turned cold.

The figure wasstanding directlyoutside his window.Its headwas tilted.Its long arms hungalmost to its knees.

But something was different this time.

Its face was pressed against the glass.
It had no eyes.
No nose.
No mouth.
Just a smooth, pale face.
Ethan stumbled backwardand grabbed his phone.
He called his best friend, Noah.DUDE, THERE’SSOMETHING OUTSIDEMY WINDOW!
Noah laughed.YOU’RE PROBABLYSEEING THINGS.ha ha
NO!I’M SERIOUS!
Noah00:41Noah went quiet.Then he said something thatmade Ethan’s stomach drop.
ETHAN... I’MLOOKING AT YOURHOUSE RIGHT NOW.
WHAT?I’M OUTSIDE.LOOK AT YOURDRIVEWAY.
Ethan slowly turned towardthe window again.
The figure was gone.
But standing in his driveway was Noah.
Ethan sighed in relief.
Then Noah called him again.
Noah · on call 02:17NOAHCALLING…The phone in Ethan’s handwas still connectedto the first call.A second callwas coming in.
Ethan answered.A terrified voice whispered.ETHAN... I’MHIDING INYOUR BARN.
Ethan looked outside.
The thing in the driveway was smiling.

3:12 AM

Ethan locked hisbedroom door.click.
He could hear footstepsmoving around downstairs.Slow. Heavy.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Then something startedclimbing the stairs.
It stopped outsidehis bedroom.

Silence.

Then three knocks.

KNOCK.
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
A voice whispered.ETHAN?IT’S NOAH.LET ME IN.
Ethan covered his mouth.
NoahI’m still inthe barn.Don’t openthe door.Then his phone buzzed.A text from Noah.
Ethan’s heart pounded.ba-dum
The thing outsidethe door giggled.hee hee heeThen it whispered.That’s okay. I can wait.
The footsteps slowlywalked away.
Ethan waited almost an hour beforehe dared to leave his room.
When he finally opened the door,the hallway was empty.
He ran downstairs andcalled the police.
They searched the house,the yard, and the barn.

Nothing.

No footprints.
No broken windows.
No sign of anyone.
The police told him he wasprobably exhausted andimagining things.
But as they were leaving,one officer stopped.He stared at the upstairs window.
ETHAN?YEAH?HOW LONG HAS THATWINDOW BEEN OPEN?
Ethan looked up.
His bedroom windowwas wide open.The curtains were blowing in the wind.
And on the ceiling above his bed…Were two enormous muddy footprints.

6:00 AM

Ethan packed his things and leftfor his grandmother’s house.
He never went back.
Three weeks later, the house was sold.SOLD
The new owners were a youngcouple who had never heard ofEthan or what happened there.
On their first night, the husbandwoke up at exactly 2:46 AM.2:46
He heard scratching.Scrrrrrrrr…
He opened his eyes.
Something was standing outsidethe bedroom window.Tall.Skinny.Its arms nearlytouching the ground.Its head tiltedsideways.
The husband shook his wife awake.THERE’S SOMEONEOUTSIDE.
His wife looked through the glass.Then she whispered.THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE.
WHY?
She pointed toward the cornfield.BECAUSE... IT’SSTANDING RIGHTTHERE TOO.
The husband turned backtoward the window.
The figure outside was gone.

But something was standing at the foot of their bed.

It slowly loweredits head towardthem.

And for the first time…

It spoke.

You took my house.

Then every light in the house went out.

THE END.

But here’s the question…

If the figure was standing outside the window…

Who was standing at the foot of the bed?

Read the text version
  1. Caption: The first time Ethan saw the figure, he thought it was a scarecrow.
  2. Caption: It was standing in the middle of his family’s cornfield, about 100 yards from his bedroom window.
  3. Caption: It was tall and unbelievably skinny. Its arms nearly touched the ground, and its head leaned sideways at an unnatural angle.
  4. Caption: Ethan stared at it for a few seconds.
  5. Caption: Then he blinked.
  6. Caption: It was gone.
  7. Ethan: "Probably just a scarecrow," Caption: he whispered.
  8. Caption: But there was something strange about it.
  9. His family didn’t own any scarecrows.
  10. 2:46 AM
  11. Time: 2:46 AM. Caption: Ethan woke up to the sound of something scratching his window. Sound: Scrrrrrrrr...
  12. Caption: He opened his eyes. Sound: Scrrrrrrrr...
  13. Caption: He slowly turned his head.
  14. Captions: The curtains were moving. But his window was closed.
  15. Caption: He grabbed his phone and turned on the flashlight.
  16. Caption: Then he pulled the curtains apart.
  17. His blood turned cold.
  18. Captions: The figure was standing directly outside his window. Its head was tilted. Its long arms hung almost to its knees.
  19. But something was different this time.
  20. Caption: Its face was pressed against the glass.
  21. Caption: It had no eyes.
  22. Caption: No nose.
  23. Caption: No mouth.
  24. Caption: Just a smooth, pale face.
  25. Caption: Ethan stumbled backward and grabbed his phone.
  26. Caption: He called his best friend, Noah. Ethan: "DUDE, THERE’S SOMETHING OUTSIDE MY WINDOW!"
  27. Caption: Noah laughed. Noah: "You’re probably seeing things."
  28. Ethan: "NO! I’M SERIOUS!"
  29. Captions: Noah went quiet. Then he said something that made Ethan’s stomach drop.
  30. Noah: "Ethan... I’m looking at your house right now."
  31. Ethan: "What?" Noah: "I’m outside. Look at your driveway."
  32. Caption: Ethan slowly turned toward the window again.
  33. Caption: The figure was gone.
  34. Caption: But standing in his driveway was Noah.
  35. Caption: Ethan sighed in relief.
  36. Caption: Then Noah called him again.
  37. Captions: The phone in Ethan’s hand was still connected to the first call. A second call was coming in. Screen: NOAH CALLING...
  38. Captions: Ethan answered. A terrified voice whispered. Voice: "Ethan... I’m hiding in your barn."
  39. Caption: Ethan looked outside.
  40. Caption: The thing in the driveway was smiling.
  41. 3:12 AM
  42. Time: 3:12 AM. Caption: Ethan locked his bedroom door. Sound: Click.
  43. Captions: He could hear footsteps moving around downstairs. Slow. Heavy.
  44. Sound: Thump.
  45. Sound: Thump.
  46. Sound: Thump.
  47. Caption: Then something started climbing the stairs.
  48. Caption: It stopped outside his bedroom.
  49. Silence.
  50. Then three knocks.
  51. Sound: Knock.
  52. Sound: Knock.
  53. Sound: Knock.
  54. Caption: A voice whispered. Voice: "Ethan? It’s Noah. Let me in."
  55. Caption: Ethan covered his mouth.
  56. Caption: Then his phone buzzed. A text from Noah. Text: I’m still in the barn. Don’t open the door.
  57. Caption: Ethan’s heart pounded. Sound: Ba-dum.
  58. Captions: The thing outside the door giggled. Then it whispered. Thing: "That’s okay. I can wait."
  59. Caption: The footsteps slowly walked away.
  60. Caption: Ethan waited almost an hour before he dared to leave his room.
  61. Caption: When he finally opened the door, the hallway was empty.
  62. Caption: He ran downstairs and called the police.
  63. Caption: They searched the house, the yard, and the barn.
  64. Nothing.
  65. Caption: No footprints.
  66. Caption: No broken windows.
  67. Caption: No sign of anyone.
  68. Caption: The police told him he was probably exhausted and imagining things.
  69. Captions: But as they were leaving, one officer stopped. He stared at the upstairs window.
  70. Officer: "Ethan?" Ethan: "Yeah?" Officer: "How long has that window been open?"
  71. Caption: Ethan looked up.
  72. Captions: His bedroom window was wide open. The curtains were blowing in the wind.
  73. Captions: And on the ceiling above his bed... Were two enormous muddy footprints.
  74. 6:00 AM
  75. Caption: Ethan packed his things and left for his grandmother’s house.
  76. Caption: He never went back.
  77. Caption: Three weeks later, the house was sold.
  78. Caption: The new owners were a young couple who had never heard of Ethan or what happened there.
  79. Caption: On their first night, the husband woke up at exactly 2:46 AM.
  80. Caption: He heard scratching. Sound: Scrrrrrrrr...
  81. Caption: He opened his eyes.
  82. Captions: Something was standing outside the bedroom window. Tall. Skinny. Its arms nearly touching the ground. Its head tilted sideways.
  83. Caption: The husband shook his wife awake. Husband: "There’s someone outside."
  84. Captions: His wife looked through the glass. Then she whispered. Wife: "That’s impossible."
  85. Husband: "Why?"
  86. Caption: She pointed toward the cornfield. Wife: "Because... it’s standing right there too."
  87. In the cornfield, far away, the figure is standing.
  88. Caption: The husband turned back toward the window.
  89. Caption: The figure outside was gone.
  90. But something was standing at the foot of their bed.
  91. Caption: It slowly lowered its head toward them.
  92. And for the first time…
  93. It spoke.
  94. Figure: "You took my house."
  95. Then every light in the house went out.
  96. THE END.
  97. But here’s the question…
  98. If the figure was standing outside the window…
  99. Who was standing at the foot of the bed?

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