A sudden burst of wind dashed through the farm and Bob felt cold. Before him is the scarecrow that he had made as his first companion on the peninsula. Its body is made up of straws that is being hold up by a rope and strapped to a post. When the crystal sphere glowed it, startled Bob causing him to fall down. He lets out a small grunt feeling that some of his wound opened up. Staring at the glow made him think that it’s going to explode. He hurriedly tried to get away enduring the pain but then the glowing stopped.

He looks back at the scarecrow whose head is moving. Cold to his feet

“Ahh! If I may trouble you, my lord, it seems that I’m stuck. Will you help me?” The scarecrow said in a humble manner.

Still confused Bob untied the scarecrow from the post. Despite its’ request he couldn’t stand on his own due to its body not having anything solid to keep him up. He flails his body till he was able to stand upright and made a salute.

“Ol Jack, at your service, my liege.” He said ecstatically before slumping again and falling to the ground.

Bob stares at the flailing scarecrow, still wrapping his head around what’s happening. But apparently anything that involves thinking too much at the moment makes him more fatigued.

“I’m sorry, my lord. It would seem that I would inconvenience you once more.”

The crystal sphere vibrates and glows ever so lightly, synchronous to his speech.

“Y-you’re sentient…?”

“Of course!” The scarecrow replied while lying on his back. “A few moments I was not, now I am. Amazing isn’t?”

Bob thought nothing more of it as he stares at the limping scarecrow. He carries him inside the house. The scarecrow is bigger than him but its body is light being only made of straws that he stuffs inside of old clothes. It was a little difficult for him, being wounded and fatigued. He then let him rest his back against the walls. With nothing coming to his mind on what he should do, he decided to just have dinner and continue tomorrow.

“Marvelous, I haven’t been here before. I’ve always been staring at the field warding off any crow that might destroy the harvest.”

The scarecrow continued to talk about different things after that. Topics about sturdy the house is made to observing his own body and commenting on how frail it is but still being grateful for having it. Bob didn’t mind the noise and lets the chatter box talk as he please while he eats. The sound of the words fall deaf to his ears as his mind wanders again.

He returns to his senses when he heard the door opens and comes in Agta and Atga. The two wolves notice the scarecrow and began to growl at it.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Shhh…it’s fine.” Bob calms them.

They stopped growling and walk closer to smell the scarecrow who then glances at them and continued talking.

“Ahh, Agta and Atga. I have seen your hard work ever since.”

Bob looks outside and see that it’s almost sunset. The animals have all returned to the barn

‘Since when have they known how to open it?’ the thought occurred in his mind as he looks at the wolves now completely familiar with the scarecrow.

He walks towards the slumping scarecrow checks its body. He removes some of the rope to stuff the body more firmly. The body now looks more shorter than it was before but not the scarecrow could finally move.

“There…all done.” Bob stood up and gave the scarecrow a pat on the back before walking up the stairs.

“Is there anything you want me to do, my lord?” The scarecrow asked before Bob could reach the stairs.

Bob replied with the first thing that came in his mind. “Just help me in the farm.” Then he went into his room and crash on to his bed.

“Help in the farm… Help in the farm…” The scarecrow talks with himself trying to understand what the command entails.

He walks across the house thinking, walking past the wolves who are resting on the hard wood floors. The he saw the book that was left by Nesbitt, still on the table. Surprising to him, it’s the first time he saw anything like it.

“What a strange instrument” He said as he picks up the book and began to open it. He inspects while slowly skimming through it then he stops at a certain page in the middle of it. The page has the same symbol and inscription from the cover of the book.

“That’s interesting.” He said in a low voice.

He sat as he looks through the pages of the book, comparing to other parts of it. Especially the symbols and signs that he could see. Spending the entire night looking at it.

The next day, Bob wakes up with Agta right next to him and Atga over his body. He slowly moves his body while caressing their fur. But they just woke up in the end. Walking down the stairs he saw the scarecrow fully invested in the book that he didn’t notices him. Making sounds like he’s learning something new.

Almost as an afterthought, he finally notices Bob who is standing right next to him reading over his shoulders.

“What’s that?” Bob asks

“This strange instrument that contains various inscription is very exhilarating.”

“That book? So, you can read.”

“Oh, so this is a book” He replied. “No, I can’t.” He added before staring back at the book.

Bob wanted to say something but he didn’t want to spoil the fun the scarecrow is having. He then grabs a bottle milk before heading out.

He woke up much later to day but not as much as yesterday. The animals are already outside the barn probably due to the wolves. Dews hangs from the leaves as he slowly makes his way towards the shed. Looking over the field he sees it apparent that the scarecrow is really alive. On the middle of the field stands a lone post where it once was.

‘It would be rude to make him go back again. I should just make another one.’ he thought.

From the shed he grab some supplies to make another scarecrow, only this time it doesn’t have any clothing. The size is different, it not being made from straws but from anything else. He then straps it to the same post and by its hand makes it looks like its’ holding a shovel.

He chuckles for a moment as he remembers the time he made the first one. It was almost the same day he arrived at the peninsula. He hasn’t even started planting yet but he was so excited that he made the scarecrow first.

He then walks back inside the house and stood right next to the scarecrow, placing his hand on its shoulder and said.

“Jack, I’m going to teach you how to read.”

The scarecrows lifeless eyes glistens as he said those words to him.