The Patch: Seasons of Magic: Pumpkins & Shades, #2

By Selina J. Eckert

Jack just gambled her family's future on seeds. Too bad they only bring her a cursed pumpkin patch full of ghosts.

Jack, a shy and sensitive high schooler, is desperate to do whatever she can to save her family's farm. Unfortunately for her, the pawn shop cons her into trading her family's heirlooms for three old pumpkin seeds on the promise they will solve all Jack's problems. But when the seeds sprout overnight into a haunted pumpkin patch, they bring more problems than they solve—like a hundred-year-old witch's curse.

Hopeful she will uncover the secrets of the patch, and maybe solve the farm's financial problems, Jack enlists her best friend Lucy's help to investigate. But then a malevolent ghost kidnaps Lucy, and Jack learns the dark history of her home, a history steeped in betrayal and revenge. With Lucy's life on the line, can Jack confront the spirit, break the curse, and save her friend?

Or will the witch kill them both and reign for another hundred years?

The Patch is part of a collection of standalone fairy tale novellas, Seasons of Magic, and is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. If you like spooky stories, autumn magic, and pumpkins, you will love Selina J. Eckert's bone-chilling tale!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Selina J. Eckert
• Release date: Oct 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781733755269

Selina J. Eckert

Selina is a biologist-by-day, writer-by-night native of Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband, dog, and two cats and spends her time writing, reading, creating art, and dreaming about fictional worlds. Besides writing and sciencing, Selina also runs an author support business, Paper Cranes, LLC, that provides editing, consulting, and mapmaking services to authors, writers, and students. She has written two fairy-tale retelling short stories that were both finalists in Rooglewood Press short story contests and a fantasy short story, “Queen of Mist and Fog,” available through her newsletter.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental, except in the case of real locations used as setting. Those exist.

Copyright © 2020 by Selina J. Eckert

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, address: [e-mail].

First e-book edition October 2020

Book design by Dragonpen Designs

Cover Image: Deposit Photos

ISBN 978-1-7337552-6-9 (e-book)

selinajeckert.com

The Patch

Selina J. Eckert

For those with ghosts of their own

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Chapter One

Jack looked out over the destroyed corn field from her bedroom window. In the distance, the maple trees had turned red and orange, like a forest on fire, but the corn below was black instead of yellow. It would be dark soon, but that couldn’t hide the truth.

They’d never recover from this.

Turning away from the window with a sigh, she let the sheer white curtains cover up the destruction. She ran a hand over her face, surveying the mess in her room: muddy boots and jeans discarded on the faded rug, her torn flannel shirt draped over a chair awaiting repair, the unmade bed that needed a serious laundry day. This kind of mess she could control. She could clean the dirt and mud, mend the shirt, wash the sheets.

She couldn’t bring back the crops.

Her parents’ voices filtered up through the floorboards, low and fast, urgent—scared. Just like she was.

Jack pulled on a thick pair of wool socks, descended the stairs from her attic room, crossed the hall with as few creaks as possible, and tip-toed halfway down the stairs. She settled onto a step in the middle, fingers curled around the spindles of the staircase and face pressed into the gap. Her parents would see her if they looked up, but they were lost in their conversation, their voices still low as they talked over the kitchen table. Piles of bills filled the space between them. Her mom had a hand pressed over her mouth, and her dad covered his face with his hands.

They’re due next week, Lawrence, her mom said. We’re already three months behind on payments. They’re not going to give us more time; they already said so.

What else are we going to do, Kate? her dad responded, dropping his hands. His face was angry, tenser than Jack had ever seen it. Make money out of thin air? Oh, I know, how about we grow it in the fields? Oh, wait. That’s right. The floods brought the mold, so everything is dead.

There’s no need to be like that. We’re in this together.

Jack’s heart started pounding, and she was worried for a moment that they would hear it from the kitchen table. They never used to fight like this.

Then again, the farm had never been in such a position before. She’d known they were always on razor thin profits from year to year, one disaster away from foreclosure.

This was that disaster.

Her mom lowered her hand, eyeing the diamond glittering on her third finger. After a moment of hesitation, she pulled the ring off and set it on top of the largest stack of papers. This would cover most of the payment. Give us a chance to catch up.

You really think one payment will hold them off? her dad said. What are we going to do after that? How will we catch up?

Her mother’s voice grew cold. At least we’d have time to figure something else out.

Her father sighed. I’m sorry. You’re right.

He paused, then reached into his pocket. He pulled out a shining brass pocket watch and flipped it open, watching the second hand tick around the face for a few moments.

That was her grandfather’s watch. Her father’s most prized possession.

He set it down next to the ring. That will cover the rest.

Jack gasped, and both her parents spun toward the stairs.

Jack? her father said. Come on down.

Guiltily, Jack released the spindles and slunk down the last half of the stairs and into the kitchen. She stopped next to the table. Are we going to lose the house?

Her parents traded a look before her mother spoke. We hope not, sweetie. We’re doing what we can.

But tears already burned in Jack’s eyes. We can’t lose the farm. It was Grandma and Grandpa’s. We can’t disappoint them.

Sweetheart, it’s not our fault, her dad said. You know how tight it’s always been. Even Grandma and Grandpa had rough years.

Jack blinked rapidly and looked away. Get it together, girl! You’re almost sixteen!

Her mom made a pitying sound, and Jack looked back to see her arms extended toward her. In spite of herself, Jack found herself melting into her mom’s warm hug. Here, everything was safe. Here, everything would stay the same.

Here, they wouldn’t lose the farm.

She choked back her tears, hiding her face from her parents until she could get her emotions back under control. Once Jack’s breathing had returned to normal, she pulled back. Her father was staring at the ring and the watch on the table, and her mother was busy blinking away tears of her own.

They stood together in silence for too long, the weight of the world pressing them in place as if they were set in concrete.

Eventually her father spoke. Jack, I have to ask you to do something.

Her heart started pounding all over again. Anything. If it will help the farm.

It will. He hesitated again. Jack, your mother and I have a meeting with the neighboring farms tomorrow and another with the bank the day after that. I wish I didn’t have to, but... Can you stop at the pawn shop on your way home from school?

He slid the ring and the watch toward her, and she froze, her eyes locked on the sparkling jewelry.

Why? Her voice shook.

You know why, her mom said. Just try to get as much as you can for them, okay?

She took a deep breath, then collected the jewelry. Okay.

Her mom nodded. Good. Now go do your homework.