Finally Picked

I have watched all my family disappear, taken from our homes. We lived a rough life, weathered all elements with nowhere to turn, just trying to grow to be the best we could. Some got sick, or hurt and were taken early. Some didn’t even make it after they were born, they weren’t strong enough to live in this world.

Yet the best of us made it, and now the time has come we have only heard whispers of. We are to be adopted. We are to be cleaned, and then later looked over by possible families. It doesn’t take long for my family to start to disappear. Going to there new lives. I wish them all the best and do not cry, for I know they are going to a much better place.

As I listen to the wind howl I hear the sound of boots crunching in the fall leaves. Then they came into view. A smiling, happy family, bundled up and laughing. I felt something stir inside me. A warm feeling. I looked back to the family, they were getting closer. I seen two parents and 3 children. I felt a small pain as it reminded me of my family, and how most were gone and I soon would be leaving them as well.

Soon one of the children, a small boy, pointed to me. His family all smiled at me warmly. They looked to each other and nodded. Could this really be happening? Was it finally my time? I watched as both other children did the same. Each time the parents nodded and smiled. They weren’t just adopting me, there we adopting 3 of us!

As the parents walked away to go talk with the owner of this place, all 3 children came running. The little boy that had pointed to me before came up to me with a warm smile. He reached out and took my hand.

“Hi I’m Alden! Me and my family are going to take you home with us now, okay.”

I nodded. I wanted to introduce myself as well but I had no name.

“Now since they give you no names here, I guess I’ll just have to name you.” he said with a bright smile. I noted how when he smiled a small dimple appeared in the corner of his mouth, but only on one side. Giving him the sense of a crooked grin. “How does Everett sound?” He asks me, I smile up at him and nod. He picks me up and carries me to the vehicle they came in.

I watch his parents as we go passed them, they seem like such good people, with smiles that radiate warmth. Yet I can’t help but to hide my face when I see the people who raised me. I know they did their best with what they had, but something always scared me about them, something felt off.

As Alden puts me in the car and sits next to me, I just sit still and look forward not bothering to look back at my past life then, the others joined us in the car but none of us talked to each other. Then our new parents got in the car and we’re off to our new home.

As we pull into the driveway something just doesn’t feel right in my stomach like something is twisting and yelling at me for some reason, I push it aside and put a smile on my face for my new family. We all got out of the car and into the house as I look at it I see that they live in a two level home with a two door garage and a big yard. I feel so at home already but that pushing in my stomach surfaced again and I pushed it aside again thinking it’s just nerves.

“Welcome to your new home Everett, I hope you love it.” Alden said as we walked into the garage. He picked me up and put me on a metal table and the other two did the same to my other siblings, my nerves were getting in my head telling me to run. Alden smiles down at me and then looked at the tall man standing behind him who looked to be our new dad.

“These are some good ones kids, great job picking this year.” The man said then patted the kids on their back. “Would you like to help this year?” He questions them they all nod and jump with joy.

What did he mean this year? And help him with what? I look at my siblings sitting on the table with me and they don’t seem to care what is going on I am the only one, they won’t look at me either.

“Alright kids here are the tools and now I will just open them up and clean them out then you can have your fun, alright?” The man said then picked up a big sharp knife and walked over to my sibling that is farthest away from me, then the most horrid sound came next.

Blood curdling screaming rang through the room, I turn to see the man cutting open the head of my sibling. He didn’t seem to care that his screams were so bad or that he was cutting open one of his new children, I was in shock that I couldn’t move or yell and by the looks of it my sibling next to me is having the same problem.

Then the man was done cutting my sibling open and I thought it was over. But then he pulled off the part he cut and grabbed a spoon and started scooping out his insides. I was so scared and sickened by what I was watching, my sibling screamed again then he just stopped.

And the only sound was the scrapping of the spoon inside of him.

The man put his insides in a trash can and then moved to my other sibling, and did the same things.

As I look at my first sibling I see one of the other children carving into his face cutting out chunks of his flesh, making a new face for him. Then the next child came up to my second sibling and was doing the same to him cutting as he bled all over the child, I couldn’t move for the fear I was feeling.

Then it’s my turn the man brought the knife down on my head, I could feel the cold point sinking into my head. I tried to move a bit, but he just calmly held me in place. I screamed but he didn’t stop, there was no mercy in his eyes, then everything went black.

I couldn’t see anything then I was able to see myself like I was outside of my own body watching from above. Alden walked up to my body and started carving into it like his siblings are doing to the others, as I watch them cut into us I don’t know what to feel. These people picked us up to join their family, then they take us home and kill us, I don’t understand what is going on.

“All done!!!” The first child screamed to the man he turns and looked upon the child.

“Very good son, that looks amazing.” The man said as he picked up my siblings body and carried him outside to sit on the dead grass. His face is carved to look scary and ugly. His face had been wiped trying to remove any of the mess made. Then the next one was taken out and it was carved to look like a skeleton and finally mine was taken out and mine was carved to look like a monster.

I am not the monster.

“These look amazing kids!! Now come inside for some apple cider and donuts.” A woman tells the children, they all cheer and run inside the house leaving our bodies outside in the cold weather.

I stay there for awhile, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Looking at what once was me, what once was my siblings. I start to cry as my spirit falls to the ground beside my lifeless body. As I cry I hear the sound of a door open and shut, then the crackle of feet across the dead grass and leaves. I lift my heavy, head sitting face to face with what I thought had been my saviour. Alden, kneeled in front of me, and asked why I was crying and who I was.

I just sat there for a moment, looking at him, wondering how he could be so cruel so oblivious to who I was, and what he had done to me.

After a while I finally spoke, “You called me Everett”. I say my voice cracking a bit at my words.

Now he is the one that is quiet. “Everett? That isn’t possible…”

“Why? Because you killed me? And everyone else?!” I practically scream at him.

“B-But...you weren’t alive Everett.”

I open my mouth then close it. I stare into his now tearing eyes. He really didn’t know I was alive did he...he hadn’t meant to hurt me..or anyone.

“Just because I’m a pumpkin, doesn’t mean I’m not alive Alden.”