Short Story: Calf’s Harvest by Calvin Jenkins
Calvin Jenkins Word Count: 1498
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Calf’s Harvest
Calvin Jenkins
It was Halloween evening and sisters Sandra and Chantel Spencer were buzzing with excitement. All year they anxiously awaited today to attend their farm town’s biggest party. Everybody was going to be there. This annual gathering allowed the community to share their successes, so no expenses were spared, and a great time was expected.
The sisters live with great grandmother Ritti and uncle Gifford, who own and operate a cherry farm. Five years ago, the girls’ parents Thomas and Cherrie died in a tragic automobile accident. They were driving home one night, after an anniversary dinner, and their car ran off the road into a rocky ravine. Investigations of the accident could not find any mechanical malfunction or tire marks indicating breaking to avoid an object. This incident left the Spencer family in shambles. With Thomas gone, Gifford took guardianship of his nieces and assumed additional farm responsibilities.
Ritti owns their estate. It was passed on by her grandmother, whom migrated from the Caribbean generations ago. While living on the islands, the family business was animal farming. Success in that industry brought wealth and status. Their business notoriety was due to the tenderness and quality appearance of the meat, making them the highest producers and sellers on the islands.
Ritti shared their ancestral story with her great granddaughters once. However, she spared them details thought irrelevant to their modern lives, and neglected the reasons for migrating. If they were the most successful in the industry, why leave that life behind? Why do they grow cherry now? She concealed they had to flee due to extraordinary circumstances.
Lafayette was head butcher and operator of the slaughterhouse. He controlled the inventory of all the meat that entered and left the doors. Their entire meat business’ success depended on a secret held by Lafayette. Meats from his butchery were sought after and people craved the tender pretty cuts. Other butchers on the island secretly bought Lafayette’s produce to display in their shops to attract customers.
Lafayette took responsibility of the shop many years after the family ran a stable business. To get ahead in the competitive meat industry, he wanted an advantage. He was involved in the practice of dark arts. Consulting with fellow practitioners, he learned of a potion that temporarily restores youthfulness and vitality. Due to its limited duration, this craft was not practical, but cunning Lafayette figured out a way to use the mixture for his benefit. He discovered that consuming it caused the consumer to appear younger and fully vitalized for four minutes before the effects fade away, but if killed the victim remained as is. His plan was to win the market with the best looking meat, and it worked. He brought in more customers than ever before, and the family thrived.
All success was due to the secret sauce. It came at the cost of human life. The rejuvenatory elixir consisted of a blood and herbs mixture. The ingredients were required to be obtained each month, during the moonless night. As herbs were gathered, someone was slaughtered. Lafayette would secretly hang his victims in the slaughterhouse to drain their blood.
The butcher’s activities lasted thirty seven years. The sisters’ great great great grandfather Levine paid dearly. He caught Lafayette red handed, one eventful night. Upon being uncovered, he confessed it all. He emphasized the family became established because of what he did. His remarks drove Levine mad. Not knowing what to do in the moment, he stormed out the slaughterhouse and rode his horse home. As he entered the door, Levine’s wife Katherine knew something was gravely wrong. His physique appeared enraged and broken at the same time. The burden was so great he had to tell her. He was repulsed and disgusted by himself for fostering such a monster.
Levine could not keep still. His mind kept running. Suddenly, he rushed out and galloped away on his stallion. He went back to the butcher shop, but Lafayette was gone. Riding on to the living quarters, Levine found him by the barn, where next day prep happens. He jumped off his horse and ran for a pitchfork leaned up against the hay. Lafayette noticed and went to grab his long knife. As Lafayette turned, swinging his blade, Levine stabbed him in the chest, but received a deadly wound to his own stomach. Breathing his last air, Lafayette uttered a curse on Levine’s descendants. He decreed, “So as I have given to your family, for 444 moons, I will return to get my dues henceforth.” The intensity of the moment helped Levine remembered clearly, so all was revealed to Katherine, when he returned home.
Levine’s end that night was the beginning. After his passing, Katherine crafted the official story saying her husband and Lafayette died fighting over her. He could not control himself, when he discovered their long standing affair. People accepted it, but her once successful empire fell. With reputation and status declining, Katherine cut her losses and migrated to the main land. This is how the Spencer family got to where they are today.
The family occupies a chateau near the top of a hillside, surrounded by large cotton trees, planted when the estate was settled. The house overlooks their vast cherry grove operation. They are considered well-off in the growers’ community. The town loves them because they are sweet people.
Each year the family takes pleasure in the Halloween festival, with few exceptions. This evening Ritti urged her kin stay home; telling them this was a perilous month, and she has been carrying a family torch and burden. Everyone present was told the truth of the family history. The girls heard the story, but did not listen. While their great grandmother was talking, they pinched, poked, and winked in disbelief. As soon as Ritti finished, their simultaneous rebuttal was, “we’re going!” Gifford did not say a word.
Sandra and Chantel got ready for the party. With the sun setting, they could see lights and movements at the gathering below. Gifford already took off riding with friends. The girls wanted to get to the party before it was too dark to properly show off their costumes. Gifford could accompany them home. They rushed out the door, excitedly saying bye to Ritti, as their mumbles blocked her warnings. Oddly, on the way down, Sandra noticed a sugar cane patch took on a recent growth spurt. Chantel, youngest by three years, did not take notice and urged on.
The party was amazing! The sisters socialized, showed off, and danced with friends. It was the best party ever. They had so much fun. Gifford’s entire absence went unnoticed. As the evening started winding down, a search was launched, but no one saw him all night. Once it was getting far too late, the girls decided to head home without Gifford, saying goodbyes with hugs and kisses.
The sisters clutched each other and turned on a phone flashlight as they briskly walked home. The night was exceptionally dark. At one point, Chantel looked up and mentioned the moon was “nowhere in sight.” They never noticed such a phenomenon. As they got closer to their house, and started climbing the long driveway, a huge red glow appeared ahead. The first thought was Gifford’s parked motorcycle. He must have seen them and decided to wait. Hopefully rushing towards the light, they noticed something strange. The glow was from two red balls, in absolute darkness, at a giant cotton tree’s base, a little distance topside the path. They did not linger. It was obviously not Gifford. As they started panicking, thinking of how to get home fast, Chantel noticed the overgrown cane patch Sandra mentioned earlier, and resting on it was Gifford’s bike with the key in the ignition. All they needed to do was ride pass whatever that was. With no hesitation, they sprang into action. As they moved, the red spheres started rolling towards them. Sandra revved up the engine with Chantel on the back and rocketed off; thinking what in hell was that?
The red eyed pursuer did not stop. It ran after the girls. Ritti was on their veranda. They ran to her side, as the monstrous calf entered the yard. It was a fierce creature and something not of this world. It paced around the house, while smoke puffed out its nostrils, eyes rumbling with fire, and a balled chain clasped around its neck, dragging to make a perpetual sound. Ritti was not moved. She looked to her girls and said, “This is Lafayette’s curse manifested and why our family counts moons for generations now. As I told you, it visits us every 444 moons on a moonless night to get what it thinks we owe.” With that said, facing the apparition, she brandished a knife and made her way down to the earth in front the house. She plunged the long blade into the ground. Instantly, the calf rolled and rumbled away, as it vanished.
Note: I originally submitted this short story to a contest, for selection to be added into a Halloween scare tale anthology. I hope you enjoyed!