This was not the same scarecrow that "fell" off his stake earlier. It was a different one and had his straw face and straw hands pressed against the glass. His eyes were hollow and showed me that his head was hollow as well. The ends of his mouth were upside down, which meant that he was either angry or sad.

Then I realized something. Mom and Dad never created a scarecrow who was sad. All the scarecrows were supposed to be happy.

I screamed again and pushed myself away from the sink. Mario came to my side and wrapped his arms around me to keep me from falling. He asked what was wrong and cried out before I could answer.

"That is one big scarecrow!" Mario proclaimed. "How the heck did he get there?! Did your parents place him there to scare the crub out of you?"

I jerked away from him and shut the curtains as I glared at him. "I am surprised that you, Mario, would say such a thing. You and I both know that the scarecrows have been stalking me ever since that they were created."

"Oh, I know without a doubt that the scarecrows are alive. I was just hoping that this was not the case."

My best friend and I jumped when we were startled by loud pounding on the kitchen window. The scarecrow was after me. I was afraid that the glass would break and that he and the other scarecrows would crawl in.

"We need to go, Robin. Now," Mario insisted. "I am going to get you out of here, and we will run into town and hopefully find your mother and father."

"No!" I refused.

He looked at me like that I was losing my mind. "There are scarecrows that might want to kill you. We cannot take that chance."

"What about the animals, Mario? They all are in the barn, and the barn is right next to the cornfield. What if the animals are killed by the scarecrows while in our absence?"

"They are stalking you, not the animals."

"T-they could murder those poor animals just to make me suffer!"

"You will fall in their trap. They will trap you in that barn and possibly murder you!"

I gripped the edge of the counter to steady myself. "Okay, okay! We will grab the newborn lamb and run for our lives."

"The mother lamb finally gave birth?"

"Two days ago. I will fill you in on the whole story once we are far away from this farm."

I scurried up to the kitchen door and opened it. No scarecrow was standing in our way. Good. Mario and I ran as fast as our legs could go to the barn. The barn doors were already open, and every animal was alive and accounted for. My eyes darted all around the barn while my best friend talked.

"If the lamb was born two days ago, how come you did not tell me?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise. I had planned on showing you her when I discovered the gender."

"Since that you used the word 'her,' I am assuming that the newborn lamb is a girl."

"That she is. And she is adorable and playful. Her favorite person is me so far."

"What is her name?"

"I am still thinking on the name." I spotted her. "There she is."

The lamb was hiding behind a wooden pole and had her head poking out. She licked her lips and made the noises that sheep normally make.

"Baa! Baaaaaa!"

I immediately placed a finger over my lips and shushed her. "Shh. As much as I love your irresistible sounds, you need to keep quiet. There are bad...um, straw people that might kill you and me." I got on one knee and held out my arms. "Come to me."

Without uttering another sound, the lamb hopped up to me and rubbed her soft body against my chest and stomach. I slowly and carefully wrapped my arms around her and picked her up. She tried to lick my face, but I had my head out of her reach.

"Baa!"

"Shh. You can make as many noises as you desire as soon as we are off the property."

What I did not know was that the lamb was warning me this time. It ignored my order and made her noises like that there was no tomorrow.

"Uh, Robin?" Mario piped up. "Why does she seem so nervous?"

"I am not sure. Maybe she knows something that we do not."

"Robin...?"

"What is it now, Mario?"

"How long did your parents say that they would be gone?"

"A half an hour."

"And you are not standing by me and gripping my shoulder, are you?"

Confused why he would say that, I spun around - and screamed so loud that a couple of the barn windows shattered.

My mom and dad are going to kill me.

A scarecrow was behind my best friend and had one of his straw hands on his shoulder. My skin grew pale, and I froze like a statue.

"There is a scarecrow standing behind me, is there not?" Mario guessed correctly.

I was unable to find my voice, so I nodded.

"Welp. There goes a clean pair of pants."

The scarecrow screeched - that was a first - and shoved my friend to the ground. Mario landed on his stomach and coughed.

"Leave him alone!" I yelled. "Or I swear that I will knock all the straw out of you!"

The scarecrow looked in my direction and trudged forward.

I set the lamb next to a pole and put a leash on it and quickly wrapped the other end of the leash around the pole. She did not like that and kicked and made her sounds.

I picked up a shovel that had been resting next to a stack of hay and raised it to my chest.

"You want me? Come get me!"