Horrible Harvest

I spent the day trying my damnedest to talk Kenneth out of taking up Charles’ fool challenge, but he wasn’t having none of it. He felt the need to prove himself to my older brother, even though my older brother was piece of shit.

At the lamplight hour, the three of us met up at the servants’ staircase. Charles ordered Kenneth to lead the way and then pushed the fire out of me to follow after. He took up the rear as we quiet marched down the stairs, out the kitchen door, and across the property to the stables.

Didn’t none of us know it at the time, but Mr. Stockton stood at the porch of his quarters as we all strolled by. He become suspicious of our activities right off and run down Tate to keep watch over us from the shadows.

We didn’t have no idea Tate was hid in the woods along the pond when we waded through the waters to the Hell Box, bickering over the particulars of the challenge put to Kenneth.

“Water’s cold,” I said.

“So.”

“Can’t expect him to stay all the night long in this cold. He’ll catch his death.”

“He’ll get used to it. Won’t you, Kenneth the prince?”

Kenneth was shivering so much he was rattling. “Yes. Yes. I’ll get used to it.”

Charles opened the cage soon as we reached it.

Kenneth didn’t move.

“Get on in.”

The prince breathed in, swallowing some of the stagnant pond water on accident. He near coughed up his lungs trying to clear them.

“Come on. You’re wasting time.”

“Leave him alone, Charles. He ain’t doing this.”

Kenneth hacked out one last cough and then darted inside the box.

“Shackles.”

All eyes shifted up to the cuffs draped over the top middle iron rib of the box.

“We ain’t got a key,” I said

Charles give a shrug. “We’ll get it.”

“From where?”

“From somewheres. They’re probably in the stables.”

“Probably? What if they ain’t?”

Kenneth shoved his hands into the cuffs. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does. If we can’t get you out, we’ll get caught for sure.”

“No. I mean it doesn’t matter because their too big. I can move my hands in and out even if they’re locked.”

I give a smile. I can’t explain it in no way at all, but I never felt more at ease.

“That ain’t no fun.”

“Then we should just call it all off. Ain’t no sense in putting him in the box.”

“I’m staying. No matter what. I won’t leave this box. I promise.”

Charles give a grin. “You know they’s trouble in this pond, don’t you? Cottonmouths from one shore to the next. Hell, anywhere there’s so much as a puddle you’ll find you a gator or two in this neck of the woods. Might even get a visit from some muskrats. Every kind of creepy-crawly you can think of is out here. Guarantee it. And they are gonna be curious about you. The boy in the box. Yes, sir. They are gonna wanna get a look at you. Maybe even see what you taste like.”

Kenneth tempered his fright. “Close the door.”

Charles done as requested and went giddy at the sound of the latch taking hold. “You ain’t gonna last thirty minutes.”

Kenneth held my brother in a stare. “See you before daybreak.”

Charles turnt and headed for the shore.

I stepped up to the box. “You’re gonna be fine. Gators can’t get to you and muskrats don’t wanna thing to do with you.”

“What about Cottonmouths?”

I give a pause. “I’ve been bit before. Couple of times. Rice patties are full of’em. Don’t hurt that bad and didn’t do nothing but give me a fever. Kind of liked it. Got me out of work for a day or two.”

Kenneth weren’t comforted a bit.

“I’ll stay.”

“What?”

“On the shore. I’ll keep watch. In case something goes wrong.”

“You’d do that?”

“Yeah. I mean we’re friends, right? That’s what friends do.”

He give a smile. “Charles won’t like it.”

“He’s all talk. I’ve gotten the best of him way more than he’s gotten the best of me.”

Charles reached the bank. “C’mon, Augustus. Take your leave of the prince.”

Kenneth steeled himself. “Go with your brother. I can do this. I have to do this. I have to show him.”

I give a nod. “Alright then.” I stepped back. “See you ‘fore day breaks.”

“See you.”

I turnt and chased after my brother.

Kenneth told me some time later that once we was gone, Tate took to the cold water and waded out to the Hell Box.

Best I can remember, as Kenneth told it, their conversation went this a way.

“Master Miller. You in need of some assistance?”

“No, sir. I’m fine.”

“You’re in the hell box, young sir.”

“Yes, sir. I know.”

“Ain’t for boys your age.”

“I’m not a boy. I’m a Miller man.”

Tate give a nod. “Okay. Whatever that is, you should get yourself out of there.”

“Can’t.”

“Them Tennyson boys put you up to this?”

“No, sir. Not exactly. We come up with it together. The three of us.”

“That right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Why is it they ain’t in the box? I mean if the three of you came up with it together?”

Kenneth didn’t give no answer.

“Your daddy catches you out here, he’ll give you stripes. And if Mrs. Miller catches wind of what you’re doing, I’ma get callouses.”

“Callouses?”

“From digging your grave. And mine for not pulling you out of there.”

“You can’t. I gotta stay.”

“You ain’t gotta do nothing.”

“I gotta show them I’m tough as them. I gotta do it.”

Tate held a smile. “What makes you so sure them boys are tough?”

“They aren’t afraid.”

“Of what?”

“Anything. Everything.”

“Tough is being afraid of a thing and doing it anyway.”

“However, you measure it, they got more of it than me. I stay in this box all night, they’ll see me different.”

Tate looked the boy over and then turnt toward the shore. “I better not earn lashes because of this.”

“Yes, sir. I won’t tell anyone you knew I was out here.”

The second Tate walked off, Kenneth had him regrets. The way he tells it the night come to life. Whitetail paid visit to the pond to get their fill of water. Gators croak and rested on the muddy shore. Frogs, rabbits, fox, all sorts of wildlife made their way to the drinking hole, and some even showed small interest in the boy in the box.

Hours in, Kenneth held to the top of the box and fought mightily to stay awake. The cold water weren’t no longer a bother. The need for sleep come to weigh heavy. He peered through the bars of the box and felt his eyelids grow iron bar heavy. His head give a little wobble on his neck. Every time he give into sleep, his face hit the water, and he’d right himself with a start..

Movement caught hold in his line of sight. A wake. Small. It was some ways away. He could see it curling towards him. He held a breath and watched it come ever near.

At some point, he loses sight of it in the dark of the night and murk of the pond water.

The little curly wake come back sudden. Headed straight toward him. Kenneth froze up. He gripped the cage so tight, the metal of it dug into his fingers.

Closer it come.

Kenneth’s heart near burst from his chest. He could hear it thump in his head, which he become convinced all of God’s creations that creep and crawl could hear it, too. All manner of beast would be swimming toward him soon.

When it come close up enough, he saw that it was what he feared, a cottonmouth. It was curious. About the scared boy in a box in the pond it called home. Kenneth didn’t get no invitation to be there. The snake come to claim its territory.

It slithered between the iron bars and swum without breaking its pace toward Kenneth. Inches away, it curved its long body to the left and brushed the prince’s armpit as it exited the Hell Box.

At that moment, Kenneth fount a head tilt to the left, and sleep wrestled him into a light slumber.

Morning come and that’s how I fount him. I turnt the latch and opened the door to the Hell Box.

Kenneth woke, confused all to hell.

I quick opened the door.

“You done it.”

He followed the length of my arm with his eyes to my grinning face.

“It’s time. The night entire has come and gone.”

Kenneth took hold of my hand, and we both warmed at the feel of it. “It’s really over?”

I pult him out the box.

“It’s really over?”

“It is.”

We waded through the chilled shit-brown water.

“Where’s Charles?”

“Left. He was sure you wouldn’t be out here. Bet him his share of biscuits we get at breakfast that you’d sure as hell would be. He’s mad as a wild boar. Saw you were still in the box, and he just turnt quick as he could on his heels and marched right back to the house.”

As they went from the deep to the shallows, Kenneth shivered evermore. “I did it,” he said with his teeth clicking wild together.

“Boy, did you. I’m as proud as proud can be. You showed Charles, you did.”

“I did it.”

“You did it.”