Word Count 3,547

Chris Robertson, Email crober574@yahoo.com, Phone 734-678-5162

Unearthed

The wind storm had formed quickly across the plains of the farmland, which was a
sure sign that the hot weather of summer was soon to come. William looked out
through the open door of his cottage and onto the vast field of his village’s
farmland.

“The wheat stalks all lay eastward,” said William, to his wife Augustine who sat
not far away, holding their newborn to her chest. “No funnel cloud must have
formed, although I’d have thought from all that wind that one had.” Augustine
looked up to him momentarily as he spoke this, but did not look out through the
door to the field. William was the authority on such matters, and she did not doubt
his word.

“It did blow mightily, didn’t it?” she said in agreement, as the baby moved softly
upon her.

William ate the eggs which she had made for him and gazed upon the beauty of her
face. Of the three other wives within the village, Augustine was certainly the most
beautiful. It had been many months since they last engaged physically, and as he
looked upon her, he anticipated greatly those times that would soon come.

A knock then came loudly upon his wooden doorframe, and William shifted his gaze to
view which of the three village men had called upon him. Standing within the bright
sunshine of the doorway, he saw the gleaming face of Chadwick, the village’s
youngest man.

“The lone oak was felled last night,” said Chadwick as he both leaned upon and
clasped the hinge side of the door, “The big one out there on the west side. It
don’t matter which way she felled, I reckon, cause either way its lays the field.”

William continued eating while Chadwick waited, and then finally stood and took his
hat before walking wordlessly through the door. Chadwick waited for him to pass,
and then trotted up at his side to walk along with him.

“It’ll be a day’s work just chopping through her,” said the young man, “Then
another one hauling the splints away. We ain’t got no saw.”

“We’ll use the mule and what’s left of the wagon cover, just like we dragged the
rocks from the fields,” said William. He stopped and took his ax from its leaning
position, against the side of the cabin. Chadwick who saw this realized that the
labor was to begin, and so, turned and ran away to fetch his ax. William continued
walking to the remains of the tree, which he saw now distantly upon the ground,
hearing soon thereafter the eager trot of Chadwick returned to his side.

Removal of the tree certainly would take the entire day, agreed William when he had
reached it, and stood studying the jagged base that remained. This was no great
matter, for all the seeds had been sown already, and the man hours could be spared.
When he looked back toward the village he saw that the other men now approached
distantly with their tools.

“I’d a liked to have seen it fall,” said Chadwick as he walked along lightheartedly
at the tip of the fallen oak. “I’ll bet that it made a thundering crack followed by
a…” The voice of the young man cut off abruptly and a cry of fear escaped his
throat. This sound was directly followed by the more dominant sound of breaking and
grinding rock.

William turned to look upon the young man just as the last of his head and
shoulders passed through a hole within the ground which had opened beneath his
feet. It looked as though the earth had simply opened its mouth, and swallowed the
young man in his entirety.

“Chadwick!” yelled William down into the darkness, when he had scrambled over the
girth of the tree and stood peering down into the hole. Instinctively he kept his
feet apart, so as to spread his weight upon the ground. “Where are you boy?” He
could see a thick layer of rock that lay beneath the sod, below which there was
darkness and open air. Far below a portion of the rock cavern was visible, but he
could not see the body of his friend.

“I am here,” said Chadwick somewhat breathlessly, and then extended a hand out into
the descending ray of sunlight which penetrated deep into the hollow space. “The
earth just…fell inward,” he said confusedly from twelve feet below the height where
he had formerly been.

“Is it vast?” shouted William down to him. “If your skinny bones could break it,
it’s a wonder this tree still sits above ground.”

“No, I cannot see much, but there is a wall of solid rock not far from where I am,”
said Chadwick. “I think I have fallen in at the edge of this thing, through ground
weakened by the fall of that tree. I think my ankle is…yes…hurt.”

“Hold on now and I’ll call to Paul and David for rope and the lantern,” said
William, who then turned and yelled loudly into the wind that blew over the massive
field.

Within a half hour a rope had been tied to the splintered stump of the tree, and
then lowered gently through the hole in the earth with the lantern tied to its end.
Chadwick had unfastened it and set it upon the smooth rock of the bottom before
both climbing and being pulled, up to the daylight above.

“That cave’s big I think,” said Chadwick, as the men pulled the rope upward and he
stepped upon the protruding rocks of the wall. “It is an easy climb, even with my
ankle.”

“Matches,” said William simply to the other men.

“To think that we’ve been farming over this covered pit for two years now, and
never known it was there,” said Paul.

William did not have a reply for this, and so, clasped tightly the rope and
disappeared into the darkness. Once his feet were upon the stone bottom he dared a
look around. Except for the small circle of light in which he stood, nothing of
interest could be seen. He stooped over the lantern and set it alight, with the
flame of a match he had struck upon the ground.

“It is not so big,” he called out as the light expanded and fell on the walls of
the chamber. He saw immediately that the chamber had been constructed with
symmetry, and was not a fluke of the natural land. In the corner nearest the tree,
roots penetrated the rock walls and ambled throughout the room. The rock ceiling
above puzzled him most, for it appeared to be made entirely of stone. The slabs
seemed sculpted and arranged precariously as though their massive weight would
topple at any moment. “They quarried the walls of the chamber and then covered it
over with the largest stones,” he said to himself as he held the lantern high and
gazed into the light it cast.

“What’s that Will?” called out David, as his voice betrayed overwhelming curiosity.
“Will, I’m coming down!”

William kept the lantern in this raised position and then turned a half step to his
left. As the light crept over the wall an enormous figure was suddenly exposed,
sending Williams’ heart into a panic. Adrenaline filled his veins and a gasp
escaped his lips as the image of a stone beast appeared before him. It held the
figure of a man, although perhaps a third larger in size. The massive form was
seated upon a throne carved into the stone of the ground. The great knuckles of the
hands gripped the ends of the ledges upon which they lay. The tendons and muscles
had been carved with the detail worthy of the greatest museum. The head of the
carved beast sat with equal prestige, of which the scowling countenance was
visible. The facial features held a look of hostility, although only the ears
appeared inhuman. They were pointed at both the upper and lower portions, and
shaped like no creature ears he had ever seen.

“Great God!” exclaimed David when he had descended, announcing to William that he
was there. “It’s hideous!” David shrieked, and then stepped unknowingly somewhat
behind the safety of William’s form.

William stepped closer, perhaps now braver since he was not alone, and stood
directly in front of the seated sculpture. With the light now fully upon it, he
could see that the figure was unclothed, and each stone muscle was polished
smoothly to lifelike perfection. And most disturbing of all its lifelike traits was
the phallus of the beast, which extended in an upright position. A shiver of
strange fear ran down William’s spine as he saw this macabre feature.

“Look at that,” said David as he saw the peculiar authenticity which had been given
to the stone humanoid. “Why? It’s ungodly!”

“We already knew that these lands had been farmed in distant past,” said William
stoically. “It is clear those same pagan people worshipped this thing, whatever
strange purpose it is supposed to serve.”

“Perhaps it holds value,” said David questioningly. “Or maybe something else was
left here as well…” He began peering around the base of the carved throne, for any
gold which may have been set there. He crept up to the sculpture and placed his
hand upon one of the stone hands, before pulling it back suddenly as though afraid.
“Cold…” was all he said, and did not reach to touch it again. “There is nothing
else here,” he said when at last he had contented himself that no valuables had
been left behind. “Perhaps the sculpture does hold value,” he then said with great
hopefulness in his voice. “One of us could ride into Perryville and send word into
the city.”

“Perhaps,” said William as he maintained his stare upon the sinister looking thing
before him. “But first we examine this chamber thoroughly, and then we rest and
meet as a group. All four of us will have to be in agreement on the matter.”

“What have you found?” called the voice of Paul from above, down through the upper
hole behind them.
“It is a stone sculpture,” yelled William without turning except at his neck. “You
can come down after we have climbed out. Now give us a minute to look about.”
William then broke the motionlessness of his stance, and both men searched the
chamber from corner to corner. Neither man would stand with his back to the strange
statue, and without the illumination of the lantern fully upon it, neither would
venture even to that side of the chamber.

“It serves no purpose to us,” said William across the table, to the three men who
sat at each side of his table. “We are God fearing farmers, and that pagan symbol
might be best sealed up as we found it.” Augustine poured each of the men some tea,
and then joined the wives who sat silently nearby.

“It is a significant finding,” said Paul as he leaned onto the table, showing great
energy in his arms and his eyes. “Agreed it is the folly of the pagan savages, but
it could be a thousand years old. We cannot simply pretend it has not been found.”

“You men are in agreement?” asked William toward them as a whole.

“We should send for a scholar to determine if the pagan deity can fetch a profit if
it is sold,” said David.

“I agree with this also,” said Chadwick, displaying the enthusiasm of his youth.

William looked over each of them in silence for a moment, while thinking of his
next words. He felt perhaps a bit foolish for his caution, but he was certain of
the unease that rested in his belly. “Very well,” he began at last, “We will work
in our normal pattern, and if any of you want to venture into the chamber, you will
do it during your resting hours. Come Sunday David and Paul will set off for
Perryville. Chadwick, you will rest your ankle and remain here with me. The two of
you will send an inquiry to the university, and wait in Perrysville for a reply. If
anyone will come, you will guide them, and we will see what value the sculpture can
bring. Afterward we will seal the chamber, whether the sculpture be sold or not.
These are the terms of my agreement.”

“We agree,” answered each of the men, but William’s uneasiness would not withdraw.

That evening the wind had gone completely and all was silent when William fell at
last into sleep. His mind was restless and full of questions, and the image of the
cold stone glare that had been in the statue’s eyes. His last conscious thought was
that he would mark the outline of the hidden chamber, in the dirt of the field
above. This would prevent any of the men from walking upon it, and eliminate the
possibility of an additional collapse.

He heard then sometime within the night, the creak of his door as it was opened. In
the beam of the moonlight that was cast inward, he saw the figure of Augustine
standing in the open door preparing to depart.

“Dear,” he called out, “What are you doing there?” She would not turn to look at
him, and did not answer his words. Instead she stood frozen in the doorway, seeming
to ponder if she would step out. “Augustine,” he called somewhat louder, but trying
not to wake the babe. When she continued her rigid stance, he swung his feet
promptly onto the floor and arose to retrieve his wife.
When he reached her he put a hand upon the rear of her neck and gently led her
backward. When she was free of the door, he closed it gently and fastened the bolt
in place. She did not fight him, and went willingly back to bed, but never gave a
word of reply.

In the morning she did not remember even a moment of it, and William had not
pressed the matter. He ate the breakfast she served to him, and watched her
beautiful figure as she walked the room.

“Can we be together soon?” he asked after some time, to which she turned to face
him somewhat shyly.

“Yes, not long now,” she answered, and then returned promptly to her chores.

A mighty knock then came upon the door, which had not been unlocked from the events
of the nighttime. The face of Chadwick appeared when it opened, but the young man
did not enter.

“The wheat!” was all he said, and then limped away from the door knowing that
William would follow. William stood immediately and strode for the door, where he
beheld an amazing scene. In each direction their fields flowed with towering wheat
crop, where only sprouts had formerly been. They were robust and mature grains,
ready to be harvested and sold. It clearly was miraculous, and his body filled with
the appropriate joy that a proud young farmer should feel. It was then that he
remembered the sinister gaze of the stone beast, and all joy was taken from him.

“It is a miracle!” said Chadwick, “We will be able to name our price at the market!
And perhaps plant a smaller second crop, and sell again in late September.”

“It is unnatural,” said William stoically. “This is not meant to be. Have you
forgotten that thing in ground? Do you fail to see the ungodly cause?”

“It is God’s will!” replied Chadwick, whose arms were now outstretched.

“There must be a cost,” said William solemnly. “I feel it in my gut that there is.”
But his warning felt onto deaf ears, even after Paul and David had been told.

But mature crop must be harvested, and even William set reluctantly to this task at
hand. The fallen tree was soon forgotten and left to lay unbothered near the hidden
chamber of the stone beast. It could not be seen any longer anyhow, due to the
wheat crop that reached mightily into the sky.

That evening William was awoken again, this time from a terrible dream of pain and
searing fire. He dreamt that the fields were ablaze and crackled and roared about
him as he stood outside the door of his cottage. The wheat burned ceaselessly and
never faltered, as though hell on earth had come to be. Then the eyes of the stone
creature had appeared above the flames and walked toward him, coming to seal his
eternal doom.

It was not the creak of the door that awoke him from this nightmare, but rather the
sound that came when the wind slammed the open door loudly against the wall. Beside
him in the bed Augustine was gone, and he ran straightaway into the nighttime
darkness. Near the edge of the field he saw her white sleeping gown, and ran to
seize her arm. With his other hand he slapped her cheek, and then waited for her to
speak.

“Will…what…where am I?” she asked fearfully and looked about her in a panic.
“Where were you going?” he asked, but in his mind he already knew the answer. She
could not answer this verbally and only cried, and so, both returned to their
dwelling.

William dressed hurriedly and told her to bolt the door, before running maniacally
into the field with his hammer. He would destroy that thing while the others slept,
and then seal the chamber in the light of morning. There was indeed a cost for the
gifts it gave, and he would not partake of its evil.

When he came through the wheat near the fallen tree, light emitted from the hole in
the ground and the skin of William’s arms began to crawl in fear. Then between
howling gusts of wind his ears heard a woman, as she moaned loudly from pleasures
of the flesh. It was unabashed and without regard, for ears which might hear the
sound.

William thrust the hammer into his belt and climbed down the rope with the speed of
a man running into battle. There within the stone confines of the chamber, he saw
all three of the wives of village’s farmers. The wife of David sat atop the stone
creature with her legs drawn up to its sides. It was she who moaned with delight,
and did not cease even when William called to her. The other women knelt near the
throne, each placing a hand upon the hands of the stone beast. They would not look
at him as he called out, but continued kneeling and awaiting their turn.

William drew up the hammer in his strong right hand and stepped toward the giant of
stone. Perhaps it was a trick of the lighting, but the eyes of the beast seemed
suddenly to dance with life. The sinister gaze fell upon him and he saw images
within his mind, of power and great prosperity. He was shown items of luxury upon
their once humble farm and each of the four women dressed in elegant clothing. Soon
the dream had fully entranced him, and he blinked with open eyes many hours later,
from within his bed to waking life.

He looked immediately to her side of the bed, and found Augustine captured within a
peaceful sleep. The events of the night remained clear to him, all except for his
emergence from the chamber and the method of return to his home. He was more groggy
than terrified now, and he sat for many minutes upon the edge of his bed.

It was an urge that he noticed then most sharply, and it came in the form of simply
accepting peacefully the changes that had come to the farm. The urge to dress
himself and sickle the towering wheat until darkness fell, tore upon him with
tremendous pull. And after this pending day of great labor perhaps he knew that he
would no longer awake in the night.

William stood and stepped into his clothes, and took his hat before exiting the
cottage. There awaiting his emergence were David, Paul, and Chadwick, each holding
their tools for the day.

“Good morning William,” said David somewhat strangely, to which William did not
reply.

“It is time to harvest the wheat,” said Paul, with the same empty tone as his
companion.

“Get out of my way,” said William as he look amongst his tools for the hammer.

“Your scythe awaits you,” said Chadwick. His voice was as empty as the other’s.

“I choose the hammer,” said William with a voice of defiance. “What have you done
with it?”
The three men did not answer him, and began to spread about him. Then with malice
in there steps, they began to descend upon him. The wall of his cottage cornered
him, and he turned to reenter the door. A small sound then came into the air, as
the bolt was set into place from the other side.

“Augustine, it is me!” he called. “Augustine, open the door!” But his wife would
not reply. He knew then that she had been entranced a second time that night prior,
and had engaged physically with the beast of stone. He turned to face the villagers
as they bore down upon him, each wielding their scythes in their hands.

The End