Jack and the scarecrow

Once upon a time there was a little boy called Jack. Jack was living in a big farm with lots of living stock and huge plantations. One day Jack walked all the way up to his grandpa vineyard and found out about a huge scarecrow been posed in the middle of the plants. Wow! what a scarecrow this is, Jack thought. I wonder if it's real...
Then Jack left the plantation and walked back home. At night he went to bed and fell asleep in a while. While he was dreaming, here comes the scarecrow out of nowhere!

"Hello little fella" he said, "is everything alright?"
I don't know, Jack replied, what are you doing here?
"I came to tell you that unless you behave yourself, I will haunt you for good", the scarecrow told Jack very seriously.
Oh my God, what have I done to deserve this? Jack wondered while he was twisting and turning in his sleep.
"I'll be with you night and day" the scarecrow said "as long as you need me to be" and then went away, in a twist of a second.

Jack grew up and thought had forgotten all about the horrible dream, he'd seen once he was a child. He did behave himself though! But he didn't pay any particular attention to the scarecrow lying in the fields. Afterall it was replaced by a number of others over the years that followed.

One day Jack, went to bed and tired as he was from the farmwork, fell asleep quite quickly. Suddenly here comes the very same old scarecrow, he once had seen in his childhood dreams!
"Hello Jack, how are you doing?" the scarecrow said.
Who are you? I don't seem to know you, Jack replied.
"Oh yes you know me well, my boy. I am the one to scare the hell out of you once upon a time. Have you behaved yourself as I have told you to Jack?" and before Jack could utter a word to the scary image, it went away in the mist.

Jack was worried that there was something wrong with him after that dream. He fell uneasy and agitated in his everyday life, something was bothering him for sure. It was the thought of the scarecrow that caused him to question himself.
One night he again went to bed and as he put himself to sleep, here comes the dreary image of the scarecrow once more right infront of his face.
"Jack, why are you questioning me?" the scarecrow said. "I am your conscience you know..."
Leave me alone, what do you want from me? I think I am loosing it with you, Jack replied.
"Ha,ha, don't be silly Jack. You carry me with you at all times, don't you forget about it!"
What the hell do you want, TELL ME!!! Jack shouted in agony in his nightmare.
"What do YOU want from me Jack" the scarecrow said. "You're the one to call out for me so many times you know!"
I want you to GO AWAY and NEVER COME BACK-DO YOU UNDERSTAND THIS?
"Well, I am just an image in your head Jack. You might as well make me leave, it's your choice afterall..."
You're nothing but a lie, a dreadfull lie. I WILL make you dissapear, watch me!

Then Jack took a box of matches out of his pocket and set the scarecrow on fire while he was watching it dissapear from the scenery. He then fell more into the subconscious when he heard his voice whispering "You don't need it anymore Jack, well done!" and felt a pad on the shoulders for his action. It was the scarecrow again, this time smiling and nodding in agreement. The spell was now gone forever!

THE END

(c) Marialena, 17/05/2006, (enjoying writing such a fairytale- a lesson of life!)