Dark Moon Harvest

     Midnight. Dark of the moon. A time for planting, they say.

     Fog rises into the cold air like an exhaled breath. I'm out with my sack of seed potatoes and peas. We should have both in time for Easter. Fortunately, the earth is warm and willing so the digging takes little effort. I make mounds for the potatoes and massage the soil over the seeds once they're in. The fog blankets by work. A nearby voice moans.

     'Who's there? Someone there?'

     I hear neither voice nor footstep. I progress to the next mound where I again plant seed potatoes and massage the soil over them. There's that moan again.

     'Are you hurt, whomever you are?'

     No answer. No further moans. I feel the nervous Nell. Foolish to let the dark and the fog play me this way. I tell myself I'll not ever finish if I let my imagination stop me every two minutes. I move to the next spot. 

     I pack the soil into a mound into which I place the seed potatoes and cover them with more soil. I continue to the next and the next in silence.

     'Touch me  as you did before.'

     I straighten my back in my kneeling position. 'What's that? Who's there?'

     'Touch me as you did before.'

     'I don't know what you mean. I haven't touched anyone. Who are you? Where are you?'

     'Rub me like you did and I'll give you more than potatoes.'

     A woman. Out in this at this time of night did not bode well. She must be some sort of witch. I sprang to my feet. The fog was denser at my full height of six feet. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, much less some woman begging me to touch her.

     'Go away, Woman. I have work to do. I'm not interesting in whatever it is you're offering.'

     'I said touch me. Get back down on your knees as you were and massage my mounds some more. I'll give you more in return than you can imagine.'

     Intuition told me to run. Apprehension and the fog forced me to stay. I got down on my knees and proceeded as I was told to do. I gathered the soil into a mound. Planted the seed potatoes and covered them with more soil which I massaged into form.

     'Oh, yes. That's it. I want you.'

     The ground shook under me. I tried to get on my feet to run, but the tremor keep me aground. A chasm opened and I fell in.

     'Now, my darling, it is my turn to return the favor' is the last thing I heard before the earth closed over me.

     Another Dark Moon. I rise from the earth like an exhaled breath. Touch me.