6

Forrest

A sea of vibrant orange was spread out before us, dotted with patches of green leaves and curling vines. Perfectly round pumpkins in all sizes, some as small as a fist and others much too big to carry, sat nestled among the foliage.

As we strolled through the sprawling pumpkin patch, Sienna expertly pointed out the key features to look for including a sturdy stem, a flat side perfect for carving, and an overall even and healthy color. Together, we surveyed the bountiful selection of pumpkins, each unique and full of potential.

Sienna's eyes lit up as she dropped to her knees. The pumpkin that caught her eye had a smooth surface, free of blemishes or bruises. Its perfectly round shape wasn't lopsided in the slightest. She tapped on it lightly, gently pressing her ear to the squash as if she were listening to it.

"Is it telling you secrets?"

She shook her head. "The perfect carving pumpkin is hollow," she explained. "This one is too dense. It would be perfect for a pie though!"

"Very interesting," I said.

I watched in fascination as her face scrunched up in concentration while she examined another pumpkin. Her hand tapped gently along the surface, her ear glued to the side of it.

"This one is perfect," she told me. "Come listen!"

I lowered myself to the ground, feeling the cool dirt beneath my hands and knees. Beside me, Sienna's fingers lightly tapped against the large pumpkin. Curious, I leaned closer and pressed my ear against the cool surface. A deep, echoing sound reverberated through my skull as if I were hearing the heartbeat of a giant. The sensation was both eerie and mesmerizing at the same time.

"Do you hear it?" Sienna asked .

"I do," I told her, our ears pressed to the same pumpkin.

Sienna scooted backward, her eyes widening as she suddenly became aware of how close we were. In one swift motion, she created a noticeable distance between us.

"I'll take a look over here," she announced, walking several rows over.

My mere presence seemed to repel others.

"I'll go put this one in the bed of my truck." I scooped the pumpkin she had deemed perfect into my arms and walked through the vibrant field.

"Thank you," she shouted. Her rosy cheeks showed the faint hue of a blush, even from yards away. "It's probably the best one I've seen so far."

"How many pumpkins do we need?" I asked, rejoining her.

"Two should do it," she said. "One on each side of the door. I bet you will find the other one!"

It was as if her encouragement led me straight to the perfect pumpkin. Before me was the plumpest pumpkin with a picture-perfect hooked stem and a single flat face. "Please be hollow," I whispered to it, attempting to negotiate with a squash. With one thump, I had my answer.

"Found one!" I told Sienna, holding up my pumpkin with pride.

"Wow! I think that's the prettiest pumpkin I've ever seen!" She was beaming at me, her eyes twinkling in the sunlight. "You have an eye for picking pumpkins!"

Her praise had me grinning from ear to ear. It filled me with the desire to spend the entire day scouring the field for pumpkins, just to see her face light up repeatedly.

"So, what do you think of it so far?" Sienna asked as we walked back to my truck together.

"Of Cider Falls? Well, I wanted a change of pace," I explained.

"And moving from the city to a small town like Cider Falls is quite a change," she finished my sentence for me.

"It is. A massive change," I admitted. I was still having a tough time adjusting to it.

She studied me for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. "It's a change for us as well. We don't have newcomers often."

I was already under the impression that I wasn't exactly welcome in their cozy town, but her words confirmed it for me.

"Is that why everyone is treating me as if I'm an alien?" I asked.

"To us, you practically are an alien," she giggled.

"I'm just like you," I promised her.

Her eyebrows rose and quickly fell again. "Well, I doubt that," she laughed.

"Could someone from another city really be that different from you?" I asked. "The residents of Cider Falls certainly know how to make someone feel unwelcome."

"I'm sorry," she said as she lowered her head. "You're right. We should be welcoming you. We're just such a tight-knit community. We've always watched out for our own. I'm sure, in no time, you'll become one of us."

Sienna's polite facade couldn't hide the unmistakable aura of exclusion that hung in the air like the sharp scent of pine. It was clear that they had no intention of embracing me into their community, at least not in the immediate future.

"How do we pay for the pumpkins?" I asked her, ready to head back into town .

"Oh, I already gave Mr. Orson some muffins in exchange for the pumpkins," she explained. "That's how we do things around here."