I randomly opened The Last Drive to page 195 and, without looking, pointed to the page. The word pitchfork was closest to my finger.
Pitchfork by John W. Howell © 2023
Walking along the dark, rutted road, Silas Yoder turns his head to avoid looking at the pitchfork that a glance lets him know is leaning against the ancient hickory nut tree. A rub of chin whiskers did not contain the temptation to take a second look. A quick shift of his eyes has the same effect as putting a tongue on a frozen flagpole. His gaze is locked on the wretched tool.
It was broken and burning the last time he saw it. Knee to handle, a dose of kerosene, and a three-foot hole made sure no one would ever trace it to that horrible scene. Now, here it is, leaning against the tree, mocking his attempt at concealment. He knew it was the same since the handle still had the stains and prints from his bloody hands.
Trembling, he moves closer with measured steps. He must figure out a way to get rid of that cursed thing before it is found by someone else. As he gets nearer, the tines of the fork begin to vibrate and glow red. A low hum reaches his ears, and he interprets it as a warning. He is now convinced the fork is alive. How can I kill it? Is a question that crosses his mind. Almost like the fork is reading his mind, the hum gets louder and more invasive. Things are moving in time with the hum inside his head. A few stabs of pain let him know he is now in danger. Any more time spent near this fork may prove to be fatal. He decides to turn and run, but his body is not obeying his mind’s commands. He is vibrating like the fork and feeling heat spreading down from his brain.
“So you found him on the old Cutter Road?”
“Yeah, the doc says he died of a heart attack.”
“Why that old guy went walking there, I’ll never know.”
“Yeah, especially after his wife was so brutally killed. Any suspects on that yet?”
“Naw. Looks like she was stabbed several times with an old-fashioned pitchfork. Looks like the work of a maniac.”
“You find the weapon?”
“Not yet. Got a tip to look for a new hole in Yoder’s backyard. Probably a waste of time, but will check it out.”
“A tip?”
“Crazy thing. Came on my cellphone as a text. No way to trace the sender.”
“Maybe a hoax.”
“Maybe, but still need to check.”
“Want company?”
“Sure. let’s go.”.
Fiction Favorites 
Nicely done, John! You can’t hide!
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Thanks, Dan.
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Great post. Pitchfork feels like it would be a challenge.
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Kept thinking of the devil. So I didn’t get to far from that thought.
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Cool story. I write a character on occasion whose name is Cyrus Yoder. Maybe they’re related. (I was thinking of Cyrus Noble, which is no longer made, when I named him.)
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I have not tried Cyrus Noble and didn’t know it’s no longer made.
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They were big on collectible bottles back in the 70s. That was kind of a fad.
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Got it.
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A shivery, chilling story!
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Makes me happy to hear that, Liz.
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I had a Child of the Corn flashback!
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Ha ha ha. Never saw the movie or read the story.Thanks, Jill.
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Silas Yoder makes him sound Amish, and the whiskers on his chin would mean he’s married. Did I get any of that right?
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I lived in Amish country (Middlebury, Indiana) for four years. Never really thought about it buy you are so right.
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A vibrating, glowing, humming pitchfork? Yikes! Good one, John!
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You have to watch out when you see one, Vera.
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Well, that was a turn I didn’t see coming. You can run but you can’t hide, Silas.
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You can try I suppose but it is a wages of sin kind of thing. Thanks, Lois
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Really good, John. Sounds to me like his conscience took over his body.
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I think so. Walker would know about that for sure.
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Great spooky story!
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I’m glad you liked it, Noelle.
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I get to the point. Revenge is sweet. Deliciously creepy.
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Thank you, Pam.
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Sounds like his his wife got her revenge. Great story, John!
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She did for sure. Thanks, Denise.
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Um… you don’t happen to be related to Edgar Allan Poe by any chance, are you, John?
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My uncle. Ha ha ha
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Now – that explains a lot!!
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Thanks for the compliment, GP. No relation
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The perfect Halloween tale, John! Love this!
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Than you, Jan
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Whoa, well done, John! This one was really creepy and eerie and all that fun stuff 🙂
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Glad you liked it Marie. 😁
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Yikes, I probably should’ve read this in the morning, rather than waiting until late afternoon! Sure hope I can sleep tonight (thanks, John!!)
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Ha ha ha. Thanks, Debbie. There is n problem unless you find a pitchfork under your bed.
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I never liked pitchforks, but now I really don’t. Quite the story, John, chilling for sure. Well done! 😨
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Thank you, Gwen. Glad you liked it.
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😊
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This was a great story! Way to go on the prompt, John.
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😊
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Oooh! Lookit you going down the scary path! Nicely done!
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Thank you, Dale.
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You know it!!
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😊
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Well done, John! I loved this spooky story and good thing I never see pitchforks around here. 🙂 Your storytelling is so good!
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Thank you so much, Lauren.
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You’re very welcome, John!
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