Dark Harvest

By: Aleksis Bertoni

Edward James was a quiet man, he sat at his desk, in his cubicle, on the thirteenth floor of the beige office building nine to five Monday through Friday for the last eight years. Today was no different for Edward, he started his morning off the same way, every day, he went into the break room and took his mug from the drying rack next to the sink. The radio in the room bleared as Edward added exactly two scoops of Nescafe to his cup and picked up the hot water from the coffee machine and filled his cup to the brim. Today’s top story the rash of kidnappings continues! Stirring it slowly as he walked back to his desk, Edward counted the steps to his desk, 37, same as always, stirring his instant coffee as he went. He sat down at his faux mahogany desk and looked down at the papers on it, just the same as any other Tuesday, the insurance claim statements would be due and it was Edward’s job to double and triple check all of the math on all of the forms to make sure that the company was paying just the right amount. Edward did not particularly like his job at the insurance company, but as he always said “It’s just a job.” He meticulously spread the stack of fifteen different claims out on this desk and picked up the first of the day. As he worked on the reports he sipped his coffee slowly and after he had drunken the mug dry he started chewing on his pencil as he worked, just as he did everyday.

At one o’clock he put his pencil down, cleared the desk of papers and pulled his briefcase out from under his feet and put it on his desk. He entered his combination on both latches of the case and as he entered the last digit both latches swung open and the briefcase opened slightly, he pushed the lid open further and peered inside as though not knowing what to expect. Edward packed his own lunch everyday, everyday he had 1 tuna sandwich (with no celery and the crust cut off) 1 Apple usually granny smith, but occasionally when he was feeling adventurous he would pack a Golden Delicious, a wax paper bag full of Nilla Wafers and to top it all off a vanilla yogurt. Whenever he packed a Golden Delicious apple in the morning he would grin smugly at himself and when he opened up the briefcase in the afternoon if he had packed one he would again smile as though he were enjoying some private joke that only he understood.

Edward did not socialize with any of his coworkers he did not dislike them, but he did not particularly like them either, he did not feel the need to feel any which way about them because for Edward this was “just a job.” At one thirty exactly, after finishing his yogurt he put his briefcase back under his desk and got back to his solitary work. First spreading out the cases again then delving back into the world of endless numbers and explicit calculations. When the clock struck five Edward stood up, put on his tweed overcoat and hat picked up his briefcase and walked straight toward the elevator without saying goodbye to anyone. “Gloria have you heard about these kidnappings? All these poor little girls it’s just awful!” Edward hated it when people talked in the elevator, it was if they were invading his thoughts.

It was a forty minute drive from Philadelphia to his hometown of Westchester, and it was dark by the time he pulled his Studebaker into the drive way of his mother’s house. He drove into the carport and turned off the car. The door closed slowly behind him and once it did he was sitting in complete darkness. He opened his briefcase in his lap and groped through it for the apple core; he ran his fingers over the core, felling its cold, damp weight in his hand. Edward smiled. He got out of the car and walked to the adjoining door without turning on the lights in the garage, he walked up the stairs in the foyer and into his bedroom. He hung his coat in his closet and put his hat on the rack. He sat on his bed in the middle of the room and looked around, nothing much to see, wall to wall green carpeting, a desk in the corner, and his parent’s old bed, which was now his. He left the bedroom and went downstairs, walking past countless family portraits, he was careful to turn off the hall light before he went to fix dinner. He walked into the sterile kitchen, a linoleum floor and countertop, along with a diner style table in the corner, accompanied by two shiny chrome chairs. He took a roast out of the fridge and put it directly into the oven, and walked back into the living room, he sat down in his favorite chair, (the green lazy boy, with the plastic cover.) Edward turned the television on and flipped through channels until he reached his favorite show: Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, “We interrupt our usually scheduled programming to bring you a special report: Tonight’s top story, the rash of kidnappings continues! Yesterday sixteen year old Tammy Shultz was kidnapped from her house in Willow Grove.” Edward started to shake slightly, and got up to leave the room. “This is the seventh kidnapping of its kind in the last year. Just a tragedy, if anyone has any information regarding the kidnappings we implore you to call the police immediately, and now a word from our sponsors.” Edward braced himself on the kitchen sink, his legs nearly gave out he was shaking so uncontrollably. After he got hold of himself he smiled a little smile as he ate dinner, and at nine o’clock he got into bed, still smiling, turned off the light and went to bed.

Edward woke up in a cold sweat, his heart beating. He could not be sure, but he thought that he may have forgotten the shovel in the park! He slipped on his shoes and hurried to the car port before changing out of his pajamas. He tried to stay calm but he could not help his heart from racing. He stayed under the speed limit to be inconspicuous but could hardly contain himself from flooring the pedal. Edward could not believe how foolish he was, leaving the shovel next to the covered hole in the ground God Edward! You fool. What have you done! Edward drove down the interstate and in thirty minutes time turned off the car’s headlights as he slowly rolled through the entrance of the park. He drove along at a crawl and once he recognized where he was he turned off of the road, parked his car in a turn out, and got out. He walked through the botanical gardens slowly, carefully he maneuvered his way through the rows of plants, and even though it was pitch black out he was as graceful as a dancer as he walked. Edward stopped, he knew this place, he was close now, six paces further, where is it? Damn it Edward! They would have his head for sure if he could not find the shovel. He fumbled about in the dark for thirty more minutes, coming up with nothing. Disgusted with himself he left the garden the way he came in. On the ride home he could not help but think that perhaps they had already found the shovel, this thought made Edward shiver. He would never forgive him for this lapse in judgment.

The next morning Edward woke up and went directly into the shower. He lamented events of the previous night as he bathed. He put on his three-piece Sears suit and went downstairs to fix himself breakfast. He made one sunny side up egg, one peace of toast and poured himself one glass of orange juice. He walked into his back yard and picked a Fuji apple off of his new apple tree, which he planted two days ago. He walked back in, grinning all the while and left for work at exactly eight o’clock. He tapped his foot on the floor of the elevator as it started to climb the twelve and a half floors below his office. As the door opened Edward stepped out into the office and briskly strode directly towards his desk, deliberately ignoring everyone in his way. He sat down at his desk, put his briefcase under his chair and looked up at his desk in disbelief No reports? There was a small yellow piece of paper on his desk, it read “Edward, please come to my office as soon as you arrive, Thank you, Mr. McKowski. Edward silently stood up, took the note and headed down the hall towards the corner office where his boss worked. Knock knock knock, he tapped lightly on the solid oak door, “Come In” boomed a loud voice through the door. Edward entered the office and sat in the chair in front of the desk without invitation. The small radio on the desk murmured quietly …another disappearance reported… “Well, isn’t this an unexpected surprise? Edward where have you been?” Asked McKowski

“Excuse me?” …police suspect…

“Edward, you haven’t been to work in five days, where have you been?”

“What? No, I was here yesterday, what do you mean five days?”

“I mean, you haven’t been here in FIVE days” McCowski was starting to get upset. “Stop playing dumb, where were you?” ...Evidence linked to…

“I don’t know!” Edward stammered, “I… I… I… don’t… know…”

“I’m sorry Edward that isn’t good enough, we are going to have to let you go.”

“Let me go, but I wasn’t gone! I was here yesterday!”

“I’m sorry.” McCowski said with a look of pity on his face.

“Edward returned to his desk, snatched his briefcase out from under his chair and stormed towards the elevator. What is happening to me! Edward fumed as he sped home in his Studebaker. He pulled into the carport and did not even wait for the door to close behind him before running into the hall without removing his shoes, he ran to the phone in the living room, he picked up the receiver and reached his hand towards the dial I don’t have anyone to call, a wave of despair crashed over Edward, he slumped and fell to the floor he lay there, his mind racing. It’s never lasted this long before. Where was I these last few days! What has he done!

Edward ran upstairs and rummaged through his closet, his desk drawers; he left the paper-strewn floor of his bedroom and walked briskly to the front door. He opened the door and walked around to the side of the house, his eyes darting side to side as he walked. Reaching the back yard at a gallop his eyes fell upon the tree, his darling tree, which he packed an apple for his lunch once a week and the same tree that he transplanted in his garden only a few days ago. Edward wanted to do something, he just didn’t know what, he looked up at the blue sky and decided there was nothing for him to do. Walking back inside defeated he sat in his lounger and closed his eyes.

Edward woke from his slumber on his hands and knees in the middle of the garden, covered in dirt, his hands bleeding profusely. He looked around, he was in the botanical garden, but he had no idea how he got here, in front of him laid an uprooted apple tree and the hole under it revealed the sickly sight of a young girl’s face. Edward keeled over and threw up in the bushes next to the makeshift grave site. “I will not let you do this again!” Edward yelled into the dark night sky. He slowly and without thought picked up the small tree, put it back into place and covered the roots with the surrounding dirt. He took care to avoid main highways and only drove on frontage roads the whole way home. He had only driven the road a few times and always at night but for some strange reason Edward knew the twists and turns like the back of his hand.

Arriving at the house Edward hurled himself through the inner carport door and flew towards the bathroom, he turned on the water until the thick steam bellowed through the open door, he got in the scalding water and washed himself meticulously. After a forty five minute shower Edward headed for bed, feeling powerless against himself. In the morning he woke and walked directly towards the downstairs landing disregarding the blood soaked shirt he strode over as he walked through the doorway. Walking past the floor length mirror Edward looked at himself and saw someone he barely recognized. As he fixed breakfast he looked out of the window trying to remember the last time he felt so at peace with himself, his eyes started to sparkle as he looked on at the twenty odd apple trees in his back yard and smiled that sickly smile.