Joe began his duty as night watchman in earnest by patrolling up and down the rows. He couldn’t imagine why anyone would steal a pumpkin in the first place. He ventured a guess that any mischief could probably be pinned on teenagers looking for some cheap thrills. But why would a guy with enough money to not only drive but also give away a Jaguar with as much ceremony as dropping off old clothes at the Salvation Army care about a few lousy pumpkins? How could he even know they’d gone missing?

“Is that what I said?” The man’s question rang through his mind again. Joe stopped his patrolling and selected a large greenish-orange pumpkin to take a seat. He’d be happy when this whole silly exchange was over and he could go home. He chuckled darkly at the thought. Home. His abandoned truck was, in fact, the closest approximation of that concept. His few belongings had been packed up in cardboard boxes and a couple of duffel bags, which were heaped in the truck’s box. That very morning the landlord at his apartment had tacked an eviction notice on the door of number 22A. His door. Either pay the two months overdue rent or there would be some unsavory characters to assist him in moving out that afternoon. Joe didn’t blame the landlord. He was a stand-up guy, just trying to get by, to make something of his life. In fact, he reminded Joe of himself a few years back, just a few wrong choices away from being on the other side of the eviction notice.

He reached down and examined a wide leaf of the pumpkin he sat on. It was heavily veined and had soft fibers on the underside, like tiny hairs. Joe selected a long, green tendril and absent-mindedly wrapped it around his wrist as he stared out over the patch now partially lit with moonlight. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining it or not, but he could almost swear the pumpkin vine was beginning to squeeze round his wrist ever so gently. Though he was quite sure the chances he would run across a pumpkin thief in the next few hours were slim, he also couldn’t entirely push a sense of foreboding out of his mind. The realization of how stupid it was to get dropped off in a dark, unknown field vacuumed the air from his lungs.