Chronicle XXIV - Big Dino V Harvest

A henchman barged into the office, interrupting Big Dino’s mid day nap. He hid his blanket as fast as possible and stood from his massive chair to hear the messenger out.

“Boss, we got a problem.”

“We always got a problem, Ziti.” BD sighed. “What’s goin on?”

“It’s those farmhouses outside of Big City. I’ve sent five guys to collect. Not one has come back.” Ziti replied.

“Who’d you send? Some softies?”

“The last guy I sent was Guzo.”

“Guzo’s missing?”

“Gone.”

“Guzo’s gone, huh?” Big Dino stood tall and put on a jacket over his shirt and vest. “You think someone’s got Guzo?”

“Someone coulda grabbed Guzo… all I know is Guzo’s gone.”

“Come with me Ziti. We’ll deal with this ourselves. You don’t let a guy like Guzo go. Some backwoods farmers think they’re gonna push back on us?”

“No way, boss.”

“No way.” Big Dino repeated.

“We gotta get Guzo.” Ziti added.

“That’s enough. You always do one too many.”

“Sorry, boss.”

Big Dino and Ziti hopped in the car outside, which awaited the mob boss at all times. They departed Big City and made for the rural areas to the north where the guys had gone missing. Where Guzo might have been.

“Stop here.” Big Dino told the driver. He and Ziti stepped out of the vehicle and stared down the first of many large farm houses. “This one’s yours.”

“Alright, boss.” Ziti walked up to the door of the home and knocked hard three times.

It took a while to hear anyone coming to answer the door. Ziti looked around and noticed the nearest farm house was completely burned down. He was unsettled seeing the charred ground which seemed to have been sitting there untouched for some time.

“I already paid ‘em. Get on now.” the frail voice of an older man came from behind the rickety door.

“We’re not collecting. Open up.” Ziti kindly demanded.

“Just a moment.” he sighed. The door began to open, revealing a shrunken elderly farmer. “What’re ya here for?”

“My guys.” Dino stated loudly from beside the car.

“WHOA. What’s that?” the farmer removed his glasses to squint at the literal triceratops standing in his street.

“That is of no concern to you, so long as you answer my questions.” Ziti reigned in the man. “My last five guys haven’t come back from this street.”

“Maybe someone got tired of the intimidation.” the farmer replied bluntly.

“Intimidation? You mean protection?” Ziti scoffed, turning his head to check in with Big Dino, though his confidence was waning.

“You couldn’t protect your own guys, hehehe.” the old man snickered.

“Ziti, let’s get moving.” Dino commanded.

“Thank you, sir. See you next month.” Ziti told the farmer.

“Unless you don’t come back either.” he laughed and attempted to slam the door, but ended up shoving it closed after it got stuck.

Ziti got back in the car and was quickly yanked out by Big Dino.

“We’re walking.”

“Right, boss.” Ziti straightened out his suit.

The car waited as Big Dino and Ziti walked down the dirt-covered road to the next farmhouse. The whole time, they looked over to the burnt farm, creeped out by the immaculate eggplants that still stood amongst the ash.

Further down the road, they reached the next house. Big Dino put his hand in front of Ziti. “This is how you squeeze, Ziti.” The triceratops mobster walked up the driveway and was greeted with the barrel of a shotgun.

“Move along now.”

Big Dino put very little effort into putting his hands up and grinned. “That’d do some real damage to Ziti over there. But me? Probably wouldn’t even feel it.”

The farmer lowered her weapon. “What’re you here for?”

“Considering the welcome we just got, we may be here for you.” Big Dino got closer and the farmer kept her gun close while backing up slowly. “A few guys dressed like that…” he pointed to Ziti. “...came through here recently.”

“Yeah. Paid ‘em just like everyone else.” she replied.

“Paid ‘em with cash? Or with lead?” Big Dino asked, trying not to be threatening, though her answer could have changed that.

“You think I killed your guys?” she asked. BD nodded and she continued, “If they haven’t come back, they’ll be on that farm.” she pointed to a farmhouse off in the distance, then smirked. “You don’t find ‘em there, come back and see me.”

“Why don’t you come with us, just to make sure nobody gets lost.” Big Dino slyly demanded, not wanting her to flee if she was, in fact, the culprit.

“We don’t go there. You can. We don’t.” she motioned to indicate none of the farmers ventured to that area.

“Alright. Well, stick around. Maybe we’ll speak again.” Big Dino put his cigar back in his mouth and smiled, walking back to Ziti.

They passed many houses with people peeking out of their windows behind curtains. At the home the farmer designated, they noticed the area was much darker, though it was mid-morning. There was a stench in the air. Big Dino ripped one of Ziti’s sleeves to cover his nose. The chill in the air put out his cigar before they stepped up to the front door.

Before Dino knocked, he got nervous as numerous screams rang out repeatedly. “You go.”

“O-okay, boss.” Ziti said, shaking.

Nothing responded to knocking or pounding on the door, so the boys went around back to the farm. The air got thick and visibility just walking there was not great.

“Where are we?” Big Dino asked Ziti, his tough guy accent fading from fear.

Ziti went to respond, but another voice came from the wind. “HELL.”

The boys huddled together and looked deeper into the farm. From the vapor in the air emerged a pumpkin the size of a basketball. It was carved like a jack-o-lantern, but with very specific features. They watched the mouth move as it spoke again.

“ZITI! BOSS!”

“Guzo!?” Big Dino shrieked.

“OH I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE-” the face was pulled backwards abruptly.

The thick air cleared to show Guzo-kin was attached to something larger, obscured by shadow and fog.

“Flee…join…it all ends the same.” a gloomy voice said. They both knew it came from the large thing in the center of the farm.

“Let’s flee.” Ziti suggested.

“BD don’t flee, Ziti…” the tough guy act was back in full force as imagining Guzo trapped in a pumpkin forever hurt Dino to his core. He felt he failed his top guy. “Let’s get our boy.”

Big Dino turned to see Ziti had already fled. His second up, the unshakeable Ziti, running in terror. “I gotta get new guys.” he sighed.

Through the thick fog, Dino got closer to the creature who took Guzo. He saw more pumpkins upon stems connected to a massive pumpkin monster. Many more pumpkins.

“Join.” the pumpkin moaned. All of a sudden, Big Dino felt as if he was being pulled towards the great pumpkin. He resisted physically, but the more he did, the stronger the pull on his soul.

Big Dino took out his pistol and blasted some of the stems, including Guzo’s, setting them all free. He watched the souls ascend from the pumpkins. Then he began to shoot at the main pumpkin, not even breaking the warped, thick skin.

Once Dino’s soul was fully disconnected from his body, the terrible pumpkin exclaimed, “HARVEST.”

Big Dino fell backwards onto the death and dirt below. He looked up at what he thought were his last moments, only to see Guzo’s spirit flying back down. His top guy took hold of the massive dinosaur soul flying into Harvest’s mouth and hauled it painfully back into Dino.

“Here, boss.” Guzo said. Dino watched him get caught into the pull of Harvest once again.

“Guzo!” Big Dino shouted.

“Go.” Guzo said calmly.

Big Dino honored his henchman’s wish, vowing to return one day. He charged on all fours out of the farm, down the road, past the lady farmer who chuckled seeing the mob boss scared out of his mind.

The boss ran all the way to the car and silently sat next to Ziti, lighting his cigar before deciding to just not smoke it right then.

“Yeah, Guzo’s gone.”

“Guzo’s gone.”