The Ins and Outs of Pumpkin Carving (FP) (solo)

Fall had come in so fast, that Sara’s students went from dressing in t-shirts, to covering them selves with sweatshirts, long sleeves, and even gloves and hats, over night. Sara had already seen stores stocking their shelves with Christmas decorations, candies, gift sets, and trees. It would soon be that time of year where you couldn’t stand, in a cashier line, for less than ten minutes, but let’s not get a head of ourselves. One holiday at a time.

Halloween was Sara’s favorite holiday. It was the one time of the year, normal people tried to look extravagant, everyone got to eat sweets, and pumpkins became works of art. In fact, it was the need for pumpkins, that brought Sara, and her kindergarten class, to Spotted Ground Farms, for their October field trip. The children wanted to decorate pumpkins for Halloween, so pumpkins they would get.

So far, the children had tasted fresh cider and apple muffins. They’d marveled at Mrs. Tutily, the farm’s, grey Donkey, who put up with all the love a class of five year olds could give, and now they were having a hey ride, that would take them to the pumpkin patch, and back. Pulled by a pair of horses, who’s hooves were the size of dinner platters, and who knew where they were going so well, the farmer hardly had to lift the lines, until it was time to stop.

Sara helped her students off, and patiently helped one of the three chaperones to the ground as well. “Alright, Remember your groups.” Sara called out as the little girls giggled and started to move towards the team of horses that had brought them out here. “Ashley, Lora, Emily… Guys,” Sara skipped over the rest of the group. “Ask if you can pet them first.” All the little girls looked to the farmer with pleading eyes. She nodded and they girls pet, fed, and thanked the horses.

There was a loud sneeze somewhere behind Sara. The chaperone next to her turned to look, and he cleared his throat. “Um, he’s doing it again.”

“Huhh?” Sara took her attention away from the girls surrounding the two horses, and looked at the boy who sneezed. Well actually she looked down, where he had been when he first sneezed. “Todd?” Her eyes slowly traveled up, where she finally found him floating 15 feet off of the ground. “You alright Todd?”

Todd was currently hanging in mid air like a parade float. His legs pumped like he was trying to swim and his arms paddled, to kick his way around to face Sara. “I’m ok. Just allergies.” The little five year old whipped his nose on the sleeve of his coat, sniffling, and he dropped 7 feet.

The chaperone muttered under his breath. “wasn’t that kid taught manners!” Trying to keep his voice low, but Sara could hear him just fine.

“Here Todd. Use the Kleenex’s your mom sent.” Sara stood on her tiptoes, one hand holding the Kleenex for Todd to blow his nose in, the other wrapped around his waist, ready to support his weight when he dropped. Todd Smeared his face into the tissue, and instantly dropped the rest of the way into Sara’s arms, where he took another Kleenex out of his pocket to clean the rest of his face.

“Thank you Miss. Nobes.” Todd said with his face still berried in the cloth.

Sara’s students came running back from the short distance they had gone. “Todd, Todd!”

“Are you ok?”

“Did the wind do that to your hair?”

“You should be a Woody Wood Pecker balloon for Halloween!”

“Aren’t you scared of falling?”

Todd blushed as Sara put him down on the ground. He whipped the back of his hand across his nose, grinning despite the embarrassment. “Actually it’s cool.” The rest of Sara’s students stared in shock. “In side, I only float as high as the ceilings, but out here I think I went my highest ever.” He stuffed the wadded up Kleenex back into the pocket of his coat. “And I found my Pumpkin!” Todd’s pudgy little finger pointed to the side, where the pumpkin sat, that was destined to be taken home by him.

“Oh com on, Todd.” Said a boy with big freckles.

“Those little things” Said, a girl with her black hair held up in five little pig tails.

“Oh you’ll see, it’s a great pumpkin. The greatest of the great pumpkins!” Todd took of running, and he was followed by a stampede of five year old feet. “It’s a Mutant pumpkin!”

“A mutant Pumpkin? Cool!” Sara’s student’s chimed in. as they followed Todd. With Sara and her volunteer chaperones falling in step, behind them. Todd took the class ten rows down from where they had been standing, and then turned to start walking down the pumpkin patch.

On their way, The male chaperone tapped Sara on the shoulder. Causing her to slow her pace down, and let the other two adults take charge of the kids. “Miss Nobes, If I could have a word…”

“yes, Mr.?”

“Sampson, Mitch Sampson” Sara nodded for him to continue. Mitch took a breath moving his mouth like he had to chew his word before he spit them out. “I thought you taught your students manners at this academy.”

“I beg your pardon?” Sara asked with the tilt of her head, as they walked.

“It’s just that boy.” Mitch continued. “Todd. He’s a mutant, who floats, and my son is human. Don’t you teach your students to… I don’t know… to blend? I’m all for equality, and I like the idea of peace but that boy, he.. .. He Floats!”