“An Intruder In The Garden”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

“You have a garden that grows cakes instead of plants and flowers.”

prompt suggested by Mary

You’re in a garden. You’re surrounded by leaves, rustling against your clothes. A leaf brushes against your hand and sends a tingling sensation to your brain. It tickles.

You start walking, admiring each plant.

A red velvet cupcake on top of a long stalk.

A vanilla cake nestled close to the ground.

A strawberry shortcake that’s just beginning to ripen.

Suddenly, one special plant catches your eye. You approach it, your nose leading you to that irresistible smell.

When you reach the plant, you stop short. You frown. Something is wrong. This plant doesn’t belong here. No, this plant is defective.

It’s a pie. Pie plants don’t belong in gardens. They grow uncontrollably, consuming the nutrients that all the cake plants sorely need. This pie plant is a menace to the entire garden.

You know you have to act quickly. Without hesitating, you grab the stalk of the plant. The pie wobbles, spilling some sticky filling onto the leaves below. You let out a gasp and jerk your hand away from the sweet syrup. You cannot let it contaminate the garden any further.

You hold the stalk again, more carefully this time, and start pulling. You watch the pie to make sure that no more of that poisonous substance leaks from its crust.

You continue pulling. Slowly but surely, you feel the roots start to give. With one final tug, the pie plant is free.

You release your pent-up breath in a deep, relieved sigh. The cakes are safe. You saved the garden.

But the weight of the pie is still heavy in your hands. What is there to do with this abomination? You would need to take it thousands of kilometres away to make sure that its seeds don’t return to the garden, and even then, there’s no guarantee.

No, there’s no question. You must destroy it completely.

But how?

As you continue staring down at the pie, you feel something strange. You mouth begins to water.

No. You cannot betray your cakes. This is a pie, and pies are evil.

But surely… Surely one bite wouldn’t hurt…

Final Comments: Again, another great prompt from Mary! This one was so much fun, mainly because of how out-there it was. Literally anything is possible when you write!!

Overall Rating: 🥰