Photo by: Matthew Wright
Mark and Anita marveled at the forests of the planet, Darwin IV. The plant life grew huge and in stunning variety. Up until recently, few people even knew about the backwater colony. Desperate financial straits for the primarily Australian settlers was being resolved by encouraging the tourist trade. Safaris booked up quickly. Their group was the fourth one hiking the path during the day.
Mark pointed to a balled up plant with apparent spokes. “Hey, that’s familiar at least. That’s a fern, right?”
The tour guide, Van Doonen veered slightly away from it. “Yeah, something like that, mate.”
Anita stared. “Maybe familiar, Hun, but it’s ten-feet tall!”
Mark worked in a bank as a loan officer. He watched everything with the glee of the uninitiated. By contrast, Anita worked for a military contractor as a project manager. She noticed their heavily armed escort more than anything else. The two men at the front and rear, and the two outliers on the flanks carried a lot of firepower. They made special forces operators on Earth look like pacifists.
Anita, with Mark in tow, trotted up to the lead guide. “That’s a Maublich ARK .50 cal, right?”
“Spot on, Miss,” said Van Doonen, offering an approving look. “Don’t meet a lot of sheilas that know their weaponry.”
Anita shrugged. “It’s my job. That’s a lot of weapon for the bush isn’t it? I mean, we’re safe here, right?”
“Oh Darwin is a perfectly safe place! We just have to carry this kit because of tourist safety laws.” His eyes never once stopped scanning the jungle. “Nothing can harm you here.”
Anita suddenly stopped as she stared at another of the rolled up pseudo-ferns. Mark hugged her as she shuddered. “Relax Sweety, we’re safe here.” In a patronly tone he said, “I’ll protect you!”
Anita didn’t have the heart to tell him.
Wrapped in the pseudo-fern, was a human arm.
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Written for Matthew Wright’s weekly Short Story challenge. Look here for the original prompt: https://mjwrightnz.wordpress.com/2016/03/15/this-weeks-short-story-challenge-14/
EagleAye
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Yikes! I thought those ferns were pretty much like Venus Fly Traps when you introduced him. I wish I could say I’d be like the wife and think about why the tour has a military escort. Unfortunately, I’d probably be as clueless as her husband. Well written and creative!
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It’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the fern. It looked like a carnivorous Fly Trap like plant. The last line of the story was the first line I thought of. Funny how writing goes like that sometimes. Glad you liked this story. Thanks so much, Mandibelle! 🙂
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Yeah, I bet these tours cost an arm and a leg. 🙂
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Haha! Yes, they can, literally. And their collection agency is positively in-human. 😉
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Fair play to the plants getting their own back. Good story.
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Yep. After all those salads, the plants were ready to get some back. 😉 Thanks much, Joe! 🙂
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For some reason, that last line had me humming, Macho, macho man. He wants to be a macho man Personally, I think I’d feel safer with the little woman.
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Hehe. His macho facade wasn’t very convincing was it? At least Anita knows her weapons. Maybe she could wield them. I’d feel safer with her too. Thanks Lyn! 🙂
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Yikes! It doesn’t sound safe at all! I would be turn tailing. Great story, Eric!
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Yeah, me too. It doesn’t strike me as a place where I could relax. Gimme a quiet ocean and a sandy beach any day. 😉 Thanks kindly! 🙂
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