07-04-2009

Start Fiction:

     "It's the middle of summer," Seth said as he looked over the flower garden. "There is no reason everything should be wilted." He took a drink of his coffee and sat down on the patio.
     It was a warm July morning, humid; perfect weather for Iowa vegetation to strive. The air was still moist, musty.
     "I don't think it is something with just our yard," Tonya said pointing at the neighbor's yard. Not only had their garden begun to wilt, but their maple trees had lost half of their leaves.
     "Whoa," Seth said as he stood up and put his coffee on the table. He walked down the stairs and made his way across the yard. Moving slowly, he noticed that even though the grass was still green, lush in appearance, it was coarse and was beginning to crunch.
     Halfway between his garden and the property line, Seth stopped. He looked at the trees that were thirty feet in front of him. Becoming increasingly bare with each gust of wind, they seemed to be aging in front of his eyes.
     He heard the grass crunch behind him. "What is it?" Tonya said.
     "I don't know," Seth replied as he studied the trees.      "Whatever it is it seems to have started in this area."
     "Is it some kind of bug or something?" she asked.
     "What kind of bug would effect grass, trees, flowers and vegetables equally?" Seth said as he looked over the other yards in the neighborhood. The flowers in the Herbert's yard were showing signs of not only wilting, but decay. Moving to his garden to his left, he noticed that his tomato plants were in a state of decay as well; they smelled of decay, rotten.
     "We need to call someone. This is not normal," Seth said.
     As he turned to Tonya and they walked toward the house two women came around the side of their house. Both women had medium build, tall, and brunette. Their sunglasses, hair style, clothes and boots were all the same; as well as their stern demeanor.
     "Good morning," Tonya called out to the women. They did not respond; they kept approaching. Tonya and Seth stopped, looking at each other with questions in their eyes.
     The two women walked up to Seth and Tonya, removed their sunglasses and produced some identification without saying a word.
     "The NSA?" Seth said as he studied the IDs, noting Agent Jones and Agent Smith's names. He looked at Tonya and he knew how she felt.      "I am afraid I will need more information, or at least be spoken to, before I can allow you on our property," Seth told them.
     The two women looked at each other, surveyed the area, then looked at each other again.
     "I am serious," Seth said. "Either talk to me or get a warrant to be on my property."


End Fiction.