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Wednesday Short Story - Prompt - Pumpkin

Pumpkin Shell and Plastic Corn Soup

 Ingredients:

1. One ounce pumpkin shell (broken or whole)

2. Two tablespoons coral powder

3. Three cups plastic corns (recommended recycled Xeplometrowynelol plastic)

4. 11 ounces of water (synthetic works fine)

5. One spoon sea sand to taste

Process:

Mix ingredients and bring to a boil.

Serve hot while plastic corn is still melted.


"Mommy can we make this for my birthday tomorrow?" asked little Tanya as she settled down at the table.

"I'm not sure, honey. Pumpkin skin really expensive, I don't know if we can afford enough for soup." said her mother thoughtfully as she placed a bowl in front of her daughter.

"Oh." said Tanya as she looked down at the soup they were having today. It was the cheapest food they could find in the 22nd century ---plastic soup with cockroach scales.

"Mommy tell me the story of my great great great great aunt Greta again." said Tanya picking up her spoon and forgetting all about the new recipe she found.

"Oh Greta was a very rich woman." said her mother delving into the memory of the tales she'd heard as a child herself. "She lived in a big village where you could see the stars at night and there were big tall trees all around. There were plenty of fields full of pumpkins and cauliflowers and---"

"Even eggplant?" asked Tanya her eyes widening with surprise.

"Yes Tanya dear, even eggplants. There were lakes full of fish and mountains full of snow." continued her mother as Tanya distractedly ate her poor meal.

"Did grandma Greta ever eat plastic soup?" wondered Tanya as she struggled to swallow the tasteless soup.

"I don't think so honey." said her mother. "She didn't have plastics in her village back then."

"You mean they were so rich they never ate plastic?" said Tanya, her eyes wide with awe.

"Yes dear." said her mother with a sad smile.

"I wish we were rich Mom. Then maybe we wouldn't have to eat plastic soup everyday." said Tanya. "I'll work really hard Mommy. One day we'll be able to afford Cabbage soup."

Tanya's mother smiled softly and ruffled her daughter's hair. She only hoped that by the time Tanya was older there was enough uncontaminated soil to even grow vegetables.

She looked outside the window onto the planned city. People had homes, cars, internet and computers but they were running out of food. Eventually people had found ways to eat the most abundant thing in the world---plastic.

Perhaps things would change someday. Perhaps little Tanya could change the world. Perhaps there was still a way to turn things around.

Until then Tanya's mother would scour the markets for pumpkin skin. After all, come what may, a mother's love never changed.




Read next : Snow

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