Author's Blurb: I've always loved Bud and his pumpkin plan. I also feel
sorry for him; I don't know why. This is my ode to Bud. I explain his
fascination with pumpkins and what happens when he has powers he didn't
know of. This is the first part of a three part story, called The Seeds of
Hope and Love. Enjoy!!
The Pumpkin King
Bud sat complacently on the front steps of his home. He leaned back, resting himself against the large root that jutted out of the ground. The sky was cloudless and the songs of the birds echoed on forever. Bud slowly chewed away at the long piece of dried grass pressed between his lips. His purple hair was longer now, long enough to keep tied back and away from his soft colored eyes. It had been a few years since that day he met Lethia while on the verge of taking over Domina with his army of evil pumpkins. At the time it was an interesting idea, but now it seemed deranged and twisted. Still, though, his mind lingered on the thought of the pumpkins.
Lisa had left Lethia's home a year earlier. She was finished with her schooling and was now teaching in Geo. With much joy she has sent letter after letter home saying she has met the man of her dreams. A wedding date had been set and invitations were being written. Bud was to be the best man and was able to bring any guest of his choice. He couldn't figure out who though. Lethia was bringing her companion, Elazul, but Bud had no other friends than those that he shared with Lisa. He shrugged it off and knew he would attend alone.
'Why not invite Rachel,' a voice whispered in his mind.
Bud shrugged and closed his eyes. In the past few months he had spent time with Rachel in the pub she worked in. The two had similar interests and both attended classes in Domina. True there was quite an age different between them, but it was the only friend Bud had that was his own. He shook his head though. He couldn't take her. There was something about her that was strange and ever slightly creepy; he couldn't put his finger on it though.
Stretching, Bud stood and let the piece of grass fall from his mouth. He shook his head and flexed his fingers. It was a day full of laziness. He was home alone since Lethia left for Lumina earlier that day. Bud had nothing to do but lounge around and think. All the chores were finished and there was nothing to be cleaned and the monsters had the day to themselves as well. All Bud could do was reminisce about the times he had in the world.
Still, though, Bud's mind wandered back to the pumpkins. He never understood his strange fascination with the object. Something had always plagued his mind about them. His idea to take over the world with an army of evil pumpkins only fueled it in the long run. Perhaps it was because his first stuffed toy was that of strange pumpkin creature. Bud had always wanted the pumpkin to come to life so he would have a friend. That childhood wish was gone when the pumpkin wouldn't come to life, even with his magic. That moment is the one that fueled the need to have pumpkins that could live and breathe like a creature full of life.
Bud shoved his hands in his pockets and paused. As he moved his fingers about he could feel something rubbing against them. He grabbed the small objects and pulled his hand free. Without a thought Bud opened his hand to examine what he had found. Lying in the palm of his hand was about seven pumpkin seeds; neither one aged or broken.
A smile crossed Bud's face. 'Strange,' he thought. 'I didn't think I had pumpkin seeds anymore. I wonder how they came about.'
Letting his mind linger on the pumpkin seeds, Bud began to wander down the familiar paths of his home. A soft wind fluttered past Bud, some how pushing him to follow a certain trail. He obeyed the soft touches and continued to walk, examining the seeds in his hand.
Soon Bud came to a halt. He raised his eyes from his hand and smiled to himself. He had walked into the midst of the orchard they had. Trent towered before Bud, sleeping soundlessly in the mid-day soon. Fruit, many still not ripe, hung on the branches and seemed to shine in the sun. Bud smiled brightly as the leaves moved and the sunlight kissed his skin.
'Plant the seeds,' the wind seemed to whisper.
Bud looked at the seeds in his hand and shrugged. He fell to his knees and, with his free hand, began to dig into the ground. The soft soil seemed to pull away from his hands, forming a soft curve into the moist earth. Bud enjoyed planting things and soon found he had quite a knack to it at a young age. The ground seemed to listen to his body and aid him in his tedious work.
"Thank you." Bud whispered to the ground. He placed the seeds delicately in the hole and quickly filled it. He sat for a moment, silent as he watched the ground. The wind rustled the leaves on Trent's highest bough. Bud could feel a slight stir in the Mana energy around him, something he rarely felt, even as a child. He knew that the spirits had welcomed the addition to the earth and soon their own heart and soul would be put into it all.
**********
It had been nearly a month since Bud had planted the seeds. He visited the lonely sight no less than once a day. There were times where he'd sit before his work and watch it, envisioning the growing plant. He played his flute for his seedlings and even for the other plants around. Bud soon began to realize he enjoyed nature more than anything. He could spend hours just relaxing beneath Trent's large branches and listen to the wind. There were so many voices and songs carried within the soft breeze.
Bud wandered down the path to the orchard and paused. A broad smile crossed his face as he saw a familiar sight. Nestled against one of Trent's protruding roots was a small pumpkin. The plant seemed to hug Trent as it rested sleepily in the light that bathed it. Bud stared at it and remembered his failed attempt at world domination and the stuffed toy that was lost so many years ago.
With a sigh Bud trotted down the path and quickly settled himself beside the pumpkin. He stared it, watching it. If he turned his head slightly to one side and squinted he could see a strange glow surround the plant. The pumpkin seemed to turn to face him and the glow changed from a soft white to an even softer pink. Bud watched it and listened as he heard the soft songs of ancient spirits.
"You are a magical being." Bud whispered. He placed a soft hand on the pumpkin and was amazed to find it warm. It wasn't the same warmth, though, that you would feel from the sun, but the warmth from a body, as if it was truly alive. "I've been blessed." he said with a smile. "The spirits of Mana can be kind."
Once more the pumpkin seemed to move. Bud carefully lifted the plant and placed it on his lap, being careful so not to rip it from the earth. He studied the pumpkin, feeling it breathe and quiver in his grasp. He sang a song had learned from his childhood, which was supposed to be in the words of the ancient Gods. Bud's mother sang the song to him on more than one a occasion and he would listen as his mother sang the strange words to even the simplest of objects. She sang it through the house and the house would seem to breathe and live with them.
The song Bud sang ended and he placed the pumpkin back onto the earth. He smiled to himself and lay beside it, studying it closely. He felt a strange warmth wrap around him as he stared, sleepily at the pumpkin. His fingers traced the natural curves and lines and he paused. For a moment Bud could almost feel a pulse. He shook his head and closed his eyes, leaving his hand placed on the pumpkin.
"It's strange," Bud whispered. "I can feel something in you. Mother always said, though, that everything had potential, even the simplest of things."
Slowly Bud nodded off to sleep. As he dreamt in the sunlight the pumpkin moved closer to Bud, nestling itself against his stomach.
The Pumpkin King
Bud sat complacently on the front steps of his home. He leaned back, resting himself against the large root that jutted out of the ground. The sky was cloudless and the songs of the birds echoed on forever. Bud slowly chewed away at the long piece of dried grass pressed between his lips. His purple hair was longer now, long enough to keep tied back and away from his soft colored eyes. It had been a few years since that day he met Lethia while on the verge of taking over Domina with his army of evil pumpkins. At the time it was an interesting idea, but now it seemed deranged and twisted. Still, though, his mind lingered on the thought of the pumpkins.
Lisa had left Lethia's home a year earlier. She was finished with her schooling and was now teaching in Geo. With much joy she has sent letter after letter home saying she has met the man of her dreams. A wedding date had been set and invitations were being written. Bud was to be the best man and was able to bring any guest of his choice. He couldn't figure out who though. Lethia was bringing her companion, Elazul, but Bud had no other friends than those that he shared with Lisa. He shrugged it off and knew he would attend alone.
'Why not invite Rachel,' a voice whispered in his mind.
Bud shrugged and closed his eyes. In the past few months he had spent time with Rachel in the pub she worked in. The two had similar interests and both attended classes in Domina. True there was quite an age different between them, but it was the only friend Bud had that was his own. He shook his head though. He couldn't take her. There was something about her that was strange and ever slightly creepy; he couldn't put his finger on it though.
Stretching, Bud stood and let the piece of grass fall from his mouth. He shook his head and flexed his fingers. It was a day full of laziness. He was home alone since Lethia left for Lumina earlier that day. Bud had nothing to do but lounge around and think. All the chores were finished and there was nothing to be cleaned and the monsters had the day to themselves as well. All Bud could do was reminisce about the times he had in the world.
Still, though, Bud's mind wandered back to the pumpkins. He never understood his strange fascination with the object. Something had always plagued his mind about them. His idea to take over the world with an army of evil pumpkins only fueled it in the long run. Perhaps it was because his first stuffed toy was that of strange pumpkin creature. Bud had always wanted the pumpkin to come to life so he would have a friend. That childhood wish was gone when the pumpkin wouldn't come to life, even with his magic. That moment is the one that fueled the need to have pumpkins that could live and breathe like a creature full of life.
Bud shoved his hands in his pockets and paused. As he moved his fingers about he could feel something rubbing against them. He grabbed the small objects and pulled his hand free. Without a thought Bud opened his hand to examine what he had found. Lying in the palm of his hand was about seven pumpkin seeds; neither one aged or broken.
A smile crossed Bud's face. 'Strange,' he thought. 'I didn't think I had pumpkin seeds anymore. I wonder how they came about.'
Letting his mind linger on the pumpkin seeds, Bud began to wander down the familiar paths of his home. A soft wind fluttered past Bud, some how pushing him to follow a certain trail. He obeyed the soft touches and continued to walk, examining the seeds in his hand.
Soon Bud came to a halt. He raised his eyes from his hand and smiled to himself. He had walked into the midst of the orchard they had. Trent towered before Bud, sleeping soundlessly in the mid-day soon. Fruit, many still not ripe, hung on the branches and seemed to shine in the sun. Bud smiled brightly as the leaves moved and the sunlight kissed his skin.
'Plant the seeds,' the wind seemed to whisper.
Bud looked at the seeds in his hand and shrugged. He fell to his knees and, with his free hand, began to dig into the ground. The soft soil seemed to pull away from his hands, forming a soft curve into the moist earth. Bud enjoyed planting things and soon found he had quite a knack to it at a young age. The ground seemed to listen to his body and aid him in his tedious work.
"Thank you." Bud whispered to the ground. He placed the seeds delicately in the hole and quickly filled it. He sat for a moment, silent as he watched the ground. The wind rustled the leaves on Trent's highest bough. Bud could feel a slight stir in the Mana energy around him, something he rarely felt, even as a child. He knew that the spirits had welcomed the addition to the earth and soon their own heart and soul would be put into it all.
**********
It had been nearly a month since Bud had planted the seeds. He visited the lonely sight no less than once a day. There were times where he'd sit before his work and watch it, envisioning the growing plant. He played his flute for his seedlings and even for the other plants around. Bud soon began to realize he enjoyed nature more than anything. He could spend hours just relaxing beneath Trent's large branches and listen to the wind. There were so many voices and songs carried within the soft breeze.
Bud wandered down the path to the orchard and paused. A broad smile crossed his face as he saw a familiar sight. Nestled against one of Trent's protruding roots was a small pumpkin. The plant seemed to hug Trent as it rested sleepily in the light that bathed it. Bud stared at it and remembered his failed attempt at world domination and the stuffed toy that was lost so many years ago.
With a sigh Bud trotted down the path and quickly settled himself beside the pumpkin. He stared it, watching it. If he turned his head slightly to one side and squinted he could see a strange glow surround the plant. The pumpkin seemed to turn to face him and the glow changed from a soft white to an even softer pink. Bud watched it and listened as he heard the soft songs of ancient spirits.
"You are a magical being." Bud whispered. He placed a soft hand on the pumpkin and was amazed to find it warm. It wasn't the same warmth, though, that you would feel from the sun, but the warmth from a body, as if it was truly alive. "I've been blessed." he said with a smile. "The spirits of Mana can be kind."
Once more the pumpkin seemed to move. Bud carefully lifted the plant and placed it on his lap, being careful so not to rip it from the earth. He studied the pumpkin, feeling it breathe and quiver in his grasp. He sang a song had learned from his childhood, which was supposed to be in the words of the ancient Gods. Bud's mother sang the song to him on more than one a occasion and he would listen as his mother sang the strange words to even the simplest of objects. She sang it through the house and the house would seem to breathe and live with them.
The song Bud sang ended and he placed the pumpkin back onto the earth. He smiled to himself and lay beside it, studying it closely. He felt a strange warmth wrap around him as he stared, sleepily at the pumpkin. His fingers traced the natural curves and lines and he paused. For a moment Bud could almost feel a pulse. He shook his head and closed his eyes, leaving his hand placed on the pumpkin.
"It's strange," Bud whispered. "I can feel something in you. Mother always said, though, that everything had potential, even the simplest of things."
Slowly Bud nodded off to sleep. As he dreamt in the sunlight the pumpkin moved closer to Bud, nestling itself against his stomach.
