The Autumn Garden

When Cory arrived the next morning, he found Clare's doors open and her car in the driveway, but no sign of Clare herself. He looked around and then went down to the dock and scanned the lake but saw nothing amiss. The weather had changed during the night and fall was definitely here, and he really doubted she would have gone swimming in this cold wind anyhow.

He went out into the garden and out to the far side of the fence and started chopping at the dead and wilted vegetation when his eye was caught by a flash of color over by the edge of the woods. When he walked over he was surprised to see a perfectly shaped pumpkin lying in the weeds, bright orange and sleekly beautiful, and at the very peak of ripeness. A pumpkin so perfect it seemed almost supernatural.

But knowing what Clare would want, he picked up his axe and smashed it with a single blow, jumping back as the mess of seeds and goo spilled forth.