A Melon Mission

A Melon Mission.

Chelsey sighed as she left the store. “No one seems to ever have what I need.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her key fob. “I have a party tonight. If I can’t find the supplies in time, I am going to have a bunch of angry and hungry people on my hands.”

She approached her blue truck. “I only have time to check one more store. Hopefully, Ganders Shack has the rest of what I need for tonight.” She opened the door of her truck, and a blast of hot air hit her pale face. “Ugh.”

Chelsey stepped inside and straightened her blue skirt.

She then closed the door and pulled out her phone. “I have chips, pop, and six melons left to pick up.” She scratched at her long black hair. “Why did they have to have a watermelon eating contest today?”

She started the vehicle and drove out of the parking lot. She rolled down the window and put on some blues music. She tapped her fingers on the wheel as she drove along the road. A few minutes later, Ganders Shack came into view, a grey two-story building with a windmill off to the side. The store was a family-owned farmer's market, but they sold other goods. There was a huge banner hung from the windmill that read, “Midsummer festival. 50 percent off all produce.”

Chelsey pulled into the parking lot. “Well, that works out perfectly.” She shut off the engine. “If I can find some of these damn elusive watermelons.”

A dark-skinned man in a blueberry outfit walked up to her as she stepped out of her vehicle. “Welcome to Ganders Shack.” He handed her a pamphlet. “We are looking to sell out everything today. All produce is half off, and if you buy ten items, you get the eleventh free.”

She gave him a smile. “Thank you.” She turned around and closed the door to her truck. When she turned back around, the man was already running over to the next person who had pulled into the parking lot. Chelsey sighed and threw her purse over her shoulder. “It is nice that there is a sale here.” She turned towards the store. “But this place is busy as hell. I hope I can find what I am looking for.”

She made her way up to the store’s massive entrance and walked inside. The interior felt more humid than outside. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked around. “Why can’t they get air conditioning here?”

Chelsey surveyed the store. To the left, she could see blueberries and strawberries.

To her right were bananas and refrigeration units for beer and soda. “Well, at least there is something on my list.” She walked over to a cart and pulled it out. Chelsey then pushed it over to the soda aisle. “Thank you for being in stock.” She grabbed three cases and slid them into her cart.

“Ok. Just need the chips and melons, and I can go home and start working on this party.” She looked around. “I just need to find the damn things.”

She saw a young man heading her way with a massive watermelon. “Hey, where did you find that?”

He shifted the watermelon so he was holding it under one arm, and then turned around and pointed in the direction he had just come. “All the way back there. But I would hurry. They are selling out fast.” He turned back around and rushed towards the front of the store.

Chelsey sighed. “Of course, they are selling out fast. Why wouldn’t they be?” She pushed the cart and hurried towards the back of the store. She had to get the watermelons; she had promised them for her party. The last thing she wanted was a bunch of angry people yelling at her crying out, “Why can’t we have a watermelon eating contest. We have been waiting months for this.”

The section with watermelons came into view. She slammed her fist on the side of her cart when she saw four people looking over the last few melons in stock. Chelsey ran from her cart and up to the nearest produce stand. She pushed the young man who was already there to the side.

“Hey.”

“Out of the way. I need these watermelons.”

He shoved her to the ground. “You need them? My wife told me not to come home unless I found a watermelon for her. So screw off, lady.”

She looked up at him and narrowed her eyes. “I need that watermelon, or I will have twenty angry people trying to tear me apart.” She stood up, but when she stepped towards him, she noticed someone messing with her cart. “Hey. Leave my stuff alone.”

She rushed around to defend her cart and purse. In the process, the man ran off with her watermelon. Chelsey hit her hand on the side of her cart. “Damnit all. That was my last chance.”

An elderly woman walked up to Chelsey. “You want some watermelons? Do I understand this right?”

She turned towards the woman and brushed her bangs to the side. “Yes.

I have been searching for them all day. I am screwed if I don’t find some.”

The woman looked in both directions. “Well, I know of a way that you can find some. It isn’t the type of watermelons that you are used to.”

“What are you talking about, lady?”

She narrowed her eyes. “My name is Greta. And I mean, they take a bit to grow.”

Chelsey shook her head. “I don’t have time for that.”

Greta grabbed Chelsey’s arm. “We are not talking months, weeks, or even days here.

These watermelons will grow for you in mere minutes.”

Chelsey smiled. “That sounds wonderful. Where can I find these fast-growing melons?”

Greta held out her hand to reveal five seeds.

“Take these.” Chelsey did as she was told. “Either plant them or give them to someone, and you will have watermelons growing out of the woodwork.”

“Thank you. How much are they?”

Greta waved her gnarled hands. “I have to get rid of my stock today, so they are free.”

Chelsey smiled. “Thank you.” She turned around. “Have a pleasant day.” She made her way to the checkout, ready to head home and get her party started. “Well, it isn’t exactly what I expected to find, but if these seeds do the job, then I am still in luck.”

***

Later that day, Chelsey frantically set up tables in her backyard in an attempt to get her party ready. Unfortunately, guests were already showing up, and the fools were unwilling to lend a hand in her party preparations. So far, she just had two tables set up with the pop and chips; she still needed to set up six more for the watermelon eating contest and get the seeds planted.

“Hey, Chelsey.” She turned to see Dereck and his wife, Vicky. He took off his red baseball cap and threw it onto the table with the pop cans. “How are you doing?”

“Good. Just trying to get everything set up.”

“Do you need any help?”

Vicky shook her dark-skinned head. “We discussed this before we left home. You weren’t going to do anything to further injure your back.”

They walked past Chelsey. “But I can be nice and offer to help, can’t I?”

“Or you can be an ass and offer help that you can’t give. Ever think of that?”

Chelsey shook her head. “That will be fun listening to.” She sighed and propped a table up. Finally, the rest of her company arrived; the Jefferys from down the street, the Andersons, and the Venderhanlns. Chelsey finished setting up the tables for the watermelon eating contest just as the last guest arrived, and Vickey walked back over to her.

“So, Chelsey. I see that you don’t have any melons for use to chow down on. I guess you can’t provide for us after all.”

Chelsey reached into her pocket as the others walked over and pulled out the seeds Greta had given her. “Here. I just plant these seeds, and we will have melons in seconds.”

Vickey took the seeds out of her hand. “Oh really?”

“Hey, give those back.”

Vickey handed them out to the other women standing there. “Well, at least old Chelsey gave us something. Right ladies?”

The rest of them smiled, and Beth Anderson answered, “Yes.” She ran her right hand through her curly red hair. “It is better than.

Before Chelsey could say anything, they all ate the seeds. She sighed. “Oh, what the hell.” Without a second thought, she opened her mouth and threw the seed Vickey had handed her into her gullet and swallowed.

Beth looked at Chelsey with her dark green eyes. “Where did you get these seeds?

They taste funny.”

“Ya.” Vickey chimed in. “They are making my body feel weird and tingly.”

Chelsey shrugged. “Some strange old lady at the store gave them to me.”

Beth began to rub at her chest. “I feel all tingly as well.” She started to scratch at her body. “Ugh.”

Chelsey started to feel the strange sensation spread through her body. Her skin felt tight. “Ugh.” He put her right hand on her hip, her skin no longer feeling soft, instead now hard and smooth. She also felt a strange sensation just below her skin, like some peculiar liquid slowly building inside her body.

Beth pointed at Vickey. “Your skin is turning green.”

Vickey squinted her eyes at Beth. “What are you talking about?” She held her hands over her chest. “Stop making stuff up. I feel like my insides are swirling around as it is.”

“Look at your waist. There are green lines and everything.”

She looked down at her belly. “Oh my god.” She put her hands on her stomach. “It is so hard.” She looked up. “At least I am not the only one.” She pointed at Beth’s neck. “Your skin is turning as well.”

Beth put her hand to her neck. “This isn’t good.” She turned to Chelsey. “What did you do to us?”

“Me.” She shifted her hardening body.

“Yes, you. You gave us those seeds.”

Chelsey slowly crossed her arms, her body creaking and groaning as she did so. “You took them out of my hands and ate them before I could do anything.” She took in a deep breath. “I feel liquid pressing against my skin.”

Vicky looked around. “Me too. And my body feels so hard.”

Chelsey watched as the others started to swell.

Beth fell onto her rear end as Vickey tried to push her stomach inward. Chelsey looked down and saw her clothing start to push outward, her own body beginning to bloat.

“Everything feels so full.” Chelsey pulled at her shirt. “I have to get my clothes off before I become too big.” She looked at Beth, who now looked like she had swallowed a tire. “Before I look like that.”

She slowly slipped off her shirt as her body swelled; moving her limbs was difficult with how hard her skin had become. Once her shirt fell to the floor, her jeans unzipped from her bloated waist. “Ugh.” She reached down and tried to push her pants off, but they were stuck tight. “Great.”

Chelsey looked at the others and gasped. They no longer looked human, more like massive watermelons. Vickey had tiny arms which were falling about her huge body while Beth no longer had any limbs. She was just an enormous melon with a head looking down at Chelsey, a look of surprise on her swollen face.

Chelsey gulped. “What am I going to do?” She heard a ripping sound and looked down to see her waist expanding rapidly. She could feel the juices inside of her expanding outward at a rapid pace. “Why did I buy these stupid seeds? Gawh.” Her bra tightened, and she saw her boobs grow at an accelerated rate. “What is going on?” She watched in amazement as her breasts swelled into two separate watermelons on her chest as she continued to grow into one huge one.

Chelsey began to wobble as her legs merged, her pants finally ripping apart. “I can’t stand anymore. Vicky. Beth?” She looked over to see that they were nothing more than massive watermelons now, as well as the other women. Soon Chelsey would share their fate. “It’s ok. Everything will be ok. I am sure being a massive watermelon will be fine.” Her feet slowly retracted into her body and her arms, and she took on an oval shape. Her boobs pushed ever outward, and her head became very stiff.

“It is becoming hard to move.” She slowly blinked her eyes. “I hope that I can’ still.” She took in a slow and deep breath. “Still find a way back to being human again.” She took in another deep breath. “That sunshine. It is so warm.”

Chelsey felt a new sensation from the top of her head. A vine started to grow out of her skull. “I feel strange again. Thirsty.” The vine stretched wrapped around her body as it stretched downward.

I can’t open my mouth anymore. Strangely I don’t care. My body, is it turning into a plant?  The vine reached the ground and dug into the earth.  I feel water. It is so soothing. Ahh, it is going up through my roots. Wait, I have roots? So strange.

She felt a new sensation. Massive leaves growing from her vines.  I need to eat, absorb the sun. Grow. Such strange sensations. But it feels so good. To be a massive watermelon. My leaves are getting so big. Ahh.

***

Later that day, Chelsey’s husband arrived to find a patch of massive watermelons. He didn’t know that the biggest one in the center was his wife, enjoying soaking up the evening rays and drinking from the well below their house. She had a new life ahead of her, and she looked forward to it with glee. Soon her own seeds would cover the earth and transform more women into her children.