Patty Liu - Silent Reflections
Eighteen"Who are you?" Virginia asked, her voice cracking from her holding her breath for so long.
"Noo...who are YOU? What are you doing in my pumpkin patch?" the man said with impatience.
"Are you the pumpkin monster?"
"Of course not. The pumpkin monster has been long dead. He was my father."
"YOUR father?! But you don't look like a monster!" exclaimed Virginia.
"Well, my father didn't either. He wasn't a monster. He just dressed himself up in rags and roamed his pumpkin patch with a pumpkin on his head. He wanted to scare the pumpkin thieves that used to be very common back in the old days," the man explained to Virginia. "I'm his son. My mother was the wife of Peter the pumpkin eater."
Virginia recalled the nursery rhyme of 'Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater. Had a wife but couldn't keep her.' "Your mother ran away from her husband and had a baby with the pumpkin monster?" Virginia asked with a confused expression.
"Why are you asking so many questions? It is none of your business what my mother did or not. Now, answer ME! Who are YOU?" The man said impatiently.
"I'm Virginia. I don't know how I got into the pumpkin patch. I was asleep and I woke up here. And I can't seem to find my way out of here, obviously." Virginia studied the man by moonlight. He was very tall and thinly built. He had a kind face with somewhat of an innocent aura about him. She figured she could trust him.
"Well, you have interrupted my monthly tribute to my father. And now you have ruined my head."
"Your monthly tribute to your father? What are you talking about?" So she could trust him but he was beginning to sound like he wasn't all there in the head.
"My tribute. I dress up like he always did in the old days and I roam around the patch to scare away thieves."
"Oh. Errr... okay." Virginia definitely thought the man was a lunatic but she figured he was still a pretty nice guy so she asked for his help to get her out of the pumpkin patch.
"You can't find your own way out of here? Damn," the man muttered and sighed. "Fine, but you owe me now. I should be resuming with my roaming of the patch but I'm going to take the time out to help you find your way . So yes, you definitely owe me."
"All right, all right. I owe you, Mr. -Errr... I don't think I got your name," Virginia said.
"It's Patrick. Patrick of the Pumpkin Patch," he mumbled quickly and began walking off. Virginia quickly followed him in his wake.
