In Orchard Lost
Dominic King
Smashwords Edition
Short stories by the same author:
- The Recalcitrant Stool
- Taking the Queue
- The Last Prince of Egypt.
Copyright: Dominic King 2009
Smashword Edition
In Orchard Lost
It all finished that mid-september evening. My idyllic summer with Evie had opened my senses to love, frolicsome, passionate, empowering love. We were cycling along a country lane, she leading me as always. "Pick Your Own Pears. a sign said. She stopped by and pointed. I nodded. We dumped our bikes and wandered in, hand in hand. Alone in the orchard on a soft piece of ground, undressed, uninhibited, impassioned, we gave each other a glimpse of paradise. Watching the sun go down, I dipped my hand lazily into our basket.
'Wouldn't you prefer an apple?', she whispered rearranging her skirt, 'Look, there's some yummy ones just over there.' She danced back and held the fruit lovingly before me. I let my teeth sink in, again and again. Her eyes sparkled.
'Oi! Who who said you could eat them apples?' I looked around but saw no-one. The voice was approaching. 'Didn't you see the "Don't Touch" signs festooned all over the apple trees? And why d’you that is, eh? They've just been sprayed with Gen 216, that's why!' Now the farmer had crossed the opening in the hedgerow just beyond.
'Get out!' he gnarled looking at us threateningly, 'And don't go blaming me if you get cancer or hand down some genetic defect to your children!'
Shaken and shamed, I realised I was just in my boxer shorts. Darkness had fallen. A farm hand holding a light wand showed us to the gate. Summer was over. I am reasonable now. What fools we were.