The Plastic Seed by Maisie Porter

Author:Maisie Porter
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Crooked Cat Books
Published: 2018-12-19T05:00:00+00:00

Jean, 10:45AM

Carlana starts her car and a podcast about gardening springs to life, breaking through the heavy silence between us.

‘A few years back, we needed to cover plants in winter to provide a layer of insulation against the cold. As we head into June we can now leave the plants uncovered…’

I press the side of my head against the glass as Carlana drives the car through suburban streets. I keep my head twisted at an angle so I can watch her, should she perform any sudden moves. But this expert on wellbeing is trying to keep calm. She is practicing a type of meditation technique where she grips the steering wheel, then loosens her grasp.

Having successfully completed her meditation, and the drive, Carlana stops the car in the driveway of the pale pink house. A black car which is slightly flashier than the one we are in, which wasn’t there earlier this morning, is parked on the street in front of the house.

Carlana turns off the engine and sits looking straight ahead for a minute. Her eyes occasionally dart nervously to the front door of her house.

“It’s your turn to listen to me, now.” She snaps her head in my direction.

“Let me do all the talking. Say nothing; I will try to persuade Evan to employ you as my assistant, I know what to say to him to persuade him. Damn it, I can’t even believe I am saying that. If he doesn’t agree, give me an opportunity to help you out with whatever problems you are having in life.” Her voice is simultaneously pleading and demanding, like she still hopes she has some leverage in this situation.

“One vital thing you must not say, is that you want to replace Bettina as my assistant,” she warns.

I look at the house, thinking how pretty it seems, at the same time contemplating what she is telling me. It’s a shame that none of us will be leaving it anytime soon.

“If it becomes noticeable that you are hesitating and you aren’t as convincing as I need you to be, I may step in to help you out,” I say, getting out of the car. I’m eager to be inside the house. I notice that Carlana is also keen to be inside, because she rushes to the front door ahead of me. By the time I walk up the steps, an open door greets me. I take a step inside and stand in the hallway next to a mirror and a small table. I can hear voices coming from a room at the back of the house, and I walk toward the sound.

I peek inside the rooms on either side of me as I walk down the hallway. One of the rooms, which I am guessing is the child’s, is decorated in earthy colours. The only toy I notice in the room is a large brightly-coloured plastic gun lying on the floor.

I am now close to the room that I hear the voices coming from.

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