Matt Wells - YCH: Wren and the Great Tickle Pumpkin, Pt1

Wren had almost completely forgotten Halloween was about to happen, and he hadn’t even done his favorite tradition yet: carving a jack-o’-lantern! The stores would be out by now, but, he knew of a huge farm field nearby that would still be plentiful in pumpkins. “Well, I’m sure they won’t miss just one pumpkin…they probs won’t even notice!” He assured himself. He snuck out that evening by the light of the full moon, as stealthily as he could in his flip flops, hopped the fence, and beheld the view. It seemed like the pumpkin patch went on for miles. He took a few steps only to find his flip flops kept getting stuck in the freshly muddy terrain. He ditched his footwear and continued barefoot (not that he didn’t like the feeling between his painted toes). As he shopped around for the right size and shape, he kept feeling the growing sensation of being….watched. At the same time, as he walked around, a pumpkin in the center of the field seemed to be getting bigger….same closer? “Nah, you just got the Willie’s cuz it’s Halloween” he convinced himself. It wasn’t until he felt the strong tug around his ankle that he knew something else was in the patch. His hoisted him easily from the thrush of vines. Wren flailed about, pulled but this strong restraint only to finally stop. When he settled, he realized his was stuck inside a giant pumpkin. He struggled but could not free himself. The cool breeze on his bare soles cued him to realize his huge bare feet were also exposed, stuck in their own respective holes poking out of the pumpkin. And then suddenly…it spoke.

“Pumpkin tHIEveS MUst be pUnisHeD!”