Page 1 of Stalk of the Town

Chapter One

Goliath

When it all started!

Despite my size, I could blend with my surroundings even when I wasn’t rhubarb, so I hung back and watched the group of strangers exit Crimson’s store, listening to them.

They held three sacks of shopping when they wandered into the street. One of them sniffed loudly, letting me know he was miffed about something, but what?

“There is nothing we can do if the lady won’t sell it to us,” the big monster pointed out to the small guy with brown curls who smelled like a stalk of rhubarb. Which was weird when he wasn’t a stalk, but another type of shifter.

Silently slipping behind the store where the car lot was, I sniffed the air, intrigued. It wasn’t often we got new folks moving into town and never monsters. Involuntarily, I took a step closer when there was something about a sweet smell wafting from the group of monsters that tugged at my lower body.

Wow, what was that?

The one with long, pink flowing hair looked at the big one, who was clearly in charge. “It’s odd; she was almost being motherly over the rhubarb… don’t ya think?”

My heart bounced a little when it struck that they clearly didn’t know about rhubarb shifters.

“Yeah, it was odd for sure. I mean, who clutches rhubarb to their chest like I was threatening it?”

An alpha stalk protecting her parcel.

“You were thinking about Potatoville, weren’t you?” Pinky said.

The big one nodded, putting the shopping in the minivan. I had to resist getting closer to see which one smelled like a little bit of heaven. My mind wasn’t on how they were chatting about the fingerlings, no it was on my body’s reaction to the fragrance that tickled my senses.

“I thought so. It’s almost like you have to look at everything as a sentient being.”

“Why do you have to say that shit!” snapped another monster, who wore a grumpy expression that didn’t match the cuteness of his pretty face.

I stayed put, listening until they all got in the minivan and drove off. Quick as a flash, I headed back to my old truck and took off after them, keeping my distance. I was a lurker. I knew other stalks called me ‘the stalk of the town’ because I didn’t enjoy mixing with others, ‘cause my tongue always got twisted when I tried to have a sensible conversation. It had been that way since I was a tiny stalk, and then I’d grown into a giant. I was the biggest stalk in town, and though I wouldn’t harm a bee, some townsfolk were wary of me.

The traffic was minimal like usual so it was easy to follow and keep back. When they turned into the property at the far end of town, my smile grew at how easy it would be to get a better look, with the house standing on a big parcel of land.

I drove past as they parked up and glimpsed others inside the house as I slowed. I continued on and headed about a mile down the road, not seeing this as odd when my sense of curiosity about others had always existed. Just sometimes I became a little fixated on the watching side rather than the interactive side of things. It was way easier than talking I had discovered, and as long as no one noticed, then what harm did it do? None.

Parked and out of the truck, I kept off the road and used my surroundings to keep from being seen by Bart, the closest neighbor to the newcomers and the oldest stalk in town, who gossiped… a lot.

My nose wrinkled at how at the back of the house the sweet, delicious smell got a lot stronger. The old Wranglers I wore became snug in front and I glanced down, frowning.What was going on with me?

Being so tall, I could easily peer into the kitchen window and the fluttering in my chest got a little wilder. There in the center of the kitchen was a dark-haired lovely. Everyone else ceased to exist as my gaze tracked the roaming lovely as he helped empty the sacks of shopping. I couldn’t hear what was being said, but he wore a quirky smile as he looked at the big monster.

I wasn’t sure how long I stood out there before I heard the knock on their front door. Understanding now was a good time to leave, I took one last lingering look at my lovely, before slipping into the bushes.

Back at my truck, I rubbed at the center of my chest as I got into the driver’s seat when I got a major need to go back and…

I shook my shaggy head and tutted. “No, now you knows the rules, looking no touching,” I reiterated to myself. I hadn’t had a bed partner in many years and felt any urge to touch someone other than myself. The last time I had, it was a monster from out of town who was passing through and who had only wanted a good time out the back of the club that Ricky, a pole dancing stalk I was sweet on for a short time, danced at. I’d used the monster to scratch an itch I felt for Ricky, and it had made me feel bad, so I hadn’t done it again.

Back at my house on the opposite side of town, on the boundary lands where my family had always lived, I parked my truck around back. The quiet I usually loved now felt too silent as I walked into my big, lonely house. I was the only stalk left in my family. Years earlier they’d gotten wiped out by leaf spot, a fungal infection they’d ignored and hadn’t got treated.

The ache in my chest got bigger and pressed on me in a way that made it hard to drag my boots across the dirt to go into the house. I shut the door and leaned against it, shutting my eyes to conjure an image of the dark-haired lovely with gray-green eyes and plump pink lips.

I dropped a hand to the front of my Wranglers and squeezed to stem the desire.It’d harm no one if I went back for another look, would it?

Chapter Two

Drew

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