They only come out at night...

On the 23rd Day of the Month of September in an early year of a decade not too long before our own, the human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence, and this terrifying enemy surfaced as such enemies often do in the seemingly most innocent and unlikely of places...

Mission Viejo, California.  =D

I have something to confess.
I have a plant in my garden that I'm a little afraid of terrified to be around.
I know. Stupid.
I try to ignore it. I'm afraid to transplant it. (I don't want to encourage it in any way.)
In fact, I only keep it because my neighbor gave me the cutting and I am being polite.

I know. How lame is that? Besides, where did this neighbor get the cutting? What if he's really a pod person and is handing out cuttings of exotic plants as recruitment tools for his home planet?? (I know. I kind of went straight over the edge there, but that's not important right now.)

It's kind of hideous in an exotic sort of way, isn't it?
And right around this time of year those fascinating, freakish, pinkish tentacle things threaten to bloom.

But here's the kicker: They only bloom at night.  Doesn't this just have all the makings of a horror movie?
Seriously. Not until after 9 PM. And I always forget, so I have to set post-it reminders around myself.

Because when she does bloom, which is always at night, it's quite a spectacular show, in a man-eater-life-threatening-pod-people-from-another-planet kind of way. (Seriously, how well do I really know that neighbor???)

Quite lovely (and scary beyond all reason!) and with a tempting fragrance. (oh sure, they give it a tempting fragrance if they want to attract the civilization they're trying to destroy.!)

I like to call her Audrey II.

She's beautiful, isn't she? In a sort of I-only-bloom-at-night-because-it-fits-in-with-my-plan-to-rule-the-universe way.

So I go out to check on her and she's happily blooming and I can feel a horror movie shriek trying to find it's way out of my throat when I suddenly think I heard her saying: FEED ME!
Or wait...Maybe I've just seen Little Shop of Horrors too many times..... hmmm.

Comments

[j.]

I gotta admit, that is a beautiful bloom...it's a night blooming cereus...I think...but then it might be the alien bloom you think it is, ya never know! (I know...bad pun indeed)

[Chantel]

Oh, it IS beautiful! We have terrifying pitcher plants in Alabama. You know, the kind that actually eats living things. Bugs, yes, but still...eew...By the way, if the plant is Audrey, does that make you suddenly Seymour???

[Marta]

j. - It has a NAME?? And it's not Audrey II? who knew?

Chantel - Thanks for 'getting' me. It gets lonely in the bubble sometimes. =D

[Pam]

I know how to help! Put Google Eyes on it! It will help! Look up my blog April 8, 2008! Amazingly beautiful pictures! You rock!

[Kristen Benson]

Oh, Marti, this is the sort of post I read your blog for! No kidding. You have to come over and check out my pumpkin patch. Last Halloween I saved pumpkin seeds to plant and Dani and I planted them and now--wow--we have a real pumpkin patch in our backyard. No, not as exciting as your alien plant (it may really have a proper name but it will always be Audrey to me) but totally cool and fun none the less!!! We already have about 10 pumpkins...so much fun!!! On a side note, this pumpkin patch WAS science for Dani the last month(maybe two!) Nothing more...Why make her do book work when I can send her out to weed and water!?!? I'm no fool!

[Ody from Miami Lakes]

Wow...Your right, it's does look creepy in the day time!!!!
But, how beautiful when it blooms at night. I believe this is one of those Godly inventions that He created for his pleasure, after all, shouldn't we be asleep when it blooms? ;-)

[Alysa]

wow! That was great. Stephen and I loved your blog and Youtube piece. Even though geo has performed it, I have never seen the movie, gotta get it. I want a cutting of that flower.
Lys

[GHung]

Audrey is a White Cactus Flower...A Beautiful Evening Blooming Blossom.