A sweet cottage in the woods. Vegetable patches surrounding the house. Tall trees stood like bodyguards around the house. The picture of eloquence and delight. Alas, inside of the cottage, an old woman paced back and forth by the window, looking out at the vegetable patches with concern. Her wrinkled brow only became more so as she pondered what to do.
Her dear late husband passed away about a year ago. He owned and operated the farmlands with pleasure. It was the one thing, other than his wife, that he loved most in the whole world. But now she was alone. Able to retire comfortably on their savings, but not able to stop their plots from going dry and barren. The only plants that had seemed to persevere were the pumpkins.
The very last thing he had planted before it was too late.
One above all the others had grown gloriously. The woman had taken her husband to see it in his final moments, and the pride on his face was the final expression he ever made. Her last memory of him was of his beautiful smile.
Oh, but how he would surely frown now, seeing what his hard work had come to.
The old woman sighed and wandered out to the pumpkin patch, sitting on one of the smaller pumpkins and placing her hand upon the one her husband was so proud of.
"Oh dear pumpkin, if only you were able to help me. You are so healthy and strong, you would be very good at keeping this place going for me..."
The old woman closed her eyes tightly and pictured her life before. Watching from the window as she happily cleaned and maintained their happy home, occasionally watching her husband in his element while he farmed his beloved vegetables.
The two were completely infatuated with each other and had been since they first met. Even when the two realised that her husband could never provide her with children, their bond never waivered. They had each other, they were happy, and that was all that mattered. Even when she looked after him in his final days, she wouldn't have changed any aspect of her life for anything. It was a perfect, idyllic life, and she was lucky to have experienced such a life.
"Madame? You are crying."
At her age, a sudden surprise or shock was the last thing she needed. But as she opened her eyes in response to the sudden voice, she was met with something familiar...well, somewhat familiar. Before her teary eyes was the pumpkin she had her hand upon. Its roots and leaves had grown rapidly while she was lost in thought, twisting and intertwining spectacularly to form a humanoid body. Four gaps had formed onto the front of the pumpkin, as if they'd been carved out. Two eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
She couldn't believe it. She was too baffled to even realise that the creature had raised a soft, leafy hand to wipe away the stray tears that had fallen down her cheeks.
"You...how?"
"I...I do not know. You brought me to life, madame."
"I did?"
"Yes. Are you alright? You seem saddened."
"Oh dear, excuse me. Come on, let's get you inside."
"Um, alright."
As the woman slowly managed to get to her feet, the pumpkin man mimicked her movements. He adjusted his posture like a baby first learning to walk, although he got the hang of it much faster than an infant would have. The woman watched as the pumpkin man stretched to his full height, easily over six feet tall. It was almost unbelievable.
Once the two were inside the house, the woman cleaned the dirt off her newly created pumpkin companion and brought him a large coat and some pants to put on.
