Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:03:33 -0700
From: N.A. Booko
Subject: Experiment in Terror . . .
Several times a week I visit a shopping area in Pittsboro – Built on land that was once rugged, beautiful natural trees and flora. But that has all been replaced with parking lots and new artificial looking trees and shrubs- All in rows, standing like captive vegetative lollypops- Planners and architects know better than Mother Nature- until it comes to sink-holes and buckling highways..
Anyway, one of the first things I noticed about this parking lot, made of asphalt – was a long crack- about 15 feet in length- and that crack is never dry like the rest of the blistering pavement. There is always a dark strip of moisture or wetness to the opening- It is only about half inch or so wide-
No one seems to know why it is wet- My first and second guess is that there is a big leak in the water pipes- or the sewer line- A couple of weeks ago, I noticed something different about the crack- it was brownish looking- On very close inspection I could see something was growing- Not green, but a translucent brown- Almost like seaweed or flat wholewheat noodles. Remember, the weather was hot and should have dried this after a few day- but no- it didn’t happen.
Trying to look normal and as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on, I got down on my knees and carefully scooped a section of the “glunk” up and placed it in a big drink cup- (Folks around here think nothing about someone (everyone) with a big drink cup- Since there is always a good selection on the payment in most parking lots- I wrapped the cup in plastic. I recently got a speeding ticket, so I did not race to get the cup of “glunk” home- But I did keep a watchful eye on the container- Could motion or extra warmth cause the “glunk” to expand? To explode? Maybe even kill it?
How to handle and care for it once home was a constant worry- Should I refrigerate it? Coddle it? Call the CF DC in Atlanta? Was I tampering with the unknown? Upon arriving home, I opened the cup and the “glunk” had changed considerably. Not as wet looking and more greenish. I had a gallon flower pot full of growing medium. Carefully, each “glunk”section was placed on top of the soil and gently misted with water. Then I enclosed the entire pot in plastic and waited.
Three days later, the mass appeared more like green powder and not very moist. Mist again and wait. Another three days went by and I opened it again- Yikes! The area was crawling with those creepy little “thousand legged” worms that are everywhere right now- and the “glunk”? It was gone. I am guessing it was eaten by the worms- and I am not letting them out of that pot until they “return” my property.
It might just all be part of the process . . . some primeval evolutionary chain of events that could change the world as we know know it . . As I wait, my head aches, my knees knock and cold sweat runs down my back . . what in the world have I done?
N.A. Booko