I thought I'd end this lovely Saturday by sharing a story about a tragedy that happened to a pie loving man.

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"I was suppose to win that contest" Alec thought to himself angrily as he walked down the sidewalk.

It was a crisp fall afternoon as Alec walked around the county fair, surrounded by the October festivities. The wind was cool as it hit his face but it did nothing to ease his temper.

"I did win it but the stupid judges were paid off so Bill Thompson won instead. I hate it when rich people get their way all the time" Alec's inner voice said as he walked past the ferris wheel.

Alec had entered the Sanderson County Fair's pie eating contest every year for 5 years but had never won. He came close the year before but Bill Thompson was declared the winner by two bites. Alec was convinced he had actually won but was screwed over by the judges.

"Everyone has always loved good old Billy Thompson," Alec thought. "Everyone's always loved him ever since grade school."

It didn't help that after Bill had won the pie eating contest he tripped Alec so he fell face first into an uneaten pie. Everyone had laughed at him. The town had a population of only 100 people so everyone in town knew of his humiliation and still laughed about it a year later. He hated everyone in town too.

Alec and Bill had known each other since childhood and it seemed like Alec could never beat Bill. He knew he cheated all the time and used the money he inherited by his family to get his way. Alec hated the man with a passion. Today, Bill Thompson would get what was coming to him. Alec walked through the crowd of the fair to watch this years pumpkin pie eating contest. He didn't enter it himself. This year would be different. The same judges would be judging the competition, Bill Thompson would be competing, and the whole town would be watching.

Alec had gotten a job at the local bakery where the pie competition's pies were made. His mother use to make the best pumpkin pies in all the county. He'd gotten a job there soon after the previous years fair. Bill Thompson would be eating pumpkin pies made by Alec's very own hands. Alec smiled and his heart raced with excitement. He couldn't wait for the competition to begin.

There were 10 contestants this year and Bill Thompson was seated at the very end on the right. His face was serious as he readied himself to begin eating the pie in front of him. The judge blew a whistle and the competition began. All 10 contestants began shoveling pie into their mouths. They only had 15 minutes to eat as much pie as possible. Bite after bite the competitors continued to eat. Five minutes into the competition one of the contestants got sick and ran off the stage to vomit in a nearby trashcan.

Alec could hear the man complaining that his pie tasted funny. Alec's brow furrowed and he scowled. He continued to watch as the other 9 people continued to eat. By the time the 15 minutes were up Bill Thompson had eaten three and a half pies. The others had only made it through two and a half. Bill Thompson was declared the winner and the crowd was cheering. The judges brought Bill up to the front of the stage to be awarded a trophy and $100 cash prize. As Bill reached out for his trophy he suddenly doubled over in pain. He wrapped his hands around his stomach as he fell to his knees. Something was very wrong. He fell over and began to have seizures.

The crowd watched Bill Thompson convulsing on the ground of the stage in silence and horror. A woman in the crowd screamed as another contestant passed out and another one began throwing up. Slowly the rest of the contestants began getting sick, vomiting and foaming at the mouth.

Alec smiled as he slowly made his way out of the crowd. The paramedics had reached Bill as Alec began to leave but from what he could tell he wasn't breathing. Alec's boss at the bakery told him to make his best pumpkin pies for the festival's pie eating contest. Alec used his mother's recipe. He used the same one that she used when she made pumpkin pie for her abusive second husband. That man beat her day and night. She'd been in jail 20 years for poisoning the man but at least she was free of his violence. Alec's mama had taught him the recipe well. For the first time in his life Alec had beaten good old Bill Thompson.

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