Original Flash Fiction: heart of the earth

Arthur wiped the sweat from his eyes and leaned on his shovel, "getting too old for this". He was planting carrots, trying to ignore the thick stems of quack grass in his lawn, mocking him. "Devil's grass, my nemesis". His shovel struck something hard, and he painfully squatted to investigate; a root ball, nearly hidden by a tangle of shoots. He growled "you... finally found you after all these years".

"Hello Arthur". Arthur gasped and dropped the shovel. "We go way back, don't we?" a pleasant voice replied. Arthur muttered, "better check my medication", picked up the fallen shovel and struck at the root. The root ball snarled, "I keep much hidden in the darkness, my shoots go deep into your family. I know you better than you know yourself." Arthur struggled to continue, the voice sapping his strength. "No, I want you out!" His eyes sparkled blue steel as he struck again. The root ball was severed, silenced. He sank to his knees but as he lifted the ball from the earth, his victorious smile went crooked. He found himself lying on his back, arms splayed out cruciform. His vision faded, but he wasn't afraid anymore.

Thanks for reading my story, it is an entry in the #STACH Short Story Fiction Contest, you can read the other entries here. https://steemit.com/contest/@stach/stach-short-story-contest-29-199-words-5-winners-15sb-prize-pool

Image from Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/en/equipment-outdoors-dirt-dig-2047314/