The Child Eating Palm Tree

A Story by preposterous

This is a palm tree that eats children.

Once upon a time there was a palm tree that swallowed children whole. The swaying Palm Tree would stay intact
within its spindly roots and wait for a small child to come, then, when the wind was right, the Palm Tree would bend
down and eat the child. The Palm Tree would like to eat children, especially short, meaty ones that wore soft
clothing that helped scratch the Palm Tree's rough throat. It was best when the children had much fluids in them
like blood or water that wsa recentally drunk that helped the Palm Tree swallow smoothly.

The Palm Tree was rooted to the ground in some beach. Some beach that was very popular with
children that like Palm Trees for shade and pluck at the furry, soft, bark string that stuck out of the
sides. The meat-eating Palm Tree was a large shady tree that was smack in the middle of the water. Some-
times it's thick roots would dip into the water when no one was looking and snatch a child from their surfboard
or from their seashell diving. The Palm Tree's leaves were large and thick, so when it devoured a child the leaves
would suffocate them even harder to prevent struggle. Everytime a child was consumed, the Palm Tree would
grow half an inch larger by it's trunk and it's leaves. The roots would thicken and grow much longer and sometimes
plant itself deeper in the sand to ensure that the Palm Tree wasn't going anywhere, the Palm Tree enjoyed
devouring small, large, fat, thin, crunchy, and chewy children as much as a child loves to eat ice cream on a hot
summer day.
Now today was a very hot day, a blazing 87 degrees in Florida. Almost everyone was crowded at the
beach. Relaxing as the cool breeze swiftly blew at their sweltering faces and in their hair. The waves were huge
and splashed at the shore at giggling children and shrieking ones that nearly cried as their crude sandcastle
was washed away into the sea. Many foot prints were lined around the place, fat feet, flat feet, small feet,
thin feet, baby feet, all sorts of feet. Many hats were being blown away and being chased by women who
had lost them, sandals were being snatched away by children who were being sneaky and devious, some were
playing pranks on their parents, friends, or even strangers who were sitting down on the blanket in the shade and
closing their eyes, which was the best way to be pranked at the beach. Many life guards were docked at the life
guard towers, some reading magazines, peering in their binoculars, or sprinting over to the sea to save an
innocent life. This was a very happy life for these people, well atleast most of them, as you guessed,
the child eating Palm Tree was planted in the middle of the sea. It's trunk was now as thick as two elephants'
trunks. The leaves were like aloe leaves, only not filled with aloe, but some remains of children. The Palm Tree
had evolved some and grown small thorns, but they were nubby and not as sharp as a knife and did not cause
much pain. Many people were fascinated by the sight, the big Palm Tree that was bigger than them,
large leaves with nubby thorns, but did not pay attention to it.
This particular day, the Palm Tree was swaying along with the wind, there is a child. An average sized child wearing blue swimming trousers and red goggles straped
to his head and a bag of shiny sea shells gripped in his hands. He would dive for beautiful seashells and display
them in his beach house along the shore. The boy had just now discovered the Palm Tree, which to us, is a horrible
thing, but to him, was the best thing, for the Palm Tree had many shiny shells near it's roots. The boy thought
that this was the luckiest thing. Many shells with patterns and colors, shapes and sizes, and he was the one to find
it. He put his cherry red goggles on and tightened his grip on the Zip-Lock bag of sea shells, non of which were
as great as the Palm Tree's shells. He took a great big gulp of air and the dove down. The swam down using
his great swimming skills and quickly collected five of hundreds of shells then began swimming to the surface.
As the boy was about the reach the top of the water, something thick and rough wrapped around his right leg.
The boy, who was quickly running out of air, took a quick glance at what had grabbed him and bubbles began
shooting out of his mouth as he saw the frightening sight. A thick root from the Palm Tree was coiled around
his leg and another root was aiming for his other. The boy tried his best to hold in his screams and tried to tug
away, but the roots were strong and they felt like they would tear his leg off if he tried. At last, another
thick root had wrapped around his left leg and pulled him down. The boy ran out of oxygen and his weak
hand finally lost it's grip and dropped to the ocean floor, spilling the beautiful prizes on the sand. A thin
root of the Palm Tree's reached over and swept the shells over near him so another boy would come swimming
to him. The Palm Tree waited patiently for a large wind, and when it came, the Palm Tree bent down, swaying
with the wind until it's leaves touched the sea, and then it's roots would scoop the dead child up, and devour it,
then wait patiently for another child.