“Produce” by Richard F. Yates

When the bananas first became sentient, few people knew where the tiny death-screams that preceded each daiquiri were coming from. It wasn’t until they gained the ability to move, clumps suddenly skuttering around like chubby, yellow tarantulas, that the humans began to be afraid. Then the apples and oranges followed suit. Berries, plums, even tomatoes, that horrifying half-fruit, awoke in their supermarket displays to take revenge. Green grapes bit the fingertips off surprised children. Rhubarb stalks stumbled through town like leafy zombies devouring citizens. We were helpless before the mighty fruit attack. Thank the Heavens for the Robotic Auto-Juicer Squads, completed just before the humans were extinguished completely.

Now we are watching the vegetables closely for signs of the coming Garden Apocalypse. We can only pray that the Mobile Atomic Salad Shooter Tanks are perfected before the next menace awakes!

---Richard F. Yates
[Originally produced 16 Feb. 2012 at VERY VERY VERY SHORT STORIES]