'SHROOMS
She checked them am counter checked them in her field guide to edible plants. The closest match described the mushrooms as "edible with earthy undertones and a robust full flavor" and thus they wound up on the pizza - just as easy as that.
A little chorizo sausage, some asiago cheese, and a homemade pesto sauce for the base and they were ready to go.
She pulled the bubbling pizza from the oven and inhaled the aromas steaming upward, the garlic and basil, the spicy smoked sausage, the sharp cheese, and yes - a hint of earthiness.
They ate out in the backyard, not far from where the mushrooms had sprouted up around their harden hose.
It was delicious. The robust bottle of Carmanere a perfect compliment to the dish.
By nine o'clock that night, they were huddled in a corner of the basement, all the lights shut off. In the fat corner, a single candle flickered, it's orange flame a whirling ballerina that spit upwards into the dark.
They could hear the creatures prowling outside, shuffling through the gloaming, sniffing for their prey.
Things had started going bad shortly after dinner. First it had been uncontrollable laughter, more than a glass of wine for each of the four diners would merit. Next was the swirling sunset, an eerie unnatural display. Finally, the creatures arrived, great shadowy beasts born of shadows.
They were hidden now though, safe from all bit the angry flaming ballerina whirling a dervish I'm the far corner.
They were scared. Things had taken a turn for the unexplainable and there was simply no explanation. Chemical sunsets, fierce predators in the night, and now dripping wax-like extremities. She watched her fingers slowly melt, stretching to two, three times their normal length.
The terror finally overcame her and she passed out, retreating deep into her own mind and a vivid realm of sleep.
When she awoke, the day ha begin anew. Her friends had fallen asleep around her, but the world felt safe once more. She realized then, that it had been the mushrooms, a toxic addition to an otherwise delicious meal.
She stood on shaky legs and went to the bathroom where she washed down a few Tylenol with a tall glass of water.
She would never eat mushrooms again, not even from the store.
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