The Greenhouse Effect Read online

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  Once cleanup was finished, Mei decided it was time to be brave and go upstairs to the greenhouse.

  Where are those lazy cats, she thought.

  Mei stood at the bottom of the stairs and opened the large door. Immediately she could tell that something strange was happening in the greenhouse above her. The light was a dark, milky gray even though it was well past the dome equivalent of sunrise. Mei climbed the stairs, stopping at the top step to look in awe through the greenhouse windows to a winter wonderland under the dome. She had never seen so much snow! She didn’t know that the dome could even make snow like that. It completely surrounded the side walls of the greenhouse in a layer a few inches deep but somehow the roof remained untouched.

  Mei became dizzy from looking up and stopped to catch her balance on the top step. As she stepped up into the greenhouse she began to sense thoughts, or maybe they were just feelings coming from all around her.

  “What happened to all the good light?”

  “The sun doesn't want to stay lit.”

  “I'm starving. I need more nutrients.”

  “Birdies!” “Mmmmm, fishies!”

  Mei wondered where these thoughts and feelings she was sensing were coming from. What was that about birds and fish? she wondered.

  “I wish these stupid plants would SHUT UP! At least they are getting fed.”

  Now that is an actual tiny voice, thought Mei, in amazement. This is getting stranger by the minute. Mei looked around wondering where the voice could be coming from. It didn’t take long to find the source. There on the potting table, in the corner by the cactus dish, was the fattest brown spider that Mei could remember ever seeing. Covering its back were what had to be hundreds of black, pinpoint spots.

  “What's the matter? I hope you like spiders?”

  “Um, yes of course! My apologies. I just didn’t expect to find a spider, let alone a talking one. My name is Mei. And yours....?”

  “Larry. Nice to meet you Mei. Now can you get these plants to shut up and catch me a nice fly or ant? I'm starved!”

  Mei was no longer thinking about reason she had originally come upstairs, what with all these thoughts that weren't hers and now a bossy, talking spider too. What a strange morning, she kept thinking over and over. She looked for the chair behind her and sat down.

  Settling back in the chair, she saw a nearly dead ant at the base of the banana tree. Picking it up, she leaned over and plopped it in Larry's spider web. Larry immediately came out and poked the ant enough times to stun it, as if it hadn’t already been comatose, and proceeded to wrap it up with his spider silk.

  “I’d complain that I could have frozen before you got me this, but as you can tell it's nice and cozy in here”, said Larry as he wrapped his new meal up tenderly. “Out there though it looks more like a blizzard,” Larry said as he gestured outside with a few of his legs. “I figure it must be a blizzard. I've never seen snow like this! Okay, you've got me. I've never seen snow at all, but that's beside the point. The point is I'd appreciate it if you would get these plants to shut up!”

  Larry's single-mindedness made Mei laugh. Yes sir. Right on it, Sir! she thought as she dripped fertilizer powder in to the water supply barrel. That water supply, controlled by a timer, was then fed to hoses that kept all the plants watered on a regular schedule. For the biggest whiners, the tomatoes and tropical plants, she made sure the temperature was set just right. As the water dripped into each pot and the plants soaked it up, the only thoughts Mei could still sense were about reaching the light so she turned on more grow lights and the plants thoughts slowly started receding completely from her mind.

  Mei had been so intent on attending to the plants that she didn’t notice two sleeping bundles of fur on the floor.

  "So here you are you lazy kitties. I was wondering where you were."

  Maow and Poo were curled up on the floor next to the palm tree. Mei began laughing out loud after realizing that the thoughts about birdies and fishies she sensed earlier must have been from Maow and Poo.

  In no time Mei had Maow scooped up in her arms. Maow was purring even before Mei had a chance to get in the first scratch under the chin. Brrrt! Here's my human! The purring became thunderous when Mei began scratching gently. Meanwhile, Poo was awake and not the least interested in being picked up and snuggled. She wanted to start her day with a BIG, cold fresh bowl of water and some fresh, dry food to wash it down. Cold water any time now if you please.

  Mei put Maow down with a ‘Brrrt!’ and walked over to the sink, careful not to step on either cat as they circled her feet in anticipation of breakfast.

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