A Halloween Story About Taking Gardening Way Too Seriously

I hate to shop, but I make an exception for garden shops, and Molbak’s was one of the best. One thing I enjoyed was waiting in line and people-watching. I got the idea for my story Vampire Gourd from another customer. He was talking to his friend about what it would take to grow a giant pumpkin, and they speculated on what type of fertilizer it might need. By the time I got home, Vampire Gourd was finished—I just had to write it down.

Terry Calliope, the main character, is someone who will do anything for that blue ribbon, and I knew with Halloween right around the corner, a scary giant pumpkin would fit in.

He grows the biggest gourds in the county. Pity what he feeds them.

Vampire Gourd is a horror story with a dark sense of humor. It first came out in 2022 in a DreamPunk Press anthology for Halloween. The rights reverted, and several readers of that book named it their favorite in the collection. Now it’s available on its own—an inexpensive way to try out my writing.

Reader Quotes About Vampire Gourd

“Vampire Gourd” by Jennifer Kyrnin (5 stars)-A man that takes his gardening way too seriously. I loved this. Part of me wondered what was real or not real after a while in this story. I honestly don’t know if it’s possible to grow gourds as large as this guy was doing after a while. But for readers who want some blood and gore, this tale has it in spades. –Obsidian on Goodreads

Vampire Gourd 4 stars ~ I actually enjoyed the uniqueness of this story, a man who is very invested in his gardening. It started out super promising and I was so invested in the gory and blood it had. I enjoyed this story and it definitely set the mood, I liked the way it was written and the route it took. –Jonathan (Jon) on Goodreads

If I had to pick a “favourite” it would be Vampire Gourd. –Elizabeth on Goodreads

Readers have compared it to the movie Little Shop of Horrors, and one called it “a nice Creepshow style tale.” Another summed it up perfectly: “who would’ve thought you could fear a plant.”

If you’re looking for more like this, sign up for my newsletter for weekly updates and news when my next story comes out.