The Cake With the Secret Ingredient
by Peggy Gerber
Ariel’s heart was pounding as she stumbled into the local coffee shop. Breathing in the heavenly scent, she spotted her sister and sat down at her table. She said, “Thanks for meeting me here Julia. Did you order anything yet?”
“Yeah, I ordered you a slice of triple layer chocolate cake with butter cream frosting and shaved chocolate on top, and I ordered myself the strawberry short cake with extra cream and fresh strawberries. Also cappuccinos for both of us.”
“Thanks, Julia,” she muttered, “But listen, I have something to tell you.” Before she could continue, the waitress arrived with their food and Julia immediately began digging into her cake, moaning with satisfaction.
Ariel shook her head and exclaimed, “Julia, I think you and your cake need to get a room.”
Julia responded, “Laugh all you want Ariel, but this is the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted. The Bakerians just keep outdoing themselves. First they came to this planet and accelerated the end of the pandemic. Look at us, we don’t have to wear masks anymore. Then they gave us this food that is so yummy there aren’t even words to describe it. But, of course, the best part is that it does not make you gain weight. It’s like a miracle. I eat cake now every single day and I don’t worry about my weight.” Julia got up and spun around in a circle bubbling, “ I can wear yoga pants in public without feeling self-conscious. I’m so happy. Aren’t you happy?”
Ariel sighed, “ Yes, I was happy but now—”
Julia cut her off, “Ariel, remember when the Bakerians first arrived? The two of us couldn’t stop crying. We were sure we were going to die. I still gasp every time I see them. I mean their lizard-like appearance and creepy yellow eyes are terrifying. But they learned our language, and they were gentle, and they let us call them by that silly name. It’s hilarious. They said they had a plan to help us, and they kept their promise. So stop being your usual pessimistic self and enjoy life a little bit. The Bakerians are truly a gift from the universe.”
Ariel hissed. “No! It’s not true.” Julia stopped talking and gasped as her sister began to cry. She almost never cried.
Ariel moaned, “Julia, what I’m about to tell you is so scary you must promise not to tell Mom!” Julia stuck out her finger and the two sisters pinky-swore, just as they had when they were children. Ariel began, “Julia, you know how I’ve been eating a lot of cake? It’s like I’m addicted or something. Well, a weird thing is happening to me, and I don’t know what to do. I need your help.”
The color drained from Julia’s face, as she grabbed her sister’s hand. She stammered, “What’s wrong?”
Ariel leaned over and whispered, “Today, when I went to the bathroom, I pooped green. Not forest green, not dark green, but fluorescent green, like you see in those glow necklaces you get at weddings and bar mitzvahs.”
“Oh, my God, Ariel! That’s gross!”
“There’s more. I didn’t know what to do so I asked Zac, and he told me to cut it open and see what’s inside. So I did and there were eggs in there. Thousands of them, and they were wiggling like they were about to hatch.”
Julia scrunched her face in disgust. “Zac told you to fish your poop out of the toilet and you did it? Disgusting! And then you cut it up? What’s wrong with you?”
Ariel sighed. “Focus, Julia, you’re missing the point. There are eggs in the cake. I think the Bakerians are giving us this cake so we can incubate their eggs and have the alien babies hatch in the sewers. I’ll bet the reason we never gained weight from the cake was because the eggs were sucking out the nutrients and storing it as their own food.
“You know how the Bakerians provided all that cake and other food for third world countries? We were all so happy. Nobody would have to go hungry anymore. Well, they are still baking and delivering cake every single day. There are literally millions of people eating their eggs. What are we going to do? “
Julia frowned. “I’m confused. Why is that happening to you and not to me? I love cake, too.”
Ariel’s face fell. She said, “I’m so ashamed. Zac and I have been eating cake for all our meals and snacks. Lemon chiffon cake for breakfast, apple cake for lunch, and carrot cake with soft, cream cheese frosting for dinner. We figured since the cakes had fruits and vegetables they were okay for meals. After dinner. Zac and I would have chocolate cake for dessert. Oh, Julia, we are so addicted we can’t stop eating it. Even after my discovery I still had cake for lunch, and I am about to eat the chocolate cake in front of me now.”
Julia furrowed her eyebrows, “Why isn’t this on the news, or all over the Internet?” She bellowed, “Ariel, get your hands away from that cake!”
Ariel began staring at her cake and said, “Zac and I think it is some kind of conspiracy. The government has to know what’s going on, right? The CIA must be involved. I don’t know why only some people seem to incubate the babies. Maybe it’s people with a certain blood type. I spent the whole afternoon doing research and every time an Instagram post or tweet appeared, it disappeared instantly. I think some government agency or alien force is sucking it off the Internet before it can be reposted. Julia, I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
Julia’s eyes opened wide as Ariel began eating her cake. Julia slapped her hands away and dumped the cake on the floor. When Ariel bent down to pick it up, Julia slapped her hands again. She screamed, “Stop! We have to tell Mom. We’ll lock you in a room at Mom’s house and you’ll stay there until it’s out of your system. We’ll take care of you and make sure you don’t eat any more cake. We will break this addiction. We will do whatever it takes. I promise.”
Ariel thought about what that would mean. No more banana fudge cake with chocolate chips and walnuts for breakfast. No more pineapple upside-down cake for lunch. No more double chocolate, chocolate brownie cake for dessert. Ever again.
Ariel’s mind was becoming cloudy. She was having trouble thinking. Her thoughts were a jumble as she flashed on all the different cakes she’d had over the past few weeks. The cravings were becoming unbearable. She couldn’t give up her cake. She howled, “Julia, please don’t tell Mom! I will handle this myself. Zac and I will figure it out. Promise me you won’t tell Mom!”
Julia’s legs were beginning to buckle. She had never seen her sister desperate like this. Trembling, she linked arms with her sister and held on tight. She said, “No, Ariel, we are going to Mom’s. It will be okay. You will be okay.”
Ariel growled, “For God’s sake, Julia, stop being such an optimist. You don’t send heroin addicts to their mother’s house. I’m in real trouble here. Please let go of my arm. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Julia grabbed on to Ariel even tighter and murmured, “You would never hurt me, Ariel. We are more than just sisters, we are best friends. I trust you.”
With her sister’s words still echoing in her brain, Ariel heard a loud scream pierce the air. She looked around to see where it had come from and realized it was her. In her deep frenzy, she had taken a knife from the coffee shop and stabbed her sister in the abdomen. Ariel dropped to her knees and held her moaning sister in her arms saying over and over again, “I’m so sorry. I love you Julia, but I must have cake.”
Ariel let go of her sister’s limp body and began to wail, horrified at what she had done, wishing she was the one who was hurt. She got up, dialed 911, and said a silent prayer as she began running away as fast as she could. She didn’t know where she would go or what she would do, but she knew she must have cake. As she stopped to catch her breath, she looked down at the hands that betrayed her and saw they were covered with her sister’s blood. It was not red.
Copyright © 2021 by Peggy Gerber
