Trust Machines Short - Birthday Cake

“Why are we here?”

“My friend Georgia’s birthday.”

“Georgia? You haven’t introduced me to any Georgia.”

“Haven’t seen her in a year,” Merry said, kissing her boyfriend, Caleb. “You and I met a couple months after her last birthday.”

“Oh. Why haven’t you seen her?”

“That’s a surprise.”

“A surprise? Isn’t a surprise party for the birthday person?”

“In this case it’s for you.” Merry stood up on the sofa in the living room and said, “Hey, everybody. Who else besides Caleb hasn’t met Georgia?”

A couple people admitted they hadn’t.

Tonia stood in front of the couch. “Get down.” She said to Caleb, “It feels like you’ve been dating Merry forever. It’s been less than a year?”

“’Fraid so,” he said. “What’s the surprise?”

“You didn’t say? I’m not saying. You’ll know in eighty-seven minutes or so,” she said looking at her phone. A timer was displayed on the surface, counting down to zero.

Eric handed Caleb a birthday hat. “Put this on.”

“No one else is wearing one.”

“Holly and Greg are wearing them,” Eric said, pointing out the two others wearing hats. “It signifies you never met Georgia.”

“Why is that important?”

“We don’t want anyone spoiling the surprise. So everyone knows you never met her because you have the hat.”

The party continued. More people arrived. Some gifts were sitting on the dining table. Two more hats were handed out.

“Why is there an empty cake plate on the table with a bunch of used candles on it?”

“That was from her last birthday.”

“She was delici...”

“Hush.”

Greg approached Caleb. “Any ideas?”

“What? Oh the hat. No idea.”

“Holly has no clue either.”

“You’ll know in like ten minutes,” Merry said. She put her arms on his shoulders and kissed Caleb. “It’s all in fun.”

Tonia announced, “One minute. Places.”

The crowd gathered around the table. Once gathered, the crowd started singing the birthday song. Just before it ended, a woman appeared, standing on the table where the empty cake plate sat.

Cheers erupted. Birthday well-wishes were called out. A couple people said, “Welcome back.”

Abe helped her down from the table. Tonia placed a cake in the spot she had been standing and Georgie blew out the burning candles. More cheers were made.

“What happened?” Holly said, not far from an equally confused Caleb.

Greg was laughing. “She was venned.”

“Into an empty cake plate?”

“No, last year she was venned into the most delicious birthday cake.”

“You didn’t get to taste her? Too bad. I doubt this cake will be as good.”

“A birthday cake?” Holly said. “Everyone ate her?”

“It was her idea. Tell her, G.”

“What was my idea?”

“All this.”

“Oh, yes. It was my idea to be eaten on my birthday and restored on my next birthday.”

Before they could ask more questions, she was pulled away by other friends who wanted to talk to her.

“How does someone loss a year like that?”

“She probably gains it back by living a year longer than she otherwise would.”

“Unless she dies from an accident,” Caleb said.

“Don’t be so down.”

“He has to be. He didn’t get to eat her last year.”

“Oh, she was so delicious.”