Gordon Jones has a cactus named Fred. Fred wears miniature glasses, looks exactly like Gordon, and according to Gordon, is alive in ways no plant should be.

His twin sister Jenny thinks it's the most ridiculous thing her weird brother has ever done. The whole house is flooded with classical music because Fred apparently hates rock. Beethoven, Brahms, and Bach play on repeat, night after night. Gordon murmurs to the cactus for hours before drifting off to sleep. And somehow, that strange little plant seems to be responding.

Fred brightens when he's pleased. Darkens when he's cross. And those soft fuzzy bumps? They sprout sharp spines when Fred feels threatened.

When the school bully makes the mistake of grabbing Fred and threatening to throw him into the incinerator, he drops to his knees and starts bawling, his hands bleeding. Gordon says Fred was just defending himself. Jenny isn't so sure. She's starting to realise that her brother's science project might be more than just sensitive. It might be dangerous. And Gordon doesn't seem to care at all.

A hilariously creepy tale of sibling rivalry, rogue science, and one very sinister pot plant.