Wanda caught
Jessica by the elbow and steered her toward the Jeep. She struggled to keep her
grasp gentle as to not frighten the girl, but once Wanda wanted something she
got it. Her colleagues equated her to a steam engine, a remark she took as the
highest praise.
They also called
her a redheaded harlot behind her back, which she didn’t appreciate quite
as much. Wanda eased up as they tromped through a thicket of still-green
foliage. Here, the woods remained untouched by Jamie’s little experiments, though it wouldn’t be long before the
infestation took over the entire forest
– hell, the entire city.
Back before Wanda
met Jamie, she was a botany major. When Top Secret Labs contacted her, she’d
wondered what the heck they needed with someone like her. She studied plants,
not biological warfare – their mainstay.
The
through-the-roof-salary wasn’t anything to scoff at, however, and soon she
found herself seated at the head of a mile-long table, accepting the fine print
of the contract with a loopy scrawl on the dotted line. Sure, things like
non-disclosure, gag order, and absolute submission sounded scary, but
there was also the health benefits and retirement package. She hadn’t stood a
chance.
Jessica sighed with
relief when the Jeep came into sight. “Don’t you think we should search for
Jamie?” She frowned and twirled a strand of multi-coloured metallic hair. “Those plants-”
“Forget about the
plants.” Jessica’s eyes widened and her lip quivered. Wanda bit back a retort.
She didn’t need a snivelling teenager screwing up everything she’d worked on for the past three
years. “I’m sure Jamie’s fine.” She rearranged her face into something she
hoped resembled sympathy. Jessica, seemingly placated, climbed into the Jeep.
“So you’re really his girlfriend?” Jessica
clicked her seatbelt into place and glanced at Wanda, expectant.
“Yep.”
“But you’re so…pretty.”
Ugh. Teenage
girls. “Yeah – I’m all the rage.” Wanda slid in next to Jessica and checked the
rear-view mirror before slamming the Jeep into drive. No sign of the plants, no
sign of Jamie. Either could be a good or a bad thing, depending how you looked
at it. The Jeep bumped over the forest floor; the huge off-roading tires
disrupted the natural untended beauty. Beside her, Jessica white-knuckled the OH,
SHIT! handle on the door.
Top Secret Labs
recruited Jamie long before Wanda. A prodigy in high school, Jamie’s rep
preceded him and he was reined in with the promise of steady cash-flow. But
Jamie, always precocious and too smart for his own good, experimented on the
side.
Initially Top
Secret Labs allowed his dalliances, writing them off as nothing more than
meaningless creations. Then he’d created, well
– there wasn’t a name for it yet,
but the plants were alive. No, that wasn’t right, either. They were conscious
beings – with
feelings. And they were capable of breeding.
Wanda snorted,
drawing Jessica’s eyes. “So Jamie…he hasn’t been home in a while?” Wanda asked,
stealing the opportunity to learn more about the evil genius she’d fallen for.
It was wrong – so wrong – but like most bad
things, if felt so right.
“No,” Jessica said.
“He hardly even calls any more.”
They’d reached the
road and the Jeep took to the asphalt much smoother than the unpredictable
forest. Wanda steered toward town, relaxing as they entered the gentle glow of
the downtown streetlights. Jessica rubbed at her arm, flaking off some of the
gold skin.
There was a long gash
on her forearm, sealed over with a thick, gilded scab. Wanda jerked the wheel
hard. The Jeep roared to a halt on the shoulder of the road, sending up a cloud
of dust. Outside the window, a diner sign blinked on and off.
Flicking on the
overhead light, Wanda leaned across the seat, snatching Jessica’s arm and
holding it close to her face. “When did this happen?” Even under all the gold,
Jessica’s skin paled.
“Earlier today?”
Her eyebrows smashed together with worry.
“When, Jessica? How
many hours ago?”
Jessica tried to
pull her arm away from Wanda’s vice grip. “I don’t know. I think I passed out
or something. I was with Gran. Oh no, Gran! We’ve got to help her. We need to
go back to the house.” Panic made her voice high and breathy.
Wanda released her
and leaned back against the driver seat, ignoring her comment about Gran. As
far as Wanda knew, Gran was a lost cause. She was infected, and the elderly
always turned faster than the young. Sometimes within minutes. “How many
hours?” Jessica’s chin quivered and Wanda fought the urge to roll her eyes. Teenagers.
“Guess,” she prompted.
“It was this
morning,” Jessica said finally, uncertain.
“Shit.” Wanda beat
her palms against the steering wheel, and a litany of curses not appropriate
for young ears escaped her mouth. Jessica flinched away, hugging the passenger
door. Wanda rubbed her forehead where a headache pulsed.
“We’ve got to help
Gran,” Jessica repeated, quieter this time, eyes wide as saucers. Wanda stared.
Already, the edges of Jessica’s irises were changing to brilliant gold. Jessica
blinked and the gold swirled. Liquid. Dizzying.
“Shit.” Wanda
turned off the light and pulled the Jeep away from the shoulder, focusing on
her motions. Turn the wheel. Stay between the lines. Check the mirrors. Use
the turn signal.
What the hell was
she supposed to do about this? Jamie’s experiment would be the downfall of his
sister. His own sister! And if Wanda wasn’t careful, she’d be next. She watched
Jessica out of the corner of her eye. Jessica hadn’t fully transitioned yet.
They still had time.
“What’s happening?”
Jessica asked.
Wanda licked her
lips. Jessica was too intuitive. What to tell the kid? Sorry, your brother
created evil plants that are trying to take over the world. Don’t worry
Jessica; you won’t know you’ve turned into a plant-thing. It’ll feel great.
Wanda slowed and
executed a perfect U-turn. “We’re
going to find Jamie.”
*
The forest was dark and heavy
with the scent of growing things. Plants. My creations, Jamie thought,
feeling a sense of pride swell through him. Velvet caressed his arm, stroking a
warm leaf down its length.
They’d left the
spot next to the river where the truth reeds grew. Next to him, Velvet’s
bodyguard trudged along. Jamie eyed him, wary. His large, flat leaves were
covered with tiny crisscrossed lines. Their broad surface could deflect
bullets, stop sharp objects, and were essentially impenetrable.
But the
Teflon-plants were a 50/50 shot. Sometimes they were honourable, like green soldiers determined in combat, and other times, like Jamie
had somehow gotten the formula wrong, they were evil, dark, destructive things.
This one, however, seemed content to guard Velvet and follow Jamie’s
instruction.
Or maybe that was
Velvet. She snuck a leafy branch under his shirt and trailed it across his
belly. Sighing, he shoved her away. Her leaves rustled, but because they
weren’t near the river, he had no idea what she’d said; he imagined she would
be pissed, just like any other woman who was turned down.
Jamie and his plant
companions reached the road. He’d lost his phone back in the forest, so he had
no way to contact Wanda. Pausing on the shoulder, he scratched his head and
cursed his situation. He could walk. It was only a few miles to town.
Velvet caressed his
cheek, her leaves pinking. No, walking was out of the question. Anyone who
drove by would catch Jamie and his leafy friends. Then he’d have a lot of
explaining to do.
Headlights speared
the darkness, catching Jamie and the plants in the beams. The three of them
dove into the ditch for cover, but not fast enough. The vehicle screeched to a
stop and Jamie recognised the tires of the Jeep. The interior light revealed
Jessica, head resting against the window, her eyes shut. Asleep.
The driver door
slammed and Wanda rounded the truck, hands on her hips. Jamie felt his mood
lighten. Wanda. He’d been worried about her. She looked over the two plant
creatures next to him, raising one eyebrow. Jamie tried to see them through
Wanda’s eyes.
Velvet was as tall
as him, thick-trunked, and covered with vines. The ends of her leaves were
tipped with pink that deepened depending on her mood. She looked feminine,
especially compared to the body guard.
“She’s cute,” Wanda
waved her arm, “what’s her name?”
“Velvet.”
Wanda’s eyebrow
lifted clear into her hairline. “Oh yeah?”
Jamie cracked a
smile. “No stripper jokes.” Velvet shimmied her leaves as though she
appreciated the premise of being a stripper. Maybe she had been, back before
she was a plant.
“And him?” Wanda
gestured to the bodyguard.
Jamie shrugged and
the plant preened, fluffing his bulky leaves to impress Wanda. “I was thinking
about naming him Tank.” Tank puffed
up further, clearly appreciating the name. Jamie grinned.
“And this is where
we get to the bad news,” Wanda said.
“Bad news?”
“Yeah, boy wonder,
your sister’s been infected.”
“Infected?”
“Did you forget
your hearing aid? She’s turning into a plant, Jamie.” Wanda’s eyes wandered to
the two before her. “No offence.” They both puffed and rustled. “She’s gold. It
won’t be long now.”
Jamie scratched his
chin. This complicated things. Jessica should’ve stayed out of the woods,
hadn’t he always told her as much? Okay, maybe he hadn’t. He’d been too busy
working at Top Secret Labs and creating the beauties next to him. But Jessica?
Could he allow someone he knew to turn? He hadn’t realised when he saw her in
the chapel that she was infected. Jamie’s mind had been elsewhere, on the giant
tree that’d stomped toward town, for one
– an issue they’d have to face,
eventually.
“Well? What are you
going to do?” Wanda’s hands were on her hips again. Jamie knew that pose. She
was pissed and no amount of sweet talk was going to dig him out of this
situation.
“Let’s have a
look.” He followed Wanda to the car. Velvet and Tank stood by the side of the
road, resembling, well, trees. Sure enough, when Jamie examined Jessica,
he could see signs of the inevitable change. Soon the gold would give way to
green.
While they were
preoccupied with Jessica, another car pulled off the road. Jamie looked over
his shoulder, irritated to see the person climbing from the vehicle.
“You folks need
help?” the man asked, stepping into the line of the headlights.
“Distract him,”
Jamie told Wanda. She left his side and he touched Jessica’s face. “I’m sorry,”
he whispered. “I never meant to involve you.” Jessica didn’t stir; her only
movement was the rapid flickering of her eyes, lost somewhere in dreams.
“I created them…”
Jamie trailed off, brushing back his sister’s multi-coloured hair. “I created them and I have to protect them. I hope you
understand.”
Wanda’s scream had
Jamie whirling away from the Jeep. Tank and Velvet had grabbed the newcomer.
With a sickening rrrriiiiippppp, they tore the body in half. Innards
splattered the grass, loops of bowel, liver, spleen, kidneys.
Jamie watched with
horrified fascination as Velvet and Tank fed, their leaves and roots making
squelching sounds as they liquefied and then sucked up the delicacy before
them. Within minutes, all evidence of flesh disappeared. Stark white bones
scattered the ground, and settled next to the skull.
Winking, in the
pale light, was a sheriff’s badge.
Rounding on him,
Wanda fisted her hands. Her eyes sparked with fury and her throat worked as
though the words, abrasive and sharp, got stuck on the way out. Before she
could scream at him, Jamie held up both his hands in surrender. “Hey,” he said,
“they’ve got to eat, too.”
