Plant Story - HCS3
Plant Story - HCS3
Title: Planet Verdora: The Walking Plants
Author: Ravi Marlowe
Genre: Dream Horror / Surreal Fantasy
Length:
Chapter 1: The Awakening
I woke up lying on soft moss, the sky above a glowing gradient of green and gold. Every breath I took smelled like flowers and fresh rain. But the world around me was alive in a way I’d never imagined.
Plants were walking. They wore clothes, carried bags, and moved like humans. Some waved. Others juggled fruits or practiced yoga. A vine with glasses carried a book and waved politely as it passed.
“Welcome to Verdora,” said a sunflower child, bouncing on tiny root legs. “We don’t often get visitors like you.”
I blinked. “I… I’m Beena. And I’m the only human?”
“Yes,” the sunflower giggled. “But you’ll see, we do everything humans do.”
Chapter 2: The Playground Grove
I wandered into a park where every tree seemed to be alive and walking. The playground was bustling. Sprouts slid down leaf slides, climbed twisted root ladders, and swung on vines. A group of baby ferns played tag, dodging glowing pollen balls.
Nearby, older Groots played soccer with a giant dandelion ball. The crowd of plants cheered, clapping leaves together. One tiny vine girl waved at me. “Do you want to join?”
I laughed nervously. For a moment, it felt… normal.
Chapter 3: Verdora Schools
Curious, I followed a path to a large building made of intertwined branches. This was the school. Children sat on leaf benches, studying under the guidance of an elderly willow teacher.
The blackboard glowed softly, displaying numbers and letters made of sunlight patterns. The children practiced counting, spelling, and even art. One little sprout painted a portrait of a cloud, another carved miniature boats from bark.
The teacher glanced at me. “Human visitors must learn quickly, Beena,” it said. “Or the next class of sprouts might learn about you before you learn about us.”
Chapter 4: Verdora Malls
Next, I wandered into the shopping district. Glowing vines formed roofs over streets, and flower taxis floated like petals in motion.
Shops sold sparkling sap drinks, leaf-stitched clothes, pollen perfumes, and moss trinkets. Baby cacti ran around laughing, while vine teenagers tried on petal sunglasses. One store had a “Make Your Own Bonsai” workshop; another displayed holographic seeds for future planting.
At the food court, a group of ferns shared glowing fruit salads, dipping them in honey dew. I was offered a spoon of sweet sap pudding.
“Eat,” said a smiling flower woman. “It helps humans adjust.”
Chapter 5: Cinemas and Theatres
I found a cinema made entirely of petals and vines. The screen was a glowing leaf. Tonight’s feature was “The Brave Dandelion”, a heroic story of a lone plant rescuing the forest from a creeping weed.
The audience - walking, talking plants of all shapes - clapped their leaves together at the exciting moments. A few nodded at me, smiling politely as if welcoming me to their world.
There were also theaters showing plays: one had a melodrama starring two rose sisters in love with the same sunflower. Another had an action show where vines fought invading roots. I realized… they had all the entertainment humans have, just leafy.
Chapter 6: TV and Home Life
Curious about how plants relaxed at home, I wandered into neighborhoods. Tree houses were built into massive trunks, with glowing sap lights inside. Families sat together, watching leaf-shaped TVs.
One family had a fern father, moss mother, and three little sprouts. They watched a cooking show, learning to make nut milks and pollen pies. Another vine couple cuddled on a moss couch while a tiny cactus child played a video game with sunlight-powered controls.
Even in their homes, everything was alive. Curtains were creeping ivy, rugs were soft moss, and the walls whispered softly if you listened closely.
Chapter 7: Sports and Activities
I followed a vine teenager to the sports complex. There, plants were swimming in leaf-shaped pools, playing basketball with hollowed-out coconuts, and skateboarding on root ramps.
Some were practicing martial arts with twisting branches as staffs. Others were running races, weaving around each other gracefully. They even had a library gym, where reading and exercise happened together - plants balanced books on their heads while stretching.
I tried jogging next to them, but my legs felt heavy compared to their flexible roots. Still… it was exhilarating.
Chapter 8: Beaches and Boating
At the beach, sunflowers played volleyball, while seaweed Groots swam in sparkling green water. Coconut “beach balls” bounced gently. Tiny sprouts built sandcastles using shells and moss.
A group of vine adults invited me to try a leaf-boat ride. The boats were hollowed-out logs with glowing sap sails. We paddled through a river that shimmered like liquid emerald. The breeze smelled of honey and chlorophyll.
Chapter 9: Streets, Driving, and Daily Life
I borrowed a leaf-bike from a friendly fern. Riding through the streets, I saw traffic—but it was orderly. Flower cars floated quietly, root-powered buses stopped at glowing vine stations, and pedestrian sprouts crossed carefully.
Everywhere, Groots lived their daily life: grocery stores, schools, parks, cinemas, restaurants. They worked, shopped, exercised, played, and laughed—just like humans.
Yet, I felt… different. I was the only flesh human, the only outsider. Their eyes, when they glanced at me, seemed to notice more than my appearance—they noticed me.
Chapter 10: The Wonder Before the Shadow
As night fell, I reached a quiet garden where plants were settling down. Families sang soft leaf lullabies. Children hugged moss toys. Even the street lamps - flower-shaped - bent toward me as if to say goodnight.
I sat on a soft patch of moss and whispered, “This world… is magical.”
The wind rustled, almost as if replying: “But not all is as it seems, Beena.”
Chapter 11: The First Glances
The next morning, I woke on a soft moss bed near the river. At first, everything seemed normal. Sunlight spilled across the green streets, flowers waved politely, and children laughed on the playground.
But something felt different.
Everywhere I went, plants stopped moving the moment I entered. Flower vendors froze mid-handshake, vine joggers halted mid-step. Leaves rustled sharply, almost like whispers, and every eye - whether sunflower, fern, or cactus - seemed fixed on me.
A small dandelion child tugged at another vine and whispered, “She’s here… again.”
I swallowed hard. I realized I wasn’t just noticed - I was being watched.
Chapter 12: The Posters and News
Later, I walked near the town square and froze. Everywhere were posters with my face, pinned to tree trunks and glowing bushes:
“MISSING HUMAN: BEENA – LAST SEEN IN VERDORA. APPROACH WITH CAUTION.”
Screens in the cinemas and cafes showed a looping news report. A stern vine anchor spoke:
"Attention citizens of Verdora. A human named Beena has been observed wandering freely. All citizens are advised to report sightings. Authorities are on high alert."
Even the moss rugs in homes seemed to lean toward me like eyes. Children stopped playing, parents whispered urgently, and the streets emptied.
Panic surged through me. I had been singled out.
Chapter 13: The Police Groot
I turned a corner and froze. A squad of police Groots - thick-rooted, armored with bark shields - blocked the road. They carried glowing lances that crackled with energy. One stepped forward:
“Human Beena,” it said, its voice rustling like breaking branches. “You are to come with us. Resistance will result in containment.”
I bolted. Heart hammering, I ran through twisting alleys lined with ivy. Sprouts called out directions to the police, and leaves rustled like alarms. I realized every plant was now a watcher.
Chapter 14: The Escape Begins
I darted through a crowded market, leaping over moss tables and glowing sap puddles. A vine teenager tried to block me, but I dodged under a hanging basket of flowers.
I ran into an abandoned cinema. The leaf screen flickered, showing my own face on every seat, every wall: “Have you seen Beena?”
I crouched behind a velvet moss curtain, trembling. My chest burned, and my eyes darted around. Every shadow seemed to move. Every whisper was a warning.
Chapter 15: Hiding in the Green
Hours passed. I hid in rooftops of massive tree-homes, slid into overgrown alleyways, and squeezed into hollowed vines. The Groots searched tirelessly, their glowing eyes sweeping the streets, their bark armor clinking.
Even in the shadows, I felt them watching. A creeping ivy would twitch as I passed, a flower would lean my way, and the wind seemed to carry messages: “We see you, human.”
Chapter 16: The Fear Multiplies
At one point, I ducked into a school playground. The swings moved slowly, as if nudged by invisible hands. Chalkboards outside had new messages in sunlight letters:
“RUN. THERE IS NO SAFE PLACE.”
I crouched behind a vine slide, heart hammering. From the top of a tree, a sunflower child stared at me with hollow eyes. I realized the children were no longer playing - they were scouts, silently signaling the police.
Every place I had explored before - the malls, cinemas, parks - was now a trap. Every friendly face had turned into an observer. Even animals… or what passed for animals here… seemed to shrink from me, whispering through leaves.
Chapter 17: The Alleyway Shadow
Desperate, I ducked into a narrow alley where moss grew thick and the air smelled sweet but heavy. I crouched behind a wall of creeping ivy, shaking. My hands were bruised from sliding over rough bark and roots.
From above, I saw a patrol of police Groots pass by. Their roots scraped the ground in a steady rhythm. Every leaf in the alley seemed to shiver, almost pointing me out.
I dared not move. I dared not breathe. My reflection flickered in a puddle - a pale human in a world of green predators.
Chapter 18: The Panic of the Streets
When I finally dared to move, the city felt alive in a different way. Streets that were once vibrant were now silent but tense, like a giant lung ready to exhale. Posters with my face rustled, screens blinked, and plants stared.
Even the rivers seemed to curve toward me, as if trying to channel me into their grasp. I had no plan, no allies, no safe spot. Only one thought repeated in my head: I must hide. I must survive.
Chapter 19: Observation and Strategy
From my hidden corner, I watched the streets. Police Groots passed every ten minutes, scanning with glowing eyes. Vine children scouted rooftops. Flower families whispered and pointed in subtle gestures.
I realized I had to think like them to escape. I studied their routines, the rhythm of patrols, the timing of meals and rest. Every small leaf movement was a message.
By nightfall, I discovered a forgotten underground tunnel filled with roots and damp moss. It smelled strange, earthy, but safe. Perhaps here I could wait, watch, and plan.
Chapter 20: The Fear Before the Next Step
As I crouched in the tunnel, I pressed my back against wet moss and whispered, “I can’t stay here forever.”
From above, the wind carried the faint rustle of thousands of leaves. The whispers: “She is hiding… she cannot escape forever.”
I closed my eyes. Fear pulsed in every vein. I was alone. Surrounded. And watched.
Tomorrow, I would have to move again, but I didn’t know where I could go. The entire city of Verdora had become a hunting ground.
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