Galaxy (GIVEN UP)

Chapter 18

"Sure, sure, let's just go look for scrap metal on a planet full of death." Roman muttered to himself, kicking out viciously as he walked. "That's a smart plan and definitely won't get us killed at all, thanks a lot for that, Virge."

He kicked out again and hit his toe on something. "Ow! Son of a-" Roman's yells dwindled to pained growls as he hopped around on one foot.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow." He hissed. He knelt down to see what he'd kicked.

An R2- model. Wow, must be ancient. Not even the Resistance had been producing R2-s since forever. Just wasn't done anymore, there were better ways, more efficient droids. Half of the droid looked like it had been ripped away and vines were tangled in with the wires. Roman gave the old model a tug but it didn't budge. He shuffled round to check the damage.

There wasn't even a scrap of metal hanging off the side. It had all been ripped away. One clean go. All the wires still seemed to be intact, though. The vines were what confused Roman. They looked like they'd been connected into the droid somehow. But that couldn't be possible. Unless someone had spent precious time kneeling here on the stony floor, connecting vines to wires with no foreseeable aim, then that couldn't have happened. Right?

No time for speculation now. Roman grabbed the closest wire and gave it a small pull, expecting it to fall away in his hand. It didn't budge. Roman furrowed his brows and gave the plant another sharper tug. Still nothing.

"Come on, move." He muttered. He tugged on the vine sharply again. With what almost sounded like an animalistic whine, the vine disconnected from the droid.

That was a lot more difficult than he'd expected.

Roman sighed and pushed his fringe away from his eyes. He grabbed another of the vines and tugged at it til it came free too. The same whine echoed through the forest.

Roman looked around and touched the net of wires under his sleeve. It scratched at his skin but now he was kind of glad for it. Maybe Virgil knew more than he let on...

The next wire must've been thorny because when Roman dropped it, he found his hand was cut. Not by much but blood beaded at the cut and the skin around it was raised.

There seemed to be a sigh from the whole forest. Roman jumped so much that he overbalanced and landed on his back.

Now he was staring up at the canopy. The trees were so thick that he could barely see the sunlight. The leaves seemed to rustle together (like they were talking to each other) and the twisted trunks almost looked like they were leaning closer together. And the vines-

Were the vines actually getting closer or was it only Roman's new vantage point?

Roman sat up, brushing the wires under his sleeve again. He grabbed the R2- and gave it a tug. Really, he wanted to get out of here as fast as he could but Virgil would have his head if he didn't bring back anything.

"Okay, come on little fellow." He muttered. He stopped and blinked. "Am I talking to droids now?" He asked.

Something brushed his head and he screamed. He dropped the droid and stumbled back, clapping his hands over his mouth. It was just a vine. Jesus, how could Roman be so stupid! It was just a vine and he was in the middle of the forest. Of course-

Before Roman's very eyes, the vine stretched to the floor and started inching across the forest floor towards him. Inching! Roman kicked out at the thing but it wrapped around his foot. It pulled and he was on his back.

Two more vines came down from the canopy and wrapped around his arms. That was when real panic set in.

Roman started twisting this way and that, thrashing his arms. Anything, anything to get these Hell-sent vines off him. But every time he managed to get free or break a vine, there were always more. Always more ready to grab his arms, his legs, at one point even his neck.

"It's not the droids that are the killers." Roman thought in panic. "It's the damn planet."

... Happy Halloween. This... this is what you get.
Also, I probably won't be able to write tomorrow. Not that anyone care but... yeah. Sorry.
Bye,
Blaize