Curiosity Crumbled the Cookie

1

Jump, step, slide, run, jump, slide, grab, leap, dangle, swing, slide, jump step slide.

Those were the movements of Herb, who explored the forest to find new species of fauna to cultivate and care for. Currently, he only found specimens of plants already sold in his shop. Even the cookienivorious ones he had already taken samples of. Swinging on a vine, he jumped from tree to tree, using the canopies as his leverage, and using his eyes to spot anything new. He was about to give up and go back to the cookie village, when he spotted a batch of plants that not even he could recognize. Sliding down the vine, he approached the black blossoms. Roses, they were. Black roses with grey stems and white thorns. An aura of dark energy surrounded them, it seemed to suck the life out of the plants around it. And in turn, it called out to him, it was sucking him in as well. He wasn't sure if it is because he, in turn, is also a plant, or if it was because he was a living being.

Whatever the reason was. He knew it could, eventually, drive the forest into the ground if nothing was done about it. He bet the species of rose was invasive, an alien parasite placed into a new environment in which it could thrive. Taking his shovel, he replaced the roses with the plant he maintained in his pot. The rose, called to him once more, something about it was so entrancing, mesmerizing, something hypnotic about it. Shaking his head, he resisted the temptation, or whatever magic the plant possessed, and started to head back towards the cookie village. He stopped, however, what if there were people there who disregarded the signs and decided to fall under it's, spell(?). He turned left, in the direction of his greenhouse instead of his flower shop. Located in the outskirts of the small town. He wandered over, knowing the plant would be better in the back room, completely isolated rather than with the valuable plants that were clustered together in his shop.

Halfway there, Herb mused to himself, running and jumping nimbly through the forest now. Almost there, he mused, picking up speed. He saw the village gates on the horizon, ones built to protect the cookies inside from the savage cake beasts that attacked every so often. He stopped though, he felt something prick his arm. Looking over, he saw one of the white thorns sticking into his very dough. He pulled them out, though the moment he did so, his legs became weak. He tried shaking off the feeling, but it made him more dizzy than he already was. Poison, or some kind of venom was injected into him was the explanation available, but it didn't feel that way. It felt like the rose sucked the very jam that circulated his sweet body.

Even with this added complication, he was able to make it to the village side entrance in time. Slowing down into a trot, he slipped through the open gates, waving to the cookies that were still present on the street. Nodding to the other pedestrians, his trot slowed into a walk as he admired the style of architecture the Sugar Nome(s) possessed. He was starting to feel dizzy again, this time worse than the last. He tried keeping up an pace, but it was impossible with his swirling vision. He tripped on a crack, landing face first onto the sugary stone pathway. The pot shattered upon its contact with the very same floor. He didn't try to get up. It hurts to even think about doing so.

Herb then felt himself being picked up, someone with the crispiest of dough was speaking to him, but he couldn't recognize what they were saying. Colors and blurs were the world around him, he couldn't make out a definite figure. Looking around, the only thing that was clear was the batch of roses lying on the ground.