A meeting is called to discuss something important
Before I could attempt an escape, Mom stopped me.
"Isn't that your blanket Xeni?" was all she had to say when she saw an illegal plant. If I wasn't already scared to death, I would've lost my mind.
"Ummm," my stomach churned even more. "I don't think so? It might be someone else's blanket, with the same brand and design as mine..."
"Yours was a limited edition blanket," Mom plainly replied.
"Uhhhh," my stomach was doing back flips. "Well, maybe the person who took in my blanket as a donation ended up using it to hide the plant?"
"I guess so," Mom seemed to buy the lie.
She went back to looking at the news. I was about to leave, until I heard what the scientists were saying. My eyes widened, and I sat up to hear the whole thing.
"This plant is a man-made plant, known as the Elezier. Made in our labs almost three decades ago. It was meant to serve as a way to power our homes and cities, but ended up absorbing electricity and causing blackouts," the scientist explained
"Which is probably why a random, unprovoked blackout happened a few days ago," the reporter commented.
And is probably the reason
The scientist nodded. "The seeds were all to be destroyed, and all the scientists ensured it. However, I don't know how this one managed to escape, or was found at all. It was all kept under tight lab security."
"What's going to happen to this rouge plant?" the News Reported asked. "And will you find the thief and have them arrested?"
"Right now, our top priority is to take care of the plant and make sure it doesn't cause anymore blackouts, or spread for that matter," another scientist answered. "We'll focus on the culprit behind this another time."
Alright. This was starting to get too much for me to handle. I had to leave. Right now.
"I'm going to go back to my room," I told my parents. They didn't argue. Taking that as a sign, I left the living room.
And ran back upstairs to my room, locking the door behind me.
***
I started to run different plans on how I could escape this city.
If they ever found out that I was the one responsible for planting Wyfi- the Elezier- whatever, I would be in huge trouble. And I'm not just talking about the authorities.
Downstairs, I think that the news has stopped. There was no sound on the screen. Just a lot of shuffling and moving back and forth.
As I was going down a rabbit hole of thought, someone, out of nowhere, opened the door. I jumped back out of surprise. My nerves calmed down when I realized it was Mom.
"I didn't scare you, did I?" Mom asked.
"Kinda," I admitted.
She chuckled. "Just came here to tell you that Dad and I just got a call from the lab. There's an emergency meeting being held."
This got my attention. "For what?"
"For the plant you just saw on the news. They're bringing it into the lab for us to research and confined."
"Oh," my eyes widened. Gears turned inside my head.
Wifi is being kept in Mom and Dad's workplace. Which means I have a chance to steal it and save it!
"Can I come along with you and dad?" I asked.
This took Mom by surprise. "I don't think so sweetheart."
My shoulders fell. I was so close to finding Wyfi and righting wrongs. So close.
"It's because there's going to be a lot of confidential information discussed and revealed. And I don't think you're going to want that burden on you. Besides, I don't want you anywhere near that dangerous plant," she explained.
"It's not-" I stopped myself. I couldn't reveal or give any clue to my connection and Wyfi's. "Okay."
She smiled and walked out my room, closing the door behind her.
And again, within a few minutes, I heard the door downstairs get locked as Mom and Dad went to their confidential meeting.
So I may not have been able to get to Wyfi today. But it's fine. At least I knew where it was being kept and how to take it back. And I could always talk with Wyfi, follow its voice, in case I lost my way or if it ever got moved. And my parents had a lot of information about that plant. All I had to do was eavesdrop on the conversations held.
Everything was starting to fit together.
Now all I had to do was wait for the right opportunity.
YOU ARE READING
The Protector of Plants (UIC 2023)
Ficción GeneralXeni has lived with the garden for as long as she could remember. It was the one place she truly felt alive. She could talk to flowers and lived with one of the only gardens remaining in the world. Everything was perfect. However, the paradise didn'...
