Only Human: Hide and Seek

Chapter 175: June Jackson

Back to Original POV

I grasped at whatever grass, roots, or stones I could but it was no use. The vines that had snaked up my legs pulled relentlessly, dragging me ever closer to the large man-eating plant. Their grasp was as firm as Cenderion's, and it only made me long for him. He would have gotten me out of this mess in seconds. Obvi hissed and bit into the vines, but it was to no avail.

"June, again?!" Hope cried out completely fed up. She was by my side within moments shooting some fire from her hands like a wizard or sorceress. The small blips of flame struck the vines just below my feet causing the flower to screech and its cruel tendrils to release and retreat. As quickly as the monstrous flower appeared, it shrunk back and became listless. The next moment it seemed to be just another odd ornament in these demented woods.

I sighed relieved and stood up brushing off the dirt and debris that I had been dragged through. "Thanks." I muttered half-heartedly.

"Oh my god. What is that? The sixth one? It still isn't even nightfall!" Sophia ranted stomping in with the others behind her. Mrs. Kline analyzed the surroundings both confused and concerned. Ever since we entered the Fairy Forest, I had been targeted by a number of plants and creatures going rogue. First, there was the clinging moss that grew over the bodies of its victims and used its roots to drain the magic from them until they were empty husks, then there was the walking mushrooms who pounced on their prey and turned them into seedbeds that unwillingly fed their offspring with their magic, then the giant bees that used their sting to paralyze you and the swarm would carry you back to their hive to feed their queen, there was the strangling vines after that, and now this very large and very hungry looking flower. That was only five though...

"Fifth." I corrected picking Obvi back up off the ground. I was also getting rather annoyed by the constant disruptions. My captors had saved me each time, and nothing bad had really happened yet, but I was becoming numb to being put in these life-or-death situations. I guess they really did want to get into the queens' court. Almost as badly as I did.

"What are you, some fairy magnet?" Keanu asked brashly.

I paused for a moment and turned to gesture to all of them. "Obviously!" I said allowing my frustration to seep through. First, I had caught the attention of these five, then I got myself adopted by Obvi, and now every plant in this Fairy Forest saw me as dinner! They exchanged glances, but didn't say anything. "So what would that one have done?" I asked Mrs. Kline while waiting for them to move on.

"That's the trumpet swallower." She said after a long pause. "I think it's self-explanatory. It swallows you whole and digests your body and magic as fertilizer." I shuddered. Obvi wasn't joking about this place being dangerous. I would have died five times over if I wasn't being escorted by these fae.

We resumed our trek through the thick forest. "Why would any fae want to live here?" I asked myself.

"The plants and creatures of the Fairy Forest don't typically attack adult fae. They aim for young fae or other species that they find easy to hunt. I was expecting an attack or two before we reached the Queens' Forest, but this..." She trailed off. Her face was drawn and tired. We had only been traveling for the past four hours, but she seemed ready to give up and leave me to the overeager fairy flora and fauna. I really prayed she wouldn't.

"Are we close?" I asked hopefully.

"About half-way... We'll need to rest for the night, and resume tomorrow. If we think now is bad, just wait till nightfall." She responded with a heavy sigh.