The Shift Chronicles

Chapter Three- Sleepy Sap Savior

Trekking through the forest can be a dangerous for the inexperienced, something I found out the hard way when I first came to the forest. There are Razor Lilies, a small flower that has razor sharp petals and leaves that can slice through thin clothing if your not careful. There are also the hanging plants called Burn Bells. Their name comes from their bell shape and burning sap that can cause rashes if not immediately cleaned off that is excreted and falls onto unsuspecting animals. This sap smells sweet and attracts unsuspecting insects that drink the sap and die, giving the Burn Bell a meal. Then there are the trees. Most don't do too much, just providing shade or places for other plants or animals to stay. But there is one tree, the Weeping Sleep tree, that is deadly. It doesn't look very different or dangerous, but it does have a large, dense canopy that looks enticing for the hot and tired traveler. This canopy however is one of the most deadly parts of the tree. Its leaves excrete a sedative gas, so when something rests in the shade they gradually get more and more tired until they fall asleep. Once they are asleep the tree drops a red sap on the victim that doubles as another sedative and a poison. The sap is highly sticky so once it gets on, it is near impossible to get off. Once the victim dies the tree reveals its most impressive and gruesome ability of all. Vines fall from the canopy and entangle the now dead victim and draws them into the canopy and stays there, giving the Weeping Sleep tree nutrients.

And under this tree is where I found the girl. She was already asleep but no sap seemed to be falling yet. I wet my skin with water from my canteen and covered myself with dirt as best I could, providing an improvised layer between the sap, should it fall while I'm rescuing her, and my skin. Once I covered as much exposed skin as I could find I rushed to her, picked her up, and covered her with my body as best as I could. I was halfway out of the canopy when the sap started to fall.

The sap felt like a light drizzle of rain, but was very sticky. I was about 10 feet to the edge of the canopy and could feel the sedative gas kicking in and the girl suddenly felt much heavier. Luckily the wolf was able to give me strength and I ran even faster than I already was, closing the gap between me and the canopy edge in only a few seconds, a feat that would have been impossible otherwise.

Wasting no time stopping to check on our conditions I ran all the way back to my house. As I ran, I could feel the drowsiness brought on by the sedative gas leaving me. Unfortunately that was replaced by a feeling that could only be the sap's sedative and poison. I must have missed a spot when I was covering myself with the dirt. Instead of just being a drowsy feeling, it was more like the feeling that you get when waking up without getting enough sleep. And then I felt the poison. The feeling the poison was giving me is best described as a happy feeling spreading throughout my body. My fast heartbeat was helping it spread throughout my body. Luckily, my house was coming into view.

Once inside, I placed the girl on the floor and ran to my cupboard. I could feel myself slipping out of consciousness and had to get to the antidote fast. The only thing that can cancel out the effects of the Weeping Sleep tree is the vegetation that lives under the canopy. The grass thrives on the sap, and if eaten, neutralizes the sedative, and most importantly, the poison. Additionally, if a bundle is used as a wipe, it will take off the sap easily.

Finally, I found the grass and immediately ate a few handfuls. I brought the jar with the grass to the girl and looked for any spots the sap might have gotten on her. Luckily, the girl was wearing long, baggy clothing so only one drop could be found on her, on her ankle. One drop is only deadly if it stays on your skin for a long time, so I wiped it off as soon as I found it. I then placed her in my bed to sleep off the sedative's effects. 
Afterwards I checked myself out for any drops of sap and wiped off any that I found. Even without any sap still on me I was tired. All that running caused me to use up almost all the energy I had after the fight with Ugly the Ogre. I took off my armor and weapons, grabbed a few jerky strips for breakfast and lied down on my couch. "That was an eventful morning. It seems like it is a little after midday. Maybe I'll take a five-minute rest. She shouldn't wake up for another half hour because of how much sedative she breathed." I finished my jerky, placed my hands over my chest, and focused on the sounds of nature around me. And that's how I knew what was coming.

Author's note:

How was it? Please tell me along with any tips/constructive criticism. And if you see a vote button, give it a press and see what it does.