The Apocalypse of Plants

Tally

The water brings instant relief to the burn I got from the wall of fire. Even though it's warm liquid, it still makes me feel loads better.

Scout is unharmed and running around the clearing that I ran to. Watching her makes my heart yearn for the time when I'd sit in the backyard to escape the grief of my father and I'd throw tennis balls for Scout to get.

Now the closest thing I have to a tennis ball is a rock, which doesn't really have the same effect on Scout as the ball did.

She comes over and licks the burn on my arm. I scoop her up and hold her tight. "I love you, Scout," I say. I imagine all the people I want to say that to, which only brings pain, because it reminds me that I can't. All the people I want to tell I love you are either dead or missing.

A branch cracks. My head snaps up and I hold a hand over Scout's mouth to keep her from barking. My heartbeat has frantically increased and is pounding and I am almost positive that whatever is near can hear it.

"Who's there?" I ask, using all my might to keep my voice from trembling. I unsheathe the knife I took from the kitchen at home. "I'm warning you, I am armed."

A boy and a girl step into view. I hurl my knife at the boy. It would have hit him if he hadn't quickly darted out of the way. The knife hits a tree with a thwack. He holds up his hands in surrender. The boy-who has messy brown hair-inspects the knife and I inwardly cringe.

"You threw a butter knife at me?" he asks incredulously. It takes all my strength not to pull out my real knife and chuck it at him.

"I didn't know if you were going to attack me," I say through clenched teeth.

"And if I did? I'm not sure a butter knife would do a lot of harm." He laughs. I storm to my knife and yank it out of the tree.

"If you had meant me harm, then I would have attacked you with a lot more than a butter knife," I retort, then pull out the incredibly sharp knife that Dad kept locked up in his room. He visibly pales.

The girl steps in between us. Her dirty blonde hair is caked with dirt. "Hi. I'm Johanna. Please don't threaten my boyfriend." I sheathe both knifes.

"Fine. Just know, he started it."

"I did not!" he says indignantly.

"Yes, you did."

He opens his mouth to protest, but Johanna kicks his shin. "You two are acting like children," she grumbles. Scout runs up to them and yips at them.

"What is that?" the boy asks, fear evident in his voice. Johanna and I roll our eyes and I pick her up. He gasps.

"This is my dog, Scout. She's completely harmless."

Johanna snorts and pets her. The boy cautiously approaches and tentatively reaches out a hand.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Johanna groans and grabs the boy's hand and places it on Scout's head. "This is Preston, by the way," she says and nods toward the boy.

"Nice to meet you," I say. "I'm Tally."

Johanna glances up from Scout. "Is that short for something?"

"Tallahassee," I reluctantly grumble.

"Is that just where you were born, or-?" Preston asks.

"My mom and dad always wanted to go there. They always thought they'd settle down there for awhile. But they didn't. It's always been sort of a dream for them. Before I was born though, they decided that it wasn't going to happen. Issues with money and whatnot. So they named me after their dream."

"Why Tally?" Confusion etches itself onto my face. "Why do you go by Tally?" Okay, seriously? What is it with this guy and my name?

"What would you rather me go by?" I snap. A look of shock flits across his face.

"I don't know, Tess, maybe?" he suggests.

"Let me be the one who decides what I go by," I advise, my voice cold as ice.

He's about to say something, a comeback maybe, but he's cut off by a low rumbling, coming deep from the earth. We look at each other and simultaneously take off. I'm following them, and of course. Of course! They go straight toward a thin path that snakes in between two bushes covered in thorns. I slip through the path, being extra careful to make sure they don't scratch me.

They lead me to a lake, where another girl stands, looking down at the few wildflowers that litter the bank. The first thing I notice about her is the thin line that traces from her eye to her mouth. It's intriguing.

"Who's this?" she asks. She glances at Scout, who jumps out of my arms and sniffs at her.

"I'm Tally." Thankfully, she doesn't ask about my name.

"Laina." Then she looks over to Preston and Johanna. "Is she traveling with us now?" A flash of rage bolts through me.

"Is there a problem?" I ask, even though I'm not sure if I am traveling with them now. There's a hint of a smile on her face. At least I think it's a smile. Maybe that's just her way of showing disgust.

"No," she admits. "I just don't think we need so many people traveling with us. We'll surely be on the top of Mother Nature's hit list."

"Well then maybe you should just leave," Johanna snaps. "Maybe we'll have a better at surviving without your pessimistic mood weighing us down."

Laina's face flushes. "Johanna," Preston warns and takes her hand.

"No, she's right. Maybe I should just leave," Laina retorts and storms away. Preston groans and runs a hand through his hair.

"Johanna," he begins, but she holds up a hand, cutting him off.

"I don't want to hear it. I did us all a favor," she says, her tone sharp.

"How? How did you do us a favor?" he shouts, his voice cracking. Johanna just shakes her head, refusing to answer. Preston gives up and storms after Laina. I bite back a smile. He has no idea that Johanna's jealous.

Johanna whirls around toward me and starts pacing. "You good?" I ask cautiously.

"Fine," she barks. I peer at her and try to figure out how she's actually doing. Not fine, obviously.

Then I notice a thin line of blood on her arm. "Where'd you get that?" I say, pointing at it, expecting the worse.

And I get it when she says, "Oh, I think it's from the bushes with the thorns we walked through." She shrugs. "It's fine, though. I don't even feel it."

"That's not good, Johanna. Those thorns could be dangerous if they come in contact with your blood," I say, the panic evident in my voice. Thorns are extra dangerous now. Some have been known to turn people insane, even kill themselves.

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she answers haughtily, flips her hair over her shoulder, then walks away in the direction of Preston.