The Apocalypse of Plants

Laina

"It's getting darker," Tally says, pointing out the obvious.

"Well let me just conjure a chandelier for you," I snap, then immediately feel bad about it. I'm tired, frustrated, and hungry and I shouldn't be taking it all out on her. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I know exactly how you feel. But is there any way we can make a fire?"

I look around for trees. There aren't any. "No. The sun's already mostly set so we can't use your piece of glass. We can try with the stick, but then we lose our one way of knowing which way we came."

"That's not entirely true. If we do the hand trick without actually putting our hand on the thorns, we should be okay, right?" Tally asks anxiously, peering up at the sky.

I'm about to answer when fog starts drifting toward us. Tally picks up Scout and starts walking toward it in a sort of trance-like manner.

"Tally-wait!" I yell, but she goes straight into the fog. And I hear a bloodcurdling scream.

I run into the fog after her and chills erupt through my body. I look all around but I can't find Tally.

"Tally?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. I hear footsteps behind me and I spin around, hoping it's Tally.

My brother walks into view, with vines wrapped around his body, his face blue. My stomach lurches and I almost throw up.

"Spencer?" I say. It can't be. He's dead. I saw him die. It's my fault he's dead. It's not real.

"Help me, Laina," he rasps and the vines tighten around his throat. "Please. I'm going to die if you don't help me."

It's not real it's not real it's not real it's not real it's not real.

"You're not actually here," I say, my voice trembling til it breaks. But he looks so real.

"Laina," he says urgently, the vines strangling him even more.

"This isn't real," I say, finding it harder to believe it.

"Laina," he chokes out. I will myself to stay where I am. He seems to realize that I'm not going to help him. "How could you just let me die? This is all your fault. I thought you were better than this. I thought you loved me."

I start sobbing. "I do love you, Spencer. And I'm so, so sorry. I will always be reminded that it was my fault and I wish I could help you."

His expression softens. "Then why don't you?"

"Because you're not real," I cry. "You're not real, you're dead!"

"How do you know, Laina? I'm right here. Please, just help me. This is a second chance for you. I'm right here. Right here, Laina. I'm not dead. It doesn't have to be your fault anymore. Just help me, and everything will be unwritten. We'll be a family again. We can start over." He sounds so convincing, like a family is actually what he wants. I almost help him. But he told me to move on. And that's what I'm going to do.

"I'm sorry, Spencer. But I can't," I say. His jaw clenches and he starts to move toward me, pulling the vines off his body. Before he can reach me, I pull out my swiss army knife and throw it. It buries itself in his chest and he has enough time to look at me, surprised and hurt, before he bursts into dust. "I love you," I murmur and pick up my knife.

I take a deep, shuddering breath before continuing through the fog. I keep on the lookout for Tally, but I'm not really expecting to find her.

The fog thickens for a moment, and then thins again. I bite my lip and try to mentally prepare myself for whatever's coming next.