The Botanist

Chapter 2: Lily

"That will be 10 units," I told the customer, a stout man man in plaid clothing, he had a bushy mustache, dark dull eyes that looked like they belonged to a rodent, he was beet red from the humidity and heat. He scrambled for coins through his wallet. Instantly, I could tell he was poor, like so many of my customers. I couldn't help but notice in his wallet was a picture of what appeared to be his family, however, where his wife's head should have been, there was a torn hole in its place.

"How about this, I'll lower the price to six units, I will also give you one of my recreational tickets," I bargained as I slid over one of my last few tickets to go do something fun in my life.

"Thank you," he muttered, he placed six units on the counter, took the ticket and his purchase, and was gone.

"Next," I called out to the line of shoppers. A man my age, a little older strutted over. He planted three of my most expensive saplings on the counter. He was tall and fit. He had rustled hair the shade of syrup, his eyes were a burning bronze color, his skin a fair ivory. A stark contrast from myself, even though we were of the same complexion, I spent all my day gardening but never reaching a tan, just a pinkish salmon undertone, I had bumps all over my arms from bad reactions to the city's fumes and harsh weather. My long curly caramel hair was pulled back into a ponytail. I was travel size, as my parents had liked to say. I was short and curvy, causing me to look 10 years younger. Well not short, I was on the average side, I just felt short alot. Looking 10 years younger is a blessing in disguise, I can still order off the childrens' menu in some places saving a fortune. Possibly the only attractive feature about me were my unusual green-blue eyes that looked like a battle of green and blue clashing against each other.

The man was well dressed, he wore a black suit, obviously wealthy. I, on the other hand, wore tan jeans and an army green tank top complimented by my mother's jacket tied around my waist. I can tell that there is a mugging in store for him in the near future.

"Hi welcome to Lily's Exotics, I'm Lily, how may I help you?" I asked. He gestured towards the plants on the counter with a wave of a hand. Was this actually happening? It was a fortune, I'll be feasting for days!

He cleared his throat, "Here's the thing sweet cakes, I can't well, um," he stumbled for words.

"You're telling me that the man in the fine tailored suit, and the two body guards, the ones wearing the dark blue face masks who are also wearing fine suits, meaning they are well paid." I stopped for a moment and looked at the bodyguards in the perimeter of the store, I winked at them and continued.

"From the moment you and your henchmen stepped into this shop, I have been watching. So why are you lying to me about not being able to afford three plants?" He gaped at me in awe, he was dumb-founded to think I wouldn't call him out on anything involving this matter. He rolled his shoulder back, the guards in the corner came over to where we were.

"You're right girlie, I can pay for these, but here's the thing, I won't."

And within a heartbeat he and the two men grabbed the plants and ran towards the door. They hadn't even made it a meter before I pressed the button under my counter which had caused the vents to start dispersing gasses and also caused for a metal wall fall over the door sealing off the exit. I handed out gas masks to all the other customers and apologized for the inconvenience. Next, I fastened one onto myself and paced over to where the burglars were.

I grabbed three bags of soil from an aisle, and placed a bag of soil where each men's head would soon fall onto. I started with the man farthest to the right. I put my hand on his face and shoved him towards the ground, thud! His head hit the soil, his masked face stared upwards. I grabbed my plant from his clutches, no harm had come to it, the paralysis on the man had left him holding sapling intensely it appears so it wouldn't be shaken. The same went for the next masked man as well. He had a deathly grip on the plant, it took some amount of energy to retrieve, it was after I shoved him to the ground, thud! His head hit the soil.

I reached the man who seems to be the ringleader of the bunch. His eyes were open but glazed over. I knew he couldn't see me, but still it felt as if he were reading me at this very moment. The plant was easy to take from him, I looked over him one more time. I brushed his eyelids shut with my fingers. I placed two of my fingers on his forehead, I gave the smallest of shoves, sending him falling towards the ground, thud!