The Undergrowth

After sitting in this windowless, lifeless room for at least twenty minutes the door finally opens, and in walks a woman and two men who now stand at the front of the table.

“Parker Dawson, Kai LaRue, Jasper Berri, and Brianna Forson, it’s wonderful to finally meet you,” she points to each of us exposing our identities to one another.

“Well, it’s about time we’ve been sitting in the lifeless room forever,” Jasper groans.

“My name is Professor Delilah” speaks the woman, ignoring Jasper’s comment.

My once relaxed posture tenses at the sound of my full name, and by the way Kai shoots out of his chair, I’m not the only one who’s surprised by their knowledge of our identities.

“How do you know my name?” Kai growls.

“I know everything about you,” she says, “Parker Dawson,” she begins. “One of the most brilliant minds our world has ever seen. After you graduated college, you were offered a partnership in one of the most intellectual organizations. After the facility was lost, you moved back to your home town where you’ve been ever since.”

“Kai Larue, after high school you joined the Army without a second thought, now you spend your time earning money from street fighting and I hear you’ve never lost a fight.”

“How do you–” Kai starts but is interrupted before he can finish.

“Jasper Berri, you fell into the wrong crowd and usually we wouldn’t go for someone like you, but your knowledge of plants makes you valuable.”

Jasper lets out a huff of a laugh. “Sure, I know all sorts of fun plants.”

My brows scrunch in confusion before my eyes widen in realization. Parker let’s out a short gasp letting me know I’m not the only one who caught on.

“You’re a drug dealer?” Parker asks. Jasper only shrugs his shoulders in reply.

“Brianna Forson.” My head snaps up at the sound of my name. “You worked undercover for a secret association. You were their top agent until the world changed and you went into hiding.”

“How do you know all this? Who are you people?” Kai barks out.

“I could answer that, but I won’t instead let me tell you why you’re here,” she replies.

“On May 2, 2044, our world changed.”

“You mean it ended,” Kai interrupts.

“Our world hasn’t ended,” one of the men speaks up.

“Most of the population died and half who didn’t lost their minds, sounds like the end of the world to me,” Jasper says.

Professor Delilah’s lips purse showing her aggravation. “You’re right a lot of people were lost to this virus, but what if I told you it wasn’t a virus at all.”

No one moves, no one speaks, silence has found its way into the room once more.

Professor Delilah adjusts her posture, realizing she’s finally captured our attention. “On May 2, 2044, our world changed. Something sprouted from our earth, something unlike science has ever experienced. A plant that grew in the woods and contaminated the entire forest. Anyone who enters the woods comes into contact with its poison and anyone who comes into contact can spread the poison.”

“Wait a minute,” Kai starts. “You’re telling me a plant ended the world?”

“Our world hasn’t ended, not yet, but if we don’t retrieve that plant, it will,” Professor Delilah explains.

“What does any of this have to do with us?” I question, gaining their attention.

“You four are the only ones who can enter the forest, retrieve the undergrowth and it return it to us with success.”

Stunned silence follows, it didn’t last long as booming laughter escapes Kai’s lips. Soon Jasper and Parker join him until the three are bent over in hysterics.

“You’re out of your mind,” I growl, rising to my feet. My comment has the others laughter coming to a halt.

“Wait, she’s serious?” Jasper asks pointing at Professor Delilah.

“You just said anyone who enters the woods comes into contact with the poison. Your mission is suicide.”

“Not for you four,” she tells me. “You’re all remarkable and you four each have a job. You two will be the ones two retrieve the undergrowth,” she says, looking to Jasper and Parker. “You two, will be the ones to get them there,” she finishes looking to me and Kai.

“Why do you need all four of us when you just said you only need only two?” Kai questions squinting.

“Backups,” I grit out. “Some of us are backups,”

Kai releases a laugh of disbelief. “As fun as this has been, I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline. Have a nice day.” Kai steps away from the table, making his way towards the door, until one of the men blocks his path.

“I’m afraid you’re the only choice we have for this assignment which mean there’s no choice for you. You will go into the woods and you will bring me back the undergrowth,” she commands. “These belong to you.” Four cases are placed in front of us. I don’t hesitate and flip the case open and my eyes widen at what I see. “Suit up,” she demands.

I pull one of the firearms out of the case. I don’t pay attention to any of the others as I strap as many weapons and gadgets I can to my person.

“Here,” one of the men says, offering me a gold heart shaped locket. I take it from his grasp examining it.

“What’s this for?”

“It contains a chemical that will make you immune to the plants toxin for at least five hours,” he explains. “So, if I were you, I’d wear it.” I don’t need any more persuasion than that.

“You’ll all be needing these,” Professor Delilah states before placing a backpack in front of each of us.

I look down at the bag with a raised brow before throwing it over my shoulders. The others copy my movements slinging on the backpacks.

We look back to Professor Delilah who watches us closely. “Once you’ve located the undergrowth shoot off one of your flare guns, we’ll do the rest. I wish you all the best of luck,” she says before waving her hand forward.

A loud groan sounds from under my feet and my eyes bulge as the floor is suddenly gone and I’m free falling through the air. The wind rushes through my ears and my eyes are clenched shut. I blindly reach around for my backpack that I hope isn’t a bag at all. My hand latches onto a cord and I give it a sharp pull. A gasp escapes me as the parachute releases pulling harshly on my shoulders. My hands clench around the ropes as I descend to the ground at an alarming speed. I suck in a deep breath as I brace for impact.

My feet land on the ground but the parachute drags them out from under me, sending me hurtling forwards. I roll across the grass covered ground until I finally come to a stop. I let out a groan as I shakily try to rise back to my feet.

“We’re alive!” a voice shouts.

I look to my left to see Jasper sprawled on the ground his hands up in victory.

“Yeah, well if you don’t get up you won’t be for long,” Kai shouts in response. My eyes dart to him and find him pulling out one of his pistols. I follow his gaze and my eyes widen.

Crazies, people who lost their mind to what we thought was a virus but apparently is a deadly plant. Six of them are out in front of the woods watching us intently. My eyes dart above me and find some sort of large square air craft. Those jerks dropped us out of the craft, right in front of the woods.

“They’re coming!” Parker shouts. I turn back towards the Crazies to find them running straight towards us, snarling and arms swinging wildly.

I grab one of my Glocks and point. I don’t hesitate and let six bullets fly shooting all between the eyes.

Stunned silence follows until Jasper breaks it. “Well, that was easy,” Jasper says, as we stare at the fallen Crazies.

“How are we supposed to find this murdering plant in there?” Kai questions, clearly unfazed by all that’s happened so far.

“I have a map,” Parker says softly, the three of us gather around him and his map.

“How far are we from the plant?” I ask.

“Now far at all.” Parker smiles. “It didn’t bloom deep in the woods; it’s actually really close to the edge of the forest.”

“Then let’s go get it,” I state.

The minute we step into the woods the air feels different. It’s thicker, I just hope this locket full of chemicals works. Besides the thickness the woods look no different, there’s nothing out of the ordinary. At least that’s what I thought until Parker started screaming.

My eyes whip towards him and I choke back a scream of my own.

“Mutant wolves!” Jasper shouts at the extremely large wolves charging our way.

Something we figured out quickly after the world ended. Animals can lose their minds too.

“Look!” this time Kai shouts. “It’s the plant. The wolves are protecting it.”

My eyes catch sight of the green ivy producing a vibrant blue flower covered in orange spots. The wolves that aren’t heading towards us, circle it.

“Jasper, Parker, you two get behind us. We’ll get you through and the minute you have that plant secured fire your flare gun,” I command before charging forward, Kai at my side.

I throw my body forward sliding under one of the wolves, I bring my firearm up and shoot through its stomach, sending it to the ground.

A small explosion sounds and I turn seeing that Kai threw some sort of explosive scaring off the wolves guarding the plant.

“Hurry and get the flower they won’t be gone for long!” Kai demands.

Jasper and Parker shoot forward surrounding the plant. My attention is turned back to the few wolves left as one lunges forward.

I kick my leg out landing a hit to its snout sending it scampering away.

A pain filled scream echoes across the trees grabbing my attention. A wolf has latched onto Kai’s arm and has no intent of letting go. I bring my gun forward and send a bullet into its skull, causing the animal to collapse.

Kai clutches his arm, groans escaping his lips. I rush towards him and notice Jasper and Parker have stopped and are watching Kai.

“Keep going!” I shout.

“We’ve got it,” Jasper says, showing me the plant now in a small container.

“Well, then fire the flare gun!” I scream, lifting Kai to his feet.

I do my best to get Kai to the others as Parker shoots off his flare gun. The booming sound of an engine sounds overhead, and I let out a sigh of relief at the air craft moving our way.

“They’re coming back!” Jasper shouts.

I glance over my shoulder seeing the wolves charging our way. “Here take him,” I demand, handing Kai over to Jasper and Parker.

I reach for my Glock and begin firing. I take them out one by one until I run out of ammo. I throw it to the ground before reaching for a different firearm.

“They dropped a latter, they’re going to pull us up,” Jasper calls.

“Get Kai on that ladder,” I demand.

“Brianna let’s go!” Jasper shouts, I look and see the ladder starting to lift off the forest floor.

I turn around and leap upwards latching onto one of the rungs of the ladder. I let out a gasp as a wolf almost latches onto my ankle.

I look to the forest floor as we descend upwards. “We actually did it,” I murmur.

“I hate the woods,” Kai mutters. The howls from the wolves is drowned out by our hysterical laughter.