~Respite~

Respite

The twilight hours came and went as the two travelers trekked several more miles, until they decided to camp out in a small wooded area near some infinity shaped exit ramps; connecting the highway to the interstate. He didn’t sense any malicious intent emanating from the cluster of deciduous trees and fir, but just to play it safe, Karla and the stranger camped along the outer limits of the tree line.  After they had scrounged up a few emaciated squirrels for the dark one to imbibe, and for Karla to feast upon in her corporeal form, they fell asleep on the sparse patches of grass that somehow survived the leaching effects of the Living Woods nearby.

   Karla slept, soundlessly. But the stranger was roused from a restless slumber by a noise in the woods behind them. He sniffed the air and rushed to the center of the small woodland area; when a peculiar odor wafted his way.  The Dark One eventually arrived in a small clearing to find a girl - no older than the stranger’s physical age but she appeared to be human by her scent. Her shoulder length of dirty blonde hair hung to the ground while she remained suspended, upside down, from a laurel oak tree. It had snagged her by the ankles before the stranger noticed her presence in the area, with the very Spanish moss draped deceptively around the tree’s branches; their fuzzy little tendrils letting her dangle uncomfortably in the air. The vampire watched the young lady struggle with her predicament for a moment, unconcerned about the danger behind this species of sentient wood.  Unless directly threatened by a predator, Living Laurels normally maintained a placid nature.

   “Um,” the young woman began to say, when she noticed the stranger observing her.  She desperately tried to keep the hem of her summer dress from betraying her unmentionables. “Some help here, please?!”

   Slightly amused despite himself, the dark stranger strolled over to the tree and climbed it with ease. He reached the branch where the parasitic moss and host organism were fused with each other, and carefully slipped his hand into the intricate network of vine-root and tree-bark. The stranger then firmly squeezed a portion of the moss’ root system, manipulating it between his fingers, to coax it into releasing its grip on the young lady. Her ankle slipped free; but before she could smash her skull on the tree’s thick roots below her, the vampire was there in time to catch her before she could even utter a sound.

   “H-how…?” she stuttered in astonishment, as the stranger set the young lady down on her feet. The stranger composed himself; momentarily distracted by the aroma she was exuding.  Humans usually smelled like hors d’oeuvres to the bloodsucker, but she reminded him of a field of orchids in bloom. 

   “How did you manage to get yourself entangled in all of that mess?” He asked and ignored her question, fearing the answer may be too overwhelming for her.

   “Well, it’s a funny story, actually,” the young woman blushed while she twisted a lock of hair around her finger. “I usually come here to look after the trees, even though everyone else says they are more than capable of taking care of themselves… Either way, they still make for better company than most of the deadbeats in town.”

She smirked a little and the stranger couldn’t help but crack a smile along with her. The young lady pointed to an oddly shaped flower with sharpened thorns between each petal; planted in a plastic flowerpot sitting at the base of the oak tree.

   “But today I came here to plant that little guy over there. I found him growing in the dirt behind my place and figured if I left it there, it would have probably wilted away or gotten destroyed by someone,” she paused and beckoned the stranger to lean in closer to her. Even though there was nobody else around to eavesdrop on the two, the stranger played along anyway. “I also have an idea where there may be a way to tame these types of carnivorous foliage… But only if we can plant and cultivate them in an area where the more benign of their species prosper. If I’m correct, then we may have the means to bring some green back to this planet, without fear of being eaten alive in the process!” The young lady grinned in anticipation as she awaited his response.

   “It sounds like you have a knack for botany, huh?” The stranger asked, impressed. She nodded with the same smile plastered across her face but continued to wait patiently for his answer.

   “Well,” The Dark Stranger fumbled around in his head for the right words, “it’s a very ambitious endeavor with a slight chance of succeeding.  Just don’t be disappointed if nothing happens, living foliage are not the easiest to domesticate.”  The stranger hoped he didn’t discourage the young woman in her efforts. But it turned out that she was a bit of an optimist, as she kept her infectious grin and sighed in relief.

   “Thank God! That’s the best response I've had yet!”

The stranger watched as she returned to the tree and carefully picked up a garden trowel wedged between the sturdy roots of the massive laurel oak.

   “Would you like to help me finish?”

   Compelled to prolong the presence of her company, the fledgling vampire knelt beside her as she began to dig a hole in a loose patch of fertile soil under the tree. While they dug, the young lady explained how she had accidentally dropped the trowel when the fussy little plant distracted her, and it ended up chipping away a piece of the oak tree’s root: She even went out of her way to add that she knew the tree only reacted defensively.  Although he had already figured out what had happened, the stranger was still impressed by how calmly she recounted such a distressing experience.

   His admiration began to grow while he watched her work, as she expertly handled the flower and tried to avoid its thorns; as they undulated in tandem like a ring of pincers, greedily yearning for a finger or two. The vampire helped her out further by using a trick like the one he had performed earlier with the oak tree, to calm the flower into submission, long enough for his new acquaintance to secure the plant’s developing roots into the soil of its new home. After completing their task, they both got to their feet and brushed away the loose dirt from their hands and knees. Already a man of few words the stranger was at a loss for a response, when the young lady stood on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He cringed, however, when she quickly pulled away - her fingers pressed against her lips.

  “So cold…” she muttered.

Thinking his identity was exposed the stranger’s muscles tensed; and the vampire prepared to flee, waiting for the inevitable realization to dawn on her.  But she surprised him with another one of her lighthearted grins.

   “…kind of refreshing, actually!”

   The plucky young woman picked up the trowel and plastic pot, while the newly planted flower began to twist and turn; testing its stability within the soil. Once it was satisfied with its new home, the flower settled comfortably in the ground and prepared itself to absorb the crimson rays during the day.  In the meantime, however, the plant instinctively awaited a warm-blooded mammal to cross its path before the night would be done: But if the young lady’s theory proved true, its nocturnal activities may eventually become benign.  After collecting her supplies, the young lady turned to face the stranger - the floral pattern of yellow elders on her cotton summer dress billowing slightly in the tranquil evening air.

   “I better get going before anyone notices that I’m missing.”

She began to make her way towards the edge of the clearing.

“If you’re ever in Jacksonton, look me up!”

The girl extended the invitation as she glanced over her shoulder.

   “Okay, but, I don’t even know your name!” The stranger called out after her before she disappeared into the foliage.

   “It’s Lilly!”