A variety of blades hacked away at the vines covering the now open door frame, allowing the group entry into this true jungle within the concrete jungle. As they wandered deeper into the green paradise, they couldn't help but look around in awe and wonder. They had seen many strange and different things in the last few days, but somehow a jungle spawning out of nowhere seemed to take the cake.
It was only when they came to the site of one of the towering trees, the roots of which had remnants of a desk crushed beneath it, did one of their party realise how such a jungle came to be.
"Oh god… Look!"
A voice from amongst the group muttered as a trembling finger drew the eyes of the rest towards a particular outcropping of the tree trunk.
At first they couldn't make out what had caused such a fuss, but after a few seconds of observation the truth began to sink in. Gasps resounded throughout the group, some muttering curses and others simply breaking down into whimpering tears.
Within the twisting knots and bulging body of the tree, was a face. A face still twisted in anguish and horror as if it was still screaming out in desperation to escape its fate. Yet the face itself was made of the same wood as the tree itself, as if the face had always been there for the decades the tree should have taken to grow. But they knew by its very presence here that it didn't, and that it was anything but natural.
"It's Cathy… I know it is. This is where her desk should be. She had… she had a little bonsai tree that she loved. S-she gave different plants to everyone as a gift…"
A trembling voice said amongst choked tears, causing everyone to slowly look around at the rest of the jungle. Many of them couldn't help but think along the same lines.
'This was just a few potted plants? What about the rest of the world? What about real jungles?'
As they pulled themselves away from the macabre sight of nature, making sure not to touch any part of the tree just in case, Seth glanced around in curiosity. He was trying to figure out the origin of the different plants here that made up this green hell.
A hint of movement caught his eye and he found his gaze being drawn to a flower blooming. The flower bud itself was as big as his head, the petals bursting forth were white as snow with dashes of pink.
[It's beautiful, isn't it?]
Angel's gentle and maternal tone resounded in his head. He had to agree, it was indeed a sight of true beauty, and its appearance amongst a tragic hellscape that was the entire world made it an even more wondrous sight. A faint smile danced across his lips as he remembered the old phrase 'Stop and smell the roses.'
[Take a moment, relax. Get a closer look.]
It had been a while since he simply relaxed. He was always on guard, even when he slept a part of his mind was always with Coal watching and waiting to be attacked. He was always waiting to die, never having time to see the true beauty like this wonderful flower.
[Go closer. Don't worry.]
Step by step he approached it as it bloomed, unable to take his eyes away from the process. The petals extended out wider and finally gave way to the pistil, the centre of the flower. It was 3 little buds with bumpy yellow tips, nestled perfectly within a bed of pink and with flakes of red.
[What does it smell like?]
The smile on his face stretched a little wider, every part of him simply relaxing as he gazed at the form of this flora. So simple yet so elegant, it was as if there was nothing more beautiful in the entire world.
He closed his eyes, slowly leaning in to answer that question. It smelled like… shit. It smelled like shit!
His eyes snapped open, he wanted to retch at the putrid smell. To cough and curse, to get as far away from the repulsive source but he couldn't. He found himself laying on his back, Alfies hand covering his mouth so that he could only breathe through his nose. Every breath brought more of that putrid scent.
Yet before he could tear Aflies hand off of him, the bespectacled man removed it himself. He looked down at Seth with eyes that held a surprising amount of confidence and authority, yet couldn't hide the panic he was feeling.
"Hold your nose."
"What? I-"
"Do it, now!"
Reaching his hand back towards Seth's face, threatening to expose him to more of the rancid smell, Seth quickly did what he said. Once his nose was held shut, Alfie gave him a quick nod and hurried off.
He darted over to another member of the group who was walking towards him slowly, a young woman. She had a soft smile on her face and took slow steps, constantly looking forward with a glassy look in her eyes.
Alfie had barely reached her when he repeated the process. Covering her mouth, forcing her to inhale the stench of something foul, instructing her to hold her nose, and leaving her confused on the ground as he moved on to the next person slowly walking towards him.
No… not towards him.
His mind quickly pieced together what had happened in the last few minutes, reminding him of the strange thoughts that had passed through his mind. Whirling around, he looked again at the source of those thoughts.
The pretty blooming flower was still there, its petals still extended out wide like a welcoming hug. Yet now he could see what he ignored before. He noticed the fragments of bones littered around the base of the stem, the other flowers of the same kind that surrounded the blooming one.
He noticed that some of the other flowers were closed over, shifting slightly as something moved within the prison of petals. He realised that the lovely spatterings of red in the flowers centre that he had admired so much, where the splatters of fresh blood from its victims. Victims that it lured into its embrace with sweet smells that dulled their minds.
Breathing a mental sigh of relief, since his breath was precious, he was thankful that they had someone like Alfie with them otherwise they would have never made it out alive.
He didn't know if it was even safe to breathe through his mouth without the scent master nearby, but he didn't take the risk.
Focusing his mind on Coal, who was standing near the tree where Seth had been ensnared by the plant, he charged the golem over. At Least this time, not having all his senses present in the golem was beneficial.
While Alfie was busy freeing the minds of his group, Seth drove the body of his golem into the mess of deadly perfume puffing flora. It was time for some weed killing.