(Jenna's POV)
The clearing was eerily quiet after the chaos of the bear battle. Jenna stared at the now-empty spot where the mutated bear once lay. Its remains had been pulled into the ground by a root, leaving behind only a patch of disturbed earth. Carl stood nearby, looking somewhat annoyed but calm, as always.
Jenna, however, felt a mix of confusion and frustration. She had spent more time trying to hoard random sticks and rocks than actually contributing to the fight. Her space was filled with the most useless junk, and yet, she couldn't stop herself from grabbing things mid-battle. Carl had noticed, and she could sense his disappointment.
"Why do I keep doing this?" Jenna thought, her brain buzzing with irritation at her own behavior. A small part of her knew it was ridiculous, but the hoarding impulse was just so strong. She glanced at Carl, wondering if he was thinking the same thing.
"So… uh, good job on the bear," Jenna said awkwardly, trying to sound competent.
Carl raised an eyebrow. "You picked up more rocks than anything useful."
Jenna's face fell. "Rocks could be useful… maybe."
But just as she was about to explain her theory of rock defense (which sounded better in her head), the surrounding trees began to creak ominously. Carl stiffened, his sharp eyes scanning the area. Jenna, meanwhile, noticed that the plants nearby seemed to be moving unnaturally.
"Uh, Carl? Is that tree… growing legs?" Jenna asked, pointing to a massive oak whose roots were slowly pulling out of the ground.
Carl didn't respond, but his clenched fists told Jenna everything. Something was wrong. And whatever it was, it was getting stronger.Jenna stood blinking at the spot where the bear had just been swallowed by those freaky roots. She didn't fully get it—one minute, she was tossing a random bicycle at the bear, and the next, nature decided to have lunch.
Carl was still staring at the ground, his fists clenched. He looked way too serious for the situation, in Jenna's opinion. Sure, some mutant root just gobbled up their enemy, but, honestly, she was more concerned about the beans she saw earlier.
"Carl, do you think… uh… plants are zombies now, too?" Jenna asked, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
Carl gave her a hard look, his face a mix of disbelief and frustration. "Jenna, we just fought a mutated bear. And now we're dealing with... whatever that was. How are you still calm about this?"
Jenna shrugged. "Well, maybe the roots are just really hungry. Happens to me all the time." She laughed at her own joke, but Carl wasn't amused.
"This isn't a joke," Carl growled. "If plants are mutating, they'll start attacking anything. We've got more than just humans to worry about now. This changes everything."
Jenna's eyes widened as she considered this. "Oh. That's… bad, huh?" She scratched her head, clearly trying to understand the gravity of the situation. "So no more picnics in the park?"
Carl facepalmed. "You're impossible."
While Carl stood there trying to process the new danger, Jenna was already rummaging around in her space, pulling out random junk like a bent shovel and an old helmet. She figured if things were getting worse, she'd better stock up on more "useful" stuff.
"Jenna, focus!" Carl snapped. "We need to figure out what's causing this. If this is a new mutation, it won't just stop with the roots."
Jenna glanced at him and nodded. She didn't fully understand, but she could tell Carl was freaked out. And when Carl was freaked out, that meant things were about to get real.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled again. Jenna nearly lost her balance, clutching onto the nearest tree. Carl instinctively raised his fists, ready for another fight, but it wasn't another bear. This time, the roots were spreading—slowly creeping toward them.
"Time to go!" Carl shouted, pulling Jenna by the arm.
Jenna, for once, didn't argue. She grabbed a random piece of metal junk and tossed it into her space, then followed Carl at a full sprint, her heart pounding in her chest. Whatever this new mutation was, they weren't equipped to handle it.
As they ran, Jenna couldn't help but wonder if maybe hoarding all this stuff was starting to look like a bad idea. But she quickly brushed the thought away. After all, someone had to be prepared for anything—even zombie plants.