Deadly Bloom

The boys hid behind the bushes, all peeking out in different directions, watching as the man padlocked the greenhouse shut. The man took his time, checking the padlock was secure and when he was satisfied he turned and walked away.

The boys waited 10 minutes to make sure the man didnt return then left the safety of the bushes and made their way to the greenhouse. They had no idea if the key they had was going to work but it easily slipped into the lock and after a twist, the padlock sprung open and they were in.

It seemed a lot bigger inside, the sun was just setting and it gave a last warm glow through the glass. The air was hot and humid and the plants looked well established. Most of the boys had never been inside a greenhouse before, but the plan was to start by pulling, cutting, and savaging the plants, they would then smash as much glass as they could before getting out of there as fast.

The boys started walking down the centre path, the last boy had stopped to look at the largest plant he had ever seen, it stretched to the top of the greenhouse, it was a sprawling of thick and thin vines with big lush green leaves, it was transported from the amazon rainforest and big droplets of water quenched its thirst. He reached his hand out to touch one of the leaves when a thin vine shot out and tightly wrapped itself around his wrist, it pulled the boy forward with a jerk as another vine wrapped itself around his other wrist. As it slowly pulled him in he turned his head and opened his mouth to scream for the others but the vines wrapped around his body, neck and face, they twisted, entrapped and crushed him, his ribs cracked, the air rushed from his body and tears ran from his eyes right before his eyeballs burst from the pressure.

The other boys had not heard a thing as they had continued on the path, their attention on finding cutting tools or a spade and had not even noticed that their friend was missing. They both stopped to look at a very exotic looking plant, the flowers a very pale white with a blood red centre. They were mesmerised as the flowers seemed to sway in a non-existent wind, they found themselves entranced, their bodies swaying in time, they moved their heads closer to catch a delicious scent of vanilla and coconut. When their noses were almost pressed into the centres the flowers released a puft of mist, both startled, one boy covered his mouth and nose but the other had breathed it in. They looked at each other, eyes wide with fright, the boy who had covered his face stepped back. The other boy was noticeably dizzy, he fell to his knees vomiting, his body started shaking and his eyes rolled to the back of his head, he fell onto his front, into his own vomit and started convulsing. The other boy did not know what to do and he froze in fear and looked on as the roots of the plant became like hooks, moving swiftly and easily, mulching up the earth, they extended in a horrifying way and pulled his convulsing friend in to the newly dug soil.

He heard mumbling, stifled screaming and was horrified to think his friend was choking to death, buried alive. He took off running but the paths were no longer straight, they turned left and right and had become some kind of twisted labrynth. He stopped and closed his eyes, saying how sorry he was and that he wished that he and his friends were back at his house, messing around, playing on his PlayStation. He stumbled backwards, tripped and heard the shattering of glass. As he opened his eyes he was looking up at the ceiling. He was unable to move, he raised his hands and felt a large shard of glass sticking up through his neck, his hands felt wet and sticky with his own blood, he gasped his last breath, his last thought was of his mother.

The next morning the man walked to his greenhouse, he immediately noticed the open padlock and he smiled a knowing smile, he had work to do today...