Chapter 4 — Apocalyptic Grass Sprouts

The zombie struggled, its claws scratched deep grooves on the ground, and a low roar emitted from its mouth. She pulled for thirty minutes, her hands were torn and covered in blood, before she was able to pull it to the foot of the citadel wall. The tree hesitated to move. Thirty trees rolled up at the same time, leaves wrapping around the zombie's legs, body, and head. The fluff penetrates the zombie's skin. The zombie struggled, but the leaves became tighter and tighter. She could feel it sucking, eating, growing. Five minutes later, the zombie stopped moving. The body was as dry as a piece of paper, only a layer of skin and bones remained. The tree shyly let go. They have changed. The leaves are larger than a circle, the stem is also larger than a circle. The largest tree was half a meter tall, its leaves were dark red, as if soaked in blood. To Van reached out to touch it. Leaves wrapped around her fingers. This time it's no longer gentle. It was wrapped very tightly, the bristles stabbed into her skin, sucking her blood. She didn't move. Let it suck for three seconds. Five seconds. Ten seconds. It let go. The leaves gently rubbed her wound, as if apologizing.

“It's okay.”

To Van stroked its leaves.

“Eat it. Grow a little bigger.”

That night, it grew fifty more trees. Loi Ho discovered it. That night when To Van climbed the wall to return, he squatted at the foot of the wall waiting for her, his mouth closed, glancing at her. Next to him were two people, both his juniors, holding sticks in their hands.

“What the hell are you doing?”

To Van said nothing. He saw the rope in her hand — it still had zombie blood on it. He looked at the rope, then looked at the tree behind her. That patch of grass was very large, more than three hundred trees, the tallest tree was one meter tall, with dark red leaves and a trunk like a python curling on the ground. The toothpick in Loi Ho's mouth fell down.

“You… what the hell are you raising!”

He took a step back, bumping into the junior behind him. The juniors were also scared and quickly backed away. The stick fell to the ground, making a sharp sound.

“Go!”

Loi Ho turned around and ran until he lost one of his shoes. The next day, the base chief came to find To Van. He stood at the foot of the city wall, looking at that awkward patch of trees, his face very heavy. More than three hundred trees, the tallest tree is one and a half meters tall, with dark red leaves and thorns on the trunk.

“Your grass has to be treated.”

“Why?”

"It's too dangerous. Loi Ho said it can eat zombies. What if one day it eats people?"

To Van looked into the eyes of the base chief.

“It doesn't eat people.”

“How do you know?”

“Because it recognized me.”

The base chief was silent for a moment.

“Deal with it. This is an order.”

He's gone. To Van squatted next to the tree, stroking its leaves.

“They told me to deal with you.”

The leaves wrapped around her fingers, gently.

“I won't do that.”

The leaves gently rubbed against her. The base chief is here again. This time he brought five people with him, each holding a knife.

“Tight.”

Five people brandished knives at the same time. The knife slashed against the leaves, making a "clang" sound - the leaves were not crushed, but the knife's blade was chipped. Some people were stunned. Loi Ho stood from afar and shouted:

“Cut down the roots! Cut down the roots!”

They switched to slashing the roots. Knife slashes the tree trunk. The body breaks, fluid spurts out. The back of To Van's neck hurt, blood oozed out, running down her neck. But the broken tree trunk immediately jumped up, wrapped around the knife, and wrapped around his hand. The fluff penetrates the flesh. Several people screamed miserably and waved their hands to throw it away, but they couldn't. The more tightly the leaves were wrapped, their hands began to turn purple and their faces turned white. Loi Ho turned pale and ran away. To Van Stand by, don't stop. Waiting until the others were about to be strangled to death, she squatted down and felt embarrassed.

“Let go.”

They don't move.

“Let go.”

Still not moving. She reached out and gently patted the largest tree. Its leaves trembled and slowly let go. The others fell to the ground, their hands full of needle holes, bloody. They got up and ran away, not even daring to turn around. The base chief stood from afar, his face pale. He looked at To Van, his lips moved, in the end he said nothing, turned around and left. To Van squatted down, stroking the tree with the greatest embarrassment. It was one and a half meters tall, with dark red leaves, a trunk as big as an arm, and thorns growing on top.

“You're grown up.”

The leaves gently rubbed her face. That night, the base chief stood at the city gate.

“Your grass is too dangerous. You have to go.”

To Van looked at him. This is the second time. She couldn't hold back anymore. She said nothing. Shy tree roots began to move in the soil. The ground under the base chief's feet suddenly cracked, and roots emerged, wrapping around his ankles. The fluff penetrates the flesh. He screamed miserably and fell to the ground.

“What... what do you want to do!”

His face was as white as paper. To Van squatted down and looked at him. His eyes were shaking, his lips were shaking, his whole body was shaking.

“You send me away, fine. But remember carefully — not because you told me to go, but because I wanted to go.”

She stood up and brushed the ground off.

“Let go.”

The tree roots let go. The base chief lay face down on the ground, his whole body trembling. To Van turned around and left. Don't turn around. Behind her, three hundred shy trees followed her, overflowing from the foot of the city wall, like a blood-red sea. She walked very far and then turned to look back. The base is in the distance, gray, like a tomb.

“Are you scared?” she asked.

The leaves moved slightly. It's like saying: Don't be afraid.

“Let's go then.” she said. “Anyway, they don't deserve to keep me.”