Chapter 5 — Apocalyptic Grass Sprouts

The shy tree grew from three hundred trees into three thousand trees. To Van walked on the wasteland, trees followed her, covering the road she had just passed. The blood-red color moved in the wind, like a flowing stream of blood. She walked for a long time, going to an abandoned city. This place is full of zombies, as dense as ants. They wandered the streets, through piles of rubble, growling in the foul air.

“Hungry?” she asked.

The leaves moved a bit. It's like saying: Hungry.

“Then eat.”

Three thousand trees suddenly burst out of the ground. The leaves expand, the hairs stand up, like a blood-red tsunami. Zombies rushed forward, leaves wrapped around their legs, pulled one - the leg was severed. Zombies want to run, leaves wrap around their waists, the tighter they wrap, the tighter they become. One child. Ten children. One hundred children. Five hundred children. The whole road turned into a meat grinder. To Van sat on the rubble, watching them eat. The back of her neck was in pain, like something was coming out. It's the roots. The roots of the shy tree are spreading in the ground, reaching further and further, sinking deeper and deeper. She could feel them looking for prey, sucking up energy, growing. Suddenly, there was a roar from behind. A giant mutated zombie rushed out from behind the rubble, three meters tall, its body covered in armored scales, and its eyes red as blood. It rushed towards her, its claws scratching deep grooves in the ground, its mouth spewing a rotten stench. Too fast. She couldn't avoid it in time.

“Bow your head!”

A voice boomed in her head. To Van immediately bowed her head. The leaves shyly swept over her head, wrapping around the mutated zombie's neck. The zombie struggled, its claws tore a few leaves, but more leaves swept forward, wrapping around its arms, body, and legs. The fluff penetrates the gap in the armor's scales. Zombies scream. Three minutes. It doesn't move anymore. The body was as dry as a sheet of paper, the armor scales collapsed, and the bones broke into powder. To Van sat on the ground, panting.

“It's okay.”

She was stunned.

“You… you know how to talk?”

“Yes. Once you eat enough, you'll know.”

“So what's your name?”

“No name.”

To Van thought for a moment.

“Any name is fine. You are mine.”

“… Okay.”

That night, To Van sat on the ruined roof, looking at the moon. The moon is very large, very round, like an eye. The tree surrounded her, its leaves gently patting her back, as if coaxing her to sleep.

“What are you thinking?”

“Think nothing.”

“Don't you hate them?”
\deer?"

“The people who bullied you.”

To Van thought for a moment.

“Not worth it.”

Day 600. To Van went to a new base. This place is bigger, higher, the walls are thicker. In front of the gate, two people stood guard, holding guns pointed at her.

“Stop! Who are you?”

“Pass by.”

“Where do you come from?”

She pointed back. They looked and their faces immediately changed. Three thousand blood-red trees covered the entire wasteland, swaying in the wind, like a flowing sea of blood.

“What… what the hell is that!”

“My special ability.”

The two looked at each other and ran inside to report the news. A moment later, someone came out. That person was wearing a military uniform, with a medal on his chest.

“What can your grass do?”

“Eat zombies.”

He laughed.

"Eating zombies? I've come across many plant-based supernatural abilities, but I've never seen any that can be eaten."

To Van looked into his eyes.

“Do you want to try it?”

His smile stiffened. That night, outside the base appeared a herd of zombies. Not many, just a few dozen. The base chief stood on the city wall, looking at her.

“Let's try performing.”

To Van squatted down, feeling embarrassed when touching the tree.

“Eat.”

Thirty seconds. All gone. The leaves wrap around the zombie's legs, one pull and it breaks. The fluff penetrates the zombie's skin, sucks it and it dries. Before the zombie could scream, it turned into a piece of paper. On the city wall, everyone was silent. The base chief's mouth opened and could not be closed. To Van stood up and brushed the ground.

“Is that enough?”

He swallowed.

“Enough… enough.”

“I'm staying for a few days.”

It's not permission, it's notification. To Van stayed at this base for fifty days. They fed her, gave her water, gave her shelter. But the way they looked at her was exactly the same as before — fear. They laughed in front of her, but behind her back they pointed and gossiped. They didn't dare come close to her, didn't dare touch her grass, and didn't dare talk to her. She doesn't care. She has a shy tree. The shy tree has grown. Three thousand trees turned into five thousand trees, covering the wasteland outside the base. The largest tree was three meters tall, its leaves were as red as blood, and its trunk was as big as a thigh. It no longer shrinks, it also opens during the day, facing the sun, like a giant flower. It's storing energy. To Van can feel it. Its roots are spreading in the soil, reaching farther and deeper. It's waiting for something. The new base chief came to find To Van. He stood under the city wall, looking at her shy tree, his face heavy. Five thousand trees covered the entire side of the city wall, the tallest tree was three meters tall, with blood red leaves and a trunk as big as a thigh.

“You have to go.”

“Why?”

"Your grass is too dangerous. It's growing bigger and harder to control. What if one day it eats people?"

To Van looked into his eyes.

“It doesn't eat people.”

“How do you know?”

“Because it recognized me.”

He was silent for a moment.

“Go. This is an order.”

To Van looked at him. For the first time, she held back.

“Okay. I'll go.”

She turned and left.