Botanical Investigations

“So this is the place?”

According to the address she had seen, yes. She watched as Charles gripped onto the vine-wrapped iron fence, peering through them at the two-storey building before them, searching for signs of life in what looks like an overgrown property. She doubted there was any, but those vibrant rose bushes were well-looked after. They can’t possibly thrive on their own. Not with that many tall grass surrounding it.

“It looks empty,” said the tamaskan, glancing between the holographic screen of his bracelet-computer and the house. On the screen was the address found in their client’s mail. The address matched where they currently are on the displayed map.

“Elsie has a recording of the call,” replied the bat. “We traced it here. It can’t be deserted.”

It was near sunset when they arrived, for not many drivers were willing to take them here. Many of them insisted that the address was uninhabited, that no one has lived there for the past twenty years. It was a ghost neighbourhood. Even with the promise of a generous tip, they refused.

As for the one that agreed to take them here? He insisted that they walk the rest of the way to the address, for the road was dilapidated after many years of neglect.

She didn’t like the feel of this place. Something about it sent shivers down her tail. So she tightened her grip onto the tamaskan’s wrist, much to his chagrin.

“Munais, it’s fine,” he said, then moved his lips aside in deep thought. He looked cute doing that. “I don’t think we’d be here for long. I’m not even sure if there was a monster, given how untouched this place looks.”

“Think that they’d mind if I fly over this place?” said the bat, backing away from the fence with his wings stretched.

“I don’t want to risk any anti-air security, even if I can’t see any. Better be safe than sorry, Charles.”

“Whatever you say, Roslan.” He folded his wings disappointingly. “Looks like we’ll be out here for a while.”

 “I knew we should’ve bought dinner when we touched ground. What about you, Munais?”

She shrugged, signalling that dinner would’ve taken them longer to arrive. They would also have to find another driver to taken them here by the time that they were done.

“You’re right,” he said. “Now could you please let go of my hand so I can check on something?”

And she did, giving him a cheeky grin. He returned a disgusted look, but she knows that deep down, he liked it. He’d have to, or why would he allow her to hold his hand for that long?

She turned her attention to the vines on the fence while the boys discussed among themselves what must have happened. These were thick, which was strange, given the amount of thin vines on the unclaimed properties they had passed.

Perhaps the soil is good? It was difficult to tell, as her apparatus were still in her luggage. There wasn’t enough space to fit her arm through the vines and iron, and the base of the fence was made of brick and longer than her arm. So she resigned to stand by their luggage while the boys had this exchange:

“Think that they’d be fine if we chop through the vines? They feel pretty tough.”

“I think I’ll need my Damascus sword for this. But I’m worried that there’s an alternate entrance that we didn’t notice, so we don’t have to cleave through their natural defences.”

“Nonsense, Roslan. The only way into this property is through the back, and we’d have to trek through a forest or two to reach it. You guys ready for another trip in the skies?”

“I don’t think Munais would appreciate it. How about we climb over the fence? If we do it fast, no one will catch us.”

A sigh escaped Charles’s lips. “That’s going get us arrested for trespassing. And I don’t have enough to bail us out. Maybe one of us…”

Munais, on the other hand, scrolled through the feed on her phone after tuning out what Charles has said. Something about yelling aloud to catch the owner’s attention. But as Roslan pointed out, that could raise unwanted attention to them, and they are still uncertain as to what could be harassing their client.

The boys will figure something out eventually. All she had to do was to find out the local flora so she can narrow down her list of suspects. According to the client, a plant-based monster created by her father was responsible for many sleepless nights. She begged for their aid over the phone, which wasn’t unusual, given their line of work.

Roslan had wondered why her father was doing this to her. Was she fleeing from him? Does she have something that he wanted back badly?

She couldn’t remember the other possibilities listed by Roslan. All that mattered was that she had been brought along to solve a case with him. Once that’s done and over with, they can go on several dates until their two-week stay is over.

Anyways, back to the monster: Her mother’s almanac may have a section dedicated to plant-based monsters, but none of them were massive and brute-like. The closest that she could get was an angry sentient pile of moss, behaving in a manner similar to a golem.

Looking at the state of this place, it could be anywhere, hiding in plain sight even. It could even be resting on the walls, waiting for the client to open one door so it can rush inside and drag her off.

 “Look, the sun’s almost down, my stomach’s growling, and I’m tired after the flight,” said Roslan. “If we don’t get in, let’s-”

The gate groaned open. The space was wide enough to let them in, as if someone had welcomed them. Except that no one stood there.

“Come in!” cried a lady’s voice. All three heads turned to find their client at the main entrance, beckoning urgently towards her. “Make haste, it might appear at any moment!”

And so they hurried inside with their respective luggage on their tails. Behind them, the gates slammed shut. Munais was able to glimpse behind at the vine-wrapped gates before their client shut and locked the door. It looked as if the vines had locked the gates.

Inside, the building looked ancient. The wallpaper was falling apart. The edge of the carpet has been gnawed away by moths. Small fluorescent bulbs kept the interior lit. 

But the stale air. It’s almost as if no one has ever cracked a window open in the past four hundred years. It was the smell of long-sealed dungeons and ancient castles. It nearly made her gag, but had to keep it in to give their client a good impression.

“My apologies for the rush, but I could not risk the monster making its way into my home. Welcome, Roslan and Charles.” She curtsied. “I have been waiting for you.”

“Hello hello,” Charles replied, looking down momentarily before making eye contact with her again. He was ogling her, that rascal. “Guess that we don’t have to introduce ourselves proper. A pleasure to finally meet you in person, Miss…”

“Alura Goraline, but you may call me Alura.”

“A gorgeous name, don’t you think?” He nudged Roslan, but he was too occupied looking around to notice. He had a finger hooked over his nose, another one of his thoughtful postures.

“And you are?” She looked at Munais questioningly from head to toe. “I don’t recall asking for a third member when I requested for your aid.”

“This would be Munais,” replied Charles. “She’s our expert on plants. Neither I nor Roslan are good with plants and all the things they can do. Well, maybe he knows a thing or two, but not as much as Munais.”

The tigress smiled, then bowed.

Alura did not return the gesture. “I suppose that is fine? But shouldn’t you and Roslan be enough to settle the dispute between myself and father?”

 “The more the merrier, you know?” replied Charles. “We can’t just fight a monster without knowing what it could do. That’s why she’s with us, so she could help us anticipate for any surprises that your dad might’ve given to the monster.”

They made eye contact. Her gaze felt uneasy, almost as if she wasn’t welcome. Or rather, she wanted Munais to leave this property at once, never to return until the boys were done with their mission.

“That is fair.” She then turned her gaze onto Roslan, who had his head cocked up to see what’s at the top of the stairs. He was using the holo-screen to illuminate the space above. “Oh, that leads to my bedroom and study. I could take you to your guestrooms now, seeing as it has been a long flight from Chun-Nan. You could do with a rest.”

“After dinner,” said Roslan. With a flick of his wrist, the screen vanished. “I don’t think we could rest easy soon, since we have a monster to be wary of.”

“Oh, right. Follow me to the kitchen then. Unfortunately, I had not prepared dinner for… Moon Ice?”

Roslan was fast to correct her on how her name should be pronounced. It made her smile, but it wasn’t enough to make her feel at ease. There’s something about her that felt wrong, so wrong. It’s the way that she perked her brow at her, how it came off as “I did not invite you.”

“Right.”

There it was again! Not a single ounce of care was in her voice, as if she wanted Munais to leave. But the way that she regarded the boys… there was something off about it. She couldn’t put a finger on it, as they followed the corridor. That’s when she noticed a few thin vines had grown out of the flooring.

“My apologies for the drab interior,” said Alura, who was leading the group. “I have yet to find the opportunity to refurbish the place. It once belonged to my mother, before father began to dabble in the horrific arts. I wanted to appear as if I do not live here, but alas, he has found me. It will only be a matter of time before he takes me.”

“I- we won’t let that happen! Right guys?”

Roslan acknowledged his promise, but didn’t look confident about it. He kept staring at the vines, as if he was expecting them to do something.

As for Munais? She smiled with her eyes shut, hopeful that they will complete the mission and enjoy their break afterwards. All she had to do was to identify the monster’s weakness, so that they could deal with it in ease.

“I’m glad. You must pardon me for asking, but why does she not speak?”

She didn’t mind such questions. Her silence gave the impression that she didn’t care, even though her expressions and body language said otherwise. It was as if no one ever pays attention to these subtle messages.

 “She’s mute,” said Roslan finally, as they entered what appeared to be the dining room.

“Oh,” was all that she said. “Then you must remain seated, for I will prepare something for all of us to dine. There is only fruit salad, unfortunately.”

“We can go green for a few days,” said Charles.

“Same,” added Roslan. “Will there be apples and oranges?”

“Any fruit of your heart’s desire. I’ll be back shortly.” Alura fluttered her eyes at him, then disappeared through a door.

Munais hated it. She didn’t like the way she’d looked at him. She shouldn’t feel such emotions while on a mission, but that was unforgivable! She wouldn’t have cared at all if that was aimed at Charles. He could do with some loving anyways.

But Roslan? No one is allowed to do that to him. Ever.

She crossed her arms underneath the table, resisting the urge to frown. Roslan was looking around, searching for something that only he could find. She never figured out how he spots details that others may overlook, but when he made eye contact with her, she smiled. She couldn’t resist it.

He wasn’t amused, however, but that was okay. At least he looked at her to make sure that she was well.

“I need to hit the sack after this,” said Charles. “Ros, do you know how to put these charms up?”

 “I guess I do? Maybe we should’ve asked Sagacious for the written instructions before we left. Munais?”

She was familiar with the charms that her friend and Cassandra had prepared. They needed to be placed at the corners of the building, creating a quadrilateral barrier that would keep almost anything out. Depending on what’s written on the charm, they could keep out spirits one day and corporeal haunts the next. For this mission, it kept the latter out.

She tugged at Roslan’s sleeve, signalling him to ask Alura for the four furthest corners of this building. He nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the doorway to the kitchen.

That’s one of the reasons why she liked him. He understood her faster than Charles ever did.

When the host finally returned with a trolley of fruits, the three of them exchanged glances. They were equally amazed by the amount served. How was she able to keep so much in this rather shoddy house?

“Feast well, my esteemed guests,” said Alura with a curtsy.

“Thanks?” was all that the boys could muster. Munais signed her thanks too, only to receive a curt nod from her. Only after they had obtained their respective plates did they realise that no utensils were offered.

“The washroom would be there,” she said, directing their attention towards the door near the doorway they’d went through.

After the boys had left, she noticed that there was no plate before Alura. Her hands were interlocked so that her head may rest upon them, eyes fixated on the two as they took turns to get inside.

Once Charles had returned to his seat, Munais left. Something didn’t feel right about her gaze. It was irritating initially, but the more that she looked into her eyes, the more they felt… soulless? As if the overgrown lawn and the mysteriously clean dress weren’t enough to give her the shivers.

Something about her felt wrong, but who was she to judge? They had bizarre clients with weird lifestyle choices in the past. No, Alura looked normal in comparison to some. Maybe she is so used to a lonely lifestyle in this neglected part of town, constantly in fear of her father’s wrath, that interactions with others is a skill rarely used in her life?

It felt awful. As much as she disliked the way that Alura looked at Roslan, no one deserved to be on the run from their father for a long time. She wasn’t sure how long she had been fleeing, but it must’ve been a huge part of Alura’s life.

“Care to tell us what the monster had done while we were en route?” said Charles, halfway through a fig.

“I did my best to keep it out of my home. I have some control over plants, a consequence of my father’s curiosity, but it was sufficient to keep it from reaching inside.”

“Ah, that explains the vines,” said Roslan, who was onto his third orange.

She giggled. “Yes, those are mine. They would reach out and lash onto anyone that dares step into my abode. I have them ready at certain parts of my home, but I fear that the abomination would only grow in strength with each passing day. My vines alone aren’t enough to fend it off.”

“And that’s why we’re here,” said Charles, beating his chest with his wrist.

“Indeed,” she said with a laugh, cocking her head away from him. “I wonder, how long does it normally take for you to deal with a problem such as this?”

“Usually within two weeks’ time,” he replied, helping himself to another from the pile. “There's no telling what it's capable of. Every mission that we accept is unique. We may complete the mission in one week, and spend the next as our deserved holiday, before we head back. After all, it’s only a plant monster, right guys?”

Roslan assented. Munais nodded enthusiastically.

“Then that settles it! We’ll find that thing and put it down, so you don’t have to worry about it anymore, Alura.”

Only the two of them had a good laugh. Roslan looked as if he had something else on his mind, but he always does. It’s impossible to catch that man in a thoughtless state.

She sighed silently, using the slice of melon to cover her act. At least these fruits were served fresh and cool, but… given the state of this place, she’s amazed that the refrigerator could run. Was she leeching off of the supply grid? It’s not like they could have her arrested over that, when her father has sent a plant monstrosity to recapture her for… whatever purpose he has.

Maybe she shouldn’t be harsh towards her. It is only their first night. Maybe she would feel a lot better in the morning.

~ M ~

She couldn’t sleep. Something didn’t feel right.

Roslan shared the room with her, but he had chosen to sleep underneath her bed instead of sharing the queen-sized bed. There was plenty of room for him, and it was a rather chilly tonight. But he insisted, and there was nothing that she could do to wake him.

No matter. The bed was plush, much to her surprise. She had expected a severely aged mattress on the floor, given the state of this building. But no, the wardrobe was clear of moths, she could charge her phone, and there were no drafts coming through the tightly sealed window, door and ventilation.

So what was bothering her?

Maybe a walk would help ease her mind. Maybe she was stressed out by Alura’s cold demeanour. Combined with the exhaustion of their flight, that left her drained. Quietly, she put on her slippers and exited the room. All she had was her phone, using it as a flashlight to illuminate the darkness of this silent abode.

The interior looked spooky in total darkness. It was as if she was in a proper haunted house that she’d seen on television with her pals on certain weekend nights. Next to her was a banister that separated her from the staircase. To the left of her room was Charles’s, and the door opposite to his led into Alura’s room.

None of them were able to get a glimpse of her room’s interior. It was locked when Charles attempted to get inside while Alura was elsewhere. No surprise there, but Charles was amused by the difficulty of her locks in an otherwise incredibly aged home. Roslan suggested that it may have been locked with a spell, but they couldn’t go up to their client and ask about it. That would be rude.

Instead, they asked Alura about gaining entry to her room. She forbade them, as – in her words – “I do not think that my safe zone would permit your presence. It was a tiresome process, and I did not have sufficient time to consider other nuances for my protection.”

She didn’t object when the boys showed to her the charms, taking them to the four furthest corners of her property so that they can be applied properly. Two were found in the corridor, one in the living room, and one was tucked away into the back of her kitchen.

And that was it. Now they are hoping for the monster to activate the charms so that they would be alerted to its location, and make short work of it.

It’s currently 3am, according to the clock on her screen. Initially, her plan was to idle on the first floor, just walking back and forth at a slow pace. But that wasn’t enough. With a shrug, she decided to check on the charms before heading back to sleep.

One thing bothered her as she went down the stairs, making sure that each step doesn’t create a creak. Why hadn’t the monster attack yet? Maybe it had spotted them entering the house, and decided to take caution? Could a plant monster even take caution? She would have to bring this up to the boys in the morning.

She shivered as she padded down the stairs. The ground floor wasn’t this cold when they went upstairs, after a not-so-nice conversation together in the living room after dinner. The boys did most of the talking, elaborating upon their approach to deal with the threat, while Alura answered their doubts on what the monster might be capable of.

Might. There was a chance that the monster was holding back to bring Alura back to her after safely. There’s no telling what it could do to strangers like them.

In the corner of the corridor before her was one of their charms. Contrary to popular belief, they aren’t delicate pieces of specially paper with intricate writings done in a rare ink. It was just a quarter of a piece of A4 printing paper with key words scribbled onto it.

In their line of work, anything can be a charm. Even toilet paper works, so as long as the correct choice of words are written, followed by an infusion of magic from the caster to make it do exactly as it was written.

That’s sorta another reason why she came along. Roslan has no magic, and Charles’s ability is too weak to create charms with. They’re not certain if Alura has enough to imbue these charms, let alone volunteer for it.

Content that this one was in place, she went on to check on the other three, with the one in the living room being the last so she could lie down on the sofa. She was beginning to enjoy the chilly atmosphere. She’ll return to bed soon, but for now, she should let her mind wander off on her plans with Roslan-

Thud.

She froze, ears perked. It sounded like it came from outside. Was it the monster?

Nothing followed. Was it gone? What did it do? Where did it go? More importantly, was it still there?

She eyed the curtains warily. Should she flick them aside with the risk of exposing herself to the monster? Or should she flee to her bed and cower under the blanket?

If the monster were to make an attempt to get her, she could scream and have Roslan rescue her. That sounded like a good idea, so she flicked the curtain and leapt off of the sofa.

It lifted. A ray of silver fell onto the carpeted floor, just inches away from her slipper.

She waited. She held her breath, trying to be as still as a statue, until she realised she needed to breathe.

It sounded like it came from outside. The impact was earthy, as if someone had decided to land like a cannonball onto the ground.

She didn’t want to stay there for long. She retreated quietly up the stairs and back to her room. Just as she silently shut the door behind her, she heard another one open. Maybe Charles had decided to investigate the noise? She peeked through the gap, hoping to see the bat.

Instead, she heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

She shut the door and leapt into her bed, pulling the blanket over her head. She didn’t even take her slippers off.

The door opened. She stilled, holding her breath.

Then she heard the door shut.