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Moments later, the four were standing around, waiting for customers, even though it was quite obvious no one was going to come in, but that didn't stop them from hoping.

Helen was leaning against a support, beginning to nod off where she was standing, until Mr. Mushnik slammed the counter, startling everyone, and said, "Alright! That's it! Forget it. Don't bother coming in tomorrow."

"You-You don't mean," Audrey said.

"You can't!" Seymour said.

"I mean, I'm through, forget it!" Mushnik said. "Kaput!"

"But you can't!" Helen said.

"Kaput, extinct," Mushnik said. "I'm closing this God and customer-forsaken place!"

"Uh, Mr. Mushnik," Seymour said, "forgive me for saying so, sir, but has it ever occurred to you that what the firm needs is to move in a new direction?"

Mushnik gave him a look and Audrey said, "Uh, what Seymour's trying to say is…uh, Seymour, why don't you run downstairs and bring up that strange and interesting new plant you've been working on?"

That caught Helen's attention.

What plant? She thought.

As her brother went downstairs, Audrey then said to Mushnik, "You see, Mr. Mushnik, some of those weird plants Seymour's been tinkering around with are really…unusual. And we thought that maybe some of these strange and interesting plants, prominently displayed and advertised, would possibly attract customers."

Soon enough, Seymour came upstairs, carrying a plant.

What the hell is that? Helen thought.

"I'm afraid it isn't feeling very well today," Seymour said, as Helen, Audrey, and Mushnik came over to get a better look at the plant.

"There," Audrey said. "Now, isn't that bizarre?"

"At least," Mushnik said. "What kind of a weirdo plant is that?"

"I don't know," Seymour said. "I think it's some kind of flytrap, but I haven't been able to identify it in any of my books. I gave it my own name though. I call it an Audrey II."

"After me?" asked Audrey, looking flattered.

"Why am I not surprised?" Helen muttered under her breath.

She'd known of her brother's crush on Audrey and she approved of it. She could easily see her brother and Audrey together, but not Audrey and her current boyfriend, Orin Scrivello, whom Helen didn't like as she had caught him ogling her more than once whenever he came over to the shop to pick Audrey up, if she was working late. He usually stopped when Audrey came in, but mostly when Helen flipped him off or gave him one of her infamous death glares. If there was one thing she hated about him, it was when he 'accidentally' dropped stuff just to get a look at her cleavage as she bent down to pick up an item even if she was wearing a modest shirt or dress.

"If you don't mind," Seymour said to Audrey, before he walked over to the window and set it down. "You see, sir, if you were to put, uh, a strange and interesting plant like this here in the window, then-then maybe-"

"Maybe what? Maybe what?" Mushnik said. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound? Just because you put a strange and interesting plant in the window people don't suddenly-"

He was cut off by the miraculous sound of the bell, announcing a long-awaited customer. The customer didn't look like any of the people Helen had seen passing the shop more than once.

"Excuse me," he said. "I couldn't help noticing that strange and interesting plant. What is it?"

"It's an Audrey II," Audrey said.

"I've never seen anything like it before," the customer said.

"No one has," Seymour said.

"Where did you get it?" The customer asked.

"Well…remember that total eclipse of the sun about a week ago?"

Helen didn't listen to the story after that. She was more focused on the plant. She couldn't quite explain it, but something seemed off about that plant. And the customer, the way he was speaking…he sounded as if he were being controlled by someone or something.

"Well, that's an unusual story, and a fascinating plant," the man said, before he left the shop and Helen, Mushnik, Seymour, and Audrey to look at each other in dismay when he suddenly came back pulling out his wallet. "Oh, while I'm here, I might as well take fifty dollars' worth of roses."

"Fifty dollars!" Mushnik exclaimed in excitement, before the four hurried off to get to work, until the customer asked, "Can you break a hundred?"

"A hundred?" Mushnik said, before he turned and said, "No."

"Well, then I'll just have to take twice as many, won't I?" The customer said.

"Twice as many?" Seymour asked in shock.

Helen and Audrey looked just as shocked, wondering if they had heard right, as they parroted, "Twice as many!"

Mushnik looked like he couldn't believe his luck, as he said, "Twice as many!"

From that time onward, the shop was filled with more customers, coming either to buy plants or look at the Audrey II. Right after the unexpected rush, the customers filed out with their flower purchases in hand.

"Thank you! Thank you very much, sir! Thank you! Thank you! Come again! Come and look at the weirdo plant some more!" Mushnik called after the departing customers. "It's just going to get bigger and more interesting." Then Mushnik said to Seymour, "Just don't stand there! Quick, quick! Put that plant back…what did you call it?"

"Audrey II," Seymour said.

"Put that Audrey II back in the window where passersby can see it!" Mushnik said. "Oh my God! I never thought this could happen! My children, I'm taking us all out to dinner tonight!"

Unfortunately, Audrey said, "Oh, I'd love to, Mr. Mushnik, but I have a date."

"With that saint-no-good-nik?" Mushnik said.

"Who else, Mushnik?" Helen said.

"I'm telling you, Audrey," Mushnik said. "You don't need a date with him. You need a major medical."

"He's a rebel, Mr. Mushnik," Audrey said, as she walked away, "but he makes good money."

Helen scoffed and said, "Makes good money, my ass."

"Besides," Audrey continued, not having heard Helen. Either that or she heard Helen and was pretending not to. "He's the only fella I got. Enjoy dinner. Good night, Seymour."

As Audrey walked out of the shop to her apartment to get ready for her date, Seymour said, "Good night, Audrey."

"Poor girl," Mushnik commented, watching her leave.

"Here's hoping she lives through this date," Helen said. "If she doesn't, I'll do the flower arrangement for her funeral." And file a restraining order against Scrivello if he tries hitting on me, Helen added silently.

That was when Seymour asked, "Are we still going out?"

Before Mushnik could answer, the Audrey II suddenly wilted.

"You're not going anywhere, Krelborn," Mushnik said. "You're staying right here and taking care of that sick plant!"

"I told you it's been giving me trouble," Seymour said, as Mushnik went to get his coat. "The Audrey II is not a healthy girl."

"Strictly between us, neither is the Audrey I," Mushnik said.

"Words that have never been spoken so true, Mr. Mushnik," Helen said.

"If I only knew what breed it was," Seymour said.

"Who cares what breed it is?" Mushnik said. "Look what it's done for business."

"I know," Seymour said.

"So, work, Seymour," Mushnik said. "Nurse this plant back to health. I'm counting on you."

"I know," Seymour said again.

"You do?"

"I do."

"So, fix. Good night."

Mushnik left and a couple moments later, Helen put her coat on and grabbed her bag, leaving the shop to go buy some dinner for herself and Seymour, with a parting, "Out to get dinner. Won't be long."

After gathering up some dinner, Helen sat in a booth to write in her diary and have a quick smoke.

September 23, 1960

Well, diary, you're not gonna believe this, but today, we finally got a customer. Actually, not one customer, more than one. Probably around a dozen or more! Why, you ask? Well, it's all because of a 'strange and interesting plant' Seymour found. He calls it an Audrey II. If you're wondering how this happened, let me fill you in.

Today would've been just another ordinary day. Mushnik was about ready to throw in the towel and close the shop for good. But then, Seymour mentioned that maybe what Mushnik needed was to push the firm in another direction and brought up the plant I mentioned a while ago. He thought that if he set it in the window, then maybe we might get a customer, and wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, we did! He wanted to buy fifty dollars' worth of roses, hell, when he asked if we could break 100 and Mushnik said we couldn't, he said he'd take twice as many!

Right after this customer, more customers came filing in, either to buy flowers or look at the Audrey II. All in all, I guess you could say that today was a successful day. But now I'm having an odd feeling about that plant. Something weird happened the minute Seymour put that plant in the window. I don't know if I'm just imagining things, but the way the customer was speaking, he sounded like he was being controlled by someone or something. There's something weird about that plant, diary, but I could just be imagining things. Well, have to wrap up. I gotta go back to the flower shop, before Seymour's dinner gets cold. I'll write in you again tomorrow!

When Helen got back to the flower shop, she noticed that Seymour's finger was bandaged up and he explained to her that he had accidentally pricked his finger on a rose. Helen seemed to sense more than what Seymour was telling her, but decided not to press the subject further. And that very night, she had a strange dream and the only thing she could remember about it was the Audrey II.