Chapter 1: Burning Up and Burning Out
The perks of being a sentient sunflower is the fact that, when facing the sun, you can absorb light so much easier than other sentient flowers. Standing there, out in the garden, feeling the sun on my face. It was a wonderful feeling.
Something hard pressed against my face before vanishing.
I shook it off in annoyance, but I couldn't find anything that gave away what poked me. The other plants in the garden talked and laughed with each other. Black blobs in the shape of humans waved and smiled as they passed.
Something hard pressed my face, harder this time, but still disappeared just as fast.
I let out an annoyed huff, then whined, but no one around me reacted. Couldn't they see what was poking me? Were they just ignoring it, ignoring me? I tried to wave and shout, get their attention, but their eyes passed over me like I wasn't even there. They just kept talking and talking and-
My face scrunched up as something pressed against it, I was ready this time though, and it wasn't as uncomfortable.
But they all still just ignored it. I wouldn't just let that stand. I reach out and out and out. Watching my petals extend from my body and reach to the other plant… and reach through the other plants. As my vine-turned-leaves touched the other plants, they suddenly faded into motes of sunlight. I kept reaching, and they wouldn't react, even when I passed through someone they were talking to. Eventually, I had touched all of them, and all that was left of the garden was motes of sunlight hovering everywhere.
Then the force against my face reappeared, and all the motes of sunlight rushed into me, and all I could see was light. My face was on fire, I was burning up. Hot, it was too hot.
…
The light fades to reveal a dark hallway, with a curious child standing in the middle of it, finger raised up to the Sunny's-
Oi, quit poking me! I'm awake. I'm awake. You're giving me an even bigger headache.
"Are… are you okay?"
I'm fiiiiiiine. Just a little burnt out. Like actually burnt out, I feel like my head is on fire. Got any water?
"Water?"
The small child reaches down and picks up the sunflower. Then they flinch away, rubbing at their hands.
"H-hot."
Aw, are you complimenting me? I think you're a bit too young tho kid. I think I'm too young too tho- wha hey, don't ignore me.
The child walks off, the opposite direction of the hallway they came down.
Heeeeeey, don't leave me here. Where you going?
The child returns soon after, picking up the sunflower just fine.
See? What were you complaining about? No, actually, I don't remember what you said.
"S-sorry."
The kid walks off towards the hallway this time. But stops.
"I… I shouldn't walk through that with bare feet."
Hmm? Walk through what?
They turn around and head away from the hallway. The hall ends at a door, a few paces away from the basement stairs. The basement door's also closed.
Wuw… where we going. Huh? Hey, why's a door just lead to another door? And why are there shoes all over the floor?
The kid doesn't say much. Just places the flower down, puts on his shoes, and picks her back up.
Weeeee, I think I'm going to throw up. Can I even throw up?
The kid starts walking again. Through the hallway, though, there are some weird crunching sounds.
Is someone eating chips? I could use some chips, I like barbeque.
Silently, the kid marches forward like a robot. Sunflower in tow. And enters a very bright room.
Ow, ow. My eyes, why my eyes? It's noisy and loud, why are we even here? Is this the kitchen? Oh, the sink? Yah, it's overflowing a lot and wet all over, but why would- GABLAGGARBABAGAHBAH.
The water is cold, and wet, and blocks up everything, but it takes away the burning. It takes away the heat. And it becomes a little easier to think. The sunflower shakes the water off her head, feeling it drip down, soak into the soil of her pot and pool around her roots. It somehow felt wonderful and miserable at the same time. The child watches on, with big shaky eyes.
I… Thank you. Just, splash me with water next time. Ok? That was a bit too much water.
The kid nods, but their eyes don't get any less wet. In fact they get more wet. And they fall down to their knees, jostling the plant in the process.
Hey! Watch it!
"Mom…"
They curl in on themselves, pressing Sunny up against their chest.
Oh. Ohhhhhhhhh. Sh-shoot. How, uh, how does one even comfort someone who just saw their mom turn into a zombie. And then try to eat them. And then watched them fall down the stairs and possibly die.
Aaaand now they're crying, great job Sunny, saying everything out loud with no filter whatsoever. How do you comfort something like that? How do you comfort someone in general, hug them? Is that how? Maybe?
The sunflower attempts to reach out and hug- wait no. Actually reaches out, she feels her leaves extend from her body with an indescribable feeling of something inside being pulled out of her. Her leaves extend out on vine-like protrusions that continue to grow until her leaves wrap around the back of the kid in a pseudo-hug.
*Pat pat*
…
..
.
Wait! What the fuuuuuuuuu- I HAVE ARMS!