The Green Sanctuary

“Hey, look at that!”

“What?”

“There’s something moving over there in the grass.”

“It’s probably just a rodent. Don’t worry about it.”

“No, I swear it was bigger than a rodent. It looked like a person or something.”

“You’re being paranoid. We’ve been out here scavenging for hours. Your mind is playing tricks on you.”

“I’m telling you, I saw something! We should check it out.”

“Fine, let’s go see what your imagination cooked up this time.”

[Sound of footsteps approaching]

“See? Right over there by that tree.”

[Gasps]

“What the hell?”

“That’s not possible. It can’t be...”

“A little girl? What the fuck is a little girl doing out here all by herself?”

“She looks hurt. We should help her.”

“And do what? Take her back to our camp and risk getting caught with her? You know the rules, man. No kids allowed.”

“I don’t care about the rules! Look at her... She needs our help!”

[Sighs]

“Alright, fine. But we have to be quick and quiet about it. Grab that piece of cloth over there and we’ll use it to carry her back to camp.”

[Sound of footsteps approaching]

…

[Sound of wind blowing]

…

“Where am I?”

“You’re safe now. We found you out in the wasteland and brought you back here to our camp.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Jake, and this is my friend Lisa. What’s your name?”

“I’m Lily.”

“How did you end up out there all alone, Lily?”

“I was running away from them... The bad people who killed my family and burned down our house...”

[Gasps]

“Oh my god... That’s horrible...”

“We’re really sorry for what happened to your family, Lily. But how did you survive out there all on your own?”

“I didn’t. The plants helped me... They protected me and showed me where to find food and water...”

[Laughs]

“Come on, Lily. You don’t really expect us to believe that, do you?”

“It’s true! I can talk to the plants, and they talk back to me! They told me how to survive in the wasteland.”

“Okay, that’s enough. She’s been through a lot. We don’t need to be making fun of her.”

“No, it’s okay. I understand why you don’t believe me. It sounds crazy, but it’s true...”

[Sighs]

“I guess we’ll just have to take your word for it then. But promise us you won’t go running off again, okay? It’s not safe out there for someone your age.”

“I promise.”

[Sound of footsteps approaching]

“Hey, Jake! Lisa! Come quick!”

“What is it?”

“You have to see this for yourselves...”

…

[Gasps]

“What the fuck? Is this some kind of joke?”

“I swear I had nothing to do with this! I just woke up a few minutes ago and found everything like this!”

“Calm down, Lisa. Maybe she can explain what happened here.”

[Lily gasps]

“Oh no... They found me... We have to leave now before they get here!”

“What are you talking about? Who found you?”

“The bad people who killed my family... They’re coming for me...”

[Sound of explosions in the distance]

“Oh shit... That doesn’t sound good...”

“We need to grab our stuff and get the hell out of here before they find us too!”

[Lily cries]

“I’m so sorry, Lily. This is all my fault. If we hadn’t brought you back here, none of this would be happening.”

“No, it’s not your fault. They would have found me eventually no matter what. But we have to go now! Please...”

[Sighs]

“She’s right, Lisa. We don’t have a choice. We can come back for our stuff later, but right now we need to get as far away from here as possible.”

[Sound of footsteps running]

…

[Sound of wind blowing]

…

“Okay, I think we’re far enough away now. We should be safe here for a little while at least.”

“Do you mind telling us what the fuck is going on? Who are those people and why are they after you?”

“I don’t know exactly who they are or why they want me, but I think it has something to do with my ability to talk to the plants...”

“You mean your ability to make shit grow out of nowhere? That was you, wasn’t it? You made all that stuff back at camp just magically appear out of thin air!”

“Yes, that was me... I can control and communicate with plants. It’s like we’re connected somehow...”

“That’s fucking insane! No wonder those people want you so bad. With an ability like that, you could change everything!”

“But I don’t want to change everything! All I want is to find a safe place where I can live in peace and be with my plant friends...”

“Well, it looks like we’re both shit outta luck then because there ain’t no such thing as a safe place anymore.”

“Maybe there is... My parents used to tell me stories about a hidden sanctuary filled with lush vegetation where nature still thrives and humans live in harmony with the earth...”

“That sounds nice and all, but how do we find this magical place?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but my parents left behind some clues in case anything ever happened to them and we had to leave our home...”

“Well then let’s hear ‘em. Maybe we can figure this out together.”

“Okay... The first clue is ‘follow the river to where the sun sets’...”

[Sound of footsteps approaching]

…

[Gasps]

“They found us again! We have to go now before it’s too late!”

[Lily cries]

“I’m sorry, Lily. But we can’t run anymore. We have to stand and fight or they’ll keep coming after us.”

“He’s right, Lily. We can’t keep running forever. So let’s make a stand here and now and show these fuckers that they picked the wrong people to mess with!”

[Sound of footsteps approaching]

…

[Sound of wind blowing]

…

“Are you guys ready for this? Because once we start fighting, there’s no going back.”

“We’re ready, Jake. Let’s do this.”

“Alright then. Here they come...”

[Sound of footsteps approaching]

…

[Gunshots]

…

[Explosions]

…

[Lily cries]

“No! Stop! Please stop! I don’t want anyone else to get hurt!”

“It’s too late for that now, Lily. They started this fight and now we’re gonna finish it...”

[Sighs]

“But maybe there’s another way... Maybe we can find a way to end this without any more bloodshed.”

“You really think those assholes are just gonna walk away and leave us alone?”

“No, I don’t. But maybe if I talk to them, I can convince them to stop fighting and listen to what we have to say...”

“You really think that’s gonna work? These people are ruthless killers who would sooner shoot you in the face than listen to anything you have to say!”

“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s our only chance at ending this peacefully...”

[Sighs]

“Alright, Lily. If you really think talking is gonna solve anything, then be my guest. But don’t say I didn’t warn you...”

[Sound of footsteps approaching]

…

[Lily cries]

“Please... Stop fighting... We don’t want to hurt anyone, we just want to find a safe place where we can live in peace and be with our plant friends...”

[Gunshots]

…

[Sighs]

“I tried, Lily. But like I said before, these people only understand one thing: violence. So if talking won’t solve anything, then maybe it’s time we showed them what we’re capable of.”

[Sighs]

“You’re right, Jake. Talking won’t solve anything with these people. But maybe there’s another way... Maybe I can use my powers to make them stop fighting and listen to us.”

“What are you saying? You want to try and control their minds or something?”

“No, that would be wrong. But maybe if I show them what I can do and how powerful nature really is, they’ll realize that fighting against it is pointless.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?”

“By summoning the plants and making them see the beauty and wonder of nature up close and personal.”

“That’s insane! You can’t possibly summon enough plants to stop all these people from killing each other!”

“Maybe not. But it’s worth a shot, isn