Flowering III

"Gemma, they're doing it again."

Gemma turned on her heel to face the troupe of deer that had been following about ten feet behind them.  "GO.  A-WAY!" The lead buck seemed to stare at her in indignation for a moment and then turned into the direction of the neighborhood park, followed by three does and two white-spotted fawns.  "You too," she snapped at the two grey rabbits nibbling at grass that had sprouted from a crack in the sidewalk.  They just kept on eating.  "I'm sorry Rhea," she sighed.  "I really don't know what's going on."

"That's obvious," Rhea quipped.  "I'm guessing your plant arms haven't gotten any better either?"

"I figured the long sleeves in the middle of August made it obvious?"  Despite Amy's daily reassurances that it was likely just a weirdly rare medical side effect from some antibiotics she had been taking, Gemma's arm sprouts had continued to grow.  Each of her wrists was now encircled with a purple flowering vine and the original sprouts from her inner elbows were continuing to spiral up her upper arm, gaining a few centimeters every day.

"Did you really try cutting it off?"

"I told you, I did!  It just hurt like a bitch, but the vine wouldn't even give."

"It's just so insane."  Rhea shook her head slowly, "And now the animals."

"Trust me, I'm aware," Gemma groaned.  "They started showing up two days ago.  Wednesday morning I opened my eyes and the buck was just staring into my bedroom window.  And now the rabbits try to get in whenever I open the front door."

"Did you try carrots?"

Gemma smirked in spite of herself.  "What is this, Looney Tunes?"

Rhea grinned back.  "Some version of it."  They walked a little further, not noticing the ever-thickening flock of birds on the telephone wires overhead.  "What are you going to do?"

"God I have no idea."

"I think it's time to go see---"

"No way."

"Gem."  Rhea grabbed her hand, tugging her sweatshirt sleeve up just enough for the flower petals to show.  "This. is. not. normal.  Or even ... human.  We need to go see your aunt."  Her sky blue eyes bore into Gemma's deep brown ones.

Gemma sighed deeply.  "Fine.  We'll go see Aunt Nix."