“Thanks Coach, it’s good to see you back at training again. See ya round.”

Dylan gave a two finger salute at his student in appreciation for their comment, and he opened his locker to retrieve his bag. He paused slightly, collecting himself and then left to go home.

Since his opening up to Brad ten days ago, Dylan had started to get himself back on track. He was running again, going back to class and easing himself back into his coaching sessions. His arm was no longer needing a sling and he was getting back into his routines.

He was still not concerning himself with The Collective though. It was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he was free. He still wasn’t sleeping and the dark still freaked him out, but Dylan was prepared to take little steps.

When Brad had returned from his trip to see Dylan, he must’ve gone straight to the Secretary about the conversation they’d had because the next day the Secretary herself had turned up to his apartment. A visit from her was usually unprecedented. She rarely did such a thing.

“Ahh,” Dylan muttered awkwardly, realising when he opened his apartment door what the visit would be about. “You’d better come in.”

“Thanks Dylan,” she said, entering and moving towards the sofa. She declined Dylan’s mime for a drink and sat down. “I understand you’ve been having a difficult time lately and I want you to know that I completely understand.” They chatted for a while and Dylan repeated what he had said about his feelings towards leaving The Collective.

“You know, I cant force you to stay,” she had said, and admitted that she didn’t know what to say to make him reconsider. They parted, agreeing that the door was always open for him to return. Should he want to at any time.

“It’s just something I need to do for now,” he said. And since then, he could get back to a normal-ish life. Things were beginning to smell like roses again.

***

“Hey, so do you have any plans this weekend, Ty?” Tyler looked up from his bowl of cereal. “God man, you still look half asleep.”

“Epic late night last night,” Tyler grumbled with a mouthful. He swallowed, and continued. “But yeah I do. There’s this thing happening this afternoon that Cece is dragging me to.”

“You sound excited about it.”

“Well, it’s only been a month with her and we’re still very much in that… agree-to-anything phase of making an effort.” He rolled his eyes. “You should come too.”

“I don’t even know what it is yet!”

“Let's see if I remember... Cece’s best friend’s dad was one of the firefighters who died last year in that gas station fire. Do you remember that happening? Well there’s a memorial garden being unveiled that a daughter of one of the other firefighters has been working on. Cece wants to support her friend and be there…”

“And you want to support Cece and be in her good books for later?” Dylan interrupted.

“Exactamondo!” Tyler said laughing. He gave Dylan a wink as he shovelled in another spoonful of cereal. “It might be good to have a celebrity like you there.”

“Please, I’m not about that life anymore.”

“Oh of course. That’s the ‘old you’. Well it all starts at one p.m. so if you can be there, great. It’ll make me look great too.”

Dylan was walking down the street towards the Fire House where the memorial was situated when he got a text from Tyler. DON’T BOTHER COMING. GARDEN HAS BEEN WRECKED. OPENING CANCELLED. And then another text followed- CECE AND I GOING BACK TO APARTMENT. JUST TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP. The text ended with a peach and eggplant emoji.

Nice one. Now I gotta kill few hours, he realised. THANKS FOR THE WARNING, he replied, adding the monkey covering eyes emoji.

Dylan decided he’d head up to the Fire House anyway and check out the damage caused as he was literally already there. He was recognised by a Sheriff's Deputy and he walked over.

“Who would do such a thing?” Dylan asked surveying the scene. “And why?”

“We have a few guesses who. Usual suspects of the town thug brigade. And why? Beats me. Poor little lady created this garden for her daddy and his buds. There was supposed to be never before seen flowers and what not. Don’t ask me. It’s a shame right?” Dylan nodded in agreement. “Can I help with anything though Dylan? Do you need anything?”

“No no, I was coming here for the unveiling and got a text round the corner to say not to bother,” he answered.

“But you thought you’d come anyway and see if you can help?” the Deputy assumed. “You know it’s people like you that this community needs more of.”

Dylan nodded non-committedly, as it was easier than explaining that he wasn’t there to help, nor was he that guy anymore.

“Take a look around if you like, but it’s just the town jerks. Nothing that’s your kinda thing,” the Deputy said, turning away and leaving Dylan to it. Dylan didn’t need to or want to stick around or see anything else so he began walking away.

“Oi, Petersly!” the Deputy called out, stopping Dylan in his tracks. He tried to hide his annoyance. “We’ve just had something come through that might be more your thing. Young female fighting in the park. Boy stuck in a tree.”

Dylan couldn’t believe it. Why would that be more my kinda thing? “I’m sorry Deputy, but maybe call the fire department for that. That really isn’t my sort of thing at all.”

“No, you don’t understand. Sorry. The boy's actually stuck in the tree. Will you come?”

Dylan sighed. He didn’t really have that much of a choice. Or anything else to do.

They arrived within minutes and he had to admit to himself that he was glad he came for the ride. They walked up to the big oak tree and there, set within the trunk of the tree, like it had melted around him and then re-set, was a troublemaker that the Deputy instantly recognised. His torso and legs seemed to be consumed by the oak with his face and one arm protruding out. A crowd had gathered around him.

“Officer!” he whined when they approached. “She’s crazy. A psycho! She said to not cut the tree down and that she’d let me out later, but I have an itchy nose!”

“I can’t leave you in there son. I’m going to have to get you cut out.”

Dylan looked on, trying so hard to not laugh at the sight in front of him.

“No, she’ll lose it even more! Flip! Flip! Flip! Flip! She was crazy she was. She was hitting me with these vines and squeezing me and then she made the tree eat me!”

“Ok pal, well the Deputy will call the fire department and get you out.”

“Well do it quick before she gets-” He didn’t finish his sentence because the tree trunk began to shift, revealing and pushing him out, vomiting him onto the floor. The trunk filled out back to its normal state.

“Crap, it’s her Flip!” the youth whispered before running off. A girl in her twenties stepped out, wearing jeans and a purple fleece top with her blonde wavy hair pushed back with a hair band.

The Deputy stood forward, his hand on his holster. “Did you do this, Miss?” he asked authoritatively.

“I also did the garden that he ruined.”

“And we are going to be dealing with that, I assure you. But you can’t go round…” The Deputy paused as he wasn’t really sure what the name for what she did was. "...Doing that."

“Oh, I can do much worse than that. And then they’ll know better than to disrespect my daddy’s memory like that!”

“Now I don’t think you sh-” the Deputy was stopped in his tracks as out of the ground, roots sprung up, snaking up his legs, towards his waist and around his body. He squirmed and tried to fight the growing root prison he was now in but he couldn’t move. His arms were wrapped up tightly, stopping just at his neck. Shouting was all he could do.

Dylan stared in shock at the Deputy and then at the girl. He was doing all he could to leave this life behind but clearly he wasn’t doing a good of it.

“Hey, let him go. Tell me what your name is, Greenfingers!”

“It’s Eden.”

“Ok, come on, Eden. He’s just doing his job! Let him go.”

“And what are you going to do? You could actually help me get those assholes back.”

“No way, that’s not who I am. I’m not sure it’s who you are either.”

“You don’t know me!”

“I know you spent time creating a beautiful garden for the memory of some really special people. A person who does that then doesn’t go around hurting other people, surely.”

Eden started becoming really emotional. “I do if I’ve been hurt!”

“You’re just making things worse for yourself. This is the wrong way of doing things.”

“They can’t get any worse!”

From out of nowhere, a tangle of thick vines lashed out towards Dylan, but he was able to roll out of the way almost instantly. The crowd of people ran off out of the park not wanting to get involved in this escalating drama.

“C’mon Greenfingers, that was uncalled for!” Dylan called out dryly, readying himself for another attack.

“My name is Eden!” she shouted, lashing out with more vines, whipping Dylan across the cheek as he rolled again out of the way. From beneath, roots came up causing him to cartwheel and flip out of the way to avoid the continuous grabbers shooting out of the ground.

“Cut it out!” he yelled, almost getting his foot caught.

On two feet he ran for a nearby single storey toilet block and leapt up onto the roof for safety. The floor is lava, this is not! he thought as he tried to work out his next move. A rustling sound above him turned his attention away and gave him a huge fright. The tree canopy leaned down towards him. Just as the foliage and branches came swooping down, Dylan jumped off the roof of the block and landed gracefully on the ground. Ahead of him was the mysterious plant puppeteer he was calling Greenfingers.

“Stop this now! What are you planning to achieve here? Get me all wrapped up in vines? Give me a squeeze? Then what? Is that going to make you feel better? Is that going to fix your pa's garden?” he yelled out as he advanced towards her.

She screamed, a loud one, drenched in emotion and did exactly what Dylan had said, as if she was in the business of granting botanical nightmares.

Dylan tried to fight the constriction that was taking over him but was ultimately consumed by it. Tears were streaming down the girl’s face.

“So how about it?!” Dylan asked, hoping to be let go. “Look, I get it Eden, you’re hella mad about your work and the memorial garden.”

“It’s the lack of respect, Flip,” she sobbed. “He died saving lives and he’s gone. I have nothing left to remember him by except that garden.”

“That’s not true. You don’t need things to remember your pa by. You have memories of him that will remain with you a lot longer. No one can do anything to those. Look, stop this. Let me go and let’s talk through this. Give people the chance to help you.” He felt the vines loosen as they unravelled from him, disappearing back into the grass.

He could see the Sheriff's Deputy had been given the same grace but Dylan held out a hand to prevent him from thinking about drawing his weapon.

“Thank you,” Dylan spoke softly, maintaining eye contact with grief stricken girl, who had dropped to her knees.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that I lived with my mom for most of my life. She refused to let me have a relationship with my pa. Since she died, I’d been able to get the chance to get to know him. And I’ve spent my whole life being bullied or taken for granted. I’d had enough. I demand the respect I deserve!”

“Yes, absolutely. I get you completely. I really do understand. And if people don’t after this, then they’re asking for it!” he smiled, hoping she would too.

“You’re right. Thank you. I best go now.”

“I don’t think so young lady. You need to come to the sherrif's office and iron a few things out. Don’t think that a heart to heart will make it all better,” the Deputy instructed.

“I'm not up to it,” she answered, and before anyone had a chance to do anything, both Dylan and the Deputy began to feel the affects of heavy pollen omissions from Greenfingers, so much that they passed out on the grass there and then.

***

“That bitch played me!” Dylan said out loud, reading an article from his phone on Monday morning at the breakfast bar.

“Which bitch? What are you on about?” Tyler asked, lacing his shoes and getting ready to leave.

“Ol’Greenfingers on Saturday I told you about. It says here that three houses became over ran with vines, trees and plants, causing thousands of dollars in structural damage, and one boy was attacked by a swarm of bees on his way home yesterday afternoon. He was stung so bad he was hospitalised.”

“And you’re surprised she went down that path after knocking you out?”

Dylan shrugged. “Well yeah, I thought I had at least tried to get through to her.”

“She’s a chick. They tell you things and do the opposite.”

“What did happen on Saturday with Cece?” laughed Dylan, sensing something in Tyler’s gripe.

“Don’t ask. Total bust,” he replied shaking his head and opening the door to leave.

Dylan laughed and put his phone down. He was kind of looking forward to getting to live a life of girlfriend trouble. Though, he wasn’t going to be giving flowers out in a hurry.

In the next issue, Sediment Terri #5, ‘Up Against the Heavyweights’...

Terri and Holt go on a road trip when an old friend of Terri’s resurfaces.