It’s a dark cold night in the town of Atomberg. The sky is slightly cloudy as the dark grey blobs pass overhead as the moon shines its bright white light. The moonlight shines on an old abandoned barn. The barn is decaying with bits of its wood falling out and holes in sections of its dark red walls and roof. It creaks and bellows with the slow-moving wind. Nearby three teenagers the three teenagers from chapter one that I didn't give names. They hide in the bushes as they look at the barn. The leader of the teens Clyde speaks up.
Clyde: “There it the old Mushnik farm, they say it’s haunted and all who dare enter are never seen again.”
The second teenager Tal looks at the barn and his friend. And the third teen a girl named Hidi also speaks up.
Tal: “And we will too if we go into there.”
Hidi: “I agree, is this a really good idea, Clyde.”
Clyde: “Now where is your sense of adventure, don’t you want the credit of being the first kids to conquer it.”
Tal: “Yeah that does sound pretty cool.”
Hidi: “Alright fine, as long as we're in and out.”
Clyde: “Good now come on.”
The trio of teens slowly slip towards the barn Clyde tries to open the barn doors but they barely move and they shake in places.
Clyde: “Come on stupid door.”
Hidi: “Oh no, doors locked what a shame, I guess we can’t do anything now.”
Clyde: “Don’t be such a party popper Tal help me with this door.”
Tal: “Fine”
The two slam their doors against the door giving it a loud thud, but it only shakes with their weight, They try again thud! And again, another thud. Both back up move and charge toward the door and slam against causing the doors to swing open. Clyde and Tal huff and puff in exhaustion for their actions as Clyde jokes.
Clyde: “Easy.”
All three step into the barn only to be met with darkness, only small bits of moonlight shine light into the room. The light coming from the open door of the barn slowly fades as the doors close, leaving the teens in near-total darkness.
Hidi: “I can’t see anything.”
Tal: “I got it.”
Tal turns on his cell phone flashlight shining a cone of light in front of the teen. He moves it around looking around the barn. The barn is empty just an old wooden floor and walls lined with vines then something reflects the light of the flashlight.
Tal: “Huh?”
Tal approaches the source of the reflection and comes upon a table, scattered across the table in a disorganized fashion are test tubes and beakers, as well as some other clear scientific equipment. Some beakers are empty while others are filled with an unknown liquid. The contents of one beaker peaks the teen’s attention. Inside is a gross-looking green liquid and floating in it is a seed. Tal looks closely at the seed and then the seed opens revealing an eye.
Tal: “Ahh!”
The teen jumps back in shock as he screams knocking into Clyde.
Clyde: “Hey watch it!”
Hidi: “Can we please just take the picture? This place is creeping me out.”
Clyde: “Pfft, babies, fine.”
As the teens get in position for their photo unbeknownst to them the vines across the walls slightly move and then a soft quiet voice speaks up.
???: “E…ex….exhuste me.”
Clyde: “huh?”
The teens look as a figure approaches, Tal points his phone flashlight at the figure who covers their face from the light. A middle-aged skinny man with rounded glasses and a balding head wearing gardening gear stands in front of them.
???: “Pa…pa..please, you…you need to leave.”
Tal: “I fought this place was empty?”
Clyde: “I guess oldie here didn’t get the memo.”
???: “I…it…it’s not safe here.”
Then another voice from an unknown source softly begins to speak.
!!!: “Feed Me.”
Hidi: “Huh did anyone else hear something?”
???: “No…Pa…Please..No. You need to leave.”
The mysterious voice speaks again but louder.
!!!: “Feed Me!”
Tal: “What was that!?”
???: “G…ge..get out of here, please.”
Clyde: “What's that speak up. I can't hear you!”
Tal takes a step back and steps on something and sees that he has stepped on a gross emerald vine.
!!!: “FEED ME SEYMOUR!!!!!!!!”
Suddenly the vine that Tal has stepped on wraps around his foot and quickly drags him into the darkness.
Tal: “Ahhhhh!!!!!!”
Hidi: “Oh hell no I ain’t dealing with this!”
Hidi and Clyde begin to run for the door. More vines begin the grow toward them as they run. Suddenly Hidi steps in something, she looks down to see her foot inside a watermelon.
Hidi: “Eww.”
Then the watermelon grows a pair of glowing red eyes and around the area in which Hidi’s foot grow a set of teeth that chomps down on her leg.
Hidi: “Ahhh! Clyde Help.”
Clyde runs over to her and attempts to pull her out, using all his strength to grip and thug at her but to no avail. Another watermelon attached to a vine flies from the ceiling as it chomps down on her shoulder.
Hidi: “Ahhh.”
Clyde gets go of her and runs to the door but he sees vines begin to cover the door. He stops and looks around to see more vines and watermelons approaching him. He tries to slam against the door and it shakes. He slams against the door and again it shakes. The vines begin to touch Clydes’s body.
Seymour: “Pa…Pa...Please…Thier just kids. “
Clyde tries one more time to slam against the door and then.
Clyde: “And then I ran, but you know, cool style. Not like I was afraid or anything. But whatever’s going on in that barn is made terrible and got my friends. So… What you say will you help.”
We see now that Clyde sits in an old wooden chair inside a run-down shack sitting across from him sitting at a desk in his chair is Max in his costume. Max slurps down a cup of coffee careful not to spill anything on his nice white metallic suit.
Max: “Hmm…You got any money?”
A rolled-up newspaper hits the back of his head after he says that. He looks up to see Sam standing behind him an angry look on her face.
Sam: “Max!”
Max: “Hey I’m all for helping people but this is still a business, that we need money for. Don’t forget this same teen and his buddies caused us trouble when I first got here.”
Sam: “Still though.”
Clyde: “Well I have something that could work.”
Both look confused at the teen as he pulls out a small suitcase. He opens it up showing the pair that it's full of cash and coins. Both look at each other and then at Clyde.
Sam: “Where did you get this much cash?”
Clyde: “Some nerds gave it to me for safekeeping.”
Clyde says that with an arrogant smile while Sam frowns.
Max: “Alright this will work! Don’t worry I will certainly save your friends”
Clyde: “Man that’s such a lame line.”
Sam: “Yeah but when I knew you, you were never this outspoken.”
Max: “Being a superhero means letting go of fear and smiling in the face of danger. I had to learn about the cameras and fans. In the end, it’s all about confidence.”
Sam: “Right well let’s see if confidence can help us save the day.”
It’s midafternoon now as Max, Sam, and Clyde stand outside the old barn as the light of the sun shines on it.
Max: “Doesn't look that bad to me. Is this the right place?”
Clyde: “Trust me this is it.”
Max: “Sam what's the deal with this place.”
Sam: “Rumor has it this place is haunted. Long ago this place was owned by one Seymour Mushkin. He used this place to grow plants, fruits, and vegetables. He did pretty well in the harvest festival too if I remember but then he started holding himself up in his barn more and more until eventually, no one saw him again. They say he died with his plants and his spirit”
Clyde: “That must have been the guy I saw! Welp good luck fighting a ghost, later suckers!”
With that Clyde quickly runs off leaving the two alone.
Sam: “That brat! Sigh, Max do we have to do this?”
Max: “We got paid for a job, we gotta do it.”
Sam: “This place, just looking at it is giving me horror movie vibes. Can’t you turn giant and smash the place.”
Max: “We don’t know if any of the teens are still in there, can’t risk hurting them. What afraid?”
Sam: “And you’re not? I don’t think you can punch a ghost.”
Max: “It’s likely an animal or something, or the kids got lost. I’m a superhero whatever it is I can take care of it. Remember confidence.”
Sam: “There’s confidence and then there’s stupidity.”
Max: “And my confidence will make you look stupid.”
The pair walk up closer to the barn house of the land and stare at its decaying state.
Sam: “Can’t you just turn giant and smash the place.”
Max: “And if the teens are still in there and I crush them?”
Sam: “Right.”
Max then shrinks down to the side of a bug and he quickly flies through the cracks in the door of the barn. The barn doors open in front of Sam as now Max is back to his full-size stand in the doorway.
Max: “Shall we?”
Sam: “Alright smart guy.”
The two now enter the barn the darkness of the building only being brightened by sunlight coming in from the cracks of the roof. Sam pulls out a flashlight from her pockets shining the light around the area.
Sam: “Need a light?”
Max points to the headpiece of his costume and answers.
Max: “I got night vision in this thing.”
Max walks around the barn and then walks towards the table with various beakers and test tubes on it. Max looks over at the table his headpiece analyzing the various chemicals he sees.
Max: “This Seymour guy, he grows organic?”
Sam: “Everyone in Atomberg does.”
Max: “Seems this Seymour guy wasn’t completely legit. Let’s see what the internet has to say about this guy.”
Max presses something on the side of his headpiece but then an error flashes in front of his eyes.
Max: “No connection! Damn you small-town internet services!”
As Max curses out Sam looks around she opens up one of the areas the barn animals would rest in.
Sam: “What did you expect, even for this town it’s on the outskirts.”
Sam flashes her light over the pen seeing the basin where an animal’s food and water would have been placed dirty with rotten food and murky water. She then moves the flashlight and shines the light on something that horrifies her. That causes her the gasp in fear.
Sam: “Gasp!”
Sam looks upon a dead decayed pig. But instead of rooting flesh, the corpse looks deflated and flat. Several roots of a tree wrap around the pig several of them seem to be interested in the pig through its hide. The roots sketch out through a hole in the barn wall off to an unknown location.
Sam: “Max!”
Max: “Yeah?”
Sam: “Ah!”
Sam yells in shock as Max suddenly appears behind her.
Sam: “Don’t scare me like that this place is creepy. Look at that!”
She points at the dead pig and Max looks at it.
Max: “Yeah that’s strange.”
Sam: “It’s super ominous and creepy!”
Max: “This place is shaking you up, huh.”
Sam: “I don’t like horror! In horror movies, it’s always the girl that goes through the most.”
Max: “Sam I don’t know if you’ve noticed I’m a superhero. I got lasers, super strength, flight I don't think some horror villain in a mask can harm me.”
Sam: “No but it could harm me! Can we just out of the barn.”
Max: “Sure fine, I don’t see any teens here anyhow we still have to check the rest of the farm.”
Sam: “Yeah sure outside will be better.”
The pair walk through the empty dark barn towards the back door of the barn where the two open the door. They walk out further into the farm coming upon fields of corn outstretching before them. In the distance, a farmhouse stands over the farm.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Sam: “Yeah corn field that’s much better.”
Max: “It’s not even nighttime. You’ve lived your whole life in a farming community.”
Sam: “Still though!”
Max: “Sigh, fine I’ll search the fields how about you check out the house.”
Sam: “You want us to split up?”
Max: “Creepy corn field or old charming farmhouse. Your choice.”
Sam looks at the cornfield and then at the farmhouse and back and forth between them.
Sam: “Farmhouse! Catch you later!”
With that Sam quickly runs off toward the farmhouse. Leavin gMax all by his lonesome. Max sighs in annoyance at his friend’s behavior. Then he hears something moving through the fields by him. Max turns over to them and narrows his eyes and sees some kind of movement through the fields.
Max: “Alright let's do this.”
Max slowly enters the corn fields and walks through them. He brushes past the corn stalks that stand all by his sides. A soft wind blows past him causing the hero’s cape the flap behind him as he moves. The corn behind unbeknownst to the hero opens up to reveal the yellow cobs underneath the leaves. The seams between the corners of the corn open up revealing a mouth with rows of teeth, tongues stretching out liking themselves and salivating with drool for hunger. Max quickly turns around back to corn behind him only to see they return to their normal state. Max shrugs and keeps walking on.
Max: Big place how the heck am I gonna find them through this?”
????: “HELP!!!!”
The cry for help quickly catches Max’s attention who looks around for the source. But can’t see any person.
????: “HELP!!!!!”
This time Max is sure he knows where the cry comes from and runs towards his left. He runs through the cornfield at high speeds. Max then hears another cry coming from his right.
????: “HELP!!!!!”
Max quickly changes his direction running toward his right and then he hears it again from his left.
????: “HELP!!!!!”
And again form behind him.
????: “HELP!!!!!”
Each time Max changes his direction running towards the direction of the scream and he hears the cry. Again and again, it crocs all around him from every direction.
????: “HELP!!!!! HELP!!!!! HELP!!!!! HELP!!!!! HELP!!!!! HELP!!!!!”
Max looks around confused as to where the voices are coming from.
Max: “Alright that’s it! Time for a birds eye’s view!”
Max begins to activate the energy rocket boots of his costume lifting him off the ground. However, Max only flies inches off the ground before something grabs Max’s feet stopping him from going higher. Max looks down and sees the green stalks of corn wrapping around his legs.
Max: “What the?”
Before Max could react furthermore stalks of corn lash out at him wrapping around his arms and completely stopping any movement. Max looks at the corn holding him and sees one open up a mouth as it lets out a hiss.
Corn: “Hissssss!”
Max: “Great first animals now plants! Nature just hates me huh!”
The corn wraps around his arms and legs further their mouths biting the metal of his costume. Max strains his muscles as he tries to escape.
Max: “Computer put more power into the thrusters!”
The energy rocket boots of his customer shoot out more firey blue energy from the bottom. The force burn and pulls the corn warped around Max out of the ground. The corn screams in anguish as Max shoots off into the sky and brushes the remaining corn off of him.
Max: “Okay well not eating corn for a week after that.”
Max flies over the fields of corn as more and more of them grow mouths and try to launch up at him clamping their teeth in an attempt to bite him. Yet Max flies too high for them to reach. Max ignores them scanning the area within his sight for any sign of his goal. In the distance, he notices a crow and files toward it. He lands in front of the scarecrow and looks over it the scarecrow rest on a wooden post. As soon as Max approaches he knows it’s no true scarecrow. He sees that it is one of the teenagers that disappeared. Specifically, it’s Tal. And the wooden post is a large root. Out of the root are vines that warped around the teen's arms and legs and enter through his skin. The teen looks like he’s drained of energy and hasn’t eaten in a few days, skinny with bone showing.
Maxes walk over to the teen determination in his eyes. Careful he uses his strength to rip the vines out of the teen and slowly pull him off the root. Max carries the teen away from the root and takes a few steps below gently placing the teen on the dirt ground. Max analyses the team with his headpiece to check his condition. Max reads the information on his screen.
Max: “Alive, but not well. He seems to be drained of his blood, just like the pig. What is this some sort of plant vampire?”
Tal: “Uhhgggg.”
Max: “Hey you okay? What’s going on here?”
Tal: “Uhhggg, Darkness, vines grabbed me. Feel Weak.”
Max: “Listen your blood has been drained pretty badly don’t strain yourself. Any idea where it’s going?”
Tal: “Ugggg, Mel…Melon… The Great Melon!”
Max: “Great Melon?”
Tal: “All roots go to melon.”
Max takes a look at the giant root that Tal was Pervious attached to seeing stretch out beyond the field.
Max: “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this. Do you know where your friend is?”
Tal: “Uhhh, Root!”
Max is puzzled by this until out of the corner of his eye he sees the giant root come swing toward him.
Meanwhile, Sam has made it to the front of the farmhouse. Upon a closer look, it’s an old wooden window with dark windows. Sam can’t see any sign of the light of life from inside. Sam looks around the area in the field across the house. She sees in the center of that field a large watermelon. The watermelon is about the dimensions of a limo.
Sam: “Big Melon, never thought I be creeped out by a melon.”
Sam walks up onto the porch of the house and knocks on the door, as she knocks the door swings open to the dark room inside. The house is dark with the curtains drawn and the light off. With the little she could see in the darkness Sam reaches over to a nearby light switch and flicks it a couple of times but to no avail.
Sam: “Of course, the creepy house has no power.”
Sam takes out a flashlight and turns it on using it to scan the area. She walks around and enters the living room of the house. Old furniture lays about the room, the sofa is worn out, coffee table with a broken leg. Sam’s flashlight flashes a glint of light off of some glass and sam gets closer to it. Sam walks up to it and sees that it’s a picture frame. Sam grabs the picture and talks a closer look at it. In the picture, she sees an image of a younger adult Seymour and a red-headed woman about the same age. As Sam looks she hears a creak from upstairs. Sam quickly shines her light on the stairs nearby. She looks up the stairs to the second floor but doesn’t see anything.
Sam: “Okay, Sam. Be confident, just like Max.”
Sam takes a deep breath and begins to walk up the stairs. She moves slowly as she takes step by step. Each step she takes creaks under her weight.
Sam: “Oh come on.”
Sam makes it to the top of the stairs. Several rooms with their doors closed line the old dark hallway. Looking around the different doors Sam selects the one on the far left. She enters the room. It’s a small den-like area with a single light lamp lighting on the central table in a gloomy orange light. There are tables and desks of scientific equipment everywhere around the room. In the center of the room is a table with papers all over it. Sam goes over to the papers and reads the one on top of the other as she reads several lines circled in red.
Sam: “ Designers have created an egg-shaped pod for the deceased that offers an alternative burial method. The body of the deceased is placed in a fetal position inside a container made from biodegradable material before the pod is buried in the earth. A plant, chosen either by the deceased before their death or by the family is then planted above the burial site. By planting a tree that is fertilized by the decomposing pod, the designers want to "change our approach to death" and provide a sustainable alternative to traditional burial methods, which can be damaging to the environment.”
Sam picks up another research paper and reads that one.
Sam: “Probably the best evidence we have for plant-based intelligence and keep in mind that scientists have looked at humans and animals a lot longer than plants—is kin recognition between trees and seedlings that are their kin. Those old trees can tell which seedlings are of their seed. We don’t completely understand how they do it. But we know these old trees are changing their behavior in ways that give advantages to their kin. A parent tree will even kill off its offspring if they’re not in a good place to grow.”
Sam then grabs another piece of research and reads it.
Sam: “Worldwide, children can be found who reported that they have memories of a previous life. More than 2,500 cases have been studied. Many of those children come from countries where the majority of the inhabitants believe in reincarnation, but others come from countries with different cultures and religions that reject it. In many cases, the revelations of the children have been verified and have corresponded to a particular individual, already dead. Many have behaviors related to their claims of their former life: phobias, philias, and attachments. Others seem to recognize people and places of his supposed previous life. The hypothesis of reincarnation is controversial. We can never say that it does not occur or will obtain conclusive evidence that it happens. The cases that have been described so far, isolated or combined, do not provide irrefutable proof of reincarnation, but they supply evidence that suggests its reality.”
Sam: “Reincarnation? Burial pod seeds? Plant intelligence? What is this all about.”
Sam looks up fine the papers and sees on the wall a shadow of a figure behind her. She turns behind her and quickly a hand goes over her mouth and sees the body attached to it is Seymour.
Seymour: “Pa…Pa.please, keep quiet.”
Sam frantically reaches behind her for something and grabs the lamp and smashes the lamp over Seymour’s head.
Seymour: “Ahh!”
Seymour falls to the ground as Sam quickly runs out of the room and slams the door. She runs down the hallway into another room shutting the door behind her.
Sam: “I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! Creepy farm, creepy house, and probably the ghost of the farmer that owns the place. Where’s Max when you need him.”
Meanwhile, Max is puzzled by the last words Tal spook to him.
Tal: “Uhhh, Root!”
Out of the corner of Max’s eyes, he sees the giant root come swinging toward him. It smacks him in the side sending him flying across the field. Max rolls and tumbles on the ground landing on his back. The monstrous root lunges at Max for another attack, He quickly blasts at the root with an energy beam burning the root. Suddenly Max feels the ground rumble beneath him as more roots shoot out of the ground and tries to grab Max. Max moves quickly avoiding the roots. Max flies off the ground as the roots continue to grow and swipe at him. They swing left and right as Max doges in the air. Max blasts each with his blue energy beams. With each hit, the roots burn away but quickly they regrow back. Then needles grow out of the roots and beg to fire at Max. The needles fly through the air at incredible speeds at the hero, he manages to dodge them in the air moving around then, and most of those that make impact break off against his armored costume.
Max: “Come on it’s that the best your vegetables got?”
The roots then split open up like mouths inside the needles acting like teeth for these root-like mouths. The root mouths clench up and spit out a viscous purple sap that flies at Max. Max manages to dodge most of the sap but some get on the boots of his costume. This stops the blue energy that comes from there that’s keeping Max airborn.
Max: “Oh, shit!!!!”
Max falls to the ground landing on his but. Getting up he sees Tal being wrapped up by a root and dragged off into the cornfield.
Max: “Hold on!”
Max tries to fly again but the sap still on his boot stops anything from coming out of him preventing his flight.
Max: “Dang it.”
Max tries to run over to Tal as fast as he can, but Max too is grabbed by a root. The root grabs his leg and begins to pull Max in the opposite direction of Tal. Max goes to blast the root holding him but then another root wraps around his arms to stop his attacks. Max struggles in an attempt to get free. The roots drag him through the cornfield Max’s body hits the stalks of corn as he moves by.
Max: “Hey corn! Some tasty meat here. Come get a bite.”
The corn opens up its mouth and launches itself at Max. Max pulls as hard as he can against the roots holding his arms. He moves them just in time for the corn to chomp on the roots. The roots lets go of Max as a reaction to this and quickly Max uses the opportunity to blast the roots and corn to dust. Quickly Max runs off back to where he saw Tal. He makes it over to the site of the scarecrow but doesn’t see Tal or any sign of him.
Max: “Damn. Sam is gonna kill me if those kids die and I don’t even know where the second one is.”
Max looks down at his boots covered in the sap which has now hardened.
Max: “Damn this is gonna be a pain to clean! Can’t fly now like this anyway. Which way do I even go? I guess they took the teen that way so I better follow.”
With that Max walks off in the direction he saw the roots drag Tal and walks further into the farmland. He walks a bit and finds an old tractor, he moves closer to it and investigates it.
Max: “This thing been here for years it seems, busted. Oh, weedkiller.”
Max grabs a bag of weed killer and looks around and sees a silo not too far out.
Max: “Alright, time to harvest.”
The doors to the silo open as Max enters, and the doors close behind him leaving Max in the darkness of the silo. The slip is quiet as Max looks around and sees that the silo is empty, except when he loops up and sees something suspended above him, he also sees nearby a set of stairs that spirals around the silo. Max begins to climb the stairs of the silo each step the silo creaks with a metallic noise. Then Max hears something crinkle beneath his feet. He looks down and sees he’s an old newspaper. Max picks it up and reads it.
Max: “Stella Smol wins Atmoberg vegetable competition 5th year in a row. Way to go, mom.”
Looking at the image Max sees that it is his mother a bit younger than her current age holding a giant trophy shaped like a giant tomato. Nearby though is a picture of Seymour and an adult red-headed woman. Max keeps moving up the stairs and sees that he’s approaching a bed suspended above the air in the middle of the silo by vines and roots. Around the bed also suspended is over equipment. As Max gets closer he sees lying in the bed unconscious is Hidi, like Tal before roots stick into her arms. Max carefully walks closer to the bed and reaches for the roots attached to her when a voice speaks out.
!!!: “You shouldn’t be here.”
Max looks around for the voice but doesn’t see anyone in the darkness.
Max: “Who are you?”
!!!: “Why? Scared?”
Max: “More excited really. Your the first super-powered villain I’ve gone up against since I got here.”
!!!: “You’re a confident one. But that confidence is misplaced I am no ordinary villain. I am a new being that will bring destruction upon this world.”
Max: “ah, classic villain monologue how I missed you.”
!!!: “Well I’m sure you’ll truly miss the ground.”
At that moment the vines holding up the bed retract and cause Max, Hidi, and the bed to fall down the huge tower.
Max: “Crud! Crud!”
Max violently bangs on the boots of his costume to try and make them work but to no avail. Seeing them not work and seeing the ground fast approaching he quickly reaches out and grabs Hidi and reaches out his hand and blasts out an energy blast. The blast sends them back into the wall of the silo landing on some stairs.
!!!: “You will not escape me! I am this Land!”
The silo begins to shake and rumble Max grabs Hidi and begins to run down the stairs as fast as possible. As he runs and the silo shakes giant vines reach down after him. As Max runs he blasts back beams of energy at the vines to keep them off him. Max managed to make it to the bottom of the silo stairs and burst through the doors. He runs from the silo as fast as he can carrying Hidi over his shoulder. The silo crashes down behind him causing dirt and dust to fly into the air.
Max: “Man, I hope I don’t have to have that.”
Hidi: “Uggh.”
Max: “Hey there how you doing there?”
Hidi: “Bad…”
Max: “Alright well hopefully Sam is doing better.”
Meanwhile, Sam is still inside the house, in the room she was in with the door closed.
Sam: “Okay, Okay, Clam down Sam.”
Sam takes a deep breath as suddenly there's a knock on the door.
Sam: “Eep!”
Seymour: “Please, I’m…I’m not here to hurt you.”
Sam: “Yeah that’s what a serial killer would say!”
Seymour: “I’m not a killer, but she…Please…You must leave…Before she notices you.”
Sam takes a moment to look at the door with fear and then remembers Max’s words about confidence.
Sam: “I can’t believe Max is right for once.”
Sam quickly opens the door to see Seymour who holds his head as a bit of blood leaks out.
Sam: “Ohh, Sorry about that. Umm who notices me?”
Seymour: “Umm…”
Sam: “Hey listen, I’m here to help and so is my friend wherever he is. You need to tell me what’s going on.”
Seymour is silent for a moment. But then Sam speaks up.
Sam: “Hey! You can’t be afraid all your life! Be confident in yourself!”
Seymour takes a deep breath before speaking.
Seymour: “She used to say that too. My wife Audrey. When she died for her illness I just got so scared of being alone. I had to try. I had to try and it created a monster in the process. Now here roots have invested everything on the farm, the crops, the plants, the grass, the wood.
Sam: “Wait did you say the wood?”
Seymour: “Yes?”
Sam: “What is this house made out of?”
Seymour: “Oh no!”
!!!!: “Seymour…Seymour…You’ve betrayed me, Seymour! Cheating on me with some two-bit…”
Seymour: “No…No that…That’s not the case.”
!!!!: “Seymour? Did you just talk back to me?! You and her need to learn your place!”
The house rumbles and shakes as both look around in fear and confusion. Suddenly arms made of vines shoot out of the windows. They grab Sam and Seymour and pull them out of the house as it falls to the ground.
Sam and Seymour: “Ahhhh!!!!:”
The two are pulled away from the falling house and see they are going toward the huge watermelon in the distance.
Sam: “Why is she taking us to that melon?!”
Seymour: “That’s where I bruised her, that's what I planted above her.”
Sam: “Ahh!!! Max!!! Where are you!!1”
Meanwhile, in the distance, Max watches as he sees the farmhouse collapse.
Max: “Sam?”
Hidi: “Melon…I can feel her intentions, The melon is her main body. Destroy that destroy her.”
Max: “What about your friend?”
Hidi: “He’s there too.”
Max: “Alright time to smash a melon!”
Back with Sam and Seymour, they are finally brought towards the melon and see it rise up and morph. The melon forms a pair of legs that stomp on the ground, it forms a large body and then sprouts a head. The head stares at the pair in it’s large hands.
!!!!: Hello there Seymour.”
Sam: “Why are you doing this?”
Max: “I’ll tell you why!!!”
All look down to see Max standing at the monster’s feet.
Sam: “Max!!! This thing is a dead woman who died from an illness and this idiot did some wierd evil scientist stuff and it turned her into this monster!”
!!!!: “I am no monster. Hero! You asked me for My name earlier! I will be the new god of this world! I am Sylvanus!”
Max: “Nice I like it.”
Sylvanus opens up her chest and shows Tal wrapped up inside her.
Sylvanus: “With the lifeblood of this human and all the rest of you I will infect humankind with my seeds and I will control the world!!!”
Max: “And all because my mom beat you at the harvest festival.”
Sam: “Seriously! That was this is about!”
Sylvanus: “As Audrey my illness made me too weak to beat your mother, to do what I wanted, and now I will have everything I want!.”
Seymour: “I…I…”
Sylvanus: “Got something to say, hubby!”
Sam: “Dude stand up for yourself! Be confident!”
Seymour: “Ahhhh!!! Audrey, You’ve gone crazy!!! Don’t do this!!! Also, I want a Divorce!!!”
Max: “Wow, Great timing!”
Sylvanus: “You dare speak out against me! It was you who moved us here after your failures in biochemistry, it was you who failed to save me after my illness, and who turned me into this! You want to be done with me? Fine! Then I’ll be done with you!!!”
Sylvanus throws Seymour up into the air and opens up her giant maw to eat him.
Seymour: “Ahhhh!!!”
Max quickly acts looking to his feet he sees his boots still not working, he loots at the gloves of his costume and quickly takes it off. With his other hand, he spins around and at full strength tosses it to Seymour.
Max: “Catch!!!”
Somehow Seymour catches it before falling into Sylvanus’s mouth. For a moment everything is quiet and Sylvanus grins as Max and Sam look on with worried expressions. Then suddenly there's a rumble coming from the belly of Sylvanus and a burst of blue energy blasts out and v erupts in an explosion of red melon juice as pieces of her fly everywhere. Max quickly runs around with his arms out as Sam screams and hands into his arms.
Sam: “Ahhhhh!!! Offff!”
Max: “Got you!”
Max puts Sam down as the two look down at the pile of destruction.
Sam: “You think he’s…?”
Seymour: “I’m still alive!!:
Both look as they see Seymour sit up from the destruction covered in red melon juice holding Tal.
Moments later Sam sits in the passenger seat of a pickup truck as Hidi and Tal lay down in the back. Max and Seymour are standing off to the side and talking.
Max: “We’ll get these safe and home. Are you sure you’re gonna be okay here by yourself?”
Seymour: “I have to clean up my mess. It’s gonna be hard…starting over.”
Max: “Yeah…I…I get that…But hey you got this! You just gotta stay confident you got this!”
Seymour: “Thanks.”
With that Max gets into the truck and starts driving off.
Sam: “I still don’t get how you could have stayed confident in the face of all that.”
Max: “Every day as a superhero you don’t know what you’ll face you gotta be confident you can take it not just for yourself but for the people around you to be less afraid.”
Sam: “Well let's hope you’re confident enough that Sylvanus won't be coming back.”
Max: “Ehhh, I'm sure it will be fine.”
As they drive off a watermelon seed they pass sprout a root that digs into the ground and an eye that looks at you!!!
End of Chapter 4