Hector gazed at the town, which looked to be made from a mixture of plant and wood.

It quickly dawned to him however that there was something odd about the towns design, as the buildings all had very unusual shapes. Like a normal building, there were doors, roofs, and holes in them which Hector guessed could only possibly be windows.

However, each felt more like a strange imitation of buildings or houses.

“My my,” Miss Emotional said. “They’ve become quite creative haven’t they?”

“Why does this place look so weird,” Hector asked. “Are those supposed to be houses?”

“Weird? Don’t forget their plants dear, so I’m sure their vision of what a home looks like is different from what you’re used to.”

“You say that like it’s normal for plants to build houses,” Hector replied.

He then looked at more of the buildings. It honestly did not look like a place he would like to live in. Or rather, it didn’t look like a place anyone would live in.

That’s how he felt at first, until he saw the smile on Miss Emotional’s face.

Well, maybe she would…

“No need to judge Hector,” Miss Emotional suddenly said as she began walking toward the town.

Hector blinked in surprise.

Seeing as all this is in my head, I wouldn’t be surprised if she can read my mind. Wait. Maybe she can hear me right now…

As he started to follow her, the convoy of plants that they were travelling with seemed to have stopped. They had created an orderly line, and placed the pods down on strange sticky like vines.

The plants then walked off one by one, and in different directions within the town.

“Where are they going?” Hector asked.

“Hmm. I guess the best way to explain it would be that they are taking a break,” Miss Emotional responded.

While they both walked across what looked like a grassy road, Miss Emotional seemed to notice something off to the side. When Hector also looked, he saw a strange looking plant with what looked like an arm sprouting from the top of it.

Is that thing holding an axe?

In it’s plant like hand, was an oddly crafted stone axe. For some reason, the plant held onto it as it kept on walking back and forth from a tree.

Miss Emotional walked over to it, and removed the axe from it’s hand.

“We must really get rid of this habit of yours. Cutting down tree’s is not something we do, especially as we have tree’s that naturally shed elsewhere. Now go on, shoo.”

The plant paused for a moment. It then reached for the axe, but she lifted it into the air. After a few more seconds, the plant slowly walked away.

Suddenly, Hector felt something tug against his jumper. When he looked to see what it was, there was a small plant with arms and legs next to him. It was a lot more humanoid than some of the others, and seemed to be pulling his jumper with it’s hand.

Hector looked at Miss Emotional. “What is it doing?”

It started to pull harder.

“Looks like it wants to play,” she replied as she hid the axe in a nearby bush.

“Play? There’s plants that play?”

This is something I could understand Sofia imagining in her head, but I don’t think I’ll ever understand why I’m the one dreaming this.

Miss Emotional walked up to him and reached out her arms. She then took the sleeping fox from him, and nodded her head to tell him to go.

“It wants to take you somewhere,” she said.

Now somewhat curious about what he might see, Hector decided to willingly follow the plant to wherever it wanted to take him.

After walking to a place nearby, it had brought him to other small humanoid plants that were walking back and forth on a fixed path.

Hector watched them for a few seconds, and then noticed something.

Are…are they racing?

They were walking back and forth from two sticks that had been stuck in the ground. The plants started at one end, and moved to the other—with some being clearly faster. It also seemed like a few of the plants were having trouble walking, just like the walking flower Hector had first met.

The plant holding onto him let go, and then went to join the others.

As Hector continued to watch, it began to feel like a familiar scene. They weren’t as coordinated, but it felt to him like he was watching children playing. Even so, what he was seeing made him feel very uneasy.

And the more he watched, was the more unsettling it started to get.

Suddenly, another plant from elsewhere approached him. With it’s vine like hands, it was holding a wooden cup—or it at least resembled one. Hector then noticed there was liquid inside.

I hope it doesn’t want me to drink that.

“It’s brought you a drink,” Miss Emotional said from behind—startling him.

Why does she keep sneaking up behind me!?

“That doesn’t look like something I should drink,” Hector replied as he looked into the cup again.

Miss Emotional smiled, and then took the cup herself with one hand while holding the fox in the other.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“What is it?” Hector asked as she began to drink.

She reached the cup over to him. “Why not give it a try. It’s not something that has a name. Names aren’t really needed here.”

He hesitated to take it.

“I’m sure you must be feeling thirsty. What else will you drink?” she asked.

Seeing how she seemed fine after drinking it, Hector decided to give it a try as he was indeed thirsty.

After drinking some, Hector suddenly spit it out.

“That’s disgusting!” he shouted.

As Miss Emotional silently stared at him, his frown slowly grew softer. Even though he disliked the initial flavour, there happened to be a very pleasant aftertaste lingering on his tongue.

Hector looked at her with a confused stare, while she simply looked at the cup and then back at him.

He then began to drink more.

That first taste is still gross. But…

The pleasant aftertaste returned, and he lowered the cup.

“This drink is confusing me,” he said.

Miss Emotional chuckled. “This is why you must not immediately pass judgement. You never know what more there is to something.”

Hector gave the cup back to the plant. The plant then walked up to Miss Emotional, and held out it’s other hand which was holding a wooden like cane.

“Thank you,” she said as she took it.

As the plant then walked off, Miss Emotional handed the sleeping fox back to Hector.

“I know this is a dream, but how did these plants learn to do these things?” Hector asked.

“This is a forest of emotions and instinct,” she replied. “Over time, they’ve come to learn of their needs, the animals needs and my needs. We are all connected in a way, so we’ve taken our time to adjust to one another.”

“So you taught them to offer people drinks?”

She laughed. “Something like that.”

Now that I think about it, why haven’t I seen anyone else here?

But as they talked, one of the pods the travelling plants had placed down suddenly split open. From it, jumped out a small child deer. It suddenly began to run toward them, with Hector being the first to notice it.

As he was about to step to the side to dodge it, he quickly stopped. He then stepped in front of Miss Emotional—catching her attention—and then dropped the fox she had given him to his side. But as he did this, Miss Emotional lunged to his side and caught the sleeping fox.

With the deer still running toward them, Hector began to lift his leg in order to kick it. But he then felt something push his other leg, causing his knee to buckle. As he fell, he looked behind him and saw that Miss Emotional had used the cane she got from the plant to buckle his knees.

She then pulled him down to the ground next to her, as the deer ran up and jumped over the both of them.

It then landed, and ran off into the forest.

After getting back on his feet, Hector held his hand out to help Miss Emotional up. She however did not take it and got up herself. When she did, there was a look of anger on her face.

“Hector. You must not harm the innocent animals here,” she said.

She then looked in the direction the deer ran. “It was only scared. What would of happened if you mistakenly kicked it? And how could you throw this poor fox to the side like that?”

Hector took a moments pause.

“It’s not like I was going to kick it hard,” he said. “And why are you getting so upset, their just animals.”

“And you’re just a human!” she yelled.

An awkward silence followed.

“Sorry,” she said after taking a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to shout.”

She then tapped his leg with her cane. “You were only going to kick it because you saw it coming towards me, wasn’t you?”

Hector remained silent.

“That’s very protective of you Hector. Thank you. But promise me you won’t do something like that again,” she said. “This forest is my home, and I’m more than able to handle myself here.”

“….Fine. Whatever.”

She then handed him the fox again. “And please do not drop her again, okay?”

Hector looked at the fox.

Her? This fox is a girl?

“Oh look. Seems it’s time to make our way back,” Miss Emotional said as she looked over at the plant pods.

The convoy of plants had returned, and were beginning to carry the pods once again.

“They will be returning to the garden with us,” she said while walking over to them.

Hector decided to go along with it, and followed her. They eventually travelled back into the forest, with neither saying a word for a few minutes.

Miss Emotional then playfully nudged him.

“It’s surprising” she said. “For someone who seems so level headed, you are a rather rash person aren’t you?”

Hector watched as her eye’s fell onto the sleeping fox, as she then started to pet it’s head.

“Acting before one thinks is an animal trait you know. It’s simple instincts, and it looks like you are also more attuned to it.”

As they walked, Hector took a small step away from her.

“None of this is real, so there’s not much to think about,” he replied.

“So you’re only like this in your dreams?” she said.

Hector didn’t respond.

The words she said had triggered a memory in his head. It was of a time something similar to the earlier deer incident happened, but included his sister’s involvement.

In the past, he had once before mistaken the motive of something—and in response also almost used violence to solve it.

“Something wrong?” Miss Emotional asked.

“No.”

He then looked over at the open pod the deer had escaped from, as it was still being carried by one of the plants.

“Why was there a deer in there?” Hector asked.

Miss Emotional raised her eyebrows. “Showing some concern now are you?”

“Never mind,” he replied.

She chuckled. “Sorry sorry, I couldn’t help myself. Well if you wish to know, those pods—”

But before she could finish, Hector bumped into one of the plants they were following. It seemed like there was a sudden disruption that occurred at the front of the convoy.

“Why’d they stop?” Hector asked.

He then saw a serious look on Miss Emotional’s face.

“Stay here,” she said as she walked with her new cane toward some tree’s.

She remained quiet, and looked deep into the forest. The atmosphere suddenly began to tense up, and Hector had a feeling something bad was about to happen.

A few seconds later, several growls echoed from behind the tree’s and bushes. Miss Emotional then ducked, as a small pack of lions suddenly emerged from the forest.

What are lions doing here!?

They immediately attacked the convoy, and began to tear open the pods the plants were carrying. It was then Hector saw different types of small animals in the pods, as the lions gripped them in their teeth.

“NO!” Miss Emotional yelled.

She got up, and hurried over to a plant in the ground with a gooey surface. She then held her cane and dipped the end of it into the goo.

A lion then began to run toward Hector and the fox he was holding. In reflex, he once again was about to drop the fox—but something caused the lion to stop it’s charge. A source of heat then began to radiate from behind Hector.

When he looked to see what it was, Miss Emotional was holding her cane but with the top of it now on fire.

How did she do that?

She then walked in front of Hector, and swung the fiery cane toward the lion. As it hesitated to approach, plants from the convoy suddenly began to also light some sticks on fire. Hector wasn’t sure how they were doing it, but was too distracted by the lion to pay attention.

With the plants also swinging their fiery sticks to try to scare the other lions away, there was a sudden menacing roar in the distance. It was a roar Hector recognised from when he first travelled through the forest.

Miss Emotional looked back at Hector. “The alpha of the pack is coming. You must leave here Hector, and protect the fox.”

She then pointed toward some trees. “Go through there, and you’ll come across some fireflies. They will guide you to somewhere safe.”

Hector hesitated to go. “But..but what about yo—”

“Hector go!” she shouted, as the lion approached once more as she swung her flaming cane.

So he did just that, and ran in the direction she told him too.

Fireflies, fireflies…where are these fireflies!?

But while fleeing, Hector suddenly tripped as a steep slope appeared. It was then he let go of the fox he was holding, as he decided he needed to use his arms to soften his own fall. He tumbled down the hill, and so did the sleeping fox.

When they got to the bottom, Hector slowly stood up. He then saw that the fox now had another injury, with one of it’s paws now bleeding. There was a guilt, as he had promised Miss Emotional that he wouldn’t drop it again.

“It..it was unavoidable. It’s just an animal, and I had to protect myself. This…this is all just a dream anyway.”

There however, was still a sense of guilt looming over him. As he watched blood trickle from out the sleeping fox, he couldn’t help but feel bad. It annoyed him that he was feeling like this.

Hector suddenly felt a strange urge to put his hand in his pocket.

He then felt that there was a piece of paper inside, and pulled it out.

How’d this get into my pocket?

When he unwrapped it, there was something written inside. It read:

Emotional Intelligence Fundamental

Trial 1 - Quiet your mind, and listen to your heart.