The house at the centre of the multiverse

Chapter 9

The sky had started to grow dark and the air cold. Kane was still hung upside down in the plants larder. His head had started to hurt, veins bulged across his temples and his breath was growing short and rapid. He had stopped trying to reach the key that lay just out of reach.

In the centre of the clearing, surrounded by the bones of its previous victims sat the large leathery flower. Kane had kept an eye on it since it swallowed the man, whose imprint had slowly faded away as it dissolved him alive. It seemed to be dormant. He wondered if it was because of the fading light, maybe it was asleep. It was deathly quiet.

Fearing that this could be his only chance at an escape he set to work. Kane started to wiggle his body just enough to make him slowly turn around so he could get a better idea of his surroundings, so he could see what he had to work with. There was nothing but the trees, the vines, the plant, and bones. He was hoping for some plant killer, a weed whacker or even a sword. He heaved a heavy sigh as his body started to slowly turn back to facing the large flower. All he had was plants and bones.

Bones. One in particular, a large femur, possibly human, seemed just within reach. It was sticking up from out of the ground. Would a bone even help? He reasoned it was better than nothing.

Kane started to move his body, he needed the momentum, the bone was just out of reach but swinging himself he might just be able to grab it. The vine securing his ankles made a sound like thick rubber stretching. He had started to pick up a good momentum and each swing brought him slightly closer to the bone.

He was almost there; his fingers grazed the tip of the bone just before he swung back. He readied himself for the return; this one would definitely bring him within reach.

Success! Kane's hand gripped the end of the bone and his heavy momentum pulled it out of the ground. He swung there for a moment, pleased with himself that it worked, but now what? He had a bone, a large human leg bone. How was this going to help? He looked around him and saw the key laying on the ground beneath him. He poked it with the bulbous end of the bone, nothing. It was too thick to hook it. Then he had an idea. Taking the bone in his hands he used his considerable strength to break it in two. The bone splintered almost across the middle leaving two deadly looking pieces. Discarding one half Kane reached down and jammed one of the splintered ends into the spiral loop on the key. Very carefully he lifted the bone up bringing the key with it. Acting quickly so not to drop it, he grabbed the key and pocketed it.

Now what? He wondered as he swung there. He had the bone and now the key his boss wanted, but how to escape? Looking at the sharp splinters on the end of the bone he had another idea.

Years of doing sit-ups had lead to this moment. Kane did a sit-up and grabbed his legs with one hand to keep himself up. With the other he started to jam the splintered bone into the vine that was holding him up. The bone made small gashes in its thick skin but with the weight of Kane pulling on it, the gashes quickly turned into gaping holes. With an audible twang the vine snapped and dropped Kane to the floor. He screamed in pain. The discarded piece of broken bone he had dropped to the floor had pierced deep into his side.

He wasn't sure if it was his scream or if it was because he had cut his way through the vine, but the eerie stillness had been broken.

The plants leathery flower seemed to shiver slightly which passed down the vines covering the floor and into the trees that surrounded them. Then the silence was filled with the sound of rustling leafs, out from between the trees came vines, lots of them, slithering along the floor like snakes.

Kane propped himself up on his elbows and watched them come, he could feel the excruciating pain from his wound. He could feel the warm blood seeping out and covering his side, coating his clothes. He would have to deal with that later, when he was home and safe. Free from man eating plants. He didn't have much time, he had to run.

Jumping up he prepared to run but only managed one shaky step before his legs gave out and he fell back down to the floor. All the time hanging upside down had deprived his legs of blood and they were now weak and filled with pins and needles.

He tried to stand again but with no luck. He cursed loudly and tried whacking his legs to no avail, they wouldn't be up and running anytime soon.

Kane started to crawl; it was all he could do. It didn't help. The vines snared his ankle and started to pull him backwards towards the trees. Reaching back he jabbed the vine with the broken bone again. The large plant behind him shivered again which reverberated down the vines to the one that had grabbed him. With an ease he hadn't expected the vine that had snared him tossed him high into the air like a small rag doll.

Kane hit the ground with a hard thud. His head was groggy, he struggled to stay awake. His escape had failed; all he had managed to do was get a hold of the key. Before he passed out he could feel the vines encircling his body like a snake, he really hoped he didn't wake up dead.

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