Overgrowth

Prologue

I can still vividly remember the day the first person ever got infected by the flowers. Almost like it was yesterday. It happened in the very café I worked in.

It was in Autumn. A rather chilly day, everyone was huddled tightly in their jackets. Bustling about the New York streets like superheroes on a mission. The café was pretty empty. It was Saturday, usually our mellow days. There was about four college kids and maybe one adult in there. All either huddled safely in a book or typing aggressively on a laptop. 

"Yo! Toby, you gonna help me out back here or ya just gonna keep checking out hot college dudes?" The sound of my friend's voice snapped me out my thoughts.  God, I hope no one out there heard her. I jogged into the back immediately punching Tess in the arm with an angry glare.

"What the fuck Tessy? You wanna say that louder for the people in the back who didn't quite hear you?" I grumbled, picking up a box of coffee beans she either couldn't lift or just didn't feel the need to pick up. Tess only giggled at my embarrassment, taking clear joy in tormenting me on the job.

"You emotional sadist." I spat teasingly. She only smirked in response, "I am a Pysch. major for a reason, Toby. I'm almost like Dr. Phil but instead of helping you I mess with your mind." I rolled my eyes at her dumb comparison, gesturing to the boxes that needed picked up still. Tess begrudgingly bent over and grabbed a box, her black hair falling sloppily in her face.  

You'd be surprised that we're friends if you just saw us on the street. First of all, Tess is in her second year of college and I just started my senior year of high school recently. Tess looks extremely mature, she's tall, skinny, pale skin, and perfect black hair. I, on the other hand am pretty much the opposite. Short, tanned skin, messy baby blue hair. But, I guess when you click with someone you just click with someone, because me and Tessy get along like we've been friends for years.

"How's your mom been? I mean, since you moved out and all?" Tess asked, her nose scrunched up in concern. I shrugged, handing her a box to put on a shelf I couldn't reach. "She's supportive and all. But sometimes she'll call me at midnight and yell at me in loving, concerned, yet aggressive Spanish." Tess giggled softly to herself, "Latino moms huh?" "Racist-" She shoved me softly with a groan, "Shut it you butthole. You make the joke every other week."

"You know the rules. I'm Latino so I can makes the jokes," I teased, sticking my tongue out at her before setting the last box on the shelf. "And our WORK here is done!" I cheered, annunciating the word work clearly. Tess sighed softly in disappointment, starting to walk up front, "Did you seriously make your 15th Hamilton reference already? Our shift started an hour ago and I don't think I can bear it." I was about to respond with a reference about how I couldn't say no to this when I heard someone scream. 

Tess looked at me in concern, "What the hell?" She backed away from the door leading to the front counter. "You think it's an intruder?" I questioned softly, hoping she couldn't hear the shaking in my voice. I could literally hear my heart beating with how petrified I was. Tess shrugged, reaching into her boot and grabbing a pocket knife from inside of it. "I dunno. But we should check it out." 

I almost felt my legs give out at that sentence. Out there? Where a madman might be waving a gun everywhere? Was she absolutely insane? "Is that a good idea?" I asked softly, my voice cracking loudly.

"We can't just leave man! There are other people in there." Tess replied dully, opening the door and running up front. I was practically frozen in place. My mind weighing the options carefully. "Damn it, this isn't what those dumb intruder videos taught me..." I forced my feet to take a few steps and follow Tess into the front.

The first thing I saw was blood. This huge, crimson puddle expanding around the middle of the café. But, I saw no intruder. My eyes then settled on a body. It looked like a kid around Tess's age, maybe younger. They were laying on the ground, what looked like white roses sprouting from their knees. I think he was screaming? All I could really hear was this high pitched screeching in my ears and the faintest sound of muffled voices. I could see Tess from the corner of my eyes, though she was extremely blurry. She looked like she was calling the police. At least, I hoped she was.

There weren't many people left inside, not even workers. Most had already ran out of the café out of pure fear. Only two kids were still there. Their hands interlocked tightly, almost as if they'd end up like the poor kid on the floor if they dared to let go of each others hands.

Tess hung up the phone and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "The police should be here soon. It'll be okay, Toby.."

A couple days later they announced that the flowers coming from the kid's knee were the result of some kind of disease affecting teens and young adults. Apparently they could sprout in any part of the body, internal or external, and stop its mobility.  No cure, no cause. Just that they could be deadly if they got to any organs. 

My mother called me, freaking out. The panic in her voice made my heart ache. I should've called her right away, I'm offically the worst son ever. I barely managed to convince her I was alright. But she eventually had to hung up, since it was late. 

I didn't sleep much after she hung up, how could I? My mind was in jambles and I couldn't think clearly at all. It had no cause. No cure. Just bloodlust...and a new, sick name.

Overgrowth.