Phytoremediation

Something glowing

Basil heard the door downstairs open.

I thought I locked it... fuck...

"Sunny, I'm sorry for pushing you, I just-" Basil paused on his way downstairs, seeing an adult man inside, and not Sunny.

A moment of terror passed before Basil saw the man's face. Not Yuri.

After a small sigh of relief, Basil walked down to the bottom of the stairs. "Um... hi... are you working for my parents?"

The man chuckled a bit, "I'm more working for you, but yeah. I'll make an assumption here and say you're Basil? Otherwise, I might be at the wrong place." He laughed again.

"Yeah... I'm Basil." Basil mumbled. He didn't really want to talk at the time. He felt like the scum of the earth.

"I'm Marc, I'm here to help you however you need, alright?" Marc smiled and put his hand on Basil's shoulder.

"Ok." Basil said concisely. He just wanted to sleep away his problems, a familiar concept to one of his friends.

"I'm going to bed." Basil spoke softly, then started up the stairs.

"See you later then, Basil! Get some good rest!" Marc replied up the stairs.

Basil walked to his bed and fell onto it. He quietly began to sob into his pillow. Soon enough, the crying died down, and he fell asleep.

--

Basil opened his eyes in a familiar white room. Omori stood in front of him.

"Hello, Basil." Omori spoke in his usual monotone voice.

"What do you want from me?" Basil shouted, trying to stop his voice from shaking.

The attempt to disguise his fear of Omori failed. "Break the light bulb." Omori demanded.

"W-What?" Basil stuttered out.

"Break it."

Basil looked around and saw a small tilling rake. He grabbed it and hit the lightbulb with it, breaking it and drowning the room in darkness.

Within the pitch black, Basil saw Sunny's body slowly fade into view.

"S-Sunny?" Basil stuttered again.

Sunny looked like his younger self, strangely. Basil looked at the young Sunny. His skin wasn't a bone white like Omori's, easing Basil's nerves slightly.

"B-Basil? Someone's trying to hurt you... I have to help you." Sunny said quietly.

"What do you mean, Sunny?" Basil asked with concern.

"Don't come closer. He's about to attack me. I'll protect you, Basil. Go into the door behind you, and get to the throne." Sunny yelled.

Basil opened his mouth to speak, but Omori leapt from the darkness and slashed at Sunny. He fearfully ran off in the opposite direction.

The door was just a few steps away, like Sunny said. Basil ran inside and slammed the door behind himself. Leaning against the door, Basil looked around the room. The entire room shone a brilliant yellow. Sunflowers were everywhere in the room, with a throne made of needles.

Why needles...

Basil sighed and walked over to the chair of needles. He carefully got onto the chair, trying not to get poked. As soon as Basil's other foot left the ground, everything around him vanished.

"Hey, kid, what's your name?"

"I'm Basil, um... wh-who are you?"

"I'm Ross, Mr. Peterson wants to see you."

He grabbed at Basil's hand.

"What grade are you in..?"

"Grade 9, now c'mon."

"B-But Mr. Peterson's class is that way..."

"Shut up, come here."

He shoved him into an empty classroom.

--

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean, Sunny?

"You aren't talking much today. Or yesterday, either."

"Oh. I guess."

"Did something happen?"

"No."

"Oh. Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

--

Basil woke up covered in sweat. He felt himself breathing heavily. Reflecting on trauma unfortunately is not good cardio, though.

Basil undressed in his room and walked to the shower. Usually, being depressed motivates him not to shower, but after what happened, he felt more in the mood for a few litres of cold water in his face.

After turning on the shower on cold, Basil got in. Then he got out and turned up the temperature. He waited for the shower to heat up.

Cold showers are better in concept than in execution.

He washed his hair, using his usual lavender shampoo and strawberry conditioner. Basil spread some pomegranate body wash onto his legs and rinsed it off before starting to shave.

His grandma gave him his first razor after he complained about dirt getting stuck to his leg hair and hurting him as it pulled his less than visible leg hair out.

Ever since, he would do it every time he showered. It made his legs feel good when he wore longer pants and shorts, feeling a comfortable sort of tickling on his legs.

He stared at a bottle of shampoo Polly used to use. He felt his chin shake, anticipating tears falling from his eyes. Basil let them fall but continued to shave the rest of his left thigh, with his vision slightly blocked.

Basil accidentally cut the side of his thigh with the razor. The scent of blood filled the tub. The shower water at the floor of the tub began to be dyed a soft red by the blood.

He placed the razor back onto the edge of the tub and turned off the shower. His crying stopped, but the blood was still slowly flowing out.

Basil dried himself off with a towel, getting some blood on it, and then put it around himself, and walked to his room. A white tee, a pair of black sports shorts, and a dark green sweatervest that his grandma gave him last year.

Once he was dressed, Basil walked downstairs and looked at the living room clock. 6:10 AM. Surprisingly early for how bright it was outside.

"You're up early, Basil!" Marc said from the kitchen, "Here you go!" He handed Basil a plate with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The crust was cut off it.

"... uh... thanks..?" Basil responded, confused by the food he received.

What am I, twelve?

Basil still ate the sandwich. It tasted good.