Subject 23:59

5. Dawn of the forrest (unedited)

The turtle yawned.

The past few days in the laboratory had been boring with the mynah's constant nagging, the snake's constant stalking and on top of it all, Sqkii still performing the same fire show.

He peeped out of the window to see the forest once more, taking in the breathtaking sight.

The trees of different colors waved gently in the wind. Now and then, he would see little animals like squirrels and birds hidden within its canopy. It seemed so close, yet so out of reach with the glass panel forever separating him from his freedom.

"A fireball here! A fireball there! Make them burst to sparks, cause I don't care!" Sqkii rhymed. Bursting the turtle out of his daydream. Continuing to add new poses to his show, the little mouse was obviously oblivious to the turtle sighing at his act.

He decided to try meditating. The desire for it suddenly overwhelming. Perhaps that would keep his mind off escaping the laboratory and the happenings around him.

Closing his eyes, he calmed himself down. The turtle breathed deeply, slowing down his rushing thoughts till they flowed through him no longer like a raging tsunami, but a calm river.

Just then, he heard a voice.

"Synthesis is hard these days..."

Synthesis? The turtle thought. But I thought only plants synthesized...

I must be dreaming.

"As usual, there's no one to talk to. The plants outside are so far away... why can't they add more potted plants in this stupid room?"

The turtle snapped open his eyes. Glancing around, he saw a lone potted plant sitting on the floor of the room. The floor is, unfortunately, a few levels down if compared to the size of the turtle.

The turtle walked to the other end of the cage, gulping as he looked down at the plant below.

The voice returned to his head.

"As usual, synthesizing every day. No one to talk to. And to think that plants like me could live for centuries! I really can't imagine."

Yep. The turtle was certain that he had heard the potted plant talking to him. God I must be crazy! Is this my power or something? For a second, he completely freaked out. Seeing the turtle freak out,  Sqkii got a scare and freaked out alongside the turtle, sending a lose fireball into the ceiling. The fireball burst into millions of tiny sparks that landed all over the little mouse.

"What's wrong with you?! You looked like you're seen a ghost! Oh wait, Emerald is part ghost..."

The turtle calmed himself down, taking deep breaths. "Sqkii?" He panted.

"Yesssss?!"

"I think I'm insane. I actually heard the plant talking to me!"

"Oh wow!" Sqkii seemed extremely excited as he started to run around his cage at high speeds. "Your element is plant! It's been a long time since there was one like you. Ok, not that long but a long time since I've communicated with someone with that element! Go on! Talk back to that plant!"

"But..." the turtle tried to protest to have Sqkii push against the glass between their cages. "Go. On."

"Ok Sqkii..." the turtle excepted defeat.

Could I talk back to the plant? Deciding to find out, he used his brain and started reaching out to the plant.

"Hey there!" He thought to the plant.

"Who's that?"

"Oh my goodness I'm really talking to a plant."

"What?"

"You are a plant. Right? I'm the turtle in the cage five cages above the floor you are currently situated on."

"Oh! I see you now! You can talk to plants? How cool! I'm been alone for the longest time. Especially since the last talking gecko died."

"Wait what?!"

"He was a good friend."

"Ok?"

The turtle heard faint chucking from the plant. It wasn't a joyful chuckle, but one that was dry and sad.

"Well, at least now I'll have someone to talk to." The plant tried to make its voice more lively and obviously failed. The turtle could hear the sadness in the plant's tone. He really seemed to miss his old friend.

"Do you have a name?" The turtle asked quickly. Trying to distract the plant from his dead friend.

"Yea! The name's Kelp. Not all plants have a name but my dear old friend decided to give me one."

The turtle was speechless to how the plant could dwell on the past so well if it happened to remember anything about it.

"So? Did it work?" Sqkii's voice interrupted his conversation with the plant.

"Yes yes... shush!" The annoyed turtle answered.

"What was that?" A confused plant voice reached his ears.

"Nothing..." the turtle answered the plant once more.

"What's your name by the way?" The plant asked the turtle. "You animals are weird. Nearly all of you have names."

The turtle froze in the realization that he didn't even know his own name.

"I... I don't know..." the turtle confessed. "Memory's been wiped."

"Don't know what?" A high pitched squeak entered the turtle's ears.

"Shut up Sqkii!"

"Wait who's Sqkii?" Kelp asked curiously.

"He's a mouse friend of mine who is interrupting our conversation. Also, I really don't remember my name." He whispered. Hoping that Sqkii wouldn't catch that.

"Oh. Too bad then. I guess. For now, I'll just continue calling you turtle. Tell me when you remember your name. I'm tired now so I'm just going to break off the conversation. Bye!"

And with that, the turtle found his brain empty once more. Opening his eyes slowly, he sighed softly at the plant's sadness. "I hope I'll get to know you better, Kelp."

"Kelp?"

"Sqkii! Can you stop spying on our conversation? It's over for now but they'll be a next time."

"Sorry! Can't help it! It's too exciting. You've started gaining your powers!"

The turtle sighed. Turning around to look at the forest once more. Looking at all the plants outside, the turtle decided to attempt to talk to them as well. Closing his eyes, he opened up a brand new world. He could hear the trees' murmuring and whispering through the glass wall. However, he realized that he wasn't developed enough to be able to properly make contact with plants that far away. He wasn't able to really make out what the plants were saying. The turtle sighed once more, looking out into the deep canopy of the forest. It beckoned to him in a way that made him wish that he was out there right now. But is freedom really worth the risk?