Mushroom Troubles

Part 3

I had spent the entirety of the afternoon just reading over the scraps of knowledge my dad had scrambled on his desk. I didn't want to go back in the tent to look for more, but I was slowly debating on going back since the papers and books explained nothing of use. Besides tidbits of information on how to deal with fungus. I found that the mushrooms hate window cleaner. Which we had some in the kitchen. So I had started clearing the house of the pests with it. Making sure to turn the fan off in the bathroom and spraying to my hearts content. What I was left with was small shriveled up mushrooms that looked like raisins.

Now with a weapon to use. I decide to trek back into the tent to find anything about the mushrooms or something to possibly do with dad's sickness. Heading back with a rag over my mouth. I go back in and find the desk again. I aim the spray at the desk and blast away. I quickly clear the table of mushrooms and retrieve slightly wet papers and a book. I then start spraying more to get the drawer open, until some spray happened to land on Shirley. When it did this burning pain seared through my head that flowed through me and settled somewhere in my chest. Until it soon faded away. When it disappeared I had to blink a few times before I could see. I looked to Shirley and its color seemed to waver slightly. My head responded with a small rumble. I started walking backwards away then soon running back inside the house. Closing the back door behind me. I didn't forget to bring the papers. Grabbed then soon after the pain faded. I quickly scrambled through the pages to find something, anything to do with all of this crap. I was looking through the warning section when I found a little bullet point that said: "Do not breathe in spores" Would've been wonderful to have known that. Would have nullified my curiosity.

Its safe to say that these hold nothing of use. They just hold documents of tests conducted by my dad. Many proving to not do anything, and rules to follow when handling Shirley. I stick the papers on the table with the rest and let out a large sigh. There was nothing that helped with dad's disease or what these mushrooms actually are. Or why they seem to grow literally everywhere. Just a few moments ago the bathroom was a jungle so dense that I had to refill the spray twice. The most I could do was keep fighting off the mushrooms and hope that my dad would be alright. 

A while later when I was sitting on the couch watching T.V a couple loud bangs on the front door startled me. I jumped up and quickly turned off the television and trudged my way over to the door. Where an impatient person was still constantly knocking. I look through he peephole and see my friend, Dole, just sitting there. With his usual cheeky grin. I unlock the door and swing it open. His expression falters when he sees me. I can only tell what I look like. I hadn't been able to sleep for the past few days and my hair and eyes were starting to make prominent changes. But his grin returned. Just not so bright.

"What happened to you? It looks like you ate day old pasta." Dole asks. His eyes looking me over. I breathe in and reply with the most simplified answer I could.

"Mushrooms happened," Dole's face displayed confusion. I sigh once more. He started to talk but I cut him off.

"Wait out here for a moment." I quickly run into the kitchen and grab a towel. I then present it to him. He takes it in his hands and starts to stutter. I glare at him and tell him to put it on.  "Alright Teak. I'll trust you. Dunno why I have to do this."

Once Dole had his makeshift mask on I usher him inside. Shutting the door after him. I then step ahead of him and let out a meek "Ta-Da," Motioning my hands at the living room. The mushrooms that I had killed an hour ago started to sprout once again. Tiny little buds popping between the carpet stalks. Yellow dots which I had gathered to be spores floated around aimlessly. Getting twisted and blown around once in the direction of the fan. Dole let out a gasp and then collapsed next to a couple of buds.

I cry out Dole's name and crouch beside him. Quickly checking if he was starting to get sick like my dad. But he was just giggling and tapping at the little buds repeatedly saying "Look at you," I groan and slowly get up. "C'mon Dole. Lemme explain this to you." Dole was up after me.

"No need. Its just that you have a fungus infection. There were some outside leading to your house when I was coming over." I just stared at Dole when he was finished. He shrugged and started to unravel his mask. But I quickly grab at it and tug them around the back of his head. He started to fall back and was crazily trying to scrape my arms away. I didn't let go until I was certain the mask was tied still and then let go. He started rubbing his face with one hand.

"Guess I won't take it off." Dole said between "Ow's" I replied with sorry and stepped back. I then silently guided him to the couch and I sat myself on the recline. We just sat in an awkward silence. Listening to an odd rustling sound as the mushrooms waved around. 

"You are pretty strong. Horribly strong. What did you do? grab weights?" Dole then said. Chuckling lightly at the end of the sentence. Which I'm glad he did. I didn't know what to say other than just getting straight to the point.

"For a couple of days I had to pull these fungi out of the ground with my bare hands. The little guys really plant themselves in the ground." I relax a bit and start rocking in the chair. For a while it seemd like there was nothing wrong. Until Dole snickered. I drift my eyes over to him and he was looking in my direction. 

"What?" I ask. Confused but ultimately annoyed that he was laughing at me. He then said between his laughs "look at the chair," Iook over the side of the chair and saw that the little mushrooms seemed to be rocking the chair. I could feel my eye twitch as I dropped down and started to pull the little suckers off of the chair. I plopped myself back into the chair while Dole was recovering from his gigglefest.

"Alright Dole. Let me tell you how I've been today."