The Plants’ Desperation

Some plants are trying to get a boy’s attention.

The living room was filled with plants. There were hanging planters filled with flowers. The boy was sitting down on the couch, studying. He didn't acknowledge the plants—not yet. The boy was concentrating hard on his studies.


The boy continued to study while the plants grew. Each time the boy moved, the plants would grow. The plants watched the boy with awe, each one wondering what the boy was studying. The boy, meanwhile, never acknowledged the plants.


The plants grew restless, wanting attention from the boy. They each conversed with each other, coming up with a plan to get the boy's attention. The plants seemed to have smiled upon agreeing on a plan. The plants decided to start their plan.


Slowly, they grew more and more. The plants then grew longer stems. Each stem wrapped a body part of the boy. Some stems grabbed the arms while others grabbed the legs. All in all, the boy was covered with stems. Yet the boy still didn't acknowledge the plants, too focused on the studies.


The boy continued to study, no matter how hard it was to move with each stem wrapped around him. The plants watched, some tightening their hold on the boy. The plants noticed how the boy wasn't responding to them.


The plants moved to a different strategy. They grew more until they now had arms and hands. The plants made noises, some tugging on the boy's sleeves. Yet the boy never once glanced their way.


The plants weren't giving up yet. Once again, they grew. They grew and grew until they were able to get out of their pots. The plants now had legs and feet. The plants walked around, trying to catch the boy's attention. Unsurprisingly, the boy remained focused on his studies.


As time went on, the boy would remain focused on his studies. And each time, the plants would grow. The plants now resemble people. Each one had different personalities and looked differently, although one thing remained the same—each one wanted the boy's attention.


The plants would do countless activities to get the boy's attention. One would play music while another would cook. Some would try to talk to the boy while others poke him. Yet no matter what they did, the boy wouldn't acknowledge them.


The plants were slowly losing hope of getting the boy's attention. They glanced at each other, all out of ideas of what to do. The boy was still focused on his studies, writing notes down in notebooks.


Slowly, the plants started to wither. They first noticed how they were losing their shine. Soon afterwards, the plants' leaves were losing their firmness. Their leaves were starting to curl inwards. Their stems were also starting to feel limp.


While the plants had been trying to get the boy's attention, no one had been taking care of them. Each one went to the boy, begging for the boy to notice them. Each plant didn't want to die. Yet no matter how loud their begs were, the boy never looked up from his studies.


The plants huddled together, each seeking comfort from someone who will never give it to them. They held each other as they felt their life weakening. Soon one by one, the plants started to lose their lives. Soon each plant would end up dead.


The boy then ended up completing his studies. He smiled as he stretched. The boy got up, wanting to show his notes to his friends. As he looked around, the boy noticed how alone he was. The boy glanced everywhere, calling out his friend's names. Yet nobody responded.


The boy walked every place in his home, looking for his friends. As he walked, he stepped on the plant's leaves, each leave crunching as he stepped on them. The boy didn't find anyone. Only then did he realize the plants.


Each plant resembled one of his friends. The boy let out a shaky breath. He noticed how each plant had died. The boy reached out hesitantly, touching one of the plant's leaves. The hand crumbled against his touch. The boy quickly removed his hand.


The boy rushed and grabbed water, trying to bring the plants back to life. Yet he knew there was no way he would be able to bring them back to life. Only then did he realize what the plants had been trying to do—what his friends had been trying to do.


The boy dropped to his knees, letting out a pained cry. The boy realized how alone he would be for the rest of his life, how he would never be able to bring his friends back. All for his studies.