Chapter 2: Thorns and Blood

The blue-green veins on Lucy's arms wriggled like living things beneath her skin.

I grabbed the last half piece of moldy bread and rushed toward the infirmary.

There was a lame doctor there named Johnson; he was the only one in camp who knew medicine.

"Please look at my sister." I shoved the bread into his hands.

"This is all my rations."

Johnson took the bread, but his eyes didn't dare look at me.

"Child, don't ask too many questions. This is all... baptism."

"What baptism?"

"The Prophet says pure children need their bodies purified to receive God's grace."

"She's coughing up blood!"

Johnson's head snapped up, his face deathly pale: "What color is the blood?"

"Green."

He staggered backward, knocking over the medicine cabinet: "My God... it's already at this stage..."

"What stage? Tell me clearly, damn it!"

"If I tell you, I'll die too!" Johnson threw the bread back, "Get out! Don't drag me down!"

He slammed the door shut, leaving me standing in the hallway.

I clenched my fists, fingernails piercing my palms.

……

The greenhouse's new supervisor was named Blake, in his thirties.

"Today's a double quota. Produce five hundred pounds of mutant potatoes and two hundred pounds of herbs within three days."

"Impossible. I'll die."

"Then die. But before you do, your sister's holy water will be cut off first."

I stared at him, temples throbbing.

"What, want to fight? There are twenty guards outside, each with a gun. Try it?"

I lowered my head and walked into the greenhouse.

……

I knelt on the ground, pressing both hands into the soil.

Green light overflowed from my palms, and the entire greenhouse's soil began to churn.

Withered vines grew wildly, mutant potatoes swelled like tumors, herb roots broke through the soil.

I could feel my life force draining away.

Hair turning white strand by strand, vision blurring, ears ringing.

But I couldn't stop.

Lucy needed that thing.

Three hours later, five hundred pounds of potatoes filled the warehouse.

I collapsed on the ground, temples now a large patch of white.

Blake walked over and kicked my ribs: "The trash is quite capable. Continue tomorrow."

……

At dusk, I went to pick up Lucy from the choir.

Children's laughter came from behind the church.

I walked over and saw several children in clean clothes pressing Lucy into a mud pit.

The ringleader was a fat boy, about twelve years old, with a face full of freckles. He stepped on Lucy's doll and crushed it with force.

"Dirty outsider pig!"

"Trash that will be eaten by God sooner or later!"

Lucy lay in the mud, trembling all over, not daring to resist.

My vision instantly turned red.

"Let her go."

The fat boy turned around and sneered: "Oh, trash brother is here? You want to come down and eat mud with her?"

The guards around leaned against the wall smoking, not caring at all.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.

Can't make a move. Once I do, Lucy and I will both be kicked out of the camp.

I walked to the edge of the mud pit, crouched down, and pressed my hand to the ground.

"I said, let her go."

The fat boy laughed: "Are you fucking deaf—"

Before he finished, thick thorns burst from the ground.

The mutant thorns precisely wrapped around the feet of several bullies like vipers, and with a sharp pull, hung them upside down in mid-air.

Sharp spikes pierced their skin, blood dripping down their calves.

The fat boy peed his pants in fright, screams echoing throughout the backyard: "Help! Help!"

The surrounding believers froze for a few seconds, then all knelt down in unison, kowtowing frantically.

"Divine punishment! It's divine punishment!"

"The Prophet said it! Blasphemers will be devoured by thorns!"

I took advantage of the chaos to pick up Lucy and quickly left.

……

Back at the shack, I put Lucy on the bed and wiped the mud from her face.

"Brother..." she weakly grabbed my hand, "Am I useless?"

"Don't talk nonsense."

"They said I'm trash... said I'll be eaten by God..."

I squeezed her hand: "Anyone who dares eat you, I'll dig out their roots."

Lucy smiled, then coughed violently.

She covered her mouth, coughing so hard her whole body trembled.

When she lowered her hand, her palm was full of green blood.

Thick, green blood with the smell of rotting plants.

My mind went blank.

Why, now that we have shelter, is her body getting weaker...

"Lucy..."

She looked at me, tears rolling down: "Brother, am I going to die?"

I held her.

"No. I won't let you die."