"My Friend Was a Flower" by GeneralP123 | CLANCYPASTA

[00:00:01] I was a fairly lonely child. I wouldn't go as far as to say my parents neglected or didn't love me, but their exhausting work schedules limited the time they could spend with me. Even when they had a slightly less busy day, we would only have time for a quick chat and a family meal. Of course, there were some upsides. Every day, they would leave me some cash on the kitchen table so I can buy whatever I want when I get back from school.

[00:00:26] Honestly, they've always left far too much money for me and didn't care if I spent it all, so I'd buy random things to pass the time. I couldn't even count how many times I just bought a huge mozzarella pizza out of sheer boredom, then just eat a slice and leave it be.

[00:00:43] On paper, a rich kid which has the home for himself sounds great, but in reality, the feeling of loneliness was overwhelming. Even though I desperately needed a friend or at least someone to talk to, it was nearly impossible for me to achieve at the time because of my lack of social interactions.

[00:01:01] I became almost incapable of forming any connections with other people. The only meaningful connection I had aside from my parents was with my neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers.

[00:01:14] They would occasionally invite me over for some lemonade or would bring me over some cake, although they usually didn't have time for anything more than that.

[00:01:22] After all, they had two very young daughters they had to take care of, so they obviously didn't have much time to waste.

[00:01:29] Even though I was already 12 years old, I never had a friend.

[00:01:33] But that changed when I found my best and only friend poking out from the grass in my backyard.

[00:01:40] It was just a boring summer day. I left the house just for a moment to throw out the trash.

[00:01:47] Only moments before coming back inside, I heard an unintelligible whisper.

[00:01:53] I turned around, trying to focus on my surroundings. Then I heard another whisper.

[00:01:59] This time, however, I clearly understood it.

[00:02:02] The soft voice said,

[00:02:04] Sorry for disturbing you. Can we talk?

[00:02:07] I scratched my head in confusion.

[00:02:10] Again, I scanned my surroundings, but I saw no one.

[00:02:15] I see you're confused.

[00:02:17] To be fair, hearing a random voice and not seeing where it's coming from isn't too common, so let me give you a hint.

[00:02:24] Look at the grass behind you. I'm right next to the tree right now.

[00:02:28] I'll try and wave at you.

[00:02:30] The whispering continued.

[00:02:32] I immediately looked at the area near the tree in our backyard.

[00:02:36] The only thing I saw was a lone yellow flower.

[00:02:40] But as my eyes focused on the flower, I realized that it was wobbling left and right.

[00:02:46] That was highly unusual considering there were no strong winds.

[00:02:50] I walked closer to the flower, and then I heard the voice again.

[00:02:54] This time it was noticeably louder than before.

[00:02:58] Hello, friend. Let me make a quick introduction.

[00:03:01] You aren't crazy. A flower is indeed talking to you.

[00:03:04] I don't have a mouth, so I have to communicate telepathically with you.

[00:03:09] Obviously, that means I'm not an ordinary plant, but I probably look like the average dandelion to you, so feel free to call me Dandy.

[00:03:17] The flower explained.

[00:03:19] Its voice was oddly calming.

[00:03:23] Hi, I'm Robert, I stuttered.

[00:03:28] This is probably too much for you to handle all at once.

[00:03:31] It's alright though. It's not like you meet a talking flower every day, right?

[00:03:35] Dandy said while wobbling slowly.

[00:03:38] Right, I quickly answered.

[00:03:41] I will be honest. The reason why I'm talking to you today is because I have to ask you for a favor.

[00:03:47] You don't have to help me, but listen to what I have to say at least.

[00:03:51] The flower said and immediately stopped wobbling.

[00:03:54] I imagined it was its way of showing how serious it is.

[00:03:59] Sure, tell me, I said while crouching right next to the flower.

[00:04:05] Well, you see, I am an exceedingly rare flower.

[00:04:08] So rare that I doubt there's more of my kind out there.

[00:04:12] I have some very useful abilities, yet it's difficult for me to care for myself on my own.

[00:04:17] If I don't get the required food and water in the next couple of months, I will wither away and eventually die.

[00:04:24] However, if I do get everything that's required, I will evolve and I will finally become strong enough to exit this restricting soil, Dandy explained.

[00:04:37] So what do I have to do? I asked immediately, intrigued by his story.

[00:04:44] Could you get me a glass of water? Dandy asked.

[00:04:47] I was surprised by how simple the request was, so I immediately got up and went back inside to grab a large glass of cold water.

[00:04:56] I brought it to Dandy.

[00:04:58] You could just pour it into the soil, but let me show you a cool trick instead.

[00:05:03] Just leave the glass of water right next to me, Dandy commanded.

[00:05:08] I did, as he said.

[00:05:11] In only seconds, a dark green vine sprouted from the ground.

[00:05:15] It was just barely long enough to get to the bottom of the glass.

[00:05:19] In seconds, it burrowed into the glass and sucked the water out of it.

[00:05:24] As soon as the glass was empty, the vine retreated into the ground below Dandy.

[00:05:31] Oh, that hit the spot. Thank you, Dandy wobbled, seemingly satisfied.

[00:05:37] You're welcome, I guess, I said while rubbing the back of my head.

[00:05:43] As a token of gratitude, I will tell you how some of my abilities work.

[00:05:48] You see, I can see visions of the future.

[00:05:51] They're not always easy to decipher, but usually, I can understand what they mean.

[00:05:56] The one I had recently is about you.

[00:05:59] So, please take my warning seriously.

[00:06:03] When washing the dishes later tonight, please wear your father's leather gloves.

[00:06:08] As soon as he finished talking, Dandy stopped wobbling.

[00:06:14] Sure, thank you, I replied, not fully believing what he said.

[00:06:20] I see you're not fully convinced yet.

[00:06:23] So, look at this, Dandy said cheerfully.

[00:06:27] Seconds after he finished talking, he was gone.

[00:06:30] It looked like he disappeared when I blinked.

[00:06:33] Before I could even say anything, I heard his voice once again.

[00:06:38] As you can see, I can turn invisible too.

[00:06:41] So, why not believe my visions of the future?

[00:06:44] Surely, a plant that can turn invisible wouldn't lie to you about seeing the future, right?

[00:06:51] Yeah, right?

[00:06:53] I hesitated with my response.

[00:06:56] Dandy reappeared and continued talking.

[00:06:58] It doesn't matter if you believe me or not.

[00:07:01] Wearing a pair of leather gloves tonight won't do you any harm anyway, Dandy remarked.

[00:07:07] I won't take much more of your time today, so go back inside and grab something to eat.

[00:07:13] Although, if you need someone to talk to, I'll be here.

[00:07:16] Not like I can go anywhere, Dandy said and giggled.

[00:07:21] Okay, I quickly replied, still dazed by how unusual the situation was.

[00:07:26] Oh, I almost forgot.

[00:07:29] Please don't tell anyone else about me.

[00:07:31] I trust you, but other people might not be kind to me, Dandy said.

[00:07:37] For the first time, I could feel nervousness in his voice.

[00:07:42] I waved goodbye.

[00:07:44] Dandy wobbled once again, although this time he wobbled forward like a gentleman tipping his hat.

[00:07:50] After that, I went back inside.

[00:07:54] Hours passed.

[00:07:55] After I was done eating the sandwiches my mom left me, I got ready to do the dishes.

[00:08:00] But then I remembered Dandy's warning.

[00:08:03] I was very skeptical about it, but I still wondered what would happen if he was right,

[00:08:09] and I didn't bother to heed his warning.

[00:08:11] So I quickly took my dad's leather gloves out of the drawer and wore them.

[00:08:16] Even though they weren't the perfect fit, I still wanted to do as Dandy suggested, just in case.

[00:08:22] I started washing the dishes.

[00:08:24] Only minutes passed, and a large glass mug shattered in my hands.

[00:08:29] Shards of glass fell in the sink, but I was uninjured, thanks to the gloves, which were now slightly red.

[00:08:36] My skepticism immediately disappeared.

[00:08:40] There was absolutely no way this could have been a coincidence.

[00:08:44] I finished the dishes, and since it was already late at night, I went to bed.

[00:08:49] When I woke up, I talked to my parents before they went to work.

[00:08:53] I didn't even mention Dandy, mainly because I didn't want to betray him,

[00:08:58] but also because I didn't want my parents to think I was slowly going insane in solitude.

[00:09:05] Talking to Dandy every day and occasionally doing some favors for him became a common occurrence.

[00:09:11] We would talk about many different topics.

[00:09:13] I would tell him about the movies and TV shows that I liked to watch,

[00:09:17] or the video games I loved wasting hours of my life on.

[00:09:21] He was a great listener and seemed to be genuinely intrigued by my hobbies.

[00:09:26] He even told me that he'd enjoy watching Star Wars with me once he fully evolves.

[00:09:32] Every week, he'd ask for a small favor, which I would gladly fulfill.

[00:09:37] Some favors were as simple as bringing him a glass of water.

[00:09:40] Others were buying a bag of fertilizer for him and then pouring it all next to him.

[00:09:46] He thanked me every time.

[00:09:49] As strange as it sounds, talking with a flower became a normal part of my daily schedule.

[00:09:55] He became my only and best friend.

[00:09:58] And spending time with him slowly made the feeling of loneliness disappear.

[00:10:03] As our mutual trust grew, so did Dandy.

[00:10:06] Every week, he grew a bit larger.

[00:10:09] At first, he looked like a tiny dandelion, but now he resembled a large yellow rose.

[00:10:16] A couple of months passed.

[00:10:18] My parents went to work as usual.

[00:10:20] As soon as they were gone, I rushed to meet up with Dandy just like I usually would.

[00:10:25] I ran towards the friendly flower, yet what I found made me stop in my tracks.

[00:10:32] Instead of the vibrant yellow rose, I saw a bent and withering dark green flower.

[00:10:39] Its petals were so dry that I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be dead if it didn't talk to me as soon as I approached it.

[00:10:48] Hello, friend.

[00:10:50] Hello, friend.

[00:10:50] Dandy said.

[00:10:52] His usual cheerful and energetic voice was now replaced with a raspy mutter.

[00:10:58] I was too shocked to even think of what to say.

[00:11:03] Unfortunately, I have some very bad news.

[00:11:06] I saw a grim future in my visions.

[00:11:35] Dandy said.

[00:11:36] Somberness was present in his voice.

[00:11:40] What visions?

[00:11:41] What are you talking about?

[00:11:43] I asked, confused and scared.

[00:11:46] Please listen to me carefully.

[00:11:50] Tonight, a mysterious abductor will kidnap children in your neighborhood.

[00:11:54] He will do unmentionable acts to the poor children.

[00:11:57] Yet my vision is faulty and incomplete.

[00:12:01] So I have no way of knowing who that person actually is and which children he will abduct.

[00:12:07] Yet I know one fact.

[00:12:09] Your house appeared multiple times in my visions.

[00:12:13] So you might be his target.

[00:12:17] Dandy ended his explanation, almost choking on his words.

[00:12:21] I sat on the grass and stared at the ground in shock as multiple horrible thoughts put pressure on my mind.

[00:12:31] Rest assured, I will do whatever I can to protect you.

[00:12:36] But you have to follow my instructions closely.

[00:12:39] Do you trust me?

[00:12:41] Dandy asked.

[00:12:42] Of course.

[00:12:43] I swiftly answered.

[00:12:45] Good.

[00:12:46] I'm glad.

[00:12:47] Dandy replied with noticeable relief in his shaky voice.

[00:12:52] Please, just pull off one of my petals and consume it.

[00:12:58] That's everything you have to do.

[00:13:01] I promise you will avoid a grisly fate if you do as I request it.

[00:13:06] Dandy pleaded.

[00:13:07] I had no reason to distrust him.

[00:13:10] This wouldn't be the only time his warnings put me out of harm's way, so I agreed.

[00:13:16] To do it.

[00:13:18] Before taking one of his petals, I asked.

[00:13:22] This won't hurt you, right?

[00:13:25] Dandy instantly replied.

[00:13:27] Not at all.

[00:13:28] To me, this would be the same as a human losing a hair or two.

[00:13:33] Satisfied with the explanation, I quickly plucked out a petal and swallowed it.

[00:13:39] Congratulations.

[00:13:40] You may share some of my abilities now.

[00:13:44] Dandy told me with a hint of happiness in his frail voice.

[00:13:49] Really?

[00:13:49] I asked, even more confused than before.

[00:13:53] Well, when you go to sleep tonight, I will make you completely invisible.

[00:13:59] Even if you're indeed the mysterious abductor's target, you won't be able to notice you.

[00:14:04] Dandy explained.

[00:14:05] Thank you, I replied, instantly feeling relief.

[00:14:11] Once the fear for my life subsided, I remembered how frail Dandy looked.

[00:14:18] What about you?

[00:14:19] Will you be alright?

[00:14:21] I asked, genuinely concerned.

[00:14:24] Let's just worry about you for now.

[00:14:27] Tomorrow you can come get me some high phosphorus fertilizer.

[00:14:30] Sir, that should hopefully help me recover.

[00:14:33] Dandy reassured me.

[00:14:35] I nodded and thanked him.

[00:14:37] You should really go to your house now.

[00:14:40] Get something to eat and spend some time doing whatever you enjoy.

[00:14:44] Then go to bed and leave everything else to me.

[00:14:48] Dandy offered his advice one more time.

[00:14:52] Don't worry.

[00:14:53] I'll do exactly as you recommended.

[00:14:55] I replied, placing my full trust in my friend.

[00:14:59] I waved goodbye.

[00:15:01] Even though sick and tired, Dandy had enough strength left to slowly wobble.

[00:15:07] It looked like he was wishing me good luck.

[00:15:11] I went back to my house and tried occupying my mind by watching some anime.

[00:15:17] As the night was approaching, I became more and more nervous.

[00:15:21] A feeling of intense exhaustion hit me.

[00:15:24] Even though it wasn't even 10pm yet, I felt sleepier than ever before.

[00:15:29] So, I shuffled to my bed, using all my energy to not fall unconscious as soon as I was an inch away from my bed.

[00:15:38] I fell on top of it and was sound asleep in only seconds.

[00:15:43] That night, I had a dream.

[00:15:46] I was sitting in my living room and watching Star Wars.

[00:15:49] I heard Dandy's voice.

[00:15:51] It was full of energy with obvious glee in his voice.

[00:15:55] He said,

[00:15:56] Thank you.

[00:15:58] I turned to my left and saw Dandy sitting right next to me.

[00:16:02] I froze in my seat as I gazed upon his new appearance.

[00:16:06] He now had a body that looked like a human sculpture that was made out of hundreds or even thousands of vines.

[00:16:13] He had large arms and legs which were covered in leaves and moss.

[00:16:18] His large head looked like a venous flytrap, except he also had eyes.

[00:16:23] His eyes were disturbingly human.

[00:16:26] Each eye had a different color and they looked like tiny black and brown dots in his enormous yellow head.

[00:16:34] As he looked at me, I could have sworn that he smiled at me with a big, toothy grin.

[00:16:42] I woke up in cold sweat.

[00:16:44] I was extremely groggy.

[00:16:46] It was the kind of feeling I had only if I oversleep.

[00:16:50] I immediately noticed the window in my room was open.

[00:16:54] I thought that was impossible, because the mix of nervousness and paranoia yesterday made me lock every window and door in my house before I went to sleep.

[00:17:06] Nonetheless, nothing seemed to be wrong with me, except my socks, which were unusually dirty and wet.

[00:17:13] I had no injuries, though, so I knew Dandy's plan worked.

[00:17:18] I looked at the clock and realized it was already 2pm.

[00:17:22] I exited my room and was surprised to see my parents sitting in the living room.

[00:17:27] They were supposed to be at work at that time.

[00:17:30] I was happy to see them, yet they looked distraught.

[00:17:34] The way they greeted me was extremely depressing.

[00:17:38] It was like something else was on their mind.

[00:17:40] I immediately asked what's wrong and they told me that our neighbors' daughters, which were only 1 and 3 years old, were missing.

[00:17:50] My blood ran cold as I realized another one of Dandy's visions came true.

[00:17:57] My parents continued, explaining that the police are conducting an investigation, considering how young the children are.

[00:18:05] What happened was surely an abduction.

[00:18:08] I wondered if I would have had the same fate if I didn't follow Dandy's advice.

[00:18:14] I wanted to show him my gratitude by buying him the most expensive fertilizer I could.

[00:18:20] I asked my parents if I could go outside for a short walk to clear my mind.

[00:18:25] They agreed, so I hastily left my house.

[00:18:29] I gazed upon the area where Dandy was, yet this time I saw nothing except for the grass and the tree next to it.

[00:18:39] I ran up to the spot fearing that my friend withered away while I was asleep.

[00:18:43] I fell to my knees desperately searching for Dandy.

[00:18:47] There was no sight of him.

[00:18:49] I tried digging through the soil with my bare hands, frantically searching for him.

[00:18:55] I didn't find him, but underneath the soil, I felt something firm.

[00:19:01] I continued digging through the dirt.

[00:19:03] I grabbed some kind of orb-shaped object with both of my hands and pulled it out.

[00:19:10] As soon as it plopped out of the ground, I dropped it and almost started vomiting.

[00:19:17] It was a small human skull.

[00:19:20] Worst of all, I felt more objects in the soil while digging,

[00:19:24] so I immediately knew there was more bones buried in the same spot.

[00:19:31] As I was screaming for my parents and running back inside,

[00:19:36] the pieces of the puzzle started connecting in my head.

[00:19:40] I now understood that my so-called best friend finally evolved,

[00:19:46] just like he always wanted to.

[00:19:49] The memories I had of the rest of that day were blurred out by the shock I've experienced.

[00:19:56] The only thing I was able to remember is that the police interrogated my parents and me.

[00:20:04] They didn't find any fingerprints on the bones.

[00:20:07] Our alibis were rock solid,

[00:20:10] so naturally they came to the conclusion that we weren't involved with the abduction and murder of the children,

[00:20:17] even though their remains were found buried in our backyard.

[00:20:21] However, the police did keep a close eye on us and we had to stay home for a month.

[00:20:28] After this incident, I finally had the chance to spend more time with my family.

[00:20:34] Nonetheless, I became even more isolated.

[00:20:37] I would leave my room only if I needed something to eat or drink.

[00:20:42] The Rogers, my hospitable neighbors, started avoiding us.

[00:20:47] They wouldn't even greet us if they saw us in the backyard anymore.

[00:20:51] They looked away in pure disgust instead.

[00:20:55] I knew they blamed us for what happened, especially me.

[00:20:59] The anger in Mr. Rogers' eyes was undeniable whenever he saw me.

[00:21:05] They had every right to hate me.

[00:21:07] After all, I was the only person that had an idea what might have happened to their daughters.

[00:21:12] Yet, I chose silence and cowardice instead of the truth.

[00:21:18] My mental state degraded with each passing month.

[00:21:23] I regularly skipped school and spent most of my days just lying in bed and thinking about the events that happened in the near past.

[00:21:31] My parents were visibly worried, so they offered to schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist for me.

[00:21:38] I just ignored their benevolent suggestions and continued with my unhealthy lifestyle.

[00:21:45] After a while, I just got fed up with my daily cocktails of guilt and misery.

[00:21:51] I just wanted everything to stop.

[00:21:54] I thought about how easier my parents' life would be if I just disappeared.

[00:22:01] Occasionally, I would get massive headaches which almost made me pass out.

[00:22:05] Every time I had a headache, I would fall asleep minutes later.

[00:22:10] I would have nightmares about my parents crying in the living room or about my depressing daily routine.

[00:22:18] One nightmare, however, was different.

[00:22:21] In that nightmare, I saw myself sitting on the chair in my room.

[00:22:26] I had my headphones on and my eyes were closed.

[00:22:30] Suddenly, my eyes opened wide and I could see pure terror in them.

[00:22:35] The nightmare ended after that.

[00:22:38] I didn't think much of it.

[00:22:40] I didn't realize how important it was at the time.

[00:22:45] The day after, my parents had another busy workday.

[00:22:48] They wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning, so I had a bright idea.

[00:22:52] I stole some of my dad's premium beer cans as well as a packet of my mom's painkillers.

[00:23:00] I mixed the painkillers with the beer.

[00:23:03] I obviously wasn't used to alcohol, but that didn't stop me from drinking multiple cans of the painkiller-infused liquid.

[00:23:10] I hoped this would be enough to end my life.

[00:23:13] My head was getting as heavy as an elephant, and my stomach felt like it was going to burst.

[00:23:20] I opened my window to let some fresh air in and sat on my comfortable chair.

[00:23:26] Afterwards, I put on my headphones to try and calm my mind by listening to some music while my body slowly collapsed.

[00:23:36] Moments passed.

[00:23:38] I felt a cold hand on my right shoulder.

[00:23:41] My eyes opened instantly.

[00:23:42] Fear and paranoia overwhelmed my body as I took off my headphones and looked to my right.

[00:23:50] There was nothing there, yet the pressure on my shoulder only increased.

[00:23:55] Then I heard a very familiar voice say,

[00:23:59] You're still young, friend.

[00:24:01] It's far too early for you to perish.

[00:24:04] You should enjoy life just like I do.

[00:24:07] You gave me my life, so let me save yours.

[00:24:11] I felt a sharp pain before I could even process what I hurt.

[00:24:16] I was petrified by terror as I stared into the pulsating flush of my right shoulder.

[00:24:23] I felt extremely thirsty, like I didn't drink even a drop of water for days.

[00:24:30] My head was no longer heavy.

[00:24:32] My stomach no longer felt like it was ready to explode.

[00:24:37] All sensations were replaced by extreme thirst.

[00:24:42] I felt something sharp exit my right shoulder, and it went under my shirt and lightly punctured my belly,

[00:24:51] slowly filling it up with what felt like some kind of liquid.

[00:24:56] I felt my thirst was slowly getting weaker and weaker, until it finally vanished.

[00:25:02] The sharp object exited my body with a loud plop.

[00:25:08] I heard the all-too-familiar voice say with satisfaction,

[00:25:13] All done, friend.

[00:25:18] I don't remember anything more about that day.

[00:25:22] I only remember waking up in my bed.

[00:25:24] I immediately checked if I had any wounds, but the most I could find when I looked at myself in the mirror

[00:25:31] was a small red dot on my right shoulder and on my belly.

[00:25:37] At that moment, I knew very well that my friend, a flower that seemingly used my naivete and loneliness

[00:25:48] as a tool that helped him accomplish his goal, would always keep his watchful eye on me.