Count Down

[Kandieren]

4957

SAP DROOLED DOWN THE WOUNDED BARK, AND DRY LIMBS SLUMPED, MAKING IT LOOK AS IF THE TREE WERE TRYING TO VOICE A MOAN INTO THE COOL, DAMP MORNING AIR.  

[Kandieren]

4956


PODS STUCK OUT FROM THE VINE HERE AND THERE ALONG ITS LENGTH, ALMOST SEEMING TO LOOK WARILY ABOUT FOR WITNESSES.  

[Kandieren]

4955

IT WAS THE SMELL THAT FIRST HAS CAUGHT HIS ATTENTION, A SMELL LIKE THE DECOMPOSITION OF SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN WHOLLY UNSAVORY EVEN IN LIFE.  

[Kandieren]

4954

RICHARD COMBED HIS FINGERS THROUGH HIS THICK HAIR AS HIS MIND LIFTED OUT OF THE FOG OF DESPAIR, COMING INTO FOCUS UPON SEEING THE VINE.  

[Kandieren]

4953

HE SCANNED FOR OTHERS, BUT SAW NONE.  

[Kandieren]

4952

EVERYTHING ELSE LOOKED NORMAL. THE MAPLES OF THE UPPER VEN FOREST WERE ALREADY TINGED WITH CRIMSON, PROUDLY SHOWING OFF THEIR NEW MANTLE IN THE LIGHT BREEZE.  

[Kandieren]

4951

WITH NIGHTS GETTING COLDER, IT WOULDN'T BE LONG BEFORE THIER COUSINS DOWN IN THE HARTLAND WOODS JOINED THEM.  

[Kandieren]

4950

THE OAKS, BEING THE LAST TO SURRENDER TO THE SEASON, STILL STOICALLY WORE THEIR DARK GREEN COATS.  

[Kandieren]

4949

HAVING SPENT MORE OF HIS LIFE IN THE WOODS, RICHARD KNEW ALL THE PLANTS - IF NOT BE NAME, BY SIGHT.  

[Kandieren]

4948

FROM WHEN RICHARD WAS VERY SMALL, HIS FRIEND ZEDD HAD TAKEN HIM ALONG, HUNTING FOR SPECIAL HERBS.  

[Kandieren]

4947

HE HAD SHOWN RICHARD WHICH ONES TO LOOK FOR, WHERE THEY GREW AND WHY, AND PUT NAMES TO EVERYTHING THEY SAW.  

[Kandieren]

4946

MANY TIMES THEY JUST TALKED, THE OLD MAN ALWAYS TREATING HIM AS AN EQUAL, ASKING AS MUCH AS HE ANSWERED.  

[Kandieren]

4945

ZEDD HAS SPARKED RICHARD'S HUNGER TO LEARN, TO KNOW.  

[Kandieren]

4944

THIS VINE, THOUGH, HE HAD SEEN ONLY ONCE BEFORE, AND NOT IN THE WOODS.  

[Kandieren]

4943

HE HAD FOUND A SPRIG OF IT AT HIS FATHER'S HOUSE, IN THE BLUE CLAY JAR RICHARD HAD MADE WHEN HE WAS A BOY.