A Wrong Step

"This 'creature' isn't actually a monster like the one Rose and Luke encountered when they entered the portal. It's a type of plant," Andrew explained, his mind drifting back to their previous life. "If I'm not mistaken, its root is very close to the portal, with tendrils reaching out from there. Right now we're safe because we're outside its reach. To leave through the portal, we need to pass by it, but the closer we get, the more difficult it'll be. When we first arrived here, we were lucky—that thing was unprepared. This won't be the case when we approach from here. But I think there's a way to repel its attacks." His gaze wandered to the gnarled trees, their branches stretching towards them.

Ethan listened intently, his brow furrowed in concentration. "So, how do you think to repel it? What kind of tests did you have in mind?" he asked, leaning forward slightly. 

"Don't you think it is strange, that there are no other plants out here, except for those barren half-dead trees?"

Ethan nodded slowly, his eyes scanning the desolate landscape. "Now that you mention it, it is pretty strange. Do you think there's a connection between the creature and the lack of other plant life?"

"I am pretty much certain. My assumption is, that it basically attacks any life-form it senses in it's surroundings."

"But that doesn't make sense. What about those trees? Though they look horrible, they aren't dead." He walked towards one of them and bend one of the branches in an attempt to break it off to prove his point. Instead of a dry cracking, the branch bend like rubber. "Though they look dry, there's still life in them."

"Exactly." Andrew had a glimmer of approval in his eyes. "The trees are the key to understanding this creature's behavior. They've survived in this hostile environment. Our goal is to figure out how they do it, and use that knowledge to our advantage. Or simply use them."

"You mean?"

Andrew nodded, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "We're going to use the trees as a shield. I want to test how the creature reacts when there is movement added to them."

He walked to a tree close to them, it's roots emerged in a puddle of suspiciously bubbling liquid like there were thousands in this marsh. Careful not to accidentally step into it, he took a machete out of his backpack and started hacking at one of the branches. With a few swings, it came of and fell to the ground. Instead of stopping he continued to butcher up the tree, until half a dozen branches lay to his feet.

Only then did Andrew feel satisfied, putting the knife away. He decisively picked up one of the branches, took a big swing, and threw it in the direction they had come from. As the branch arced through the air, Andrew and Ethan watched intently. After a moment, it crashed down into the marsh, eliciting no reaction from the creature. No black tendrils shot at it. This confirmed Andrew's suspicions about the creature's behavior. 

"Let's try a few more times just to be certain," he said to Ethan. "Can you send one of the branches further using your telekinesis?"

"Sure," Ethan replied, stepping forward.

Concentrating, Ethan focused his newfound telekinetic ability on one of the branches. With a slight tremor in his hand, he lifted it into the air, guiding it further than Andrew had thrown. As it soared, both men watched intently, waiting to see if there would be any reaction from the creature.

The branch landed with a soft thud, sinking slightly into the marshy ground. To their surprise, the creature remained motionless. Ethan and Andrew exchanged a look of cautious optimism. It seemed their theory about the trees' immunity might hold some truth.

They repeated the experiment several more times, sending branches in different directions, each time closer to the creature's root. Yet, it didn't even twitch.

"It seems our theory is correct," Andrew said. "We can make shields from these branches and carry them in front of us to confuse or repel the creature's attacks long enough to reach the portal."

Ethan nodded, his mind already racing with ideas on how to construct their makeshift shields. "Alright, let's gather some more branches and see how we can fashion them into something we can carry," he suggested, moving towards another nearby tree. It stood close to the pool of viscous liquid, which Ethan took care to avoid. Pulling his own knife, he began his work.

"That is simply," Andrew replied, pulling some rope from his backpack and cutting it in the middle, throwing half of it to Ethan. "Use this to bind the branches to a shield." Then he also turned back to the previous tree, stripping it off its last branches.

It didn't take them long and both had crude, yet effective shields in their hands. They were big enough to hide their whole body behind it, if they crouched. 

Andrew nodded approvingly at their handiwork. "Good. Now, let's test these shields against the creature." He paused, scanning the area cautiously. "We'll need to approach the edge of its territory slowly. Remember, stay behind the shield at all times."

Ethan gripped his makeshift shield tightly, his heart racing with a mix of anticipation and fear. They began to edge forward, step by careful step, towards the area where they had last encountered the creature's attacks.

As they approached, the air grew thick with tension. Andrew held his shield firmly in front of him, his eyes darting around for any sign of movement. Ethan mirrored his actions, his grip on his own shield tightening with each step. The eerie silence was broken only by the soft squelch of their footsteps on the marshy ground.

Andrew cautiously stepped back into the creature's territory, sweat beading on his forehead. He took another step, then another. All remained quiet and peaceful around them, save for the now-familiar bubbling of liquid at their sides.

Andrew nodded to Ethan. "It works," he whispered, unsure why he felt the need to be quiet.

Ethan visibly relaxed and approached with newfound confidence. He too entered the creature's domain, moving towards Andrew.

Suddenly, a flurry of black tendrils erupted from the ground, lashing out at him. The shield shattered in his hands. Though it still repelled the attack, Ethan stumbled backward, his eyes wide with terror. A splash followed, then Ethan's agonized cry. "Ahhh!"