The carnivorous space-plants continue to beat their heads against the sides of the barn. In several places the planks of rotten wood are already beginning to give way. One of the plants appears at the high window at the front of the barn and attempts to snake its way inside.
“We’re need to get out of here,” says Marcus. In each of his hands he is holding a tin of stale fuel. Above their heads the roof of the barn creaks loudly and then one huge section falls away, showering wood and tin and dust onto the ground a few feet away from where he is standing.
“Is everyone okay?” calls Chatravati and they are, except for the dust that’s stinging their eyes. Sunlight streams in at them as several of the creepers begin to chew at the rotten wood and peel parts of it away like the skin from an orange.
“So maybe hiding in the barn wasn’t such a great idea, afterall,” mutters Sarra.
Then Marcus hurls the first of the fuel tins up at the hole that the plants have torn open and Sarra sends a bolt of fiery energy flying after it. The tin explodes loudly and richochets away. Where the heads were attempting to bite their way into the barn there are now only burnt stalks.
The wall that the plants had been clinging to creaks loudly and falls in on itself. “Again!” calls Marcus and lobs another fuel tin—this time towards the double doors of the barn. Sarra blows them open and they stumble out into the space she has cleared even as the barn begins to fall in behind them.
Jeremy severs the head of one plant with the sharp edge of his spade and looks out across the farm. Although Sarra’s explosions have cleared the area immediately around them (the ground underfoot is black and charred) the field is now completely overgrown with the carnivorous chompers.
Then Marcus cries out and Jeremy spins to see that vines have encircled both of his ankles and are dragging him backwards across the dirt. Sarra raises her hands, but she can’t do anything for fear of setting him on fire.
Jeremy steps past her, swinging the spade through the air and knocking aside a row of swaying green stalks. As he chases Marcus into the overgrowth there is a deep rumbling sound from beneath him. Dirt showers over his head as a massive head sprouts free of the ground ahead of Marcus.
“I’m coming!” Jeremy calls to Marcus. The muscles in Jeremy’s arms are burning from the exertion of swinging the spade.
Ahead of Marcus, the mouth opens wide and the creeping vines attempt to pull him into the gaping maw of the plant. Marcus reaches up with one strong arm and extends the other beneath him, holding the mouth open so that it can’t bite down on him.
Jeremy lashes out at the vines with his spade and cuts more of them down, but for each one he destroys there seems to be two more. Marcus grunts and shifts position within the mouth of the plant as it begins to shake back and forth in an effort to dislodge him.
“Step aside,” says Chatravati and Jeremy feels a hand on his shoulder. The old man has a snub-nosed revolver in his other hand and he’s pointing it at Marcus.
“Now!” Marcus calls and lurches free of the plant.
Chatravati fires twice and the vines around Marcus’s ankles fall away, just as the enormous mouth of the plant snaps closed behind him. Chatravati sends a third bullet directly into the head of the plant, causing it to reel wildly away. Vines dance around the three of them like the legs of spiders and in the absence of the gigantic head, several smaller ones—about the size of bowling balls—are now pushing forward through the foliage.
“Where’s Sarra?” Asks Jeremy as the plants draw closer and on cue they hear a high-pitched scream come from the direction of the ruined barn.