By the time the first light of morning seeped through the windows, Jack was already up, clipboard in hand, ready to face reality. He methodically listed what he could pack, sell, or—reluctantly—leave behind. His heart tightened every time he scribbled an item into the “sell” column, but he knew he had no choice.

  As he sorted through his wardrobe, the bell at the front of the shop jingled. He sighed, bracing himself. It’s probably Walderberg, he thought bitterly. The man seemed to have a sixth sense for when Jack was at his lowest, always showing up to twist the knife.

  “I’ll be down in a minute!” Jack called out, hastily shoving the clipboard onto his desk. He jogged down the stairs, hoping to avoid yet another scolding for not answering quickly enough. But when he reached the bottom, he stopped short.

  Standing in the middle of the shop was a girl, barely five feet tall, with sunlight catching her short blonde hair. There wasn’t anything particularly strange about her appearance—until Jack noticed her outfit. She wore a cropped black top with an armored shoulder pad that looked straight out of a fantasy video game. Her shorts were lined with utility belts holding tiny bottles of colorful liquids, and strapped to her thigh was a dagger in a sleek, well-worn sheath. The enormous backpack slung over her shoulders was a chaotic jumble of odds and ends, like it belonged to someone who’d packed in a hurry—and for every possible scenario.

  Jack blinked, realizing he’d been staring when she cleared her throat pointedly.

  “Sorry about that,” Jack said, hurrying behind the counter as if the movement would cover his awkwardness. “I just... wasn’t expecting anyone. Welcome. I’m Jack. How can I help you? If it’s flowers you’re after, you’ve come to the right place.”

  The girl smiled, setting her oversized pack on the floor with a thud. “I’m Ellen. Nice to meet you, Jack. I was hoping you had any Begulias in stock? My sister’s been asking for them, but every shop I’ve visited is sold out. Apparently, weender pests are making a mess of crops this season.”

  Jack stared at her, trying to make sense of the words that had just come out of her mouth. Begulias? Weender pests? What kind of flowers—or creatures—were those?

  When in doubt, Jack fell back on customer service. “Let me check out back,” he said with practiced ease, though his mind was racing. “Feel free to look around while you wait. I also sell flower-based products—lotions, teas, oils... whatever catches your eye.”

  Ellen nodded and wandered off, her boots clunking softly on the shop’s wooden floor. Jack grabbed the old garden journal his grandmother had kept and ducked into the back garden, flipping the book open.

  The familiar pages began shifting before his eyes. Words rearranged themselves, and the entries morphed into something unrecognizable. Jack froze, staring as the once-ordinary descriptions of marigolds and daisies transformed into illustrations of strange and otherworldly plants.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  He fumbled to the section for flowers starting with “B” and found it: Begulia. A detailed sketch showed a yellow blossom, its petals rounded and vibrant, almost glowing in their brightness. In the middle of the flower was a thin stem protruding upwards, capped with a peculiar berry-like growth that appeared waxy and slightly translucent. Beneath the drawing, notes read: Useful for keeping pests away. Grind into powder and sprinkle on soil. Particularly effective against weender pests, which poison plants and crops, causing extreme rot to spread rapidly.

  “What in the world...” Jack murmured.

  But the surprises didn’t stop there. He glanced up—and his jaw dropped. His back garden, which had once been filled with familiar roses and tulips, was now a surreal jungle of glowing, alien-like plants. Stalks twisted unnaturally, and blossoms pulsed with soft light. Some flowers even emitted faint hums, as though alive in ways beyond his comprehension.

  “This has to be a dream,” Jack whispered, his legs moving automatically as he searched for the Begulias.

  After some searching, he spotted a cluster of yellow flowers that matched the illustration in the book. Their rounded, luminous petals were unmistakable, and each bloom had a delicate stem protruding from the center, topped with a berry-like orb that glistened in the light.

  Jack wasn’t sure how many to get since he forgot to ask his customer, so he plucked three blooms, cradling them in his hands like fragile treasures, and returned to the shop.

  Ellen was seated on the lounge sofa, scratching behind Clover’s ears. The cat was sprawled across her lap, purring so loudly it filled the room. Jack couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow—Clover wasn’t usually so friendly with strangers.

  “Sorry for the wait,” Jack said, placing the flowers on the counter. “These are what you’re looking for, right? Want me to pack them for you?”

  Ellen’s eyes lit up. “Oh, these are perfect! No need to pack them—I’ve got a special storage box.”

  She pulled out a small box etched with glowing runes. Jack watched in awe as she carefully placed the flowers inside. The box sealed itself with a soft hum, the engravings shining briefly before fading to a dull glow.

  “How much do I owe you?” Ellen asked, digging into a pouch at her hip.

  Jack hesitated, pulling out his grandmother’s pricing book. To his relief, the text had shifted just like the garden journal, and he found the entry for Begulias. “Two shills each,” he said, trying to sound confident.

  “Only two?” Ellen exclaimed, dropping a silver coin onto the counter. “Keep the change—you’ve been a lifesaver.”

  Jack pocketed the coin, watching as she slung her pack over her shoulder. “Thank you for stopping by,” he said. “And... feel free to come back anytime.”

  Ellen paused at the door, grinning. “I will. I’ll tell others about your shop, too. It’s a bit out of the way, though. I didn’t even know there was a shop in this part of the forest.”

  “Wait,” Jack said, his heart skipping. “Forest?”

  But Ellen was already out the door, leaving Jack standing in stunned silence.

  “Did she say forest?” he muttered, glancing around.