Main Street Magazine Spring '23

I didn’t know vines could have
thorns like this. Green ivy snapped,
tossed aside into the overgrown pile of
muck covering the browned walls. Thorns grabbed
at his legs. God this house is covered in these vines, I
wonder how they got in here. Arden moved curiously through
dark hallways, the mansion dying to be explored. Another snag at his legs
made him wince.
When he’d first arrived at the town’s edge, Arden had been underwhelmed.
Even abandoned, the nearby town seemed unassuming. Small. A little boring
despite the mystery surrounding the exodus of all its residents. There was
no graffiti on any of the buildings or signs. It irked Arden how little seemed to
have changed in the time that had passed; there were no signs of wear, no
overgrown plants. It was all wrong.
This isn’t what I wanted.
He walked forward despite the resting unease in his bones, the unnatural
conditions causing it to stir. Arden made his way through the streets, peering
through large shop windows only to see dust collecting on furniture. There was
a barbershop, grocery store, a small gas station, and a break in the trees that
contained a vacant lot. Arden glanced at the empty square that littered the
landscape. I wonder what they were going to put in here… The possibilities
didn’t entertain him much. Arden shrugged and turned his attention to the
biggest building within sight: the mayor’s house.
A snag caught his arm, ripping his flannel and bringing Arden
back to the present. This is what I was hoping for! Why isn’t
the rest of the town overgrown like this? Another snag
caught his skin. Maybe I should’ve prepared more. His
thoughts bounced all over the place as he moved
forward through the property. The building where
he found himself now was situated at the top of
the hill overlooking the abandoned town just a
few miles west of his own home, only a wide
river separating the towns.
It had been a farm town, large fields of
crops extended out beyond the horizon. The
soil was rich and healthy, somehow accommodating
all species of plants despite having different needs.
At one point Westbrook had been featured in the county
newspaper when the arrival of several botanists and biologists
came to inspect the area and perform tests, something about fluctuating pH
levels. It didn’t matter much though, because not long after they’d arrived, the
grant money ran out and the biologists left. After that, the town didn’t have
much to offer. People no longer stopped to buy fresh food, and many citizens
could no longer afford the upkeep of their farms. With nothing to keep them
there, most residents moved out.
God help me, I keep getting tangled up! He tramped through the hallways,
getting angry and irritated by the plants surrounding him. I should’ve paid
more attention in that botany class. Arden took another step forward, his right
foot getting caught in the endless expanse of greenery, temper finally bubbling
over.
“Fuck! How are you even alive in here? There’s no light! How can you possibly
photosynthesize?” Arden ripped his leg free, wobbling and reaching a hand out
to the wall to steady himself. He watched the vines pull away, an inquisitive
look on his face before he tumbled through the mirage.
Looking around, there was nothing in the new area he found himself in. No
hint as to how he got there, and seemingly no way to get out. Where the fuck
am I? Arden took a tentative step forward, hands reaching out in an effort to
find a guide wall. He kept moving forward, his feet struggling to find purchase
on the uneven ground. The vines continued down into the pitch black abyss,
snagging on his pants once again. Arden slowly pulled the vines away this
time, taking small steps forward. With every step, he got caught in the
greenery, each time needing to untangle himself. The slow process repeated
as Arden trudged onward, the vines seeming
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