Microstory 758: Five Spot

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When Flora Canto was asked to embark on a special mission for her organization, Bellevue, she was initially hesitant. She didn’t want to leave the world where she had spent her entire life, but the chance to travel through space was ultimately too good to pass up. She was responsible for life support on their small vessel, which she did easily using her superhuman ability to accelerate the growth of oxygen-producing plants. Something sadly went wrong, and the crew became stranded on an unknown world, forced to live amongst its natives, pretending to be just like them. Throughout all of this, however, she found love, and became pregnant. She and the father were ecstatic and excited for their future, but it would not come without immense heartache. At first Flora believed that she had lost the baby, and buried the embryo in the ground. Her friends and family gathered to mourn their loss in a funeral service. Days later, one of their friends noticed that a seedling had sprouted up from Flora’s child’s small grave. Over the next several weeks, the plant grew, eventually becoming larger than any other plant they had encountered on their world, or this new one. The flower, which resembled a desert five-spot, continued to grow until it was large enough to house a human infant. One morning, the flower opened itself to the sun, and revealed their precious child, whom they named April. They were astonished, but happy to have their little one back. April grew up, and watched her parents die, as most people do. Her friends were immortal, and stuck with her through all of it. They watched her grow old as well, and eventually succumb to death. Just like they had before, they buried her in the ground, and mourned her. But days later, April’s seedling returned, and she was made anew. She turned out to be an immortal herself, dying and returning in a presumably endless cycle, but theoretically only if allowed to rest underground for a period in between lifetimes. April Canto has spent centuries on our planet, meeting new friends, and shaping history; usually without even realizing it.