48. The Study of a Plant
Professor Murphy of the University of Oregon- Not only am I the campus's leading expert of horticulture, but I pose myself as the most knowledgeable on mythos and cryptids. It was only to my sheer delight upon acquiring the seeds of a previously unknown plant species. While it is not known to science, it has been the base of many tales out in the woods. Mostly describing people becoming lost in the forests and never returning.
First off the true origins are not known. They seem to like the hot muggy forests of Alabama, since all claims only come from small patches of their deep woods. They also seems to need an excessive amount of shade, almost to near darkness. I needed someplace special to grow and study this wondrous flora. With the normal cold weather of Oregon a typical box garden was out of the question. I was forced to create a soil rich plant in one of the university's basement. Of course I had to confirm my experiment with the on staff janitor first. I gave it a very low light lamp and planted my seed. Unlike other large seed plant this one germinated and sprouted in under 5 days. It has pitch black soft leaves. The still small plant would react slowly to the smallest of touches and would furl up not unlike a sundew. It is possible that this plant could consume small insects even at such a young age. Although I had no idea how the plant could absorb said insects. The plant required daily watering.
As it grew I was not sure to classify it as either a bush or a vine for it had properties of both. It had ever longer reaching vines, but grew taller as well. More and more black leaves sprouted forth. As it grew more I noted that it had no similarities to any known plant groups. I now suspect it is part of its own family. This might just make my career. After a month it had grown to a full foot high and stretches out in a 2 foot radius. I found that the plant does not ingest small insects like I had previously thought, but does seem to like larger arthropods. It snatches any spider or roach within its grasp, and I have been feeding it a feed cricket every other day. It can sense its surroundings through its leaves and can move it's vines quite rapidly. It first ensnares its prey then pulls it down into the ground. I currently do not know what kind of digestion occurs underground, less I dig up my magnificent plant.
It seems completely oblivious to me. I was even able to clip off a leaf without a reaction. The leaf itself retained no movement, once removed from the base plant. Strangely enough, the leaf had no veins to speak of. I even took a small sample under a microscope to ensure it was indeed a plant. It had all the normal structures, but its chloroplasts were shrunken. Could the plant be surviving under low light since it does retain very little energy from sunlight? I wish I could have studied it more, but the leave near disappeared within a day. This plant grows ever more fascinating the more I study it. Once while I was down to feed it, a small mouse tried scurrying past my plant only to become trapped by its vines and hauled down into the ground. I was shocked at this behavior and near disgusted. Another 2 months rolled by and my small plant grew into a 3 foot tall black beast. Those long vines try to grasp anything near it even myself. I can see now how it might be considered dangerous out in the deep woods.
It grew a few strange yellow flower buds unlike any flower I have ever seen. It is possible these are not flowers as most other flora have. They do not have a stamen nor ovaries like a normal flower. I have confirmed it does not get its energy from sunlight as such a large plant could not sustain itself or such growth with such low light levels. At this time I think it is primarily carnivorous. Last time I visited that thing I found out what those flowers are used for. I heard a cry for help down there in the dark with that plant. It sounded like a student, but upon my arrival there was nobody. The plant had somehow replicated those sounds and was emitting them from its flowers. I first thought this strange until I discovered a backpack down there. I latter found a boy to be missing. I tossed the pack in a dumpster and kept my mouth shut. I did not want to be implicated in this and had my position to think about. Besides, who would believe the truth? Enough was enough. This thing was a man-eater. I need to end this, but I do not know what to do with all my notes. I suppose I will have to rid of everything. That black plant included. I will have to go down there and get rid of it once and for all.