Happy Halloween1
My name is John Huff and I’m a botanist who has been assigned to explore and document the Flora of the North East Unified Containment & Sylvan Exclusion Zone 502-H.
To be honest, everyone just calls it The Exclusion Zone. It’s a densely forested area that has been showing signs of mutation. I’m being dropped in on the EZ Infil/Exfil site at 5:00. It’s the only way in or out. I’ll need to enter, explore, document my findings and return before…
Well, they weren’t really specific about what would happen if I stayed too long…just that it wouldn’t be good and I might not return at all.
I’ve got my journal, sketchbook, chem lights, rations, a first aid kit, and a bureau-issued HX-40 pistol that I’ve never fired.
If I don’t come back…Well, I don’t know. Remember me?
5:00-6:00
Dropped in. The forest is thick with vegetation, the air feels moist and humid. I find no new plants. Checking the map, I make a decision to go as deep as I can, as fast as I can, which will provide me with the best chances of seeing new plants. I can circle back around and make it back, no problem. I feel confident. I can do this.
6:00 - 8:00
Next two hours, nothing. I push through thick vines, going deeper. I’m anxious to find something new, or all of this is for nothing. I keep pushing. So far, I don’t feel anything strange.
8:00 - 9:00
I found a new plant! Medium-size, the leaves are obovate and arranged in a whorlet pattern. I quickly sketch it down as best I could. It also had thick, black sap that streamed out of cracks in the plant, actively dripping onto the ground, and collecting in small pools. I thought I saw footprints embedded within but that doesn't make sense. There’s nobody else out here. I gave it a name to remember it by, “Black Oozy Plant”. I can give it a more formal name later. I eagerly push forward, going deeper.
9:00 - 9:00
Venturing deeper, I found another new plant. This one was medium sized, with ovate leaves.
This was the strangest plant I’d ever seen, with shiny obsidian bark and bright green leaves. It was cool to the touch and I could see my reflection in the black mirror of it’s bark. When I snapped out of it, I realized no time had passed. I pushed on.
9:00 - 10:00
I’m close to the deepest depths of the forest, the trees, shrubs and vegetation press in on all sides. I see no new plant, and plunge deeper. I’ve experienced no ‘signs of corruption’ that the Bureau warned me about. I have plenty of time.
10:00 - 11:00
I’m now in the deepest part of the zone, the humidity is nearly unbearable but I am rewarded for my persistence in finding a new plant. It has small oblong leaves. It’s also covered in teeth, rows and rows of pure white teeth. Deep within, I can see a deer carcass wrapped in its tendrils, slowly being shredded apart. Tendrils of the plant seem to sense my presence and reach toward me. I quickly move on.
11:00 - 12:00
I’m circling to the north, with a plan to then head west, back towards Ex-Fil. I should be able to find an abundance of new plants and make it out without incident. I feel good about this plan. I’m rewarded with another new find. This one has elliptic leaves in a whorlet pattern, as well as a giant spadex slowly consuming a rodent.
I notice my skin has begun to itch. I decide not to dawdle and to head straight back towards Ex-Fil. I’ll likely find more plants and there’s no reason to press my luck. I can always return. It’s a good plan.
12:00 - 13:00
Another new plant. Medium sized. Spatulate leaves in an alternate pattern. The roots are exposed and huge, reaching up from the ground.
The itching is worse and I’ve found small lumps growing on my skin. It’s fine. I’m going to be fine.
13:00 - 14:00
New plant. Medium size. Ovate leaves in an alternate pattern. Strange blue light showing out of cracks along the branches and trunk. I sketch it quickly. I don’t want to be here anymore.
14:00 - 14:00
I’m back in the area with the strange, time-stopping plant. I don’t find a new plant, but I do notice the lumps on my skin have started growing sprouts. I need to get out of here.
14:00 - 15:00
New plant. I’m not sure why I bother sketching but the botanist within me won’t let me leave these new possibly alien species behind without at least a record of some kind. Medium size, rhomboid leaves in an alternate pattern, along with some kind of fungal growths along the branches. They smell awful, almost unbearable, oblong and as large as my hand, each one has a honeycomb exterior. Black stains streak down from each one.
15:00 - 16:00
I’m getting close to Ex-Fil. So close. No new plant but the sprouts from my skin have become vines, wrapping around my limbs. I need to get the fuck out of here.
16:00 - 17:00
A new plant. I have to record it. It’s large, with ovate, alternating leaves. It has long thorns that cover the entire plant, each one 10cm long and extremely sharp. There is a small bird impaled on them. It looks like it’s been there for a long time.
The vines wrapped around my limbs try to anchor me into the ground. I push through, scrambling towards the Ex-Fil. There’s just one more area to get through.
17:00 - ?
I’m trapped. I was so close. The vines have sunk into the ground. I can’t move. This is the last thing I’ll write. Maybe someone will find this. I tried to scream for help, thinking I was close enough to the Ex-fil that maybe someone would hear but nobody came. The end is close. The dark, silent green envelopes me.
I am the forest.
A man in a suit behind a desk closed the journal. “Where was this found?”
On the other side of the desk stood another man in military fatigues. “Just inside the zone, sir, less than a mile from the EZ Infil/ExFil.”
The man behind the desk sighed. “We got someone else ready?”
“Yes, sir. She just arrived this morning.”
“Send her in.”
Notes
Exclusion Zone Botanist is a really fun game. Check the footnote for a link to it. I really thought I would be able to make it out no problem, but then the rolls for corruption just kept going against me. I literally died right before I could have gotten out. The simplicity of the plant prompts works well for sketching and the supplement that provides for weirder plants is a pretty great addition.
I hope this was a decent spooky short to read through on Halloween. Sorry for not getting it out earlier, it’s been a tough month, but I appreciate everyone who continues to read and subscribe.
I’m not sure what I’m going to pursue after October. I think I might do a short run with a simple system just to try something different. I guess we’ll all have to wait and see.
Thanks to Andrew Wylde, BuddhaRandom, and Eric for being paid subscribers.
Thanks for reading!
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Check out the Table of Contents for previous games I’ve played as well as other stuff I’ve written.
Every October, I try to play a Solo Horror One-shot game. This year, I’m playing Exclusion Zone Botanist.
Cool stuff, man!
Do you feel like the game would be just as enjoyable without drawing the plants. Every time I play a game with drawing involved I end up getting frustrated because of how bad it is LoL
Omg this was really good! I’m going to check out the game!