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It was a quiet day. The grass was still covered in dew, and the trees stood stock-still. The moon had just risen, and the residents of the Vast Forest were still asleep. The only sound that could be heard was the faint trill of birdsong. It was Basil’s favorite time of day. He rolled over in bed, the sheets crumpling under their weight. He stretched, his arms reaching far above his head as a yawn escaped his lips. They slowly blinked his eyes as he went to the fridge.
“Hmm, what shall I have today? Grapes…tofu…ah! An apple looks good.”
A satisfying crunch echoed through the valley. Basil always liked apples. He thought they were fresh, juicy, easy to grow, and yummy! Basil sat at their table, biting into the apple again and again. “Should I have one, or two apples? I don’t want to waste food…but they are so good! I could have two I suppose. But…they are Omori’s favorite!” Basil often did this. They liked eating the food they grew, but their people-pleasing nature conflicted with their desires. This back-and-forth continued for the next ten minutes until Basil’s alarm clock chimed. “Oh! It's time to water the flowers! I guess I won’t be having two apples after all…” They tossed the apple core into their trash and started to get dressed. He put on his signature overalls along with their favorite mint-green shirt. He patted some dirt off it and went outside. Beside Basil's door, there was a small rack that held various gardening supplies. Fertilizer, watering cans, shovels, gardening shears, and even some weed wackers. Basil had it all. They quickly grabbed a watering can and set off to the garden.
The trill of the birdsong had gotten louder by this time of day, and Basil started to hum along as he watered his flowers. It was a simple little tune that went by many names, but Basil liked to call it Tulip. Speaking of tulips, Basil glanced over at them and frowned. As usual, they were slightly wilted. You see, Basil’s flowers were always a bit unusual. Their Lilly-of-the-Valley’s never rotted or wilted, but his Tulips were always slightly wilted no matter what they did. Basil had no idea why, but he had learned not to question it. After watering the rest of their flowers, Basil turned away from their garden. Although he was done with his main patch, Basil had a little secret. They always liked secrets after all. To know something only you knew…the knowledge felt like it belonged to you. And that feeling was delicate, yet precious. Thus, Basil kept a garden that only he knew about, even if there was nothing to hide. The garden itself was located in the woods, where the vastness of the Vast Forest gave way to a small clearing. This is where Basil practiced taking care of certain plants and flowers, as well as keeping some patches of flora not found anywhere else. The birdsong slowly changed as Basil walked towards his secret garden, as the music started to sound ever so slightly different. Basil kept his hum though, although the tune changed. I liked to call this tune Daisy. As for the garden itself, although it changed day to day, it was currently filled with lemons and basil, along with dandelions and chrysanthemums. Basil started watering the plants, all the while humming his tune to themself. Basil liked the peace of this place. No one else knew of it, so it was quiet. However, it still held the sounds of nature, so it did not feel lonely. Combine those two effects, and it was perhaps the most relaxing place in Headspace! Basil finished his routine watering and turned to two special patches of flowers. These were the only ones that were permanent, and they were treated with extra care. He started with the White Egrets, making sure not a speck of rot touched the petals, as they were prone to rotting if he wasn’t careful. After that, Basil turned to their Daisies. Once upon a cycle, they were perhaps the prettiest flowers in Basil’s garden, secret or otherwise. One day, however, they all wilted and have not grown back since. However, they were not quite dead either, stuck in eternal limbo. Basil watered these ones carefully, as they were very delicate. I don’t know why he still tries to water them. They won’t come back the same.
“Can you bloom today? I would really appreciate it…I want to learn more about you. Besides, it’s my birthday! Everyone deserves something special on their birthday.” His signature shy smile faltered for a moment, before falling completely. The Daisies still did not bloom. “Well, if you are going to be like that…I can’t stop you. But please, come back. I want to see you again.” With that, Basil turned away from the patch, although not without one last look. Nothing was there. They sighed, and the flower boy turned away from his secret garden. As he walked back to his house, Basil tried not to feel so bad. After all, it was his birthday. Today’s watering was over, and it was almost time for their celebration! His smile returned to his face as he started to skip. It was a lovely day to have a birthday, especially if you were Basil. After all, he had friends to celebrate with, and he wouldn't let the Daisies lack of reply bother him. So Basil skipped away from the secret garden, with his head held high. And that is why, in their joy, he missed the Daisies slightly raising their heads.
When Basil got back to their house, he started to look around. In one of the corners of their room, there was a pile of old, slightly sweet-smelling cardboard boxes. He walked over to the boxes in question and started to rummage through them. Soon enough, they pulled out various decorations, each of which looked slightly used. There were some string lights in the shape of various flowers, a large tablecloth with an ivy pattern, confetti horns, party hats, and finally, some green and purple streamers. Basil used the same decorations each time, as they thought that buying new decorations was a bit much. After all, why do you need new decorations when they were already perfect? Besides, they were nostalgic, in the way only reused decorations were. After getting all the decorations out of the box, Basil started setting them up. He started with the tablecloth, as it was the easiest to put in place. They walked to their dining table and started to pull.
“Urrgh…It’s heavier than I thought it would be!” Basil exhaled as they grabbed onto the table and slowly started to drag it. Eventually, with some effort, they got the table to the center of the room. Then, Basil took the tablecloth and slowly and neatly spread it over the table. He even tied the corners to the table legs so the cloth itself wouldn’t move. After all that effort, they stood back to admire his work. “Not so shabby!” Basil said, beaming with simple pride. “Now for the string lights.” He eyed the ceiling of the room, their smile faltering from slight worry. “Maybe if I use some chairs?... Yeah, that’ll work.” Basil’s smile returned to its previous shining status. He then went to where the dining table was before he moved it. There were six chairs there, each in a different color. He took the mint green chair, and picked it up, moving it to the opposite wall. After setting the chair down gently, Basil grabbed the string lights from the floor and stood on the chair. An empty hook in the ceiling was the perfect place for this string light, as the hanging planters that were normally there had just been moved to the garden. The flower boy then repeated this process, using the pink, white, blue, orange, and purple chairs to boost his height. Finally, when they were done, Basil tied the end of the string's lights to the beginning, and they started to glow with a soft dreamy light. “Ah! You are so pretty! It’s always a treat to see you glow.” Basil squealed with excitement. He always loved the moment when they turned on, although he did not know how they worked. They just glowed when he was done, with no power or fire needed. However, they had since learned not to question it. Some things just worked, and that was that. However, there was still one more decoration to set up. The streamers! Basil started to get to work. The hanging process was much the same as the string lights, involving a lot of chairs being moved and tied onto various metal hooks. There were thirteen streamers to hang up, so it took him a little bit of time to do. During this process, Basil once again started to hum. This time, the tune was a lot more cheerful, fitting for a birthday party. However, it also felt slightly nostalgic in a way. The tune echoed across the house, filling the room with music. This tune was called Sunflower.
“There! All done!” Basil admired his house for the second time. String lights lined the walls, bathing the room in a cheerful, dreamy light. Streamers hung from the wall invoking the feel of fun times and simple parties. A table stood proudly in the middle of the room, a tablecloth ready to catch any cake splatters that came it's way. He carefully set the confetti horns and party hats on the table. It was a birthday party seen many times, and the decorations bore stains of previous times. However, it was not dirty or tired. It was familiar, dreamy, nostalgic, and cheerful. It was a perfect party. Well, it would be if there were no chairs scattered across the room. “Oops! Forgot about the chairs. And I still need to set the table…heh! Guess I'm more forgetful than I thought.” Oh, if only they knew. After that small lapse of memory, Basil got to work yet again. He gathered the chairs from the various corners of the room and set them in their rightful place at the table. The green chair was at the head, the purple and pink chairs at its side. The orange chair followed the pink one, and the blue one sat next to its lover. Finally, at the opposite side of the table, opposing the green chair, a simple white chair stood. Now, all that was left to do was set the table. After placing the chairs, Basil quickly walked over to the kitchen area. They opened the stained wood cabinets one after the other, looking for something. Finally, in the leftmost cabinet, there was a small pile of lavender-colored paper plates, complete with some white napkins and silverware. Basil grabbed them, and put one plate, one napkin, and a fork and knife in front of each chair. Finally, the table was set, and the decorating was complete. Basil’s smile beamed more than ever. All that was left to do was to wait for his friends.
The moon was high in the sky, around midnight or so, when Basil’s friends arrived. The dew was quickly trampled, and the quiet air gave way to excited laughter. Basil squealed in excitement, quickly patting off the dirt on their overalls for the second time this night. And then, around the bend, came their purple-haired pals. Kel, ever-energetic, was at the front of the pack, quickly running towards Basil while holding a wrapped gift. He was sticking his tongue out at Aubrey, who was chasing him while holding a gift of her own. Both were covered in tape and plastic bows, apparently in charge of wrapping the gifts that everyone was holding.
“I won!” Kel said excitedly after reaching Basil’s doorstep, who had to dodge out of the way to not get knocked over.
“No fair! You got a head start!” Aubrey pouted after losing to the rambunctious boy.
“Now, now. Let’s not start an argument. It’s Basil’s birthday! Let’s be happy for him.” Hero, who had been walking behind them, said worriedly. He was carrying a large strawberry cake and was covered in frosting.
“Fiiiiine!” The two rivals said in unison.
“A real cake? For me!” Basil exclaimed.
“Everyone deserves something homemade once in a while.” Hero said with his award-winning smile.
A monochrome boy following Hero nodded. He was carrying two gifts, surprising me. Now I had expected him to be carrying Hero’s gift, as his hands were full. But, apparently, he had manually made his own gift. How sweet. Meanwhile, Basil invited everyone inside his house, handing out party hats and greeting their friends with a smile, ready for the party. Kel and Aubrey ran in, excited as they always were, quickly grabbing their hats. Hero walked in next, wiping the mud off his feet so he would not track it in like the other two, and then took his hat after saying thank you. Omori walked in last, his socks free of any sort of dirt, with the party hat already on his head. Perks of being Omori I suppose. After their friends walked in and set down their presents on the table, Basil started to close the door. Oddly, he stopped. They squinted into the distance as if they saw something outside. But nothing was there.
“Hello?...Do you want to come in?” Basil said tentatively.
“Basil? Whatcha doin'?” Aubrey questioned, noticing Basil’s odd behavior.
“Oh…I thought I saw someone.” Basil replied, shooting one last glance at their front yard. Huh. Well then, after that, Basil shut the door fully this time. He turned back to their home to find Kel and Aubrey using up all of the confetti poppers by popping them in each-others faces, while Hero was trying to wave the colorful paper pieces away from the cake he just set on the table. Basil couldn’t help but giggle at this ridiculous sight, which quickly turned into a full-blown cackle. This sudden laughter is what got Kel and Aubrey to finally stop their fight, and they soon joined in the giggle-fest as well. The laughter grew and grew, to the point where bright yellow outlines were surrounding the three friends. While they were busy in their Ecstatic fit of cackles, Hero took this time to confiscate the rest of the party poppers and hide them in Basil’s dresser. Only after preventing the confetti-chaos from continuing further did Hero join the laughter. Soon enough, everyone was Ecstatic except for the party pooper Omori. The audacity.
“Ha-ha so, so HA, what should we-Ha-do first-?” Aubrey tried to say while choking on her giggles.
“I dunno-Hic-maybe some-hic-games?” Basil replied, his laughter becoming hiccups from their poor attempt at calming down.
“Ah-let’s do some pinatas!” Kel replied enthusiastically, after beginning to violently pat Basil’s back to get rid of the hiccups.
“Good idea! I’ll set it up.” Hero said, already starting to gather supplies from Basil’s many boxes of party stuff, although not without giving a judgmental side-eye to Kel.
Omori gave a single thumbs up and went to help Hero with the unpacking. Soon enough, deep within the pile of boxes, a pinata was suddenly found. It was a daisy pinata, perfectly colored, clean, proportionate, bursting with sweets, and ready to be smashed. Nobody else seemed to notice the oddity of a completely filled pinata just being in a box, although to be fair, they weren’t supposed to. Instead, Hero congratulated Omori on “finding” a pinata, and then he let it float. There was no rope, no knot, and no hanging. Just a pinata floating in midair, ready to be smashed.
“Oh! Oh! I wanna go first! Can I go? Please, please, pretty please!” Aubrey exclaimed, itching to smash something with her trusty bat.
“No, me! I'm gonna go first! I haven't had candy in foreeeeevvvvvver!” Kel whined, glaring at Aubrey. She glared back, a red outline appearing around the two.
“Umm-maybe we should go outside first? We don’t want to get candy on the cake!” Basil said, trying to prevent the conflict.
“Good idea Basil! And since it’s his birthday, they get to smash it first, ok?” Hero replied, picking up on the tension.
“Fiiiiiiiiiiine!” The rivals said in unison, for the second time tonight.
With that settled, the five friends opened the door and exited the house, the pinata following closely behind. There was some debate on where to set it up, although the group eventually decided on a small little plain behind Basil’s house. Omori produced some solid black blindfolds from his Pocket, and Hero, being the only one that knew how to tie a knot, tied one around Basil’s head. He then spun the flower boy around three times and got Aubrey to hand Basil her trusty bat, although not without a little nagging.
“Ok Basil, are you ready?” Aubrey asked, anxious to get her bat back.
“Umm- I think so!” Basil replied worriedly, but not without a little excitement sneaking into his voice.
“3…2…1…GO!” Everyone, (but Omori,) shouted.
Basil swung the bat once. They missed. He gritted their teeth and swung it again, with a little more force this time. He missed. Their hand gripped tighter on the bat, and his feet were grounded. They took a deep breath. He swung the bat for the final time - directly toward the pinata! But suddenly, Basil’s head stopped moving and focused in a certain direction, almost like they saw someone. This, plus the momentum of the bat’s swing, caused Basil to trip and fall flat on their face. Ouch…that must have hurt.
“Basil! Are you ok?!” Kel cried out, before rushing over to help the poor flower boy.
“I’m fine…I just got a little distracted.” Basil replied timidly while rubbing their head.
“By what?! You were blind!” Aubrey cried, confused by this whole situation.
“That's the thing! I could have sworn I saw-” Basil said before Omori started to pat his head, trying to rub the pain away. “Oh! Thank you, Omori! That really helps.”
Sure enough, Basil’s HP started to go up, and everyone let out a sigh of relief.
“Maybe smashing pinatas isn’t the best idea…” Hero exclaimed, probably wanting to avoid more injury.
“But how else are we going to get the candy?” Kel whined. Omori responded to this dilemma by walking up to the daisy pinata and brutally slashing it, apathetically watching its colorful guts spill out, and deflate. The betrayal of this moment scarred the pinata, as the one who had found them and rescued them from the darkness had now shown that they never cared for it at all. It had died and would die again. Again and again and again, as it is destiny for a pinata to be popped. But Daisy did not know this. And even when they did, it would not matter to them. Omori had still hurt them. They started this endless cycle of pain. And Omori did not care. Daisy will remember this betrayal, this unfair cycle, for the rest of their non-life. And they would forever remember the uncaring face of their killer.
“Yay! Candy!!!” Kel and Aubrey shouted. They rushed over and started grabbing as many technicolored pieces as they could.
“Woah! Slow down! Basil and I want some too!” Hero shouted. Soon the entire friend group was swarming the ground, gobbling all the candy that they could. Chocolate and vanilla went flying, as Aubrey tackled Kel over a lollipop. Omori glared at Basil as he tried to steal a chocolate bar from their stash, drawing his knife at the intruder. But unsurprisingly, Hero reigned supreme, having an iron fist on the peanut-butter sweets. The battle continued on and on, alliances being made and wars being fought over even the slightest bit of ice cream. It was so chaotic that some of the candies even flew into the forbidden edges of the forest, where only darkness grew. Something was sure to have a sweet dinner tonight. I know I would. But, eventually, after an hour of fighting, the smoke cleared and the battle ended. The group gathered up their spoils of war and put them in their Pockets.
“What's next?!” Kel said expectantly, all riled up due to the sugar rush.
“Well, we should probably start opening presents!” Hero replied.
“Yay! You’re gonna love what I got you!” Aubrey exclaimed, while affectionately elbowing Basil in the ribs.
“I-I’m sure I will!” Basil replied with a smile, although rubbing his now-aching side. It didn’t take long for the party-goers to reach Basil’s house and go inside. The house was oddly clear of all the confetti pieces that had littered it earlier, although I suppose that could be chalked up to the black-and-white god’s dislike of cleaning manually.
“Open my present first! It’s the best! Just open it!” Kel was bouncing on his heels from excitement. Opening presents was always his favorite part. Something about seeing the smiles on his friends' faces made him smile too. Although that might just be because he likes playing with the wrapping paper…but somehow I doubt that. That's just not Kel.
“Ok! Ok! I’ll open yours first…” Basil replied, before noticing Aubrey’s aura glowing a bright red. “...And Aubrey’s right after! Let’s go!” That seemed to cheer her up, as the red faded away to nothingness. Meanwhile, Kel had excitedly shoved a bright orange present right in Basil’s lap.
“Open it! Open it now!” Kel was practically blinding me with his yellow aura. No doubt he was Ecstatic. At his request, the flower boy tore into the wrapping paper with a familiar ferocity, almost exceeding Kel’s energy with Manic excitement. Then, with the wrapping paper completely destroyed, all that was left was a white box. Basil slowed down, and then carefully lifted up the flaps. They laughed. In fact, everyone, (sans Omori,) burst into a fit of giggles upon seeing Kel’s gift. For you see, inside of the white box were 3 packets of basil seeds.
“-Wow Kel. I-I,” Basil snorted. “I-I already have some! I didn’t need more!”
“You do?! Where are they?” Kel questioned. Basil sputtered and began to fake-cough into his arm.
“I-uh, I haven’t planted them yet,” Basil replied timidly. Nice save. After everyone had recovered from their giggle-fest, the calm was interrupted by a familiar voice.
“My turn! My turn!” Aubrey shouted as she shoved Kel out of the way, grabbing a neon pink present. Her excitement was infectious. Her smile always cheered everyone up, and she was one of the few people that truly understood Basil. She was the first friend of theirs, and a really good one. I’m glad I could see her happy. Yet again, a present was shoved into Basil’s lap, although perhaps a tad more roughly than Kel did. The flower boy once again started to glow with a Manic light while gazing at the gift, although it was only a bit brighter compared to Aubrey’s Ecstatic excitement. The air was tense in anticipation, although luckily Basil wasn’t the type of boy to stop and savor the moment when they were tense. With a flurry of clawing cuts, the wrapping paper was torn to shreds, leaving a simple white box. He carefully lifted the flaps revealing a flower crown.
“Really? Another one? I have 12 already!” Basil rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, with a small smile on their lips. In truth, Basil didn’t mind the gift at all. Ever since he first expressed wanting one, Aubrey had gotten him a flower crown for birthdays, holidays, and random occasions. In fact, it had become something of a tradition. Each one was beautifully unique and they treasured each and every one of them, including this amazing arrangement with a base of phacelias and alliums, accented with ammonia and astrantia. The colors and textures fit perfectly together, and the meaning was just fitting. This was truly a crown fit for a prince!
“You're welcome!” Aubrey replied, with a playful smirk on her face.
“Hey! No fighting!” Hero warned, although he quickly looked confused as everyone started to look at him. “Oh, wait, is it my turn?” He said sheepishly. Everyone nodded. “Ok then, here you go!” The boy grabbed a blue present from the pile, and carefully placed it on Basil’s lap. He was always a bit neater than the others, although that might be because he was older. However, that didn’t stop Mari from being messy, so perhaps it was just his personality. He was always a calm shoulder to lean on, who would listen and help with whatever I needed. At least he’s happy here with Mari. The flower boy yet again Manically ripped into the wrapping paper while Hero Happily watched. Basil stopped their rampage at the white box, so plain and simple. He carefully opened the flaps, not wanting to damage what might be inside. Basil gasped. Inside of the box was a rack of herbal teas, made from many different plants.
“Thank you so much! I was just running low, and -Wow! Is that otherflower tea?!” They exclaimed.
“Yep! Got all this from a friend of mine, and thought you’d like it!” Hero replied, before beginning to point out many exotic blends in the box.
“Well, you were right! This is amazing!” Basil said, their smile shining as bright as day.
“Omori’s turn!” Aubrey exclaimed while tugging on the monochrome boy’s arm. “You're gonna love what he got you!” The boy in question had somehow managed to escape Aubrey's death grip and was now walking toward the present pile. He picked out a simple white box tied by a black ribbon and set it on Basil’s lap. Basil smiled at the blank-faced boy and then began to Happily untie the ribbon. Everyone leaned in as the flaps were opened and the gift laid plain to see. Basil teared up. In- inside the box was a hand-drawn picture of all of them having a picnic together. Mari was kissing Hero, Aubrey was petting a Forest Bunny, Kel was chugging milk next to the picnic basket, and Omori was making a flower crown with Basil.
…It was perfect.
“Wow…” Basil gasped, tears flowing down their face, his shadow crying in twain. “This is the best gift I have ever gotten! Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” They tackled Omori in a flying hug, before the rest of the group joined in, smiling. They were like that for a while, I think. After they untangled, Basil put his drawing in a frame, right next to their bed. It fit perfectly. Everything was just perfect.
“Huh? There's still one present left.” Hero observed. It was black with a white ribbon and had no nametag. Basil carefully picked it up and inspected it. It was, of course black, but it had a gray floral pattern on it as well. The white ribbon was tied neatly, and the sides of the box were warm as if someone just put it there. Omori’s eyes widened.
“Well it looks like it’s for me…and it's got wrapping paper…so let’s open it!” And with that, Basil Manically tore into the gray wrapping paper before Omori could stop him, revealing a black box. They carefully opened the gift to reveal-
“Wow! Thanks for the food, Mari!”
Wait, what? Inside of the bla- purple? Inside the…purple present was some gourmet tofu. Wait that's not- that's not right, I-
Mari?
Sure enough, Mari was there…eating candy from the pinata…with a party hat perched atop her head.
And Omori looked oddly relieved.
“Speaking of food, I think now is the time for cake!” Mari replied.
“CAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKEE!” Aubrey and Kel yelled in tandem. And thus, the birthday guests gathered around the stained table and started to dig into Hero’s strawberry cake.
.
.
.
It’s funny, isn’t it? How time never passes here. Every year, they celebrate Basil’s birthday, but he never gets any older. It’s why there are no candles and no birthday song. I hate that that’s missing. It always was my favorite part, to see everyone’s faces lit by candlelight as they looked at me with recognition and love. That’s why I always wished for their happiness. I’m glad, that after all this time, it has remained somewhat true. But, I wish I was more specific back then. I don’t think I wanted this. I don’t think they wanted this. So that’s why I left the party. It was fun to watch the pinata wars and party popper concerts and silly presents, but I’m not wanted here. I never was.
It was nearly dawn now. The grass has long since dried, and the trees were gently swaying without Omori to stop them. The moon could be seen setting, and the residents of the Vast Forest were heading to their beds. The only sound that could be heard was the trill of birdsong getting ever-fainter. Soon enough, the birthday will end and nothing will have changed. But when did I ever let things stay stagnant?
Basil’s house was silent, the party have long since ended. Inside, the flower boy was getting their mint-colored pajamas on, sighing quietly to himself. The birthday had been great after all, but a certain sense of melancholy always set in after they put away the decorations. He started getting himself ready for bed, before absentmindedly glancing at the table. Their eyes widened in shock. On the table was a black present, with no nametag. And right next to it was the shadow they saw during their party.
Wait, what? He must have thought that wrong.
The shadow’s eyes were open, as surprised as Basil was.
No, that’s not possible. They can’t see me.
Now Basil was nodding as if they could hear my narration.
“You know you're saying that out loud, right?”
Yes! I know I am! But that’s not the point!
“What’s the point?”
Well- you- you can see me! And hear me!
“And why is that such a big deal?”
Well- people like you- don’t just see and hear leaks!
“Leaks?”
Things from the dark! Things forgotten! Things that occasionally narrate out loud because they are lonely!
“Oh-no! I can be your friend if you're lonely!”
No-you're not-
“So, what’s your name?”
…Sigh.
I don’t have one.
“You don’t have a name?!”
I mean- I did - but- but not anymore. Now…now I’m just a Stranger.
“Well, I’m not gonna call you The Stranger! That’s just weird. How about I call you Daisy? You seem like a Daisy.”
…Daisy’s fine.
“So, um, what are you doing here?”
Well, giving you a gift for your birthday, of course!
“Well, then why didn’t you come during the party? I wouldn’t have minded an extra friend!”
Well -I tried to, but . . . It was a bad time, and things kinda happened.
“Oh! Well, let me try to open it now!”
Basil picked up the gift and started to-
“You really don’t need to narrate. I’m right here!”
Oh. Well. Uh…just- just open it, I guess.
“Okie-dokie . . . WOW! Is-is this really-?”
Yep! I know they are pretty rare, but I figured it could help if- well, if you ever got in trouble.
“Well, I’m sure they will! Industrial-strength gardening shears will really help with the weeds.”
Heh, yeah. Weeds.
“Speaking of trouble, why did you come all from your home to go to my birthday? I don’t think I live near any darkness, and I don’t really know you. Surely my party isn’t that famous?”
Well…it’s not that famous, just- just-, it’s my birthday. And well, I don’t have anyone to share it with, so I thought- I thought coming here could be nice.
“Wait a minute! It’s your birthday too?! And you have no one to celebrate it with?!”
It’s not that big of a deal, it’s been like this for a while-
“That’s horrible! Everyone deserves something special on their birthday. Here, I think I have extra cake left- Oh! what presents do I have-”
No! I don’t need to bother you. It’s really not a big deal anymore-
“And here ya go! Some strawberry cake just for you!”
Oh. Uh- thank you. It looks really good.
…
Um- if you don’t mind of course, can- can I have a candle?
“Sure? Here you go.”
.
.
.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
“Happy birthday dear Daisy,”
“Happy birthday to you.”
…
How did you know that song?
“I dunno. It just felt right, I guess.”
…Thank you, Basil. For- for everything.
“But- but I don’t even have a present for you!”
You don’t need to worry so much. This is the best present I've gotten in 3 years.
“...Thank you.”
.
.
.
I should probably go- it’s getting late, and- and I can’t stay here when the sun is up. If I do then-
“Daisy?”
Yeah?
“Will I ever see you again?”
…You will.
“Are you sure?”
As sure as the sunflowers bloom.
And somewhere in a secret garden, the Daisies did as well.