Marla’s parents were human. She was a plant. “Some recessive gene,” they told her. Embarrassed, they put Marla in the back yard. Her roots took hold and she grew into a vibrant shrub. One day, without goodbyes, Marla’s family moved away.
Dreaming of the world beyond, Marla died and regrew before a new family moved in. Peter, their little boy, didn’t speak, but every day he sat by Marla and sang. He made up ballads about a plant girl who had adventures. Peter’s parents wept at his madness, but Marla knew she’d found the only person who’d ever understood her.
Author’s note: As autism becomes more an more prevalent, I find it valuable to consider how people on the spectrum have almost super-human perception in very specific situations.
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