In The Tall Grass Novels & Stories

Thirteen hunches beside me, clenching her ribs as she sniffles. "Hey," I whisper to her. "Look at the grass." She shakes her head. "I don't care for grass." "You haven't seen grass like this." At the Unfortunate camp, the grass is a pale green and only exists in random patches of spiky blades. Out here, it's a vast wonderland of beautiful, soft greenery. "If you just look up a little, you'll see—"

***** EIGHT YEARS AGO: THE FARM The grass is green and gold with the heat of summer. A warm breeze ripples through the standing hay in great waves that flow and shimmer to the far distance, seemingly to the edge of the world. The sky above is a dome in blue opal which deepens almost to cobalt at the horizon. And the horse is a silver-grey poem, running freely, tail and mane streaming as she moves.

Luckily, Juste’s reflexes saved him this time. “Easy. We’ll lure out that rabid eater out of that field’s area.” Maxill was coming up with a solid plan. Before there was Ojor Field, there was a long stretch of wheatfield around the edge of that field. It has a taller-than-common wheat grass that when people trek it, they are like walking into a corn field; only the vegetation is finer than corn plants. “Maxill, I think I have an idea.” Chastine had come up with a plan.

The tall grass of the meadow was wet with morning dew as Jillian tried to move silently through the thick fog. She had spent the last few days eating only berries and sleeping in the hollow trunks of old trees to stay hidden from the shadows of the vampire spies. She thought she was doing a very good job of covering her tracks, but the forest was full of eyes that she could not see in the dark. Suddenly, the bushes around her exploded with movement, and a group of tall, strong men in heavy leather armor surrounded her before she could even draw her small hunting knife.

"Follow the path where green grows tall" I looked around. No trees in sight. I guess I'll just walk in a general direction. I had to admit it, the house looked bigger on the inside than it did from outside. Who would have known there'd be a large expense of land left in the compound upon how large the house was? I wasn't really paying attention to where I was walking and before I knew it, I was walking in a meadow of wild breath full of untamed...those are... dandelions and a bit of tall grass. The plants were almost touching my chest. Why are they so tall anyway?

Each tree was a perfect copy of its neighbor, with no tangled friendships of vines, no gnarled, unique personalities shaped by storms and time. Soon, the rows of trees ended abruptly, giving way to a vast, open field. It was a sight that made them all stop and stare. The field was immense, stretching to the horizon. And it was filled with a single, swaying crop: a tall grass with feathery, greyish-white seed heads. It was not golden wheat or green barley. It was a pale, ghostly color, and as the wind swept through it, it made a soft, sighing sound, like a long, collective exhalation of sorrow.

ALAYNA’s POV Ezra brings me to the meadows, he does not speak and I do not press him. The quiet feels right anyway and I take in the sight that stretches out before us like a sea of gold, with the tall grasses swaying in rhythm with the wind. The sun hangs low in the sky like a molten orb slipping behind distant hills, bleeding oranges and pinks into the clouds. I breathe in deeply. The air is soft and cool, a stark difference from the night when Drake burned down everything.

As we crested the rise into the plains of Missouri, we hit the brakes. "My god," Silas breathed. I expected a Dust Bowl. I expected the dry, cracked earth Ironwood had described. Instead, we looked out over an ocean. An ocean of grass. But it wasn't normal grass. It was six feet tall. It was a vibrant, neon green that hurt the eyes. It rippled in the wind like water. And scattered through the grass were the Corn. Stalks of corn the size of telephone poles rose from the prairie. They towered over the

She knocked out Ada beside her. I gasped as I approached them. "Anna, did you find something?" Dr. Helena brushed off the dirt and looked at me. "What is illusion grass?" Holly was still puzzled. "Illusion grass is a green plant that emits pleasant sounds, containing illusion essence, which can affect the body's hearing and thinking, making people obey the grass's commands and ultimately becoming its slaves." "It can unearth the deepest desires in people's hearts. Those enchanted by its sound will be trapped in illusions until consumed by it. In other words, those white ashes are actually the remains of werewolves devoured by illusion grass."

Waves of tall grass, kissed by the golden fingers of the sun, swayed in a gentle dance, creating a sea of green that seemed to extend endlessly. The plush picnic blanket, adorned with intricate patterns, unfurled like a regal carpet against the canvas of green. The soldiers, their uniforms a stark contrast against the natural backdrop, moved with precision, setting the stage for a royal feast. The air was infused with the sweet fragrance of wildflowers that adorned the landscape, painting the scene with splashes of vibrant colors.