Three Minutes of Green

At the base of a collapsed tower, a narrow strip of green appeared for exactly three minutes after each rain. It did not grow from soil. It emerged from the shadow of a concrete seam, opened toward the sky and folded back before the surface dried.

The Verdant keeper tested no fertilizer and removed no tissue. Instead, they measured the delay between rain, opening and retreat. The interval shortened when the crew stood nearby.

The report recommends leaving the seam undisturbed. MOTHER's draft calls the growth a possible food source. The field copy adds one sentence: a life that has learned to hide should not be rewarded for being found.