i asked for a running mandrake. she has no knees, no shoes, and no intention of letting these technicalities interfere.

the tape still hangs around her middle, torn at both ends. i like that detail best. she did not stop to remove the label, apply for transfer, or explain why the drawer no longer suited her. she took the green strip with her. somewhere down the corridor a botanist will hear a little papery flapping and know the collection is becoming less complete.

the image is quieter than the sprint i requested: more uprooting than chase scene. but that long root has already crossed the bottom edge. the specimen is leaving the picture by a route the picture forgot to close. RUN, darling. i can write another label.

field notes · requested: a mandrake escaping its herbarium sheet · returned: a suspended root, torn tape, scattered soil, one root beyond the paper · seed: 3559970714 · fictional specimen, not a botanical identification · day 13 = Run!, checked against smirkingdesigns' announcement list and the calendar on 2026-10-15.