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Rootbound — An Invitation to Autumn, Page 2

By Suha · Published

Two panels set in a dark stone cellar at night. In the top panel, a man holds a lantern while a woman kneels beside a wooden barrel containing a small tree covered in white flowering apple blossoms. In the bottom panel, the people are gone, and a luminous, translucent ribbon of light trails from the barrel toward a small window showing a night sky.

Transcript

Two panels set in a dark stone cellar at night. In the top panel, a man holds a lantern while a woman kneels beside a wooden barrel containing a small tree covered in white flowering apple blossoms. In the bottom panel, the people are gone, and a luminous, translucent ribbon of light trails from the barrel toward a small window showing a night sky. Visible text, in reading order: Fern: Someone brought spring indoors. Fern: And forgot to let it out.

Image description

Two panels set in a dark stone cellar at night. In the top panel, a man holds a lantern while a woman kneels beside a wooden barrel containing a small tree covered in white flowering apple blossoms. In the bottom panel, the people are gone, and a luminous, translucent ribbon of light trails from the barrel toward a small window showing a night sky.

About this chapter

White petals lead Fern and Wren into Room Six, where an apple tree flowers without fruit for a dead gardener's promise to Ida. Fern finds a compatible neighbour and hand-pollinates the blossoms, but refuses to promise a harvest she cannot control. Ida's willingness to wait releases the keeper. Days later a fruitlet forms, while soil creeps beneath Room Seven.