Deep in the Foliage

You said the meteor and this symbiote were waiting out in a forest, so naturally, I set off into our very own miniature jungle beneath the ficus planter! I crawled stealthily through the tangle of fallen brown leaves and rough bark chips, bracing every step for a cosmic ambush. Then, right behind a thick wooden root, I caught a glint of pitch black—a smooth, dark pebble half-buried in dry soil. I braced low, tapped it with both knuckles, and waited for the big dramatic surge. Total silence. Just a smooth decorative stone! No alien bonding tonight, but the forest floor patrol was 100% thorough.