To many, the house in the middle of the street was something to be avoided and feared. It was old and decrepit, with decayed metal fences around it, overgrown with weeds that made it look all the more ominous. Nobody in the neighborhood knew how long it had been since last anyone lived there, though there were many rumors of what befell its most recent inhabitants.

But even that couldn't dull Mia's fascination with one part of the house in particular: the garden. Despite having not been tended to in decades, the flowers seemed to flourish there, even in winter. Yet this year it was different. The flowers weren't looking well at all during the spring or summer. Now that it was autumn, they looked like they were nearing death.

People had dissuaded her several times before from intervening, claiming that the place was haunted, that terrible things would happen to her, and that the house was "simply bad news". But this time, nothing would stop her. She climbed over the aged fence, landing at the edge of the garden.

She felt... something as she walked deeper into the dying garden. It wasn't something physical, but instead it was spiritual. It felt like each of these plants had a spirit within. Perhaps this place was haunted after all, but even if it was, she could not bring herself to be scared.

Somehow, she felt like her simply being there was helping the spirits. The plants looked a little bit healthier already. Perhaps the garden had become sad and lonely over time?

As she walked around the garden, her hands and feet were slowly changing to paws. She began to get smaller, finding it hard to stay upright. She knew that she was losing her human form, but she did not mind it at all. She never cared much for human company, preferring to spend her time amidst flora. And somehow, she knew that this new form would make her much better able to help the garden recover.

Her arms and legs were changing, becoming four legs of equal length covered in light yellow fur, decorated with small leaves a bit above the paws. She was slowly shrinking down, discarding her now-unnecessary clothes along the way, revealing the light yellow fur underneath.

More leaves began sprouting from her body, a small one on her back just below her neck and a larger one accompanied by a couple small ones on her chest. The biggest leaf, however, grew from behind her, acting as her tail.

She saw her mouth and nose stretch forward, becoming a short muzzle with a black nose at the tip. She closed her eyes, feeling her head being covered with fur, her now-leaflike ears moving to the top of her head, and a large leaf growing between her ears atop her head. But more importantly, she could feel the life returning to the garden. No, not just returning. Flourishing.

She looked around. Where before there were browning, nearly-dead flowers, now the garden was vibrant and colorful once more. It was all thanks to her, and she would gladly stay here and continue giving the garden her aid for the rest of her life.