The case had a combination lock.

"I didn't think of this" he claimed as he looked at the cluster of numbers.

"So my time's being wasted" the daughter enquired impatiently.

"Perhaps..." he said as he attempted to decode it - he succeeded "same combination as mine" he declared to his daughter.

"Looks exactly like yours dad" his daughter snarkd.

Donovan shock his head before preparing his next move "Ready?" he asked.

"Hurry" she replied.

He flipped the case open.

Donovan looked towards the open briefcase, now lying on the coffee table before him.
It was full of what looked to be fine black soil or sand.
Within the substance, colourful orange, fibrous looking bits protruded.

"It's dirt" his daughter claimed before she stood up.

"No" Donovan said as he pinched the orange object and pulled it; this uprooted an entire mass, a number of fibrous strings attached that snapped proving little resistance "There's, this" he said as he held up what looked like a root - clean from the sand like substance easily falling off it.

"An ugly vegetable" his daughter said.

"It, seems so" he responded.

"OK, bye" she said as she abruptly rushed towards the exit.

"No later than 9 OK" he yelled.

"9!" the girl yelled from the hall before reappearing to face her father "It's the weekend dad, 11!" she yelled.

"9, so we can nose through this case together" he said.

"Half ten and we look through your junk, 9 and I go to bed early" she offered.

"So you should, rest's important" he claimed.

"Oh shut up! You know what, 10, and I'll look though your junk with you for a bit, and that's it dad, final offer" she yelled.

"OK" he agreed.

Donovan swished his hand through the grit before removing it, he looked over the cases content before he moving back to the 'root'; he picked it up to examine it further.

"What to do, what to do, what to do" Donovan chanted out loud as he looked at what occupied his hands.
The root looked every bit like a mandrake; particularly bulbs at the 'head' with fair sized torso and four growths resembling limbs, yet the flesh resembling turmeric in its texture and outer colour, with bright orange 'fingers and toes' looking like the interior of a turmeric.

He moved forward from his slump position and sat at the tip of the sofa.

"Silly Venus forgot the money" a voice like Donovan's said.

He simply nodded and replied "She'll be back".

He placed the plant beside an open briefcase.

He noticed his hand, both hands, mainly his palms were a bright and burnt orange; his left he held the root in particularly.

Giving up with a sigh as his whole body slumpt, Donovan rinsed a soap sudden cloth.
Once done, he looked to his hand and the cloth in the other; the cloth was perfectly powder pink, whilst his hand remained orange.

Time passed.

Donovan lounged on the sofa and stared towards the briefcase in somewhat of a trance. Is trance broke abruptly and he looked up at the wall before him towards the clock on the wall.

"8 already" he said as he jumped up and rushed towards the kitchen.

He dragged a few of clear packets of vegetables and threw them on the kitchen counter top, though he briefly stopped, he noticed something; he looked at his palm - it was bright orange.
He rubbed it with his index finger, however the residue remained. He took a dripping wet sponge out the sink and scrubbed his palm; to no avail.

He stood inspecting his palm, looking confused, but shrugged.

Donovan returned to the task at hand, he turned back towards the open fridge and grabbed a pack of egg noodles.

He gave his hand one last look and a sniff before he got to preparing a meal of a colourful stir-fry. He dished them out, but then covered them with a pair of plastic domes.

Donovan moved back towards the living room, he sat and switched on the TV.
A sci-fi comedy was on, an iguana looking being operating a small floating vehicle, its passenger was a blonde haired, assumer human female wearing large sunglasses and red lipstick, canned laughter sounded as the lizard man spoke gibberish.

Donovan stared at the TV with a smile, mesmerized, or exhausted.

Though his relaxation abruptly ceased; there was a noisy crash outside...
"Jeez!" Donovan jumped; he sprung to his feet and looked towards the direction of the noise.
He nervously moved forward with a handful of his shirt in his grasp.
He moved towards the front door, though he chose to look out the neighbouring window.

At the side of the driveway, a large plant pot housing a small tree had fallen; spilt soil spread along the path, a small flowery tree lay on the ground.
A bright light illuminated this scene, yet the light faded as it gained distance.

"I can't stand these people" Donovan said allowed as he looked towards the terracotta pot.