Jack, have you ever heard of the band Cinema Strange?

I just came across your stories and one part really reminded me of an old Cinema Strange song called Greensward Grey. CS is a goth band that reached peak popularity in the 2000s. In this song, they describe something that resembles your hand-pants:

"White, and ligamental blossoms jutting from the earth... when have toadstools ever grown toenails?"

You should give them a listen to if you havent already. Or perhaps they inspired you?

For anyone reading this - trigger warning: gory lyrics