I guess I can't edit messages, so here's a pic:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/The_Cappucino_Kid/unicornplant.jpg

The plants in the store look good DESPITE being in the dark store, not because of it. They will start to go downhill fast there, but the store expects to sell them before that happens. Lack of fertilizer for the two weeks you've had it is not the problem. It could go months before you need to consider fertilizing.

I've grown corkscrew rush outdoors, never indoors. It does indeed like sun and water. I would disagree with the plant tag, don't let it get totally dry between waterings, just almost dry. Don't bother misting it. Don't fertilize it right now while it's unhappy.

If the roots are OK, it should grow new stems. I would put it in your brightest window, cut off any stems that are obviously brown or yellow, even if that is all of them, and hope for the best.

Is it possible that your plant got sunburned? Moving an indoor plant outside where it can get full sun can make the leaves go crispy brown, sometimes in a matter of an hour, depending on the plant and the intensity of the sun. It is safest to move indoor plants gradually into the sun, not all at once.

If I need to disregard the plant tag, and if this plant likes sun and water, why did it go completely bad in simply *one day*, after I had doused it with plenty of water and left it on my balcony?! This is why I'm confused and don't know what to believe, about these plants! I'm getting conflicting information from everywhere. But there's no doubt the plant suffered in the sun for that one day. Many leaves are still green, but the green got lighther and duller, many turned yellow, all became crispy, looking like they're not going to grow any more!

So what do I do? Do I cut them all at the base with a pair of scissors? How can I know if the roots are okay? I don't know what you mean by moving it "gradually into the sun". This is only one plant! Does this mean I should have carried it very very slowly onto the balcony??

No, it means you should have moved it into the sun gradually, giving it a few more minutes/hours of sun per day. Generally, a week's time is fine for the transition. If you don't have a natural source of shade, you'll have to provide one.

Also, "one day" of sun can be a long time. One *hour* of sun can be too much for some plants.

Even sun-loving plants like the common Jade, which grows in hot, dry South Africa, can experience stress if taken from an indoor environment to a sunny outdoor environment.

Good luck!

Josh