Organism-X
Ch. 11
1
“So, this thing used to be a leech?” Jessie Vitelli asked, feeling slightly ill.
In front of her, locked away in a glass terrarium, was a large, ribbon-like worm covered in green slime. The creature was contained with one of the normal worms—if you could call an alien, parasitic creature normal. Jessie kept looking from the generic parasite to the leech and back again. The leech was smaller than its cousin, but also seemed to be faster. Every few minutes, it would zip around the perimeter of the glass box at a startling pace.
“Yup!” Professor Pierce said cheerfully as she dragged a big whiteboard across the floor of the lab.
“What made it not a leech?”
“Well, you know, you start injecting weird fluids into things, they become giant and try to attack you. Shit happens,” the Professor answered.
Was this woman for real? Wasn’t she supposed to be the head of the biology department? Jessie couldn’t see it.
“At least we know how to make more test subjects,” Molly Dubois answered. “Though it is too bad you guys couldn’t bring back the worm you were looking for.”
“Yeah, sure, if you say so,” Jessie answered.
The whole gang was reunited now, with all six of them gathered in the lab along with the Professor and her assistant, Molly. While Jessie still didn’t know what to think of the two new additions, she had to admit it was nice being in a big group again. Even with two other people, she felt vulnerable roaming the campus.
Professor Pierce positioned her whiteboard in the corner of the room and turned to address the group. She was a pretty gal with long, black hair kept straight and a pale yet beautiful face. She wore a maroon turtleneck that hugged her body well, revealing a decent figure. A perfect target for one of the infected girls, Jessie thought.
Then again, all of them were perfect targets. They were young and pretty. Given this fact, Jessie did not like being in the same room with not one, but two worms. The potential for something to go wrong seemed far too high.
“Alright folks,” Professor Pierce said. “We have two samples. With proper precautions, we might be able to make more. That’s one half of this puzzle. We’re missing the second piece. If we had one of the infected, assuming that this is what’s happening, we could perform a biopsy. We don’t have one, so I need you guys to help me.”
All six girls went pale and stared at Professor Pierce in horror. She couldn’t possibly mean to infect one of them and perform experiments, right? Was this bitch insane?
Professor Pierce squinted at the group, clearly puzzled at the reaction.
“What’s the matter?” She asked.
Molly answered sheepishly.
“You’re not going to infect one of them, are you?”
Professor Pierce burst out in a hearty laugh that went on for far too long and shook her head.
“Jesus Christ, of course not. I need your help figuring this out. God, relax guys!”
She really isn’t taking this seriously, Jessie thought. She’s going to be pulling those worms out and trying to slice them open and she has no clue what they’re capable of.
“Look,” the Professor continued. “All of you have had run-ins with women you claim are infected with this parasite. What we need to do now is gather information based on your experiments. What we’re going to try and do is create a profile for an infected person. What are physiological changes? What are mental changes? Are there any tell-tale signs of infection? That sort of thing. Got it?”
The six of them nodded.
“So, who’s first?”
For a few seconds, no one spoke. Jessie could feel her chest tightening as she knew she would have to be the first. Finally, she stuck her finger in the air and answered.
“When my roommate got infected, she trailed this slime all over our room. It smelled awful. Way too sweet. She also tried to kiss me, twice. I think the worms are spread through sexual contact.”
Professor Pierce jotted down the notes on the whiteboard at a frantic pace. Her writing was chicken scratch, but apparently it made sense to her.
“Interesting. Very interesting. Now can males be infected, or just women?”
“Well, there was that one guy that attacked us,” Haley said. “Then again, I don’t know if he was turned or just mind controlled.”
Professor Pierce raised an eyebrow at Haley.
“Mind controlled? I think you’re mistaken.”
“She’s not,” Melissa Takizawa muttered. “Trust me.”
The room fell silent for a while. Melissa seemed to be nothing but a human storm cloud to Jessie. Granted, she hadn’t met the girl until after her entire life had been fucked up before her eyes.
“Come on,” Professor Pierce said. “Mind control is a thing in the movies. Are you sure he wasn’t infected?”
“I can’t be sure,” Haley said. “But he didn’t try to turn us. He just attacked us.”
“Maybe he was drunk?” The Professor asked.
“Maybe, but I doubt it. He didn’t smell like alcohol,” Haley answered.
“I’ve got one,” Eliza said. “The infected girls grow big knockers.”
The room burst into giggles.
“What?” Eliza said. “It’s true! Lindsay Maycomb could barely fill out a b-cup before she got infected. Now she’s practically ripping her shirts open! I’m telling you, getting infected makes you bigger.”
“, now that you mention it, Leah seemed bigger too. Same with Megan and Emily. Their bodies were definitely changed.”
Professor Pierce scribbled more notes.
“Bodily changes. Swelling of the breasts,” She muttered.
“Also, can we revisit the mind control stuff?” Eliza asked. “There’s definitely something to it. That chick Leah, she hypnotized me in class at one point. I looked into her eyes and felt so drowsy. Also, Lindsay Maycomb can make you ridiculously horny with just a touch. Like, so horny it hurts.”
“Yeah, it’s a fucking nightmare,” Melissa said under her breath.
Professor Pierce pursed her lips. Clearly, such fanciful notions upset her big science brain. Jesus lady, Jessie thought, have an open mind. This shit is happening.
“Fine. I’ll put cognitive influence down,” the Professor said. “But I’m skeptical. What else is there?”
“Well, they seem to work in a group. They showed some teamwork when we were in Carter dormitory. It’s kind of like a hive or a coven.”
“Big if true,” Professor Pierce said, scribbling the notes down.
At that moment, the door to the lab flew open and a slender, pale skinned girl walked in. She had a round, cherubic face with a small, sharp nose and piercing gray eyes. The girl took one look at the group and shifted uncomfortably.
“Oh, hi Professor Pierce, Hi Molly, Hi, um, everyone else. Is there a class in here? I’m scheduled to work on my Senior Project for this time slot.”
Professor Pierce froze and looked at the girl like a deer in the headlights.
“No, Sarah. Your time slot is at five.”
Pierce pulled her phone out and made a grimace.
“And it is five. God-fucking-damnit.”
Sarah looked painfully uncomfortable. Clearly, this one was not good with conflict.
“I can reschedule if need be. It isn’t a problem.”
The dark circles under Sarah’s eyes and the lines on her face showed that this was a problem.
“No, it’s fine. I’m sorry, Sarah. Just give us five minutes?”
“Sure thing,” Sarah answered. The girl glanced over at the whiteboard and began to read the elements aloud. “Swelling boobs? Hive mind? What’s this?”
The girl giggled loudly, her voice resonant and melodic. It was surprising to hear coming from such a small waif of a girl.
“We’re brainstorming a science fiction story!” Haley said quickly.
“Oh fun!” Sarah said. “But why do you have ‘swelling boobs’ on there?”
“It’s an erotic story,” Eliza said, turning beet red after the words left her mouth.
“Okay. That’s, um, interesting. No shame. There is no kink shaming in this department!”
Sarah looked over to the terrarium and her face turned more serious.
“What are those?”
“They’re Chinese!” Molly exclaimed.
“Chinese flatworms,” Professor Pierce added quickly. “They are giant Chinese Flatworms.”
“One of them isn’t flat,” Sarah said.
“That’s because it’s a mutant. It’s a mutant, giant, Chinese flatworm,” Professor Pierce said. “Listen, could you come back in five minutes? The lab is a mess and we’ve got to clean up. Sound good? Okay, bye!”
Professor Pierce practically pushed the poor girl out of the lab. Once she had the door closed, she locked it and turned back to the group.
“That was too close for comfort,” she said. “Let’s keep this on the down low. Sound good?”
The rest of the group nodded.
They locked the terrarium with the two worms in a closet and tossed the corpse of the third in a biohazardous waste bin. Haley took a picture of the whiteboard on her phone for safekeeping and the rest of the girls helped tidy up.
When they were finished, Professor Pierce opened the door and ushered Sarah in. Sarah smiled and waved goodbye to the group as she got to work, blissfully unaware of what was lurking close by in the locked closet.
“Who wants dinner?” Pierce asked.
In that moment, Jessie remembered that food was a thing. Her belly ached with intense hunger. It had been hours since she had anything to eat and now it was catching up to her. The rest of the girls looked the same.
“We’ll talk more at the dining hall. Also, can one of you guys swipe me in?” The Professor asked.
I swear, Jessie thought, she’s more of a college student than any of us.
2
Melissa Takizawa stepped into the single-person bathroom on the bottom floor of the campus center and locked the door behind her. She didn’t really need to use the bathroom, but she did need to get space.
Melissa stepped up the faucet and ran the cold water. It felt calming to run her hands through the cool stream. Ever since the night before, since her encounter with the infected girls, she had been burning up.
Closing her eyes, Melissa imagined herself near a trickling stream. It was a visualization technique she used to use as a kid whenever her parents were fighting. Now, once again, this mental space gave her refuge. There was a cool breeze tickling her cheeks and the rustle of leaves in the wind. The air smelled of juniper and honey suckle.
Melissa felt her body relax as she sank into the fantasy world. Her body still felt hot, especially between her legs, but the sensations were muted in this mental space. Finally, Melissa could just be.
And then the air shifted. The gentle peace of Melissa’s fantasy turned into something more sinister.
Suddenly, a voice Melissa recognized spoke inside her mind.
“Well this is nice.”
Melissa gasped and opened her eyes. She was alone in the room, but she could still hear the voice of the redhead from the night prior.
“You’re at the campus center. You’re with all your friends. And with a professor. Oh, this is all so useful! Thank you!”
“Get out of my fucking head!” Melissa cried.
“No can do! We’re linked now, apparently!”
“No, no, no, no, no!” Melissa whimpered.
This had to be a nightmare. If she pinched herself hard enough, she would wake up. She’d be back in her bed, feeling a little groggy but otherwise okay. She’d be getting breakfast in an hour with Bethany and Eliza.
“Oh, Melissa, we’re going to have a lot of fun with this! I can finish what I started with you.”
“Get out!” Melissa screamed.
There was no reply.
3
Jessie sat down across from Penny, watching the girl dig into a mountainous plate of food. Penny took small, rapid bites like a chipmunk, her cheeks bulging outward as she shoveled the food in. Jessie watched, unable to figure out whether this was adorable or repulsive.
The pair were the only ones yet seated and that made Jessie nervous. In such a crowded building, it was far too easy for one of them to get nabbed.
“So, Jessie,” Penny said, her mouth half full. “I have a question.”
“Fire away.”
“What do we do about classes?”
Classes seemed so trivial considering all that had happened. The school was being taken over by alien sex demons—who had time for classes? But the more Jessie thought about it, the more it bothered her. They couldn’t hide out forever, could they? What if this whole thing blew over and they were all left with failing grades? No more college. No more future. It could be bad.
“I don’t know,” Jessie answered.
“Well I’ve been thinking. We can’t keep skipping, but maybe we can create a buddy system? We can see if any of us have classes in the same location and go from there.”
“But what happens if someone is the odd woman out? What if they have classes on the other side of campus? I guess they’re screwed.”
“Well, hopefully that won’t happen. I’m an English major. So is Eliza. I think Haley might be too. Professor Pierce and Molly will both be in the bio department. I’m not sure about Melissa or Bethany. And you are—”
“Music,” Jessie said.
“Oh.”
The music hall was on the other side of campus, close to the river. It was the most isolated academic building on campus and required nearly a half mile walk from Jessie’s dorm.
“I guess I’ll just fail,” Jessie said.
“As a college professor, I never like to hear that,” Professor Pierce said, sitting next to Jessie.
“What other choice do I have? Unless we have another music major here. Besides, people have other classes too. Especially you freshies,” Jessie said, pointing at Penny. “We’re going to have to skip more often than not.”
Professor Pierce wrinkled her face and stroked her chin before raising an eyebrow.
“Don’t you think you’re overreacting a little? Let’s assume that these parasites are actually infecting these girls.”
“They are,” Jessie answered.
“Yes. Yes. That’s what you guys have told me. I need more than anecdotal evidence to make a judgment either way. Regardless, there can’t be that many infected girls on campus, right? Besides, you would be in public for classes. It seems pretty low risk.”
Penny nodded her head vigorously, a bit of ketchup drizzling from the edge of her mouth.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right. We just have to be careful.”
“Hold your horses, Penny. These girls have weird powers too. Hypnotism, mind control, god only knows what else. Even if you’re careful, you don’t know what they’re capable of. Besides, they know we know. We have a target on our backs.”
“Oh yes,” Professor Pierce smirked. “These powers. I’ll believe that when I see it.”
Jessie was getting tired of this woman’s bullshit. If she didn’t want to believe them, that was fine. But she didn’t have to be a condescending bitch about it,
“Look lady, you can believe whatever you want. Just know that if they’ve seen you with us, they’ll be gunning for you too. I’m telling you right now, there’s more to them than just those worms. Ignore it at your own peril.”
Professor Pierce frowned.
“If you spoke like that to me in one of my classes, I would send you out.”
“Yeah? Well it’s a good thing I’m not some bio nerd weirdo then. You can’t do shit.”
Penny watched the two of them go back and forth, her eyes big and wet. The girl’s default emotional state seemed to lay somewhere between an anxious twitch and a full-on nervous breakdown and right now, she seemed to be inching towards the latter. Without hesitation, she began to shovel more food into her mouth.
The three of them stewed in tense silence for nearly a minute before Haley and Eliza came over.
“Who died?” Haley asked.
Jessie let out a wry snort.
“Our class schedules, apparently.”
Eliza laughed.
“With all this crazy shit, classes are the least of my concern. They’ll probably shut down the school when this thing gets too big, anyways. That’s what they did with my brother’s college when they had a big meningitis outbreak two years ago. This seems worse than that.”
“That reminds me,” Professor Pierce said. “I’ll be notifying school administrators about this as soon as I get a good handle on what’s going on. Honestly, you girls should have done that in the first place.”
“We tried to call the CDC,” Penny said sheepishly.
“Yes, you told me about that. I’m not surprised they didn’t respond. To be honest, your story is pretty hard to believe.”
Haley suddenly cocked her head to the side.
“You guys were fighting about that,” Haley said. “You don’t believe us, Professor Pierce. Not fully, at least.”
Jessie narrowed her eyes. Was Haley eavesdropping on them? Sure, the tension at the table had been thick enough to cut with a knife, but how did she know they had been fighting over that specific topic?
“Were you listening to us?” Jessie asked.
Haley shook her head. She suddenly looked afraid.
“I just kind of—it’s hard to explain. I’m sorry.”
Jessie gave the girl a confused look and filed the information away for later. The whole thing made her skin crawl.
Professor Pierce sighed.
“I do believe you guys. Really, I’m on your side. But I’m a scientist and I need evidence.”
“You have the worms,” Jessie answered.
“Yeah, but that’s only half of the equation. If I really want to figure this out, I need to get a good look at one of the infected.”
“Oh yeah, like that’s possible,” Jessie said.
“I don’t know. I’m sure they’d be more than willing to volunteer,” Eliza said. “But we’d all walk away infected ourselves.”
“Hence my frustration,” Professor Pierce answered.
“This might be a stupid question,” Penny said. “But could you do an animal test? Maybe on a lab rat?”
The rest of the girls broke into laughter. The idea seemed ridiculous. The worms were practically the size of rats themselves. However, Professor Pierce did not laugh. She seemed to mull the question over with increasing interest.
“I think that the fluid these worms secrete might be the answer. It mutated the leech. It probably plays a role in changing those infected by it. I could try a test in that direction. However, it’s not exactly ethical. Believe it or not, we can’t just scoop up lab rats and do whatever we please with them. Still, it’s a move in the right direction.”
The rest of them nodded. Jessie had to hand it to the Professor. She was an arrogant priss, but she knew her stuff.
Both Eliza and Haley were now actively looking around the cafeteria, growing increasingly worried.
“Bethany and Melissa are still not here. I’m about to go looking for them,” Eliza said. “I don’t want to lose them like I lost Lindsay.”
Haley nodded.
“Let’s give them a few more minutes, then let’s go.”
“Great,” Jessie said. “We can’t even eat in peace.”
4
“Bethany, I’ve been texting you nonstop since last night!”
Ellie Thomas was red in the face and mad as hell and Bethany Eastwood was not here for it. The creeping exhaustion that began at midday had finally set-in in full for the young woman and the last thing she needed was her old high school friend spouting off like a firehose filled with drama.
“Sorry Ellie, I haven’t really been checking my phone.”
Bethany pulled her phone out only to find it was dead.
“Ugh, fine, I’ll just tell you,” Ellie said.
The little blonde launched into her newest boy fling at a pace Bethany could barely follow. Apparently, they had broken up but now he wanted to get back together. He wanted to meet her tonight. Something, something, not important.
Bethany did her best to pretend to listen but made sure to keep her eyes on Melissa in the dining hall. Her roommate was starting to worry her. The girl was obviously traumatized from whatever happened to her the night prior, but Bethany could not shake the feeling that there was more to it.
Melissa was wandering around the cafeteria aimlessly with nothing on her plate save for a small dollop of mashed potatoes. Her eyes were on the ground and on no less than three occasions, she managed to bump into someone while Bethany was watching. She almost seemed drugged.
“Well Bethany. Should I give him another chance or not?” Ellie asked, tapping her foot impatiently.
Bethany realized she had tuned out the last minute of Ellie’s screed entirely.
“Uh, I don’t know,” Bethany said. “Remind me, what’s your boyfriend’s name again?”
“Jon! Aren’t you paying attention? Also, he isn’t my boyfriend anymore. Well he might be. I don’t know!”
God help me, I do not have the patience for this, Bethany thought. She stepped to the side and snagged a slice of cheese pizza from a tray, doing her best to avoid Ellie’s judgmental glare. In terms of priorities, Ellie’s haphazard love life was about as low on Bethany’s personal totem pole as possible, but she knew ignoring her friend completely wouldn’t be an option.
“He hasn’t tried to hurt you or anything, right?” Bethany asked.
“Not physically, no. He just wants to have sex with me. I don’t want to have sex yet. I’m not ready for that. But I do like him. He’s a real sweetie pie. But he was so different last night. He was cold and a bit of a jerk. But today he was much nicer. I don’t know. Should I give up my virginity for him, Bethany?”
Bethany was not proud of what she did next, but it was the only response she could manage given that question. She laughed in Ellie’s face.
“Jesus Ellie, what a question. I can’t tell you that. Probably not? He seems like a bit of an asshole to me.”
Ellie frowned in such a way that her cute button nose scrunched up, making her look like an angry bat. This just made Bethany want to laugh harder. The exhaustion was really making her go loony.
“So, you don’t like him? I wish you had told me that earlier! Should I cancel tonight?”
Bethany could not take much more of this. Her roommate was going off the deep end, the school was descending into parasite-induced madness, and this crazy girl wanted to talk about her boyfriend of exactly one week.
“You can do whatever you want, Ellie. You’re a grown woman. He seemed like a bit of a dick last night and he dumped you because you wouldn’t put out. Maybe I’m wrong, though. I guess it can’t hurt to talk to him.”
Ellie huffed.
“Great, I’m sorry that I’m so annoying to you. You’re my best friend here, I just thought you might care about me!”
Great Bethany, you couldn’t just keep your big mouth shut and nod along? Now you’ve got a fire to put out.
“I’m sorry Ellie. I shouldn’t have reacted like that.”
“It’s fine. I’m sorry I annoyed you,” Ellie said.
The girl stomped off, her cloud of curly blonde hair bouncing up and down as she went. Then, without warning, she spun around, impotent rage splashed across her face.
“I’m going to get back together with him just to spite you. I think you’re a bad judge of character!”
With that, Ellie disappeared into the crowd.
“That’s not what I—oh bother,” Bethany said.
There was a tap on Bethany’s shoulder. She turned around and saw Melissa standing behind her. The girl was looking down at the floor, her plate still sparse.
“I’m ready,” she said.
Suddenly, Bethany missed Ellie and her drama. Melissa was far too quiet.
5
Dinner passed uneventfully. The women chatted idly about what to do moving forward, but mostly they avoided talking about the crisis at hand. It was clear to Jessie that everyone was getting tired of the subject. She could see the marks of exhaustion on all their faces—even Pierce.
Finally, it came time for dinner to end and the eight of them walked outside. Professor Pierce shuffled through her purse for her car keys and bid them all farewell.
“Wait a minute,” Jessie said.
The professor looked back at her with thinly veiled annoyance. Jessie did her best to ignore this.
“You shouldn’t go to your car alone. You’re asking to get turned.”
“It’s a short walk to the staff parking lot from here. I doubt it’ll be a problem,” Pierce answered.
Jessie readied herself for another fight, but luckily, Molly, the professor’s student assistant spoke up.
“No, professor, I think she’s right. Let’s say this is happening the way they say it is.”
Why is this so fucking hard to believe? Jessie could not wrap her head around what they were missing.
“If there are girls on campus targeting other women and implanting these things in them, you could be in danger. I’ll walk with you. It’ll give us some time to discuss next steps, anyways.”
“Fine. But I still think you all are being way too jumpy about this.”
Molly and the professor began to walk off when Jessie thought of something.
“Wait a minute. What are you going to do when the professor drives off? You’ll be alone.”
Molly and the professor looked at each other, neither having considered this.
“I’ll come along,” Jessie offered.
Professor Pierce grimaced, but Molly did not notice.
“I wouldn’t have thought of that. I appreciate that,” she said.
Jessie turned to face the rest of the group.
“I’ll meet the rest of you back at the dorms, sound good?” The rest of them nodded.
Jessie walked triumphantly towards the professor and her assistant. She loved the look on Pierce’s face. You better get used to me, lady. I’m not going anywhere.
6
Bethany walked along the path with her friends, beginning to feel a sickening weight in her stomach. Of all the things in the world for her to worry about now, Ellie was first and foremost on her mind. Had she been too dismissive?
Also, was it a good idea to let Ellie wander campus in search of this Jon loser with the infected girls spreading like wildfire? Of course not.
Of course, with all this going on, Bethany’s phone was dead. There was no way to contact Ellie besides visiting her dorm, and that would require splitting up the group even more. Bethany did not want to do that.
She looked off at the sun setting over the river and felt a chill. The future’s uncertain and the end is always near. Those were lyrics to a song from The Doors, right? They seemed to fit her present moment perfectly.
Just calm down and get back to the dorm as fast as possible. Get your phone charged and text her. That’s all you can do right now, Bethany.
Bethany felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up to see Haley Lewis giving her a concerned look.
“You okay, Beth?”
Bethany nodded. A simple lie. She was not okay, but who was in this bunch? They had all been through hell, especially Melissa. None of them wanted to hear about this drama bullcrap.
“Is it about your friend? The blonde one?” Haley asked. The girl reddened slightly and added, “I saw you talking to her. Sorry, I hope I’m not intruding.”
Huh, I guess this was all more obvious than I thought.
“Yeah, she’s having relationship problems right now. She got dumped and now the guy wants to get back together, and she wants to meet up with him. It’s a big mess.”
Haley giggled a little.
“Sounds like it.”
“I’m sorry,” Bethany said. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear about this stuff. We have bigger problems.”
Haley shook her head.
“Don’t apologize! It’s nice to hear about something normal after two days of crazy.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. So, did you see the whole thing go down? She kind of stomped off on me.”
“No, I just saw her talking to you in the cafeteria. I didn’t stop to look for too long. I’ve seen you guys talk before though.”
Sometimes Bethany wondered about Haley. The girl seemed to be a little too on the mark about things at times.
“You’re pretty good at guessing,” Bethany said.
Haley shrugged and smiled.
“It’s one of my many talents.”
“You’re an interesting one, Haley Lewis,” Bethany said, relishing having a normal human conversation for the first time in days.
Still, Ellie would not leave her mind. She desperately wanted to be home.
7
As the three of them reached the parking lot, Jessie heard a man’s voice call out to them from behind. Jessie remembered the night before, when their ragtag band had been attacked by that psycho dude and froze.
The man rushed over to them and pulled Molly into a tight hug. He did not look like the guy from the night before, but Jessie’s memory of the event was fuzzy.
“I’ve been looking all over for the two of you!” the man said.
Professor Pierce went a little pale.
“The two of us?”
The man gave the professor a nervous glance but said nothing.
“What have you guys been up to? I tried to find you at the lab, but you had already left. Sarah said you guys were going for food, but I guess I missed you there too.”
Molly shrugged.
“It’s been a bit of a hectic day. I’m sorry. I should have texted.”
“No worries, babe! Hey, any update on those samples?”
Oh great, this doofus knows too. Jessie knew it was only so long before the secret got out. Still, the more people that knew about what was sitting in Pierce’s lab, the bigger potential target they had on their backs.
Then Molly did something that surprised Jessie.
“Nope! No update. We put them in a closet, so they don’t get messed with. We’ll see what happens.”
Professor Pierce raised an eyebrow and gave Molly a hard glance but said nothing. Jessie watched it all from the sidelines, unsure of what to make of any of it.
“Oh well,” the man said. “Maybe by tomorrow we’ll see some activity.”
“Yup!” Molly answered.
“I’m going to go,” Professor Pierce said, unlocking her car and stepping into the driver’s seat.
The man gave the professor a quick nod but didn’t say anything else.
“Hey, wait a minute,” Jessie said. “Make sure you text Molly when you get on campus. Two of us will come meet you here.”
“Ugh, fine,” the professor answered before starting her car and driving off.
“Why do you need to meet Professor Pierce in the parking lot?” the man asked.
Molly put her finger to the guy’s lips and said, “don’t worry about it, honey.”
“Alright, you guys are freaking me out a little,” the man said.
Jessie shook her head.
“It’s just some boring girl drama. Trust me, you would rather not know, dude.”
The man chuckled.
“Alright, fair enough. I don’t think we’ve met, by the way.”
Jessie stuck her hand out.
“Jessie Vitelli.”
The man was wiry and slim, but his handshake was surprisingly strong.
“Hunter Miller. Nice to meet you.”
The three of them stood in awkward silence for a moment. Jessie could feel a layer of grime all over her body. Her whole body was run down with aches and pains pulling at her limbs like tangled marionette strings. Worse yet, she could sense danger lurking in every shadowy patch of woods and behind every car. Fear had a way of exhausting the brain, never letting you rest. Drink enough of that vile drink and you begin to shut down.
“Let’s get you home, Jessie,” Molly said.
Jessie cringed as the words came out of the girl’s mouth. Just another oddity for this Hunter guy to pick up on. And pick up on it he did.
“We’re walking her home?” he asked.
Jessie blurted out an explanation without thinking.
“I’m trying to avoid my ex. If I’m alone, he’ll try and corner me.”
“Say no more,” Hunter said. “I’ll tag along too. Strength in numbers, right?”
Jessie nodded, trying to bite back her frustration. She had been hoping to get one-on-one time with Molly. She needed to suss out Pierce better. The lady didn’t seem to be taking any of this seriously enough, but Molly had a better head on her shoulders. Plus, she was close with the professor.
But nothing could ever go right. Jessie reflected that her life was becoming like a pair of earbuds in her pocket. Look away for a second and it gets tangled. Try to untangle them, and they only get tangled worse.
8
“Come on, Melissa, wake up!”
Melissa recognized the voice immediately, but kept her eyes shut. Nothing good could come from listening to that voice.
Then the touching began.
Melissa felt a soft, dexterous hand slink up her belly before coming to rest on her right breast. The pressure on the tender flesh was uncomfortably pleasant. Melissa had never been touched that way by a man, so she had no reference to compare by, but she guessed that any future boyfriend would not be so gentle.
“It’s a trick,” Melissa said. “You’re not here.”
“Why don’t you test that theory and open your eyes.”
Melissa did so despite herself. The redhead named Emily loomed over her on the bed. There was no one else in the room.
Melissa gasped.
“No. How?”
Instead of answering, Emily swooped down and kissed Melissa on the lips. A rich, sweet taste like molasses filled Melissa’s mouth as Emily’s tongue began to explore.
An animalistic heat wafted off the redhead. Melissa could feel the girl’s body against her own. Large, perfectly shaped breasts brushed against Melissa’s own, far more modest pair. The feeling of their chests touching was exquisite, filling the young woman with a deep, longing desire she never realized she possessed.
“You like my body, don’t you?” Emily said.
“Get off of me!” Melissa squeaked.
She knew Emily was right, and she hated it.
“Come on, don’t be that way, Melissa. Here, let me help you out.”
Before Melissa knew it, the redhead seized her hands and placed them on her luscious breasts. Melissa sat there, her hands sinking into the soft, lovely pillows, shock paralyzing her.
“Doesn’t that feel good? So intimate and close?”
“No! Maybe. I don’t know!”
“It feels good to be touched by you, Melissa. I like you.”
Emily swooped down for another kiss, mashing her large breasts against Melissa’s hands in the process. This time, Melissa was completely helpless. The molasses taste returned, punctuated by floral notes. Meanwhile, Emily’s breasts were so pillowy and soft. Were all the infected girls so voluptuous? It must be nice.
Before she knew it, Melissa was squeezing and jiggling Emily’s perfect breasts like a horny, fourteen-year-old boy. Their kissing intensified and soon Emily was grinding her crotch against Melissa’s.
Melissa knew what came next. She was going to be infected. Would it really be so bad? To be beautiful and sensual? To have a sisterhood.
“Now you’re getting it,” Emily said.
The redhead’s eyes blazed with unnatural green light. Melissa allowed herself to be consumed by it. Her entire body relaxed, and, in that moment, she saw everything. She saw how easy it would be to give in when the time finally came. She saw how good it would feel to become like Emily. To have power and beauty and a magnetism that no ordinary human being could manage. To never be alone.
Melissa felt as her nether lips parted, allowing entrance to the engine of her rebirth. It was wet and hot and wonderful.
Then Melissa’s eyes flew open, this time for real, and she was back in a crowded dorm room with Bethany, Haley, Penny, and Eliza. There was nothing between her legs. No evidence of the rendezvous save for a sheen of sweat that covered her brow like a moist blanket carried over from the dream.
But it was real. It felt realer than reality. A perfect moment with the clarity of a still mountain lake.
Melissa looked over at her friends. They were pretty girls—each one carrying the potential to be a goddess. Melissa could feel that potential brimming inside of herself. What could she become if she gave in?
Then a wave of shame washed over her as the last vestiges of the dream fell away. These were her friends; she was not going to betray them. Whatever Emily was it was unhealthy. Unnatural. Melissa knew she could not give in. It was a trick.
Still, the desire lingered.
“You okay, Mel?” Bethany asked, taking a moment to look up from her phone.
Melissa sat up and scratched her head, feeling a wave of dizziness hit her.
“I’m fine. I just had a weird dream.”
Melissa stared at her friends and suddenly felt a day-long haze of depression shatter, replaced by a deep aching in her heart. She just wanted to be her old, cheerful self again. She could see by the looks in their eyes that her friends were all worried about her. She hated being a burden.
“How are you guys?” She asked. “I’m sorry. I’ve been stuck inside myself all day. I haven’t bothered to ask.”
“Yeah okay,” Eliza snorted. “I think you get a pass on that one.”
“We’re all fine. Just waiting for Jessie to get back,” Haley said with a soft, reassuring smile.
“Right, Jessie,” Melissa said, distantly.
Things had moved so quickly in the last two days that she had not gotten a chance to process the new arrivals to their little group.
God, that girl Jessie must think I’m a total psycho based on how I’ve been acting, Melissa thought. She felt herself redden with embarrassment only to feel her shame replaced with a strange, yet deep joy.
Being embarrassed was such a normal feeling. It was boring. Mundane. A white bread emotion. To have normal person concerns for just a moment was so deeply rejuvenating. Maybe she really could put this behind her.
“Good luck with that,” Emily Bloom’s voice whispered in her mind.
Melissa felt her heart sink and her blood run cold. There was a ball and chain attached to her ankle and she wasn’t going anywhere.
For several seconds, the group sat in silence. Then, Bethany ruptured that silence in the most uncharacteristic way possible. She took her phone and threw it across the room.
“Goddamnit Ellie!” She cried.
Everyone stared at the girl, their jaws hanging open. Melissa found an odd comfort in this too. It was nice having the attention on someone else for once.
“My friend is an idiot. I need to go,” Bethany said.
“What? You’re kidding, right?” Eliza asked.
The redhead stood up and tried to block the door with her scrawny, five-foot three body. Bethany, at six feet, was a whole head taller than the girl. The juxtaposition was almost laughable.
“I’m not kidding. My friend is meeting up with some guy alone on campus. I’m going to provide cover just in case.”
“What do you mean, just in case?” Eliza asked. “What, do you think someone might try to turn her?”
“Maybe. They tried to do that to Haley. Look, I just don’t want her doing this alone. Besides, this guy is sketchy.”
Eliza crossed her arms over her chest and stood her ground.
“So, you’re going to put yourself at risk, in turn putting all of us at risk, for your idiot friend?” she said.
“Fine, I’ll go with a buddy,” Bethany grumbled, trying to get around the redhead.
“Oh great, so you’ll put one of your friends at risk too. Great idea.”
Bethany ran her fingers through her hair and rolled her eyes. Her entire body was tense, making her look powerful and dangerous. Melissa had never noticed just how tall her roommate was until that moment. Bethany usually slouched, but she was standing tall now.
A powerful tingle of attraction coursed through Melissa as she stared at the tall blonde. She tried to fight it back, but its presence was undeniable. Her encounter with the infected girls had ruptured something deep inside of Melissa and now all kinds of unpleasant thoughts were leaking out.
“Listen, Eliza. I get that I’m being a hypocrite and being selfish, but I’m going. Got that? One of you can come with me. Hell, all of you can come with me. I don’t care. I’m going, okay?”
“I’ll go!” Melissa said, the words leaping out of her mouth before she had a chance to think about them.
“See,” Bethany said. “I’ve got a buddy, it’ll be fine.”
Eliza held her ground for another few seconds, but ultimately crumbled. She stalked off, muttering something about blondes and refusing to make eye contact with anyone.
There was a knock at the door. Bethany stepped up, stared through the peephole, and then opened the door on Jessie.
“Hey, did I miss anything?” She asked.
“Someone’s being a selfish idiot!” Eliza responded; her face almost as red as her hair.
Bethany shook her head, clearly losing all semblance of patience.
“I’m going to help a friend. Melissa’s coming with me.”
Jessie held up a hand.
“What? You’re going out now? That’s not a good idea.”
“Well I’m going and that’s final. Okay?” Bethany said.
Jessie walked over and grabbed the practice sword from the corner of the dorm room. She brushed a patch of caked dirt off the edge and returned to the front.
“I’ll go with you. Strength in numbers, right?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Bethany said. “The more people with us, the more it’s going to freak my friend out.”
“Would you rather not freak your friend out or not be turned? It’s your choice.”
Bethany crumbled after a few seconds. Melissa could sense she was running on empty and this new crisis was only depleting her faster.
“Fine, you can come along, but no one else.”
“Deal,” Jessie answered.
Haley and Penny said goodbye to them as they left the dorm room. Eliza said nothing. As the door slammed behind her, Melissa felt a sinking feeling deep in her bones. Something bad was going to happen and now her fate was sealed.
9
Ellie Thomas stomped down the path, fuming about what happened at dinner.
Bethany had her new friends. She didn’t have time for boring old Ellie and all her problems. She was better than that.
Ellie felt a fresh storm of tears looming on the horizon. She hated being so torn up about this. Hell, she was not even thinking about Jon at this point. Meeting up with him was a formality.
When Ellie had found out last Spring that Bethany was going to Bailey college as well, she had been overjoyed. Having a close friend already on campus? It promised to be a blast!
Instead, it was a nightmare. Bethany found friends immediately. Meanwhile, Ellie had no one. She and her roommate hated each other. She could not connect with anyone in her classes. Jon was the only connection she had made and that was tenuous at best.
Oh God, why am I such a loser? Ellie thought. No wonder Bethany wants nothing to do with me.
Suddenly, Ellie looked up and saw Jon waiting for her on the bench by the memorial garden. Time had a way of moving quickly when you were mad, apparently.
“Alright, I’m here. Let’s talk,” Ellie said.
Jon stood up and smiled nervously. He looks humbled, Ellie thought to herself. That was good. Maybe they could start over.
“I’m sorry, Ellie.”
Ellie felt her heart flutter. Maybe there was a chance for things to turn around. That was the one bright spot in her life now.
“It’s okay. I mean, it really hurt me, but I appreciate your apology.”
Jon winced a little and took a step back.
“I’m really sorry,” he said.
Ellie laughed out loud and then immediately slapped her hand to her mouth to stop it. The boy looked like a kicked puppy!
He must really know he’s in the doghouse.
“It’s okay. I’m willing to move past it,” Ellie said. “Just never pull that kind of crap again. Got it?”
Jon shook his head.
“This was a mistake. I’m really sorry.”
Ellie’s heart turned to ice in her chest. Was he dumping her for good? Did he call her all the way out here just to leave her lonelier than before?
Before Ellie got a chance to respond, she was grabbed from behind. She yelped only to have a strong hand cover her mouth, muffling her.
“Just don’t hurt her,” Jon said to whoever was holding Ellie.
“I’ll do my best,” a husky female voice said.
Then there was a bright green flash. Ellie felt an overwhelming tingle radiate from between her legs before everything went blank.
10
Melissa shivered as she stood next to the bench, feeling her spirits sink lower by the minute. Bethany was in a full-blown panic and Jessie was clearly losing her temper.
“Ellie! Ellie where are you!” Bethany screeched.
“For God’s sake, she’s not here. All you’re doing is making us a big fucking target,” Jessie snapped.
Bethany ignored her and continued to shout. Her voice was getting hoarse, taking on a huskier tone that was dripping with sorrow.
And here I am, right in the middle of this mess and as useless as ever, Melissa thought. Why had she come? Was it fresh air? Was it the futile desire to feel like a normal person again?
Melissa couldn’t tell. Her brain was a swirling cauldron of emotions. She couldn’t ladle out the broth and find one clear ingredient. It was all mixed and muddled.
“Why don’t you give your friend a call. That way we don’t get attacked and you save your vocal cords. Sound good?” Jessie said.
“I’ve done that! She isn’t answering me. Why don’t you help me look for her instead of telling me to shut up?”
Melissa felt so useless. She had hardly said a word since leaving the dorm. She was tired of being a helpless victim.
“She probably just met up with this guy. Besides, you guys were fighting. Maybe she’s still mad at you,” Melissa said.
“Maybe,” Bethany muttered. “Maybe I overreacted.”
Jessie shrugged.
“Either way, she ain’t here. Let’s go home.”
Suddenly, Melissa felt hands on her shoulders and hot breath on her ear. Emily Bloom’s soft, tantalizing voice spoke to her.
“Actually, she’s with us,” the girl whispered. “But we didn’t know how important she is to the tall one. Thank you for that.”
The presence of the infected girl faded away, leaving Melissa trembling in the cold. She was as pale as a ghost and her eyes bulged like she had just witnessed a gruesome battle.
“Hey, are you okay?” Jessie asked.
Bethany rushed over to Melissa and put her arm around her shoulder.
“Mel, what is it?”
“I-uh-um,” Melissa couldn’t find the right words. How could she possibly convey what was happening to her?
Suddenly, Bethany’s phone chimed, indicating that she received a text. She broke away from Melissa in an instant and ripped the phone out of her pocket to have a look. When she opened the message, she let loose a sobbing gasp and clapped her open hand over her mouth.
The phone screen displayed an image of a slender girl with short, curly blonde hair bound and gagged. She was being held by two women, one that Melissa recognized. Emily Bloom’s eyes blazed with the same noxious green light as in Melissa’s dream.