1 Chapter 1: Scratches

Isabella is a 20-year-old student in the Biotechnology Department at the private Macon Bantam University.

She is preparing to receive a trainee in her lab.

Alex: "Hi, I'm Craig. I'm here as an intern."

Professor: "Hi Craig. Starting today, you will be here for three months to develop your experimental know-how in the field of carbonaceous fungi research. You are not to take any of the fungus home with you or spread it around, okay?"

Craig snickered at the professor's joke.

Isabella: "Hey, Professor. Tell me a more stylish joke."

Craig: "I'm not going to let it go out there. I don't have bio-terrorist blood. And just in case, I want to say...there are no murderers, neglecters, or pedophiles in my family.

The professor patted Craig on the shoulder and sat him down at the trainee desk.

Professor: "Quickly, anthrax secretes three types of toxin proteins. You understand this, don't you? The exotoxins are called protective antigen, edema factor, and lethal factor, respectively. The genes encoding them are all located on the toxin plasmid pXO1. The others are..."

Craig: "I know, Professor. I studied this stuff quite a bit when I studied for the exam. It's about exotoxins, isn't it?"

Craig is on his cheekbones, boredly listening to the professor.

Isabella stared at Craig's languid profile from afar.

Angelina: "Hey, Isabella? Are you in love with Craig?"

Isabella: "What? Are you stupid? That horse-faced guy is not my type."

Angelina, Isabella's classmate, said to Isabella with a wry smile.

Isabella gave Angelina the whites of her eyes and whispered.

Isabella: "I was wondering why he came to this institute as an intern. Because it's as if he's not trying to take the professor seriously."

Angelina: "That's true."

Craig started pretending to listen to the professor and began dozing off behind the other interns.

Professor: "Well, I had hoped that most of the trainees this semester would be serious. But I guess I was a little wrong."

The professor approached the dozing Craig.

Professor: "Mr. Craig. I know we've never met, but your attitude makes my ass itch."

Craig: "Sorry. I fell asleep. I need the motivation to study the same material over and over again."

Professor: "You want to lose credits? You've got some nerve on your first day."

Craig: "What are you talking about? A model professor is one who teaches a reasonable class for each trainee.

Suddenly, Craig stood up, walked right up to the professor and started yelling at him.

Professor: "Craig, go home today. If you don't want to take the required courses, then stay home and masturbate!"

The professor returned to the podium, his shoulders angry. Craig huffed and stomped out of the lab.

Isabella: "My God! This is a terrible first day of an internship!"

Angelina: "Yes, it is. I heard rumors that Craig's marriage is not going well lately, and he seems to be under a lot of stress. And Craig's high-handed attitude is disgusting."

Isabella: "Well, it's happening."

The lecture for the trainees was complete and they began to leave the classroom en masse.

Isabella and Angelina happened to spot Craig in the hallway.

Isabella and Angelina: "Craig! What are you doing there?"

Craig: "Who are you guys? Is that loudmouth professor always like that?"

Isabella: "No, the problem is your attitude. We study biotechnology and we deserve a review, especially of the basics. If you didn't have the patience, you wouldn't be right at home in this department."

Craig: "I'm not a bad learner! I have a memory so good it could be mistaken for savant syndrome."

Angelina: "I've been told I have signs of savant syndrome, but I'm not arrogant like you."

Isabella: "Anyway, we have a genome sequencing application program tomorrow. Craig, you will be in that class tomorrow, right? Your professor is different from today, but don't get in trouble again!"

Craig: "Okay. As long as they don't make the class boring!"

Angelina: "Isabella, let's get going."

Craig spat down the hallway and left.

Isabella and Angelina left the school building and sat on a bench in the atrium plaza.

Angelina: "Craig disgusted me to the core. He would never get along in any class like that."

Isabella: "You're right. He's an intern and his attitude is already top notch. I wonder if his parents spoiled him."

Angelina: "Maybe. Or maybe he's a narcissist who wants to show off his rebellious spirit. Maybe he's a lonely boy! I've rarely seen someone with a slumped face like that."

Isabella: "And he has a horse face! He might look a little handsome in the sun, though!

Isabella and Angelina sat on a bench and chatted for two hours.

Then a group of three boys approached them from afar.

Simon: "Yo, two bitches. What are you doing on the bench? Playing lesbian?"

Boris: "What are you two whores doing? Have you been devouring the trainees' dicks today?"

Oliver: "Cock vacuum cleaners!"

Isabella and Angelina were disgusted by the trio of men.

Isabella: "Will you stop talking like that? Besides, I'm not that much of a sex monster."

Angelina: "But you had sex with Dave in the schoolyard in the past, didn't you? Amy told me."

Isabella: "That's a lie! Where did you hear that story?"

Angelina: "From Simon."

Isabella: "Simon!"

Simon: "Ha! I saw you and Dave bang bang doggie style in the bushes in the school yard during lunch break after Listeria class!"

Isabella: "That wasn't me! I think it was probably Larry and Jessica. They're both crazy."

Simon: "Dang, that wasn't you! Boring."

Isabella: "Me and Dave broke up a long time ago. Dave was arrested for raping a waitress at his favorite strip bar."

Oliver: "Seriously! Your boyfriend's a criminal!"

Boris: "Dave finally did it. The Biotech Department is full of crazy people. I'm in the Literature department, so I don't care!"

Isabella: "Don't talk like that! Dave was decent his first year here. Then he started playing with other girls, and eventually he started hitting on complete strangers."

Angelina: "Typical asshole."

Simon: "It's peaceful in our department of literature."

Isabella: "When I was dating Dave I noticed something different about him. He wasn't kissing me as much anymore, and he wasn't very friendly. I never dreamed he was in and out of strip bars. The last time I saw him was a week before he committed the rape. He and I were drinking shots of Jack Daniels and martinis at his house. At his house. That was the last time."

Simon: "Well, I guess he was chronically frustrated or had a pathological libido that he couldn't control. Spending days in a lab staring down a virus can drive anyone crazy."

Isabella: "Dave was forcibly expelled from the university after the rape. Now he's in jail. The victim's waitress's name is Linda. I'm meeting her and her parents next weekend."

Angelina: "How did you get her contact information?"

Isabella: "The police contacted me when Dave had the incident. As Dave's ex-boyfriend, the police had a lot of information on me. I decided to meet with the victim and talk to her in person."

Simon: "I see. Wouldn't this be a good opportunity for you to learn more about Dave's insane personality?"

Isabella: "I didn't want to know that. It's a nightmare. But he's my ex, and I want to know the truth about what happened."

Boris: "Let me know if this takes an interesting turn! I'll release it as a literary novel."

Isabella: "Don't."

Oliver: "You'll be a celebrity for being the rare one who knows what a criminal's cock tastes like!"

Simon: "Boris, Oliver, stop. Isabella, well, I know you're not feeling too good, but I'm always happy to talk to you."

Isabella: "Just because you're a literature major, do you consider yourself a vocabulary master? If you want to make fun of me, get out."

Simon: "I never said that."

Angelina: "Simon! Isabella doesn't like it, so don't say anything more."

Simon: "Ok. See you two bitches. Boris, Oliver, let's go!"

Angelina: "Shut up, short foreskin!"

Isabella: "Ha ha! Thanks, Angelina. You've made me feel a little better. Wanna go to the bar today?"

Angelina: "Even though I have class tomorrow? Um, okay. I'll try not to drink too much! But I get addicted to Wilkinson's!

I'll be there.

Isabella: "Hahaha! Me too! We both need to control it! Tomorrow the classroom will be filled with the smell of alcohol! Just kidding, just kidding. Let's go!"

Isabella and Angelina left the institute's gate and got on a bus. They walked to the bus stop to go to the "Blue Brick" shot bar in the suburbs.

Isabella: "You haven't been to that bar in a while, since last summer, right? What bus am I supposed to take?"

Angelina: "I think it was the 52A bus. We were 19 at the time! We lied about our age and drank alcohol. It would be terrible if the professor found out!"

Isabella: "Yes, I remember. We mixed cognac and tequila and ended up on the floor, right? I remember after that your mom came to the bar and gave me a glass of water."

Angelina: "Yes! My mom was very worried about you. After I went home, of course I was scolded terribly, haha. But my dad forgave us right away, though!"

Isabella: "And the next morning I went to the lab directly from your house. It was so hard to cover up the fact that I reeked of alcohol! I still remembered it."

Angelina: "Yes, it was! I'm glad it didn't turn into a fiasco, though! More importantly, the bus will be at our bus stop in five minutes, so I need to get my ticket ready."

Isabella: "I'll get my ticket ready too!"

Just as Isabella was about to take the ticket for the bus out of her purse, something touched her foot

Isabella: "What!"

Isabella fell to the ground in surprise.

Angelina looked at her as she fell in surprise.

Angelina: "Isabella, what happened!"

Isabella: "Something got wrapped around my leg. I thought it was a rope. What was it?"

Angelina: "What? We were the only ones at the bus stop. What do you mean?"

Isabella: "I don't know... It felt like someone grabbed my leg and pulled me back."

Isabella's face was clearly pale, and Angelina she could not understand what had happened in that moment.

Angelina: "I'm next to you and nothing happened around your legs. Maybe you're a little tired. Maybe you tripped on a pebble or something?"

Isabella: "No, there are no stones to trip on. You'd know it if you saw it. I really did get something wrapped around my leg!"

Angelina: "That's what you said... That's weird."

Isabella stood up and slapped a hand on her own jeans.

At that moment, the 52A bus arrived at the girls.

Angelina: "The bus is here. Let's get on."

Isabella: "Yeah. What? No!"

Isabella fell on the steps of the bus.

Angelina: "What? Again?"

Isabella: "My leg! There's something tangled up in my leg!"

Angelina: "Where? There's nothing! Get on the bus, the bus door is closing!"

Isabella: "I can't get on! Someone is pulling my leg!

Frustrated, Angelina grabbed Isabella's arm as she lay on the bus steps and tried to pull her inside by force.

Angelina: "Isabella! The bus is leaving, you have to get up somehow! Take my hand!"

Isabella: "I can't! They have a complete hold on my legs!"

Angelina lifted Isabella with more force.

Angelina: "Hold on to the railing and exert yourself as hard as you can!"

Isabella: "My ankle hurts! It's bleeding!"

Angelina: "No way! You have a cut on your leg! If I try to pull you up any further, your leg could be torn off!"

Isabella: "Help me!"

The moment she screamed, the force that had been pulling Isabella quickly vanished.

Angelina was able to pull her into the bus on a moment's notice.

Angelina: "Isabella! Are you okay!

Isabella: "Whew...that sucked. It hurts!"

Angelina: "Your leg needs therapy. It's a pretty deep wound. I thought maybe you took a wrong step on the bus stairs and fell. But I guess that's not why."

Isabella: "I have no idea. I just felt it again. It was that feeling of something wrapped around my leg. I've never felt anything like that before."

The driver and passengers on the bus looked at them anxiously, wondering what had happened.

Isabella and Angelina sat down and the bus left.

They looked out the bus window at the scenery as the sound of a loud diesel engine rumbled through the cabin. Angelina touched the hand that Isabella had placed in her lap.

Angelina: "I have no idea what happened to you. It was too strange. No one was holding onto your legs or trying to drag you out of the bus. And yet, you were down and struggling all by yourself. That's obviously not right."

Isabella: "I'm still panicking. I feel sick and nauseous. The blood in my ankle is somehow stopped by your tissue paper. I can't comprehend what I'm going through."

Angelina: "Anyway, when we get off the bus, let's go to the pharmacy. There should be a pharmacy near the bar."

The bus stopped at a street corner on Als Beverly Street.

Angelina: "Please beware of the sudden stop. (Driver announces)"

The girls got off the bus. Outside, it had already begun to rain, and the cold rain was soaking the concrete.

Angelina: "Let's find a pharmacy! I think it was probably just around that corner to the left."

Isabella: "My wound hurts from the rain.... I can't walk properly."

Angelina: "Hold on to my shoulder!"

Isabella held onto Angelina's shoulder and headed falteringly in the direction of the pharmacy.

Angelina: "There's the pharmacy!"

Isabella: "Let's go inside!"

Just as they were about to go inside the pharmacy, Isabella felt a tremendous pain in her leg.

Isabella: "My leg hurts! Why does it hurt so much! I can't stand up! Huh? What? What was that!"

Angelina: "What!"

Isabella sat on the ground in so much pain that she pointed to their reflection in the pharmacy glass.

Around her, a myriad of long, thin, hair-like tentacles appeared and disappeared every few seconds. But Angelina could not see them.

Angelina: "What the hell is going on? The glass shows nothing but medicine products! You look strange today! Are you on drugs?"

Isabella: "No! I can see it! Something is buzzing around us!"

Angelina: "What are you talking about? There is nothing!"

At that moment, Isabella's face froze. Behind her, a myriad of the tentacles she had seen earlier appeared and entwined themselves around her lower body. The tentacles quickly covered her neck.

Isabella: "I can't breathe! What is this! What's happening to me?"

Angelina: "I can't see anything! What the hell is going on? What is happening to you? What? Numerous scars are appearing on your body! What does that mean?"

Isabella: "Noooooooo!

The mysterious tentacles, visible only to Isabella, are covered with countless sharp spines. And the tentacles further constricted her body. Blood is slowly oozing from her body.

Her jeans, her jacket are slowly beginning to turn red.

Angelira: "Isabella! If this continues, you could bleed to death! I'll get the owner of the pharmacy right away! Also, I'll call an ambulance!"

Isabella: "Hurry up! It hurts!"

Angelina hurriedly ran into the pharmacy.

Angelina: "Hey! Something terrible is going on out there! A classmate of mine is suddenly having some kind of seizure and collapsing! She's bleeding out and she's in a dangerous condition! Do something to help!"

Pharmacy owner: "What? Oh my God!"

The pharmacy owner rushes outside.

Pharmacy owner: "What the hell happened? What the hell is this? Did she have a seizure...? It doesn't look like an epileptic seizure or a myocardial infarction! Anyway, this is a catastrophe! Someone call an ambulance! And call the police, too!"

The shopkeeper yelled in panic.

Isabella was cowering on the spot, unable to stand up, and she fell down, curled up in a heap.

Then Isabella gradually began to faint. Then she heard a mysterious voice in her brain.

Mysterious female voice: "Isabella, I baked your favorite pancakes today. Eat them with honey or butter on them."

Isabella: "Who is it? Mom? Are you alive?"

Mom: "Yes, I am. I know you like pancakes, so I made them for you. Eat them."

Isabella: "Yes, I know, but... where am I?"

Mom: "Did you forget? We just remodeled this kitchen."

Isabella: "That's not what I meant, Mom died when I was a kid! Why are you here?"

Mom: "What are you talking about? I'm here. I am always with you. Listen to your father."

Isabella: "Daddy is an alcoholic! He's in a welfare facility right now!"

Mom: "..."

Isabella: "Mom, are you listening to me?"

Dave: "Hahahahahaha! Isabella! Spread your legs! I'm going to kill you!

I'm gonna kill you! I will rape you and dump you in the woods!"

Isabella: "What! Dave! Why are you here? Noooooooo!"

At that moment, Isabella woke up. She was lying on the clinical table in the hospital.

Continue to Chapter 2: