The Truth Beneath the Skin

Chapter Five: The Truth Beneath the Skin

Anna looked around the house, her hands still shaking. She didn't know if she could trust this guy, and that made her even more nervous. She held onto the baseball bat just in case.

Ethan, the guy who had saved her, noticed and gave a small laugh. "You don't need that in here," he said. "You're safe now. Am not as bad as you think."

Anna didn't answer. She wasn't sure if she believed him.

Ethan watched her for a moment before shaking his head. "You really think that bat is going to save you?"

Anna looked down at it. She thought about her mother. She thought about what she had done.

"It helped me before," she whispered.

Ethan's smile faded.

Anna swallowed hard and finally let the bat fall to the floor. She looked back at Ethan and asked, "Who are they?"

She pointed to the two people tied up in the corner. Their bodies were stiff, their breathing slow. Their heads hung low, but she could still see their pale skin.

Ethan's jaw tightened. "They're my parents," he said. " They are infected."

Anna felt her stomach twist.

"They got infected," Ethan continued. "My sister… she did this to them."

Anna's heart skipped a beat. "Your sister?"

Ethan nodded, his hands curling into fists. "Yeah. Megan."

Anna's breath caught. The name hit her like a brick.

Megan.

The same Megan from her school. The same Megan that Catherine had attacked first.

Her face must have shown her shock because Ethan took a step toward her. "Do you… do you know my sister?"

Anna hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. She goes to my school. She was the second one who… changed."

Ethan's eyes darkened. "So it started there," he muttered.

Anna felt sick. She had been there when it happened. She had watched Megan's body move in that strange way, and had seen the way she turned after being bitten.

And now, standing in front of her was Megan's brother.

Ethan let out a slow breath and walked over to the couch, sitting down. He looked exhausted. "I've been trying to fix this," he said. "Trying to stop it. But nothing is working. This freaking thing is spreading and becoming worse."

Anna watched as he reached into his bag and pulled out a small flashlight. The light wasn't normal—it was blue.

"I want to show you something," Ethan said.

He walked over to his parents, still tied up. Their bodies didn't move, their heads still hanging low.

Ethan pulled out a regular flashlight and shined it on them. "Look," he said.

Anna squinted, confused. "What am I supposed to see?"

Ethan didn't answer. Instead, he switched to the blue flashlight and shined it on them.

Anna gasped.

Under the blue light, something moved beneath their skin.

Small, thin shapes. Like worms.

Hundreds of them, crawling inside their bodies.

Anna covered her mouth. "What is that?" she whispered, feeling sick.

Ethan shook his head. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it's not normal."

Anna couldn't take her eyes off it. The worms slithered under their skin, moving through their veins. It was like their bodies weren't even their own anymore.

Ethan turned off the blue light and sighed. "You can't see it with normal light. But it's there."

Anna took a step back, feeling dizzy. This wasn't just an infection. This was something else.

Suddenly, Ethan yelled out in pain.

Anna spun around. "What happened?"

Ethan's face twisted, and he dropped the flashlight. The blue light hit his hand.

And that's when Anna saw it.

The same worms—moving inside his skin.

Anna stumbled backward. "Ethan… You're—"

"Give me the injection!" Ethan shouted. His voice was strained, his breathing uneven.

Anna didn't move. "What injection?"

"In my pocket! Right side!" Ethan gasped, gripping his arm. "Hurry!"

Anna hesitated, but then saw the worms moving up his wrist.

She quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small syringe filled with a clear liquid.

"Now!" Ethan shouted.

Anna bit her lip, unsure, but then jabbed the needle into his arm with a full force.

Ethan gasped and fell back onto the couch, his breathing heavy. Slowly, the worms stopped moving.

Anna stared, her mind spinning. "What just happened?"

Ethan closed his eyes for a second before looking at her. "It stops the infection… for now," he muttered.

Anna's hands were shaking. "Can it save the others?"

Ethan shook his head. "No. If they've already changed, it's too late."

Anna felt like the air had been knocked out of her. Lokeshe was never going to wake up from this nightmare.

Before she could ask anything else, a loud knock came from the door.

Both of them froze.

Then—A voice.

"Ethan… It's me. Open up."

Anna's blood ran cold.

It was Megan.

Anna looked at Ethan, her heart pounding. The knock on the door came again—louder this time.

"Ethan," Megan's voice called from outside. "I know you're in there. Open the door."

Anna's breath hitched, and she turned to Ethan in panic. But before she could say anything, Ethan quickly clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Shh," he whispered, his eyes locked on the door.

Anna's body was tense, her heart racing so fast it hurt. She gripped the baseball bat tightly, her fingers trembling.

Ethan slowly moved toward the door. Anna watched as he leaned forward and peeked through the small opening.

For a moment, he didn't move.

Then, he looked back at Anna. His face was pale, his eyes filled with something close to fear.

He motioned for her to follow him.

Anna hesitated but then hurried after him, her bat still in her hands.

Ethan grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward another room at the back of the house. He shut the door behind them.

They barely had time to breathe before—

A loud bang.

The front door swung open.

Anna pressed herself against the wall, gripping the bat so tightly her knuckles turned white.

From outside the room, footsteps echoed through the house.

Megan had entered.