Maya, wiry and sharp-eyed, paces back and forth, her sneakered feet echoing on the hardwood. Jenna, tall and athletic, sits cross-legged on the couch, chewing her thumbnail. Lila, with her long curly hair, hugs a pillow, glancing nervously at her friends. Sophie, the youngest, peers through the blinds, watching for any movement outside.
"Do you think it’s true?" Maya asks, her voice trembling. "About the virus? I saw that video—women just… swelling up, and then wanting to spread it," Jenna whispers, shuddering.
Thunder rumbles outside, shaking the fragile sense of safety. Lila clutches her phone, reading updates aloud. "It starts with a fever, then the belly grows… and they want to find others. It’s like they’re obsessed," she murmurs, voice hushed. Sophie squeezes her pillow tighter.
"How long do you think we have?" Sophie asks, her eyes wide and wet. "As long as we stay together. We won’t let it in," Maya insists, though her gaze lingers on the door.
Cassie, an old friend, stands shivering in the doorway, her raincoat stretched tight over an unmistakably swollen, round belly. Her eyes are pleading, but strange. "Please—let me in. I need help," she cries. The group hesitates, but Sophie unlocks the door.
The moment Cassie steps inside, the room fills with a strange, heavy air. Maya recoils, but Lila can’t help but stare at the taut curve of Cassie's belly, transfixed.
Cassie[/@ch_5] is gone, but Lila wakes feverish, her stomach tight and aching.]
Lila stumbles into the bathroom, lifting her shirt to reveal her belly already rounding. She gasps, hands trembling. Jenna and Maya stare, horrified, as Lila's skin stretches, the change unmistakable.
"I can feel it growing. It’s like… it wants more. I want to find someone," Lila whispers, fear and longing warring on her face. Jenna backs away, but Lila reaches out, desperate for comfort.
Jenna[/@ch_2] succumbs next, her once-flat stomach swelling beneath her sweatshirt.]
There is a strange unity now; the infected women move together, their hands unconsciously cradling their rounded bellies. Maya and Sophie retreat to the kitchen, eyes darting.
"We have to leave. Now, before it gets us," Sophie pleads. "But where? The city’s full of them. Pregnant and hungry to spread it," Maya answers, her voice hollow.
Maya[/@ch_1] and Sophie barricade the bedroom door, listening to muffled voices and laughter from the living room.]
The sound of soft, rhythmic thumps—infected hands on rounded bellies—fills the darkness. Maya holds Sophie's hand tightly, both trembling.
In the early hours, Sophie feels a fever burn through her veins. She doubles over, weeping as her stomach rises, round and full. Maya is the last, her reflection in the window showing her own belly beginning to swell, her eyes haunted but strangely serene.
